パーリ学仏教文化学 (6) - 005de Silva Lily「The Cult of the Bodhi Tree ： Its Antiquity and Evolution」

Society for the Study of Pali and Buddhist Culture

Society for theStudy of Pali and Buddhist Culture

The

Cult

of

the

Bodhi

Tree:

Its

Antiquity

and

Evelution

Lily

de

Silva

The

Ficus

Religiosa,

Skt.

as'vattha,

translated

into

English

as

the

pipat

er

the

fig

tree,

is

the

most

sacred

tree

in

the

Buddhist

world.

It

is

venerated as

the

bodhi

tree

or

the

symbol

of

Enlightenment,

as

the

Buddha

attained

Enlightenment

seated under

this

tree.

The

cult

of

the

bodhi.

tree

_persists

up

to

the

_present

day,

and

an

attempt

is

made

here

to

examine

its

antiquity and

trace

the

course of

its

evolution

through

the

ages.

The

available

information

is

first

recorded

in

the

chrenological order of

their

literary

sources

to

be

taken

up

for

discussion

subsequently.

The

as'vattha

has

enjoyed an exalted

_position

in

India

in

protohistoric

ages

as

well,

It

has

inspired

the

religious sentiments of

the

Indus

Valley

inhabitants.

The

_heart-shaped

_leaves

with

thin

elongated

ends

and well

defined

veins,

depicted

on various

seals

of

this

civilization

Cl)

have

been

clearly

identified

as

those

of

the

as'vattha.

In

the

funeral

pottery

uBearthed

from

Harappan

cemeteries,

the

as'vattha

leaf

is

a

predominant

motif

among

others such as solar orbs, stars,

_peacocks

and

goats.

It

is

very

_probable

that

the

as'vattha

was worshipped as a cult

ob.iect.

For,

seal

No

387

of

the

Harappan

civilization "depicts

a

horned

goddess

in

a

_pipal

tree

worshipped

by

a

figurc

wearing

horns,

with

a

human

headed

_goat

watching

the

ceremony, and a row of seven

C21)

tailcd

women,

_probably

_{priestesses."}

K.

N

Sastri

interprets

that

the

pipal

tree

depicted

on

such

seals,

was regarded

by

the

lndus

Valley

dwellers

as

the

Tree

of

Creation

or

Knowledge

(brahmataru)

while

the

70

?K- iJ/l;Jr

V,

4k

/sctkt'],:

C[i)

aeacia was regardcd as

the

liree

of

Lifc

(fivanataru),

He

_goes

a

step

further

and cont ¢

･nds

that

the

Pipal

God

was

the

Supreme

Deity

of

thc

(4')

Indus

Valley.

Whether

these

conjectures are valid or not,

it

remains

quitc

clear

that

the

as'vattha was closely connected with

the

eschatologi-cal

bclicfs

and

religious

idcas

of

this

early

Indian

civilization.

IIrhc

fiegveda

makcs Bo mention of

the

as'vattha as a

tree.

However,

lt

is

_possible

to

surmise

by

corroborating with other

texts

of

the

Vedic

tradition

such as

thc

Chandogya

Cipanis.ad

(cited

below),

that

the

Rgveda

had

meant

the

as'vattha

when

it

referred

to

a

tree

besides

which

(s)

Ytima

drinks

in

the

company of

_geds.

Its

wood

has

been

used

for

the

(6]i

preparation

of

sacrificial

implements,

and

_producing

fire

by

attrition.

C7)

The

Maitrayani

Samphita

relates a curious

little

story

to

explain

the

word as'vattha.

It

says

that

Projap-

ati, at

the

end of

the

entire creation, wished

to

create

something

novel,

and

changing

himse}f

into

a

horse

{.as"va)

lay

down

for

one whole

_year.

Thereupon

a

tree

sprang

up

from

this

horse's

head

and

it

was called _as'vattha.

The

_{same samhita also}

'18)

states

that

(medicinal)

herbs

find

a resting

_place

in

the

as'vattha.

The

Atharvaveda

rccords

that

_gods

of

the

third

heaven

dwell

at

the

(v.)

foot

of

the

as'vattha.

It

also

Iooks

upon

the

as'vattha

as

a

mystcrious

agcnt capable of

destreying

(vaibadha)

enemies.

An

Atharvanic

hymn

which

implores

the

as'vattha

to

destroy

one's enemies runs as

fbllows:

X,

A

ma[e

has

sprung

from

a

male,

thc

as'vattha

(ficus

religiosa)

from

the

khadira

(acacia

catechu).

M[ay

this

slay my enemies,

those

whom

I

hate,

and who

hate

me!2.

Crush

the

enemies,

as

they

rush on,

O

as'vattha,

displacer

a]lied with

Indra

...!

4.

Thou

that

_goest

conquering as a conquering

bull,

with

thee

here,

O

as'vattha, may we

conquer

our

rivals!

6.

As

thou

climbest up

the

tree,

O

as'vattha, and

Society for the Study of Pali and Buddhist Culture

Society for theStudyof Pali and Buddhist Culture

The Cult of the

Bodhi

Tree:

Its

_-A-n-t.ig.u.

_.ity.-a.p-d

Evelution

71

enemy, and overcome

hirn

!

8.

I

drive

them

out with my mind,

drive

them

out with my

thought,

and

also

with

my

incantation.

We

drive

(10)

them

out with a

branch

of

the

as"vattha

tree.

. Cll)

According

to

the

Satapatha

Brahma4a,

a

fire

sacrifice

_performed

with as'vattha wood saturated with

_ghee

brings

about

the

accomplishment of cherished

_goals.

