Stupas in Orissa (Study)
by Meenakshi Chauley | 2013 | 109,845 words
This study examines the Stupas and Votive Stupas in Odisha or Orissa (Eastern India).—In this thesis an attempt has been made to trace the historicity of Buddhism in Odisha on the basis of the architectural development of the Stupa architecture. Archaeological evidence obtained from excavated sites dates such structures as early as third-second cen...
Evolution of Stupa (4): Chaitya-Vibhanga-Vinayaddhrta-Sutra
This text is the Tibetan version entitled, Mchod rten gyi cha dbye ba ‘dul ba las byung ba’ i mdo, of the lost Sanskrit original manuscript. This is mentioned in the Tantric section of the Tangyur testament (Dorjee 1996:10); (also see Narthang, Vol. TU, fol.174a3-5; Derge, Vol. PU (Text 3078), fol.173b3-175b1; and Peking, Vol. TU, fol.187b4-189b7).
The text deals with the symbolical meanings of the main structure of the Stupa, in order of their sequences with the essence of the Tathagata’s Dharmakaya. The essence are the four close mindfulness, the four perfect abandonments, the four miracle powers, the five faculties, the five forces, the seven factors of enlightenment, the eight fold noble paths, ten types of consciousness, ten mystical powers, the three absolute unshared mindfulness, and the great compassion that are connected with the structures of Stupa by the following references: “the reflected image of these sets of above mentioned notions are called as the reflected image of the Dharmakaya.
The ancient Indian literature is abounding with Stupa construction manuals which provide sources for the study of the Buddhist Stupa. These Stupas can be seen all over India, Nepal, Tibet, Mongolia, Bhutan and parts of China in various sizes built according to the specifications mentioned in the literature