The Bodhi Trees of the 28 Buddhas

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buddhaflower
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Re: The Bodhi Trees of the 28 Buddhas

Post by buddhaflower »

Dear Members,

According to The Dhamma Encyclopedia, Konagamana Buddha was sitting under the beautiful Udaumbara tree (Ficus Glomerata) when he became enlightened.

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:heart: Konagamana : Udaumbara tree (Ficus Glomerata) :heart:
[From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia]


Ficus Glomerata Tree/fruits
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In Buddhism, udumbara (Pali, Sanskrit; Devanagari: उडुम्बर) and uḍumbara (Sanskrit) refer to the tree, flower and fruit of the Ficus racemosa (syn. Ficus glomerata).[1][2][3] In Buddhist literature, this tree or its fruit may carry the connotation of rarity, parasitism or Vedic mysticism.
Unseen flowers

The flowers of the udumbara are enclosed within its fruit, as in all figs (see "Fig pollination and fig fruit"). Because the flower is hidden inside the fruit, a legend developed to explain the absence (and supposed rarity) of the visual flower: in Buddhist mythology, the flower was said to bloom only once every 3,000 years, and thus came to symbolize events of rare occurrence. Allusions to this symbolism can be found in texts such as Theravada Buddhism's Uraga Sutta (Sn 1.1, v. 5) and Mahayana Buddhism's "Lotus Sutra," both described further below.

Udumbara Flowers
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Strangling figs
The udumbara tree is one of several trees known as "strangling figs" due to their often developing as seeds dropped on the branches of a host tree (by animals eating the fig tree's fruit) and, as the branch-borne fig tree grows, it envelops its host tree with its own roots and branches, at times crushing and replacing the host tree. Based on this life cycle, the Mahārukkha Sutta (SN 46.39) likens "sensual pleasures" (kāma) to such fig trees, causing their human hosts to become "bent, twisted, and split" (obhaggavibhaggo vipatito seti).

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Vedic amulet
In Vedic literature, fig trees often represent talismans with the udumbara fig tree having been deemed the "lord of amulets." Thus, in the Pali Canon, when Māra disguises himself as a brahmin in the Sambahula Sutta (SN 4.21), he carries a "staff of udumbara wood" (udumbaradaṇḍa).

Pali literature

In the Pali literature, the udumbara tree and its flowers are used concretely (as the tree beneath which a former Buddha gained enlightenment), metaphorically (as representative of a caste) and symbolically (evoking the insubstantiality of things and self).

Former bodhi tree
In both the Digha Nikaya and Buddhavamsa, the udumbara tree is identified as the tree under which the past Buddha Konāgamana attained enlightenment.

Egalitarian emancipation

In the Majjhima Nikaya's Kaṇṇakatthala Sutta (MN 90), the Buddha uses the udumbara tree in a metaphor to describe how the member of any of the four castes is able to achieve the same quality of spiritual "emancipation" or "release" (vimutti) as a member of another caste:

[Buddha]: "I tell you, great king, that there would be no difference among them [the four castes] with regard to the release of one and the release of another. Suppose that a man, taking dry sala wood, were to generate a fire and make heat appear. And suppose that another man, taking dry saka (teak?) wood ... another man, taking dry mango wood ... another man, taking dry fig [udumbara] wood, were to generate a fire and make heat appear. Now what do you think, great king: among those fires generated from different kinds of wood, would there be any difference between the glow ..., the color ..., the radiance of one and the radiance of another?"
[King Pasenadi:] "No, lord."
[Buddha]: "In the same way, great king, in the power that is kindled by persistence and generated by exertion, I say that there is no difference with regard to the release of one and the release of another."

Archetype of nonsubstantiality

In the Pali Canon's Sutta Nipata, the udumbara fig tree is used as a metaphor for existence's ultimate insubstantiality (in English and in Pali):

He who does not find core or substance in any of the realms of being,

like flowers which are vainly sought in fig trees that bear none,
— such a monk gives up the here and the beyond,
just as a serpent sheds its worn-out skin.
Yo nājjhagamā bhavesu sāraṃ
vicīnaṃ pupphamīva udumbaresu,
So bhikkhu jahāti orapāraṃ
urago jiṇṇamiva tacaṃ purāṇaṃ.

