Since ancient times, all nations have a special burial ritual and special places for them. People come to the graves of their ancestors, paying tribute to them. In many cultures, after the death of a famous person, a mound was poured over his burial, so that descendants could come to this place and bow to him, remember the achievements of the person buried here. In India, this function is performed by a Buddhist stupa. We invite you to get to know her better. After reading this article, you will learn that a Buddhist stupa, a sacred hill and a mound are related concepts. We will also talk about the most famous monuments of Buddhism associated with the founder of this teaching.
First stupas
In India, the first stupas arose in pre-Buddhist times. Initially, they were monuments that were placed on the graves of rulers in ancient India. The word "stupa" is of Sanskrit origin. In translation, it means "crown", "knot of hair", "heap of stones and earth" or "upper part of the head". The tradition of cremating the remains led to the fact that in India at that time there were no burials in the usual sense of the word. It was required to save only unburned remains or ashes. Exactlyin stupas and placed what was left after cremation.
Reliquaries
After some time, the stupas became reliquaries, in which the remains of spiritually outstanding personalities were kept. They began to be erected at the time of the Buddha also in his honor. For example, the Lotus Stupa was created by his father, King Suddhodana, in Nepal (in Lumbini, where the Buddha was born) during his lifetime. It had a cylindrical shape with seven or four layers of lotuses.
Some other stupas that were created during the lifetime of the Buddha are also mentioned in the texts. We are talking about four reliquary stupas. The merchants Tapussa and Bhalika built two of them over the hair and clippings of the teacher's nails. The same Buddhist stupa was created by Anathapindaka. Another is known, which he also built over the remains of Shariputra.
Stupa as an object for offerings
The Buddha wished for a stupa to be built over his remains after he passed away. He gave this monument a new meaning. Henceforth, the stupa was seen as an object for offerings made to one's own Buddha-nature, which is a symbol of the Buddha's mind. It is believed that by making offerings, people accumulate positive qualities. Gradually, they discover the Buddha nature in themselves more and more and eventually come to enlightenment, to ultimate happiness.
Variety of stupas nowadays
Currently, not all stupas are reliquaries, since not all of them contain bodily remains. Only a particle is often placed in the stuparemains, which can hardly be called a burial. It can also contain sacred texts or objects, the clothes of an enlightened teacher. In addition, there may be no relics in the stupa at all. In this case, it serves only as a designation of a memorable place, created in memory of the important events that marked Buddhism. It is not easy to talk briefly about stupas. There are many types of them. Stupas built in honor of an important event are called memorial. They can also be erected following a vow. In this article, we will look at the most important stupas that were created in honor of the Buddha. They are reliquary.
8 reliquary stupas
After the death of the Buddha, the relics that remained after his cremation are believed to have been divided into 8 parts. They were placed in 8 stupas located in different parts of India, in those that were associated with the life of a great teacher who preached Buddhism. Let's briefly characterize each of them.
King of Magadha Ajatashatru erected one of them in Rajgir, Shakyas in Kapilavastu, Lichchhavi in Vaishali, Koliya in Ramagram, Buli in Allakap, Mallas in Pave. Another branch of the Mallas built the stupa in Kushinagara, and a brahmin from Vetthapida erected it in his hometown. These are the very 8 stupas, under which the remains of the Buddha are located. They are called the great reliquary stupas.
4 Pilgrimage Sites Designated by Buddha
Such concepts as "8 places of pilgrimage" and "8 sutric stupas" or "8 stupas of the Tathagata" are also common. They are connected to life. Tathagata, i.e. Buddha Shakyamuni. The Buddha himself designated 4 places of pilgrimage associated with his life. In the first of them he was born, in the second he attained enlightenment, in the third he gave his first teachings, in the fourth he entered parinirvana. These places are traditionally identified with Lumbini (Kapilavastu), Bodhgaya, Sarnath and Kushinagara respectively.
Four important stupas
The Lotus Stupa was created in Lumbini, which was built by King Suddhodana (Buddha's father) during his lifetime. The main part of it is in the form of a lotus. It symbolizes the birth of the Buddha.
The Stupa of Enlightenment was erected in Bodhgaya, otherwise - victory over any obstacles. Its creator is the Dharma King Bimbisara. This stupa was erected after the enlightenment of the Tathagata. It is the most important of the eight, symbolizing the goal of the Buddhist path - complete enlightenment, recognition of one's mind. This monument is also a symbol of overcoming all veils and obstacles.
The stupa of wisdom (or 16 gates) was built in Sarnath. At this point, the Tathagata gave his first teachings, which are known as the "Four Noble Truths".
A parinirvana stupa was erected at the place of the teacher's departure, in Kushinagar. Its main part in shape is a bell, which means the perfect wisdom of the Buddha. This form symbolizes going into parinirvana.
