Unknown facets of Benalmadena

Unknown facets of Benalmadena

Currently I am living in Fuengirola. A couple of weeks ago, the good weather during the weekend invited for a relaxed stroll along the seashore, one of my favorite occupations on Saturday mornings.

After all the rainfall, I could enjoy a marvelous sight over the snow topped Malaga Mountains and, further away, even the white Sierra Nevada Mountain ranges under a bright blue ski.

Letting my eyes wander over the close by Mijas mountains, I could see in the clear weather even de golden cone of the Stupa in Benalmádena. And I finally made my mind up to make a little excursion to that place, which always catches my eyes, when I am passing by on the motorway which runs along Benalmádena Pueblo.

The Stupa is a Buddhist monument and actually is largest one in the western world, situated on the viewpoint of El Retamar in Benalmádena Pueblo and overlooking the Mediterranean Sea. Bearing that information in mind, I decided to used the public transport and combine my visit to the Stupa with a stroll through Benalmádena.

The suburban train Fuengirola-Malaga has a stop at Benalmádena-Arroyo de la Miel. Outside the strain station is leaving a bus to Benalmadena Pueblo and has a stop called “Estupa Tibetana”. This bus leaves normally every 30 minutes.

The monument itself is precious. It seems that after Buddhist tradition, this kind of monuments is normally sealed, but this one here has inside a large meditation hall. Here are being held all kinds of activities, lectures, symposia and courses in relaxation and meditation.

Downstairs there is another room with books and an exposition about Tibetan Buddhism.  The whole thing definitely has something. Myself I am not into Buddhism; nevertheless I find it transmits some very interesting viewpoints, together with the Stupas privileged location, surveying the hustle and bustle of our daily existence.

 If somebody is interested, I attach some of the information I found. The Stupas are primarily spiritual buildings which are “working at different levels of the mind, generating and transforming the power of nature and then redistribute it and protect with the same transformed positive energy, removing dangerous or negative forces.” Which means, that he who meditates in a Stupa, has assured his protection and at the same time it will increase the spiritual development. Sounds interesting, doesn’t it?

Well I enjoyed my peaceful morning up there and can definitely recommend the little excursion to literally other views and perspectives of life.

For your information, the Stupa is closed on Mondays.

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• * This article was submitted by Heike. (Thank you!)
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