The Story of the Amitabha Stupa, Sedona Arizona 1 | Page 13

“When you build a
stupa, you are giving
rise to the body of the
Buddha as though you
had given birth to it, or
given rise to it within
your own mind…
the virtue of that
is immeasurable.”
– Jetsunma Ahkön Lhamo

Mindful Enthusiasm
Once the foundation was completed, it was time to build the
Stupa’s throne and the four steps.
The throne, upon which the body
of the stupa rests, represents
the invincibility of the Dharma,
and the four steps represent the
first four paths on the journey to
enlightenment: the four mindfulnesses, the four perfect efforts;
the four miraculous feats and the
five powers.

The shape of the stupa represents
a meditating Buddha, crowned
and seated on a throne. His
crown is the top spire; his head is
the square at the spire’s base; his
body is the vase shape; his legs are
the four steps of the lower terrace;
and the base is his throne.

The steps were built one at a
time. After the form was created,
each step was filled with concrete, finished and cured. It was
a meticulous process, an offering
of mindful enthusiasm. “Even
though no one would see the back
of the steps, we created each one
as perfectly as possible,” said
one crew member. “We were very
aware we were building the mind
of the Buddha.”