The Symbolism of the Early Stupa

by by Peter Harvey

The Origins of the Stupa

From pre-Buddhist times, in India and elsewhere, the re-mains of kings and heroes were interred in burial mounds (tu-muli), out of both respect and fear of the dead. Those in an-cient India were low, circular mounds of earth, kept in place by a ring of boulders; these boulders also served to mark off a mound as a sacred area.

According to the account in the Mahaparinibbana Sutta (D.II.141-3), when the Buddha was asked what was to be done . First given at the Eighth Symposium on Indian Religions (British Association for the History of Religion), Oxford, April

with his remains after death, he seems to have brought to mind this ancient tradition. He explained that his body should be treated like that of a Cakkavatti emperor: after wrapping it in many layers of cloth and placing it within two iron vessels, it should be cremated; the relics should then be placed in a stupa "where four roads meet" (catummahapathe). The relics of a "dis-ciple" (savaka) of a Tathagata should be treated likewise. At the stupa of either, a person's citta could be gladdened and calmed at the thought of its significance.

After the Buddha's cremation, his relics (sariras) are said to have been divided into eight portions, and each was placed in a stupa. The pot (kumbha) in which the relics were collected and the ashes of the cremation fire were dealt with in the same way (D.11.166).

One of the things which Atoka (273-232 B.C.) did in his efforts to spread Buddhism, was to open up these original ten stupas and distribute their relics in thousands of' new stupas throughout India. By doing this, the stupa was greatly popular-ised. Though the development of the Buddha-image, probably in the second century A.D., provided another focus for devo-tion to the Buddha, stupas remain popular to this day, especial-ly in Theravadin countries. They have gone through a long development in form and symbolism, but I wish to concentrate on their early significance.

Relics

Before dealing with the stupa itself, it is necessary to say something about the relics contained in it. The contents of a stupa may be the reputed physical relics (sariras or dhatus) of Gotama Buddha, of a previous Buddha, of an Arahant or other saint, or copies of these relics; they may also be objects used by such holy beings, images symbolising them, or texts seen as the "relics" of the "Dhamma-body" of Gotama Buddha. Physical relics are seen as the most powerful kind of con-tents. Firstly, they act as reminders of' a Buddha or saint: of their spiritual qualities, their teachings, and the fact that they have actually lived on this earth. This, in turn, shows that it is possible for a human being to become a Buddha or saint. While

even copies of relics can act as reminders, they cannot fulfill the second function of relics proper. This is because these are thought to contain something of the spiritual force and purity of the person they once formed part of. As they were part of the body of a person whose mind was freed of spiritual faults and possessed of a great energy-for-good, it is believed that they were somehow affected by this. Relics are therefore seen as radiating a kind of beneficial power. This is probably why ch. 28 of the Buddhavamsa says:

The ancients say that the dispersal of the relics of Gotama, the great seer, was out of compassion for living beings.

Miraculous powers are also attributed to relics, as seen in a story of the second century B.C. related in the Mahavamsa XXXI v.97-100. When king Dutthagamani was enshrining some relics of Gotama in the Great Stupa at Anuradhapura, they rose into the air in their casket, and then emerged to form the shape of the Buddha. In a similar vein, the Vibhanga Attha-katha p. 433 says that at the end of the 5000 year period of the sasana, all the relics in Sri Lanka will assemble, travel through the air to the foot of the Bodhi tree in India, emit rays of light, and then disappear in a flash of light.

This is referred to as the parinibbana of the dhatus. Relics, then, act both as reminders of Gotama, or some other holy being, and as actual tangible links with them and their spiritual powers. The Mahavamsa XXX v.100 says, indeed, that there is equal merit in devotion to the Buddha's relics as there was in devotion to him when he was alive.

The Symbolism of the Stupa's Components

The best preserved of the early Indian stupas is the Great Stupa at Sand, central India. First built by Moka, it was later enlarged and embellished, up to the first century A.D. The diagramatic representation of it in figure 1 gives a clear indica-tion of the various parts of an early stupa.

