(By Tsem Rinpoche and Pastor Adeline Woon)

Bodhgaya spreads over an area measuring 4.86 hectares and is the centre of many sacred sites. Chief among these is the Mahabodhi Temple Complex where Prince Siddhartha became enlightened and where Buddhism began more than two millennia ago. It is one of four holy sites related to the life of Lord Buddha.

Bodhgaya is located in Patna, the capital of Bihar state in India. It contains significant historical artefacts and structures of immeasurable value from the fifth and sixth centuries C.E.

Before he achieved Enlightenment, Prince Siddhartha practised austerities for six years near the Niranjana River. According to one version of the story, a group of young girls passed by the meditating Prince Siddhartha one evening while singing and playing on their lutes. The sound of the lutes brought a thought to Prince Siddhartha:

“If the lute’s strings are loose, the sound won’t carry. But, if the strings are too tight, they will break. Beautiful music only happens when the strings are neither too loose nor too tight.”

This analogy is used to illustrate Lord Buddha’s doctrine of the Middle Way which rejects the extremes of self-indulgence and self-mortification.

His reflection on the lute led the prince to realise that he was pulling his strings too tightly. He would not find the truth by leading a luxurious life or by practising asceticism. There and then, he decided to give up his austere lifestyle.

Prince Siddhartha spent six years practising austerities in pursuit of wisdom and Enlightenment.

The six years of physical hardship had taken their toll on Prince Siddhartha’s body. Weakened by consuming just one grain of rice and one drop of water daily, he collapsed on the riverbank as he got up from his seat. A young village girl named Sujata happened to pass by and saw the prince. She gave him the offering of milk-rice that she had initially intended for the local spirits. With some strength regained, he looked for a suitable spot to continue meditating.

When he reached Gaya (present-day Bodhgaya), he found a ‘peepul’ tree. It is also known as the Bodhi tree, pippala tree, peepal tree, and ashwattha tree in India and Nepal. He sat cross-legged on a mat of kusha grass, with his back to the east-facing side of the tree, and made a firm resolution not to get up until he attained Enlightenment.

On the eve of the Wesak full moon, Mara attempted to stop the prince from achieving his goal. When his army failed, he sent his three daughters – Desire, Craving, and Attachment – to Prince Siddhartha but they, too, failed.

During the first watch of the night, Prince Siddhartha achieved the power of seeing his past lives. During the second watch of the night, the prince attained the power of seeing the death and rebirth of all living beings. During the third watch of the night, Prince Siddhartha realised dependent origination and the Four Noble Truths, and achieved the power of extinction of all suffering.

Prince Siddhartha finally attained Full Enlightenment on Wesak full moon day. Now known as the Buddha Shakyamuni, he continued to meditate. He spent the first week meditating in the same spot, the second week meditating on a raised area facing the Bodhi tree, the third week in walking meditation, the fourth week in a spot now known as the Ratnaghar Chaitya (prayer hall), the fifth week meditating under the ajapala-nigrodha banyan tree where he answered a Brahmin’s queries, the sixth week next to the lotus pond, and the seventh week under the Rajyatana tree where two Burmese traders became his first lay disciples.

Finally, the Buddha strode out into the world. Upon the request of the gods Brahma and Indra, the Buddha began turning the wheel of Dharma. These teachings became the foundation for the many different Buddhist traditions we know in the world today.

Monks and nuns pray beneath the sacred Bo Tree in Bodhgaya.

Bodhgaya is also the place where great scholars and pandits like Nagarjuna and Asanga practised the Dharma and prayed. Throughout history, many great beings and yogis from Tibet, China, Nepal, and other countries came to Bodhgaya to pray for the benefit of sentient beings. Therefore, Bodhgaya is imbued with the positive energies and blessings of these holy beings and their sacred teachings since the Buddha’s Enlightenment.

Visitors to Bodhgaya, and to the Mahabodhi Temple Complex in particular, are given a marvellous opportunity to purify their negative karma and accumulate merits. It is said that you do not even have to know the Dharma. Just by meditating, and praying under the Bodhi tree, or just by circumambulating, you can purify your karma and collect an immense amount of merits in a short period of time.

Tsem Rinpoche (right) on a pilgrimage to Bodhgaya’s Mahabodhi Temple with H.E. Denma Locho Rinpoche (centre) and H.E. Kensur Jampa Yeshe Rinpoche (left). Click to enlarge.

