Thursday, February 11, 2010

Kalachakra Stupas

Although, on some levels, it may be said that what we understand as stupas actually exist in infinite variety, our general, common knowledge is of eight different types, commemorating or symbolizing eight different events in the life of the Buddha.

However, there is a ninth type -- seemingly rather rare -- of which there are at present but a handful in the world, and this is the Kalachakra Stupa.


Reportedly, the first to be constructed is at Bokar Monastery in India (1988), followed by one in East Tibet,  one in Hawaii (1991), and then one in Spain (1994). The next was built in Dharamsala, followed by one in Austria (2002). The largest one in the world, at Spiti, was consecrated in July 2009 by the Dalai Lama. There are indeed a few others, but not many.

The question I would like to put before the house is this: why don't we have one or more under construction in the mainland United States? I know we have one in Hawaii (1991), and another one in Indiana, but is there any new construction?


Anybody know where to get some engineering drawings for one of these?

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1 reader comments:

Nick Ribush said...

Kalachakra stupa in Boston: http://www.kurukulla.org/stupa-project-kurukulla-tibetan-buddhist.php