By

this

means

Purtzravas

is

said

to

have

_been

united with

Urvas'l.

Thc

LIPanis,ads

too

contain

interesting

infermation

regarding

the

,

Cl12)

as'vattha.

The

Chandogya

Cipanis.ad

mentions

that

_gods

of

the

third

(13)

heaven

abide

by

the

aSvattha,

The

Katha

UPanis.ad

furnishes

us with

the

following

_intcresting

account which

reveals

another

aspect of

the

as'vattha :

Its

reot

is

above,

its

branches

below

This

eternal

fig-tree

!

The

(root)

indeed

is

the

Pure.

That

is

Brahma.

That

indeed

is

called

the

Immortal.

On

it

all

the

worlds

do

rest,

and no one soever

_goes

beyond.

This,

verily,

is

that!

C14)/

A

similar stanza

is

found

in

thc

7laiitirtya

LIPanis.ad.

The

Maitrly

(IS]

UPanis.ad

records metaphysical notions associated with

the

as'vattha

in

the

followimeg

words:

`tThe

three-quartered

Brahma

(tripad

brahman),

has

its

root

above.

Its

branches

are space, wind,

fire,

water, earth

and

the

like.

This

Brahma

has

the

name of `the

Lone

Fig-tree'

(ekos'vatthanamaitad

brahma)

.

Belonging

to

it

is

the

splendor which

72

isc-- ])i;-E.".fa-!lftfiiS:

should worship

it

with

Om

continually."

In

thc

Bhagava(igha,

which

is

one

of

the

most

important

treatises

'

of

the

Maharbharata,

Sn-

Krs.ua

identifies

himself

with

the

as'vattha

cl16)

among

trees.

Again

elswhere,

the

same

text

_gives

a

_graphic

description

of

the

as'vattha

as

the

Cosmic

Tree

Iater

commented on

by

Haldiyudha

as

the

samsaravrksa.

It

runs as

follows:

"With roots above,

branchcs

below,

the

as'vattha

is

said

to

be

indestructible;

the

leaves

of

it

are

hymns;

he

who

knoweth

it

is

a

Veda-knower.

Downwards

and upwards spread

the

branches

of

it,

nourished

by

the

_qualities

(guuas);

the

objects

of

the

senses

its

buds;

and

its

roots

grow

downwards,

the

bonds

of actien

in

the

world of men.

Nor

here

may

be

acquired

knowledge

of

its

form,

nor

its

end,

nor

its

origin, nor

its

rooting-place;

this

strongly rooted as'vattha

having

been

cut

down

by

the

unswerving weapon

of

non-attachment.

That

path

beyond

may

be

_sought,

treading

_which

there

is

_no

return.

I

_go

indeed

to

that

Primal

Man

<purttsa),

whence

the

(17)

cient energy

forth-streamed."

The

As'yamedhaparva

of

the

.Mahabha-rata

records an

interesting,

ac-count

of

the

satpsaravrksa, withou{,

however,

employing

the

term

as'vattha,

Later

records

(cited

below)

reveal

that

samsaravrksa

is

one

of

the

epithets

of

the

as'vattha.

The

account

is

as

follows:

"Having

the

unmanifest

for

the

seed of

its

origin

prabhavo),

with understanding

for

its

trunk

(buddhiskandhama-Society for the Study of Pali and Buddhist Culture

Society for theStudyof Pali and Buddhist Culture

[I]he

Cult

of the

Bodhi

Tree:

Its

Antiquity

and Evolutien

73

yomahan),

with

the

_great

_principal

of egoism

for

its

assemblage of

boughs

(maha-hahkaravit.apa),

with

the

senses

for

the

cavities of

its

little

sprouts

(indriydihkurako.tarak)

;

with

the

5

_great

elements

for

its

large

branches,

wjth

the

objects of senses

for

its

smaller

branches,

with

leaves

that

are

ever

_present,

with

flowers

that

always

adorn

it,

and with

fruits

both

agreeable and

disagreeable

always

_produced,

is

the

eternal

tree

of

Brahman

which

forms

th

¢

support

of

all

creatures

(dy'ivyak

sarvabhata-na-n.t

brahmavrksah

sanditanah.)

Cutting

and

piercing

that

tree

with

knowledge

of

truth

as

the

sword,

the

man of

wisdom, abandoning

the

bonds

made of

attachment

and

which cause

birth,

decrepitude

and

death,

and

freeing

himself

from

mineness and

(18)

cgoism, without

doubt

becomes

emancipated."

Sometimes

the

(19)

Mahabharata

identifies

the

as'vattha with

Visrpu.

According

to

the

Anus'a"sanaparva

the

as'vattha

is

a symbol of

Visgeu.

For,

Vis.

_4u

says:

"That man who worships everyday

the

as'vattha, and

the

stance called

_gorocana

and

the

cow,

is

regarded as worshipping

the

whole universe with

the

deities,

and

the

Asuras

and

human

beings.

Verily,

staying

within

these,

I

accept,

in

my

own

form,

the

worship

that

is

offered

to

them.

Worship

offered

to

these

is

worship offered

to

me.

This

has

been

so

long

as

the

worlds

have

been

createa20;l

The

Mahabharata

_prescribes

a ritual which

_grants

long-lived

_progeny.

On

a new moon

Monday

one

must

worship

Jandirdana

under

an

as'vat-thes

tree,

and

offer

to

this

_god

108

jewels

or coins or

fruits

and

_go

round

(20

the

tree

as many

times.

