The Kalachakra World Peace Stupa at Crystal Castle is a remarkable blend of architectural beauty and spiritual significance. This 8-metre sacred monument is devoted to world peace and stands near the Bodhi Tree, a direct descendant of the original Bodhi Tree under which the Buddha reached enlightenment. As a representative of Tibetan Buddhism, Geshe Lharampa Tenzin Demchok serves as the guardian of this sacred site.
A stupa is a sacred monument in Tibetan Buddhism and symbolises universal divinity. Meticulously crafted under the guidance of a Tibetan teacher, every element of its design holds deep spiritual meaning.
The World Peace Stupa was brought to life under the guidance of Geshe Lharampa Tenzin Demchok and also the Gyuto Monks of Tibet, who performed the sacred rituals and ceremonies at every stage of its construction.
They oversaw the contributions from the local community, as well as the many items now sealed within. They also crafted the intricate sculptures and artwork that grace the monument.
Within its core, the Stupa holds a treasury of sacred objects, with the Tree of Life at its heart – a wooden pole intricately adorned with thousands of gold-inscribed mantras.
This 8-metre sacred monument is filled with consecrated artefacts, scriptures, and relics, including an astonishing half-tonne of hand-rolled prayers from the Gyuto Monastery in India.
Walking clockwise around a stupa while spinning the prayer wheels is a traditional Buddhist practice known as Walking the Kora, symbolising devotion, mindfulness, and spiritual connection.
Tibetans believe that as you spin each wheel, the 130,000 prayers inside each wheel are spun out into the universe for the good of all, bringing profound spiritual benevolence.
The seventh of its kind worldwide and only one in the southern hemisphere, Crystal Castle’s World Peace Stupa is a Kalachakra Stupa.
Its rare and sacred design features a distinctive spherical body that represents the energy cycle and the fundamental structure of the cosmos.
It draws on the symbolism of the Kalachakra Tantra to guard against negative energies. It is dedicated to restoring harmony on Earth, particularly during times of war, conflict, and environmental crises.
The World Peace Stupa is a sacred structure that has been engineered to last 1,000 years. Sited near the Bodhi Tree at Crystal Castle, it is surrounded by statues of Avalokiteshvara, the Buddha of Compassion and the Green, White and Red Taras, symbolising peace and compassion, in each of the four cardinal directions.
In early 2010, the founding family of Crystal Castle traveled to Dharamsala, India, for a private audience with His Holiness the Dalai Lama.
During their visit, they met with a High Lama, Woser Rinpoche, to discuss their project. Using a Tibetan form of divination known as the mo, Woser Rinpoche requested that they undertake the construction of the rare Kalachakra Stupa.
Later, during their audience with the Dalai Lama, they were honored to receive His Holiness’ blessings for the endeavour.
The Stupa project officially began in December 2010, when the Gyuto Monks and local Awakwal indigenous women blessed the site by cleansing the earth and removing obstacles, and sought permission from the local spirits to proceed with the construction of this highly significant monument.
Crystal Castle’s World Peace Stupa was opened on 27 October 2012, an auspicious date deemed by the project’s spiritual guide, Gen Lama. Almost 1,500 people filled the Stupa amphitheatre for the grand opening.
Mr Sonam Dagpo, His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama’s representative in Australia, officially opened the World Peace Stupa and said “the Kalachakra Stupa is very significant — wherever we build or construct them, these Stupas will bring peace, help in avoiding natural disasters and bring harmony and peace among the people.
“For Buddhist believers this is a place of pilgrimage, but for the non-believers this is a piece of Buddhist architecture to look around and a very good place to have inspiration, peace, and happiness.”
Gen Lama Thupten Phuntsok, Gyuto Monk elder who guided the construction, has been quoted to say that “this Stupa is very important for Byron Bay, the whole of Australia and for world peace.”
The Bodhi Tree at the Crystal Castle is a direct descendant of the Buddha’s Bodhi Tree.
The Buddha is said to have become enlightened 2,500 years ago, whilst sitting under a Bodhi Tree, in Bodhgaya in India, a descendant of which is still there today.
Grown from a sapling and now a healthy size, the Bodhi Tree is a significant part of the sacred site of Crystal Castle and backdrop to the World Peace Stupa.
From a humble house with a barren dam to magnificent,
private botanic gardens filled with rare and giant crystals.
The extraordinary story of Crystal Castle!
