Christine Nowak Outside Reading #1

At the beginning of the semester we were asked to write an essay on a specific sacred place. I created my essay based on an article from a newspaper called "The Bodhi Tree". This article talked about this unique tree in Bodhgaya, India that is considered sacred, and connected to the religion of Buddhism. This is the actual tree that Siddhartha Gautama sat under when he sought to obtain enlightenment. People flee to this tree to pray, and leave gifts under it in order to show their respect to their religion. This tree symbolizes strength and meditation for the people of India, and is considered the tree of awakening. This tree is considered the "center of the world" because it is the site at which all Buddhas in the world can obtain enlightenment. In present days, people bring s small tree similar to this to monasteries in order to remember the importance of this special tree.