This

vrata

is

much

appreciated

by

Vis4u.

(22)

The

G'obhila

Grhya

Satra

states

that

the

as'vattha

belongs

to

the

sun.

The

PuraUn,

as contain

fascinating

stories

associated

with

the

as'vattha.

74

yx"-iJ'//-":iLvaA{efli't

of

the

ttnion of

Puri2ravas

and

Urvas't-

as a result _of

_performing

_a

fire

{23)

sacrifice with as'vattha wood.

According

to

the

Vdytt

Purarpa

the

as'vattha

is

a vanaspati which symbolized

the

spirit of

kingship

(as'vatthe

rdy'yabhavana) , and

its

wood

is

recommended

for

the

performance

of

s'raddha.

It

is

related

that

indra

_garlanded

the

_great

as'vattha

tree

on

the

summit of

the

mountain

Vipula,

after

which

Ketumaladvipa

was so {24)

named.

In

the

Padma

Puropa,

the

_rsis

inquire

as

to

why

the

as'vattha

is

identified

with

Vis.4u.

Vis.rpu

explains

it

himself

that

there

is

no

doubt

about

his

identification,

for

"The

Lord

appcaring

in

the

form

of

the

C2fi)

,Ficus

Religiosa

is

none otker

than

Vis.

rpu

himself."

By

its

sight and

touch

all sins, sorrows and

dangers

are extinguished.

The

same

Pura4a

narrates,

that

once

Agni

disturbed

Siva

and

Parvatl

in

their

amorous

sport.

Being

annoyed

Parvati

cursed

Agni

and

he

was

transformed

into

[126)

the

as'vattha.

Another

episode of

the

Padma

Pura4a

is

as

follows:

-`･Among

the

ebjects

which

emerged when

Vis.rpu

churned

the

milky

ocean were

Lak"'mt-

(Fortune)

and

Alaksmt"

(Misfertune)

.

Alaksmi

was

the

elder

sister

of

Laksmi.

When

Visnu

wanted

to

make

Laksmi

his

wife, she complained

that

it

is

improper

for

the

_younger

sister

to

marry when

the

elder sister remained unmarried.

Therefore

Vis.4u

_got

Alaksmi

married

to

a

_rsi

named

Udda"laka

who

took

her

to

his

monastery.

On

reaching

there

she complained

that

she

is

unable

to

live

in

a

_place

where

Vedic

studies and sacrifices are

_performed,

whcreupon

he

deserted

her

undcr an as'vattha

tree

and

fied,

Lak,gml

sent

Visnu

to

console

Alaksmi

who was crying

in

_grief.

He

advised

her

to

make

the

as'vattha

her

_permanent

dwelling

and

said

that

the

as'vattha

is

a

_part

and

parcci

of

himself.

as"vatthavrk,sam

disadya

sada-

laksmi

sthira

hhava

mamdqis'asamhhavo

hy

eFa

a-va-sas

te

maya-

krtah

Society for the Study of Pali and Buddhist Culture

Society for theStudy of Pali and Buddhist Culture

75

there

finn

for

ever.

It

(the

as"vattha)

is

born

of my side and

I

make

it

an abode

for

_you.

The

intended

idea

seems

to

be

that

even

the

most

unfortunate

des-titutcs,

despised

by

their

own

loved

ones, can

find

lasting

solace

and

security when

they

seek refuge

in

the

as'vattha,

The

eleventh

chapter of

the

Padma

PuM4a

called

Kriydyogasara

Adhyaya

exp]ains

in

detail

the

rewards of watering

the

as'vattha

:

`"If

anyone

waters

thc

as'vattha regularly

during

the

month

of

Ykiis'akha,

he

will

bc

rewarded with

the

four

fruits

of

life

Ci.c.

artha,

kama,

dharma,

mokEa)

.

By

watcring alone one attains

_purification

from

ali sins and

salvation.

If

anyone

builds

a stone railing round

the

foot

of

the

as`vattha

hew

eould

he

net reach

the

Lord

who

appears

in

the

form

of

the

as'vattha?

If

someone

_gazes

at

the

as"vattha and

_pays

homage

to

it

he

attains

longevity

and

_great

wealtho-･,

ffe

who

honours

the

as'vattha

honours

Yispu,

for,

the

asivattha

is

a

manifestation

of

the

Lerd.

Vis4u

dispels

the

sins of

those

who

_gaze

at

the

as'vattha

in

veneration, and who

touch

and

remember

it

similarly,"

Cutting

an

as'vattha

is

a ver.y

_grave

sin.

The

evil consequences

of

such a sin are as

follows:

"If a

foolish

man

destroys

an

as'vattha

trec,

there

is

no

_penance

to

expiate

such

a sin

in

this

whole cycle of existence.

It

is

"iell

known

that

the

as"vattha

is

a manifcstation of

Vis.rp",

and

there

is

none

to

save

him

who

harms

it.

If

anyone

ignores

an as'vattha

being

destroycd,

it

is

tantamount

to

plucking

out

his

own eyes.

He

who

gives

no advice against cutting an as'vattha

is

like

one

who

cuts

his

own

tongue

with a sharp weapon.

Even

a small

injury

caused

to

the

Thc

Cult

of thc

Bodhi

Tree/

TLs

Antiquity

and

Evelution

76

ig- ])[ttkV,XAIkny

branch

of an as'vattha

is

equal

to

the

crime

of

killing

10

mMion

Brahmins.