Four stupas associated with miracles
To the above 4 places of pilgrimage, 4 more were subsequently added, related to the miracles performed by the Buddha. These are Vaishali, Sankasya (Shinkasi), Shravasti and Rajgir. In the last Buddha pacifiedpissed off elephant. The animal was sent to him by Devadatta, his cousin.
The Buddhist Stupa of Unity, or Reconciliation, was built to celebrate the reconciliation of the Sangha. Here, after the departure of the Buddha, the First Buddhist Council was held. The texts of Vinaya and Sutras were fixed on it.
The Stupa of Miracles was built in Shravasti in honor of the victory won by the Buddha over six teachers in the Jetavana grove, which was presented to him by the merchant Anathapindaka. These teachers were of the wrong view. The Buddha showed a double miracle. He rose into the air, where he emitted from himself flames and jets of water at the same time, and then, sitting on a lotus, he revealed many Buddhas in the sky before them. This monument was erected by a certain Lisabi.
The Stupa of Tushita's descent from heaven was built in Shinkasi. Buddha Shakyamuni repeated the practice demonstrated by previous Buddhas. In accordance with it, he ascended to the Tushita heaven. Here the Buddha preached Abhidharma to his dead mother, as well as to 33 deities along with their retinue. After that, he descended to earth along a wonderful staircase created for him by the gods Indra and Brahma. The symbol of this convergence are the numerous steps presented on the monument.
The stupa of perfect victory originated in Vaishali. Here, in the time of the Buddha, a plague ravaged the city. He managed to stop her. By this, the Buddha aroused the love and respect of the locals. When he again visited Vaishali, the monkeys dug a pond for the Buddha and also offered honey to the teacher. This place used to be a mango grove, which the courtesan Amrapali presented to the Buddha. Here he announced to his disciples that he would soon be leaving. However, they asked him not to leave them. The Buddha extended his life span by three months, thereby defeating death and time.
Various lists and locations of stupas
It should be noted that the places of pilgrimage described above, as well as the stupas that arose in them, only partially intersect with the reliquary stupas, which are mentioned in the Mahaparinirvana Sutra. Tibetan sources contain different lists of those that are associated with the life of the Buddha. In addition, their locations also vary. Most likely, these lists were compiled on the basis of oral tradition. They are connected with the existing custom of pilgrimages to memorable places. At different times, many stupas were created in these places. For example, in Sarnath, the ruins of several of them have survived to this day. Scientists cannot decide which of the two - Dhamekh or Dharmarajika - was erected on the site where the Buddha once gave the first teachings.
Eight Sutric Stupas
There is an opinion that the concept of "8 stupas of the Tathagata" is not a reflection of the existence of certain specific monuments, but only allows you to correlate the most significant events of the Buddha's life path with those places where there were many monuments of Buddhism. In the Tibetan tradition, this resulted in a group of eight sutric stupas, which differ in architectural details from each other.
Stupas in India and beyond
All of the above pilgrimage sites, as well as the great reliquary stupas, are located in the NorthIndia. It was here that the Buddha lived and spread his teachings. After in the 3rd c. BC e. Emperor Ashoka visited these places, pilgrimages here acquired great social significance. Ashoka later built many stupas throughout India. The most ancient of those that have survived to this day are in Bharhut and Sanchi (India), as well as in Nepal and Patan. In addition, they were built in Gandhara (the territory of modern Afghanistan and Pakistan).
Stupa in Sanchi, the photo of which is presented above, is located a few kilometers from Bhopal. It is considered the oldest of the architectural structures of India, preserved in our time and related to Buddhism. The stupa at Sanchi has a hemispherical shape. She has no interior space. This stupa sits on a round plinth with a diameter of 31 m. In addition, there is a terrace where ceremonies used to be held.
Borobudur stupa is also interesting. Borobudur is the oldest temple of Buddhism, built around the 7th-9th centuries. (photo of it is presented above). It is located on about. Java, 50 km from Yogyakarta (Indonesia). Borobudur is the most visited attraction of this country. This temple, unlike others built on a flat surface, was built on a hill. According to one version, he was in the center of the lake. There is a theory according to which Borobudur, reflected in its mirror surface, symbolized a lotus flower. In almost every work of art related to Buddhism, lotus flowers are visible. Buddha oftensits on a throne that looks like a blossoming flower. On the stupas of Borobudur, as well as many other temples, the petals of this plant are visible.
As you can see, stupas were built not only in India. No wonder, because the culture of Buddhism is ubiquitous. In our country, by the way, you can also find them. One of them is the Longsal stupa. It was built quite recently, in October 2012. This Buddhist stupa is located in the center of Izhevsk, not far from Karlutskaya Square.
