The stupa is the most characteristic
monument of Buddhists. Originally
stupas were mounds covering the
relics of the Buddha or his
followers. In its earliest stages
Buddhist art didn't represent the
Buddha directly. Instead, his presence
was alluded to through symbols
such as the bo tree, the wheel
of law or his footprint. The stupa
also became a symbol of the
Buddha. More exactly, it became
a symbol of his final release
from the cycle of birth and
rebirth -- the Parinirvana
or the "Final Dying."