The

sin of cutting an as'vattha

is

equal

to

the

sum

total

of

various

_grave

sins such as murder

of

Brahmins,

misconduct

with

the

teacher's

wife,

intemperance

and

theft.

There

is

no

crime

more

heinous

than

destroying

an

as'vattha,

within

the

entire

horizon.

The

majestic as'vattha

is

a

dispeller

of all sins,

it

is

the

manifestation

of

the

universal

king,

Visrptt.

He

who worships

it

with

faith

never

encounters misfortune.

Vis,rpu,

being

_pleased,

bestows

salvation

on

him

who worships

the

asivattha with

the

firm

belief

that

it

is

a

{271)

manifestation

of

Visnu."

Elsewhere

the

Padma

Puropa

enjoins

that

as'vattha should

shipped

by

one

and

all

as

it

is

the

abode

of

the

Hindu

Trinity:

bewor-male

_yasya

sthito vis.

_4ur

madhye

tis.

_thati

s'aitkarah

(2S;i

agrabhage sthito

brahma

kas

tanz

jagati

ndrcayet.

Tr.

At

its

root

dwells

Visnu

and

at

the

top

abides

Brahma.

it

(the

as'vattha)

?

/

't

,

in

the

middle

lives

Sath.kara

<Siva)

Who

in

the

world

would

not worship

The

Smrti-arthasdira

of

Sridhara

Swamin

_gives

the

followin

adoration of

this

mighty as'vattha :

-g

hymn

in

;`The as'vattha should

be

worshipped

during

the

first

two

hours

lpraharas)

at

dawn.

It

should

never

be

worshipped

later

than

this

hour.

May

the

as'vattha

dispel

for

me all signs

of

sorrow

such as

the

i

throbbing

of

the

eye

and

the

throbbing

of

the

arm

kcaksulpspandamp

bhay'aspandap?2)

.

May

Lord

Jandrdana

(Sri

Krsua)

in

the

form

of

the

as'vattha

bless

me.

The

very sight of

_you

(the

as'vattha)

brings

about

the

destruction

of

all sins, and

the

accomplishment of

_prosperity.

Society for the Study of Pali and Buddhist Culture

Society for theStudy of Pali and Buddhist Culture

The

Cult

of the

Bodhi

Tree:

Its

Antiquity

and

Evolution

77

Circumambulation

in

honour

of

_you

brings

about

longevity.

O

C29),

as'vattha,

I

_pay

homage

to

_you."

The

wealth

of

epithets

recorded

in

Sanskrit

lexicons

to

designate

the

as'vattha

is

an unmistakable

index

to

the

intensity

of

Indian

sentiments

associated with

this

mighty

forest

king,

Hatayudha

who

was a

lexicographer

of

the

10th

century records

as

many

as

forty

two

and

the

following

are only a

fcw

of

them:

acyutavasak,

the

abode

of

Krs4a;

s'n-vrksalp,

the

lucky

tree;

ksiradrumaip,

the

milky

tree;

mahgalyab,

the

auspicious; sevyah, worthy ef worship; satyab,

truth;

s'ucidrumae,

the

pure

tree;

mdiyamayah,

the

illusive;

sajgesaravrksah,

the

tree

of

life;

(29)

caladalak,

tree

of

tremulous

leaves.

These

ideas

regarding

the

sanctity of

the

as'vattha

_persist

up

to

the

present

day

among

Hindus.

Modern

field

studies on

Indian

religious

practices

do

not

fail

to

notice

the

Indian

attitude

towards

this

tree.

Cutting

down

an

as'vattha

is

still

regarded

as

an awful sacrilege,

_quite

unpardonable.

It

is

still venerated

as

a

manifestation

of

Vis.4u.

An

e}aborate

ceremony

called

as'vattha

_pratis.thct

which

is

_performed

to

C30)

consecrate

the

tree

is

believed

to

_yield

untold

blessings.

Monier

Williams

records

that

"An

Indian

would never venture

to

tell

an

untruth

or

deviate

from

the

strictest

rectitude of conduct while standing

under an as'vattha

tree."

According

to

him

_planting

as'vattha

trees

is

believed

to

be

a

_great

meritorious

deed,

and

the

_prayer

which

accompanies

this

act

is

as

fol]ows:

"May

I

abide

in

heaven

as many

(31)

years

as

this

tree

continues

_growing

on

the

earth."

The

information

recorded so

far

comprises non-Buddhist

Indian

ideas

regarding

the

sanctity of

the

as'vattha

from

_{protohistoric}

times

up

to

the

modern

_period.

When

the

chronological order of

the

literary

78

'"'iJi""Vxty)2[tLt;'t

conveniently

divided

into

two

broad

_periods

viz.

_pre-Buddhist

and

post-Buddhist.

Evidence

from

Harappan

excavations

and

Vedic

texts

decidedly

belongs

to

the

_pre-Buddhist

era.

Ideas

from

the

UPanis.ads

and

the

MahaUbharata

are more or

less

contemporaneous with

the

Buddhist

_period.

The

]PuM4as are undoubtedly

post-Buddhist.

It

is

now appropriate

to

examine

the

_gradual

evolution of

the

sanctity of

the

as'vattha as represented

through

these

ages,

As

the

as'vattha

has

figured

with

_great

_prominence

in

the

funeral

_pottery

of

the

Harappan

Civilization,

it

is

_possible

to

accept

that

the

as"yattha was closely associated with

the

eschatological

beliefs

and religious

ideas

of

that

civilizatioll,

In

the

_period

of

the

Rgveda,

its

wood was used

for

sacrificial

implements,

and

sacred

fires,

most

_probably

because

the

Vedic

Aryans

were

_grea

£

ly

inspired

by

its

majestic appearance

and

longevity.

