People Trees, chapter 3, “King of Trees”

The Pipal tree, also known as the Ashvattha in Sanskrit literature

grows to very large proportions

Healing powers

Spiritual Knowledge

Bo or Bodhi tree in Buddhist contexts

Considered most sacred of all trees in India

Parts of these trees have medicinal value

Identification wih Truth

“trees of life” in the Vedic and Upanishadic period

One certain tree was documented to be 2147 years old

Aswatthais considered sacred by some tribes of the Ganjam district of Orissa

Who is a Pipal Tree?

Refered to by certain Indian politician in 19 hundrets.

Trees communicate

Most of us are unable to hear them because of our impurities

only rare people can hear trees talk

all life has consciousness. You, me, any tree, all life forms

People establish relationships with certain trees

A tree can embody many things, a God a fortm of nature or even a relative who has passed away

Some people/priests realte to trees as to people (person)

The pipal tree in Indian Hindu culture is clearly assumed to be an animate, sentient being with feelings and consciousness

The notion that all gods reside in or near the pipal tree is fairly common.

The pipal tree is considered by some to be atrimurti, that is, a compound form of the three major Hindu divinities Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva.