I first visited this stupa to do a still existing cache in 2011. I was so intrigued by the stupa that over the following years I have visited it with Stretch0 several times and take the invited 3x circumnavigation around the stupa each time. When reading the guidelines for virtuals it suggested considering a local area that you would like people to still visit in 5 years and as I keep returning to the stupa it immediately came to mind. I have since done some research on this type of monument and will share with you what I found – I do hope you take the time to read the info at the stupa and do the short wander round it 3 times as the sign invites you to ( not a logging requirement !!!)
The stupa (“stupa” is Sanskrit for heap) is an important form of Buddhist architecture, though it predates Buddhism. It is generally considered to be a sepulchral monument—a place of burial or a receptacle for religious objects. At its simplest, a stupa is a dirt burial mound faced with stone. In Buddhism, circumambulation or pradakhshina has been an important ritual and devotional practice since the earliest times, and stupas always have a pradakhshina path around them. Religious buildings in the form of the Buddhist stupa, a dome shaped monument, started to be used in India as commemorative monuments associated with storing sacred relics of the Buddha While the different sections of the stupa have various symbolic meanings, its basic shape has come to represent the seated Buddha when he achieved enlightenment. When visiting a stupa, practitioners circumambulate it clockwise as a meditation practice, focusing on the endless cycle of rebirth (samsara) and the eightfold path that leads to freedom from suffering
The basic format underwent changes as stupas were introduced in other cultures.
In Sri Lanka, the stupa is known as dagoba. Different shapes of domes developed in Sri Lanka, and a very unique architectural expression also developed, in which the dagoba itself was enclosed by a large dome known as vatadage, supported by columns located around the dagoba.
In Myanmar, the stupa, known as the zedi, also went through a number of changes. The parasol on top of the dome was elongated and resembled a cone, and the number of disks increased and their size decreased, the higher they are on the dome. The square base was also modified following a complex geometry, including different levels with terraces, and resembled the shape of a pyramid.
Pagoda is the name for stupas found in China, where they are shaped like a tower. Here, the dome was eliminated, and the emphasis is on verticality. This architectural form travelled into Korea, where it is known as Tap, and also into Japan, where it known as To.
As Buddhism moved from culture to culture, the outer appearance of the stupa changed not only in size and materials, but also in its shape. In each country, different facets of the stupa’s form were emphasized. In Tibet, the stupa (chorten) was placed on a lion throne and elaborately detailed. In Nepal, the dome was emphasized, and eyes were painted on the harmika (throne of the spire). In Korean, Chinese and Japanese pagodas, the spire became the focal point.
The stupa also symbolizes the five elements and colors and their relationship to Enlightened Mind: Base – Square – Yellow – Earth – Equanimity Dome – Circle – White – Water – Indestructibility Spire – Triangle – Red – Fire – Compassion Parasol – Half Circle – Green – Wind – All-accomplishing Action Jewel – Dewdrop (no shape/no color/void) – Space – All-pervading Awareness
During a visit to the Chandrakirti Centre in May 2002, His Holiness the Dalai Lama consecrated the longlife stupa.
Logging Requirements: 1 question to answer: Standing in front of the Stupa facing the road there is a white object at the base of the gum tree - what is it ? Please send answer via e-mail or a message through the message centre. There is no photo requirement needed but you are welcome to put photos with your logs if you want ( but please no spoiler photos )
Virtual Rewards 2.0 - 2019/2020
This Virtual Cache is part of a limited release of Virtuals created between June 4, 2019 and June 4, 2020. Only 4,000 cache owners were given the opportunity to hide a Virtual Cache. Learn more about Virtual Rewards 2.0 on the Geocaching Blog.