Bodhi Tree

Coordinates: 24°41′45.29″N 84°59′29.29″E / 24.6959139°N 84.9914694°E / 24.6959139; 84.9914694
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
For the tree species more generally, see Ficus religiosa.

The Mahabodhi Tree at the Sri Mahabodhi Temple in Bodh Gaya
Diamond throne
or Vajrashila, where the Buddha sat under the Bodhi Tree in Bodh Gaya

24°41′45.29″N 84°59′29.29″E / 24.6959139°N 84.9914694°E / 24.6959139; 84.9914694 The Bodhi Tree ("tree of awakening"[1]), also called the Mahabodhi Tree, Bo Tree,[2] is a large sacred fig tree (Ficus religiosa)[1][3] located in Bodh Gaya, Bihar, India. Siddhartha Gautama, the spiritual teacher who became known as the Buddha, is said to have attained enlightenment or buddhahood circa 500 BCE under this tree.[4] In religious iconography, the Bodhi Tree is recognizable by its heart-shaped leaves, which are usually prominently displayed.[5]

The original tree under which Siddhartha Gautama sat is no longer living, but the term "bodhi tree" is also applied to existing

Buddhist pilgrimage sites.[7]

Other holy bodhi trees with great significance in the history of Buddhism are the

Sravasti in North India and the Sri Maha Bodhi Tree in Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka. Both are also believed to have been propagated from the original Bodhi Tree.[citation needed
]

The Forest Research Institute of India assists in the upkeep of the tree since 2007.[8][9][10] Cloning has been considered in 2008.[11] Its sacred leaves can also be bought by pilgrims as mementos.[11] Religious offerings, which would draw insects, were shifted to some distance from the tree.[11]

Origin and descendants

Bodh Gaya

Bodhi tree, Bodh Gaya.[12]
The Mahabodhi tree at Bodhgaya in 2015.
Satavahana period at Sanchi
, 1st century CE.
Main article: Mahabodhi Temple

The Bodhi tree at the

enlightenment (bodhi) while meditating underneath a Ficus religiosa. According to Buddhist texts, the Buddha meditated without moving from his seat for seven weeks (49 days) under this tree. A shrine called Animisalocana cetiya, was later erected on the spot where he sat.[13]

The spot was used as a shrine even in the lifetime of the Buddha. Emperor

Mahā Thūpa are mentioned thirty thousand monks from the Bodhimanda Vihara, led by Cittagutta.[16]

In the 7th century AD, Chinese traveler Xuanzang wrote of the tree in detail.

Bodhi Tree sign, 2013

Every time the tree was destroyed, a new tree was planted in the same place.[17]

In 1862 British archaeologist Alexander Cunningham wrote of the site as the first entry in the first volume of the Archaeological Survey of India:

The celebrated Bodhi tree still exists, but is very much decayed; one large stem, with three branches to the westward, is still green, but the other branches are barkless and rotten. The green branch perhaps belongs to some younger tree, as there are numerous stems of apparently different trees clustered together. The tree must have been renewed frequently, as the present Pipal is standing on a terrace at least 30 feet above the level of the surrounding country. It was in full vigour in 1811, when seen by Dr. Buchanan (Hamilton), who describes it as in all probability not exceeding 100 years of age.[18]

However, the tree decayed further and in 1876 the remaining tree was destroyed in a storm. Cunningham says young scion of the parent tree were already in existence to take its place. same site.[19][20]

To Jetavana, Sravasti

Shakyamuni)".[21] Bharhut
frieze (circa 100 BCE).

It is said that in the ancient Buddhist texts

Ananda
, came to be known as the Ananda Bodhi.

To Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka

King Asoka's daughter, Sanghamitta, brought a piece of the tree with her to Sri Lanka where it is continuously growing to this day in the island's ancient capital, Anuradhapura.[19] This Bodhi tree was originally named

Pātaliputta, thence to Tāmalittī, where it was placed in a ship and taken to Jambukola, across the sea; finally it arrived at Anuradhapura, staying on the way at Tivakka
. Those who assisted the king at the ceremony of the planting of the Tree were the nobles of Kājaragāma and of Candanagāma and of Tivakka.

The Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi is also known to be the most sacred Bodhi tree. This came upon the Buddhists who performed rites and rituals near the Bodhi tree. The Bodhi tree was known to cause rain and heal the ill. When an individual became ill, one of his or her relatives would visit the Bodhi tree to water it seven times for seven days and to vow on behalf of the sick for a speedy recovery.[24]

To Honolulu, Hawaii

In 1913,

Mary E. Foster, who had funded much Buddhist missionary work. She planted it in the grounds of her house in Honolulu, by the Nuʻuanu stream. On her death, she left her house and its grounds to the people of Honolulu, and it became the Foster Botanical Garden.[25]

To Chennai, India

Sapling of the Maha bodhi tree planted in the year 1950 at Theosophical society

In 1950,

Jinarajadasa took three saplings of the Sri Maha Bodhi to plant two saplings in Chennai, one was planted near the Buddha temple at the Theosophical Society another at the riverside of Adyar Estuary. The third was planted near a meditation center in Sri Lanka.[26]

To Trấn Quốc, Hanoi, Vietnam

In 1959, to mark the visit of the first President of India, Shri Rajendra Prasad, a cutting of the original tree in Bodh Gaya was gifted and presently it stands as the Bodhi tree on the grounds of the Trấn Quốc pagoda[27].

