Stupa architecture and religious significance

Stupa, also called 'chorten,' is a Buddhist spiritual monument representing Buddha's body which in Buddhist religion is considered to symbolize the cosmos. The construction of the stupa reveals the path to Enlightenment as its constituent parts are directly linked to symbolism from Buddhism. The stupa is the most recent form of a simple mound of mud or clay which was believed to cover the relics of the Buddha. After the final nirvana of the Buddha, his remains were cremated according to the Buddhist faith, and his ashes were divided and buried under eight stupas with two others sheltering the urn and the embers. However, little is known about these ten stupas since it has not been possible to identify them. Thesis: This paper looks at the symbolism of the stupa as a religious monument of Buddhist religion.

The basic platform of the stupa represents the ten virtues of body, mind and speech. The virtues associated with the body are to protect life, to practice generosity and to maintain pure morality. Secondly, the virtues related to the mind are to be content, altruistic and to exercise faith in the right values. Thirdly, there is also a set of values associated with the speech of the Buddha, and these are telling the truth, reconciling, speaking quietly and gently and showing sensibility as far as discourse. The three steps above the stupa symbolize the three refugees that the Buddhist holds on to, i.e. Buddha, Dharma and Sangha. Dharma is a religious term that refers to one's duty which in Buddhism is understood as a virtuous path. It is also related to the concept of "higher truth" which is a central element of Indian philosophy. Sangha means the assembly of all beings possessing some high degree of realization.

The small and big lotuses symbolize the six transcendental virtues of Buddhism: generosity, pure morality, energy, patience, meditation and wisdom whereas the four corners of the basic throne stand for the "Four Unlimited" or Boundless ones: unlimited love, unlimited compassion, unlimited joy and unlimited equanimity, or tranquility. The base that supports the vase refers to the five forces in Buddhism, known as Bala. These are the force of Faith, the force of Energy, the force of Attention, the force of Concentration and the force of Knowledge. The particularities of the vase symbolize the seven branches of Buddhist awakening, referred to as Bodhyanga: total memory (of past lives), perfect knowledge of all Dharmas, diligence, ecstasy, concentration, tranquility and perfect mastery of all disciplines. The Tre located above the vase symbolizes the noble eightfold path made up of perfect view, understanding, speech, action, living, effort, attention and concentration. The tree of life symbolizes the tenfold knowledge of phenomena, mind, interdependent links, illusion, suffering, the origin of suffering, the cessation of suffering, the path leading to the cessation of suffering, destruction, non-appearance and the ten transcendental branches of knowledge. The umbrella and its support represent the State of a victorious one whereas the Moon symbolizes the elimination of all sufferings, and the Sun represents the radiating thousand lights of compassion. The jewel atop the stupa is the symbol of the fulfillment of all wishes.