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Filling Buddha Statue/Stupa

Supplies​

To prepare for filling a Buddha statue or stupa, gather the following sacred items:

Instructions​

The video demonstrates how to fill a Buddha statue. For deeper understanding, refer to the essential prayers for holy objects.

Preparation​

  1. Bless all the supplies

    This includes the statue or stupa itself and all the sacred items to be inserted.

  2. Protect the face

    Wrap the statue's face gently in cotton wool to protect any painted features.

  3. Clear the interior

    Use a screwdriver or similar tool to remove any leftover resin inside.

    • Unblock the neck
    • Smooth the hole
    • Break off or file down any small metal protrusions

    This helps reduce obstructions when inserting prayer rolls.

  4. Clean the inside

    Wash the interior thoroughly with scented soap and water. Rinse well and allow it to dry completely.

  5. Purify with smoke and seeds

    Burn Guggul resin underneath the statue or stupa while simultaneously throwing mustard seeds to dispel negativity.

  6. Rinse with saffron water

    Pour saffron water inside and let it dry.

  7. Paint and sprinkle sacred powders

    Paint the inside with eco-friendly red paint. While the paint is still wet, sprinkle:

    • Five metal powders
    • Gemstone powders
    • Medicinal, herbal, and incense powder

    Allow the paint to dry fully before proceeding.

Filling Sequence​

Insert the following sacred items and prayer rolls in the correct order and placement:

  1. Body section

  2. Speech section

    • Red pill
    • Throat prayer roll(s) (Buddha statue only)
    • Five purification prayer roll(s)

  3. Life force pillar

    • Slide it in face-forward

  4. Mind section

    • Blue pill
    • Amṛta and Maṇi pills
    • Upper body, heart, and deity prayer rolls (Buddha statue only)
    • 100 syllables prayer roll(s)

  5. Middle section

    • Amṛta and Maṇi pills
    • Rib and heart prayer rolls (Buddha statue only)
    • Five purification prayer roll(s)

  6. Lower section

  7. Final layer

Tip: After each layer, tightly pack medicinal, herbal, and incense powder around the prayer rolls to fill all gaps.

Final Additions​

  • Add juniper powder, five metal powders, gemstone powders, gemstones, and five seeds powders.

  • Place the five Maṇḍala wheels:

    • Jambhala on top, facing downward (toward the statue's head or stupa's top)
    • Heads of the deities should face the back of the statue/stupa (as if they "stood up", they'd face the same direction as the statue/stupa)
    • Viśvavajra wheel at the bottom, facing downward toward the base

Sealing​

  • Cover everything with a saffron cloth
  • Close the opening with eco-friendly glue
  • Seal the base with epoxy putty to prevent insects from entering

For Small Statues or Stupas​

If all prayer rolls cannot fit, use the six dharmakāya relics and five purification prayer rolls throughout. Include as many six dharmakāya relics prayer rolls as possible.


Footnotes​

  1. Mustard Seeds (Sanskrit: सर्षप, Romanized: Sarṣapa, Tibetan: ཡུངས་ཀར, Wylie: yungs kar, THL: yungkar) ↩

  2. Life Force Pillar (Sanskrit: यष्टि, Romanized: Yaṣṭi, Tibetan: སྲོག་ཤིང, Wylie: srog shing, THL: sokshing) ↩

  3. Body, Speech, and Mind Pills (Sanskrit: कायवाक्चित्त गुटिक, Romanized: Kāyavākcitta Guṭika, Tibetan: སྐུ་གསུང་ཐུགས རིལ་བུ, Wylie: sku gsung thugs ril bu, THL: kusung thug rilbu) ↩