THE BODHI TREE, the oldest tree in the world cared for by man



The most sacred tree for Buddhists is the “ficus religiosa”. It is called “bodhi” in Sanskrit because the Buddha attained enlightenment or bodhi while sitting under it. The Sinhalese call it the Bo Tree.



A sapling of the original tree under which the Buddha sat was brought to Sri Lanka as the result of a royal mission to the Northern Indian state of Bihar in the year 249 BC. Amid great ceremony, it was planted in a monastery in the old capital of Anuradhapura. Throughout history Anuradhapura endured periods of invasion, occupation, plundering, and destruction. Yet no harm was ever done to the Maha Bodhi, the Great Bo Tree.



Like any living organism of an advanced age, the Maha Bodhi now requires some help. Supports have been placed under its huge 2,250 year old spreading branches. The monks have kept a diary of the Maha Bodhi faithfully throughout the centuries, chronicling it originally on dried banana leaves bound loosely into books. Nowadays the tree has its own website, www.srimahabodhi.org



I was there during a full moon – every full moon is a national holiday in Sri Lanka -- when the people of Anuradhapura come to Sri Maha Bodhi carrying bundles of firewood on their heads to light bonfires around it to keep wild elephants from eating the tender leaves.



Even though legend has it that the leaves of the Maha Bodhi never fall to the ground to be trampled, I was able to find a few to bring with me. I gave most of these cherished leaves to my closest friends, but kept one which was the inspiration for an artwork that now hangs in my bedroom. I reproduced the leaf by pen and ink, by colored pencils, and by oil on paper, placing them side by side next to the real leaf. The Bo Tree in its various symbolic phases.



Buddhists believe the Maha Bodhi to be endowed with magical powers. The Buddha found enlightenment after sitting under the tree for a prolonged period, then spent a full week gazing at it with motionless eyes as a mark of his profound gratitude to the tree that sheltered him during his struggle. I find a great inner peace in contemplating the various phases of the leaf of the Maha Bodhi. Perhaps you will, too.

29 comments:

  1. "The oldest tree in the world cared for by man" I am in awe. I have great respect for trees. I have tried to plant as many as possible, wherever I have lived.

    Thank you for this lovely post. Your artwork is quite wonderful.

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  2. If people treated people as lovingly as this tree is cared for, we would be living in a much better world. Fascinating post, Maia and your reproduction of the leaf is beauty and simplicity at its best.

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  3. Srilanka is a beautiful country. Haven't been there myself, but my parents have, and they say it is a lot like Chennai, where I come from - just across the Palk Strait from Srilanka. I glanced through your older posts too - and your paintings are incredible!! Amazing work. Thanks for stopping by my blog.

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  4. Great post and lovely images. So interesting. (and, by the way, I can post comments to blogs if I open blogger in internet explorer but I cannot do it from mozilla.????)

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  5. Hi Celeste Maia,
    Great post and beautiful pictures.
    Love,
    Herrad

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  6. I loved the story of the tree. I was feeling down in the dumps as my mom used to say and it came through on my blog a while back. A friend originally from Germany said I could be like one of the strong tree's in Germany that did not bend. I always remember that when things look dark. Great pictures.

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  7. Celeste . .

    An inspiring post, indeed.
    Your Bodhi Leaf art is .. . . perfection.

    Your comment on my post has me thinking
    Porto fino . Since I haven't been there, I'll have to do some investigating and more ... .
    dreaming.

    Judith

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  8. I truly did not know that a tree could live that long. I'm in awe.

    I also love the artwork you made with the leaf - it is very beautiful!

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  9. Thank you so much for the image of the leaf. Truly, it is a sacred object. I feel happy that you stayed in the realm of wonder and reverence. Too often I hear stories of travelers who grab at things just to "own" them in some strange way.

    Your print is quite beautiful.

    On an unrelated note, when I visit your blog, it takes quite a long time to load. I can't really see any of the images until all of them are loaded. I just sit and wait. It would be helpful if you could reduce the number of posts that load upon contact. This is what I did: dashbord --> settings --> formatting --> show -- and then select perhaps 3 posts total. That would help maintain viewers like me with a weak signal and an aging computer. Anyway, avanti!

