Tuesday, May 25, 2010

The Bodhi Tree






There is much about popular Buddhist art in Vietnam that is kitsch. Neon halos and day-glo cement lotuses figure prominently in most temples. And at many, the main shrine to Sakyamuni is backed by an enormous representation of the Bodhi Tree - the sacred fig under which the Buddha sat and achieved enlightenment.




This tree is frequently rendered as a large trompe-l'oeil, or is moulded in cement in a uniquely unconvincing approximation of a tree.

Phap Bao Temple, Sydney

It is also common for temple gardens to contain a Bodhi Tree, normally claimed to be a direct descendant of the actual tree the Buddha sat under.

3 comments:

  1. Hi, I am interested in the Bodhi Tree and I was just curious as to where you got the last picture of the tree from (the image under the text: This tree is frequently rendered as a large trompe-l'oeil, or is moulded in cement in a uniquely unconvincing approximation of a tree). The setting looks very much like the tree at a temple near my house in Sydney! Thank you! :)

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  2. Hi Janet - this bodhi tree is at Phap Bao Temple at St. John's Park in Sydney

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  3. That's right! :D I'm in the Vietnamee Buddhist Youth Group at Phap Bao Temple!

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