- Global Pagoda
. The Global Pagoda is built out of gratitude to the Buddha, his teaching and the community of monks practicing his teaching. Its traditional Burmese design is an expression of gratitude towards the country of Myanmar for preserving the practice of Vipassana.
It is being built combining ancient Indian and modern technology to enable it to last for at least 2000 years. The center of the Global Pagoda contains the world's largest stone
dome built without any supporting pillars. The planned height of the building is 96.12 meters, which is twice the size of the previously largest hollow stone monument in the world, theGol Gumbaz Dome inBijapur , India. [http://www.globalpagoda.org/test/Theproject.aspx]The inside of the pagoda is hollow and serves as a very large meditation hall with an area covering more than 6000 m2 (65,000 ft2). The massive inner dome seats over 8000 people enabling them to practice the non-sectarian Vipassana meditation as taught by Mr
S.N. Goenka and now widely being practiced in over 100 countries, including in many prisons such as Asia's largest prison,Tihar Jail ,New Delhi , India.Relics of
Gautama the Buddha were enshrined in the central locking stone of the dome on October 29, 2006, making it theworld 's largest structure containing the bone relics of the Buddha.The aim of the pagoda complex is, among others, to express gratitude to Gautama Buddha for dispensing for what followers believe is a universal teaching for the eradication of suffering, to educate the public about the life and teaching of the Buddha, and to provide a place for the practice of meditation.
The Global Pagoda complex is still under construction with plans to include a museum depicting the life and teaching of Gautama Buddha that is expected to draw hundreds of thousands of visitors annually. The Global Pagoda's educational displays will communicate the Buddha's universal teaching as a path towards real happiness.
External links
* [http://www.globalpagoda.org globalpagoda.org: Official Site]
* [http://www.pariyatti.org/podcasts/archives/2006/09/great_global_pa.html Great Global Pagoda] 16-minute film documenting the vision for the Global Pagoda
* [http://www.pariyatti.com/book_142878.html The Global Pagoda: Monument of Gratitude] Book commemorating the Pagoda's construction, from Pariyatti Press
* [http://www.atimes.com/atimes/South_Asia/HJ25Df03.html Asia's spectacular monument of gratitude] 2006 Asia Times article
* [http://www.dhamma.org www.dhamma.org: Vipassana Meditation]
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