In the post-canonical Visuddhimagga (XXI, 56), the udumbara tree is again used to symbolize the "emptiness of all formations" (sabbe saṃkhārā suññāti, Vsm XXI,53):

Just as a reed has no core, is coreless, without core; just as a castor-oil plant, an udumbara (fig) tree, a setavaccha tree, a palibhaddaka tree, a lump of froth, a bubble on water, a mirage, a plantain trunk, a conjuring trick, has no core, is coreless, without core, so too materiality ... feeling ... perception ... formations ... consciousness ... eye ... ageing-and-death has no core, is coreless, without core, as far as concerns any core of permanence, or core of lastingness, or core of pleasure, or core of self, or as far as concerns what is permanent, or what is lasting, or what is eternal, or what is not subject to change.

Lotus Sutra

The udumbara flower of the Ficus racemosa tree appears in chapters 2 and 27 of the 3rd century Lotus Sutra, an important Mahayana Buddhist text. The symbolic nature of the udumbara is used in the Lotus Sutra to compare the unique occurrence of its bloom with the uncommon appearance of the Buddha and its doctrine in the world:

As the Buddhas of the three periods of time
In such a manner spoke the Dharma,
So do I likewise now expound
The undiscriminated Dharma.
All Buddhas come into the world
But rarely, and are hard to meet;
And when they appear in the world,
It’s hard for them to speak the Dharma.
Throughout countless ages, too,
It’s difficult to hear this Dharma.
And those who can hear this Dharma--
Such people too, are rare,
Like the udumbara flower,
In which all take delight,
Which the gods and humans prize,
For it blooms but once in a long, long time.
So one who hears this Dharma, gives joyful praise,
With even just a single word,
Has thereby made offerings,
To all the Buddhas of the three periods of time.
Such people are extremely rare.
Rarer than the udumbara flower.
All of you should have no doubts,
For I am the Dharma King;
I declare to the assembly:
I use only the path of One Vehicle,
To teach and transform Bodhisattvas.
There are no Sound Hearer Disciples.
Shariputra, all of you,
the Sound Hearers and Bodhisattvas,
Should know that this wondrous Dharma
Is the secret essence of all Buddhas.

Thich Nhat Hanh places the flower in the context of enlightenment:

To see a fully awakened person, a Buddha, is so rare that it is like seeing an udumbara flower. In the Tu Hieu Monastery in Hue, there is a scroll which says: "The udumbara flower, although fallen from the stem, is still fragrant." Just as the fragrance of the udumbara flower cannot be destroyed, our capacity for enlightenment is always present. The Buddha taught that everyone is a Buddha, everyone is an udumbara flower.

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Buddhaflower :anjali: :heart:
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tidathep
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Re: The Bodhi Trees of the 28 Buddhas

Post by tidathep »

Dear Members..This beautiful full moon Uposatha Day, I proudly present:

According to The Dhamma Encyclopedia, Kassapa Buddha was sitting under the beautiful Banyan tree (Nigrodha) when he became enlightened.

Image

:heart: Kassapa Buddha : Banyan tree (Nigrodha) :heart:
[From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia]


Banyan fruits
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Banyan trunk
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A banyan (also banian) is a fig that starts its life as an epiphyte (a plant growing on another plant) when its seeds germinate in the cracks and crevices on a host tree (or on structures like buildings and bridges). "Banyan" often refers specifically to the Indian banyan or Ficus benghalensis, the national tree of India,though the term has been generalized to include all figs that share a characteristic life cycle, and systematically to refer to the subgenus Urostigma.

The leaves of the banyan tree are large, leathery, glossy green and elliptical in shape. Like most fig-trees, the leaf bud is covered by two large scales. As the leaf develops the scales fall. Young leaves have an attractive reddish tinge.

