Ashvattha - Thesaurus side
Apr 2nd, 2008 by ashvattha
Ashvattha is a Sanskrit word for the Peepal tree (Ficus Religiosa). Eventually it grows into a very large tree. It is also called Bodhi Tree, or Bo tree (from the Sinhalese Bo). One tree is the Ashvattha located in Bodh Gaya under which Siddhartha Gautama 
achieved enlightenment. The Ashvattha tree is easily recognized by its heart-shaped leaves, which are prominently displayed. Its bark is light grey, smooth and peels in patches. Its heart-shaped leaves have long, tapering tips. The slightest breeze makes them rustle. The fruit, a fig, is purple when ripe.
The term “Bodhi tree” is widely applied to currently existing trees, particularly the sacred fig growing at the Mahabodhi Temple. Tis one is probably a direct descendant of the original specimen. This tree is a frequent destination for pilgrims, being the most important of the four holy sites for Buddhists. Other holy Bodhi trees which have a great significance in the history of Buddhism are the Anandabodhi tree in Sravasti and the Bodhi tree in Anuradhapura. Both are believed to have been propagated from the original Bodhi tree.
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Ashvattha in Buddhist chronology
The Bodhi tree at the Mahabodhi Temple is called the Sri Maha Bodhi. According to Buddhism, after his Enlightenment, the Buddha spent a whole week in front of the tree, standing with unblinking eyes, gazing at it with gratitude. A shrine was later erected on the spot where he so stood, and was called the Animisalocana cetiya (q.v.).
The spot was used as a shrine even in the lifetime of the Buddha, the only shrine that could be so used. King Asoka was most diligent in paying homage to the Bodhi tree, and held a festival every year in its honour in the month of Kattika. His queen, Tissarakkhā was jealous of the Tree, and three years after she became queen (i.e., in the nineteenth year of Asoka’s reign), she caused the tree to be killed by means of mandu thorns.The tree, however, grew again, and a great monastery was attached to the Bodhimanda called the Bodhimanda Vihara. Among those present at the foundation of the Mahā Thūpa are mentioned thirty thousand monks from the Bodhimanda Vihara, led by Cittagutta.
Jetavana, Sravasti
Buddhist tradition recounts that while the Buddha was yet alive, in order that people might make their offerings in the name of the Buddha when he was away on pilgrimage, he sanctioned the planting of a seed from the Bodhi tree in Bodhgaya in front of the gateway of Jetavana Monastery near Sravasti. For this purpose Moggallana took a fruit from the tree as it dropped from its stalk, before it reached the ground. It was planted in a golden jar by Anathapindika with great pomp and ceremony. A sapling immediately sprouted forth, fifty cubits high, and in order to consecrate it the Buddha spent one night under it, rapt in meditation. This tree, because it was planted under the direction of Ananda, came to be known as the Ananda Bodhi.
Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka
According to the Ceylon Chronicles, the Sri Maha Bodhi in Sri Lanka was planted in 288 BC, making it the oldest verified specimen of any angiosperm. 
In this year (the twelfth year of King Asoka’s reign) the right branch of the Bodhi tree was brought by Sanghamittā to Anurādhapura and placed by Devānāmpiyatissa in the Mahāmeghavana. The Buddha, on his death bed, had resolved five things, one being that the branch which should be taken to Ceylon should detach itself (Mhv.xvii.46f). From Gayā, the branch was taken toPātaliputta, thence to Tāmalittī, where it was placed in a ship and taken to Jambukola, across the sea; finally it arrived at Anuradhapura, staying on the way at Tivakka. Those who assisted the king at the ceremony of the planting of the Tree were the nobles of Kājaragāma and of Candanagāma and of Tivakka.
The trees of Previous Buddhas
According to the Ceylon Chronicles (e.g., Mhv.xv), branches from the Bodhi trees of all the Buddhas born during this kalpa were planted in Ceylon on the spot where the sacred Bodhi tree stands today in Anurādhapura. The branch of Kakusandha’s tree was brought by a nun called Rucānandā, Konagamana’s by Kantakānandā (or Kanakadattā), and Kassapa’s by Sudhammā.
The peepal is the first-known depicted tree in India: a seal discovered at Mohenjodaro, one of the cities of the Indus Valley Civilisation (c. 3000 BC - 1700 BC), shows the peepal being worshipped. During the Vedic period, its wood was used to make fire by
friction. It’s bark was used to write on.
The peepal is used extensively in Ayurveda. Its bark yields the tannin used in treating leather. Its leaves, when heated in ghee, are applied to cure wounds.
The Brahma Purana and the Padma Purana, relate how once, when the demons defeated the gods, Vishnu hid in the peepal. Therefore spontaneous worship to Vishnu can be offered to a peepal without needing his image or temple. The Skanda Purana Peepal Tree also considers the peepal a symbol of Vishnu. He is believed to have been born under this tree. Some believe that the tree houses the Trimurti, the roots being Brahma, the trunk Vishnu and the leaves Shiva. The gods are said to hold their councils under this tree and so it is associated with spiritual understanding.
The peepal is also closely linked to Krishna. In the Bhagavad Gita, he says: “Among trees, I am the ashvattha.” Krishna is believed to have died under this tree, after which the present Kali Yuga is said to have begun.
In the Upanishads, the fruit of the peepal is used as an example to explain the difference between the body and the soul: the body is like the fruit which, being outside, feels and enjoys things, while the soul is like the seed, which is inside and therefore witnesses things. According to the Skanda Purana, if one does not have a son, the peepal should be regarded as one. As long as the tree lives, the family name will continue. To cut down a peepal is considered a sin equivalent to killing a Brahmin, one of the five deadly sins or Panchapataka. According to the Skanda Purana, a person goes to hell For doing so.
