Dhammagiri Stupa Project: Features of Saddhamma Cetiya; Design & Constuction Process; Relic Enshrinement
- Dhammagiri
- Apr 25
- 13 min read
Updated: Jul 11
On Friday 2nd of May 2025 our Stupa Project, first conceived in 2015, finally came to its conclusion with the enshrinement of relics and other sacred objects like our Dhamma Tablets, with Luang Por Anan leading a Sangha of 16 Monks for the event. Profound spiritual energy manifested at the occasion, permeating the Saddhamma Cetiya and our whole monastery. It's particular palpable around the stupa, and can be easily connected to whenever we feel down or struggling with the numerous challenges in life. In combination with the natural beauty and the expansive views of rolling hills of D'Aguilar National Park, covered with Australian bush in all directions, this powerspot on the hilltop of Dhammagiri imbues our heart with confidence in Buddha, Dhamma and Sangha, and inspires us to learn, study, investigate, practise and realize the Saddhamma.
We have videos, podcasts and pictures comprehensively documenting the three days of consecration events for our stupa:
We have more videos & audio podcasts at the following links:
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Relics Protected by their Marble Chests inside Relic Chamber of Saddhamma Cetiya.
All those present at our relic enshrinement ceremony on Friday 2nd May 2025, witnessed the profound spiritual impact during the event, in particular while our Sangha of 16 monks was reciting Paritta auspicious Pali chants, and during Luang Por Anan's Dhamma Talk.
Please click on images above to see more photos and live videos & audio podcast of the events 2nd to 4th May. However, the transformative power of Luang Por's Mettā, the energy of the numerous relics and sacred objects enshrined, and the faith and devotion of all those attending (whether human or deva/spirit) can not be properly conveyed by online media.
Nevertheless, even if you missed the event, you can still experience the energy I'm talking about whenever you visit Dhammagiri physically, in particular if you make the climb up to the stupa site on top of the hill.
Financial Summary Stupa Project
All Expenses & All Donations
For the Management Committee meeting of BBV Inc on 05 July, our treasurer Chanya has finalized the financial reports for the whole stupa project, which I like to share with you to provide transparancy how we used all your kind and generous donations.
A few points I like to mention:
Please note this summery only includes donations received until end of May. Any donations that may have come from 1st June onwards are not yet included. (There have been no additional expenses for the stupa project after May, to the best of my knowledge)
"Donations & Contribution to Monasteries" includes some of the visiting monks' travel costs, in addition to the flight tickets which we directly purchased (under 'Flight tickets for monks'). For example, Luang Por Lai and his two accompanying Mahātheras had all their tickets and travel costs covered by their own supporters, and our donation to his monastery was meant to provide some contribution to these costs. Similarly, our contribution to Bodhisaddha Monastery was meant to provide some contribution to international flight tickets of Ven Ajahn Anan's group, and also visa costs, which Bodhisaddha had all organised.
"Donations to Visiting Monks" includes only donations collected and passed on by us (BBV Inc); any donations given by devotees directly to the various monasteries is not included in that amount.
When we were planning for the event, we found it extremely difficult to predict how many persons will come. Therefore, we rather erred on the side of caution and prepared for much higher numbers of attendees than what we actually got in the end. This was even more important, because the whole carpark area was so soaked and boggy from exceptional rains like I had never seen it before in 18 years; plus safety concerns with only one lane going up the very steep hill (maximum gradient of 33% = one in three). In hindsight, considering the actual numbers on the event days, we could have saved some of the money for event preperation; but there was no way of knowing beforehand how many would come; or if it would heavily rain on the day, making paddock parking unusable.
Altogether, donations specifically dedicated to stupa project covered more than 91% of our total expenses of $95,382 (including stupa, site, foundation, event & visiting monks)
A big, heartfelt anumodanā to all our generous donors, and also to all those who helped in numerous ways by offering time, talents and skills to help with stupa and site works, preperations and event 😊
Relic Chests Ready for Enshrinement 28 April
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Sacred Bodily Relics of the Lord Buddha
This is a view of the sacred bodily relics (Sārīrika Dhātu) of the Buddha.
The second from top, on the left side, are the ones we received from Luang Por Sumedho as a gift to Dhammagiri at his 90th birthday celebration last year.
Ajahn Kalyano offered 9 Buddha Relics that manifested in Luang Por Anan's shoulder bag while meditating on Sri Pada, the famous Buddhist pilgrimage mountain in Sri Lanka with a footprint of the Buddha on top of it. You can listen to Ajahn Kalyano explaining more about this extraordinary event in this YT video.
