Winter in the Buddhist Holy (Sacred) Land is colder than in other places in India. Likewise, the last days of the year are more crowded with pilgrims seeking to return to their ancestral homeland for once bowing their heads at the feet of the Good Father – Teacher of deities and humans.

The focal point in Bodhgaya is the Mahābodhi Stupa (also known as the Great Awakening Temple), standing 52 meters high, with four intricately carved facades. In the 3rd century BC, King Asoka built a tower at this site to honor the Buddha. In the 7th century AD, the Pala kings in Bengal rebuilt the temple on a larger scale. In the 12th century, the temple was destroyed. When they marched by in the 14th century, the kings of Myanmar (Burma) restored the stupa. Many centuries after that, the Mahābodhi Stupa suffered many great floods and was buried under layers of mud. It was not until the mid-19th century that British archaeologist Alexander Cunningham excavated the site. Following that, the Mahābodhi Stupa was restored to the condition it stands today.

Behind the Mahābodhi Stupa is the sacred Bodhi Tree, lush and cool. Under the Bodhi Tree is a red sandstone slab named “Vajrasana,” marked and considered the cushion where the Buddha meditated and attained enlightenment. This Bodhi Tree also sprang up on the same day Prince Siddhartha was born. It was ready to wait for the day he would come, meditating and attaining the Supreme Self-enlightenment to save all sentient beings.

Along with the ups and downs of Buddhist history in India, the Bodhi Tree was cut down and burned by those who wanted to erase all trace of its existence, and subjected to many natural disasters. However, through many dangers, the descendants of the Bodhi Tree are still not extinct. They continue to take root and sprout, generation after generation, providing shade to the place where the Buddha sat to become the Self-enlightened Buddha. Despite several generations of replacement, the position of the Bodhi Tree of today is unchanged with respect to the original tree’s. With this glorious history, it can be said that the Bodhi Tree has been a sublime symbol for Buddhist followers for thousands of years.

May all sentient beings always be happy, wisdom (bodhi) mind unshakeable, and enlightenment path promptly accomplished.

Source: Dhammacetiya
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