The four toranas, or gateways, of this stupa were built be-tween the first centuries B.C. and A.D., to replace previous wooden ones. Their presence puts the stupa, symbolically, at the place where four roads meet, as is specified in the Mahapar-inibbana Sutta. 'Phis is probably to indicate the openness and universality of the Buddhist teaching, which invites all to come and try its path, and also to radiate loving-kindness to beings in all four directions.

In a later development of' the stupa, in North India, the orientation to the four directions was often expressed by means of' a square, terraced base, sometimes with staircases on each side in place of the early gateways. At Sand, these gateways are covered with carved reliefs of the Bodhisatta career of Gotama and also, using aniconic symbols, of his final life as a Buddha. Symbols also represent previous Buddhas. In this way, the gates convey Buddhist teachings and the life of the Buddhas to those who enter the precincts of the stupa.

Encircling Sand stupa, connecting its gateways, is a stone vedika, or railing, originally made of wood. This encloses and marks off the site dedicated to the stupa and a path for circu-marnbulating it. Clockwise circumambulation, or padakkhirta/ pradaksina, literally "keeping to the right," is the main act of devotion performed at a stupa.

It is also performed round a Bodhi tree and, especially in Tibet, round any sacred object, building or person. Keeping one's right side towards someone is a way of showing respect to them: in the Pali Canon, people are often said to have departed from the Buddha keeping their right side towards him. The precedent for actual circumambu-iation may bave been the Brahmanical practice of the priest walking around the fire-sacrifice offerings, or of' a bride walk-ing around the domestic hearth at her marriage.' All such prac-tices demonstrate that what is walked around is, or should be, the "centre" of a person's life.

From the main circumambulatory path at Sanci, a devotee can mount some stairs to a second one, also enclosed by a ve-dika. This second path runs round the top of the low cylindrical drum of the stupa base.

The Divyavadana refers to this as the medhi, or platform, while some modern Sinhalese sources refer to it as the asana, or throne. This structure serves to elevate the main body of the stupa, and so put it in a place of honour. In later stupas, it was multiplied into a series of terraces, to raise the stupa dome to a yet more honourific height. "These terraces

were probably what developed into the multiple rooves of the East Asian form of the stupa, often known in the West as a pagoda.

The most obvious component of the stupa is the solid dome, resting on the base. Its function is to house the precious relics within (the Burmese say that the presence of' relics gives a stupa a "heart"). The relics are kept in a relic-chamber, usually somewhere on the central axis of the dome. In this, they are often found to rest in a golden container, placed within a silver, then bronze, then earthenware ones. The casing of the stupa dome seems therefore to be seen as the outermost and least valuable container of the relics. Indeed, the usual term for the dome of a stupa, both in the Sinhalese tradition and in two first century A.D. Sanskrit texts, translated from their Tibetan ver-sions by Gustav Roth, is kumbha, or pot.

The Sanskrit Mahapar-inirvana Sutra also reports the Buddha as saying that his relics should be placed in a golden kumbha,' while the Pali Mahapari-nibbana Sutra says that the Buddha's relics were collected in a kumbha before being divided up. Again, kumbha is used as a word for an urn in which the bones of a dead person arc col-lected, in the Brahmanical Asvalayana Grhya-Sutra." These facts reinforce the idea of the stupa dome being seen as the outer-most container of the relics.

The dome of' the stupa is a "kumbha" not only as a relic pot, but also because of symbolic connotations of the word kumbha.

At S.I I.83, it is said that the death of an Arahant, when feelings "grow cold" and sariras remain, is like the cooling off of a kumbha taken from an oven, with kapallani remaining. Wood-ward's translation gives "sherds" for this, but the Rhys Davids and Stede Pali-English Dictionary gives "a bowl in the form of a skull . . . an earthenware pan used to carry ashes."

The implica-tion of the cited passage would seem to be that a (cold) kumbha is itself like the relics of a saint; certainly 1)hp. v.40 sees the body (kaya) as like a kumbha (in its fragility, says the commentary). Thus, the stupa dome both is a container of the relics, and also an analogical representative of the relics.

The use of' the term kumbha for the stupa dome may well have further symbolic meaning. It may relate to the purna-ghata (or purna-kumbha), or vase of plenty. This is one of the eight auspicious symbols in the Sinhalese and Tibetan traditions, and is found as a decoration in ancient Indian Buddhist art.

