More on the Benefits of Stupas

by Lama Zopa Rinpoche at Chenrezig Institute, Australia, in September 1994.

The stupa represents Buddha's holy mind, dharmakaya, and each part of the stupa shows the path to enlightenment. Building a stupa is a powerful means of purifying negative karma and obscurations and of accumulating extensive merit. In this way you can have realisations of the path to enlightenment and be able to do perfect work to liberate suffering beings, who equal the sky, leading them to the peerless happiness of enlightenment, which is the ultimate goal of our life.

1. If you make 1,000 stupas, you will become a great Wheel-turning holder of the Wisdom [Mahayana Secret Mantra] teaching and you will have clairvoyance knowing all the Buddhadharma.

2. After death, without being born in the evil-gone realms [hell, preta, or animal], you will be born as a king.

3. You will become like a sun rising in the world, with perfect senses and a beautiful body.

4. You will be able to remember past lives and see future lives.

5. You will be able to do extensive listening without forgetfulness.

6. The sutra teaching Stainless Beam says: All the negative karma and obscurations, including the five uninterrupted negative karmas [the heaviest negative karmas, such as killing parents, causing a Tathagata to bleed and so forth], are purified even by dreaming of a stupa, seeing a stupa, hearing the sound of the bell of a stupa, and even by birds and flies being touched by the shadow of a stupa.

7. The sentient beings will always be protected by the Tathgatas [Buddhas], who always pay attention to guiding them to achieve the completed pure enlightenment. They abide in the irreversible stage.

8. It is explained by Buddha in the sutras that it is extremely powerful to build a stupa for those who have passed away because it immediately changes a suffering rebirth [hell, preta, or animal] into a happy rebirth with the opportunity to meet the Dharma.

9. It can also heal those who have very serious diseases.

10. And there is no question that it accumulates extensive merit and brings success and happiness.

Therefore, dedicate for your ancestors, family members and friends who have passed away or who are sick, and for the happiness of you and your family in this and future lives. Thank you very much.