Sacred Arts of Tibet (.pdf) - Asian Art Museum | Education

The Buddhist stupa/chorten may contain actual physical relics—a fingernail,
bone fragment, or even a hair of an enlightened being. It may contain
other ritual objects such as paintings, gilded images of Buddhas or deities,
clay votive images, sacred texts, or any consecrated object that is associated
with the Buddha or some other holy person in whose memory the stupa was
erected. Some stupas, such as those built for the Dalai Lamas in the Potala
Palace (see slide 3 and Reading 3) contain the mummified body of the
Lama.
Stupas may be several hundred feet high, such as those in Sarnath, India
and Kathmandu, Nepal, or small enough to fit on a family altar such as the
one in the museum’s collection (see the Sri Lankan example below) . Stupas
for the altar can be found alongside a gilded image of the Buddha and a
volume of sacred text. These represent the Buddha’s three faculties: mind
(stupa), body (image), and speech (text).
Sacred Arts of Tibet
Minature Stupa, approx.1800-1900,
Sri Lanka, bronze. Gift of Subash
Kapoor, F2000.15.A-.B
How does one worship at a stupa?
Stupas are revered by Buddhists as embodying the mind of the Buddha. To
show their respect, pilgrims walk around the structure clockwise, with their
right shoulder closest to the stupa. This act is known as circumambulation.
It brings the worshipper merit, increases faith, and inspires them with the
power to follow the Buddhist path more skillfully and effectively.
What is the symbolism of the stupa?
The stupa is a highly symbolic structure with many meanings. They are
built according to strict rules of proportion. Most stupas are painted white,
although those used indoors are reliquaries are often made of gold and covered
with gems.
Bodnath Stupa in Kathmandu, the
largest stupa in Nepal.
The three main elements of a stupa are the base, dome, and crowning
parts. Taken as a whole the structure evokes the physical presence of the
Buddha—the base is his throne, the dome his body, the square on the dome
his face (can you see the eyes painted on Gyanste Kumbum?) the spire his
crown. Its square base represents the earth, and the dome symbolizes water.
The spire represents fire. At the top, joined symbols of the moon and sun
represent the union of compassion and wisdom, and the upper-most flame
represents highest enlightenment achieved through the perfect union of
compassion and wisdom.
Inside the Gyantse stupa there are six floors that contain chapels filled with
murals and sacred statues. One does not enter the base of the dome where
the ritual offerings are ensconced.
36
Dharmekh Stupa at Sarnath, India.
This is the site where the Buddha
gave his first sermon after attaining
enlightenment.
Asian Art Museum