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 Studies
Tribhuvan 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 period
Stone caitya
Om Baha, Patan
Ca. 7th century
Ratna (jewel) Caitya
Dhatu (metal) caitya
Caityas in
Courtyards:
Dhenacho Hill
Caitya on roof of monasteries
Artist Creating a Stone Caitya
Completed
Sections 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
SUTRA PATANA PUJA
• 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: Layout of the caitya foundation
PADA STHAPANA PUJA
• 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: Layout of brick foundation
NYASA PUJA
• The priest performs life-insertionritual (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.
Ratna
Nyasa
INSTALLATION OF DOME AND CREST
• 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
Installation of crest
SHORT ESTABLISHMENT RITUAL
(samsksipta pratistha vidhi)
• 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.
COMPLETE ESTABLISHMENT RITUAL
(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).
Honoring the Caitya
• 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.
Renovation of Caityas
• 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.
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 nonduality. 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.