The largest stupa in the
Western World.
A stupa (also known as a pagoda) is the most sacred building in Buddhism. A stupa symbolises the enlightened mind and the path to enlightenment.
About the Great Stupa
The idea to build a Great Stupa on the property in Bendigo was the vision of Lama Thubten Yeshe. The idea to base the design of the stupa on the Great Stupa of Gyantse, was the vision of Lama Zopa Rinpoche. Lama Yeshe and Lama Zopa were the founders of the Foundation for the Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition.
The Great Stupa of Universal Compassion, being built near Bendigo Australia, is 50 metres square at its base and nearly 50 metres high. This makes it the largest stupa in the Western World.
The Great Stupa is the same design and size as the Gyantse Stupa (Kumbum) in Tibet. The Gyantse Stupa is one of the treasures of the Buddhist world. Professor David L. Snellgrove has said: “The Stupa of Gyantse may well be accounted the chief wonder of the Tibetan Buddhist world in that it records iconographically in its interior practically the whole pantheon of Indo-Tibetan religion up to the time of its construction during the first half of the 15th century.”
Our objectives
Peace
To inspire people to seek a peaceful and spiritual path.
Pilgrimage
To be a pilgrimage place for Buddhists from around the world.
Refuge
To provide a refuge of peace and serenity for all and especially those in need.
Teachings
To help explain Buddhism to anyone interested.
Events
To provide a temple venue for major teaching events and seminars.
Altruism
To be of service to as many beings as possible.
Further information
Inside the Great Stupa
The Gompa (temple) inside the Stupa will have many features of traditional large Tibetan gompas including large statues of Buddhas and deities. The Gompa will be used for pujas, meditation and teachings. It is also designed to present an overview of Buddhism to visitors.
The Peace Park gardens
Beautiful gardens surround the Stupa and the Peace Park showcases symbols from many faiths including Catholic, Sikh, Islam, Hindu and Buddhist.
Construction of the Stupa
Construction of The Great Stupa is estimated to cost around $20 million – not including the cost of artwork. These funds are being raised through donations on an international basis. The Victorian Government has also contributed $2.5 million in regional development funds. Construction is taking place on a progressive basis as funds become available.
Master plan
The grounds will include bus and car-parking, group accomodation, and the Lama Yeshe Village. As well a stupas of other traditions, a 40 room hotel, 200 seat restaurant, and interpretive centre or museum. It will also have a community veggie garden, and primary school. There will be long term retreat huts, memorial trees and wall surrounds, and event car parking, as well as a solar farm. The Great Stupa of Universal Compassion, Peace Park, Thubten Shedrup Ling Monastery, Buddhist nunnery, and Atisha Centre, and a 40 bed aged care facility.
Blessings from Buddhist masters
Lama Thubten Yeshe
In August 1981 Lama Yeshe, the founder of the Foundation for the Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition, came to Bendigo and selected the site for The Great Stupa. He said: “This will be the place for a BIG stupa with a BIG gompa (temple) inside.”
His Holiness Dalai Lama
His Holiness visited The Great Stupa in 2007. His Holiness has said “This stupa will be very significant for Buddhist Spirituality and Tibetan culture. Support for such noble work is a good method to create virtuous karma.”
Lama Zopa Rinpoche
Rinpoche has said: “Just by holy objects such as the Great Stupa existing in the world it makes it so unbelievably easy for us sentient beings, to purify the obstacles for happiness, peace and realisations on the path, and also to achieve liberation and enlightenment… So now you can see the importance of this Great Stupa: how (it will) illuminate the world and bring inconceivable peace and happiness, and by building this holy object it prevents the destruction that is happening so much in the world, including war.”
Office of His Holiness Dalai Lama
His Holiness was very happy to learn that the Stupa has become a centre of interfaith harmony. This is so important in today’s interdependent multi-religious world. We would also suggest you use the Stupa as a centre of learning where all people can come and learn Buddhist secular principles. Finally I am happy to convey to you His Holiness’ prayers and good wishes
H.E. Kyabje Choden Rinpoche
Keeping a relic the size of a grain of sand, creates immeasurable merit – but you maintain a great collection of relics, therefore your merit is inconceivable.
Making a statue the size of a toothpick, creates immeasurable merit – but you have large statues, therefore your merit is inconceivable.
Building a stupa the size of a thumb-nail, creates immeasurable merit – but you are building a Great Stupa, therefore your merit is inconceivable.
