"Focused by the stupa, the mandala's universal principles of harmony and balance attract the heart and mind of living beings and bring them home to the quiet center from which flow all enlightened qualities."

-Tarthang Tulku

 
 
 
 
 

 
Stupa is Sanskrit for 'pile' or 'heap.' Originally based on burial cairns and monuments for great beings before the time of the Buddha, the stupa has evolved into a powerful catalyst for blessings, a luminous memorial, invoking the spiritual presence of the Buddha in the world. This Ashokan-style stupa was built by the Japanese and crowns Ratnagiri, the hill above Vulture Peak. Click here to see a closeup of the Buddha in the northern niche, directly ahead.

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TURTLE HILL © 2000