Older banyan trees are characterized by their aerial prop roots that grow into thick woody trunks which, with age, can become indistinguishable from the main trunk. The original support tree can sometimes die, so that the banyan becomes a "columnar tree" with a hollow central core. Old trees can spread out laterally using these prop roots to cover a wide area.
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The name was originally given to F. benghalensis and comes from India where early travellers observed that the shade of the tree was frequented by banias or Indian traders.

In the Gujarati language, banya means "grocer/merchant," not "tree." The Portuguese picked up the word to refer specifically to Hindu merchants and passed it along to the English as early as 1599 with the same meaning. By 1634, English writers began to tell of the banyan tree, a tree under which Hindu merchants would conduct their business. The tree provided a shaded place for a village meeting or for merchants to sell their goods. Eventually "banyan" became the name of the tree itself.

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Locations

Banyan tree in Bangalore One of the largest trees, named the Great Banyan, is found in Kolkata in India. It is said to be more than 250 years old. Another such tree, named Doda Alada Mara, is found in the outskirts of Bangalore. Doda Alada Mara has a spread of around 3 acres.

One of the most famous of banyan trees was planted on the island of Kabirvad in Gujarat. Records show that the Kabirvad tree is more than 300 years old. Another banyan tree planted by William Owen Smith in 1873 in Lahaina's Courthouse Square in Hawaii has grown to cover two-thirds of an acre.

In rural India many villages and towns have a traffic circle, a bus stop and a community gathering place around a big old banyan tree. At night many people come to sit, relax and chat around it. There is usually a small deity placed and worshipped at its foot.[citation needed]
The City of Vadodara & Valsad in western India are named after the banyan tree.
Ta Prohm in the Angkor Wat temple complex of Cambodia is well known for the giant banyans that grow up, around and through its walls.
Several banyans can be found near downtown Hilo, Hawaii. Some of them were planted by celebrities throughout the 20th century and form Banyan Drive.

There are several impressive banyans to be found in the parks in Seville, Spain around the Santa Cruz district.

Strangler figs also occur in areas of Australia such as the Daintree rainforest in Queensland's far north. Well known is the Curtain Fig Tree on the Atherton Tablelands.

The first banyan tree in the U.S. was planted by Thomas Alva Edison in Fort Myers, Florida in an attempt with Henry Ford to find a more cost-effective way to produce rubber for car tires. The tree, originally only 4 feet (1.2 m) tall, now covers an acre of land on the estate.

Two banyan trees stand in St. Petersburg, Florida's waterfront, North Straub Park and are the backdrop of many weddings and family vacation photos.

One large Banyan tree called Kalpabata is there inside the premises of Jagannath Temple of Puri. It is considered as sacred by the devotees and is supposed to be of more than 500 years old.

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:anjali: Ajapala-nigrodha :anjali:
[www.palikanon.com]


A banyan tree which is famous in Buddhist literature. It was in Uruvelā, on the banks of the Nerañjara, near the Bodhi tree, and a week after the Enlightenment the Buddha went there and spent a week cross-legged at the foot of the tree. There he met the Huhunkajātika Brahmin (Vin.i.2-3). Two weeks later he went there again from the Rajāyatana (Vin.i.4). It was then that the Brahma Sahampati appeared to him and persuaded him to preach the doctrine, in spite of the difficulty of the task (Vin.i.5-7; in the eighth week after the Enlightenment, says Buddhaghosa, SA.i.152). This was immediately after the meal offered by Tapassu and Bhalluka, so says the Majjhima Atthakathā (i.385; J.i.81). When the Buddha wishes to have someone as his teacher, Sahampati appears again and suggests to him that the Dhamma be considered his teacher (A.ii.20f.; S.i.138f).

By Ajapāla-nigrodha it was, too, that, immediately after the Enlightenment, Mara tried to persuade the Buddha to die at once (D.ii.112). Several other conversations held here with Mara are recorded in the Samyutta (S.i.103f).

Here, also, the Buddha spent some time before the Enlightenment (D.ii.267), and it was here that Sujata offered him a meal of milk-rice (J.i.16, 69).

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Here, in the fifth week after the Enlightenment, Mara's daughters tried to tempt the Buddha (J.i.78, 469).'

