Chorten

A beautifully crafted wooden Tibetan stupa or chorten. Like full size stupas, this one has a chamber inside to house relics and empowered objects. It can be accessed easily by removing the top half of the stupa from the fitted base. The stupa is all hand carved and painted in the traditionally prescribed Tibetan style, featuring depictions of jeweled adornments and snowlions. The open niche, which according to convention may be left open or have a deity image placed or painted within, or as is the case here - the sacred syllable "hung" is rendered in the classical Ranjana script.

The chorten is one of the earliest forms of Buddhist architecture - probably the first Buddhist structure to be constructed after the earliest monastic centers. What's more the chorten was actually the first form of Buddha image. In Buddhism the body, speech and mind are considered the primary components of a person. The body, speech and mind of enlightened beings or buddhas, are the objects of considerable veneration. Where the Buddha is concerned, paintings or statues represent the body. The sacred texts of the Buddhist cannon and tantras represent enlightened speech, and finally the stupa or chorten represents the enlightened mind of the Buddha.

According to sutra, the first "Buddhist" stupa was built according to the Buddha's own instructions to house the remains of Shariputra, one of the Buddha's closest disciples. While the earliest stupas were essentially reliquary shrines, they soon evolved into a way of commemorating the sites where events of spiritual significance took place. Chortens are also built on geomantically significant spots, as well as on just about every Himalayan mountain pass, or at crossroads, or pilgrimage routes. Often the stupas on high passes and pilgramage routes are simple conical heaps of stones with prayer flags or kata (offering scarves) attached. Each passerby will typically add a stone to the pile, in that way adding their own contribution to the "construction" of the sacred structure, and paying tribute to the mind of enlightenment.

A stupa is a stabalizing force in any environ, it anchors the positive energy of enlightenment in an area. The construction or installation of a stupa is an act of vast merit. The presence of a stupa fosters harmony, peace and well being, while deposing strife, illness, and malevolent energy. It is not just a symbol but a veritable transmitter of enlightened mind.

There are a variety of different kinds of stupas, each with its own distinct form. Every detail of the size, shape, and proportion of a stupa is the repository for a vast amount of symbolic meaning. The stupa on auction has the form of the "enlightenment" stupa. It is ideal for general use by practioners in ritual, or as a component of their shrine and practice space where the symbol of the enlightened mind is invoked.

Size: 8-1/2" high x 4-1/2 inches (each side)