What are Buddhist relics, 'stupas'?

Secrets of the Dead: Bones of the Buddha - full documentary HD

Buddhist Stupa: What we know about Buddhist burial mound reliquaries

(Bodhisattva) Everything anyone needs to know about stupas might be found here. Stupas are some of the oldest structures venerated in India [and Central Asia long before that]. Until a thousand years ago the entire region of the Indian subcontinent from Afghanistan (ancient Gandhara) to formerly Buddhist Bangladesh was dotted with thousands of stupas, large and small. Sacred relics (sarira) are placed inside of them.

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Now only a few survive that are also in very bad condition. Why were these stupas made in the first place? What is the significance of stupas in Buddhism? What role did they play in the spread of Buddhism? Why is this stupa different from that one and that one and this one? How are they different from each other apart from basic structural differences? Why have abandoned stupas in India been continuously targeted by treasure hunters for centuries? What was placed in stupas that is of such interest to the treasure hunters?

Ancient stone caskets that stored the Buddha’s relics | Sanchi Stupa, India

NOTE: The Buddha did not "die," which means rebirth. He ended samsara.

CHAPTERS

• 0:00 - Intro
• 1:18 - Origin of stupas
• 3:55 - Types of stupas
• 6:18 - Architecture of stupas
• 11:52 - Rituals, pilgrimage, perambulation
• 15:46 - Global expansion and evolution of stupas

Celtic noblewoman Lady of Vix burial mound

Let's find out more about stupas and understand their significance so that the world can appreciate and preserve them better. Origin of stupas, different types, architecture, significance, and global expansion and evolution of stupa architecture. This is a comprehensive video on the subject. #Buddha #Stupa #Buddhism

• Bones of the Buddha; Bodhisattva; Amber Larson, Dhr. Seven (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly