AW: Spreading cow dung under trees

[John C. Huntington]

Dear Ryan,

What Axel says is very true. However in the Indic world, trees also  
have their own special sacral significance from at least as early as  
the fourth millennium BCE (Kot Diji pottery with bodhi leaves on it)  
and very clear tree chaityas  (probably not called that)  including  
platforms or fences on Indus Civilization seals and sealings. Tree  
shrines in and of themselves, exist in every part of India I have been  
to and commonly relate to
Buddha, Shiva, Vishnu, and Durga/Kali along with a endless varieties  
of Yaksha/is and the like.

Trees as Stupa analogue seems fairly obvious since both fall into the  
greater generic category of "chaitya." Which can also be any of a  
number of appointed or appropriated objects of some sort of presumed  
potency.

John


On Jul 12, 2009, at 6:07 AM, Axel Michaels wrote:

> "They will circumambulate those trees as ifthey were w
> Dear colleague,
>
> "They will circumambulate those trees as ifthey were worshipping  
> stupas". This means that trees do not become stupas but are  
> circumambulated as if they were stupas, i.e. by circumambulation. As  
> you probably know stupas contain the beam of a tree (the yasti) as a  
> central element. In Japan these beams (shinbashira) are a visible  
> element of pagodas and stupas. Does this help you?
>
> Best,
> Axel Michaels
>