Catching up... Sedona - 1. AMITABHA STUPA

Diana and I camped together in Sedona and then again in Cottonwood, and she got me out sightseeing!  Really!  She had me hiking, climbing, ducking branches and rocks, walking across rivers, giggling in some places and getting emotional in others.  And I totally enjoyed it ALL!  She's already been to most, if not all, of these places, so she knew where they were and the best times to go.  Most were free or inexpensive.  Yay!

I have a lot of photos to post, so I'm going to do one location per post, every day till they are DONE!  Then I'll have a record to look back on.  Some will be short, others longer, and most will be photo heavy/text light.

First, the Amitabha Stupa and Peace Park.  It was FREE.  Just drive up and park in the (very) small parking lot and walk up the path.  Beautiful area, lots of flags hung in the trees, offerings left here and there, pottery and statues, bird feeders and water dishes as well as the two large - I don't know what to call them.  Not statues, not monuments.  Well, you'll see.  It was very quiet and peaceful with many people praying and meditating, although Diana and I did a little chatting and giggling.  Can't get the silly school girl out of the women!

"The stupa is one of the oldest forms of sacred architecture on earth, dating back to the time of the Buddha, 2600 years ago. Stupas are mostly found in the East, where Buddhism first took root and flourished. They are indeed rare in the West. A stupa is considered to be the living presence of the Buddha and as such represents the Mind of Enlightenment. Stupas have been built to avert war, end famine, and promote prosperity and well-being. Their sole purpose is to bring benefit for all living beings, and the mystical accounts of the healing powers of stupas are well documented."
-- from Sedona Verde Valley website

Visitors are directed by the sign to walk three times, clockwise, around the first large structure and pray for good things for others, peace, prosperity and the well-being of others.  I wanted to pray for myself, I always have a few on tap, but didn't want to tempt fate, so I prayed unselfish prayers.

Alter at the foot of the stupa, with dishes of water and many stone offerings.

Prayer Wheels - From  their FaceBook page:  Spin them clockwise! Each has close to a billion mantras on a 2000 foot roll of microfilm. Many blessings occur when you spin prayer wheels!! Remember: clockwise.

These bronze Prayer Wheels were beautiful:

Buddha in the alcove of the Prayer Wheel:

"Saturday, March 25, 2017 we had a dedication of three new prayer wheels donated by Mr. Tamaki from Japan, CEO of Tama International. We are so very grateful for his generosity! 20 of his employees and associates came from Japan for the celebration. Mayor Sandy Moriarty spoke as well. Please enjoy the prayer wheels."  From their FaceBook page

Here's the large carved wood Buddha:

Me with the Buddha:

Diana with the Buddha and Chimney Rock in the background:

Various other pieces of sculpture and trinkets, etc. were found as we walked through the area:

It's a pretty small park, but you can wander around for a while, catching new things to see on the various paths that go here and there.  We were there on a beautiful, warm day, a perfect outing!

From me and Katie, have a great day, everyone!   😎❤😍