History of the Mahabodhi Temple Complex

The Mahabodhi Temple Complex was erected on the original site where the Buddha attained Enlightenment. Next to the Temple is the Bodhi tree which continued to grow during this time. The origins of the Temple Complex are difficult to trace, but it is a well-known fact that Emperor Ashoka (304-232 BCE) built a shrine to the Buddha here in 260 BCE. Constructed during the late Gupta period (sixth-seventh centuries CE), it is one of the earliest Buddhist temples built entirely in brick that is still standing today. It is considered to have significant influence in the development of brick architecture over the centuries.

This Diamond throne (vajrasana) is thought to have been built by Emperor Ashoka at the spot where the Buddha attained Enlightenment.

This Buddha image is located inside the Mahabodhi Temple in Bodhgaya. This temple is in the shape of a stupa, and it marks the site where Lord Buddha attained enlightenment. This image was created by a disciple of Buddha 60 years after his parinirvana. Hence it is said to look like him as the disciple had seen Buddha with her own eyes.

The current Mahabodhi Temple Complex is a 50-metre high pyramidal tower crowned with a bell like a stupa. Its base is a 15-m² twin structure that supports four smaller stupas that are identical to the central edifice. The complex houses a large golden statue of Buddha Shakyamuni in meditative posture with earth-touching mudra. This statue is believed to be 1,700 years old and is said to resemble the Buddha himself. The statue faces the east with its back to the Bodhi tree.

The earliest record of the Bodhi tree can be found in the Kalingabodhi Jataka and the Asokavadana. The Kalingabodhi Jataka provides a vivid description of the tree and its surrounding area before the Buddha’s Enlightenment, while the Asokavadana presents the story of Emperor Ashoka’s conversion to Buddhism in the third century BCE. Apparently, Emperor Ashoka’s queen was furious with him for meditating under the Bodhi tree, and she ordered the tree to be chopped down. The Emperor then piled earth around its stump and poured milk on its roots, and the tree miraculously revived and grew to a height of 37 metres.

The first of many Chinese pilgrims who left behind good records came around 400 CE. Faxian noted that there were some Buddha statues in the open pavilion and that the whole area was filled with monuments to specific instances in the Buddha’s travels to and from the spot. There were also monasteries that housed monks who kept strict vows. This was approximately 900 years after the Buddha entered parinirvana, which means that the open pavilion is about 400 years old.

About 150 to 300 years after Faxian, more work was added to the site by an elderly matron who had been married to a local king called Kurangi. To honour and perpetuate the memory of her dead husband, the matron built an open pavilion that was supported on stone pillars surrounding the tree and the vajrasana, or Diamond throne, which is the actual spot where the Buddha sat. A “jewel walk” was constructed where the Buddha had engaged in walking meditation after achieving the sublime state. Each of his footprints was represented by a stone lotus petal. A sandstone throne was built over the spot where the Buddha sat. The whole construction also had a sandstone railing built around it.

Bodhgaya Sunga railings

In 600 CE, the tree was destroyed by King Sesanka, a zealous Shivaite. The tree was replanted between 600-620 CE by King Purnavarma (Puavarma). One of the most popular current theories is that the temple itself was built by a Brahmin minister following Shiva’s advice. His brother followed the same advice and excavated the lake where the Buddha had washed. Shortly after, King Purnavarma planted another Bodhi tree and built a 24-foot wall around the site to honour the spot.

This event was recorded by Xuanzang around 635 CE. The well-known Chinese Buddhist monk spent 16 years in India (629-645) and recorded his experiences extensively. The scholar and translator wrote:

“The tree stands inside a fort-like structure surrounded on the south, west and north by a brick wall. It has pointed leaves of a bright green colour. Having opened a door, one could see a large trench in the shape of a basin. Devotees worship with curd, milk and perfumes such as sandalwood, camphor and so on.”

Source: https://www.rootinstitute.ngo/bodhgayas-blessings/mahabodhi-stupa

His record is remarkably similar to what we see today. Xuanzang also took accurate measurements at Bodhgaya and at Nalanda, where a similar complex was based. His writings allow us to determine that the complex was built between 1000 and 1500 years after the Buddha entered nirvana.

During Xuanzang’s visit, there was a very large monastery on the north side where the mall and shops are located today. This large three-storey high monastery was built by the King of Ceylon (Sri Lanka) with six courts. It was surrounded by a wall about 30 to 40 feet high. According to one story, the king’s brother visited Bodhgaya and returned home with a permanent stutter caused by the horrible manners displayed by the locals. The horrified king quickly took steps to make sure no foreign pilgrim, or at least no one from Ceylon, would ever be treated as inhospitably again.

