This is a very interesting short lecture by Jeffrey Durham, who is an assistant curator at the Asian Art Museum, about the iconography and symbolism of the stūpa, particularly as shown on the Swayambhu Stūpa in Nepal.
In a very concise manner he manages to show how the cosmos is figured on the stūpa, and relate some of the legends surrounding it, and its connection particularly with Vajrayana ideas.
To my mind we could do with many more of these sorts of videos which would make the symbolism which is found on Buddhist art works come to life, and be full of the meaning it was meant to convey.
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to see a set of stills click on the date at the top of the embed below
