The Importance of Stupas

Pema Dragpa October 28, 2019

The benefits of building stupas were spoken of by the buddha in the Noble Amazing Sutra:

Ananda! Any devoted noble sons and daughters who fill this entire three-thousand-fold universe with the seven precious metals and make offerings to all the stream-enterers, once-returners, non-returners, and arhats—as well as all the sangha members in the four directions—do not accumulate as much merit as someone who makes a stupa to the Tathagata—the Subduer, the Perfectly Enlightened One, the One Who Entered Mahaparinirvana— that is even the size of a churura seed, with a central column the size of a needle, an umbrella the size of a juniper leaf, and filled with grain-sized statues and mustard seed-sized relics.

Moreover, in the Analyzing Activity Sutra, the Buddha said to the brahmin son Netso:

Whoever builds the Stupa of the Tathagata will gain the eighteen benefits. These are: (1) to be born in a royal family, (2) with perfect features (3) and a beautiful body; (4) who everybody loves to see (5) and looks to as a leader; (6) with fame expanding in the ten directions, (7) beautiful cheering sounds, (8) and praised with beautiful verses; (9) very detached from the world (10) and honored by gods (11) and humans; (12) very wealthy, (13) with a long life (14) and as healthy and strong as a vajra; (15) possessing the major marks (16) and minor marks; (17) born in the upper realms; (18) and soon to enter the supreme enlightened state.

www.padmasambhava.org/the-importance-of-stupas

Photo of Ven. Khenpo Tsewang Dongyal Rinpoche and Lama Jomo Lorraine in the PBC Miracle Stupa near Jetavan Grove in Shravasti, India in 2013.