Monumental - The Story of the Stupa

The idea was to create the largest stupa in the Western World. The challenge was financing it. … Challenging unless you are a 1970s ad-man.

To many people the idea of building a huge structure (called a stupa) in the middle of the Australian bush involves a fair degree of the quixotic, if not plain craziness. Ian Green has lived many lives – from Mad Man ad-man to Buddhist student, from global fundraiser to Buddha’s builder. In this powerful and inspiring modern day fable, Monumental, Ian recounts the story of his life and in particular the story of the creation of the Great Stupa of Universal Compassion and the Jade Buddha for Universal Peace.

A spellbinding and fiercely honest reflection on what it takes to dedicate your life to others, this self-penned memoir reveals how Ian Green transformed himself into the driving force behind the creation of one of the largest Buddhist monuments in the Western world. But beyond the lively and hedonistic adman years and the blow-by-blow account of the creation of the Great Stupa and the Jade Buddha, this is a story about what can be achieved if an ordinary person is devoted to making a difference and dares to, “think big” amid so many doubters.