In

the

Atharvaveda,

the

as'vattha

is

regarded as

having

mysterious

_power

over adversaries.

It

is

invoked

to

destroy

one's enemics.

The

cause

for

this

seems

to

be

in

a

_growth

mechanism

_peculiar

to

this

tree.

If

an

as'vattha

seed

is

deposited

in

the

hollow

or

branch

of

C32)

another

tree,

it

can

_grow

on

it

as an epiphyte.

The

roots of

this

_plant

gradually

reach

down

to

the

earth along

the

trunk

of

its

host.

Once

thcy

rcach

the

_ground,

_growth

is

accelerated.

Suffocating

the

host

the

as'vattha

_grows

vigorously.

During

the

course of

time

the

host

withers and

dies

off while

the

asivattha stands

firm,

victoriously spreading

its

branchcs

and

foliage

on all sides and

_growing

to

a magnificent

height.

Observing

this

natural

_growth

_process

of

the

as'vattha,

the

Atharvanic

practitioners

may

have

tried

to

divert

that

mysterious

_power

for

personal

gain,

The

reverent

fascination

inspired

by

the

}ongevity

of

the

tree,

during

all ages

is

transparently

c}ear

from

the

_prayer

_queted

by

Monier

Williams,

cited

above,

which

accompanies

thc

ritual

of

_planting

it

even at

the

_present

day.

Also

the

rustle of as"vattha

leaves,

which

is

unique

in

its

tremor

and

vibration,

has

intrigued

the

Indian

mind

to

call

Society for the Study of Pali and Buddhist Culture

Society for the

79

C/l3)

it

the

"music

ef

all

flora"

(as'vatthah

sarvavrksdina'm.

_gi-ta),

and regard

(34),

every

leaf

as

the

_{abode of a}

_god.

The

UPani.sads

and also some

of

the

_passages

_quoted

_from

the

Mahabhdiraia

seem

to

_give

a

_popular

interpretation

of

abstruse

philosophical

conceptions

in

terms

of

the

alicgory

of

the

Cosmic

Tree

of

Life.

In

the

folklore

of many cultures,

long

standing

_gigantic

forest

trees

are

Iooked

upon

as

life

symbois,

because

man,

whose

life

span

is

usually

less

than

a century,

is

inspired

by

the

incrcdible

_longevity

_of

such

trees.

According

to

the

Upani$adic

teachings,

life

on

earth

was

creatcd

as a result of

the

emanation

of

individual

souls

(microcosms)

from

the

Great

Soul

(macrocosm)

_or

_the

_Impersonal

_Brahman

_or

_God.

Now

the

source of

life

is

in

the

heavens

above

and

the

created

beings

are on earth

down

be]ow.

Therefore

the

Cosmic

Tree

of

Life

too

has

its

roots above,

its

branches

and

foliage

spread

downwards.

As

life

has

spread _{evenly all round,}

_the

_source

_of

Iife

_or

_the

Tree

_of

Life

is

_situated

in

the

centre _of

the

_world,

It

_acts

_as

_an

_axis

_{which unites}

heaven

_and earth.

In

the

UPanis.ads

and

thc

epics

the

as'vattha

typifies

this

Cosmic

Tree

of

Life.

According

to

Upani$adic

_philosophy,

individuai

}ife

and

this

world

are

only

illusions

(maya)

.

Therefore

the

Tree

of

Life

or

the

samsaravrksa

is

also

an

illusion.

He

who

tears

this

opaque veii of

illusion

astmder with

the

sharp

sword

of

the

knowledge

of

Reality

is

released

from

sarlisaric

existence,

and

he

attains union with

Brahman

When

such

ideas

associated

with

the

as'vattha were

_gettmg

con-solidated,

the

Buddha

attained

Enlightenment

at

the

foot

of an as'vattha

tree,

and

this

event

exerted

a

tremendous

influence

on

the

folklore

of

the

as'vattha.

As

Buddhism

spread

far

and wide,

the

as'vattha

became

_an

object of worship as

the

bodhi

tree,

the

symbol

of

Enlightenment.

It

may

have

been

venerated even

during

the

lifetime

of

the

Buddha.

The

cult of

the

bodhi

tree

may

have

_grown

fast

in

_popularity

_{as a result}

_of

Study of Pali and Buddhist Culture

80

iNe-Vt\:dJ,va-)Zl{kt',!':.

the

views

recorded

in

the

Mahaparinibbdinasuttanta

that

the

worship

of

places

associated

with

the

Buddha's

birth,

Enlightenment,

inaugural

(35)

sermon and

demise

_yields

much and rebirth

in

happy

states.

Its

popularity

is

amply

testified

by

the

_part

_played

by

no

less

a

_personage

than

Emperor

Asoka

himself

in

despatching

a

branch

of

the

bodhi

tree

{36)

at

Gaya

for

the

_propagation

of

Buddhism

in

Sri

Lanka,

But

as

Buddhism

declined

in

India,

it

was absorbed

by

Brahmanism.

The

Puropas

contain

unmistakable

reference

to

this

state

of

religious

syncretism, especially

through

the

medium of

an

episode of a mythical war

between

the

suras

and

asuras.

It

is

said

that

the

asuras were very

powerful

because

they

were engaged

in

Vedic

religious

_practices.