Around 680 CE, a Chinese official brought silk robes for the main Buddha statue. There was a slight decline during the eighth and ninth centuries, but renewed interest was seen in the tenth century when wealthy patrons sponsored new statues and shrines.

Tsem Rinpoche offers robes to the main Buddha statue in the Mahabodhi Temple. Click to enlarge.

In the eleventh century, two Burmese missionaries wrote that, by 1035, the complex had already been rebuilt three times. During this time, local kings also became patrons of dedicated monks who wished to do repairs.

Throughout the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, the Burmese were very active in the restoration work at the complex. They sent different teams to restore the complex even as their own country was fighting off a Chinese invasion. By 1305, the Burmese completed the restoration of all the walls, including the stucco facings and side buttresses.

It is unclear when exactly the complex was abandoned, but it is estimated to be sometime during the thirteenth century. For the next 350 years or so, the complex was left in ruins, ending approximately 1500 years of continuous occupation by practising Buddhists.

Around 1590, a wandering Hindu decided to settle down on the riverbank near the ruins and began to gather disciples. Years later, the Muslim emperor in Delhi gave his successor vast amounts of property in that area that included a couple of local villages. The ruined complex was never converted into a Hindu shrine, although a few extra buildings were added for Hindu worship.

In 1811, the Burmese returned, and a European archaeologist visited the site in 1812. A few years later, the leader of the Brahmins started to claim the actual ruins as his own.

In 1874, the Burmese approached the English-led Indian government with gifts. They hoped to encourage the government to offer assistance to Buddhist pilgrims as well as sponsor the restoration of the temple. Since the local Brahmins did not object, the British approved the restoration project.

The work, supervised by General A. Cunningham, was recorded by the Root Institute in a section on the history of the Mahabodhi Stupa. It included “before” and “after” pictures of the destruction. The restoration work itself was completed in 1889.

In 1891, Anagarika Dharmapala, the revered Buddhist revivalist of Sri Lanka, visited the stupa and established the Maha Bodhi Society. He spent the rest of his life trying to return the complex to Buddhist care as the temple was desecrated and robbed of its holy relics. Dharmapala was severely beaten for his efforts and spent a fortune in protracted legal battles. Sadly, he died before he could complete his life’s mission.

In 1949, an act of Parliament stipulating how the complex would be governed was passed and remains in effect today. A committee of four Buddhists and four Hindus met for the first time in 1953. Since then, a great deal of work has been done to upgrade the facilities. In 1973, the Buddha Gaya Temple Advisory Board was formed with 21 members that included representatives from Bhutan, Burma, Cambodia, Ladakh, Laos, Sikkim, and Thailand.

The Present Mahabodhi Temple Complex

The present Mahabodhi Temple Complex comprises the 50-metre high grand temple, the vajrasana, the sacred Bodhi tree, and the other six sacred sites of Buddha’s Enlightenment that are surrounded by well-maintained ancient votive stupas protected by inner, middle, and outer circular boundaries. The seventh sacred place is the lotus pond, which is outside the enclosure to the south. The temple area and the lotus pond are surrounded by multi-level, circulating passages, and the whole area is five metres below the level of the surrounding land.

The central stupa wall is about 11 metres in height and was built in the classical Indian temple architectural style. It has entrances from the east and north with a low basement, and the mouldings are decorated with honeysuckle and goose designs.

Tsem Rinpoche stands below an image of Manjushri, the Buddha of Wisdom, enshrined in a wall niche at the Mahabodhi Temple. Click to enlarge.

There is a series of niches above containing Buddha images. Above those niches are additional chaitya and moulding niches. The curvilinear shikhara, or tower of the temple, is surmounted by traditional Indian temple architectural features known as amalaka and kalasha.

The stupa faces east and consists of a small forecourt in the east with niches on either side containing Buddha statues. There is a doorway that leads into a small hall beyond which lies the sanctum that contains a five-foot-tall golden statue of the seated Buddha. Above the sanctum is the main hall with a shrine containing a Buddha statue where senior monks gather to meditate.

There are four Buddha statues in the small shrine chambers placed in the four smaller but identical stupas. Each of these shrines has a small tower built above it.

A flight of steps leads down through a long central path to the main temple and the surrounding area from the east. The path connects significant places associated with events that immediately followed the Buddha’s Enlightenment, together with votive stupas and shrines, including the giant Bodhi tree.

The current structure with extensive renovations undertaken in the early 19th century.

