Balancing the Elements – Lama Karma Chötso’s Global Stupa Projects
Venerable Lama Karma Chotso, also known as Kay Hannesson, is an American nun and recipient of the Khyentse Foundation Ashoka grant.
She is dedicated to building stupas in uncommon locations like Miami and Peru.
Her journey into Buddhism began after meeting Dorje Chang Kalu Rinpoche in 1982 at a Kalachakra empowerment event in New York.
This encounter led her to fully embrace the Kagyupa lineage, eventually being ordained as a nun and completing a traditional retreat in upstate New York.
In 1997, Lama Karma Chötso founded the Open Awareness Buddhist Center in Miami, which included a Stupa Garden of Merit featuring four gold-spired stupas.
These stupas were believed to significantly alter the local energy, integrating South Florida into a global spiritual network.
However, the pandemic led to the sale of the Miami property, although the stupas remain intact under the new owner’s care.
Lama Chötso’s work extended to Peru, where she has been constructing the Great Stupa of Reconciliation in Lamas Province.
This 50-foot stupa, aimed at fostering peace and environmental balance, will feature a shrine room, retreat cabins, and a community hall.
The project involves creating 100,000 tsa-tsas, of which 50,000 have been completed.
Lama Chötso’s efforts highlight the transformative power of stupas in promoting spiritual and ecological harmony worldwide.
