Post by Neo on Dec 31, 2020 20:50:27 GMT -5
In terms of the merits gathered, there is no difference between circumambulating, making offerings and saying prayers in the presence of a stupa, or in the presence of a statue of the Buddha.
However in practical terms, I think building a stupa would be of more benefit to a greater number of people. If you have a statue you have to have a temple for it and an enclosure for that, and you have to do all the other activities that are required to look after it all.
Whereas if you have a stupa it is built outside and there doesn't need to be anyone to guard it (although it is good if someone does live there to care for it.) Many beings, humans and non-humans, will go around it intentionally or unintentionally and thus many beings will benefit from having a stupa in the open air. Because of these benefits it is said that during the time of Nagarjuna and so on, thousands of stupas were constructed so that people would have the chance to gather merits. ~ Venerable Thupten Rinpoche
Source:
dbc.dharmakara.net/trt2-963.html
However in practical terms, I think building a stupa would be of more benefit to a greater number of people. If you have a statue you have to have a temple for it and an enclosure for that, and you have to do all the other activities that are required to look after it all.
Whereas if you have a stupa it is built outside and there doesn't need to be anyone to guard it (although it is good if someone does live there to care for it.) Many beings, humans and non-humans, will go around it intentionally or unintentionally and thus many beings will benefit from having a stupa in the open air. Because of these benefits it is said that during the time of Nagarjuna and so on, thousands of stupas were constructed so that people would have the chance to gather merits. ~ Venerable Thupten Rinpoche
Source:
dbc.dharmakara.net/trt2-963.html