The Golden Gate Peace Pagoda

The Golden Gate Peace Pagoda has been given to Spirit Rock Meditation Center - 410 acres 18 miles N of Golden Gate Bridge .

With the wish to find a garden setting where many generations might visit a pagoda in 1997 a discussion began with Tai Situ and Thrangu Rinpoches about a white marble peace monument for San Francisco. Among the eight architectural designs evolved in Tibet, they chose the one associated with the healing of human difficulties variously translated as "Unifying the Community", "Reconciliation" or "Harmony". To suggest further the healing of the environment they chose the symbol of the Kalachakra tantra as the heart ornament. This was carved in wood, then cast in bronze and blessed by the Dalai Lama who also gave many gifts to be placed inside. Casting a bronze crown, painting, gold plating and polishing the marble completed the first aspect, the form. Another wish has been to include as many lineages as possible in gratitude for the teachers who have brought the path of awakening to America. The second aspect, the contents, was completed with the most important gift- a Buddha relic offered by Tai Situ but includes relics of the Gyalwa Karmapa, Dudjom, Dilgo Khyentse, Jamgon Kongtrul, Kalu, Bokar and Trungpa Rinpoches. Also essential in the Himalayan tradition is the complete filling of the pagoda with specially prepared prayers offered by Thrangu Rinpoche. The inner architecture of offerings is organized and supported by two mandalas (including over two hundred small pagodas each also having prayers inside) and the life-force axis (inscribed with calligraphy and wrapped in fabric which had draped the Buddha statue in Bodh Gaya). Treasures have been sent from around the world- Khyentse Chokyi Lodro's personal Milarepa statue from Dzongzar Kyentse, an Avalokiteshvara statue from the 17th Karmapa, a doha or song of realization from Khenpo Tsultrim Gyamtso, treasure vases from Dodrup Chen, Namkai Norbu, and Lama Kunga, gifts from Goshir Gyaltsap, Mingyur, Tsok Nyi, Tenga, and Dzigar Kongtrul Rinpoches, relics from destroyed stupas in Tibet, pilgrimage sites in India, China, Italy, Borobodur, Kailas, Galapagos, Mississippi, Hawaii, Nepal, Canada, Greece. In the Himalayan tradition, just as the architectural details of the outer form of the pagoda serve as reminders of the harmony of the elements and the qualities of the mind of awakening so also the contents are understood as symbols. The offered treasures include musical instruments, jewels, and other delights as well as a weapon loaned by the American government to the military of China in 1945 for 40 years- gestures of all obstacles to peace overcome, of all things brought to the path.