The

suras

being

unable

to

defeat

them

appealed

to

Vis.4u

for

aid.

Vis4u

appeared

in

the

form

of

Mdya-moha

(deceptive

vision)

and

_preached

a

doctrine

to

mislead

the

asuras.

Thus

misled

and

expelled

from

the

C37)b

Vedic

tradition

they

were

easily

vanquished

by

the

suras.

The

Agni

? C38)

Purd4a

identifies

this

Mdydimoha

as

the

son

of

Suddhodana.

The

Bhagavata

Purdirpa

contains

a

forecast

that

a

_persen

known

as

B"ddha

will

be

born

during

the

kali

age

in

the

Kika.ta

country

CMagadha)

for

(39)

.

the

_purpose

of

misleading

the

_gods'

enemies.

Thc

Siva

I'urpma

also maintains

the

same

tradition,

for

it

says: "Again

in

his

ninth

incarnation

he

(Yis.4u)

slighted

the

Vedic

path

and contrary

to

its

_principles,

(40)

preached

and

established

the

atheistic

_philosophy

called

Buddhism."

The

Buddha

was

thus

recognised

as

an

incarnation

of

Vis.4u,

and with

this

transformation,

the

bodhi

tree

also camc

to

be

regarded as

the

symbol of

Vis.4u.

The

ideas

expressed

in

the

Purarpas

represent

this

post-Buddhist

phase

of

thought.

Destruction

of

the

as'vattha,

therefore

became

equivalent

to

the

destruction

of

_god.

There

was no crime more sacnlegeous

than

this

in

the

whole

world

!

Society for the Study of Pali and Buddhist Culture

Society for theStudy of Pali and Buddhist Culture

The

Cult

of the Bedhi Tree: ltsAntiquity and Evolution

81

not

because

of

an

innate

mysterious

_power

_possessed

by

the

as'vattha,

but

because

it

sheltered

the

Buddha

at

thc

moment of supreme

Enlightenment.

Buddhists

worship

thc

bodhi

tree

as a symbol of

En-lightenment

and

as

an expression of

_gratitude.

But

as

time

advanccd

this

attitudc

too

came

under

the

sporadic

influence

of

Brahmanic

ideas.

The

conservative

Theravada

tradition

strove

hard

to

shelter

the

Buddhist

doctrine

and

ritual

from

outside

forces.

Despitc

these

endeavours, some

ideas

filtercd

through,

and

their

irnpact

can

be

ob-served on some aspects of

the

cult of

the

bodhi

tree

as well.

An

attempt

is

now

madc

to

examine

from

textual

evidence,

the

Buddhist

attitude

towards

the

bodhi

tree

and

the

development

of

its

cult

through

rhe

ages.

The

Pali

canonical

litcrature

rarely mentions

the

bodhi

tree.

The

Vinaya

MahaUvagga

records

that

the

Buddha

enjoyed

the

bliss

of emancipation

for

seven

days,

seated at

the

fOot

of

the

bodhi

(41)

tree

after

Enlightenment,

According

to

the

7-7zeragdtha

a monk named

Sandhita

attained

Arahantship

as a result of

meditating

on

the

virtues

of

[142]i

the

Buddha

sitting

under

the

bodhi

tree.

The

Apadana

records

several

rcfcrences

to

the

worship of

the

bodhi

tree.

A

monk who

tended

the

bodhi

tree

morning and evening was reborn as a cakkavatti

(a

universal

iC43)

monarch) and

he

_{never suffered rebirth}

in

_{a state of woe.}

Nandaka

_and

Jambuka

_paid

homage

to

the

bodhi

tree

by

lighting

lamps

and

by

offering a

fan

respectively, as a result of which

they

were reborn

in

c,44;/

happy

states.

Another

monk constructed

a

bodhighara

and was reborn

in

a

jewelied

mansion

(ratanaghara)

sheltered

from

inclement

weather,

[.4S;

Hc

further

attained

the

splendour of cakkavatti

kingship.

Bodhivandakathera

worshipped

the

bodhi

trec

and

was

reborn

in

a state 146)

of

happiness.

So

much

so

for

canonical

references, and

they

represent only

the

82

fx"- ]J;}f:Il,

_va-Jtfkt>E

literature

and

the

Mahabodhivamsa

contain more advanced

ideas

which

betray

unmistakable

evidence

of outside

infiuence.

The

Niddinakatha

of

the

Jdtaka

A#hakatha

records

that,

after

Enlightenment,

the

Buddha

_paid

homage

to

the

bodhi

tree

by

_gazing

at

it

with unblinking eyes

for

seven

days,

as a mark of

_gratitude

for

the

i147)

shelter

offered.

As

the

Vinaya

Mahavagga,

which

contains

the

earliest

record

of

the

story of

the

Enlightenment,

does

not mention such an

act,

it

appears

that

this

episode

was added

to

the

Buddha

legend

at a

later

date

after

the

sanctity

of

the

bodhi

tree

had

_grown

in

importance.

The

popu}ar

ctymology

_given

to

the

word

assattha

(as'vattha)

in

the

7';Vieragdithdi

A.g.thakatha

is

also suggestive of enhanced cultic

importance

attached

to

the

bodhi

tree:

AsatthatFhanlyataya

assattho

ti

vuttam

_;

sattanam assaMsani

fananato

[4.S) va.

Tr.

Assattha

is

so called

because

it

is

invulnerable;

or

because

it

is

a solace

to

all

beings.

Thc

same

_passage,

however,

hastens

to

add

a more realistic orthodox

point

of

view

when

it

records

that

some

maintain

that

the

tree

is

so

called

because

it

is

an assattha

tree,

i.e.