I cannot even begin to calculate your merit. I rejoice again and again in your merit and activities, and was very pleased to visit the Exhibition Center and the Great Stupa today.
In the future it will bring incredible benefit to all sentient beings. Again I rejoice.
His Holiness Sakya Trizin
I am so happy to visit this important stupa.
Tarthang Tulku
It is wonderful to hear about this project which is so important for the well-being of our planet.
Khensur Lobsang Thubten Rinpoche
The site for the stupa was consecrated by Venerable Khensur Rinpoche, his attendant and Thubten Donyo in November 1994.
Parks and Gardens
The entrance to The Great Stupa features landscaped parks and gardens which are a delight for the visitor. The many features include waterfalls, sandstone walls and grottos, a Bodhi Tree forest, flowering trees and shrubs and a lavender and rosemary field lies along the entry path.
Peace Park
The Bodhi trees are all grown from cuttings from a tree brought to Australia by His Holiness the Dalai Lama. This tree was also grown from cuttings which can be traced back to the original Bodhi Tree under which the Buddha was enlightened.
The Great Stupa is surrounded by circles of trees (Chinese Elms, Manchurian Pear and Crepe Myrtle) and a rose garden is being planted on the concourse that surrounds The Great Stupa.
The Peace Park at the main entrance to the Great Stupa is dedicated to interfaith harmony with many symbols from different faiths. To date we have made arrangements with the Sikh Community of Victoria, who are offering an Ik Onkar, which symbolizes “one with everything”; the Islamic Council of Victoria, who have offered a magnificent Moroccan mosaic that will be incorporated into a meditation space; the Catholic Diocese of Sandhurst, who have offered a two-meter tall statue of St. Francis; and the Hindu Community of Victoria, who will be offering a large Hindu deity. We are also in conversation with the local Aboriginal community about a symbol of indigenous faith. We hope that in time several other faiths will also be represented in the Peace Park.
Architecture
The Great Stupa of Universal Compassion is the same size and design as the famous 15th century Gyantse Stupa (Kumbum) from Tibet. It is 50 metres square at its base and rises to almost 50 metres high.
Architecture and Engineering
The brief to our architects and engineers was that the stupa was to last 1000 years. Computer modeling was used to ensure the construction techniques and materials would withstand fire, earthquakes and wind.
The building has been heavily engineered with materials that exceed the requirements for normal building regulations. All structural steel has been hot-dipped galvanized before being surrounded by fire-proofing material. All concrete used in the stupa has been manufactured to high strength 50mpa specifications.
Construction of The Great Stupa has been carried out by professional contractors that are sourced from the local region whenever possible.
Similar Stupas
Similarities between the Stupas of Gyantse and Borobodur (Indonesia)
Lama Anagarika Govinda (in “Psycho-cosmic symbolism of the Buddhist Stupa”) has drawn strong parallels between these two famous stupas – Borobodur in Indonesia and Gyantse Stupa (Kumbum) in Tibet.
“…the actual groundplan of Borobodur fits exactly on the spiral groundplan of the orthodox stupa as explained by the scholastic symbolism.”
The same is true of the Kumbum – the famous terraced Chorten of Gyantse in Central Tibet, known as the Golden Temple of the Hundred Thousand Buddhas. It was built on the same general plan as that which was originally intended for Borobodur.
The latter had to change in the course of construction, because the ground was apparently not strong enough to bear the weight of the massive cupola, and this was further aggravated by the ever-present danger of earthquakes. Thus, in order to prevent the building from sinking, the big cupola…had to be replaced by a circular terrace, corresponding to the base of the cupola…The nine stories of the Kumbum correspond exactly to the nine levels of the Borobodur.
Though the Kumbum was built about 500 years later than Borobodur, when the latter was already buried under a deep layer of earth and forgotten even by the inhabitants of Java, the outlines of the Kumbum appear as an almost exact replica of the four lower terraces of Borobodur.
Holy Relics
The Great Stupa has one of the largest collections
of Buddhist relics in the world.
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The Stupa Library
The Great Stupa Library was the vision of Lama Yeshe who saw the Library as a vital part of The Great Stupa.
Become a volunteer
Do you want to be involved in The Great Stupa project? We’d love to have you!
Contact us
- +61 3 5446 7568
- info@stupa.org.au
-
25 Sandhurst Town Road,
Myers Flat (Bendigo)
VIC 3556
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