Welcome to Bodhgaya: The Land of Enlightenment
The World Oneness Center
Blessings from the Bodhi Tree in Bodhgaya.
During our first program from Bodhgaya, the people participating often shared that they truly sense the joy and oneness
coming from Bodhgaya. The people living in Bodhgaya were such a blessing and inspiration to be around. Their simply joy and
love provides a wonderful backdrop within which your program takes place.
We are very happy to be working along side so many dedicated beings. This winter we will be joining H.H. The Karmapa and
attending an 11 day Prayer and Puja Retreats for World Peace.
During our first program from Bodhgaya, the people participating often shared that they truly sense the joy and oneness
coming from Bodhgaya. The people living in Bodhgaya were such a blessing and inspiration to be around. Their simply joy and
love provides a wonderful backdrop within which your program takes place.
We are very happy to be working along side so many dedicated beings. This winter we will be joining H.H. The Karmapa and
attending an 11 day Prayer and Puja Retreats for World Peace.
THE BODHI TREE
At the western side of the Mahabodhi temple in Bodhgaya, stands a large and historic Pipal Tree ficus religiosa, known
throughout history as the Bodhi Tree, under which Shakyamuni Buddha, then known as Gautama, attained
Enlightenment some 2500 years ago.
Gautama, had been practicing austerities for six years in the area of the Niranjana river near Bodhgaya. Finally
understanding that this could not lead to realization, he abandoned his austerities and in the nearby village of Senani
(now also known as Sujata) the Brahman girl Sujata offered him milk rice. Strengthened by this, he took some kusha
grass for a mat and sat under the Pipal Tree facing east. He resolved not to rise until he attained Enlightenment.
As he sat in deep meditation, Mara, Lord of Illusion, symbolizing the delusions of one's own mind tried tirelessly to
distract him from his purpose. Gautama then touched the earth, calling it to bear witness to the countless lifetimes of
virtue that led him to this place of Enlightenment. The earth shook confirming the truth of his words. Mara unleashed
his army of demons to distract and tempt him from his purpose, but Gautama triumphed over the inner obstacles and
the power of his compassion transformed the demons' weapons into flowers. His mind was utterly subdued.
For seven days after the Enlightenment, Buddha continued to meditate under the tree without moving from his seat.
Another week passed in walking meditation, and for a third the Buddha contemplated under the Bodhi tree.
The earliest records on the tree are in the 'Kalingabodhi Jataka', which gives a vivid description of the tree and the
surrounding area prior to the Enlightenment, and the 'Asokavadana', which relates the story of King Asoka's (3rd
century B.C) conversion to Buddhism. His subsequent worship under the sacred tree apparently angered his queen to
the point where she ordered the tree to be felled. Ashoka then piled up earth around the stump and poured milk on its
roots. The tree miraculously revived and grew to a height of 37 metres. He then surrounded the tree with a stone wall
some three meters high for its protection.
Ashoka's daughter Sangamitta, a Buddhist nun, took a shoot of the tree to Sri Lanka where the King, Devanampiyatissa,
planted it at the Mahavihara monastery in Anuradhapura. It still flourishes today and is the oldest continually
documented tree in the world.
In 600AD, King Sesanka, a zealous Shivaite, again destroyed the tree. The event was recorded by Hiuen T'sang, along
with the planting of a new Bodhi tree sapling by King Purnavarma in 620AD. At this time, during the annual celebration
of Vaisakha, thousands of people from all over India would gather to anoint the roots of the holy tree with perfumed
water and scented milk, and to offer flowers and music. Hiuen T'sang 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."
Much later the English archaeologist Cunningham records, "In 1862 I found this tree very much decayed; one large
stem to the westward with three branches was still green, but the other branches were barkless and rotten. I next saw
the tree in 1871 and again in 1875, when it had become completely decayed, and shortly afterwards in 1876 the only
remaining portion of the tree fell over the west wall during a storm, and the old pipal tree was gone. Many seeds,
however, had been collected and the young scion of the parent tree were already in existence to take its place."
The Bodhi Tree as it appears today, a direct descendantof the original Bodhi Tree and oldest continually documented
tree in the world.
The present Bodhi Tree still performs a very important role to Buddhists of all traditions, being a reminder and an
inspiration, a symbol of peace, of Buddhas' Enlightenment and of the ultimate potential that lies within us all.
At the western side of the Mahabodhi temple in Bodhgaya, stands a large and historic Pipal Tree ficus religiosa, known
throughout history as the Bodhi Tree, under which Shakyamuni Buddha, then known as Gautama, attained
Enlightenment some 2500 years ago.
Gautama, had been practicing austerities for six years in the area of the Niranjana river near Bodhgaya. Finally
understanding that this could not lead to realization, he abandoned his austerities and in the nearby village of Senani
(now also known as Sujata) the Brahman girl Sujata offered him milk rice. Strengthened by this, he took some kusha
grass for a mat and sat under the Pipal Tree facing east. He resolved not to rise until he attained Enlightenment.
