How a Piece of Stone becomes a Venerable object

In Newar Buddhism?

Naresh Man Bajracharya, Ph.D.Associate Prof. & Founder Head

Central Department of Buddhist StudiesTribhuvan University, Kirtipur Nepal

2009 N.E.H. Summer Institute

Types of Caitya

• Can be made of clay, barley, stone, brick, metal and jewel.

• Caityas are found of one inch size to gigantic size. • Caityas can be ephemeral or permanent, mobile one

or immobile one. • Caityas styles vary, impact of time • Caityas can be installed on plain land, on the top of

roof of monasteries, on top of hills and mountains. Nowadays, it is popular to have caityas installed on the top of roof of residences too.

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Ephemeral: Clay caitya

Licchavi periodStone caityaOm Baha, PatanCa. 7th century

Ratna (jewel) CaityaDhatu (metal) caitya

Caityas in Courtyards:

Dhenacho Hill

Caitya on roof of monasteries

Artist Creating a Stone Caitya

CompletedSections of Caitya by Artist

An artist give artistic life to an objcet

• An artist makes a Caitya with the assiduous efforts from an object like stone etc. under the guideline of a Buddhist Master or Buddhist text. The newly-made Caitya could be very artistic, beautiful and attractive but it would not be used as an object of veneration until a ritual entitled “Caitya Pratistha Vidhi”, (establishment ritual of the Caitya) has been undertaken.

Ritual gives life, divine life & enlightened life.

• An artist gives artistic life to the object like stone etc. as a presentable Caitya to be observed whereas a Buddhist priest gives “Set up & Enlightened Life” to a Caitya to be venerated. After completion of the Caitya by the artist it can be put for exhibition and sale. However, after the completion of establishment ritual of a Caitya it cannot be put for exhibition and sale. After completion of the ritual a Caitya is regarded as the holy shrine where many Buddhas are dwelling. Therefore, after these rituals, a Caitya is regarded as a venerable object by Buddhist followers.

Caitya Installation Ritual (Caitya Pratistha Vidhi)

1. Sutra Patana Puja (Layout with sacred thread)

2. Pada Sthapana Puja (establishment of brick foundation)

3. Construction up to lotus petals

4. Ratna Nyasa Puja (ritual of giving life [conception])

5. Installation of dome

6. Installation of crest

• First, priest performs layout-ritual (sutrapatana-puja) on an auspicious day. The layout ritual is completed with the plantation of barley within the layout site. After four days, the offerer (jajman) lets the cow graze on the newly planted barley on the layout site and lets the cow eat the barley plants. Then, the site is prepared for foundation. Now priest performs the foundation-ritual (padasthapana-puja) on an auspicious day.

SUTRA PATANA PUJA

Sutra Patana: Layout of the caitya foundation

• In course of the ritual, foundation stones or bricks are set up for the foundation of a Caitya. Afterwards the team of artists, who made the Caitya, begins the installation works up to lotus petal height. It takes a few days to complete it.

PADA STHAPANA PUJA

Pada Sthapana: Layout of brick foundation

• The priest performs life-insertion-ritual (nyasa-puja) over the lotus petal putting many specific materials. This ritual is equal to conception, as the first passage of life. The same day, the artist installs the upper part of a Caitya.

NYASA PUJA

RatnaNyasa

• The upper part consist the dome or Buddha images and finally the crest (gaju). At the same time, the priest also performs rituals for the installation of the crest. Now the Caitya is physically complete, just like Siddhartha Gautama as a baby in side of womb of mother Mahamayadevi is now mature and ready to get birth. Now the Caitya is equal to a Bodhisattva, who had already completed his/her paramitas, Bhumis, bodhisattvacarya - career as a bodhisattva.

INSTALLATION OF DOME AND CREST

Installation of dome

Installation of crest

• The Caitya is then covered with pieces of white cloth. Then priest performs birth ritual, the fourth passage of life. It is followed by the naming ritual, the fifth passage of life. This series of ritual is called the short establishment ritual.

SHORT ESTABLISHMENT RITUAL (samsksipta pratistha vidhi)

• On other auspicious day, the priest performs the establishment ritual in detail. It takes two day to complete it. It requires a huge preparation. Chiefly, two priests are involved for the rituals. The first priest is called the Mula Acharya, or chief ritual performer, and the second priest is called Upadhyaya, who is the chief instructor of the rituals master. A few male and female priests also involved in the rituals.

• First, the Caitya is covered by pieces of white cloth. Then Priest performs the rituals of the seven out of ten passages of a life for the Caitya. The names of the passages of a life, that are observed for human being and Caitya, are identical but the rituals are not identical. The seven passages of a life begin with the birth (the fourth) and end with the marriage (the tenth).

COMPLETE ESTABLISHMENT RITUAL (pratistha vidhi)

• One, the focus of respect and honor (puja) for the Newar Buddhists.

• Because the Caitya is now alive, it is considered that even to scratch the Caitya is equal to scratching the Buddhas. Desecrating the Caitya in any way is equally sinful act, according to the Newar Buddhist perspective.

Honoring the Caitya

• When a Caitya becomes old or ruined by time, wear and tear, or by accident, it requires renovation. For renovation, the Caitya’s life must be transmitted into a Kalasha, a jar full of holy water along with many specific precious materials. When the transfer is completed, the Kalasha is now equally venerable and venerated too by Newar Buddhists.

Renovation of Caityas

What is the philosophy behind the establishment ritual of a Caitya?

• As we see the establishment ritual of a Caitya contains mainly three parts:

• i. Passages of a life;

• ii. Transmitting targeted divine spirit into the Caitya; and

• iii. Consecration

What is the philosophy behind the establishment ritual of a Caitya?

Performing the passages of a life to a Caitya reminds us the life of Siddhartha Gautama. Siddhartha Gautama, who was believed to have descended from Tushita Bhuvan (the heavenly realm) to human being realm, took a place into the womb of mother Mahamayadevi. He took birth and gradually completed the ten passages of a life. The completion of the passages of a life shows that he had experienced of a worldly life, and he became a mature person too. Then he moved towards spiritual life and attained enlightenment. His worldly experiences and maturity helped him to renounce the worldly life and to attain the enlightenment.

What is the philosophy behind the establishment ritual of a Caitya?

His passages of life and attainment of enlightenment show the importance of human life, the relation between the worldly life and spiritual life; and also indicate that one must complete the passages of a life in order to be a perfect human being. The perfect human being is a fundamental requirement to attain perfect enlightenment. The concept and ritual of establishment may have been designed on the ground of the life of Siddhartha Gautama to Gautama Buddha, as a paradigm of attaining enlightenment.

What role does philosophy play in these rituals of transmitting the live, divine life and enlightened live into a

piece of stone? • Mind is only one, ultimate element, while the

rest of all entities are just projections of the mind. First, the mind visualizes the unseen form by the eyes; the mind hears the unheard sound by ears; the mind smells the un-smelled smell by nose; the mind tastes the un-tasted tastes by the tongue; the mind touches the untouched by the body; and the mind think the un-thought thoughts. Therefore, the mind is the ultimate element out of which arises the phenomenal world. This is the basis of Yogacara philosophy.

What role does philosophy play in these rituals of transmitting the live, divine life and enlightened live

into a piece of stone?

• On the grounds of Yogacara philosophy, a further philosophical development states that the mind can create everything. The creation can be taken as a source for inspiration. The individual can make his/her own creation as a means to obtain both the mundane (Laukika) and supermundane (lokottara) desires by assimilation of oneself into one’s creation. This assimilation is the state of non-

duality. It is the Mntranaya(yana) philosophy.

What role does philosophy play in these rituals of transmitting the live, divine life and enlightened live

into a piece of stone?

• Like in our worldly life, a creative person imagines forms that have never been seen, sounds never before heard, smells never before smelled, tastes never before tasted, objects never before touched, and thoughts never before realized. The person creates the imagined form, sound, smell, taste, touch and thought. These creations become the sources for inspiration for further creations, for both the individual and others. Finally, the person enjoys and takes benefit of these creations.

What role does philosophy play in these rituals of transmitting the live, divine life and enlightened live into a

piece of stone?

• Similarly, the Caitya and the establishment ritual are the creation of the Enlightened Buddhist Masters. After the establishment ritual is observed for stone Caityas, the Caitya is transformed into a source of inspiration for them and their followers. The benefits gained by this creation are immeasurable merit (punya) for all sentient being. At the same time, the Caitya becomes the source for Enlightenment, the knowledge beyond phenomenal world. The Caitya is therefore the roadmap for Enlightenment, the supramundane state of mind. Thus, a stone Caitya turns into the most Venerable One and is subject to honor (puja) for Newar Buddhists.