The Living Journal – What is Stupa ?

The Living Journal – What is Stupa?

There are three representations of the Buddha - body, speech, and mind. Actual statues are representations of Buddha's holy body. The scriptures represent Buddha's holy speech. And stupas are the representation of the Buddha's holy mind.

Stupas are also called "the embodiment of wisdom". Stupas reveal the path to enlightenment, how an ordinary mind can be transformed into an enlightened mind. 

Generally of Buddhist practices, there are three main types:

1. The foundation
2. The path 
3. The result

Before the Shakyamuni Buddha passed away two thousand five hundred years ago, he instructed his students to build and place his remains in a stupa. 

The stupa is an architectural rendering of enlightenment, depicting the Buddha, crowned and seated in meditation posture upon a lion's throne. His crown is the top of the spire, his body the vase shape or bumps, his legs four steps of the terrace and the base, his throne. 

The function of a stupa is not only symbolic, when a great Buddhist teacher is alive, his body is not just regarded as an ordinary body, but is seen as containing the very essence of his or her awakened mind. 

Similarly, when the teacher passes away the physical remains are considered to be distillation of his same essence, and are said to have enormous power, the power of complete wakefulness.Since the time of the historical Buddha many thousands of stupas have been built to enshrine the relics of great Buddha and Buddhist teachers.  

Adapting to many different cultural forms they have become objects of veneration, pilgrimage and warship in all Buddhist cultures. Stupas are held to promote peace, prosperity, longevity, good health and harmony, subduing negativity of all kinds, dispelling ignorance and delusions and holding the power to arouse the awakened mind. 

Thank you for reading and may you find peace and great bliss. With your support it helps spread the Buddha’s precious teachings and turning the Dharma wheels in the world. 

Aspiration For Bodhichitta

May the precious Bodhichitta arise

Where it has not arisen

And where it has arisen may it not decrease

But increase further and further.

Nagarjuna's Dedication of Merit
By this merit may we obtain omniscience then.
Having defeated the enemies wrong-doings.
May we liberate migrators from the ocean of existence.

With its stormy waves of birth, old age, sickness and death.

*Note*
I do not own or infringe any copyright of these pictures.

Pictures courtesy and credit to the rightful owners.

             

The wisdom nectar

Rainbow , the wisdom nectar
I am present in front of anyone who has faith in me. Just as the moon casts it reflection, effortlessly, in any vessel filled with water.

For anyone ,man or woman, who has faith with me, I, the lotus born have never departed as I sleep on their threshold.

Seeing me all the buddhas are seen, accomplishing my practice, bathe practice of all the buddhas is accomplished, for I am the embodiment of all the sugastas (fully enlightened beings according to the secret guide to accomplishing the guru)

Unstained by objective clinging, unspoiled by grasping mind, sustaining the naked and empty awareness is the wisdom mind of the buddhas.

From Guru Padmasambhava , the Guru Rinpoche.

Dedication of merits

May those who read and sharing of this blog's information be peaceful and joyful. May the Buddha Dharma be flourished and the merits will be dedicated to the sentient beings.

Mahakala The Wrathful Dharma Protector(大黒天) Part 1

Bodhisattva are those who follow the practice of Bodhichitta, and have developed it. Ordinary Bodhisattva are those yet to attain ultimate Bodhichitta. 

They are relative Bodhisattva. Ultimate Bodhisattva are those who have realized the Bodhichitta and have thus reached any of the ten bhumis or spiritual levels.

Mahakala the 2 arms Dharma Protector

High level of of Dharma protectors are an example of Mahakala, He is the well known Dharma protectors and he is the wrathful manifestation of the compassion of Chenrizig (In Tibetan) or Avalokitesvara (In Sanskrit) Kuan Yin (In Chinese)

Bodhisattva. 

Mahakala using his power to protect the temples, monasteries, protect the precious Vajrayana teachings and help other dharma practitioners. He is typically black color. Just as all colors are absorbed and dissolved into black, all names and forms are said to melt into those of Mahakala, symbolizing his all-embracing, comprehensive nature. 

Black can also represent the total absence of color, and again in this case it signifies the nature of Mahakala as ultimate or absolute reality. Mahakala he is always depicted with a crown of five skulls, which represent the transmutation of the five negative afflictions into the Five wisdoms. 

The wisdoms are representations of the five qualities of the  Buddhas. There are many manifestations of wrathful forms of Mahakala and every manifestation appearance has it's unique different purpose and the power to subdue all the evil forces:-

1. Two arms black color Mahakala.
2. Four arms dark blue color Mahakala.
3. Four arms green color Mahakala.
4. Six arms dark blue color Mahakala.
5. Six arms white color Mahakala.

