You South Africa – 22 August 2019

SOURCES:

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SACRED-DESTINATIONS.

COM, LOCALGUIDESCONNECT.COM, EJIUSA.COM, GOUNESCO.COM, STEEMIT.COM, NATIONMULTIMEDIA.COM, CULTURALINDIA.NET, TOURISMPILLAINDIA.BLOGSPOT.COM, PINDDAANGAYAJI.COM, TRODLY.COM, GREAT-BUDDHA-STATUE.COM

THE BUDDHA’S ‘PROTECTOR’This statue in the Lotus Pond depicts the Buddha with a snake guarding him. Bud-dhists believe that Mucalinda, a supernat-ural

cobra-like

being

or

nāga

,came

to

pro-

tect

the

Buddha.

Mucalinda

lifted

his

hood

to

shield

the

Buddha

from

a

storm

created

by

the

demon

Mara

to

distract

him

from

his

meditation.

SEVEN SACRED PLACES Before he reached enlightenment, the Buddha spent seven weeks (49 days) in the area, meditating and thinking about his experiences. The

places

where

he

spent

each

week

are

also

considered

holy.

1.

The

Bodhi

tree

This

is

a

descendant

of

the

fig

tree

under

which

the

Buddha

meditated

for

the

first

week.

It’s

known

as

the

holy

Bodhi

(“awakening”)

tree.

Next

to

it

is

a

platform

of

sandstone

called

Vajrasana

(“the

Dia

• 
  

mond

Throne”),

put

there

by

Emperor

Ashoka

to

mark

the

spot

where

the

Buddha

sat.

2.

Unblink-

ing

shrine

For

the

sec-

ond

week

of

his

medita-

tion,

the

Buddhastood

mo-

tionless

in

one

spot

and

stared

at

the

Bodhi

tree

without

interruption.

The

Animeschlocha

stupa

(“un

• 
  

blinking

shrine”)

is

located

on

the

spot

where

he

stood.

It

features

the

Buddha

in

a

sitting

position

with

his

eyes

open,

staring

at

the

Bodhi

tree.

5.

Ajapala

Nigrodha

Tree

A

pillar

now

stands

on

the

spot

where

a

boy

planted

this

tree

to

protect

the

Buddha,

who

sat

here

dur

• 
  

ing

the

fifth

week

answering

questions

by

the

Brahmins

(Hindu

priests).

3.

The

Jewel

Walk

In

the

third

week

of

meditation,

the

Buddha

walked

18

steps

up

and

down

between

the

Bodhi

tree

and

the

location

of

the

Unblink-

ing

Shrine.

It’s

believed

lotus

blossoms

sprung

up

along

his

path

(the

Ratnachakarma

or

“jew-

el

walk”).

Stone

lotuses

carved

on

a

platform

now

mark

his

steps.

4.

Jewel

prayer

hall

The

Ratnaghar

Chaitya

(“jewel

prayer

hall”)

marks

the

spot

where

he

spent

the

fourth

week.

6.

The

Lotus

pondThe

Buddha

spent

his

sixth

week

of

medita

• 
  

tion

next

to

this

pond,

which

is

lo-

cated

south

of

the

tem-

ple

complex.

7.

The

Rajyatna

tree

The

Buddha

spent

his

seventh

and

last

week

of

meditation

under

this

tree.

Here

he

spread

his

message

by

teaching

passersby.

ENTRANCE

The temple is surrounded by a stone wall that’s 11m high.

GALLO IMAGES/GETTY IMAGES, AAI/FOTOSTOCK SA

you.co.za 22 AUGUST 2019 | (^79)