Purrca-ghata designs, for example, were among those on the dome of the Great Stupa at Amaravati." The purrza-ghata is also an auspi-cious symbol in Hinduism, where it is probably equivalent to the golden kumbha, containing amrta (the gods' nectar of im-mortality), which emerged at the churning of the cosmic ocean.'"

To decide on the symbolic meanings of kumbha in Bud-dhism, we may fruitfully look at further uses of the word kumbha in sutta similies. At S.V.48 and A.V.337, water pouring out from an upturned kumbha is likened to an ariyan disciple getting rid of unskilful states, while at Dhp. v.121-2, a kumbha being gradually filled by drops of water is likened to a person gradually filling himself with evil or merit. In this way, the kumbha is generally likened to the personality as a container of had or good states.

A number of passages, though, use a full kumbha as a simile for a specifically positive state of being. At A.II.104, a person who understands, as they really are, the four ariyan truths, is like a full (puro)kumbha. Miln.414, with Sn. v. 721-2, sees one who has perfected his recluseship (an Arahant, surely) as being like a full kumbha, which makes no sound when struck: his speech is not boastful, but he teaches Dhamma.

At A.I.131, a person of wide wisdom (puthupanno), who bears in mind the Dhamma he has heard, is like an upright kumbha which accumulates the water poured into it. The implication of these passages is that the stupa dome, if' known as a kumbha and even decorated with purna-ghata motifs, would be a natural symbol for the personality of someone who is "full" of Dhamma: a Buddha or saint. While the Hindu purraa-ghata con-tains amrta, the Buddhist one contains Dhamma, that which brings a person to the amata and which in the highest sense (Nibbana) is this "deathless" state.

The above symbolism neatly dove-tails with another indica-tion of the dome's meaning. As stupas developed, they some-times came to have interior strengthening walls radiating from the centre, as in figure 2.

As the stupa dome, in plan, is circular, the impression is strongly given of the Dhamma-wheel symbol. This symbolises both the Buddha and the Dhamma-teaching, path and culmination-in a number of ways. For example, i) its regularly spaced spokes suggest the spiritual order and mental

integration produced in one who practices Dhamma; ii) as the spokes converge in the hub, so the factors of Dhamma, in the sense of the path, lead to Dhamma, in the sense of Nibbana; iii) as the spokes stand firm in the hub, so the Buddha was the discoverer and teacher of the Dhamma: he firmly established its practice in the world. The Dhamma-wheel is also a symbol of universal spiritual sovereignty, which aligns with the signifi-cance of the stupa's openness to the four directions (see above).

The stupa dome, then, is not only a container of the Bud-dha's relics and their power, but also symbolises both the state of the Buddha, and the Dhamma he encompassed. The dome is also known, in the third century A.D. Divyavadana, as the anda, or egg. The meaning of this must be that, just as an egg contains the potential for growth, so the stupa dome contains relics, sometimes known as bijas, or seeds. By devotion to the stupa and its relics, a person's spiritual life may grow and be fruitful.

This connotation is a neat parallel to that of the dome as a "vase of plenty."

Another connection with spiritual growth is provided by the association of the stupa dome with the lotus (which, inci-dentally, is often portrayed growing out of a purna-ghata). Domes are often decorated with lotus designs, and their circu-lar plans resemble the circle of an open lotus flower, as in the lotus-medallion shown in figure 3. In addition, the Burmese see the shape of the stupa (whose bulk is its dome) as that of a lotus bud, with the name of its components recalling the idea of a flower bud with its young leaves folded in adoration." We see, then, that a further Buddhist symbol is included in the stupa as a symbol-system.

The lotus, of course, is a common Buddhist symbol from early times. While it is a popular pan-Indian symbol for birth, its meaning in Buddhism is best given by a passage frequently recurring in the .sutta.s (e.g., S.III.140):

"just as, monks, a lotus, blue, red, or white, though born in the water, grown up in the water, when it reaches the sur-face stands unsoiled by the water; just so, monks, though born in the world, grown up in the world, having over-come the world, a Tathagata abides unsoiled by the world."

water, so one with an enlightened mind, a Buddha, develops out of the ranks of ordinary beings, by maturing, over many lives, the spiritual potential latent in all. He thus stands out above the greed, hatred and delusion of the world, not attached to anything, as a lotus flower stands above the water, unsoiled by it. The lotus, then, symbolises the potential for spiritual growth latent in all beings, and the complete non-attachment of the enlightened mind, which stands beyond all defilements.

