What does the forest mean in Buddhism?
The "Five Trees and Six Flowers" in Buddhism
Buddhism originated in India. The high temperature and humidity living conditions of Indians and Southeast Asian countries have caused Buddhism and tropical jungles to blend with each other, forming a unique Tropical rainforest culture. The Buddhist "five trees and six flowers" are typical representatives of this culture. According to Buddhist scriptures, several key moments in the life of Lord Buddha Sakyamuni were connected with plants: he was born under a worry-free flower tree in the garden of his grandmother's house, became a Buddha under a bodhi tree, and Passed away under two sal trees. In this way, Buddhism has formed an indissoluble bond with plants. According to the provisions of the Buddhist scriptures, temples must plant "five trees and six flowers" five trees: Bodhi tree, banyan tree, bay leaf palm, betel nut, and sugar palm. Six flowers: lotus, manjusri, turmeric, osmanthus, plumeria, and nasturtium.
Bodhi tree is a genus of Ficus in the Moraceae family. The "Bodhi tree" is the tree where Buddha Sakyamuni practiced and realized all wisdom. The Dai people regard it as a holy tree.
The scientific name of Gao Rong is Gaoshan Rong, also known as big-leafed banyan tree, big green tree, and genus Moraceae. "Gaorong" is the sacred tree worshiped by the original religion of the Dai people. It is a thousand-year-old tradition of the Dai people to plant banyan trees when building a stronghold. Centuries of tradition.
The bay leaf palm belongs to the Palmaceae family and is an evergreen tree native to tropical Asia. The tree is about 20 meters tall.
Baye palm is the communicator of Southeast Asian culture. A long time ago, the people of Southeast Asia pioneered the use of huge leaves of the bay leaf palm to record their own national characters. Therefore, Southeast Asian culture is known as the "green leaf culture" in history. The famous "Bayue Sutra" in Buddhism is also made from the leaves of the Bayu palm. Therefore, some people think that the bay leaf palm is a geographical and national cultural marker tree.
Betel nut belongs to the palm family, and its scientific name is Brassica rapa. "Betel nut tree" is a medicinal tree, and betel nut is an indispensable item for worshiping Buddha.
Sugar palm belongs to the Palmae family. When the sugar palm grows inflorescences, sugar collectors climb up the tree, hang a bamboo tube or a small bucket on the tip of the inflorescence, and use a knife to cut the inflorescences. When the knife is cut, the sugar juice in the inflorescence will flow out along the edge of the knife and drip into the bamboo tube or small bucket. One inflorescence can produce 3-4 small barrels of sugar juice, and each sugar palm plant can produce 60-70 small barrels of sugar juice every year, which can boil 20-30 kilograms of sugar.
Lotus Lotus, also known as lotus. Nymphaeaceae, Nelumbo genus. "Lotus" is the flower of Buddhism. According to legend, Sakyamuni Buddha achieved enlightenment on the Vajra Lotus Seat. Buddhist believers regard it as a mature and sacred flower, which entrusts their faith.
Manjushri orchid belongs to the genus Manjushri in the Amaryllidaceae family. "Manjushri orchid" is a flower for worship, representing a pious concept and a flower shared by gods and Buddhas.
Turmeric flower, ginger flower, genus Zingiberaceae
Plumeria Latin scientific name: Plumeria rubra 'Acutifolia'
Family and genus name: Apocynaceae Egg Flower genus
Origin: Native to America and Mexico, it has been introduced and cultivated in my country.
The petals of Plumeria are white with a hint of pink on the outside and yellow at the base inside, resembling an egg yolk wrapped in egg white, hence its name. Plumeria is designated as one of the "Five Trees and Six Flowers" by Buddhist temples and is widely planted, so it is also called "Temple Tree" or "Pagoda Tree". Plumeria flower is the best special dish for the enthusiastic Dai people in Xishuangbanna to entertain guests. In the tropical tourist resort of Hawaii, people like to string the plumeria collected into garlands and wear them as decorations, so the plumeria is also a holiday symbol of Hawaii. The flowering period is from May to October, and the fruiting period is generally from July to December.
The scientific name of Burmese osmanthus: Michelia alba
Alias: Huangjuelan/White Burmese osmanthus/White orchid/Balan
Burmese osmanthus is one of the six flowers of Theravada Buddhism in Xishuangbanna , is also the city flower of Jinghong City, Nazhou Prefecture. It is deeply loved by Dai women because of its strong flavor. The Dai people regard the golden osmanthus as a mascot and plant it in front and back of every family. When it stays on the body, it not only represents fragrance and beauty, but also represents the respect of the Buddha, symbolizes peace and happiness, and shows that the Dai people believe in Theravada Buddhism. The piety
Diyung nasturtium Diyong nasturtium, also known as thousand-petaled lotus, Diyung nasturtium, Diyoma nasturtium, Diyong lotus, is a perennial herbaceous plant of the Musa family of the Musa family. Golden Lotus grows in clusters, and the plants are short, generally less than 1 meter high. Because its pseudostems are low and thick, flowers bloom first and then leaves. When it blooms in early spring, it suddenly emerges from the ground and blooms quietly, which is surprising. Therefore, it is called "Earth Emerging Golden Lotus". And is regarded as a sacred and magical flower.