The Story of the Amitabha Stupa, Sedona Arizona 1 | Page 9

The First Steps
Construction of the Amitabha
Stupa began in July 2003 with
a small team of workers, many
of whom were semi-skilled but
dedicated to bringing the Amitabha Stupa into the world.
Diligently they began building
the foundation and base of the
stupa, which symbolizes the
10 positive actions of body,
speech and mind—and the
understanding of how to live
a virtuous life. They also built
the three steps that represent
the gateway into Buddhist practice: the three spiritual refuges
of the Buddha (the enlightened

masters), the Dharma (the Buddha’s teaching) and the Sangha
(the spiritual community).
Work days began early and often
extended into the twilight hours
as the construction crew built
forms; cut, bent and tied rebar;
and poured and finished the
cement. The project seemed
to have a life of its own.
“Every morning we made
prayers wishing that the most
auspicious circumstances work
through us. Nothing about this
project was ordinary. The challenge was to get out of the way
and be a vessel to make it happen,” said one crew member.