KURUKULLA CENTER HISTORY Kurukulla Center for Tibetan Buddhist Studies, Inc.

was founded in 1989 under the spiritual direction of Tibetan Buddhist monk Lama Zopa Rinpoche and the Foundation for the Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition (FPMT). Under the guidance of resident teacher Geshe Ngawang Tenley, Kurukulla Center's mission is to provide a community of support for those who are studying and practicing the Tibetan Buddhist tradition. Kurukulla Center is affiliated with FPMT, a worldwide network of more than 120 Tibetan Buddhist centers, healing and retreat centers, monasteries, nunneries, publishing houses, and related activities. The FPMT was founded in 1975 by Lama Thubten Yeshe, one of the first lamas to bring Tibetan Buddhism to the West, and continues today under the direction of his heart disciple, Lama Zopa Rinpoche, and with the inspiration of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Kurukulla Center was incorporated in the state of Massachusetts in 1990, and qualifies as a tax exempt notfor-profit corporation under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. KALACHAKRA STUPA FOR PEACE AT KURUKULLA CENTER Kurukulla Center is incredibly fortunate to be the home of the Kalachakra Stupa For World Peace. Stupas originated before the time of the Buddha. In prehistoric times, a stupa was just a mound, located in a remote place, where the bones or relics of a cremated king were placed. (In Sanskrit, the word "stup" means "to heap up, pile, raise aloft, elevate". ) Twenty-five hundred years ago, at the time of Shakyamuni Buddha's death, a change came about in the way stupas were regarded. The Buddha requested that his relics be placed in a traditional stupa, but instead of being located in a remote place of honor, the stupa was to be located at a crossroads, so that people passing by would be reminded of the awakened state of mind. Since the time of the Buddha's death, stupas are no longer used to revere the dead. "Stupa" in Tibetan is "chorten" or "the basis of offering", implying a basis for lay people to express devotion and connection to enlightened mind. A stupa is an architectural representation of the entire Buddhist path as well as the result of the path -- the body, speech, and mind of an enlightened being. In particular, the serene, sacred presence of a stupa projects the wise and compassionate minds of our teachers in order to remind us, as well as those not yet born, that we have the potential for enlightenment. To find out more about the center and its growth during the last 14 years visit www.kurukulla.org