Not long ago, I visited the Amitabha Stupa in Sedona, Arizona. Stupas originated in India nearly 2,600 years ago. They represent the Buddha’s presence and, therefore, the mind of enlightenment. The Amitabha Stupa carries on this powerful tradition in a few specific ways. It’s 36 feet tall and filled with rolls of prayer mantra, grains, medicines, objects of beauty, and even meteorites. These all serve to protect and replenish the five elements of earth, air, fire, water, and space.

Consecrated and sacred, the stupa and its surrounding peace park serve as a beacon of compassion designed to overcome the misery and delusion of attachment. The stupa inspires healing prayers for the betterment of mankind. Often, the will to believe leads to action, which in turn shapes reality. This seems especially true in Sedona, a place that emanates powerful energies of different kinds.

Following traditional observance, I walked three times clockwise around the stupa and focused my thoughts. Then, I sat in front of it on a low platform and reflected on my life, from birth to that moment. The location didn’t feel like a tourist destination at all. Still, for whatever reason, the experience didn’t feel like a journey of discovery either. Everything around me seemed familiar and tranquil, like I had been there before.

I let my mind flash through a sequence of ruinous and beautiful events from my past. I looked back, studied the wrongs I had done, and thought of the changes in my life. A voice told me not to let guilt poison the time I have left. The Golden Rule became the only thing. In the company of silent friends and strangers, I offered a whisper of thanks to the pinion pines, crimson rocks, and fresh air filling me with a deep sense of serenity.