Chedi Article

'Bodhgaya-Ananda-Cetiya'

Anandagiri Forest Monastery Chedi

The Inspiration for and Intentions of the project

Mahabodhi Chedi Bodhgaya India

Ancient Chedi Bihar India

What is a Chedi?... and what are some reasons for building one?

Since the time of the Buddha, the remains or relics of Enlightened beings have been housed in often times quite grand in scale structures called Chedis. They frequently appear as a dome like mound with an elaborate spire on top. Later interpretations became more tower-like in design. There are many wonderful Chedis from ancient times still standing today in places such as India, Nepal. Thailand, Myanmar and Sri Lanka. The devoted laity continuously sponsor the renovation and maintenance of these sacred monuments, for the use of their generation and future generations to come. It is believed that paying respects at Chedis which contain genuine relics of the Buddha or of Arahants, both produces good kamma, and increases one's kammic affinity and connection to the Enlightenment practice tradition. This deep kammic connection and affinity increases the likelihood of meeting great Teachers and practitioners in the future.

Even before the Buddha's time it was customary to place the remains of Kings in such monuments. Since the time of the Buddha however, the remains of great Arahants and meditation masters (both men and women) of all the Buddhist traditions have also been enshrined in these sacred structures, so the number of Chedis has continually increased. Interestingly, there is a sutta where the Lord Buddha praises the merit of sponsoring the building of a Chedi, more than any other structure offered to the order. Perhaps this is due to the fact that these relatively solid structures tend to last for a very long time, and subsequently may be of use to many faithful generations to come? It is believed that a great number of 'devata' or subtle bodied beings such as angels and nagas, also pay respects at such sites to demonstrate their faith and increase their merits. Accordingly, the sponsors of Chedis are seen as playing an important enabling role in helping beings to accumulate particularly useful merit, or good kamma – which is an important causal factor for future happiness and opportunity.

What are relics?

It is believed by many Buddhist practitioners that the elements comprising the bodies of Enlightened beings, actually take on a certain quality of purity due to ongoing contact with the purified mind of such a being. (The mind having been purified through abandoning greed, hatred and delusion by means of virtue, concentration and correct insight into deeper Truth.) In support of this notion, it can be observed that when the body of a genuinely Enlightened being is cremated, there are often many small pearl-like relics found among the ashes. Sometimes they are clear, sometimes opaque, and they can even manifest in a variety of different colours. In some instances when a master dies in meditation and the students decide not to cremate the remains, the body does not bloat or become odorous and begin to decay. Rather, it slowly becomes dehydrated and mummified, and once again, relics can frequently appear as if growing on the surface of the skin. I have paid respects to two such 'full-body-relics' myself here in Thailand.

Although it is a somewhat challenging concept for many modern, more materialistically minded people to grasp, it is generally accepted by traditional Asian Buddhists that a certain amount of the merit (accumulated good kamma) and wholesome energy of Enlightened beings, is able to reside in the place where such relics are enshrined – long after the purified mind has moved on. A certain amount of the 'goodness,' which is a type of energy, is able to remain fused to the earth element that constitutes the relic.

According to what I have heard during my many years living in Thailand, great meditation masters with special abilities can in fact check whether a relic is real or not. Because the energy of purity and goodness also emits a certain quality of bright light, which can be seen by practitioners who have a purified 'divine eye.' (One of the results of a great deal of skilful meditation.) Yet even people without such a rare facility, can frequently observe a pleasant and uplifting energy surrounding Chedis reputed to contain genuine relics. Meditators often find that the mind can become peaceful more easily, and phenomena such as pain and noise are curiously less irritating when practicing close by to such a monument. This is certainly my experience of practicing meditation near the Mahabodhi Chedi in Bodhgaya, India – where the Bodhi Tree and Vajra Asana (seat of Enlightenment) are considered to be sacred relics themselves.

Very interestingly, it is also frequently reported that relics appear to manifest by themselves, as if out of thin air. Apparently they do not manifest by themselves however, but rather, more subtle bodied beings not visible to the ordinary human eye, such as devas, deliver them to worthy people in the hope that they will take proper care of them. These radiant beings may take the relics from older Chedis that have fallen into disrepair, where they are no longer suitably revered.

