Stupa of Enlightenment
The Stupa of Enlightenment, or the Stupa of the Conquest of Mara. It is a memory of the night before the enlightenment of Buddha Shakyamuni, when he removed the last veils and obstacles from his mind.
The most important of all types of stupas is the Stupa of Enlightenment. This stupa symbolizes the 35-year-old Buddha’s attainment of enlightenment under the bodhi tree in Bodh Gaya. It also symbolizes the goal of the Buddhist path - the recognition of one's mind, full of enlightenment. It means liberation from all disturbing feelings, disposition to these feelings, and the development of all the abilities of the mind, especially the perfect Buddha wisdom.
Stupa in Tibetan style
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Dimensions:
Total height 34,5 cm
Base width 18 cm
Internal volume 1 litter
Weight:
Without filling approx. 4,4 kg
Material:
Ceramic mass - artificial stone
Stupa in Asian style
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Dimensions:
Total height 37,5 cm
Base width 18,2 cm
Internal volume 1,25 litters
Weight:
Without filling approx. 4,4 kg
Material:
Ceramic mass - artificial stone
Bodh Gaya - the place where Buddha reached enlightenment
In all the world, only one place - the Vajrasana, the Diamond Throne, the only place firmly rooted to the core of our world-system - could withstand the energies relased through the transformative event of Buddha's enlightenment. Through the aeons this holy place had attracted a steady stream of sages and renunciates, who had drawn upon its power to illuminate their understanding. Here, seated on the Vajrasana and Shaded by the tree of enlightenment, the three previous Buddhas of our aeon had experienced their great transformation. Following in the footsteps of all the Buddhas before him and renewing the path for Buddhas to come, Gautama approached the Diamond Throne.
Accepting from a grasscutter a gift of kusa grass, the Bodhisattva Gautama took his place on the Vajrasana and entered a deep meditation. Rays of light came forth from his body, illuminating the cosmos throughout the ten directions and attracting even the gods to his side. Perceiving his power about to be broken, Mara, Lord of Illusion, rushed to distract Gautama from his purpose. The Bodhisattva touched the earth, calling it to witness the countless lifetimes of virtue that had led him to this place of enlightenment. When the earth shook, confirming the truth of Gautama's words, Mara unleashed his army of demons. In the epic battle that ensued, Gautama's intention prevailed; the power of his compassion transformed the demons' weapons into flowers, and Mara and his forces fled in disarrav. After the defeat of Mara, the Bodhisattva passed effortlessly through deeping levels of meditation, seeing clearly the arising, duration, and cessation of beings in all times, and places. He saw the patterns that rule human lives, limiting freedom and perpetuating suffering. Perceiving the causes of suffering, he also knew its cure; with this knowledge he opened the path to incomparable freedom. As his consciousness widened to encompass realities vast beyond comprehension, Gautama became a Buddha, a perfectly enlightened being. Through his consciousness, freed from all obscurations, flowed the Dharma-direct, unlimited knowledge of reality in all modes of existence.
The earth shook, resounding to this momentous event. Only the Vajrasana remained unmoved, supporting the Enlightenment One's adamantine concentration. In commemoration, this site became known as Bodhimanda, the Seat of Enlightenment. The region around Bodhimanda was named Bodh Gaya.
~ Holy places of the Buddha