The Buddha's Relic - One of the three symbols of the Buddha's presence
The Buddha Relic Stupa is a sacred and precious site at Ba Vang Pagoda. At this place, you may respectfully pay homage and make offerings to the relics with the aspiration to receive the Buddha's protection and the support of the Three Jewels through all lifetimes, ensuring peace and the fulfillment of your virtuous wishes in this life.
The Buddha's relics are crystallized from his precepts, samadhi (concentration), and wisdom, obtained from his ashes after his cremation.
At the Buddha Relic Stupa at Ba Vang Pagoda, there are relics of the brain, bones, and blood of Shakyamuni Buddha, along with relics of the holy monks - his major disciples. These sacred relics are solemnly enshrined in a crystal and lapis lazuli reliquary, which measures 2.9 meters in height and 0.88 meters in both length and width.
The Buddha taught that there are three objects symbolizing his presence in the world. The first is the Bodhi tree, marking the Buddha's enlightenment. The second is the alms bowl, an item of the Buddha. The third is the relics, the remnants of the Buddha's golden body formed through his Paramita merits.
The Lion's Roar Sutra states, "Whether you make offerings to the Tathagata now or you make offerings to the Tathagata's relics in the future, the merit will be equal, and the ripened results will be equal."
Therefore, if we come to worship, pay homage, and make offerings to the Buddha's relics with an enlightened mind, we will gain merit equal to those who made offerings to the Buddha during his lifetime.