Not only are the I)hamma-wheel and lotus symbols incor-porated within the stupa but, as we shall now see, the other key symbol, the Bodhi tree, also finds a place in this symbol-system. On top of' Sand stupa can be seen a ya4i, or pole, with three discs on it (figure)).

These discs represent ceremonial parasols, the ancient Indian emblems of' royalty. Large ceremonial para-sols are still used in South-East Asia, for example to hold over a man about to be ordained, i.e., over someone in a role parallel to that of prince Siddhattha.

In Tibetan Buddhism, such para-sols are held over the Dalai Lama on important occasions. By placing parasols on a stupa, there is expressed the idea of the spiritual sovereignty of the Buddha and his teachings (also ex-pressed by the llhamma-wheel symbol). In accordance with this interpretation of a stupa's pole and discs, we see that king Dutthagamani of Sri Lanka (second century B.C.), when he had finished the Great Stupa at Anuradhapura, placed his roy-al parasol on it, conferring on it sovereignty over Sri Lanka for seven days (Mahavamsa XXXI v. 90 and 111); he later replaced his parasol with a wood or stone copy.

While there are three honourific parasol-discs at Sand, on later stupas these generally increased in number, so as to in-crease the inferred honour.'-' Sometimes, they came to fuse into a spire, as seen in the present super-structure of the Great Stupa at Anuradhapura (figure 4). Another phase in the devel-opment of a spire can be seen in the 14-16th century Shwe I)agbn Stupa in Rangoon (figure 5). Here, the dome is bell-shaped and has come to merge with the spire, to form one flowing outline. Because the spire no longer really conveys the impression of a series of' parasol-discs, a separate, large metal parasol is placed at its summit.

The use of the parasol as an emblem of royalty probably derives from the ancient custom of a ruler sitting under the shade of a sacred tree, at the centre of' a community, to admin-

ister justice. The shading tree thus became an insignia of sover-eignty. When the ruler moved about, it carne to be represented by a parasol. The parasols on a stupa, then, while being an emblem of' sovereignty, a/so connote a sacred tree. Indeed, a second century B.C. relief' from Amaravati depicts a stupa which, in place of the yce ti and parasol discs, has a tree with parasol-shaped leaves (figure 6). Of course, the Buddhist sacred tree is the Bodhi tree," so the yasti and parasols on a stupa must symbolically represent this, itself a potent Buddhist symbol. This idea is re-inforced by the fact that, in Burma, free-standing parasols are sometimes worshipped as Bodhi tree symbols, and the metal parasols on stupas sometimes have small brass Bodhi leaves hanging from them.

That the ya. i and parasol-discs represent a Bodhi tree is also supported when we examine the structure immediately below them on a stupa.

Figure 1 shows that, at Sand, this is a cubical stone, surrounded by another vedika, or railing. Now these two features are reminiscent of ones found at pre-Bud-dhist tree-shrines, which had an altar-seat at their base, and a railing to surround their sacred enclosure. In Buddhism, de-scendants of' the original Bodhi tree became objects of' devotion for, as in the case of' physical relics, they were a tangible link with the departed Buddha and his spiritual power. Such Bodhi trees were enclosed by railings in the same way as the previous tree shrines.

As the style of the stupa developed, the cubical stone structure expanded in size and came to incorporate the vedikr in the form of a carved relief on its surface, as in figure 4. The important point to note is that Bodhi tree shrines devel-oped into more complex forms, as seen for example in figure 7; as this happened, the superstructure of' stupas mirrored this development, as seen in figure 8. This is clear evidence that the superstructure of a stupa was symbolically equated with a Bodhi tree and its shrine.

