The Peepal tree (Ficus religiosa) also known as Ashvattha, its Sanskrit name, and the Bodhi tree or Bo tree, is a divinely royal tree – the king of all sacred trees. This sacred fig is associated with all the Hindu deities, especially Lord Vishnu, who is said to have been born under its shelter. In addition, the Peepal tree is a symbol of the Lord Himself.
A commonly held belief in India is the Peepal tree houses the entire Trimurti, the roots being Lord Brahma, the trunk Lord Vishnu and the leaves Lord Shiva. It is also widely believed that the Trimurti meet and hold council in its shade. In the Bhagavad Gita, Lord Krishna, a divine incarnation of Lord Vishnu says: “Among trees, I am the Ashvattha.” Legend has it that Lord Krishna died under this tree, and with his death the present Kali Yuga began.
There are many different rituals as well as numerous legends surrounding this mysterious tree and many divine associations, including Devi Laxmi who is said to inhabit the tree on Saturdays. This virtuous tree has the reputation for being able to fulfil desires, especially with the blessings of children and longevity, as well as being able to absolve sins and cure diseases. To have their worldly desires met people offer the tree water, light a lamp, walk around the tree (circumambulation) and even massage the roots of the tree with oil and garland it with coloured threads and offer food items. According to a respected Hindu priest from a local temple in Brisbane, the practice of putting oil at the base of the tree is a ritual that may cause it harm. Pundit Ji said that it’s much better to light a lamp in front of the tree and then say a prayer to the Lord to help solve any problems, rather than perform a ritual which may hurt the tree, as we must put its care, before any of our own worldly desires.
The tree’s form is very attractive; it can grow extremely large and powerful and live to a great age. The tree leaves (where Lord Shiva resides) are heart-shaped and they rustle or quiver much like the American Aspen tree. These iconic tree leaves are considered auspicious; they are used for religious and artistic purposes, as well as a combination of both. In fact the writer’s first introduction to the Peepal tree came through an Indian painting, painted on the leaf of a Peepal tree. My childhood memory was sitting on the floor of an emporium in Brisbane CBD trying to choose which Peepal leaf picture to buy. The leaf paintings were just so adorable. They were all paintings of the various deities and it was hard to choose just one. Chinese artists also paint their compositions exquisitely on the leaves of the Peepal tree. Many other objects of art are made with the Peepal leaf design. The fruit of the sacred fig is purple and filled with tiny seeds. The birds eat the seed and spread it about. The Peepal tree is also epiphytic, which means it can take root even without soil. Seeds can grow from the bark of other trees through aerial roots until it finds soil.
In India the Peepal and the Neem tree are sometimes found growing together side by side as a married couple. The Peepal tree is considered male and the Neem tree is considered the female (Shakti). At other times it is the Banyan and Peepal found growing together.
The Peepal tree also has the reputation for providing abundant oxygen, along with the Neem tree and Tulsi. All parts of the Peepal tree are used extensively in Ayurveda.
Divine association with Lord Buddha
One of the most well known saints associated with the Peepal tree is Lord Buddha. Buddhist scripture says that Gautama Buddha meditated under the Peepal tree at Bodh Gaya in the Indian state of Bihar for forty-nine days without moving from this position. It was under the shelter of the Peepal tree Lord Buddha found enlightenment. It’s told that the first thing the Buddha did after enlightenment was thank the tree for its shelter. This particular Peepal tree became a pilgrimage site even in his lifetime. When asked, who should people respect after his death the Buddha replied that they should honour and revere the Peepal tree.
Lord Buddha promised: “He who worships the Peepal tree will receive the same reward as if he worshiped me in person”.
King Ashoka, considered one of India’s greatest emperors, honoured the Peepal tree with a festival each year and built a railing around the original tree that the Buddha received his enlightenment under. King Ashoka was also the first to build a temple at Bodh Gaya. The site is now a World Heritage Site and a significant pilgrimage place for Buddhists called the Mahabodhi temple. The story of King Ashoka and his transformation of character is a really fascinating one. It was King Ashoka who helped promote and spread Buddhism across ancient Asia. It was King Ashoka’s daughter who became a Buddhist nun and was responsible for taking a cutting of the special tree from the time of Lord Buddha to Sri Lanka where its tree lineage still grows at the ancient capital. Many Buddhist temples have a Peepal tree in the grounds and these trees are very much respected by Buddhist people.
