He was born in Nepal in about 540 BC. The child of royal parents, he renounced his wealth and set out to find a better way to live.
It was in eastern India in about 500 BC when Siddhartha Gautama sat down under a fig tree and began to meditate. According to ancient texts, he remained without moving for 49 days, but when he finally arose, he had achieved enlightenment. Thus was born what is now the fourth largest religion in the world – Buddhism.
The “Middle Path” of Buddhism avoids both extreme self-denial and sensual indulgence, while practicing non-attachment as the route to Nirvana and the release from suffering.
The fig tree under which the Buddha sat became known as Bodh Gaya, the Bodhi tree, as bodhi is the Sanskrit word for awakening or enlightenment.
The Indian Emperor Ashoka the Great was so diligent in paying homage to the tree that his queen, Tissarakkha became jealous. She cursed the tree and tried to have it killed. But not only did the tree survive several near-fatal attacks, but it also was “cloned.”
A cutting from the Bodhi tree was planted in Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka in 288 BC. It is now recognized as the oldest living human-planted tree on earth. At more than 2,300 years old, the Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi is one of the most important Buddhist pilgrimage destinations.
The painting above, Sanghamitta and the Bodhi Tree, is from a mural at Kelaniya Temple, Sri Lanka. It shows Sanghamitta Maha Theri, the Emperor Ashoka’s oldest daughter, transporting the precious sapling.
Would you like to visit the Bodhi Tree in Sri Lanka?
The Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi is just one of many important Buddhist sites we will be visiting in a Spiritual Sri Lanka November 7 – 17, 2023 small group tour.
Here are more highlights…
- Participate in a “Bodhi Pooja” ritual at the ancient bo tree to give offerings and receive blessings
- In Kandy, visit the temple that holds the tooth relic of Lord Buddha
- Prepare a traditional vegetarian meal and offer it as “dhana” (alms) to Buddhist monks
- Go to Kelaniya Raja Maha Vihara, the temple visited by Lord Buddha 2500 years ago
- Visit the Golden Temple of Dambulla, a UNESCO World Heritage Site
