As the Karma Thegsum Tashi Gomang (KTTG) Executive Committee celebrates the work on the relocated Padmasambhava Stupa that has been completed this summer, we feel immense gratitude for the tremendous support we have received. Thank you!
After months of careful planning last year, in a huge effort, the stupa, weighing almost 20,000 pounds, was moved to its new location on October 31. You can see a video documenting the move, including drone footage, at the end of this message. After a sturdier concrete base was poured below the stupa, the winter months passed before further work began in earnest. Even at this early stage, many people visited the new site and marveled at how majestic the stupa was in its new location.
Restoration and improvements for the stupa commenced again in late spring. To begin with, polished granite slabs, procured and fabricated in Albuquerque, NM, were placed as a capstone on the concrete base, creating an elegant platform for offerings. Then, after some repair, the stupa received a new white stucco coat. As you can see in the photos below, the completion of this work magnifies its beauty and presence on the new site. It “stands out like a beacon,” as one recent visitor stated.
To accomplish this, we have been so grateful for the generous donations that have come from people all over the world, many of whom have a connection to Padmasambhava and his spiritual lineage, stupas and their significance, and to the Crestone spiritual community. We are especially grateful to the Pema Chӧdrӧn Foundation for their lead gift of $25,000. As of this writing, only $18,000 is needed to complete this auspicious effort. If you feel inspired to contribute to this final phase, please follow the link below to our donation page, which also includes a slide show of our progress to date.
Our work to “set the jewel” will continue through the fall and likely into next year. Toward that end, we have engaged master stoneworker Robert Sturm to create a flagstone circumambulation path, and local artist to repaint the lotus petals. Other tasks include applying new gold leaf to restore the gau and spire, setting a sacred, custom-framed plaque from Tibet dedicated to Padmasambhava, and completion of the landscaping and other site enhancements, including pathways and handicap access to the stupa.
We hope this update of the completed work on the Padmasambhava Stupa is as uplifting to you as it is for us.
With deep gratitude,
Njal Schold and the KTTG Executive Committee