The Bodhi tree, of' course, as the kind of tree under which the Buddha attained enlightenment, became established as a symbol for that enlightenment, in early Buddhism.'" Like the lotus, it is a symbol drawn from the vegetable kingdom. While both, therefore, suggest spiritual growth, the lotus emphasizes the potential for growth, whereas the Bodhi tree indicates the culmination of this growth, enlightenment. The structure underneath the royal/Bodhi tree symbol

came to he known, e.g., in the Divyivculana, as the harmika, or "top enclosure." This was the name for a cool summer chamber on the roof of a building. This connection need not contradict the idea of the structure as a symbolic Bodhi tree shrine, for both a cool "top enclosure" and a Bodhi tree can symbolise the enlightened mind: the chamber suggests its "coolness," and the tree suggests its enlightened nature.

While all the components of' the stupa seem now to have been discussed, there remains one of crucial importance: the axial pillar running down the centre of the dome. "Phis is hid-den in most stupas, but it can be seen in the stupa shown in figure 9. John Irwin has reported the finding of axis holes in early stupas, some containing fragments of' a wooden axis pole.

In the case of the L.auriya-Nandagarh Stupa (excavated 1904-5), he reports the finding of a waterlogged wooden axis-stump, penetrating deep below the original ground-level. Irwin regards this stupa as a very ancient one, pre-third century B.C., but S.Y. Gupta argues against this." In the most ancient stupas known (fourth-fifth centuries B.C.), Vaisali and Piprahwa, we find, respectively, only a pile of earth and a pile of mud faced with mud bricks. They had no axial pole or shaft.

Irwin's evi-dence, however, is well marshalled, and shows that a wooden axis pole had become incorporated in Buddhist stupas by the third-second centuries B.C.; S. Paranavitana also has found evidence of what can only have been stone axial pillars in the ruins of' early Sinhalese stupas."

Axial pillars were also a very important feature of East Asian "pagodas," as shown in figure 10. The pagoda form probably developed from a late form of the Indian stupa and certain multi-rooved Chinese buildings. It is important to note, though, that none of the pre-Buddhist Chinese precursors had an axial pillar: this must have derived from the Indian stopa, therefore.'"

The archaeological evidence, then, indicates that in early Indian stupas, after the most ancient period, wooden axial pil-lars were incorporated, and that in later ones, they were super-seded by stone pillars. Originally, they projected above the stupa dome, with the yasti and parasols as separate items, as in the case of the Amaravati Stupa (dating from Asokan times) shown in figure 9. When, however, the domes of' stupas came to be enlarged, the axes became completely buried within, and the yastis were fixed on top of them, as if being their extensions.

The Divyavadana refers to a "yupa-yasti" being implanted in the summit of an enlarged stupa.'`' This, and other references, shows that the usual term for the axial pillar of a stupa was yupa. Somewhat surprisingly, this was the term for the wooden post where, in Vedic religion, an animal would be tethered before it was sacrificed to the gods.

There is a parallel in more than name, however. The Vedic yupa was square at the bottom, octangular in the middle, and round at the top, while the stone axial pillars of ancient Sinhalese stupas are found to be of the same basic shape.2" Clearly, then, the axial pillars of stupas had close associations with the Vedic sacrificial post.

How can this be explained? While the non-violent teachings of Buddhism rejected animal sacrifice, early Buddhist stupas may well have been built round Vedic sacrificial posts by converted Brahmins. Indeed, excavation of the early Gotihawa Stupa, by which Anoka placed a pillar, has revealed animal bones below the original ground level at the base of the stupa axis, where a wooden post once stood.

The most ancient stupas lack signs of any axial pillar, probably because Buddhism was not sufficient-ly well established in the fifth and fourth centuries B.C. for the conversion of a Brahmanic site to have been acceptable. With the increasing popularity of Buddhism, it would have come to be acceptable for stupas to be built around existing Vedic yapas.

These already marked sacred spots of sorts: building stupas on these spots showed that they were now taken over by the new religion. In such early stupas, the original wooden Vedic yupa was probably retained to form the stupa axis, but later on, a stone yupa would have been erected to mark the sacred spot which would be the centre of a new stupa.

The axial yupa of' a stupa surely had a further symbolic function. To fully explore this, it is also necessary to note an alternative name for the stupa axis. Paranarvitana has reported that the monks of Sri Lanka (in the 1940s) gave the traditional term for the stupa axis as Inda-khila, equivalent to the Sanskrit Indra-kila, Indra's stake.