Relic Chests for Enshrinement on Friday 28/04
The image above shows the marble caskets with main sacred objects before the enshrinement.
I've opened the lids of the marble chests, and two of the tiny brass reliquaries to allow you a view of the relics themselves.
Among the sāvaka relics on the right, you can see the copper strip with Luang Por Liems dedication.
Enshrining Ceramic Tablets with Essential Dhamma Teachings
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As our stupa is specially dedicated for the Saddhamma to last a long time, we enshrine ultra long lasting ceramic tablets into the stupa's relic chamber, inscribed with essential teachings of the Buddha.
The artist in Austria doing these tablets has developed a technique to burn text or images in high resolution onto the tablets, lasting potentially for millennia.
The tablets being only 20cm x 20cm large, and costing EUR350 for piece, we used Geramond Bold 5pt font to fit both Pali & English of the Fire Sermon onto one tile. However, this is still very clear and legible (at least with good eye sight). The 300dpi resolution of the tablets is actually noticably higher than the 3 example photos above, but I didn't want to slow this blog page loading with large-file photos. However, you can see all tablets that we will enshrine in this photo album in high resolution, including the option to download each image in high res as well.
We had donors for 14 tablets, which is also the absolute limit that we could prepare in time. Anumodanā to Ajahn Moneyyo, who did most of the finicky and complex text selection & formatting process, and to the generous donors of the ceremic tablets costing EUR350 each (including postage to Australia, and depositing of second copy in Austrian saltmine for ultra-long conservation in the 'Memory of Mankind' project MoM)
The tablets will be enshrined stacked in a marble box
All of it is excellent Dhamma, the most fundamental and profound teachings of the Buddha, and if you're curious to see the content of all the tablets, please click here for the complete photo album in high res.
16 Bronze Plaques Installed on 25 April
On Thursday 25 April the contractor for our bronze plaques installed them onto the Saddhamma Cetiya.
The plaques look great with the embossed (raised) writing & symbols in highly polished bronze colour, standing out against the dark background.
From the top down, there are the following features:
4 Buddha statues in four different mudras (hand gestures) are in the topmost circular niches
The circular niches below the Buddharūpas contain four 12-spoked Dhammacakkas
If you wonder why it's 12 rather than 8 spokes, check the Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta itself: "... imesu catūsu ariyasaccesu evaṃ tiparivattaṃ dvādasākāraṃ..." ("...regarding these four Noble Truths in three rounds constituting their 12-fold mode...")
In the square niches below that will be four inscribed Brahma Plaques, quoting Brahma Sahampati's words of encouragement to honour, respect and revere the Saddhamma, and to remember the teachings of the Buddha, from Saṃyutta Nikāya 6.2 / Connected Discourses 6.2. Click on gallery below to expand images to see them clearly
If you wish to contribute to the stupa projects, you can do so on the donation page.
Please add 'Stupa' to your donation, so that our treasury team can identify the specific purpose of your kind generosity.
Stupa in New Colour on 11 April
Mysterious Light Beam on Photo taken by Cindy on 11/4/2025, 1.30 pm, the same day Colour Crete Coating was completed. She assured us that she had not used AI or Photoshop on the image.
Our stupa is now coated in the correct colour, and the same goes for the plinth and surrounding concrete slab.
The stupa coating is smooth, whereas the concrete has been provided with an anti slip treatment, to minimize danger of anyone slipping on rainy days.
The visible openings provides access for enshrining relics and Dhamma tablets. After the ceremony, these opening will be sealed completely.
Four Small Buddha Statues Arrived on 23 March
Buddha Statue in Abhaya Mudra for Dhammagiri Stupa
Our 4 little Buddharūpas have finally arrived.
They have been custom moulded and cast in Thailand. We're very happy how well the artist, Khun Born, succeeded in capturing the Indian Gupta style, which is not an easy thing to do for such a small statue (only 11cm high/2.5 inch across knees).
Indian Gupta art (around 5th century CE) does not aim at relistic representation, but instead is focussed mainly on expressing the sublime inner qualities of the Buddha, like wisdom, peace, calm and compassion. Appearance of the statue is highly refined, with the sublte garments smoothly covering the body.