Ficus

Religiosa.

This

comment

shows

the

_parallel

_persistence

of

the

realistic

_point

of view.

(49)

CSO)･

According

to

the

commentaries of

the

Jataka,

the

:l'7ieragdthd

and (Sl)i

the

Buddhavavasa,

the

bodhi

tree

is

one of

the

seven objects which were connascent with

Prince

Si.ddhattha.

The

Dighanikaya

Auhakatha

[.S2)Tika

marks

a

further

development

of

the

miraculous

element,

when

it

Society for the Study of Pali and Buddhist Culture

Society forthe Study of Pali and Buddhist Culture

-T.b.g.

Cult

of the

Bodhi

Tree:

Its

Antiquity

and

Evelution

83

Prince

Siddhattha

was

born,

to

a

height

and

breadth

of a

hundred

cubits, after

_previous

subterranean

_growth

to

full

stature.

The

DAT

maintains

that

all

Buddhas

attain

Enlightenment

in

the

same

_place

in

Jambudipa.

This

bodhimacaa

or

seat

of

Enlightenment

is

situated

in

the

centre

of

the

earth.

This

spot

is

utterly unshakable,

it

does

not move even at

the

moment of

Enlightenment

when

the

entire earth

_quakes

with a

tremendous

roar.

Therefore

it

is

the

only steadfast

(53)

place

in

the

whole

world

of

flux

and

change.

None

can

traversc

above

this

sacred

_place.

The

_great

fiying

elephant of

the

Cakkavatti

king

Kaiiigabodhi

stood

back

in

the

air,

when urged

to

fiy

over

the

/:54.)

bodhima44a,

as

if

obstructed

by

an unseen wa}1.

It

is

said

that

the

space

between

the

bodhimarpda

and

the

cupola of

the

Brahma

world

comprises

an

impregnable

vacuum

like

the

interior

of a

drum;

no

Sakra

{55)

or

Brahma

is

capable

of

crossing

that

space,

When

the

bodhi

tree

itself

does

not

_grow

there,

the

bodhima44a

consists of

a

spot

of

leve]

land,

CS6/i

about

the

extent

of a rdy`akarisa covered with

_glossy

silvery sand.

Not

a

blade

of

_grass

_grows

there,

evcn

as

big

as a rabbit's

hair.

All

trees

and

creepers

in

the

immediate

neighbourhood

stand,

turning

towards

_it,

as

C57>

if

in

salutation.

At

the

end

of

the

world,

the

hodhima44a

_gets

destroyed

last,

When

the

world

evolves

afresh,

it

_gets

re-established

before

all else.

To

signify

this

_place,

a

Iotus

_plant

springs

up,

bearing

a cluster

of

fiowers,

the

number of

fiowers

corresponding

to

the

number

of

Buddhas

to

be

born

during

that

kaipa.

No

fiowers

bloom

in

_kaipas

without

Buddhas.

By

this

sign

the

Brahnzas

of

the

Pure

Abode,

C581)

Suddhdvasa,

know

whether

Buddhas

are

born

during

that

kaipa

or

not,

C59)

The

Kdiliigabodhija-taka

relatcs

the

episode _{of establishing a}

bodhi

tree,

with

the

approval

of

the

Buddha,

in

the

_premises

of

the

Jetavana

monastery

to

receive

homage

in

lieu

of

the

Buddha

during

his

sojourns

84

7ie

---

iJ21.fl,ty/itk4t

bodhi

tree

of

Gaya,

before

it

could reach

the

_ground.

Amidst

_great

celebrations

it

was conducted

to

Jetavana

where

it

was

_planted

by

Anathapindika

in

a

vessel made of

_gold,

filled

with scented soil.

It

performed

a

miracle

by

springing

into

full

stature

immediately.

Ananda

requested

the

Buddha

to

sit

in

its

shade and enter

into

the

trance

which

the

Buddha

had

attained

at

the

bodhima4da.

Buddha

replied

that

there

is

no ether

place

in

the

whole world which could withstand

the

majesty

of such a

trance

and

he

consecrated

that

bodhi

tree

by

entering

into

another

trance.

As

the

initiative

to

plant

this

bodhi

tree

was

taken

by

-

[160)･

Ananda,

it

came

to

be

known

as

Anandabodhi.

The

eommentaries

contain much

information

regarding

the

method

of

actual

bodhi

worship.

The

bodhipojaJ

performed

by

Emperor

Asoka

and

that

recorded

in

the

Kdiliiigabodhij'a-taka

are

the

best

accounts.

According

to

them

the

honours

bestowed

on

the

bodhi.

tree

are as

follows:

1.

bathing

the

tree

in

scented

water,

2.

offering

flowers,

3.

Iighting

lamps,

4.

hanging

_garlands,

5.

hoisting

fiags

and

banners,

6.

burning

incense,

7.

_placing

vases

of

_plenty

inu44aghata),

8.

construction

of

railings,

p}atforms

and

entrances,

9.

sprinkling silvery or

golden

sand,

10.

_playing

music,

11.

circumambulation,

12.

exclamation of

_pious

joy

`sadhu sadhu',

13.

_paying

homage

with clasped

hands,

14.

(61)

construction

of

_pillars,

Some

of

these

forms

of

worship

are

depicted

on

i[62)

the

sculptures

of

Safici

too.

Sweeping

the

premises

is

a

daily

duty.

