Great Stupa of Universal Compassion

The Great Stupa of Universal Compassion is a Buddhist monument near Bendigo in central Victoria, Australia.[3] The basic idea for building the stupa came from Lama Yeshe and then, after Lama Yeshe's death, from Lama Zopa Rinpoche, who decided to model the stupa (kumbum) on the Great Stupa of Gyantse which is 600 years old.[4] When completed, the stupa's exterior will be an exact replica of the Great Stupa of Gyantse. It will be 50 metres (160 ft) high and its four sides will each be 50 metres (160 ft) long, making it one of the largest Buddhist monuments in the Western world. Buddhists say that viewing the stupa will help purify the mind.[5]

Great Stupa of Universal Compassion
Religion
AffiliationBuddhism
StatusOpen to the public
Location
Location25 Sandhurst Town Road, Myers Flat, Victoria, Australia
Architecture
Architect(s)Peter Weiss, Paul von Chrismar[1]
TypeStupa
Construction costA$20,000,000 (estimated)[2]
Height (max)50 metres (160 ft)
Website
stupa.org.au

The stupa has been designed to last 1,000 years. The interior has teaching rooms, a central temple, a library and 80 ornate shrine rooms. It houses the 2.5 metre Jade Buddha for Universal Peace statue, the world’s largest gem-quality jade Buddha statue. There is a vast collection of Asian sacred relics and statues on display at the stupa's exhibition centre.[4]

See also

References
  1. "Architecture". Retrieved 4 May 2014.
  2. "Introduction". Retrieved 4 May 2014.
  3. "The Great Stupa of Universal Compassion". Retrieved 4 May 2014.
  4. Lisa Clausen. "The Great Bendigo Stupa", The Sydney Morning Herald, 15 November 2014.
  5. Dharma City Archived 16 March 2015 at the Wayback Machine, Nova Magazine, 2013.

36.720173°S 144.186716°E / -36.720173; 144.186716

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