As he sat in deep meditation, Mara, Lord of Illusion, symbolizing the delusions of one's own mind tried tirelessly to
distract him from his purpose. Gautama then touched the earth, calling it to bear witness to the countless lifetimes of
virtue that led him to this place of Enlightenment. The earth shook confirming the truth of his words. Mara unleashed
his army of demons to distract and tempt him from his purpose, but Gautama triumphed over the inner obstacles and
the power of his compassion transformed the demons' weapons into flowers. His mind was utterly subdued.
For seven days after the Enlightenment, Buddha continued to meditate under the tree without moving from his seat.
Another week passed in walking meditation, and for a third the Buddha contemplated under the Bodhi tree.
The earliest records on the tree are in the 'Kalingabodhi Jataka', which gives a vivid description of the tree and the
surrounding area prior to the Enlightenment, and the 'Asokavadana', which relates the story of King Asoka's (3rd
century B.C) conversion to Buddhism. His subsequent worship under the sacred tree apparently angered his queen to
the point where she ordered the tree to be felled. Ashoka then piled up earth around the stump and poured milk on its
roots. The tree miraculously revived and grew to a height of 37 metres. He then surrounded the tree with a stone wall
some three meters high for its protection.
Ashoka's daughter Sangamitta, a Buddhist nun, took a shoot of the tree to Sri Lanka where the King, Devanampiyatissa,
planted it at the Mahavihara monastery in Anuradhapura. It still flourishes today and is the oldest continually
documented tree in the world.
In 600AD, King Sesanka, a zealous Shivaite, again destroyed the tree. The event was recorded by Hiuen T'sang, along
with the planting of a new Bodhi tree sapling by King Purnavarma in 620AD. At this time, during the annual celebration
of Vaisakha, thousands of people from all over India would gather to anoint the roots of the holy tree with perfumed
water and scented milk, and to offer flowers and music. Hiuen T'sang 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."
Much later the English archaeologist Cunningham records, "In 1862 I found this tree very much decayed; one large
stem to the westward with three branches was still green, but the other branches were barkless and rotten. I next saw
the tree in 1871 and again in 1875, when it had become completely decayed, and shortly afterwards in 1876 the only
remaining portion of the tree fell over the west wall during a storm, and the old pipal tree was gone. Many seeds,
however, had been collected and the young scion of the parent tree were already in existence to take its place."
The Bodhi Tree as it appears today, a direct descendantof the original Bodhi Tree and oldest continually documented
tree in the world.
The present Bodhi Tree still performs a very important role to Buddhists of all traditions, being a reminder and an
inspiration, a symbol of peace, of Buddhas' Enlightenment and of the ultimate potential that lies within us all.
"The Buddha manifests in many different aspects to preform many different activities benefiting multiples of sentient beings
and in this way blessing many of the sites through their presence and manifest their Enlightenment.
This site is regarded as the central key place around which four other holy sites reside.
Bodhgaya is 1 of 5 greatly blessed holy place sin which the many different emanations of the Buddha are undertaking
activities for the benefit of all Sentient Beings." Venerable Kirti Tsenshab Rinpoche
The Bodhi Tree in Bodhgaya is a very very sacred pilgrimage site for travelers of many backgrounds and also a site
known for its tremendous emanations of Enlightenment and Oneness.
and in this way blessing many of the sites through their presence and manifest their Enlightenment.
This site is regarded as the central key place around which four other holy sites reside.
Bodhgaya is 1 of 5 greatly blessed holy place sin which the many different emanations of the Buddha are undertaking
activities for the benefit of all Sentient Beings." Venerable Kirti Tsenshab Rinpoche
The Bodhi Tree in Bodhgaya is a very very sacred pilgrimage site for travelers of many backgrounds and also a site
known for its tremendous emanations of Enlightenment and Oneness.
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The Story of The Buddha and Bodhgaya
Bodhisattva, having renounced the luxurious life of Prince Siddhartha, became Gautama, the ascetic. After leaving his home, he started walking in the southeastern direction
from Kapilavastu and came to Vaishali. There, he listened briefly to the teaching of Arada Kalapa, an aberrant samkhya, but left dissatisfied. Crossing the river Ganges, he
once again entered the kingdom of Magadha and came to Rajgir, its capital, where he listened to the yogic teachings of Rudraka. Again dissatisfied, he left the place,
followed by five ascetics. Along with them, he came to the village of Uravilva, situated on the banks of the Nairanjana River, close to the place now known as Bodhgaya.
There, they engaged in long, austere practices. For the first two years, Gautama ate only one grain of rice a day and for the next four years, he ate nothing at all. Despite
almost full degeneration of his body, he remained sitting in continual meditation.
Six years after his initial renunciation, he realized that extreme mortification does not lead to liberation. He arose and broke the austerities. The five ascetics got upset and left
for Benares.