My own teacher, Tan Ajahn Anan, tells a story from his own experience when he was climbing up a mountain in Sri Lanka many years ago, to pay respects to the famous 'Buddha's footprint' on top of Adam's Peak. He had a small reliquary with a few relics from Thailand inside his monks bag, draped over his shoulder. By the time he had ascended the mountain, the reliquary had become completely full to the brim of relics! Apparently some of the devas of Sri Lanka had felt that Tan Ajahn was a worthy recipient and would take good care of the relics. Tan Ajahn enshrined these and other relics in the crown of the Buddha statue in his meditation hall at Wat Marp Chan.

Whether one believes in the power and purity of relics or not though, it is still possible to relate skilfully to a Chedi, if we can see these monuments as a symbol of Enlightenment. Something to use as a skilful means for recollecting the Buddha and his teachings and for demonstrating gratitude, respect and appreciation, qualities which brighten the mind. Many Chedis also contain beautiful sculptures and stucco images which serve to remind people of the significant events and teachings from the Buddha's life.

If we come to see a Chedi as sacred due to the inherent purity of the relics, then the Chedi is a sacred site because of the presence of the relics. If we utilise the site of a Chedi to further our own practice through wise reflection and skilful meditation, then it becomes sacred due to the virtue of our own practice there.

Other objects frequently enshrined in Chedis …

Besides the above mentioned types of relics, other objects frequently enshrined in Chedis are amulets, or small images representing the Buddha. Skilled meditators with very deep Samadhi are able to infuse such images with the powerful, radiant and protective energies of metta (loving-kindness) and mental purity. Once 'blessed' in this manner, the amulets become similar in nature to a relic, that is to say, earth element infused with extremely wholesome energy. Many ancient Chedis have large numbers of amulets in the lower levels, with the relics that appeared from the ashes of masters enshrined in a higher level above.

Some wise contemporary masters in Thailand have shied away from blessing such amulets and giving them to the laity, as they can become an object of unskilful fascination, and can even lead to heedlessness if people come to believe that the master's amulet, rather than the individual's virtue, can protect them from harm. Fortunately in the case of Anandagiri's new Chedi, several compassionate masters who sympathise with our project have been happy to engage their special abilities, blessing large numbers of small Buddha images for the purpose of enshrining in our Chedi. Over the next few years we are aiming to enshrine 84,000 amulets in five small rooms contained on consecutive levels within the core of the Chedi. To date we have already enshrined 27,000 within the first two levels.

Several senior teachers have also offered relics to be enshrined in a small room on the highest level, just beneath the dome on the very top of the Chedi. We are also hoping that more relics will continue to manifest as the project progresses.

Why are we building this Chedi at Anandagiri Forest Monastery?

Although these days the scenery around our lovely little monastery usually looks quite tranquil and serene, just 40 years ago the area was quite literally a war zone! Like much of Southeast Asia at that time, communist and government forces were engaging in bitter and deadly conflicts. Khaokho district, the area where the monastery is situated, was an area where communist forces fled and hunkered down. The extremely hilly terrain and thick jungle made it easy to go undetected here. There was more than a decade of guerrilla style battles in this area, and many simple villagers died in the crossfire as well as thousands of soldiers on both sides.

As well as the sad loss of so many lives, once the government forces won the battle against the communists, the rainforest was also deliberately removed, in order to prevent the communists from returning undetected.

(Hence our efforts at reforestation in the area around the monastery – over the course of the past six years, 20,000 trees have been planted and are being cared for on our 70 acres)

As a serious long-term meditator, I think it would be fair to say that I may have developed a little more intuitive sensitivity over the course of two decades of practice. Since coming to live in this area I have been aware that there were complex, and sometimes quite conflicting energies in the very ether that surrounds us. Images of wounded villagers and soldiers would occasionally enter into both mine and others dreams, and sometimes strong feelings like great waves of sorrow would press upon my mind, particularly in the late evenings. There are many positive and supportive energies here as well, but this sense of unresolved conflict and ongoing grief seemed to require some very specific attention.

