The Bodhi tree plays a very important role for Buddhists of all traditions, acting as a symbol of peace, an inspirational reminder of Buddha’s enlightenment and of the ultimate potential that lies within.
According to Buddhist tradition, the Bodhi tree, or sacred fig, is the tree under which the Buddha sat when he attained Enlightenment. The young Prince Siddhartha meditated without moving from his seated position under the Bodhi tree for seven weeks (49 days), seeking answers to the problems of suffering and the continual cycle of birth, death and rebirth. He rejected the extreme path of complete asceticism, rejecting also the hedonistic indulgences of his former royal life. The young prince resolved to sit under the Bodhi tree and meditate on these issues until the answer to these problems became clear.
To bring the Bodhi tree experience to life, internationally-renowned Melbourne mural artist, Mike Maka will paint a 5-storey high mural of a sacred Bodhi tree.
Each Festival evening, digital animations created by the team at Artists in Motion, will bring the mural to life as it cycles through different states and experiences to symbolically demonstrate the emotional journey and challenges faced by the young Prince Siddhartha on his path to nirvana.
Patrons (both on and offsite) will be able to load wishes and messages of hope onto the adjacent virtual Bodhi Tree created by the visual art team S1T2, which will appear as leaves budding and growing on the bodhi tree, able to be viewed by a global audience.