We all know Bodhi tree is a symbol for the wisdom and enlightenment of Buddha, so it is also called "enlightenment tree". But the story of the Bodhi tree where the Buddha attained enlightenment is not known and understood by all.

Bodhi tree scientific name is Ficus religiosa. According to Buddhist texts, Bodhi tree has played an important role in Buddha's life. Buddha meditated under a Bodhi tree and gradually enlightened to the teachings of Buddhism. After enlightenment, Buddha traveled throughout Asia to teach people as well as Buddhism. Therefore, the Bodhi tree is grown all over the world and symbolizes luck.

Sacred tree in Buddhism

Bodh Gaya is located on the banks of the Falgu River. This place used to be a small village called Sambodhi village with many forests. Now Bodh Gaya is in Bihar state, North India. Bodh Gaya is considered the place where Buddha attained enlightenment and was dubbed the "navel of the universe". For Buddhism, Bodh Gaya is the most important place in the life of Shakyamuni Buddha (Vietnamese people call it Shakyamuni Buddha).

According to Buddhist legend, about 500 BC, Prince Gautama Siddhartha (Shakyamuni) went alms and came to the banks of the Falgu River. Here, he meditated under the shadow of the Bodhi tree for 3 days and 3 nights and attained enlightenment, attaining enlightenment. 7 weeks later, he went to Sarnath and began teaching Buddhism.

In about 300 BC, a Buddhist nun took a Bodhi tree branch extracted from the original tree that Buddha meditated and enlightened and brought it to Sri Lanka to plant. To date, this Bodhi tree still exists in Anaradapura, Sri Lanka, is considered the most famous and oldest Bodhi tree. People also take many Bodhi tree branches extracted from the original tree grown in many other parts of the world. Some temples also thus have the Bodhi tree which is derived from the dictionary of the Buddha.

Bodhi tree scientific name is Ficus religiosa. According to Buddhist texts, Bodhi tree has played an important role in Buddha's life. Buddha meditated under a Bodhi tree and gradually enlightened to the teachings of Buddhism.

Before Buddhism appeared, the Bodhi tree was considered a sacred tree and people handed down many legends about it. This plant symbolizes education, fertility, enlightenment, and protection. Bodhi tree has played an important role in many religious ceremonies and is still grown in some parts of the world to bring good luck and happiness.

Bodhi - that name is transliterated from the Sanskrit word Bodhi, meaning awakening, moral understanding. Without awareness, people will plunge into delusions. And without a way out, people keep getting lost forever in the forest of confusion, mistakenly thought.

For a long time, the Bodhi tree where Buddha Shakyamuni became enlightened has become one of the places of worship of Buddhists since the Buddha entered nirvana to this day. Therefore, the Bodhi tree has become a spiritual symbol associated with Buddhism.

Bodhi tree still lives after 2,500 years

2,500-year-old Bodhi tree, where Siddhartha attends meditation for 49 days before enlightenment, in Bodh Gaya village, Bihar state, India is still alive.

Scientists from the Forest Research Institute in Dehradun City, Uttarakhand, India, announced that the Bodhi tree attached to the Tathagata Buddha was still alive, Xinhua reported.

This is a Bodhi tree extracted from "Great Bodhi Tree Lisianthus" (Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi) in Mahamegha Relic, the ancient capital of Anuradhapura - Sri Lanka. This Bodhi tree has the highest life span in the world today (2,250 years old) and is considered a treasure of Sri Lanka. In 247 (BC), King Ashoka gave a southern branch of the sacred Bodhi tree in Bodh Gaya - India (where the Buddha was enlightened) and sent Princess Sanghamitta to the Sri Lankan island nation.

The 2,500-year-old Bodhi tree, where Siddhartha attends meditation for 49 days before enlightenment, in Bodh Gaya village, Bihar state, India. Photo: bestourism.com.

"The Bodhi tree is still energized," said Subhash Nautiyal, a scientist at the Forest Research Institute, in Dehradun City, Uttarakhand State, India. Nautiyal and his colleagues dropped cement slabs around the linden tree after inspecting it. They believe that removing cement slabs will help the roots get water and nutrients more easily.

It is known that a temple dating back to 1,500 years built near the Bodhi tree has become an attractive destination for countless visitors around the world, especially those coming from Japan.

To understand more about the Bodhi tree where Buddha attained enlightenment, Buddhists are invited to see the following reportage: END=NAM MO SHAKYAMUNI BUDDHA.( 3 TIMES ).GOLDEN AMITABHA MONASTERY=VIETNAMESE BUDDHIST NUN=THICH CHAN TANH.AUSTRALIA,SYDNEY.25/6/2020.VIETNAMESE TRANSLATE ENGLISH BY=VIETNAMESE BUDDHIST NUN=THICH CHAN TANH.