As we approach the 20-year anniversary of Siddhartha’s Intent involvement in the project, about 2,000 peace vases remain to be buried.

By Noa Jones

Toward the end of his life, His Holiness Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche initiated The Peace Vase Project , a global effort to increase peace, harmony, and well-being by placing 6,200 treasure vases, or terbüm, in carefully selected locations around the planet. Terbüm are containers filled with medicines, precious substances, and mantras that have traditionally been used by Tibetans to protect important places against misfortune and to promote positive, healing energies. Similar sacred vases are used by some North American Indian tribes to heal the land and to restore peace.

In 1991, Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche agreed to take over responsibility for the project. Tibetan Buddhist astrology and other ancient methods are used to select burial sites for the vases—oceans, lakes and rivers, holy places, places of war and strife, and ecologically degraded or endangered natural sites.

So far, about 4,000 vases have been buried or submerged in many extraordinarily remote locations, from the South Pole to the Pamir region of Tajikistan, but about 2,000 remain. As we approach the 20-year anniversary of consecration of these vases, we encourage the international dharma community to band together to finish what has been started. A network of individuals and coordinators is available to assist.

Some of the remaining vases are in storage in India awaiting transfer to their destinations, and some were taken to other continents but not buried. We need people to help transport the vases from India to a place where they are more easily accessible.  Due to Indian regulations, the vases can no longer be sent by courier or post. We rely entirely on people offering space in their luggage.

What you can do:

• If you have a vase that has not been buried, please carry out the task or ask someone else to do it.If you have several vases in storage, please contact Pema Bidha and let her know. The vases are not meant to remain as shrine objects. They must be buried.
• Visit the Peace Vase Project web site to read inspiring stories of burials.
• Volunteer to work on the project as a coordinator, facilitator, technical advisor, or strategic planner.
• Carry vases from India when you leave the country.

For more information, contact international coordinator Pema Bidha pema@siddharthasintent.org

Peace Vase, Northern Davis Strait, Nunavut Canada (Arctic) Photo by Chris Atkinson