Some people are particular to touch the peepal only on a Saturday. The Brahma Purana explains why, saying that Ashvattha and Peepala were two demons who harassed people. Ashvattha would take the form of a peepal and Peepala the form of a Brahmin. The fake
Brahmin would advise people to touch the tree, and as soon as they did, Ashvattha would kill them. Later they were both killed by Shani. Because of his influence, it is considered safe to touch the tree on Saturdays. Lakshmi is also believed to inhabit the tree on Saturdays. Therefore it is considered auspicious to worship it then. Women ask the tree to bless them with a son tying red thread or red cloth around its trunk or on its branches (see Sacred Trees).
On Amavasya, villagers perform a symbolic marriage between the neem and the peepal, which are usually grown near each other. Although this practice is not prescribed by any religious text, there are various beliefs on the significance of ‘marrying’ these trees. In one such belief, the fruit of the neem represents the Shivalinga and so, the male. The leaf of the peepal represents the yoni, the power of the female. The fruit of the neem is placed on a peepal leaf to depict the Shiva Linga which symbolises creation through sexual union, and so the two trees are ‘married’. After the ceremony, villagers circle the trees to rid themselves of their sins.
Cultivation
Cultivation Tips: Sunlight: Prefer full sunlight.
Temperature: Prefer high temperature. Suitable temperature for growth: 20~32 degrees centigrade. Lowest temperature to sustain over winter is 10 degrees centigrade. Living under too low temperature will result in rotting of the root.
Watering: Prefer high humidity, while proper drainage is required. Seedling requires sufficient watering. Water until all soil is wet and some extra water releases from the bottom of pot. Living under water continuously will result in rotting of the root.
Wind: Bodhi Tree’s root is shallow. Therefore, it is often blew down by strong wind such as typhoon. It is essential to select a place on the lee side to grow a bodhi tree. If you put a bodhi tree in your balcony, better choose a place with less cold wind and more sun light.
Soil: It can grow on most soils, while it grows especially good in loam with organic components and good drainage. It does not grow as well in clay (too sticky soil). Although it grows under any PH, it grows the best in slightly acid soil (PH<7). If you plant a bodhi tree on the ground, choose a place with some distance to any building in case bodhi tree’s root penetrates the building in the future. If you grow it in a pot, you may transplant it to a bigger pot every other year. It is better to transplant in spring (or summer before it grows new leaves). Try to avoid putting the tree under too strong sun light right after the transplantation because the root may not have fully recovered after transplanting yet.
Timing: Spring and summer are good for cuttage. Trim can be done in the winter.
Fertilization: Bodhi tree is very strong and doesn’t need fertilizer to grow well if planted on the ground. To speed up the growth, you may use thoroughly decomposed fertilizer, putting into the soil while not too close to the main root. It is safer to use less fertilizer than more fertilizer, as plants do not die without fertilizer but can die when given too much fertilizer.
Reproduction methods:
- Layering
- Cuttage
- Seed
- Potting Tips: Potting: It is the best to grow bodhi tree on the ground, but you can grow it in a pot. Due to the limited space in a pot, bodhi tree won’t grow very big in a pot.
- Surviving winter: the Ashvattha orginated from tropical zones. However, it can still live through winter in colder places. It is known that there are people growing bodhi trees in temporate zone countries such as USA (New York, New Jersey), Canada, the Netherlands, and Japan. For sub-tropical zone countries like Taiwan, bodhi tree can survive winter outdoors.
- Domestication: To move a bodhi tree between indoor and outdoor, or between different environment, it must go through domestication to adjust well.
- Suitable environment: Bodhi tree prefers environment with strong sunlight and high humidity. Therefore, it is better not to put it indoors for too long time. Otherwise, the plant will be weak and subject to blight. If you grow it indoor through winter, do put it close to window with as much sunlight as possible. (Fluorescent lamps is of limited help.) Air conditioning makes the air very dry so you may need to increase humidinity under air conditioning. Avoid putting bodhi tree in front of the wind from air conditioner.
- Potash fertilizer: Plants need three major elements (N, P, K) to grow well. In indoor condition with insufficient sunlight, supplementing a little K (potash) fertilizer (e.g. ashes) is helpful as K is helpful for increasing the efficiency of photosynthesis, which produces carbohydrate.
- Water pot: It may be helpful to put a water pot under the pot. In the water pot, put some stones and then the pot. When watering, you may leave some water in the water pot. Because of the holding from the stone, the water in water pot doesn’t reach the pot of bodhi tree.
- There are two benefits of doing so: 1. Increase humidity. 2. Prevent ants from moving in.
- Please make sure the water level doesn’t reach the bottom of the pot of bodhi tree; otherwise the root of bodhi tree may rot sooner or later.
- Pot: It is usually not good to transplant a plant from a small pot to a very big pot directly. This is because a big pot can contain a large amount of water, while a small plant cannot use so much water. Therefore, if not controlling the water strictly, a small plant in a very big pot may not grow well.
- Style: In general there is no need to change the style of bodhi tree.
Modern plantings
- A Sri Maha Bodhi sapling was planted in the Buddha Jayanti Park in New Delhi, India in 1993.
- Trivial: CEO Ashvattha also planted a handful of seeds in 1996, the year his son Bo Kedar was born. Three 11 year old Ashvattha trees are alive and well in Amsterdam.
External links
- The Bodhi Tree Network.
a List of branches and saplings of the Bodhi Tree around the world, cultivation tips of Bo tree, and how to share Bodhi trees. - The Bodhi-Tree Meditation
a Buddhist practice based on Buddha’s night of liberation at the Ashvattha
