Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi is an officially sacred fig tree in Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka, the capital of the country’s ancient kings. The oldest living human-planted tree in the world is more than 2300 years old, and has its history written from the first moment, for it is the offspring of the original Bo tree under which the Buddha gained enlightenment. Moreover, the Bo tree we can see in India, Bodhgaya today was re-transferred from this Sri Lankan One. This is the hint (in fact: unquestionable proof in the eyes of Sinhalese Buddhists) that Sri Lanka is the trustee and guard of authentic and true Buddhist teachings.
We can hardly imagine the awe Sinhalese people have towards the tree. Many of the pilgrims leave their stream and settle here and there in smaller groups reading the holy verses for hours and hours, half aloud. Apparently noble ladies are sweeping the yard around the tree in all white – as church codex tells for serving. Only monkeys and tourists remain untouched by this elevated atmosphere – latter don’t take pictures, though.
Today is a weekday, yet, pilgrims are arriving from all over the country in a constant stream, in silence or singing or with musicians, but all packed with offerings and barefooted. They left their shoes in the vehicle, at the inner gate, close to the tree, there are basically European sandals only – from here they are not allowed. Even the heavily armed guards are barefooted that somehow makes them vulnerable, human. I start talking to one of them, and he is willing to answer – obviously – the same questions again and again. After a few sentences he picks up a fallen leaf of the holy tree and hands it to me as a friendly gesture. Pilgrims are also collecting them, everyone wants to bring one home as a memento.
Everybody in Sri Lanka knows the name of Sanghamitta Maha Their. She was the Buddhist nun who brought one (southern) branch of the original tree to the island by the order of Asoka, Emperor of India. She gave it to King Tissa, who ceremoniously planted it in his royal park in 288 BC.
Although kings and devotees have always protected the tree, history hasn’t always been gentle: wild elephants, storms, once even a vandal broke its branches. Today a golden fence surrounds the tree, and the low branches are supported by huge golden bars. Further around there is a whole little forest of other fig trees to protect it from storms to come, and from the populous monkey groups dwelling in the park. And indeed: the monkeys that are around everywhere, somehow avoid the old tree, as if they would have agreed.
However, Tamil Tiger separatists did not evade the Maha Bodhi, and storming the site massacred 146 Buddhists in 1985. The entire country was aghast.
The sacred tree is such an important symbol, that you can’t find Buddhist temple without a fig tree; most of them are directly built around it. And vice versa: there is no fig tree that wouldn’t be honored – should it stand in the middle of a paddy field. Most of them has a small jar somewhere close and fresh water, so everyone visiting could give to the tree expressing their respect.
Sri Lanka hasn’t been carried away by celebrity-madness; deep respect still plays a bigger part in their lives – for us sometimes in surprising, even confusing ways. That’s what I’ll talk about next.