Several etymologies are suggested for the name:

(a) in its shadow goatherds (ajapālā) rest;
(b) old brahmins, incapable of reciting the Vedas, live here in dwellings protected by walls and ramparts (this derivation being as follows: na japantī ti =ajapā, mantānam anajjhāyakā=ajapā, ālenti arīyanti nivāsam etthāti=Ajapālo ti);
(c) it shelters the goats that seek its shade at midday (UdA.51).
The northern Buddhists say that the tree was planted by a shepherd boy, during the Bodhisatta's six years' penance, to shelter him (Beal, Romantic Legend of Buddha,192, 238; Mtu.iii.302).

The Brahmā Sutta (S.v.167) and the Magga Sutta (S.v.185), both on the four satipatthāna, and another Brahmā Sutta (S.v.232f) on the five indriyāni, were concerning thoughts that occurred to the Buddha on various occasions at the foot of this tree, when he sat there soon after the Enlightenment. On all these occasions Brahma Sahampati appeared to him and confirmed his thoughts. Several old brahmins, advanced in years, visited the Buddha during this period and questioned him as to whether it were true that he did not pay respect to age. To them he preached the four Thera-karanā dhamma. A.ii.22.

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Love Buddhas :heart:
tidathep :anjali:
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Re: The Bodhi Trees of the 28 Buddhas

Post by tidathep »

Dear members,

According to The Dhamma Encyclopedia, Tanhankara Buddha, Medhankara Buddha and Saranankara Buddha's Bodhi Trees are unknown.

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According to The Dhamma Encyclopedia, Piyadassi Buddha was sitting under the beautiful Kakudha tree (Crataeva Hygrophyla) when he became enlightened.

But I can not find information about Kakudha tree online


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According to The Dhamma Encyclopedia, Dhammadassi Buddha was sitting under the beautiful Bimbijala Tree (Pavetta Indica ) when he became enlightened.

But I can not find information about Bimbijala Tree (Pavetta Indica) online

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According to The Dhamma Encyclopedia, Siddhatta Buddha was sitting under the beautiful Kanikara tree (Pterospemum Acerifolium) when he became enlightened.

But I can not find information about Kanikara tree (Pterospemum Acerifolium) online


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Dear members,

According to The Dhamma Encyclopedia, Dipankara Buddha was sitting under the beautiful Pipphali tree (Ficus Obtrusfolis) when he became enlightened.

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:heart: Dipankara Buddha : Pipphali tree (Ficus Obtrusfolis) :heart:
[From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia]


Image

Pipal tree a native tree of India, held sacred by the Buddhists, who believe that Gautama Buddha received enlightenment under a Bo tree at Bodh Gaya. The Bo tree attains great size and age; the leaves, which hang from long, flexible petioles, rustle in the slightest breeze. Pipal is also spelled peepul or pipul. All parts of the Pipal tree, including roots, bark, leaf and fruit, are useful. It is very holy tree and devoted by many in India.
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Some fig species (including the New World F. obtusifolia and F. nymphaeifolia) are known as strangler figs. The seeds of strangler figs germinate on a host tree and grow around its trunk in a strangling latticework, eventually killing the host tree. One freestanding New World species, F. insipida, has the highest photosynthetic rate of any forest tree measured, supporting rapid growth and abundant fruiting. It can quickly colonize abandoned farm fields in large numbers, but as the forest matures, most die as other plants take over.

Each fig species is pollinated by a species-specific wasp (see fig wasp). This remarkable pollination system has a fundamental impact on tropical forest ecology. When the pollen-bearing wasps leave a fig tree, the fruit crop ripens quickly, providing a rich feast that attracts a host of mammals and birds. Moreover, as a consequence of the wasp’s short adult lifetime (as little as two days), there are some trees both receiving and releasing fig wasps throughout the year. This pattern results in a steady supply of fruit, making figs a critical resource for animals during times of food shortage. If figs were to be cut out of a forest or the fig wasps were to somehow be removed, there would almost certainly be a dramatic reduction in animal life, as is suggested by the lower population densities of fruit-eating mammals on small islands that lack figs

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Dear members,

According to The Dhamma Encyclopedia, Tissa Buddha was sitting under the beautiful Asana tree (Pentaptera Tomentosa) when he became enlightened.

