A stupa by definition is a dome, mound or pyramid shaped
commemorative monument erected as a Buddhist shrine containing the body relics
of saintly Buddhist monks and nuns. A stupa is a representation of the body,
speech and mind of a realized lama who has passed away and therefore acts as a
living presence of the Buddha, his protective powers, compassion and wisdom. Stupas
also act as powers of support to the seekers and followers for meditative
practices. Such stupas in several forms - each shape bearing a specific
significance - and sizes are found all over India, Bhutan, Nepal, Sri Lanka,
Tibet and among other Buddhist nations and/or where Buddhism is gaining rapidly
in embracing a way of life and living, death and dying based on studied faith,
universal responsibility and secular ethics.
Recently i had the good fortune of attending the
consecration of relic stupa of great relevance and significance at the
Namdroling Monastery in Bylakuppe, Karnataka.
Located 90kms from Mysore, this monastery is a must do on
the local tourist circuit and is popularly referred to as ‘the Golden Temple’
by locals. Founded in the year 1963 and completed in 1979 by H.H. Padma Norbu
Rinpoche after fleeing Tibet due to political instability and invasion by
Chinese forces, this monastery of the Palyul lineage of Nyingmapa tradition of
Vajrayana Buddhism, today houses a total of 4000 monks and 800 nuns; in its
junior school (lobdra), school of rituals
(dratsang) and monastic college (shedra), all of who study under the
umbrella of the Ngagyur Nyingma Institute, a high calibre global university for
higher Buddhist studies. A full-fledged Retreat Centre, set up in 1985, is
where about 50 monks can engage in deep practice at one time, for the
traditional cycle of three years, three months and three days. A similar
retreat centre has also recently been set up for nuns. A large prayer hall -
Padmasambhava Buddhist Vihara – with gigantic statues of Sakyamuni Buddha, Guru
Padmasambhava (Founder of Tibetan Buddhism)and Buddha Amitayus (Buddha of
Limitless Light/Long Life Buddha) is big enough for few thousand monks and nuns
to perform prayers simultaneously, is the mainstay of Namdroling Monastery, the
mother monastery of which is located in Tibet.
H.H. Padma Norbu Rinpoche was born in 1932 from prophecy of
the 5th Dzogchen Rinpoche Thubten Chokyi Dorji (1872-1935).
Astounding signs appeared - unseasonal
blooming of flowers, rainbows encircling nearby hills and so on - as he was
given birth to by mother Dzomkyid and fathered by Sonam. Over his lifetime until
passing away into mahaparinirvana in 2009, HH accomplished tasks unimaginable and
unfathomable to the ordinary across India, Tibet, Bhutan, Canada, the UK and
USA, France, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Philippines, Taiwan, Germany, Nepal, Singapore,
Macau, Malaysia and others, conferring transmissions and empowerments of texts,
practices and rituals to students, both ordained and lay practitioners, all
along.
It was therefore only befitting that a stupa of his relics
was erected and consecrated in the finest manner possible at Namdroling
Monastery in South India. Reliquary stupas of HH have also been built in Palyul
Monastery in Tibet, Bodh Gaya and Namdroling Nunnery, Bylakuppe in the recent
past after his mahaparinirvana.
After two days of the puja ceremony, conducted by the senior
most lineage holders and abbots of the monastery, the stupa was consecrated,
blessed and dedicated to the people at large who then placed their offerings and
prayers of deep devotion and pure aspirations before it. Representation of
devotees and sponsors numbering over 300 from far flung places like Vietnam,
Taiwan , the USA besides cities of India made it to the event. Monks and nuns worked
day and night to make our stay comfortable with more than well laid out
arrangements for food, stay and other venue arrangements. An impressive coffee
table book titled “The Great Play of Infinite Merit” was released and
distributed among attendees, showcasing the life and times of H.H. Padma Norbu
Rinpoche with an elaborative commentary on stupa details.
H.E. Mugsang Kuchen Rinpoche, who oversaw the construction
and subsequent consecration of the stupa says: “Although i had initial
difficulty to study the authentic reliquary stupas in the Potala, Tibet and
also find architects and sculptors for them, it is a matter of great joy for
all of us that this task is successfully completed. It is an object of
veneration for the sangha of Namdroling Monastery as well as a source of
accumulating merit for his disciples who will come later. From a worldly point of
view it is a memorial of his legacy. There is nothing called ‘distance’ as far
as the blessing of one’s root guru is concerned, for there is a saying, “For
those whose heart is filled with devotion, I, the Lotus-Born, have not gone
astray. I am resting at your doorstep.”
Salient features of the Relic Stupa:
- It is a Tashi Gomang Stupa – a stupa of many auspicious doors, symbolic of the first teaching of Sakyamuni Buddha’s Four Noble Truths in Sarnath
- The supporting structure of the stupa is about 8ft tall made of finely engraved agarwood (aloeswood)
- Intricate carvings of eight lions on a base of lotus petals, sixteen Offering Goddesses holding sense offerings stand is majestic charm on lotuses
- Pillars and shafts between the lions and the borders above are further highlighted by fine carvings of a artform called norzin patra, a Tibetan carving artform featuring jewels surrounded by flowers
- Above these layers are attractive carvings of the Eight Auspicious Symbols, Eight Auspicious Substances, Seven Secondary Precious Objects and Five Sensory Objects
- Above this base structure rests the chorten or stupa which is 14ft tall and nearly 7ft wide encircled by 3ft bronze statues of the Eight Manifestations of Guru Padmasambhava (Guru Rinpoche), all made specially in Nepal
- The stupa itself is made of agarwood and finished with silver sheeting with all of the carvings inscribed on gilded copper plates
- Carvings of the main stupa are inlaid with coral and turquoise. The lower part of the throne appears to be held aloft by an elephant, horse, peacock, mythological shang-shang bird-half human and half eagle-and lions.
- The four steps above this layer are symbolic of the Four Immeasurables (loving kindness, compassion, appreciative joy and equanimity) with the borders embellished with turquoise and coral
- The topmost portion of the stupa (bumpa) symbolizes the seven elements of enlightenment is adorned
with pendants and garlands with its four sides made of refined bronze with
neatly arranged designs
- The crown ornament is made of a blend of gold and copper elements with its surface emblazoned with the seed syllables of the five Buddha families, both male and female in the Ranjana (Lantsa) script
- The parasol of the stupa representing the compassion of the buddhas is adorned by hanging tassels and wreath of flowers on top of which is the conjoined sun disc for compassion and moon disc representing wisdom
- The ceiling above the stupa is the mandala of Gathering of Vidyadharas drawn in liquid gold encircled by a Tibetan mantra to the omniscient Lama
- Inside the stupa is the central axis pole of red sandal alongside and within which are placed sacred mantras, dharinis, body relics, bodhisattva vase and other sacred, precious and medicinal items of great significance according to the scriptures
Memorabilia.
Temple by night.
With attendees.
The Reliquary Stupa
Stupa Post Card