Buddhist Stupas in Asia: The Shape of Perfection [Hardcover]

When the Buddha was dying, he instructed his followers to cremate his body and enclose his remains inside four separate monuments or "stupa-mounds." These manmade "axial mountains" became the prototype for the monuments that are so beautifully presented in Joe Cummings's Buddhist Stupas in Asia. Each spread features full-color illustrations or photographs, depicting the varying shapes, designs, and scale of this holy architecture. "People in all the different cultures that have discovered Buddhism seem to have gone crazy with joy, building stupas by the millions," writes Cummings, whose other Lonely Planet titles cover Thailand and Bangkok. "[They are] more than funeral reliquaries. They are memorials, rather, to the immanent possibility of freedom from suffering for all beings." Ten pages of transparent architectural overlays explain how the sacred meets function. This is entertaining learning at its best--a book that's loaded with knowledge, yet packaged with visual appeal. - -Gail Hudson

Lonely Planet presents Buddhist Stupas in Asia: The Shape of Perfection, exploring stupas (sacred structures that function as memorials of enlightenment) in 13 Asian countries. As shown in more than 250 color photographs, stupas are tremendously diverse in appearance, ranging from gold-topped domes to marble temples to giant sculptures. Some stupas serve as reliquaries, or repositories for relics of enlightened masters. This informative, beautiful book is a fine introduction to the sacred art and architecture of Buddhism. Sept.)

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

Stupas are Buddhist shrines of varying size, shape, age, elaborateness, and style of detail. Found throughout Asia, they continue to play a key role in the spiritual lives of millions of people. Some, such as Borodudur in Indonesia and Shwedagon in Myanmar, are major tourist attractions as well as active pilgrimage sites. In this gorgeously illustrated and thoughtfully written book, writer Cummings (Baja Handbook) and photographer Wassman (Insight Guides) capture the beauty and meaning of stupas and explain how they have been built, how they are used today, and how they vary from region to region (countries covered include India, Thailand, Vietnam, Japan, China, Tibet, and more). Also included are transparent overlays that show construction details and interior floor plans. Robert A.F. Thurman, Columbia University authority on Tibetan Buddhism, has contributed a concise and insightful foreword. This fine book is fairly priced and will surely find a readership in all libraries. Harold M. Otness, formerly of Southern Oregon Univ. Lib., Ashland
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

Transcending architecture and archaeology, the stupa is the living embodiment of Buddhist teachings - a harmonising of the physical with the spiritual. It remains one of the oldest and most persistent religious symbols still in everyday use. This beautifully illustrated, full-colour hardback explores the spread of stupa building across India and Asia, encapsulating the lasting appeal and allure of stupas to travellers, scholars and those interested in architecture and religion. Buddhist Stupas in Asia: The Shape of Perfection is a lavish exploration of this religious and architectural icon of Asia and India.

*more than 250 beautiful photographs
*ten pages of transparent architectural overlays depicting plans and elevations of major stupas
*exhaustive coverage of 13 countries: India, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Java, Cambodia, Myanmar, Laos, Nepal, Tibet, China, Japan, Korea and Vietnam
*learned and authoritative narration to explain the symbolism, rituals and mystic power associated with these monuments, great and small
*detailed investigations of the world's most significant Buddhist sites, from Angkor in Cambodia to Borobudur in Java, the largest Buddhist monument in the world

"Buddhist Stupas in Asia:The Shape of Perfection" encourages readers to look deeper, to be spiritually transported by witnessing the majesty, simplicity and beauty of these devotional sites.

“This beautiful book takes us around some of the millions of stupas that transform our planet...It is a pleasure and a privilege to wander through its pages from place to place, experiencing the faith and determination of so many individuals in so many civilizations who have shown their aspiration and vision by creatively and patiently placing one stone upon another in the myriad shapes of perfection.” —Robert Thurman President of Tibet House in New York and Jey Tsong Professor of Indo-Tibetan Buddhist Studies at Columbia University