Why construct a Dorje Shugden Stupa?
Spectacular Dorje Shugden in Tibet. Many can feel the benefits of a stupa and more Dorje Shugden stupas are being built all over Tibet.
A stupa can be dedicated to a high lama, a Buddha, bodhisattva, deity or Dharma Protector. Stupas stabalise the enviroment, the ethereal beings, humans, animals and any being in the stupa’s vicinity. They are extremely beneficial and everyone in the area will be blessed by their energies. The stupa above is dedicated to Dorje Shugden but this is not the only one to Dorje Shugden. There are many more stupas dedicated to the Dharma Protector all over Tibet.
The Importance of Stupas
The benefits of building stupas were spoken of by the buddha in the Noble Amazing Sutra:
Ananda! Any devoted noble sons and daughters who fill this entire three-thousand-fold universe with the seven precious metals and make offerings to all the stream-enterers, once-returners, non-returners, and arhats – as well as all the sangha members in the four directions – do not accumulate as much merit as someone who makes a stupa to the Tathagata – the Subduer, the Perfectly Enlightened One, the One Who Entered Mahaparinirvana – that is even the size of a churura seed, with a central column the size of a needle, an umbrella the size of a juniper leaf, and filled with grain-sized statues and mustard seed-sized relics.
Moreover, in the Analyzing Activity Sutra, the Buddha said to the brahmin son Netso:
Whoever builds the Stupa of the Tathagata will gain the eighteen benefits. These are:
A fantastic carving of Dorje Shugden on the side of a mountain in Tibet
- To be born in a royal family
- With perfect features
- With a beautiful body
- Who everybody loves to see
- Who everybody looks to as a leader
- With fame expanding in the ten directions
- Surrounded with beautiful cheering sounds
- Praised with beautiful verses
- Detached from the world
- Honored by gods
- Honored by humans
- Very wealthy
- With a long life
- Healthy and strong as a vajra
- Possessing the major marks
- Possessing the minor marks
- Born in the upper realms
- Soon to enter the supreme enlightened state.
In the Noble Lotus Sutra, the Buddha said:
Whoever makes a stupa out of stones, agarwood, or sandalwood; or whoever makes a stupa with joy out of medicinal wood or even out of plain wood, earth, brick, and so on; or whoever makes a stupa by just using heaps of earth in some remote area while thinking of the Buddha; or even children who make a stupa while playing games with sand while thinking of the Victorious One; or whoever draws forms (of the Buddha) — they will all reach enlightenment.
Carving of Dorje Shugden on the side of a mountain in Tibet
The Manjushrimitra Root Tantra states:
(Those who want) to purify their negativities should make a stupa with their own hands—it will cleanse even the worst five obscurations. If they make 100,000 stupas, they will become a universal monarch among all the vidyadharas. Whoever contacts such a stupa will develop great wisdom and long life, and even if they die, they will be reborn in the higher realms in a royal clan, and they will never go to the lower realms. When born, their intelligence will be like a blazing sun, their intellect will become stable, and they will remember past lives. Thus it is said.
Moreover, the Noble Stainless Beams of Light Sutra states:
Noble sons and daughters! Whoever circumambulates or make offerings to a stupa will be blessed by Tathagatas, move to the supreme enlightened state through a non-returning path, and purify all of their karmic obscurations. Even if the shadow of a stupa touches birds, animals, deer, or whomever, they will not be reborn in the lower realms.
Thus, in the sutras and tantras the Buddha taught extensively about the benefits of building stupas, as well as the benefits to those who support and make contact with stupas.
Source: https://www.padmasambhava.org/the-importance-of-stupas
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Stupas were generally built to bury relics of Buddha or objects used by him. Stupas became a symbol not only of Buddhism itself but also an architectural testimony to its expansion and strength.
In Tibet and around the world, many Buddhist could feel the benefits of a stupa. As they are extremely beneficial in that particular where everyone will be blessed by their powerful energies. Its not surprised that In Tibet every monasteries do built Stupas and more spectacular Dorje Shugden stupas are been built. This is a sign that the magnificent Dharma Protector and its practice is spreading far and wide. Dorje Shugden practice is not a minor practice after all.