We will install four statues in circular niches in the upper section our Saddhamma Cetiya:
Abhaya Mudra/Gesture of Imparting Fearlessness (one hand raised palm outwards) Facing East, the first statue visible when approaching the stupa
Bhūmi Phassana/Earth Touching = Māra Jina Mudra/Defeat of Māra Gesture Facing South, second statue visible when circumambulating
Varada Mudra/Gesture of Bestowing Blessings (one hand on knee facing outwards) Facing West, third statue visible when ciruambulating
Samādhi Mudra/Meditation Gesture Facing North, third statue visible when ciruambulating
The statues have already received special Paritta Chanting from Ajahn Karuniko during his recent visit with us, and even a special blessing from HH Somdet Phra Mahathirachan, abbot of Wat Pho and member of Supreme Sangha Council of Thailand in charge of overseas activities of Thai sangha.
HH Somdet Phra Mahathirachan at Dhammagiri 27 March
Luang Por Piak Paritta Chanting on 1st of March
On Saturday afternoon 01 March, Luang Por Piak gave a special blessing to our newly arrived Saddhamma Cetiya.
He was leading our sangha of 5 visiting and 5 resident monks in chanting auspicious paritta.
Luang Por Piak is the abbot of Wat Cittabhavanaram (Wat Fa Kram) in Lamlukka, Bangkok. He is a direct senior disciple of Ajahn Chah, ordained by him personally, on the same day as Luang Por Anan.
Luang Por is widely regarded as one of the most accomplished living meditation masters in Thailand.
Luang Por Piak was travelling in the Brisbane area, and kindly agreed to include a blessing for our newly arrived stupa in his itinerary. Anumodanā to Ajahn Khemavaro of Wat Buddha Dhamma for facilitating Luang Por's visit!
Luang Por Piak, Ajahn Dhammasiha, Ajahn Kosavaro -
Click on Image to see YT Short of Commencement Paritta Chanting
Due to Luang Por's weak health, it was not sure until the last moment at what exact time he would visit, or whether it would be Saturday 1st or Sunday 2nd March, or if he would be able to come at all.
Additionally, after many delays, we got our stupa delivered and installed on the plinth only on the evening or 28 February. Until then, we were not sure if we even have a stupa present to receive any blessings.
Considering all these major uncertainties, we found ourselves unable to publicise the event beforehand - apologies for that, but it was simply too unsure. However, we didn't exactly keep it a secret either, and quite a few devotees turned up on the day. They were undeterred to wait for an hour or two, and didn't mind risking that nothing might happen at all.
Evening Drinks with LP Piak and 4 other Visiting Monks; Our 5 Resident Monks; Laity Offering Refreshments
Delivery and Installation of Stupa on 28 February
Delivery of Stupa by Tilt Truck
(however, crate was too heavy to be unloaded by tilting tray, wan we had to hire crane to hoist it from the truck)
On Friday 28/02 our Saddhamma Cetiya finally arrived. The monks are chanting while the heavy truck is unloaded by an even heavier Franna crane.
It was very delicate work to raise our Saddhamma Cetiya out of its shipping crate.
The intricately designed crate and the stupa itself had been carefully prepared by LP Thanong and his team, who kindly constructed our stupa for free, according to our plans 🙏
After unloading and raising it out of its crate, our stupa had to be hoisted onto the prepared concrete plinth in two parts. Again, very precise work was required to fit the parts perfectly on top of each other. The crane operator and his rigger did a great job.
Levelling Works to Prepare and Widen Stupa Site 19 February
On 18 & 19 February, we had some 30 cubic meters of 'roadbase' and soil delivered and built up around the stupa foundation, to give us a flat, level area around the Saddhamma Cetiya of about 16 m diameter.
We also had the access road widened generously, providing full view of the stupa already on approach.
Work was done by same contractor who did the concrete foundation and plinth for our stupa. They finished it in just 2 days on Wed 19 February
Harley did a great job raking in grass seeds & spreading some jute mats on the slope to the north for erosion control.
We have completely soaked the soil with a lot of water, to allow it to fully settle, and hopefully have some grass growing there soon.
Foundation Stone Ceremony Sat 8th February
Foundation Stone for our Saddhamma Cetiya right at the End of the Ceremony
On Saturday 8th February, at 08.30 am in the morning, we had a simple ceremony of laying the foundation stone of our Saddhamma Cetiya, right on top of Dhammagiri summit.
Our sangha of 4 monks was reciting auspicious Paritta Chants, while Harley supported by Leslie and Danny cemented the foundation stone onto the top of the plinth. Later, the stupa will be placed over the foundation plaque.
Luang Por Liem had advised us to have a proper, long lasting foundation stone, so that future archeologists hundreds of years into the future may find information about our stupa even after the edifice itself has crumbled into a ruin.
