Many profound opportunities presented themselves during my ordination as a Buddhist nun. One such opportunity was to serve as the spiritual arts director for the birth of the Amitabha Enlightenment Stupa. It was 2004 and I lived where I live now – in paradise. I am of course referring to living in the beautiful red rock country of Sedona, AZ. Ground was broken for this project in West Sedona, just under Chimney Rock. As the arts director, I was responsible for the design and creation of the sculptural elements of this sacred monument. This included the sculpture of the Buddha that sits in the gau (the portal or opening at the heart of this Buddhist monument).
The construction of a stupa is a spiritual event that involves many people, a qualified spiritual master and a great deal of devotion. It has been my honor and my privilege to work with some amazing and talented people, big of heart and long on loving commitment. It has been a profound blessing to be involved in the creation/construction of many stupas here in the United States.
“When you build a stupa, you are building your own Enlightenment”
-Venerable Gyaltrul Rinpoche