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The Eight Stupas

FIRST STUPA
LOTUS BLOSSOM STUPA OF THE BUDDHA'S BIRTH
When Lord Buddha, the peerless prince of the Shakyas took birth on the seventh day of the fourth lunar month of the year 563BCE in the auspicious Lumbini Garden at Kapila Vastu, King Suddhodana erected a stupa in Lumbini like this one. May this stupa become a supreme object of offering, liberating whoever sees it, touches it, hears of it, or remembers it.

SECOND STUPA
THE ENLIGHTENMENT STUPA
When Lord Buddha, then thirty-five years old, attained enlightenment under the bodhi tree at Bodhgaya, centre of the world, King Bimbisara erected a stupa in Rajgir like this one. May this stupa become a supreme object, liberating whoever sees it, touches it, hears of it, or remembers it.

THIRD STUPA
THE STUPA OF TURNING THE WHEEL OF DHARMA
When at the age of thirty-five Lord Buddha turned the wheel of Dharma for the first time in the forest at Varanasi, and taught the Four Noble Truths. His five excellent disciples erected a stupa in Varanasi like this one. May this stupa become a supreme object of offering, liberating whoever sees it, touches it, hears of it, or remembers it.

FOURTH STUPA
THE GREAT MIRACLE STUPA
When at the age of fifty Lord Buddha displayed inconceivable miracles at Sravasti from the first to the fifteenth of the first lunar month, he overpowered the Maras and Tirthikas. In commemoration, the Licchavis erected a stupa at Srvasti like this one. May this stupa become a supreme object of offering, liberating whoever sees it, touches it, hears of it, or remembers it.

FIFTH STUPA
THE STUPA OF THE DESCENT FROM TUSHITA HEAVEN
When Lord Buddha was forty-two, having spent the summer retreat in Tushita Heaven to repay his mother's kindness, he descended to the human world at the Indian city of Sarankasya. To commemorate this the local people erected a stupa in Vaishali like this one. May this stupa become a supreme object of offering, liberating whoever sees it, touches it, hears of it, or remembers it.

SIXTH STUPA
THE STUPA OF RE-UNITING THE SANGHA
When the Lord Buddha was dwelling in the Veluvana Bamboo Grove at Rajagaha he re-united the Sangha which had been divided by Devadatta. The people of Magada erected a stupa at Rajgir like this one. May this stupa become a supreme object of offering, liberating whoever sees it, touches it, hears of it, or remembers it.

SEVENTH STUPA
THE ALL-VICTORIOUS STUPA
When Lord Buddha was eighty he proclaimed at Vaishali that he would leave this world to pass into Nirvana but at supplication of the lay devotee Tsunda, he extended his life for three months. The celestial beings erected a stupa at Vaishali like this one. May this stupa become a supreme object of offering, liberating whoever sees it, touches it, hears of it, or remembers it.

EIGHTH STUPA
THE PARINIRVANA STUPA
When in his eighty-first year Lord Buddha delayed the way of passing into Nirvana at Kushnigara the Malas erected a stupa there like this one. May this stupa become a supreme object of offering, liberating whoever sees it, touches it, hears of it, or remembers it.

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