25/12/2023
This is called the "Great Dhammakaya Cetiya," a center for Buddhist ritual ceremonies, a place for teaching morality, encouraging people to do good deeds, chant, meditate, and conduct religious rituals for all nationalities, religions, genders, and ages.
The Great Dhammakaya Cetiya is a stupa involved in ceremonies related to monks and novices, including ordinations in large numbers.
Why was the Great Dhammakaya Cetiya built? How does it benefit society?
Before answering this, we want to acknowledge the current realities:
- The Great Dhammakaya Cetiya is a stupa that conducts ceremonies for monks and novices, including numerous ordinations.
- It can accommodate millions of people lighting candles in Buddhist homage.
- It can hold millions for meditation sessions.
- It acts like a grand moral university, gathering students for beneficial activities and Dhamma studies in large numbers.
- It's a site where people continually perform Buddhist activities as royal merit for the king.
- It welcomes Buddhists worldwide, of every nationality and language, to chant and meditate continuously, 24 hours a day.
From the information provided, the Great Dhammakaya Cetiya is a stupa where people worship, meditate, and perform religious rituals, serving all genders and ages.
This highlights the stupa's maximum practical benefits, aligning with its original purpose:
1) To serve as a memorial to the Buddha, housing relics and teachings in various forms, and as an Uddesika Cetiya, with many Buddha statues symbolizing the Buddha himself.
2) To be a place for the public to make merit and royal offerings.
3) To act as a focal point for faith, where people from all directions come to do good deeds, meditate, practice, give alms, and chant, like the Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta, continuously 24 hours a day.
4) To be a center for Buddhist rituals, like circumambulation, ordination ceremonies nationwide, and V-Star activities promoting virtue among the youth.
5) To be a place for moral education, preaching, and fostering good people through various programs, akin to a premier moral university.
The Great Dhammakaya Cetiya, with a semi-circular shape like the Sanchi Stupa in India, began construction in 1995, designed to last over 1,000 years, housing 300,000 Buddha statues within and another 700,000 around it. The surrounding area, "Dhamma Land," can accommodate 400,000 devotees for significant religious events.
The Great Dhammakaya Cetiya is thus a stupa filled with sanctity and power. Its establishment has been seen as creating peace for our world, as the collective good deeds and pure intentions of millions meditating around it form a powerful force impacting humanity and spreading tranquility worldwide.
You're invited to join in worship at the Great Dhammakaya Cetiya, located at Wat Phra Dhammakaya, where lotuses are available for offering at Corridor 32, any time, any day.