In consultation with several of Thailand's great contemporary meditation masters, it was confirmed that indeed there were a large number of tormented spirits in the area surrounding the monastery. (Wandering minds caught between births, after a traumatic or sudden, unexpected death.) At some point, as the abbot here, I started to feel with increasing conviction that I ought to do something to try and help these beings, who are like neighbours of a sort. Both for their sake as well as ours… and that is when the idea of building a Chedi came to mind.

In order to move on from a challenged state 'caught in-between-births,' these ghosts would need a project to rejoice in, as a way of generating merit for themselves. They would also quite likely need others to consciously spread loving-kindness to them, and dedicate merits specifically as well. Because many of those who had died would have some faith in Buddhist monks, this would help to make them receptive to receiving merit dedications.

Because Lord Buddha has stated in the suttas that constructing Chedis produces great merit, I felt that this would be a good project to initiate. One of the strengths of this particular idea was that bricks, which are the basic building blocks of Chedis, can be offered by people of even very modest means. I would be able to encourage all of the local villagers to offer a few bricks each as well, joining in with eager wealthier patrons who would be keen to offer many hundreds of bricks each. I figured that if a great number of people joined in the project and dedicated merits specifically, we may well be able to make a significant difference to the plight of our dislocated friends.

I finally decided to move forward and commit to overseeing the building of a fairly large Chedi, right here in the middle of the monastery, in January of this year. (Large by ancient standards - but quite small by contemporary standards in Thailand) As well as encouraging those people interested in contributing to the project to share merits with the local ghosts. I would also invite Respected Senior monks to come and assist in the transference of merit, so that our compassionate intentions would be more effective. Procuring genuine relics and liaising to have many thousands of amulets blessed would be another necessary part of the project, so that the Chedi might become a genuine sacred monument.

There are other, more devotional and artistic aspects to this multi-dimensional project too. I am intending to include a good number of truly beautiful, high quality Buddhist-inspired sculpture into the structure as well. So that the images might serve as helpful reminders and as a source of inspiration to practitioners. It is a part of my character to do things quite well once I have decided to do something, and including quality art as an expression of faith and devotion is an important component of the project.

On a personal level, taking a moment to be very truthful with you all here now. Although I am a person of great faith who does truly respect things like relics and sacred Chedis, and who genuinely appreciates quality Buddhist art. On another level, the level of a monk who likes to meditate in quiet places and to live simply. I didn't really, and still don't particularly 'feel like' having to supervise a complex, high quality building project for the next three years! Particularly after having just completed supervising the building of an entire monastery over the course of the past six years! But I am sure that all of you with careers and relationships and families know very well - that in the course of trying to do one's best and to do what seems responsible and right, we often have to pick up a significant workload that we'd rather avoid, and simply get on with it. I am fortunate in that if I am diligent, I can still manage to fit a lot of meditation time into my day.

As the spiritual leader of this community in this particular place with its own peculiar challenges, supervising the building of this Chedi seems to have become one of my duties. Given this, I will aspire to complete it with great care, attention to detail and love. As an offering to the Three Jewels and to the Sangha of the Four Quarters, for the benefit of those already here and those yet to come, and out of compassion for beings experiencing great distress. I will also sincerely aspire to maintain a deep commitment to my other spiritual practices even while this project ensues.

In closing now however, I am very happy to be able to report that just six months into the project, the atmosphere in and around the monastery certainly does appear to be significantly lighter and brighter. Two senior meditation masters who I have the great fortune to know, and who recently led ceremonies here at Anandagiri specifically to bless the Chedi project, have confirmed that several thousands of wandering beings have already successfully taken their rebirth! Through both receiving and rejoicing in the merits being produced. Also, according to my teachers, the Chedi, although currently only 5 metres tall (it will eventually rise to 18 metres) has already attracted a particular quality of radiance that shines brightly in all directions. For those with eyes for seeing such things… Sadhu… Sadhu… Sadhu… !!!