To Thousand Oaks, California, USA

In 2012, Brahmanda Pratap Barua, Ripon, Dhaka, Bangladesh, took a sapling of Bodhi tree from Buddha Gaya, Maha Bodhi to Thousand Oaks, California, where he presented it to his benefactor, Anagarika Glenn Hughes, who had funded much Buddhist work and teaches Buddhism in the USA.[28] He and his students received the sapling with a great thanks, later they planted the sapling in the ground in a nearby park.

To Nihon-ji, Japan

In 1989, the government of India presented Nihon-ji with a sapling from the Bodhi Tree as a gesture of world peace.[citation needed]

To Deekshabhoomi, Nagpur

This Bodhi Tree was planted at

Dr. B. R. Ambedkar converted to Buddhism along with 600,000 followers on 14 October 1956, Dhammachakra Pravartan Din
.

To Quezon City, Philippines

The sapling of the Sacred Bodhi tree from Anuradhapura Sri Lanka was planted on 15 May 2011, at Wisdom Park 14 Broadway Avenue, New Manila, Quezon City, Philippines by D. M. Jayaratne, Prime Minister of Sri Lanka, and Mariano S. Yupitun, the founder of Universal Wisdom Foundation Inc.

To Brisbane, Queensland, Australia

A sapling of the Sacred Bodhi tree from Anuradhapura Sri Lanka was planted in April 2008 at Kurilpa Point, the site of the Queensland Art Gallery and Gallery of Modern Art (QAGOMA), by the artist Lee Mingwei, as the centerpiece to his 'Bhodi Tree Project' which is described as an ambitious living artwork.

Mahabodhi trees of other Buddhas

Following is a list of the various Mahabodhi trees under which all of the Buddhas known to Theravada Buddhism attained buddhahood.[29]

Buddha (Pāli name) Bodhirukka (tree of enlightenment; Pāli name) binomial name
1 Taṇhaṅkara rukkaththana
2 Medhaṅkara kaela
3
Saraṇaṅkara
 pulila
4
Dīpaṃkara
 pipphali Ficus obtusifolia
5
Koṇḍañña
 salakalyanīka Oroxylum indicum
6 Maṅgala nāga Mesua ferrea
7 Sumana nāga Mesua ferrea
8 Revata nāga Mesua ferrea
9 Sobhita nāga Mesua ferrea
10
Anomadassi
 ajjuna Terminalia arjuna
11 Paduma mahāsona Oroxylum indicum
12 Nārada mahāsona Oroxylum indicum
13 Padumuttara salala Pinus roxburghii
14 Sumedha mahanīpa Neolamarckia cadamba
15 Sujāta mahavelu Bambusa bambos
16 Piyadassi kakudha Crateva religiosa
17 Atthadassi campaka Magnolia champaca
18 Dhammadassī bimbijala Pavetta indica
19 Siddhattha kanikara Pterospermum acerifolium
20 Tissa asana Terminalia elliptica
21
Phussa
 		amakala Phyllanthus emblica
22
Vipassī
 pāṭalī Stereospermum chelonoides
23 Sikhī puṇḍarīka Mangifera indica
24
Vessabhū
 sāla Shorea robusta
25
Kakusandha
 sirīsa Albizia lebbeck
26
Koṇāgamana
 uḍumbara Ficus racemosa
27 Kassapa nigrodha Ficus benghalensis
28 Gautama Buddha (present Buddha) assattha Ficus religiosa
29
Metteyya (future Buddha)[30]
 nāga Mesua ferrea

Celebrations

Bodhi Day

On 8 December,

Dharma[dubious – discuss] greet each other by saying, "Budu saranai!" which translates to "may the peace of the Buddha be yours."[31] It is also generally seen as a religious holiday, much like Christmas in the Christian west, in which special meals are served, especially cookies shaped like hearts (referencing the heart-shaped leaves of the Bodhi) and a meal of kheer, the Buddha's first meal ending his six-year asceticism.[32]

Bodhi Tree & Bihar Emblem

The Bo tree is the main part of the Bihar State emblem. During British rule, the State Reorganisation Act of 1935 adopted the Bo tree symbol in the state emblem, following a recommendation to that effect being forwarded to the Royal Society. [33][34]

Bodhi Puja

Bodhi Puja, meaning "the veneration of Bodhi-tree" is the ritual to worship the Bodhi tree and the deity residing on it (Pali: rukkhadevata; Sanskrit; vrikshadevata). It is done by giving various offerings such as food, water, milk, lamps, incense, etc. and chanting the verses of glory of Bodhi tree in Pali. The most common verse is:

"Ime ete mahabodhi lokanathena pujita ahampi te namassami bodhi raja namatthu te."

