Bodhi Tree

Bodhi tree

The Bodhi tree is the specific Bo tree —a sacred fig —located within the Buddhist Mahabodhi Temple, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, in Bodh Gaya, Bihar, India. According to Buddhist tradition, it was under a Bo tree located at this site that Siddhartha Gautama, the spiritual teacher who later became known as Gautama Buddha, or simply the Buddha, attained enlightenment, or Buddhahood, around the 5th century BCE. In Buddhist art and iconography, the Bodhi tree is commonly depicted with its characteristic heart-shaped leaves, a feature of Ficus religiosa that has come to symbolize wisdom and spiritual awakening.

Enlightenment in Buddhism

The English term enlightenment is the Western translation of various Buddhist terms, most notably bodhi and vimutti. The abstract noun bodhi means the knowledge or wisdom, or awakened intellect, of a Buddha. The verbal root budh- means "to awaken", and its literal meaning is closer to awakening. Although the term buddhi is also used in other Indian philosophies and traditions, its most common usage is in the context of Buddhism. Vimutti is the freedom from or release of the fetters and hindrances.

Tree

In botany, a tree is a perennial plant with an elongated stem, or trunk, usually supporting branches and leaves. In some usages, the definition of a tree may be narrower, e.g., including only woody plants with secondary growth, only plants that are usable for timber, or only plants above a specified height. Wider definitions include taller palms, tree ferns, bananas, and bamboos.

bodhi tree

Noun

1. The Indian fig tree, sacred fig, Ficus religiosa, that is sacred to Buddhism.
2. The specific fig tree under which the Buddha sat when he attained enlightenment; the descendant of that tree on the same spot at Bodh Gaya.