A Stupa is a symbolic representation of Buddha’s spirit. Stupas are often built in places where many people pass, at crossroads for example. A Stupa that is built carefully is said to have a strong positive effect on its surroundings. It diminishes negative forces and encourages harmony and freedom amongst the beings. For this reason the expression Shanti Stupa is also used, which means ‘Monument of Peace’.

In 1987 a Stupa was built on the Letze in memory of Geshe Rabten Rinpoche. Many people from different social circles helped to prepare and carry out the work of building this Stupa. The word ‘Stupa’ soon became well-known. As every German word possesses an article, one needed to find a suitable article for the word Stupa. According to a feeling for language which academic people have, they thought the word Stupa should be ‘die’ as all German words that end with an ‘a’ are female. Educated Sanskritologists however soon warned that it should be ‘der’ Stupa as Sanskrit words that end with an ‘a’ are male! They did not accept the argument that in the past no attention was paid to the article of the original word. However the builders themselves knew exactly what they were building, it was ‘das’ Stupa of the Letzehof: the objective was neutral, a symbol of the enlightened spirit.

Das Stupa auf der Letze wurde 1987 im Gedenken an Gesche Rabten Rinpotsche errichtet. Bei den Vorbereitungen und der Ausführung des Baus wirkten viele Personen aus verschiedenen Gesellschaftsteilen mit. So wurde auch das neue Wort "Stupa" bald bekannt. Da jedes "deutsche" Wort auch einen Artikel braucht, mußte auch für "Stupa" ein passender Artikel gefunden werden. Das Sprachgefühl akademisch gebildeter Personen bildete "die Stupa", weil ein natürlich deutsch-lateinisches Sprachgefühl Wörter auf "a" als weiblich erkennt. Gebildete Sanskritologen warnten dann aber bald, daß es "der Stupa" sein müsse, weil Sanskrit-Wörter auf "a" männlich sind. Daß man sich in der Vergangenheit beim Import von Fremdwörtern nicht nach dem Artikel der Ursprungssprache gerichtet hat, war für die Gelehrten kein Argument. Aber auch die Handwerker wußten, was sie bauten, nämlich "das Stupa vom Letzehof". Die natürliche Wahl der Handwerker setzte sich bald durch, und so ist es das Stupa vom Letzehof geblieben: Sachlich und neutral, ein Symbol des erleuchteten Geistes.

Stupas can take different forms. The pointed top of a Stupa can show the degree of spiritual development of the person in who’s memory it was built of:

• A Stupa that is built for an ordinary person does not have a pointed top.


• A Stupa that is built for a person who has entered into the stream of liberation has a pointed top with two rings.


• A Stupa that is built for a person who must take birth only once before attaining liberation from the conditioned existence has a point with three rings.


• A Stupa that is built for a person who does not have to return any more to the conditioned existence has a point with four rings.


• A Stupa that is built for a Shravaka Arhat, a person who has achieved complete liberation from the conditioned existence, has a point with five rings.


• A Stupa that is built for a Pratyeka Arhat, a person who has achieved complete liberation from the conditioned existence and who is on the way to enlightenment has a point with seven rings.


• A Stupa that is built for a fully enlightened being has a pointed top with thirteen rings.

There are eight different types of Stupas, which have all been built at places where special events in the Buddha’s life occurred.

• The "Birth-Stupa" (Lumbini) where the steps beneath the top are formed to build a Lotus flower.


• The "Teachings-Stupa" (Sarnath) has steps with doors.


• The "Enlightenment-Stupa" in Bodh-Gaya has four square steps.


• The "Stupa of the return of the Buddha from the kingdom of the Devas" (Sankashaya) has stairs leading over the steps of the Stupa.


• The "Stupa of Reconciliation" (Radshgir) has eight-cornered steps.


• The "Stupa of Victory" (Vaishali) has four rounded steps.


• The "Stupa of the Great Wonder" (Shravasti) has four steps, which are built to form a rectangular Lotus flower.


• The "Stupa of Buddha’s Parinirvana" (Kushinager) does not have any steps. The top is directly on top of the throne and has a shape similar to a bell with two horizontal lines.