2' The monks did not know the reason for this name, however. John Irwin has argued that both the terms yupa and Indra-kila show the stupa axis to symbolise the axis mundi: the world pillar or world tree of Vedic mythology.22 I shall summarise Irwin's arguments below before going on to my own preferred interpretation. Firstly, he argues that the Vedic sacrificial yupa was itself a substitute for the axial world tree, as demonstrated by the way it is addressed in Brahmanic texts, and the fact that the tree sections of the yupa (square, octagonal and round) are regarded as representing, respective-ly, the earth, the atmosphere, and the heavens.23 Secondly, Irwin notes that "Indra's stake" is the designation, in the Vedas, for the stake with which Indra pegged the primaeval mound to the bottom of the cosmic ocean on which it floated, thus giving our world stability.24 "Thirdly, Irwin argues that this stake is mythologically synonymous with the Vedic world axis."

He refers to a Vedic cosmogonic myth in which Indra, with his vajra, slays the obstructing dragon Vrtra, so as to release the waters of fertility and life locked up in the primaeval mound, floating on the cosmic ocean.

At the same time, Indra props up the atmosphere and heavens with the world axis or tree (which seems equivalent to his vajra), and pegs the mound to the ocean bottom, as above. The world axis and Indra's stake can there-fore be seen as running into each other, merging into one."

Fourthly, Irwin cites certain archaeological evidence which might suggest that Buddhist stupa builders actually conceived of the stupa axis as symbolising the world axis or world tree of the above Vedic myth.27 Some of this evidence is as follows:

i)a reliquary from the Great Stupa at Anuradhapura has a yupa obtruding from its top, sprouting leaves as if it were a tree (as shown in figure 1 1).

ii)the description of the relic chamber of the above stupa at Mahavamsa XXX 63 ff. refers to a huge golden Bodhi tree standing at the centre of the stupa, as if the tree were the stupa axis.1" iii)the circumambulatory paths of some early stupas were paved with azure-blue glass tiles, or glazed tiles decorated with water-symbols, suggesting, perhaps, that the stupa dome symbolically rests on the cosmic ocean, as did the pri-maeval mound of Vedic myth.2"

Irwin, therefore, sees the stupa as an image of the creation of the universe (the archetype of regeneration), with the stupa axis founded on the waters and rising through the earth, atmo-sphere and heavens so as to unite them and form a communi-cating link between them."

I do not want to rule out Irwin's interpretation (though it seems unlikely), but I feel that there are more "Buddhist" ones easier to hand: after all, the Bodhi tree and water-born lotus are well established Buddhist symbols. Moreover, Irwin himself thinks that while the above Vedic myth affected stupa construc-tion and the meaning of the axis, the Vedic significance came to be mostly forgotten as the old meaning was adapted for the new and increasingly dominant doctrinal scheme.

Inasmuch as the stupa axis seems to have originated as a Vedic sacrificial post, it can surely have taken on a symbolic meaning from this association. To see what this was, we have, firstly, to examine what the Buddhist equivalent of "sacrifice" was. In the Kutadanta Sutta (D.I.144 ff.) it is said that the Bud-dha was once asked by a Brahmin about the best form of "sacri-fice."

Instead of describing some bloody Brahmanical sacrifice, he answers by talking about giving alms-food and support to monks, Brahmins and the poor, about living a virtuous life, being self-controlled, practicing .samatha and vipa.ssana medita-tions, and attaining Nibbana. He describes each such stage of the Buddhist path as a kind of "sacrifice," with the attainment of its goal being the highest and best kind. Again, at D.lII.76 it is said that a yupa is the place where a future Cakkavatti emperor will distribute goods to all, renounce his royal life to become a monk under Metteyya Buddha, and go on to become an Ara-hant.

