Take a Walk With Us

Ani Dawa earlier this week - courtesy of Ani Sonam.

Where are all the Stupas in North America?

My friend Konchog, a monk in our community who lives in Mongolia, gave me some advice for this blog: use the blog to build a community of interest. That is simple enough advice, so let's do it.

Konchog is gifted in many ways, no least is that he is a professional writer. His passion is for Dharma -- the teachings and practices of Shayamuni Buddha -- and right now his life work is to assist in the revitalization of Buddhism in Mongolia. You can learn about this work and read a really well written blog here.

So, back to this blog about the Amitabha Stupa in Sedona, Arizona. We frequently get a question from visitors that goes something like this: "How many Stupas are there in the US?" To be truthful, I am not sure the exact number that our Lama has built, though 17 sticks in my mind. Maybe we are not so good at counting such accomplishments. Wouldn't it be good, however, not only to know about these Stupas but all Stupas in North America; and, to construct a map of their locations?

I have an idea: let's use this blog to accomplish such a project. Please send out the link to anyone you know who knows the location of a Stupa in North America. Here is a possible way to record that information:

Amitabha Stupa. Location: Pueblo Drive, West Sedona Arizona. Constructed by Kunzang Palyul Choling (KPC). Completed 2004. website information: www.tara.org

Let's see what happens!

Deities Dancing on Snowflakes

We had our first snowfall in Sedona a couple weeks back. It is stunning here when it snows. The white snowflakes set against the red rocks and green juniper is really quite beautiful.

Activities at the Amitabha Stupa are touch-and-go during the snow or rain because the road up to the Stupa gets too wet to be used. So, we redirect folks to our prayer center for practices during these times. On this snowy day, as I walked up to the Amitabha Stupa to post a sign to about the change in location for the Stupa practices, I was struck once again by the almost magical nature of the place. It was as if the snowflakes were the Deities themselves dancing and playing on this sacred ground-- a delightful thought as the snowflakes touched my face and accumulated on the hat covering the crown of my head.

The Amitabha Stupa sits on high ground in West Sedona and is surrounded by mountains to the West, North and distant East.

The mountain ridge in the distance in the this photograph is the Mogollon Rim, a geographic feature in Northern Arizona that stretches East to West for about 1000 miles. On top of the Rim in our part of Arizona is Flagstaff and 60 miles beyond the South rim of the Grand Canyon.

The land on which the Amitabha Stupa sits has been sacred ground for millennia. The indigenous tribes of the part of the Southwest used this land and many others in the Sedona area only for their sacred ceremony. They lived elsewhere and made a pilgrimage to this land to connect with the sacred.

Today, new pilgrims make the easy trek to this sacred land. Our guestbook indicates that people from all over North America visit the Amitabha Stupa and experience the calming, spiritual energy of the location. I’ve recently found out that the two programs for treatment for chemical dependency in this part of Arizona use the Amitabha Stupa as a destination for activities that cultivate a contemplative side of their recovery from addiction.

We believe that the sacred nature of the past of this land is held and honored by the Lamas of our lineage, preserving it for today’s spiritual activities that benefit all sentient beings. We hope that you can visit the Amitabha Stupa soon and experience its benefits directly. If you are fortunate, maybe the Deities will dance and play on the snowflakes while you are there!

May all have a happy holiday season and may all of our activities in the new year bring benefit to all sentient beings.