See also

References

  1. ^
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    .
  2. ^ "Buddhism Fast Facts". CNN. 11 November 2013. Retrieved 14 October 2019.
  3. ISBN 978-967-57190-6-6
  4. ^ Gopal, Madan (1990). K.S. Gautam (ed.). India through the ages. Publication Division, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India. p. 176.
  5. doi:10.1163/9789047415619_004
  6. ^ "Ficus religiosa – Plant Finder". www.missouribotanicalgarden.org. Retrieved 8 December 2020.
  7. ^ "Botanic Notables: The Bodhi Tree – Garden Design". GardenDesign.com. Retrieved 8 December 2020.
  8. ^ Kazmi, S M A (7 August 2007). "Forest institute suggests methods to save Bodhi tree – Indian Express". The Indian Express Archives. Retrieved 7 April 2022.
  9. ^ Qadir, Abdul (31 August 2017). "Two Forest Research Institute scientists examine Bodhi tree, collect sample". The Times of India. Retrieved 7 April 2022.
  10. ^ Sahay, Anand Mohan (25 October 2007). "Branch of bodhi tree was cut 3 years ago: Report". www.rediff.com. Retrieved 7 April 2022.
  11. ^ a b c Bedi, Rahul (9 April 2008). "Scientists turn to cloning in attempt to save Buddhism's holiest tree for posterity". The Irish Times. Retrieved 7 April 2022.
  12. ^ A small Hindu temple beneath a banyan tree, Bodhgaya British Library.
  13. ISBN 978-81-206-1823-7
    – via Google Books.
  14. ^ a b "CHAPTER XVII_The Arrival Of The Relics". Mahavamsa, chap. 17, 17.
  15. ^ "CHAPTER XX_The Nibbana Of The Thera". Mahavamsa, chap. 20, 4f.
  16. ^ "CHAPTER XXIX_The Beginning Of The Great Thupa". Mahavamsa, chap. 29, 41.
  17. ISBN 978-1-59884-204-3
    .
  18. ^ Archaeological Survey of India, Volume 1, Four Reports Made During the Years 1862-63-64-66
  19. ^ a b "Buddhist Studies: Bodhi Tree". Buddhanet.net. Retrieved 1 August 2013.
  20. ^ Mahâbodhi, or the great Buddhist temple under the Bodhi tree at Buddha-Gaya, Alexander Cunningham, 1892: "I next saw the tree in 1871 and again in 1875, when it had become completely decayed, and shortly afterwards in 1876 the only remaining portion of the tree fell over the west wall during a storm, and the old pipal tree was gone. Many seeds, however, had been collected and the young scion of the parent tree were already in existence to take its place."
  21. ^ Luders, Heinrich (1963). Corpus Inscriptionum Indicarum Vol.2 Pt.2 Bharhut Inscriptions. p. 95.
  22. ^ "Guide to Buddhism a to Z".
  23. ^ K.H.J. Wijayadasa. "Śrī Maha Bodhi". Srimahabodhi.org. Retrieved 1 August 2013.
  24. ^ "Rain-makers: The Sacred Bodhi Tree Part 2". Srimahabodhi.org. 24 April 2003. Retrieved 1 August 2013.
  25. ^ Waikiki’s “Central Park” – Fort DeRussy Armed Forces Reserve waikikioutdoorcircle.org
  26. ^ Madhavan, Chitra. "Buddhist shrine in Adyar". Madras Musings. Retrieved 14 November 2015.
  27. ^ "Statement by the President of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee to the media on board the special aircraft on his way back from his state visit to the socialist republic of Vietnam". pib.gov.in. Retrieved 22 December 2022.
  28. ^ See "Navel in Buddha" on Academia.edu https://www.academia.edu/43042460/Navel_in_Buddha. Text is quoted verbatim. Multiple internet sites show the same text, but only this one appears to be a more reliable source.
  29. ^ Sayadaw, Mingun, ed. (1992). "Appendix: List of the Mahabodhi Trees of 24 Buddhas". The Great Chronicle of Buddhas. Vol. 1, Part 2. Yangon, Myanmar: Ti=Ni Press. pp. 316–317, 322.
  30. ^ "Cakkavatti Sutta: The Wheel-turning Emperor". www.accesstoinsight.org.
  31. ^ "University of Hawaii".[dead link]
  32. ISBN 978-81-223-0963-8
    .
  33. ^ "All The State Emblems and Their Meaning - NLC Bharat". National Legislators Conference. Retrieved 4 February 2024.
  34. ^ "Bihar digging into history to discover roots of its emblem". Hindustan Times. 22 March 2010. Retrieved 4 February 2024.

Further reading

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External links

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