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:heart: Tissa Buddha : Asana tree (Pentaptera Tomentosa) :heart:
[Tuepflis Global Village Library]


Asana (Hindi: असना or आसन)

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Combretaceae (rangoon creeper family) » Terminalia elliptica

ter-min-NAY-lee-uh -- from Latin terminus (end), referring to leaves at the end of shoots
ee-LIP-tih-kuh -- meaning, elliptical, about twice as long as wide

commonly known as: black murdah, crocodile-bark tree, Indian laurel, silver grey wood, white chuglam • Bengali: asan • Gujarati: સાદડ sadad • Hindi: असना or आसन asana, साज saj • Kannada: ಕರಿಮತ್ತಿ karimatti • Marathi: अयन or आईन or ऐन ain, असण or असणा asan, साताडा satada, शार्दूल or शार्दूळ shardul • Oriya: sahaju • Sanskrit: रक्तअर्जुन raktarjun • Tamil: அருச்சுனம் aruccunam, கருமருது karumarutu, மருதமரம் marutamaram • Telugu: ఇనుమద్ది innu maddi, చండ్ర మద్ది nalla maddi

Native to: tropical Asia, mainly India and Burma

... among Terminalia trees, T. alata can be at once distinguished by its rough bark, larger fruits with broader wings the veins of which spread horizontally from the nut.

*************
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tidathep/buddhaflower :heart:
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Re: The Bodhi Trees of the 28 Buddhas

Post by plwk »

But I can not find information about Kakudha tree online
http://dictionary.buddhistdoor.com/en/word/9129/kakudha
Description: kakudha : [m.] hump (of a bull); cock's comb; the tree Terminalia Arjuna.
And here too
But I can not find information about Bimbijala Tree (Pavetta Indica) online
http://dictionary.buddhistdoor.com/en/w ... 6/kuravaka
Description: Kuravaka [=Sk. kuraṇṭaka Halāyudha, cp. kuraṇḍaka] N. of a tree, in ratta˚ J i.39 (=bimbijāla the red Amaranth tree).
And here too
But I can not find information about Kanikara tree (Pterospemum Acerifolium) online
Link
16. The Buddha Siddhattha and the Ascetic, Mangala
The Buddha Siddhattha was born as the son of King Udena and Queen Suphassa in the city of Vebhara. Growing up in his youth amidst royal splendour, Prince Siddhattha married Princess Sumana who gave birth to a son named Anupama.
Seeing the four signs, Siddhattha left home life in a palanquin and was followed by a large number of men. Taking up the life of a recluse he strove hard for ten months. Finally on Vesakha full moon day, a Brahmin lady named Sunetta offered him a meal of milk rice and some grass for his seat by Varuna, a corn field keeper. After having the meal, he went up to a Kanikara tree (pterospermum acerifolium) and spreading the kusa grass at its foot, sat down cross-legged on it to meditate.
And here too
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tidathep
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Re: The Bodhi Trees of the 28 Buddhas

Post by tidathep »

plwk wrote:
But I can not find information about Kakudha tree online
http://dictionary.buddhistdoor.com/en/word/9129/kakudha
Description: kakudha : [m.] hump (of a bull); cock's comb; the tree Terminalia Arjuna.
And here too
But I can not find information about Bimbijala Tree (Pavetta Indica) online
http://dictionary.buddhistdoor.com/en/w ... 6/kuravaka
Description: Kuravaka [=Sk. kuraṇṭaka Halāyudha, cp. kuraṇḍaka] N. of a tree, in ratta˚ J i.39 (=bimbijāla the red Amaranth tree).
And here too

Dear Plwk,

Thank you so much for the information...I'll post Kakudha Tree (Terminalia Arjuna) and Kanikara Tree(Pterospemum Acerifolium) today.

