During my visits to the temples of which I do wherever I go, I was fascinated by a certain tree not because of its immensity but because of its flowers. I took some photos of the tree when I visited Phrae province not knowing that the tree called Bodhi Tree is significant to Buddhism.
 |
| The Bodhi Tree, Phrae |
The sacred fig or Bo tree is relevant to the Buddhist faith because it is under the sweeping branches of the Bo tree that the spiritual leader Gautama Buddha received enlightenment after sitting for 49 days. The tree which can grow up to a hundred feet and with a circumference of up to nine feet, can often be seen planted near Buddhist monasteries.
When I visited Sangklaburi province, I saw another tree like this but with a different coloured flower. In near proximity, I was fascinated by its structure and odd features. It looks like someone is summoning me to look at its beauty.
 |
| The Bodhi Flower 1, Sangklaburi |
 |
| The Bodhi Flower 2, Sangklaburi |
The tree itself is very interesting to look at and study. I was fascinated by the drooping branches and lack of leaves during the blooming stage. I was intrigued by the petal compositions. I was humbled by its story.
In life, what with all the comings and goings, that we had been forgetting to stop. We are always busy and we miss many things around us that will probably give a significance to our daily living. The flowers remind me to look at things in a more positive way, not just the appearance, but its relevance. The tree, balding of its greens, seemed uninteresting to the human eyes. But the tree has a story that can remind us of three things: pause, meditate and experience awareness.
Comments
Yes, I agree... marami tayong na-mi-miss dahil sa kaabalahan sa buhay. Madalas kailangang huminto at pagmasdan ang mga simple subalit nakaka-inspire na mga bagay o saloobin!
Minsan kasi masyado tayong busy sa daily routine natin that we tend to miss the little things and beauty around us. We should sometimes slow our movements down, and that's when we can appreciate some things we thought we have never seen before but was actually right there the whole time. ;)
@ ric- I have not seen one of this kind in our country. Guess we should since they are beautiful flowers. Sabi nga, abala ang lahat in taking photographs that they do not see the details behind them.
@ pao- that's right, parang pag-ibig, nasa tabi na pala natin pero hindi pa rin napapansin ang kanilang kabutihan sa atin
Thank you for your posts such as this one Jonathan. You are giving us a free lesson on Thai culture and the likes. Dami ko nang natutunan sa blog mo.
Bodhi Tree this time :)
@ geosef - I like the story behind the tree so I used it to make a point of being with nature, reflecting on things, and having a sense of awareness, be it words or actions in our everyday dealings.
@ umi - you should see the real one, and the colours,my mobile phone didn't give much justice.
@ms. balut - just like when you run, you get to focus on many things as you concentrate not only where you are heading but why you do your passion. I also like the idea of carrying a camera to capture great moments just like what you do.
Wow, accdg kay wiki the buddha spent a whole week standing with unblinking eyes, gazing at it with gratitude!
Nakakamangha..
You're lucky na nakita mo ito personally..
@ Senyor - you can try, hanggang church ka lang ba. I like visiting temples both Chinese and Thai. I do it especially during my birthday, to say thanks.
@ Gracie - hindi ko kaya yun ah, staring at it with unblinking eyes. May alam akong mga ganyan pero iba ang tinitignan, ha,ha,ha.
@ kamilkshake - there are websites teaching us how to do meditation. I can concentrate at many instances but I still want to experience and be in a meditation retreat. There are aplenty in Thailand.
@ xander - yes, truly pretty! Thanks for the visit!