The

commentary on

Samarifiqphalasutta

enjoins

that

one

should

worship

the

bodhi

tree

with all

due

respect,

just

as one worshjps

the

Buddha

in

(63)

person.

Watering

the

bodhi

tree

is

a

very

important

form

of

worship,

most

likely

because

it

sustains

the

tree,

especially

during

droughts.

Sometimes

Buddhist

art represents

two

elephants

_pouring

water over

{64) _.

Society for the Study of Pali and Buddhist Culture

Society for theStudy of Pali and Buddhist Culture

m[I]l/]ie

Cu]t

of thg.B..og.b.i

'Free:

Its

Antiquit-t-gn.d

EvQlution

₈₅

Laksmi,

the

Goddess

of

Prosperity,

who commonly receives

this

hasti

ahhis.eka

as

_portrayed

in

_gay'alaksmt

sculptures,

there

are only

two

sacred objects which receive

this

special

honour,

namely

the

bodhi

tree

and

the

sttipa, which are symbols of

Buddha's

Enlightenment

_and

{65)

parinibba-na

respectively.

According

to

A.K.Coomaraswamy,

_the

inverted

vessel

symbolises

the

`vase

of

_plenty'

(pu44agha(a)

or

the

rain cloud,

both

of

which

represent

inexhaustible

sources of

life-sustaining

waters.

The

elephants symbolise

the

four

_quarters

or

the

winds.

The

conferment of

honour

due

to

the

Goddess

of

Prosperity,

on

the

sacred

objects symbolising

the

Buddha,

is

_perhaps,

suggestivc of

the

Buddhist

aspiration

for

worldly

_prosperity

too

through

Buddhist

rituals

themselves.

However,

it

is

clear

that

Brahrnanic

rituals

for

_prosperity

and abundance were,

in

_popular

Buddhism,

adapted

to

the

cult

of

the

bodhi

tree

and

the

sttipa.

The

cemmentary on

the

Ahguttaranikaya

maintains

that

the

destruc-tion

of

a

bodhi

tree

or a cetiya

is

similar

to

an

dinantariya

kamma,

equal

in

atrocity

to

crimes

such

as matricidc

and

_patricide.

However,

the

same

_passage

makes

important

concessions with

due

respect

for

the

relative

importance

of

different

objects of worship.

If

the

_branch

of a

bodhi

tree

is

an obstruction

to

a stiipa, with relics, or

if

birds

_perching

on a

bodhi

branch

soii

a stmpa

the

branch

should

be

cut off.

If

the

reots of a

bodhi

tree

damage

a

stapa,

thc

tree

shou}d

be

removed

altogether.

However,

if

a

bran

¢

h

is

a

hindrance

to

a

bodhighara,

the

branch

_cannot

bc

removed,

for,

the

_ghara

is

for

the

hodhi

tree

and

not

vice

versa.

Removal

of

a

decaying

branch

for

the

safety

of

the

tree,

is

a

,.

(66)

mentorious

deed

,

similar

to

amputation

for

the

preservation

of

life.

Despite

these

common sense values contained

in

the

Ahguttara

Commentary,

the

Vinaya

Commentary

records

deep-seated

religious

86

]i-ViF:dl,tyYfkif

disturbed

when

faced

with

the

problem

of removing a

branch

from

the

invulnerable

bodhi

tree,

on which none would

dare

to

use a weapon.

The

king's

dilemma

is

said

to

have

been

miraculously

solved,

when,

in

accordance with

a

_prior

wish

made

by

Buddha,

the

right

branch

of

the

bodhi

tree

spontaneously

separated

itself

from

the

trunk

and

established

{67)

itself

in

the

_gold

yessel,

and

_put

forth

fruit

and

foliage

in

seven

days.

It

is

now

appropriate

to

survey

the

cult

of

the

bodhi

tree

as

depicted

in

the

Buddhist

texts,

in

the

context

of

Brahmanic

ideology,

to

examine

its

_gradual

development

and

the

influence

exertcd

by

the

latter,

In

pre-Buddhist

India

tree

worship was an extremely

_popular

cult, and so

it

remains

even

up

to

the

_present

day.

People

were

accustomed

to

offering

flowers,

_garlands,

fruits,

lamps

and

flags

to

deities

residing

<68)

in

long-standing

_gigantic

trees,

with

the

hope

of attaining

desired

ends.

When

the

Buddhists

recognised

the

bodhi

tree

as

the

symbol of

Enlightenment,

hence

an object of

_great

sanctity,

these

cultic

_practices

were

_gradually

transferred

to

the

bodhi

tree.

Though

tree

worship

proper

became

obsolate among

Buddhists,

a

_partial

absorption

of

it

is

observable

in

the

fold

of

_popular

Buddhism.

On

the

one

hand,

massive

forest

trees

which

inspired

awe and reverence

in

pre-Buddhist

Indians,

were recognised as

the

bodhi

trees

of

_previous

Buddhas;

hence

their

worship was not

altogether

objectionable.

On

the

other

hand

the

practice

of making vows which

formed

a

_part

and

_parcel

of

ancient

tree

worship, came

te

be

associated

with

the

cult of

the

bodhi

tree,

Even

at

present,

votive

offerings

to

the

bodhi

tree

are

quitc

common.

The

recognition of

the

bodhi

tree

as

an

invulnerable

object

of

_great

sanctity,

seems

to

correspond

to

the

Purapic

ideas,

where

the

destruction

of

the

as'vattha

is

regarded as

an

unpardonable crime with relentless

consequences.

It

was already secn

that

this

Purarpic

attitude