塔

(sa) stūpa; tope; a tumulus, or mound, for the bones, or remains of the dead, or for other sacred relics, especially of the Buddha, whether relics of the body or the mind, e.g. bones or scriptures. As the body is supposed to consist of 84,000 atoms, Aśoka is said to have built 84,000 (sa) stūpas to preserve relics of Śākyamuni. Pagodas, dagobas, or towers with an odd number of stories are used in China for the purpose of controlling the geomantic influences of a neighbourbood. Also 塔婆; 兜婆; 偸婆; 藪斗波; 窣堵波; 率都婆; 素覩波; 私鍮簸, etc. The (sa) stūpas erected over relics of the Buddha vary from the four at his birthplace, the scene of his enlightenment, of his first sermon, and of his death, to the 84,000 accredited to Aśoka.