To the west of the main temple is a supposed direct descendant of the original Bodhi tree under which the Buddha spent his first week after his Enlightenment. To the north of the central path is the Animeshlochan Chaitya where the Buddha is believed to have spent the second week on a raised area. In the third week, the Buddha spent time walking the 18 paces back and forth on the Ratnachakrama (Jewelled Ambulatory) that lies near the north wall of the main temple. His steps are carved onto the raised stone lotuses.

The Buddha spent the fourth week in the Ratnaghar Chaitya, which is located to the north-east near the enclosure wall. There is a pillar that marks the site of the Ajapala Nigrodha tree immediately after the steps of the east entrance on the central path. The Buddha spent the fifth week under this tree to meditate and during this time, he answered the Brahmin’s queries. The Buddha spent the sixth week next to the lotus pond to the south of the enclosure, and the seventh week under the Rajyatana tree that is to the south-east of the main temple. This is where he is said to have gathered his first two disciples and received his first meal offering following his seven weeks of meditation.

The lotus carvings that represent the footsteps of the Buddha.

The vajrasana is located next to the Bodhi tree. It is made of polished sandstone. It was originally installed by Emperor Ashoka to mark the spot where the Buddha meditated. A sandstone balustrade once encircled this site, but only a few of the balustrade’s original pillars remain. These pillars contained carvings of sculpted decorative details, like human faces and animals.

Further above the central path towards the main temple in the south is a small shrine with a standing Buddha at the back with his footprints carved in black stone. It dates from the third century BCE when Emperor Ashoka declared Buddhism to be the official religion of the state and installed thousands of these footprint stones all over his kingdom. The gateway to the temple on the central path was also originally built by Emperor Ashoka and it was later rebuilt.

Ordained monks and nuns are seen here doing prostrations daily. They can do this for hours at a time.

Further along the path towards the main temple is a building that houses several Buddha and Bodhisattva statues. A memorial to a Hindu Mahant who had lived on this site during the 15^th and 16^th centuries is located opposite it. The pathway south will bring you to a cluster of votive stupas built by kings, princes, noblemen, and lay people. They vary in size and shape, and range from the simplest to the most sumptuous.

There is a very nice marble walkway around the whole site with an imitation Ashokan railing. The site is well-lit at night. The upper shrine is open to all as a sanctuary for silent meditation. Tibetan artists are commonly seen painting gold onto all the images. On the grounds are wooden prostration boards for Buddhists, especially Tibetans, to perform routine prostrations in quiet harmony. There are also practitioners of every age and nationality wending their way around the three different circumambulatory paths as they recite mantras. Indian tourists are (almost) reduced to respectful silence.

Many pilgrims perform prostrations on the marble walkway

The current Bodhi tree is most likely the fourth descendant of the original tree planted on this site. It continues to serve as a reminder and an inspiration of the Buddha’s Enlightenment, as well as the ultimate Buddha potential that lies within us.

The Mahabodhi Temple Complex was declared a protected UNESCO World Heritage Site on 27^th June 2002. It is now revered as the holiest of Buddhist pilgrimage destinations in the world and is considered the cradle of Buddhism in the history of mankind.

Sources:

• Mahabodhi Temple, [website], http://www.stupa.org.nz/stupa/mahabodhi/mahabodhi.htm, (accessed 4 March 2018).
• Root Institute for Wisdom Culture, [website], 2016-2018, https://www.rootinstitute.ngo/bodhgayas-blessings/mahabodhi-stupa, (accessed 4 March 2018).
• UNESCO, Mahabodhi Temple Complex at Bodh Gaya, [website], 1992-2018, http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1056, (accessed 4 March 2018).

For more interesting information:

• Stunning Pilgrimage to Bodhgaya
• Bodhgaya & Vajrayogini
• Buddha at Mahabodhi Temple, Bodhgaya
• Must visit Bodhgaya – The Navel of the World
• Pilgrimage to Sarnath, Varanasi
• Important Sites of Buddhist Pilgrimage – Kushinagar, India
• Pilgrimage Through India & Nepal
• Wonderful Kandy
• The Beautiful & Sacred Kiri Vehera in Kataragama-Sri Lanka
• The Magnificent Jetavanaramaya Stupa & the Power of Repentance – Sri Lanka
• Kelaniya Raja Maha Vihara-A sacred place to visit
• Exquisite Nagadeepa Vihara in Sri Lanka
• Avalokiteshvara in Sri Lanka
• Wonderful Sri Lanka

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