But Bimbijala Tree (Pavetta Indica) or red Amaranth tree...I'm not sure...it seems to be kind of weed plants/perennial...how could perennial plant be a Bodhi Tree????

Image

Image

Truly appreciate your information :thanks:


But I can not find information about Kanikara tree (Pterospemum Acerifolium) online
Link
16. The Buddha Siddhattha and the Ascetic, Mangala
The Buddha Siddhattha was born as the son of King Udena and Queen Suphassa in the city of Vebhara. Growing up in his youth amidst royal splendour, Prince Siddhattha married Princess Sumana who gave birth to a son named Anupama.
Seeing the four signs, Siddhattha left home life in a palanquin and was followed by a large number of men. Taking up the life of a recluse he strove hard for ten months. Finally on Vesakha full moon day, a Brahmin lady named Sunetta offered him a meal of milk rice and some grass for his seat by Varuna, a corn field keeper. After having the meal, he went up to a Kanikara tree (pterospermum acerifolium) and spreading the kusa grass at its foot, sat down cross-legged on it to meditate.
And here too
User avatar
tidathep
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Re: The Bodhi Trees of the 28 Buddhas

Post by tidathep »

Dear members,

According to The Dhamma Encyclopedia, Piyadassi Buddha was sitting under the beautiful Kakudha tree (Crataeva Hygrophyla) when he became enlightened.

***********
:heart: Piyadassi Buddha : Kakudha tree (Crataeva Hygrophyla) :heart:
http://dictionary.buddhistdoor.com/en/word/9129/kakudha

Description: kakudha : [m.] hump (of a bull); cock's comb; the tree Terminalia Arjuna.

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Kakudha Flowers
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Kakudha Fruits
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Terminalia arjuna, commonly known as arjuna or arjun tree in English, and Marudha Maram in Tamil is a tree of the genus Terminalia.

Description

The arjuna is about 20–25 metres tall; usually has a buttressed trunk, and forms a wide canopy at the crown, from which branches drop downwards. It has oblong, conical leaves which are green on the top and brown below; smooth, grey bark; it has pale yellow flowers which appear between March and June; its glabrous, 2.5 to 5 cm fibrous woody fruit, divided into five wings, appears between September and November.

Distribution and habitat

The arjuna is usually found growing on river banks or near dry river beds in West Bengal and south and central India.[1] It is known as neer maruthu in Tamil and Malayalam, and kohda in Rajasthan.

Silk production

The arjuna is one of the species whose leaves are fed on by the Antheraea paphia moth which produces the tassar silk (tussah), a wild silk of commercial importance.

Medicinal
In studies in mice, its leaves have been shown to have analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties.[1]

Alternative medicine

The arjuna was introduced into Ayurveda as a treatment for heart disease by Vagbhata (c. 7th century CE).[4] It is traditionally prepared as a milk decoction.[4] In the Ashtānga Hridayam, Vagbhata mentions arjuna in the treatment of wounds, hemorrhages and ulcers, applied topically as a powder.
************** :anjali: :heart:
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tidathep
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Re: The Bodhi Trees of the 28 Buddhas

Post by tidathep »

Dear Members,

According to The Dhamma Encyclopedia, Siddhatta Buddha was sitting under the beautiful Kanikara tree (Pterospemum Acerifolium) when he became enlightened.

The Buddha Siddhattha and the Ascetic, Mangala

The Buddha Siddhattha was born as the son of King Udena and Queen Suphassa in the city of Vebhara. Growing up in his youth amidst royal splendour, Prince Siddhattha married Princess Sumana who gave birth to a son named Anupama.
Seeing the four signs, Siddhattha left home life in a palanquin and was followed by a large number of men. Taking up the life of a recluse he strove hard for ten months. Finally on Vesakha full moon day, a Brahmin lady named Sunetta offered him a meal of milk rice and some grass for his seat by Varuna, a corn field keeper. After having the meal, he went up to a Kanikara tree (pterospermum acerifolium) and spreading the kusa grass at its foot, sat down cross-legged on it to meditate.