Two arms black color Mahakala to be continued in part 2.

Dedication of merits

May those who read and sharing of this blog's information be peaceful and joyful. May the Buddha Dharma be flourished and the merits will be dedicated to the sentient beings.

                                       

Amitayus Buddha -無量壽佛

Amitayus Buddha

Amithabha Buddha

Mantra of Amitayus Buddha

Om A Ma Ra Ni Dzi Wan Ti Ye Svaha

Amitayus Buddha is the Buddha of boundless life. He is a Sambhogakaya aspect of Amithabha Buddha and a centre figure in longevity practices. He holds a vase containing the nectar of immortality in his hands.

At the bottom of the Amitayus Buddha is called the Ushnishavijaya, known as the goddess of longevity, another deities is well known by the Vajrayana practioner,  is called the White Tara, the goddess of long life.

Amitayus, manifestation of the Amithabha Buddha for longevity. Amitayus Buddha is being compound of infinite life. Amitayus Buddha is one of the well known Long Life Buddha. Amitayus is depicted red in color , sitting in meditation posture, on above his palms is a long life vase, which containing the long life nectar of immortality.

By reciting his powerful mantra an practices, can save us from untimely death. We can recite the mantra for our spiritual gurus or teachers, so that our precious gurus or teachers thy will remain long life and healthy and able to turn the dharma wheels as long as possible.

Dedication of merits

May those who read and sharing of this blog's information be peaceful and joyful. May the Buddha Dharma be flourished and the merits will be dedicated to the sentient beings.

The Five Dhyani Buddhas 金刚界五智如来 - 寳生如來 Part 1

The five Dhyani Buddhas family, each of every Buddha it uniquely different from each others and appearing with different mudras. The five dhyani buddhas are representations of the five qualities of the Buddhas.These five Buddhas are a common subject of Vajrayana Mandalas.

When these Buddhas are represented in mandalas, they are not always the same colors or be related to the same directions. The five Dhyani Buddhas can be described as follows :-

1. Ratnasambhava Buddha. 寳生如來
2. Akshobhya Buddha. 阿閦如來
3. Vairocana Buddha. 毘盧遮那佛 / 大日如來
4. Amithabha Buddha. 阿彌陀佛
5. Amoghasiddhi Buddha. 成就如來

Ratnasambhava Buddha he is represents the Ratna family. He is the Buddha of the South direction. 

His syllable is "Tram" 

His color is in gold and yellow signifies the South. 

His element is signifies or represents earth.

His symbolism is signifies the jewels.

His wisdom is signifies as equanimous.

His right hand mudra is signifies as giving.

He is  symbolize the season of Spring.

His consort is Mamaki.

His Dhyani Bodhisattva is Ratnapani. 

His Pure Land is called Shrimat. the Southern Pure Land.

Akshobhya Buddha.阿閦如來 to be continued in part 2

Dedication of merits

May those who read and sharing of this blog's information be peaceful and joyful. May the Buddha Dharma be flourished and the merits will be dedicated to the sentient beings

Himalayan wild flowers Part 4

When early spring, the valley has completely transformed it into a Paradise of floral, everywhere you can see the transformation of life is welcoming the arrivals of spring season. Many wild flowers have already blossomed with spectacularly beautiful and colorful. Some flowers are completely in a pure snow white and some flowers have magically transformed it into a cheery red and pink angelic color.

                       Snow White beauty

Red and pink beauty

Yellow beauty

Nubri Valley is truly a beautiful garden of Paradise with the uniquely green house of plantation and wild flowers are blossomed everywhere, many beautiful butterflies, bees, insects like the little angels are cast with their natural magical spell at the entire valley. Many wild animals roaming around freely especially the deers and antelopes as they have limited of natural enemies such as the Eagles, and snow leopards another highly endangered species and estimated the number of this shy creatures left about a couple of thousands in the wilderness. Black bears are another rare animals living freely in the wilderness of the Himalayan valley.

More wild flowers will be coming up in part 5

Life is so impermanant

It has been a long absent and my last post was dated in February 2010, and today i realized the total number of days were so unbelievable (1609 days)

Impermanent and constant changes is a way of life and my late father has departed in 2012 and that was the saddest moment that impact on my life greatly because the one that you loved dearly has been gone forever.

I had invited Ven.Thupten Rinpoche to perform the bardo ritual to my late father and hopefully he is in the better and a higher realm now.