Shree Ramakrishna Paramhansa and his beloved disciple Swami Vivekananda
The Peepal tree also has associations with other great saints such as Ramakrishna Paramhansa and his disciple Swami Vivekananda. The Peepal tree is one of five sacred trees that make the Panchavati where Ramakrishna Paramhansa spent many hours at the famous Dakshineswar temple grounds in Bengal meditating and conversing with the Divine Mother, Kali. In 1890, Swami Vivekananda on his way to Almora in the Himalayas, sat under a Peepal tree and meditated. During this experience he had a very deep spiritual realisation. Afterwards he wrote down some notes in Bengali, and this excerpt is taken from those notes.
“In the beginning was the Word etc. The microcosm and the macrocosm are built on the same plan. Just as the individual soul is encased in the living body, so is the universal Soul in the Living Prakriti [Nature] — the objective universe. Shivâ [i.e. Kâli] is embracing Shiva: this is not a fancy. This covering of the one [Soul] by the other [Nature] is analogous to the relation between an idea and the word expressing it: they are one and the same; and it is only by a mental abstraction that one can distinguish them. Thought is impossible without words. Therefore, in the beginning was the Word etc. This dual aspect of the Universal Soul is eternal. So what we perceive or feel is this combination of the Eternally Formed and the Eternally Formless.” ~ Swami Vivekananda (Life of Swami Vivekananda, Vol. I. p. 250.)
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Box 1
Where to see a Peepal tree in Brisbane
There is a very large old Peepal tree in the old Botanical Gardens on the banks of the Brisbane River in Brisbane CBD. You must see it and experience the peace it showers. The Peepal tree can be found on the left-hand side of the entrance at Alice Street. The tree was planted in the early 1880s. It is said to have come from a cutting struck from the ancient tree in Sri Lanka. Whether or not the tree cutting came from the original cutting brought to Sri Lanka by the daughter of King Ashoka the writer does not know for sure, but it makes for a very romantic story. In 1983, the Dalai Lama visited the Peepal tree at the Botanical Gardens in Brisbane city after he planted a cutting from this tree at the University of Queensland. Many people visit the Peepal tree at the Botanical gardens and even enjoy lunch under its shade. The tree is so large there are manmade structures to hold up two giant limbs. These spectacular gardens are home to many other horticultural delights.
Another quite large Peepal tree can be found at the entrance to the Gallery of Modern Art at the Cultural Centre precinct at South Bank across the Brisbane River from the CBD. It is close to the State Library, Queensland Art Gallery and the Museum of Brisbane. This Peepal tree was planted as a public arts project called “the Bodhi Tree Project”. It is told that the tree grown by cutting has a direct lineage to the Buddha’s original Peepal tree from Bodh Gaya. There’s a sign next to the tree saying: ‘Bodhi Tree Terrace’.
Buddha Birth Day Festival is held each year in May to celebrate his appearance at the Parklands at Southbank in Brisbane. It is the largest Buddhist festival of its kind in the world. Each year the Peepal tree is honoured. It is called the Bodhi Tree Blessing Ceremony.
There is also a smaller Peepal tree in the grounds of the Hindu temple Shree Laxminarayan Mandir at Burbank in Brisbane where you may go and offer your love, devotion and respects to this king of all sacred trees.
Box 2
Where to purchase a Peepal tree in Australia
A Peepal tree is not a suitable tree to grow in a home garden, but it would make a terrific specimen tree if you have lots of space and live on a large property. When ordering online you may need to make your search by using the name ‘Bodhi tree’, as many people in Australia know the tree by this name, rather than the Peepal tree.
You can purchase a tree at Daley’s Nursery at www.daleysfruit.com.au or Rare Plants Nursery at www.rareplants.net.au.