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Ananda’s records also reveal Buddha’s advice on stupas. Buddha explains that when anyone sees a stupa and merely thinks, “This is the stupa of the Exalted One,” the heart of that person will become calm and happy, and they would be reborn in the happy realms of the Pure Land (the western paradise of the Buddha Amitabha, see here). Even today, one of the most significant rituals that Buddhists of all traditions observe is circumambulation of the holy stupa. There are beautiful stupas in Borobodur in Indonesia and Myanmar (Burma). The two that I love to visit and highly recommend are Bouddhanath stupa in Kathmandu, Nepal, and the Mahabodhi stupa in Bodhgaya, India.

The legend of Boudhanath stupa reveals how it was built by a woman whose four sons dedicated the virtue to take rebirth as beings who were instrumental in bringing Buddhism to Tibet. It is said that one of the sons reincarnated as the great guru Padmasambhava (see here), who is regarded as the Buddha who brought Buddhism to Tibet, while another son reincarnated as the great king Songtsen Gampo, who was responsible for spreading Buddhism across the country.

The Mahabodhi stupa is the fountainhead of Buddhism and the holiest pilgrimage place, for Buddha attained enlightenment in Bodhgaya. Circumambulating this stupa is incredibly purifying. As you walk clockwise around it, you can feel some of its energy embracing you and sending you into a very light place.

Happiness and sadness don’t come from outside; They come from one’s own mind.

LAMA KYABJE ZOPA RINPOCHE

The stupa respresents Buddha’s holy mind – Dharmakaya – and each part of the stupa shows the path to enlightenment. When seeing the Boudhanath stupa, Nepal, for the first time, close your eyes and make a fervent wish. It is said that anyone doing so will have their wish granted.