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  10. The leaf from that Bodhi tree which you sent to me is sacred and beautiful! Your artwork with the leaf in its various manifestations as seen by you is beauty and peace itself.
    I love that you included the picture of the elephants, symbol of the Dignity of Man.
    And the Buddha sitting under the tree and touching the ground: I am here, now.
    A deep bow to the Buddha you are, with all my love,
    Isabel

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  11. I love that it has its own website. Thank you for this lovely elucidation.

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  12. Magnífica história a desta árvore e maravilhosa reprodução das diferentes fases da folha!!!

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  13. Good morning Celeste - The music you asked about is entitled "In the Cathedral". The artist is Gary Lamb. I originally heard it on someone else's blog and loved it. Looked it up on my playlist site and there you have it. So much beautiful music out there and being able to find it is another good reason to blog. Wishing you a happy afternoon. Annie

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  14. thank you for this, Celeste. A beautiful post. I'm delighted to discover your blog.

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  15. Your site is always an inspiration and am in awe of your talent and spirit. Once Tibetan Buddists came to Rochester, NY when I was living there and I stopped by every day amazed to watch them create their beautiful sand mandala and sometimes to chant with them. And then I watched as they easily destroyed this great work of art and followed them down in a procession to let the sand slip back into the Genessee River and marvelled at their ability to see how only the moment matters and everything is temporary. I feel this to as I hike through parts of the Colorado Plateau and marvel at billions of years of earth's existence knowing that we are not even a blip in the grand scale of the universe. But while I'm blipping along I'll go on enjoying art and music and appreciating Celeste Maia and my artist son, Patrick and Brahms, and Mozart and keep on Imagining the way John Lennnon did. And although The Full Moon might not be a official national holiday in the United States it is always a celebrated event in my life as well as the New Moon when the starts shine their brightest especially out here in the High Uintahs.

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  16. Simply magical.......thank you.

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  17. Thanks for visiting me at Delights of the Heart. I also love the color red. It has such a wonderful energy. I would love to know where you live. I will be in Barcelona in October for a few days.

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  18. P.S. Celeste - I just noticed from a comment you left that Marilyn is expecting to be in Barcelona in the Fall. I so hope you meet up. Marilyn is so nice and I know you will have a lovely time.
    Annie

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  19. Celeste, thank you for your comment. I have also said that age is as old as you feel. I do have a balance problem that has developed in the past few years that hampers me from doing things alone, and I miss that. However I do still manage in the yard and if I use a cart I can still shop. You my friend, are so talented and gifted you will never be "old". I am counting my tomato' mow that we have thieving squirrels. lol I do love your blog.

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  20. Every full moon is a national holiday! Wow!
    Very interesting post. Thanks for stopping by and visiting. I look forward to your next post.

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  21. I love this story of the Bodhi Tree, and it is so interesting to see how it is still so lovingly cared for. Your leaf artwork is quite beautiful. A lovely homage to a sacred tree.

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  22. Perhaps if we all got off the "me-me-me" and "my dreams are what matter!" attitude we'd all be better off. It is nice to see an old tree.

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  23. I have dropped into your blog via Robyn in South Africa and will certainly visit again. Thank you for such an interesting blog.

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  24. Didn't know about the link, Thanks.

    And yes, the world might be a different place if we all cared about one another as we also should the natural life around us also.

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  25. I absolutely do know Joe is someone who will always be there for me. We are so very different sometimes I wonder how in the world we get along at all . I was married 9 years to my first husband and due to things beyond my control we divorced. After 3 years I re-married and we had one son. He passed away of a serious heart ailment when we were both 37. This is the lasting one. I think sometimes I have been married most of my life. lol

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  26. Adding this place to visit on my LifeQuest journey. A son/daughter of the original Tree of Enlightenment! Priceless

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  27. ...lately i dont have any idea about the Bo-tree..since my friend his from sri lanka he told me before that a Tree of wisdom.bcoz here in Philippines the Bo-tree is a scary tree.but now i have an idea about the Bo-tree we just need to respect and preserve it bcoz it is a scared tree for Buddhists...:-)

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