Rebecca Silva carried the vision of the stupa for over twenty years before it was finally realized. It was built on farmland in El Pescadero, BCS, which she and her husband donated. Below is her story of her first encounter with His Holiness the 16th Karmapa and how that event led to where we are today.

“In 1976 I was living in Hawaii. A friend was organizing a fundraiser to help sponsor H.H. 16th Karmapa’s visit to Maui. She asked me to help cook at a big event, raising thousands of dollars, which allowed us to host H.H. 16th Karmapa and his entourage on Maui, Hawaii.  Many worked hard to make everything perfect for his arrival, as he traveled with twelve people, including Jamgon Kontrul Rinpoche. He came to bless us with the Black Crown Ceremony. It was a magical time for many of us.

I cooked for many days (he especially liked my Mexican food!). On the day of the big ceremony after the main meal at noon, I was abandoned by my helpers and the kitchen was a HUGE mess. It was a large kitchen and on the far side, I saw influential people, including the mayor, politicians and big donors of the islands entering to have a private audience with H.H. On the other side were all the colorful local characters arriving for the ceremony. I looked around at the piles of dishes and the dirty floor and for a moment I felt sorry for myself as I thought, "He will never know how hard I have worked for him!". And with that, I wiped my tears and began to sweep the floor.

Ten minutes later someone tapped me on the back and as I turned she told me H.H. would like to see me. I was incredulous. I was sweaty and grimey from spending the last 10 hours in the kitchen. I said I would quickly shower and see him in 15 minutes. She replied, "No, he wants to see you NOW". I took my apron off and pulled back my hair, washed my face and followed her into his room.

He sat on a chair, backlit from the window behind him. His translator, Joel, was sitting in the corner, and as I entered the room I asked Joel what I was supposed to do. He looked at me and shrugged his shoulders as if to say, "I don't know". So, in my ignorance, I did not prostrate to him like I was supposed to, I just knelt down and put my hands in prayer and looked into his face. His entire face was a smile.

I suddenly realized that I was face-to-face with a living Buddha. Then my mind began to race as I thought I should ask a significant question. One after another, thoughts came and went until my mind was a tangled mess of thoughts. Finally, all I could say was "Your Holiness, no one is cleaning your bird cages." When Joel told him he laughed heartily as I looked into his eyes. Then he put his mala on my hands and at that moment, everything dissolved around me and the entire room became golden. All I could see were his eyes. And then I dissolved too. It was a moment like no other and there are no words to describe the experience.

Eventually, objects started to take form again and his smiling face reappeared. As I moved to get up, I extended my hands to H.H. to return the mala and he pushed my hands back toward me. I looked at Joel, who was obviously upset, so I quickly extended the mala in my hands towards H.H. He held my hands and laughed as he pushed the mala back to me and let me know it was now mine.

I left the room with tears rolling down my face.

Over the years the mala has been an auspicious protection for me. It enabled me in the years I was doing healing work to heal many others. It has opened many doors; so many good things have happened in my life because of the blessing of the mala.

In July of 1999, one late afternoon I was sitting in my place of meditation outdoors where I lived in Todos Santos, Baja California Sur, Mexico. It was the most powerful moment of meditation in my life when suddenly H.H. 16th Karmapa appeared to me. With the same smiling face, he told me to go to Tibet to meet his new incarnation and that I would build a stupa for him. It will be a rainbow bridge between Tibet and Baja California. He also said that many Buddhists would come and it would become a place of pilgrimage. 

Two months later, in September of 1999, I traveled to Tibet with my husband Tom and Janet Rockwell, who has been my steadfast partner in this Stupa project since the beginning. Many auspicious experiences awaited us. It was the journey that would form the path that we are now on and a  trip that we will never forget.  We went to Tsurphu monastery and met with H.H. the 17th Karmapa and there I gave him the mala which he blessed and then returned to me. I told him the story of building a stupa. He gave me his blessing along with relics to put in the stupa.

In 2011, Janet, Tom and I again traveled, this time to India. In Bodhgaya, we attended teachings with H.H.17th Karmapa at the Monlam Chenmo. We were able to have a private audience with H.H. Karmapa where I asked him which type of stupa I must build. He told me to build an Enlightenment Stupa, and to break ground on a full moon.

On the full moon of December 6, 2022, the Enlightenment Stupa of Baja California Sur was completed and consecrated by Tulku Rigzen Pema Rinpoche.

We have come so far since these events. With the help of Stupa Master, Tulku Rigzen Pema Rinpoche, and master stone mason, Yann Devorsine, along with a team of dedicated workers and volunteers, the stupa is now complete! Lopon Tashi and our team of tireless volunteers are seeing us into the next phase: building a community center with the stupa at its heart.

Learn more about our projects here.