bo tree

American  

[boh] / boʊ /

noun

1. the pipal, or sacred fig tree, Ficus religiosa, of India, under which the founder of Buddhism is reputed to have attained the Enlightenment that constituted him the Buddha.

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bo tree British  

/ bəʊ /

noun

1. another name for the peepul

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Etymology

Origin of bo tree

1860–65; partial translation of Sinhalese bogaha, equivalent to bo (< Pali bodhi < Sanskrit; Bodhisattva ) + gaha tree

Example Sentences

Today, the bo tree is revered as a symbol for prosperity, happiness, good fortune and long life.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 29, 2024

Sitting 49 days under a bo tree, Gautama won through to enlightenment and could have vanished into Nirvana, the final release from the wheel of rebirth.

From Time Magazine Archive

Why did Gotama once sit down beneath the bo tree in his greatest hour when he received enlightenment?

From "Siddhartha" by Hermann Hesse

Two of the most interesting spots in India, the most sacred in the world to Buddhists, are Budh-gaya, where under the bo tree Buddha attained to enlightenment, and Sārnāth, where he began his preaching.

From New Ideas in India During the Nineteenth Century A Study of Social, Political, and Religious Developments by Morrison, John

Again, the mysterious rustle of the bo tree, pipal may be the reason for its especial veneration; as its seeming immortality is certainly the cause of the reverence given to the banian.

From The Religions of India Handbooks on the History of Religions, Volume 1, Edited by Morris Jastrow by Hopkins, Edward Washburn