Therefore, what was once a sacrificial post could natural-ly come, in the new religion of Buddhism, to symbolise the Buddhist path and goal-the Dhamma-and all the "sacrifices" involved in these. Indeed, at Miln. 21-22, it is said of the monk Nagasena that he is engaged in pointing out the way of Dhamma, carrying the torch of Dhamma, bearing aloft the yu pa of Dhamma, offering the gift of Dhamma ... sounding the drum of Dhamma, roaring the lion's roar, thundering out Indra's thunder and thor-oughly satisfying the whole world by thundering out sweet utterances and wrapping them round with the lightning flashes of superb knowledge, filling them with the waters of compassion and the great cloud of the Deathlessness of Dhamma .. .

Vedic symbolism, but also shows that such symbolism is fully Buddhicized when it is used. "Yupa" is used as a metaphor for Dhamma: the Buddhist teaching, path and goal, and Indra's releasing of the cosmic waters is a metaphor for a great Dhamma-teacher's compassionate bestowal of that which brings Deathlessness.

When we look at the other term for the stupa axis, "Indra's stake," we also see that this came to have a clear Buddhist meaning. Firstly, we see that from the Vedic myth about In-dra's stabilising stake, lndra-kila came to be a term for the huge pillars standing firmly in the ground at the entrance to ancient Indian and Sinhalese cities, being used to secure the heavy gates when they stood open. It also became a term for the gate-posts of houses.

Indeed, Indra-kila became a term for anything which was stable and firmly rooted and which secured the safe-ty of something. While it might be thought that the stupa axis was called an lndra-kiln because it structurally stabilised the stupa, this does not seem to have been the case, architectural-ly.31 It is more likely that the axis was an "Indra's stake" in a purely symbolic sense, symbolising the Dhamma, the stable cen-tre of a Buddhist's life, which secures his safety in life's troubles and also acts as a "gateway" to a better life and, ultimately, to Deathlessness.

The use of "Indra's stake" in metaphors in the suttas indicates that, in particular, the term symbolises that as-pect of the Dhamma which is the unshakeable state of mind of Arahants and other ariyan persons. At S.V.444, one who under-stands the four ariyan truths and has sure and well-founded knowledge is like an unshakeable Inda-khila, while at Sn.v.229, we read: "As an lnda-khila resting in the earth would be unshakeable by the four winds, of such a kind I say is the good man, who having understood the ariyan truths, sees them (clear-ly). This splendid jewel is the Sahgha; by this truth may there be well-being."

Dhp.v.95 uses the metaphor specifically of an Arahant:

Like the earth, he does not resent; a balanced and well disciplined person is like an Irula-khila.

This is probably also the case at Thag.v.663:

But those who in the midst of pain and happiness have overcome the seamstress (craving), stand like an Inda-khila; they are neither elated nor cast down. Referring to the stupa axis as "Indra's stake," then, would seem to imply that the axis was seen as symbolising the unshakeable state of an ariyan person's Dhamma-filled mind." Such symbol-ism harmonises with that of the axis as a yupa, and also with that of the dome as a kumbha, representing the personality of' some-one full of Dhamma.

A final aspect of' the symbolism of' the stupa axis is that it was seen to represent Mount Meru, the huge axial world moun-tain of Hindu and Buddhist mythology, with the circular plan of the stupa dome representing the circle of the earth. That the stupa was seen in this way, even in Theravada lands, can be seen from several pieces of evidence.

Firstly, the huge Bodhi tree which Mahuva XXX v.63 IT. describes as being in the relic chamber of the Great Stupa at Anuradhapura, is said to have a canopy over it on which are depicted the sun, moon and stars-which arc said to revolve round Meru.

Around the trees are said to be placed statues of the gods, the Four Great Kings who are said to guard the slopes of' Meru; while the relic cham-ber walls are said to have painted on them zig-zag shaped walls-such walls, at least in the Tibetan tradition, are used to portray the rings of' mountains on the disc: of the earth. Second-ly, the harmikr of' ancient Sinhalese stupas sometimes has the sun on the east face and the moon on the west face. Thirdly, in late Sinhalese texts, the term for the drum at the base of' the stupa spire (see figure 4) is devatd kotuva, enclosure of' the de-ities. This corresponds to the idea that the lower gods dwell on Meru, with Indra's palace at its summit.'"

I would see the significance of the Meru symbolism as be-ing that the stupa axis and dome represent the world of gods and men; the implication of this will be brought out below.