The design of our new Chedi

I have been fortunate enough in the course of my Bhikkhu life to be able to visit many ancient and sacred Buddhist sites, in several countires. I was able to use my own memory and impressions of the Chedis that I have seen and paid respects to, as well as my sense for what would work best in our location and cultural setting, and came up with what I think will be both a lovely and durable design that is in harmony with the nature here.

The Chedi design is based upon a fusion of three traditional Chedis from three different countries. It will stand 18 metres tall upon completion. The central spire of the Maha Bodhi Chedi in Bodhgaya has been blended with the central spire of the Ananda Chedi in Pagan, Myanmar. (Which has ascending niches in the wall for enshrining Buddha images) The indented corners that will give the spire a slightly more rounded appearance, are a feature of traditional Chedis from the Sukhothai era, a nod to local traditions of yore. The dome that will sit on top of the Chedi, like a smaller Chedi on top, will be a replica of the one on top of the Maha Bodhi Chedi in Bodhgaya, and will be carved out of a very large solid piece of green marble from India.

Originally I had intended to use terracotta bricks all throughout the Chedi, but after considering that the stone carvings that we will incorporate may well last many centuries, it seemed wise to try and find a more durable material. Eventually we decided upon granite as the most durable material and have ordered granite to be cut into a conventional brick size. The granite is a lovely pale orange colour when cut smooth but not polished – so we decided to order it unpolished. These granite bricks will form the outermost layer of the Chedi and will rise from the base to the very top.

Images that will be contained on the outer walls of the Chedi

On the first level here will be four sandstone panel relief carvings facing the four cardinal directions. The carvings will depict the Birth, Enlightenment, First Teaching and final Nibbana of Lord Shakyamuni Buddha. (Two have already been installed and can be seen in the slideshow, the other two are scheduled to arrive on September 22)

Facing the other four of 'The Eight Directions' on the first level, due to the great faith and generosity of our Chinese Malaysian students and friends, there will be images of the Four Great 'Celestial Bodhisattvas' who have sacred mountains dedicated to them in China. These were specially carved to order in Fujian province in China, and are making their way to Thailand in a boat even as I write! These represent our respect for the proximate cause for the arising of Buddhas' - which is 'A Great Bodhisattva', as well as our respect for those who will become Teaching Buddhas in the future.

On the second level there will be four images of 'Buddha Metta' facing the Four Directions. Buddha Metta is the main image in the Maha Bodhi Temple in Bodhgaya and is perhaps the worlds most loved and respected Buddha statue. He shows the mudra (hand gesture) of subduing Mara.

On the third level there will be four 'Teaching Buddhas' based upon the very famous image in the museum of Sarnath. Many people feel that this is the most beautiful Buddha statue in the world. His hands are in the gesture of expounding the Four Noble Truths and Eightfold Path.

On the fourth level there will be four 'Buddha Maha Dhamma Raja' images, based upon the most loved and respected ancient statue of the province where we live, Petchabun. His hands are in the meditation mudra.

On the fifth and final level there will be four replicas of the 'Emerald Buddha', Thailand's most respected Buddha image. Also in meditation mudra.

On the very top will be a replica of the top part of the Maha Bodhi Chedi.

Except for the sandstone reliefs and the granite Bodhisattva images from China, all of these above mentioned images will be carved from great big green marble blocks imported from India.

May this Sacred Chedi being built with the most noble intentions, and from beautiful materials, be like a beacon of light in this and other worlds. May it be a source of inspiration that helps beings to deepen their inner refuge through meditation and skilful contemplation. In remembering the inspiring example of the Buddha and his Enlightened disciples, may we all be inspired to deepen our own efforts towards realising deep peace and liberating Insight. And may all who contribute in any way whatsoever, experience good health, safety, abundance and never be separated from the True and Correct teachings of Buddhas!

With Loving Kindness.

Ajahn Achalo Bhikkhu
(Abbot of Anandagiri Forest Monastery)