************

:heart: Siddhattha : Kanikara tree (Pterospemum Acerifolium) :heart:
[From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia]


Kanikara Flowers
Image

Pterospermum acerifolium (karnikara tree) is an angiosperm indigenous to Southeast Asia, from India to Burma.It is most likely to grow naturally along forested stream banks. The best growing conditions are a seasonally moist then dry climate with access to full sunlight. Pterospermum acerifolium is an angiosperm that is traditionally included in the Sterculiaceae family; however, it is grouped in the expanded Malvaceae family as well. The classification Pterospermum is based on two Greek words, Pteron and Sperma, meaning “winged seed.” There is an array of common names for Pterospermum acerifolium, depending on the region where it is grown. It is commonly referred to as Kanak Champa, Muchakunda or Karnikar Tree within its native range. Other common names include Bayur Tree, Maple-Leafed Bayur Tree, and Dinner Plate Tree. It is a relatively a large tree, growing up to thirty meters tall. Mostly planted as an ornamental or shade tree, the leaves, flowers, and wood of a Bayur Tree can serve a variety functions.

Physical description

Leaves in Hyderabad, India.
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The leaves of the Bayur Tree are palmately ribbed and have stipules. The leaves grow in an alternate insertion arrangement. Leaf shape can range from oblong, broadly obovate to ovate. Leaf edges are commonly dentate (toothed) or irregularly lobed. Many leaves tend to droop downward, giving the tree the appearance that it is wilting, when in fact it could have a sufficient amount of water available. The top side of the leaves is a dark green color with a glabrescent texture. The leaves are rough and rubbery to limit the loss of moisture in a hot climate. The bottom side of the leaves range from a silver to rust color and are pubescent. The bark of the tree is grey in color and is considered to be fairly soft. Small twigs and new growth can sometimes seem feathery and are commonly more of a rusty-brown color. Leaves have a peltate blade base, meaning the insertion of the petiole is at the center of the leaf.

Reproduction

Fruit in Hyderabad, India.
Image

The Bayur tree produces large, white, finger shaped flowers in the spring. Flowers begin as one long bud, then separating into five more slender sepals as it matures. Each sepal can be up to seven inches long. The sepals of the flower curl outward and around the white and gold stamen located at the center. The flowers are nocturnal and exceptionally fragrant, suggesting they attract moths for pollination. Successfully pollinated flowers produce a fruit in the form of a hard capsule. The fruit has a very rough texture and is sometimes covered in brown hairs. Fruits can take a very long time to completely mature; up to an entire year. The capsule then splits open releasing a massive number of “winged seeds.” Because it takes such a long period to reproduce, it seems the Bayur tree can be outcompeted by other faster growing plants. It is not widely distributed or common in natural environments, but is popular plant in gardens and landscaping.

Uses
As mentioned before, one of the common names for Pterospermum acerifolium is the Dinner Plate Tree. The utilization of the leaves is exactly what the name depicts. Mature leaves are very large, reaching a length and width of up to thirty five centimeters. They can be used as actual dinner plates or as packaging and storage by wrapping materials inside. The leaves can also serve as a primitive method of re-enforcing roofs and preventing leaks. The pubescent under surface of the leaves is said to stop bleeding and can be used as tinder for a means of sparking fires. The flowers of the Bayur tree can serve as a pleasant perfume and can even keep away insects. The flowers also provide a number of medicinal uses. An effective tonic can be prepared, as well as being used as a cure for inflammation, ulcers, blood problems, and even tumors. The reddish wood of the Bayur Tree can be used for planking. Because the wood is soft, it is not considered to be very strong. However it is incredibly durable and somewhat flexible, making it perfect for planking and wooden boxes. The Bayur Tree even serves a cultural function. Local Hindu people employ the plant for religious purposes. it's bark is also supposed to be used in case of scabies topical preparation in lipstics.

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tidathep
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Re: The Bodhi Trees of the 28 Buddhas

Post by tidathep »

Sawaddee Ka :namaste:

I try to find pictures of Mucalinda Tree and Rajayatana Tree....but can not find them....if any member knows how to find the pictures of these 2 great trees....please post them here.

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