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Buddhist Object of Veneration and Reverence

Bhutan is a Buddhist country where dharma flourishes lavishly. The numerous temples and chortens spread around the nooks and cranny of the country is evident enough. These structures houses many stories of the past buried and bounded inside the four corners of the stone walls. Few have dared to peep inside and bring back the past to the present. On my one of tour to remote place, I happen to catch the image of such Buddhist architecture.

Hence, I am giving my hand in trying to reveal what it actually is. But readers might have to strict to the limitation that this is nothing of the accepted description since I am not an expert in it. It is just my own perception, those out of what I read and heard say about Chorten.

Chorten (Stupa) is believed to be one of the earliest forms of Buddhist architecture. In Bhuddhism, the body (Ku), Speech (Sung) and Mind (Thug) are considered as primary component of what the human being is made of. The chorten represents the minds of those enlightened one, such as Lord Buddha. It is an object of considerable veneration and reverence since it is the mind of those enlightened in the form of the structure.

 The chorten basically is constructed of stones, cements, mud and others both endemic and exotic materials. It has chamber inside to house relics and empowered objects. The basic shapes of Chorten includes of a circular base supporting a massive solid dome, tapering towards the top. Not necessarily limiting to such shapes, their designs range from simple square structures to large, multilayered, pyramidal shapes. The ‘Mani Dangrim’ elongations of chorten horizontally is also one common type of chorten seen in the countryside..

 Chortens are built on geomantically significant spots, as well as on just about every mountain, high passes, crossroads, near temples and pilgrimage route. The circumambulation of the structure is believed to help us gain lots of merits or white deeds. And most of all, it serves as the idol for paying tribute to the minds of enlightenment.

 Chortens are Buddha’s Mind….Lets not Vandalize them!!!

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