Tree Lore: (Sacred Trees)
Tree lore is a suspected ancient school of knowledge with roots stretching back into our earliest symbolic imaginations. The Tree is a common universal, archetypal symbol that can be found in many different traditions around the ancient world. Trees are symbols of physical and spiritual nourishment, transformation and liberation, sustenance, spiritual growth, union and fertility. The tree is a spiritual motif and framework, a map of conception and consciousness that brings together the temporal worlds of time, space and consciousness. Trees are the places of birth and death; they are used as sacred shrines and places of spiritual pilgrimage, ritual, ceremony and celebration. Sacred trees are found in the Shamanic, Hindu, Egyptian, Sumerian, Toltec, Mayan, Norse, Celtic and Christian traditions.
excerpt from http://www.ancient-wisdom.com/treelore.htm
Why the Bodhi Tree?
Trees are incredible places of energy, and the Bodhi (awakening) tree has held a special part of my heart. Much of my life has been entrenched with a love of nature and the connectedness of all things. Repeatedly I have turned to the the study of loving kindness and the journey of buddha, so when it came time to start thinking of what to call my business. I happened across the article below, learning the Bodhi tree is not only where Buddha gained enlightenment to end suffering, but also where warriors would tie their horses to rest. Bodhi Equus became my inspiration for what I wanted my business to become.
Exerpt from Bodhi Tree and Human Revolution by Lokesh Chandra
Sanskrit has the tree called ashwattha (bodhi tree)—which means “the place where horses stand.” In ancient times the Kshatriyas (warrior class) used to tie their horses to a bodhi tree. The Buddha pondered under this ashwattha tree as to how our mind, our roving mind, can find a value system. He sat down under this tree to control the uncontrollable horse which is the mind. Buddha sat under the bodhi tree for 49 days, hungry, trying to control the horse, the mind. A passage in the Nikayas, the oldest section of the Tripitaka, defines the meditation of Siddhartha in the words:
Tree lore is a suspected ancient school of knowledge with roots stretching back into our earliest symbolic imaginations. The Tree is a common universal, archetypal symbol that can be found in many different traditions around the ancient world. Trees are symbols of physical and spiritual nourishment, transformation and liberation, sustenance, spiritual growth, union and fertility. The tree is a spiritual motif and framework, a map of conception and consciousness that brings together the temporal worlds of time, space and consciousness. Trees are the places of birth and death; they are used as sacred shrines and places of spiritual pilgrimage, ritual, ceremony and celebration. Sacred trees are found in the Shamanic, Hindu, Egyptian, Sumerian, Toltec, Mayan, Norse, Celtic and Christian traditions.
excerpt from http://www.ancient-wisdom.com/treelore.htm
Why the Bodhi Tree?
Trees are incredible places of energy, and the Bodhi (awakening) tree has held a special part of my heart. Much of my life has been entrenched with a love of nature and the connectedness of all things. Repeatedly I have turned to the the study of loving kindness and the journey of buddha, so when it came time to start thinking of what to call my business. I happened across the article below, learning the Bodhi tree is not only where Buddha gained enlightenment to end suffering, but also where warriors would tie their horses to rest. Bodhi Equus became my inspiration for what I wanted my business to become.
Exerpt from Bodhi Tree and Human Revolution by Lokesh Chandra
Sanskrit has the tree called ashwattha (bodhi tree)—which means “the place where horses stand.” In ancient times the Kshatriyas (warrior class) used to tie their horses to a bodhi tree. The Buddha pondered under this ashwattha tree as to how our mind, our roving mind, can find a value system. He sat down under this tree to control the uncontrollable horse which is the mind. Buddha sat under the bodhi tree for 49 days, hungry, trying to control the horse, the mind. A passage in the Nikayas, the oldest section of the Tripitaka, defines the meditation of Siddhartha in the words:
“He looked up at a pippala leaf imprinted against the blue sky, its tail blowing back and forth as if calling him. Looking deeply at the leaf he saw clearly the presence of the sun and stars. Without the sun, without light and warmth, the leaf could not exist. He also saw in the leaf the presence of clouds. Without clouds there could be no rain. And without rain the leaf could not be. He saw the earth, time, space and mind. All were present in the leaf. In fact at that very moment the entire universe existed in that leaf. The reality of the leaf was a wondrous miracle.”
The idea of peace is ecological peace. Without ecology there would be no human mind, no humanity, no life. Speaking of peace, we think of social peace in the first instance. Transcending all is spiritual peace which conditions social, political or global peace. Lord Buddha sat under the bodhi tree and the horse or mind was fully trained.