Consequently, we enquired what material would be longest lasting, and were told that black granite is the most enduring option. The inscription will be engraved into the granite, and additionally inlaid with 24 K gold to highlight the text. Naturally, this golden highlighting will not last centuries, but the incised lettering will be easily readable even after the golden inlays have flaked off.
Foundation Stone, Highly Polished Black Granite, Engraved Inscription inlaid with 24K Gold
We have chosen 8th of January, the day when works commenced for pouring of concrete for foundation slab and plinth commenced, as the official foundation date. We also added the Buddhist year (Thai counting), so that future archeologists can sync the current Western calander with the Buddhist one, in case information about the time difference of both systems has been lost in the distant future.
We also added the dedication for the authentic Dhamma, the true and unadaltered teaching of the Buddha (= Saddhamma), to last a long, long time; for the benefit of countless beings to continue practising Dhamma in accordance with Dhamma.
Finally, we're expressing our respect to Triple Gem,
and we've placed a Tiratana Symbol at the lower margin of the stone.
Meanwhile, our stupa has arrived in port, and will soon be delivered to Dhammagiri.
Until the levelling works around the stupa foundation are finished by 15/02, the Chedi will remain enclosed in the wooden crate used for shipping, to protect it during the heavy earthmoving works.
Building Foundation & Plinth for Stupa 08/01/2025
With a lot of work, contacting altogether some 70 different companies, Ajahn Moneyyo organized a suitable contractor to build the concete foundation for our Saddhamma Cetiya.
The slab and plinth rest on four concrete piers directly anchored on the bedrock forming the summit of Dhammagiri. As Ajahn Khantiko remarked, it seems as if the stupa was pushed out by the rocky hill itself as it's natural extension.
Excavation, Building the Framework, and Concrete Pour of Plinth & Foundation Slab for Saddhamma Cetiya (08th to 13th January)
Stupa Manufactured in Thailand & Shipped to Brisbane 2024
Our 2.9m high Stupa, which is modeled after the corner towers of the Maha Bodhi temple in Bodhgaya was built by Luang Por Thanong and his monks-team and lay supporters in Thailand for us as a gift, and was shipped to Australia in December 2024.
Stupa safely packed inside crate for shipping from Thailand
Our Stupa being hand-crafted in Thailand by Luang Por Thanong and Team
Saddhamma Stupa Project - First Conceived in 2015
Many eminent senior monks suggested that the summit of the Dhammagiri hill would be a very suitable place for a stupa. Already days after purchasing our first property 30 Ben Varden (top of hill) in March 2007, late Luang Por Plien of Wat Aranyavivek in Chiang Mai province visited us and meditated exactly on the spot where our stupa is now located. He was the first Krooba Ajahn to suggest a Chedi in this ideal location, the power spot on the summit of our hill.
Later, Luang Por Liem encouraged us again, suggesting to just have a very small stupa, possibly even made of fibre glass and transportable. He understood that in those early years we didn't have the support and skills for a very large stupa. This indeed encouraged us to start developing first conceptual ideas in 2015.
Gary's First Artistic Visions of Saddhamma Cetiya
To have a unifying design for our multinational community, we based the stupa design on the style of the Mahabodhi Temple in Bodh Gaya, at the location of the Buddha's Supreme Awakening, which all different Buddhist nations and traditions can relate to. Ajahn Dhammasiha provided photos to Gary, especially of the smaller side-towers of the Mahabodhi Temple, and Gary then developed concept art for a stupa in the right size for the location and our means & budget.
Ajahn Kongrit Liaised with Luang Por Thanong & Supporters in Thailand to Custom Build our Stupa Design
Even so, we experienced difficulties finding a contractor to realize our design, and the project started to really get going only when Ajahn Kongrit visited us in 2019. Seeing the inspiring site on the hilltop, and hearing about our design, he contacted and liaised with Luang Por Thanong and his team and other supporters in Thailand to build the stupa for us. Due to the manifuld disruptions during 'Covid', the hand made manufacturing process took much longer than normal. LP Thanong even built two stupas for us, as he wasn't fully satisfied with the results of the first version! They donated all materials and labour cost for free, and even paid part of the shipping cost for us.
A stupa that contains relics is an external focus to recollect the Buddha and his great disciples and gives people the opportunity to still pay respects to them after they have passed away.
We specially dedicate our stupa for the 'Saddhamma' (= Original, Authentic Teaching of the Buddha) to last a long time. While as the true Dhamma of the Buddha is still available in this world, we have a chance to study it, investigate it, practise it, and realize it.
Any contributions towards the stupa project are very welcome and can be made via our donations page:
