Lama Zopa Rinpoche gives an extensive presentation on the benefits of making stupas. He says that it’s so easy to benefit other sentient beings by making holy objects, such as statues and stupas. The minute it’s completed, it becomes an object of purification. It purifies sentient beings’ negative karma and plants the seed of enlightenment because of the powerful mantras and sutras held within. Rinpoche gives the example of the benefits of the Diamond-Cutter Sutra and the Mitukpa mantra. Just seeing the holy object from afar brings so many benefits, but if you make offerings, prostrate, and circumambulate, then you collect even greater merit.

Rinpoche says that it’s important to know the benefits of making holy objects and how they offer extensive benefits to sentient beings. He outlines the ten benefits of building a stupa according to Puten Rinpoche. He also talks about the eighteen benefits of building a stupa mentioned in the Sutra Clarifying the Aspects of Karma (which are similar to the ten benefits mentioned by Puten Rinpoche).

Next, Rinpoche explains the mantra to recite before building a stupa and the mantras to place inside the life-tree of the stupa. He outlines the enormous benefits of these mantras. He also talks about the mala blessing mantras, which multiply the number of mantras and the merit. He says that this is a way to take the greatest benefit in your life.

From April 10 to May 10, 2004, Lama Zopa Rinpoche gave extensive teachings during the Mahamudra Retreat at Buddha House in Australia. While the retreat focused on Mahamudra, Rinpoche also taught on a wide range of Lamrim topics. This retreat marked the beginning of a series of month-long retreats in Australia. Subsequent retreats were held in 2011, 2014, and 2018, hosted by the Great Stupa of Universal Compassion in Bendigo.

Find out more about Lama Zopa Rinpoche, his teachings and projects at https://fpmt.org/