Bodhi Trees

When you look through history, trees have very often been the focal point of enlightenment. So was the case with Newton and Buddha. I too have always had a Bodhi tree in my life where I could sit and wonder and often times find my own enlightenment.

My first Bodhi tree was a large sugar maple in the back yard of the home where I grew up. Later my tree of contemplation was a large oak tree in the middle of a hay field in the town where I grew up. Being in the open its branches spread out further than the height of the tree.

It is important that Bodhi trees are trees of age and substance. It should take at least two people to wrap their arms around Bodhi trees. They should also be in a private location where you can sit for hours and not be seen by neighbors or passers-by. Time spent under a Bodhi tree should be timeless and the ground beneath should be soft.

I had several Bodhi trees before the December 2007 storm. Those three windy days knocked them all down. I still have some large trees, but they aren’t in private locations where I can spend hours sitting beneath them without neighbors coming around to see if I need assistance.

If you have your own Bodhi tree, count yourself as most fortunate. When you lose your favorite tree you may be aimless and un-centered until you can find another.