Thus broadly speaking stūpas were built to enshrine the Buddha’s relics and to commemorate his eminent deeds. Then at some later period there emerged the tradition of constructing eight caityas to commemorate the Buddha’s eminent deeds performed during his lifetime. Soon after the Buddha’s final demise, eight stūpas were built to enshrine his relics. As such the stūpa is predominantly associated with Śākyamuni Buddha, and is expressive and symbolic of his enlightenment and parinirvāṇa. Dilapidated and ruined stūpas are reminiscent of the past vitality and eminence of Buddhism, and renovated and newly constructed stūpas attest to its invigorating endurance and continuity.
The landscapes of Asia are studded and scattered with countless stūpas of different sizes and appearances, all of which are unmistakable signs of the presence of Buddhism. The Buddhist stūpa constitutes the primary Buddhist monument that symbolically or truly embodies the Buddhist beliefs and teachings about the Buddha’s inherent nature and his unique presence in the world after his final demise.