Having visited Tibet I have seen many stupas been built in those monasteries. Not only one but in some monasteries few stupas been built. Its truly meritorious just by seeing and circumambulating . Whoever builds, support and make contact with stupas will collect tremendous merits. And just by circumambulating a stupa or make offerings too will collect merits as well. We are fortunate to have one stupa at Kechara Forest Retreat for to circumambulate , that’s the VojraYogini Stupa.
Thank you for this sharing the amazing benefits of building stupa.
Dorje Shugden is an emanation of Buddha Manjushri. Due to his great compassion, Buddha Manjushri manifests as an enlightened Dharma protector in a wordly form so we can easily connect with him and he can give us very swift assistance. There are many miracles performed by Dorje Shugden when people put their trust in him.
Dorje Shugden is an enlightened being, this is undeniable. If Dorje Shugden is an evil spirit, many high lamas could have subdued him but no one managed to. The only reason is that Dorje Shugden is also a Buddha, therefore he cannot be subdued. The Tibetan leadership claimed that Dorje Shugden is sectarian, he will harm practitioners of other lineages. This is also not true, Dorje Shugden was first enthroned as a Dharma protector in the Sakya lineage. Other lineages such as Nyingma and Kagyu also practiced Dorje Shugden.
Many high lamas in Gelug lineage, Sakya lineage and Kagyu lineage wrote prayers to praise the enlightened qualities of Dorje Shugden, it is impossible that high lamas like them all made a mistake by recognising Dorje Shugden as an enlightened being. When we do Dorje Shugden practice, Dorje Shugden is like our bodyguard, protecting us from danger and harm. When we stop doing Dorje Shugden practice, we are removing our protection away and thus bad things can easily happen to us due to the ripening of our negative karma. At the end of the day, karma prevails. However, Dorje Shugden has the power to minimise the sufferings we have to go through when our negative karma ripens.
It is amazing that who builds the Stupa of the Tathagata will gain the eighteen benefits.
Wow!! Very interesting article! I can’t imagine how much benefits and merits we can collect by constructing Dorje Shugden stupa. Hope i have the merits to sponsor a stupa. Thank you very much Rinpoche and blog team for sharing how beneficial for constructing a Dorje Shugden stupa. ???✨??
One can reap so many benefits from building a stupa and even coming into contact with a stupa. Being born in a royal clan and possess intelligence in future lives are certainly good conditions for any spiritual aspirant to pursue spirituality in full force. We can collect tremendous merit just by circumambulating a stupa. Where else would be a better place to collect the merits other than the VojraYogini Stupa in Kechara Forest Retreat, Bentong! Thank you for this sharing.
Such are the vast benefits of constructing stupa stated in Sutras, as taught by Buddha. Didn’t know that there are many stupas dedicated to the Dharma Protector all over Tibet. Amongst the stupas being built, many are Dorje Shugden’s stupas and hence the practice is prevalent. I wonder why this practice is being banned then? If on the other hand, where Dorje Shugden practice constitutes a minor practice as claimed by CTA, then why should we be afraid of it?
Look at the nice, beautiful and yet stunning art carving of Dorje Shugden on the side of a mountain in Tibet! It’s massive! Plus the stupas, so beneficial. Thank you Rinpoche for sharing this with us.
Stupas were built in ancient times serving as tombs for important figures, but has since been renewed by the Buddha to represent the heart of Enlightenment. Since then , many Dorje Shugden stupas have built in every Buddhist country in the world and by Buddhists of all traditions especially inTibet . Every corner over Tibet many Dorje Shugden stupas have been erected then. This is a sign that the magnificent Protector and its practice is spreading far and wide.
Due to the power of its blessings to practitioners, stupas are often a pilgrimage destination for Buddhists and many will circumambulate the stupa as it is a very meritorious. One such place is the famous Boudhanath Stupa in Kathmandu, Nepal and our very own Kechara Forest Retreat at Bentong ,Pahang Malaysia.
Thank you Rinpoche for this sharing.