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Banyan Trees

sovasova delocalized fractyllic harmonizing Veteran
edited February 2012 in General Banter
I was reading here
http://viewonbuddhism.org/general_symbols_buddhism.html
that
After wandering the countryside for about six years the Buddha finally came to rest in a forest beside the Naranjara River, not far from modern day Bodhgaya. Sitting under a Bodhi tree, ardently practicing meditation, he finally realised his true nature. The next seven days were spent under the tree experiencing the bliss of freedom and contemplating the extent of his new understanding. The story then goes on to relate four other periods of seven days, each spent under a different tree - the Banyan, the Mucalinda and the Rajayatana tree and then once more back to the Banyan. Each of these 'tree scenes' has its own well known story which space here does not allow. The tree of enlightenment is called, in Latin, ficus religiosa, or sacred tree. It is also known as the pipal tree. For Buddhists it is generally called the Bodhi, or Bo tree. Bodhi is the Pali and Sanskrit word for enlightenment. There is a descendant of the original tree still growing at Bodhgaya and Bodhi trees are commonly found in Buddhist centres all over the world.

So I did some googling and... goodness. Check out how absolutely gigantic this Banyan tree is.

(tried to attach it, not sure if it attached right -- here is a link just in case: http://v22.lscache2.c.bigcache.googleapis.com/static.panoramio.com/photos/original/48020548.jpg ~4.8 MB)

Comments

  • possibilitiespossibilities PNW, WA State Veteran
    I saw banyan trees as a teen for real. So awesome, mysterious with those roots, unforgettable.....
  • vinlynvinlyn Colorado...for now Veteran
    Keep in mind that the bodhi and banyan tree is not the same thing.

    http://sdhammika.blogspot.com/2009/08/blog-post.html
  • sovasova delocalized fractyllic harmonizing Veteran
    @vinlyn, thank you for the excellent link.

    here is a tidbit
    Saying that the Buddha was enlightened under a Banyan tree is a bit like saying Jesus was born in a milk pail or that he was nailed to an octagon, that a water melon fell on Newton’s head, that Santa’s slay is pulled by aardvarks or that the jolly swagman jumped into a bath tub. On one hand it’s not really that important, on the other it shows a superficial and casual attitude to clearly discernable differences and easily discoverable facts. In 2008 Time ran an article on corruption at Bodh Gaya entitled ‘Big Trouble Under the Banyan Tree.’ The August 8th 2009 edition of the Economist commenced a column called ‘In the Shade of the Banyan Tree’ in which it stated that the Buddha was enlightened under a Banyan. An excellent ecological website called Eco India (‘brings you down to nature’) says that Bodhi is another name for the Banyan (‘just brings you down’). Another website, Science Museums of China, gives a picture of a Bodhi tree, has its correct botanical name, lists its proper colloquial names and then spoils it all by calling it a Banyan tree.
    got a severe case of the giggles.
  • possibilitiespossibilities PNW, WA State Veteran
    Keep in mind that the bodhi and banyan tree is not the same thing.

    http://sdhammika.blogspot.com/2009/08/blog-post.html
    Didn't notice a problem....
  • zombiegirlzombiegirl beating the drum of the lifeless in a dry wasteland Veteran
    @sova Oh man... for some reason, I just really want to climb that tree. The angles of those branches just look perfect...
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