Rise of buddhism

Story of Buddha's Birth

The Buddha's birth was similarly miraculous. On the eighth day of the fourth lunar month, Queen Maya was walking in the Lumbini Garden in Suddhodana's palace grounds, south of the Himalayas. As she stood under a ashoka tree and raised her right arm to pick a blossom, the infant Buddha sprang from her side without causing his mother pain or bloodshed. He immediately took seven steps towards the north, and announced in a loud voice that this was his final incarnation.

The Bodhi Tree, also known as Bo (from the Sinhalese Bo), was a large and very old Sacred Fig tree (Ficus religiosa) located in Bodh gaya (about 100 km (62 mi) from Patna in the Indian state of Bihar), under which Siddhartha Gautama, the spiritual teacher and founder of Buddhism later known as Gautama Buddha, achieved enlightenment, or Bodhi. It takes 100 to 3,000 years for a bodhi tree to fully grow.

Buddha sat cross-legged for seven days at the foot of the Bo-tree experiencing the bliss of emancipation and radiating gratitude to the tree.

Located right in front of the majestic Mahabodhi Temple, the Ajapala Nigrodha . Legend has it that Buddha replied to various queries raised by Old and learned Brahmins regarding religion and general conduct.

It is under this tree Sujata offered Buddha Rice and milk.

On leaving the foot of the Ajapala banyan-tree he drew near to where the Mucalinda tree was and, having drawn near, he again sat cross-legged for seven days.

A tree near the Ajapālanigrodha in Uruvelā. The Buddha spent there the third week after the Enlightenment. There was a great shower of rain, and the Nāga king, Mucalinda, of the tree, sheltered the Buddha by winding his coils seven times round the Buddha's body and holding his hood over the Buddha's head

Around 2500 years ago, Gautama Buddha preached that man should plant a tree every five years. Sacred groves were marked around the temples where certain rules and regulations applied.

The Buddha has made it abundantly clear that nature should be uninterfered with so that humanity may enjoy its presence, and value for their benefit. He also preached that all life, including plant life should not be destroyed. Nature is a life giver for humanity.

Bodhi tree:-

His subsequent worship under the sacred tree apparently angered his queen to the point where she ordered the tree to be felled. Ashoka then piled up earth around the stump and poured milk on its roots. The tree miraculously revived and grew to a height of 37 metres. He then surrounded the tree with a stone wall some three meters high for its protection.

In 600AD, King Sesanka, a zealous Shivaite, again destroyed the tree at Bodh Gaya. The event was recorded by Hiuen T'sang, along with the planting of a new Bodhi tree sapling by King Purnavarma in 620AD.

The present Bodhi tree is most probably the fourth descendant of that original tree to be planted at this site.

Anand Bodhi tree:-

While the Buddha was yet alive, in order that people might make their offerings in the name of the Buddha when he was away on pilgrimage, he sanctioned the planting of a seed from the Bodhi tree in Bodhgaya in front of the gateway of Jetavana Monastery near Sravasti. For this purpose Moggallana took a fruit from the tree as it dropped from its stalk, before it reached the ground. It was planted in a golden jar by Anathapindika with great pomp and ceremony. A sapling immediately sprouted forth, fifty cubits high, and in order to consecrate it the Buddha spent one night under it, rapt in meditation. This tree, because it was planted under the direction of Ananda, came to be known as the Ananda Bodhi

Shri Maha Bodhi tree:-

Sri Maha Bodhi in Sri Lanka was planted in 288 BC, making it the oldest verified specimen of any angiosperm. In this year (the twelfth year of King Asoka's reign) the right branch of the Bodhi tree was brought by Sanghamittā to Anurādhapura and placed by Devānāmpiyatissa in the Mahāmeghavana. From Gayā, the branch was taken to Pātaliputta, thence to Tāmalittī, where it was placed in a ship and taken to Jambukola, across the sea; finally it arrived at Anuradhapura, staying on the way at Tivakka. Those who assisted the king at the ceremony of the planting of the Tree were the nobles of Kājaragāma and of Candanagāma and of Tivakka.

Death of Buddha:-

At the age of 80, after 45 years of teaching, the Buddha entered into a deep trance and died peacefully in the Sala Grove in Kushinagara.

Gupta dynasty

When Chandra Gupta Maurya came to power around 300 BC, he realized the importance of the forests and appointed a high officer to look after the forests.

Ashoka stated that wild animals and forests should be preserved and protected. He launched programmes to plant trees on a large scale. These rules continued even during the Gupta period.Gardens and parks were laid out throughout the empire. Inns were constructed for the travelers; shady trees were planted alongside the roads. Walls and tanks were sunk for the benefit of the people, since he believed in non-violence, he banned animal sacrifice.

ASHOKA THE GREAT - (273-232 B.C.)

Ashoka also planted trees in his empire and his neighboring countries. Ashoka was perhaps the first emperor in human history to ban slavery, hunting, fishingand deforestation.

Ashoka also claims that he encouraged the development of herbal medicine, for human and nonhuman animals, in their territories:

—Edicts of Ashoka, Rock Edict 2

Wherever medical herbs suitable for humans or animals are not available, I have had them imported and grown. Wherever medical roots or fruits are not available I have had them imported and grown. Along roads I have had wells dug and trees planted for the benefit of humans and animals.

-Edicts of Ashoka, Rock Edict 7

Beloved-of-the-Gods, King Piyadasi, says: Along roads I have had banyan trees planted so that they can give shade to animals and men, and I have had mango groves planted. At intervals of eight krosas, I have had wells dug, rest-houses built, and in various places, I have had watering-places made for the use of animals and men.
Though he hated violence and observed law of Piety i.e. Dharma in his personal life,

references:-

http://www.cs.colostate.edu/~malaiya/ashoka.html edicts of ashoka

http://mahavamsa.org/2008/05/19-coming-bodhi-tree/ trees and buddha