Wow, Richard, that's a beautiful place, Odiyan Temple complex. I'd heard of it but never visited. Next time I get the chance I will, thanks.
There's another, smaller, but still very beautiful Tibetan temple complex outside of Hilt, California that I've visited many times, Tashicholing. http://www.tashicholing.org/temple.html *** --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "Richard J. Williams" <richard@...> wrote: > > > > martin.quickman: > > Sacred Geometry in Cathedrals and Churches... > > > In the traditional Indian view, a building, if it is > properly concieved, satisfies both a physical and > metaphysical indigence. It has a twofold function: > it provides 'commodity, firmness, and delight' so as > to serve man's psychosomatic, emotional and aesthetic > needs, and also supra-empirical principles. > > "In this view, an adequately designed building will > embody spiritual meaning. It will express the manner > in which the phenomenal world relates to the > Ultimately Real and how the One 'fragments' into > multiplicity; it will carry intimations of the > non-duality (adwaita) of the sensible and the > supra-sensible domains." > > According to Snodgrass, the fully functioning > building should aid the attainment of the intellectual > conciousness that the Indian traditions consider to > constitute the goal and perfection of human life: > > The non-differentiated awareness or state of Being > in which there is no longer any distinction of > knower from known, or being from knowing - Vidya. > > My daughter lives in Santa Rosa, in Sonamoa, where > I recently visited some Tantric Buddhist 'golden > domes'. the spires peak out over the trees on the > coast Highway 1, an 'Enlightenment Stupa'. > > Odiyan Retreat Center: > http://www.odiyan.org/ > > Tricycle Review: > http://www.tricycle.com/blog/odiyan-buddhist-retreat-center > > Work cited: > > 'The Symbolism of the Stupa' > by Adrian Snodgrass > Delhi, 1992 > > Other titles of interest: > > 'Elements of Buddhist Iconography' > by A. K. Coomaaraswamy > Cambridge, 1935 > > 'Images and Symbols' > by Mircea Elliade > London, 1961 >
