Skip to main content

Secondary sourceArtifact3rd century BCE (planted)

Sri Maha Bodhi

3rd century BCE (planted)

An ancient sacred fig tree in Sri Lanka, said to have grown from a cutting of the tree under which the Buddha reached enlightenment.

This tree is traditionally believed to descend from the very tree under which the Buddha attained enlightenment.

Ask Buddha about this sourceView the original(opens in new tab)
A white shrine building with a red tiled roof and carved stone steps. Inside the doorway a seated golden Buddha statue is visible. Several people in white clothing stand or kneel in worship at the entrance. Trees surround the complex.
Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi tree and shrine complex, Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka.

About this source

What it is

The Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi is a sacred Bo tree in Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka. Tradition holds it grew from a cutting of the original Bodhi tree in India, under which Siddhartha Gautama, the Buddha, attained enlightenment. The cutting was reportedly brought to Sri Lanka by the Buddhist nun Sangamitta in the 3rd century BCE and planted by King Devanampiya Tissa. It is one of the oldest living trees in the world with a known planting date.

Why it matters

This tree connects the Buddha's enlightenment directly to the spread of Buddhism beyond India, especially through the efforts of Emperor Ashoka's family. For over two thousand years, kings and monks have protected and honoured it, and it remains a major pilgrimage site, showing how a single tree became a living symbol of faith across centuries.

Look closer

  • Why might people value a living tree as a connection to a historical event many centuries ago?
  • What does the long history of protection and rebuilding around the tree tell you about its importance?
  • How might legend and historical fact blend together in a story like this one?

This artifact is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Buddha on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

More Buddha sources

Meet the AI Buddha →
A large upright marble slab with a red-painted rim and a tablet-shaped top, inscribed with dense Burmese script in many lines. A framed title panel sits at the top, and paper inscriptions are on the wall behind it in a stone-walled alcove.Book

Secondary source

Dhammapada

Attributed to the Buddha · c. 3rd century BCE compilation

Painted leaf of a palm-leaf or wooden-board style manuscript showing a seated, yellow-faced Buddha in red robes in meditation pose, flanked by two small figures, with black and red borders and script at the sides.Painting

Secondary source

Buddha in Dhyana, Perfection of Wisdom Sutra Manuscript

1074

Grey stone sculpture of the head of a Buddha with tightly curled wavy hair in a high topknot, downcast eyes, a small raised dot on the forehead, and a broken neck base. Photographed against a pale background.Sculpture

Secondary source

Head of the Buddha, Gandhara style

Diagram of the Tipiṭaka structure. Top box TIPIṬAKA branches into three: Vinayapiṭaka (Suttavibhaṅga, Khandhaka, Parivāra), Suttapiṭaka (five Nikāyas including Khuddakanikāya), and Abhidhammapiṭaka (seven books). Khuddakanikāya's fifteen texts are listed below.Book

Secondary source

Pali Canon (Tipitaka)

Early Buddhist sangha · oral from 5th century BCE; written c. 29 BCE

A photo of the cover board of a folding book with a red lacquered background and gold floral scrollwork, with a vertical green panel bearing gold Burmese script lettering in the center.Document

Secondary source

Life of the Buddha

19th century

Ready when you are

Start chatting with Buddha now.

20 messages free · No credit card · Available in 50+ languages.

Trial Humy for freeGet a quote for institutions