By Martin Fishter

It was in 1985 that Lama Zopa Rinpoche first suggested that a stupa in memory of Lama Yeshe should be built at Institut Vajra Yogini, then in 1988 Rinpoche advised the institute about where and what kind of stupa should be built. Rinpoche decided that a Kadampa stupa would be very auspi­cious and the following spring the stupa project was under way.

Once the appeal for donations had begun, we next turned to the problem of what is a Kadampa stupa? After fruitless research, as far as the Library of Tibetan Works and Archives at Dharmasala and among many members of the Tibetan community, we came to the conclusion that Kadampa stupas are rather rare and none exist outside of Tibet. Based on a small relic-holding stupa in the Kadampa style, architectural plans were drawn up to scale and in perfect detail. Contact was made with a group of master stonemasons belonging to the tradition of the Compagnons de Tour de France – a guild that traces their origins back to the Middle Ages and before.

Towards the end of July, the Venerable Gonsar Rinpoche came especially from Swit­zerland to undertake the blessing of the site and discuss the plans and gave some pre­cious advice.

The masons worked through July and August 1991 carving the stone and in Octo­ber and November the stupa was assembled and filled with more that 100 million man­tras and countless tsa-tsa and texts. The stupa was blessed for the first time by monks from the Gyuto Tantric College on the 25th of November 1991.

The institute would like to thank all the people that have helped with this project and hope that this unique stupa will be an object of benefit to all beings in all times and places.