Post by Neo on Dec 31, 2020 20:35:59 GMT -5
It is possible to think that of course when stupas were built during Nagarjuna's time they had the power to help people gather merits, but what about a stupa made by us? Would it have the same power?
For any stupa to be of benefit to others there are four items that must be put inside it. These are the "four relics" (ring.sel). If the four kinds of relics are present in any stupa, no matter when or where that stupa is made it will have the power to benefit others.
The first relics are the "relics of the Dharmakaya". This refers to the dharanis, the mantras that were taught by the Buddha. We will have those.
The second relics are the relics of Buddhas, Bodhisattvas and gurus. Of course we have the relics of Gen Rinpoche himself, fragments of his bones. There are also pills which are the quintessence relics of many great practitioners and even of the Buddha, which have been constantly passed down from generation to generation. We have such relics.
The third relics are the relics of hair and clothing of Buddhas, Bodhisattvas and gurus. We have such items too.
The fourth relics are relics in the form of pills which originated from a real relic. Duplicates of the original were produced, containing a percentage of the original relic. We have some of these. If these four kinds of relics are within a stupa that we build, the power of our stupa and the power of the great stupas of the past will be the same. Even the great stupas of the past had no more than these four kinds of relics. ~ Venerable Thupten Rinpoche
Source:
dbc.dharmakara.net/trt2-963.html
For any stupa to be of benefit to others there are four items that must be put inside it. These are the "four relics" (ring.sel). If the four kinds of relics are present in any stupa, no matter when or where that stupa is made it will have the power to benefit others.
The first relics are the "relics of the Dharmakaya". This refers to the dharanis, the mantras that were taught by the Buddha. We will have those.
The second relics are the relics of Buddhas, Bodhisattvas and gurus. Of course we have the relics of Gen Rinpoche himself, fragments of his bones. There are also pills which are the quintessence relics of many great practitioners and even of the Buddha, which have been constantly passed down from generation to generation. We have such relics.
The third relics are the relics of hair and clothing of Buddhas, Bodhisattvas and gurus. We have such items too.
The fourth relics are relics in the form of pills which originated from a real relic. Duplicates of the original were produced, containing a percentage of the original relic. We have some of these. If these four kinds of relics are within a stupa that we build, the power of our stupa and the power of the great stupas of the past will be the same. Even the great stupas of the past had no more than these four kinds of relics. ~ Venerable Thupten Rinpoche
Source:
dbc.dharmakara.net/trt2-963.html