Bodhi Tree facts for kids
The Bodhi Tree is a very famous and old Sacred Fig tree (Ficus religiosa). It stands at the Mahabodhi Temple in Bodh Gaya, India. This tree is special because Gautama Buddha, the founder of Buddhism, found Bodhi (which means spiritual enlightenment or understanding) while sitting under it. You can easily spot a Bodhi tree by its heart-shaped leaves.
Many people call the Sacred Fig tree at the Mahabodhi Temple "the Bodhi Tree" today. It is probably a direct descendant of the original tree. This tree is a very important place for pilgrims (people who travel for religious reasons). It is one of the four most holy places for Buddhists.
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The Original Bodhi Tree
The Bodhi tree at the Mahabodhi Temple is known as the Sri Maha Bodhi. Buddhists believe that after becoming enlightened, Buddha spent a whole week in front of the tree. He stood there without blinking, looking at it with great thanks. Later, a special shrine was built where he had stood.
This spot was used as a holy place even when Buddha was alive. It was the only shrine that could be used in this way. A powerful king named Asoka held a festival every year to honor the tree. His queen, Tissarakkha, was jealous of the tree. She tried to have it killed using sharp thorns. However, the tree grew back! A large monastery, called the Bodhimanda Vihara, was built near this special tree.
A New Tree at Jetavana
While Buddha was still alive, people wanted to make offerings in his name even when he was away. So, Buddha agreed to plant a seed from the Bodhi tree in Bodhgaya. This new tree was planted in front of the gateway of Jetavana Monastery near Sravasti.
To get the seed, Maudgalyayana caught a fruit as it fell from the tree, before it touched the ground. A wealthy follower named Anathapindika planted it in a golden jar with a big ceremony. A young tree immediately grew, reaching about 50 cubits (a cubit is an old measure, about 18 inches) tall. To make it even more special, Buddha spent one night under it, deep in meditation. Because Ananda, one of Buddha's main disciples, helped with the planting, this tree became known as the Ananda Bodhi.
The Bodhi Tree in Sri Lanka
The Sri Maha Bodhi tree in Sri Lanka was planted in 288 BC. This makes it the oldest known living plant that flowers (an angiosperm) that has a verified planting date. In that year, which was the twelfth year of King Asoka's rule, a right branch of the original Bodhi tree was brought to Sri Lanka.
Sanghamittā, a Buddhist nun and daughter of King Asoka, brought the branch to Anurādhapura. King Devānāmpiyatissa then planted it in the Mahāmeghavana park. It is said that Buddha, before he died, wished for this branch to break off easily for its journey to Sri Lanka. The branch traveled from Gayā to Pātaliputta, then to Tāmalittī, where it was put on a ship. It sailed across the sea to Jambukola and finally arrived at Anuradhapura. A young tree from this Sri Lankan Bodhi tree was planted in the Buddha Jayanti Park in New Delhi, India in 1993.
Bodhi Trees of Other Buddhas
According to old Sri Lankan records, branches from the Bodhi trees of all the Buddhas who lived in this current long period of time (called a kalpa) were also planted in Sri Lanka. These were planted in the same spot where the sacred Bodhi tree stands today in Anurādhapura. For example, a nun named Rucānandā brought a branch from Kakusandha's tree.
Images for kids
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The Mahabodhi Tree at the Sri Mahabodhi Temple in Bodh Gaya.
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The Diamond throne or Vajrashila, where the Buddha sat under the Bodhi Tree in Bodh Gaya.
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An 1810 picture of a small temple beneath the Bodhi tree in Bodh Gaya.
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The Mahabodhi tree at Bodhgaya in 2015.
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An illustration of the temple built by Asoka at Bodh-Gaya around the Bodhi tree. This sculpture is from the Satavahana dynasty period at Sanchi, 1st century CE.
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A sign marking the Bodhi Tree, 2013.
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Ashoka's Mahabodhi Temple and Diamond throne in Bodh Gaya, built around 250 BCE. The writing says: "The building around the Bodhi tree of the Holy Sakamuni (Shakyamuni)". This is from a Bharhut carving (around 100 BCE).
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A young tree from the Maha Bodhi tree, planted in 1950 at the Theosophical Society.
See also
In Spanish: Árbol de Bodhi para niños