As his former garments had perished, he took a yellow shroud from the corpse of a servant girl awaiting cremation nearby. To help him wash it, Indra Deva struck the
ground to form a pond. A local Brahmin's daughter, Sujata, approached him and offered him a golden bowl filled with rice, prepared in the essence of the milk of one
thousand cows. Renewed, he bathed and then walked to a nearby cave to continue his meditation. However, the earth shook and the voices of the earlier Buddhas resounded
in the air, telling him that this was not the place of his enlightenment. They advised him to proceed to the nearby Bodhi tree. The sites, where these events took place, were
seen by the Chinese pilgrims in the fifth and seventh centuries. The records mention that stupas had been constructed at each of the sites. However, none of these exist
today.
As Buddha walked to the Bodhi tree, Svastika, a graincutter, gave him a bundle of kusha grass. A flock of birds flew around him three times. When he entered the area
around the tree, the earth shook. He made a seat from the kusha grass for himself, on the eastern side of the tree and after seven circumambulations sat down facing east.
He made the great resolve of not rising again, till enlightenment had been attained, even if his skin, bones and flesh crumble away. Sending forth a beam of light from the
center of his eyebrows, he invoked Mara, who came to challenge him. Mara first dispatched his horrible armies and then his enticing daughters, but Buddha remained
unmoved and defeated him, calling upon the earth and her goddess as his witness. He continued in profound meditation for three nights and finally realized the Supreme
Enlightenment at dawn. The air filled with flowers and light and the earth trembled seven times.
For seven days, Buddha continued to meditate beneath the tree, without moving from his seat and for the next six weeks, He remained in the vicinity. During the second
week he paced, lost in thoughts, with lotus flowers springing from his footsteps. He pondered whether or not to teach. The chankramanar jewel walk later represented this
event. The walk consists of a low platform adorned with eighteen lotuses, which now runs close to and parallel to the north side of the Mahabodhi Temple. For another
week after the walk, He sat under the Bodhi tree. The Animeshalochana Stupa, situated to the north of the Chankramanar, later marked this spot. Brahma and Indra offered a
hall made of the seven precious elements, where Buddha sat for a week, radiating lights of five colors from his body to illuminate the Bodhi tree. Huen Tsang described this
site as being to the west of the tree and remarked that with time the precious elements changed to stone. Today, Ratnaghara stands identified by some as a roofless shrine to
the north of Chankramanar.
During a week of unusually inclement weather, the Naga king, Muchalinda wrapped his body seven times around the meditating Buddha, protecting him from the rain, wind
and insects. Huen Tsang saw a small temple next to the tank, believed to be the Naga's abode. He described it as lying to the southeast of the Bodhi tree. Presently, it is
identified as the dry pond in Mucherim village near Bodhgaya.
While Buddha was meditating beneath the Ajapala nigrodha tree, Lord Brahma came and requested him to teach the Dharma. Huen Tsang saw this tree, along with a small
temple and stupa beside it, at the southeast corner of the Bodhi tree enclosure. It is thought that the site is now within the Mahanta's graveyard, near the present eastern gate.
Trapusha and Bhallika, offered Buddha food for the first time, since his enlightenment. Seeing that he needed a vessel to receive it, each of the four guardians of the
directions offered precious bowls. But, He accepted only a stone bowl from each one of them. He pressed the four bowls together to form one and when Fa Hien saw it in
directions offered precious bowls. But, He accepted only a stone bowl from each one of them. He pressed the four bowls together to form one and when Fa Hien saw it in
Peshawar, four rims could be seen in the one.
Peshawar, four rims could be seen in the one.
After spending forty-nine days in meditation, close to the seat of enlightenment, Buddha left Bodhgaya on foot to meet the five ascetics at Benares, where He was going to
turn the first wheel of Dharma. After accomplishing this task, he returned briefly to Uruvela and introduced the three brothers, namely Uruvela, Gaya and Nadi Kasyapa, to
his teachings. They, along with a thousand followers of their own, became monks and accompanied Shakyamuni to Rajgir.
Just like Shakyamuni, all other Buddhas who show enlightenment to this world eat a meal of milk rice, sit upon a carpet of grass at Vajrasana, engage in meditation, defeat
Mara and his forces and attain supreme enlightenment beneath the Bodhi tree (although the species of tree differs with each Buddha). The present Bodhi tree is a descendant
of the original, as the tree was destroyed deliberately on at least three occasions. King Ashoka, initially hostile to Buddhism, ordered it to be cut down and burned on the
spot. But, when the tree sprang up anew from the flames, his attitude changed. Deep regretting his destruction, Ashoka lavished so much personal care and attention on the
new tree that his queen became jealous and secretly had it destroyed once more. Again Ashoka revived it and built a protective enclosing wall, as had previously been done
by King Prasenajit of Koshala, during the Buddha's lifetime. Nagarjuna is said to have built an enclosure later, to protect the tree from being damaged by elephants. With
time, this became less effective. So, he placed a statue of Mahakala upon each pillar.
Huen Tsang gave a record of the third destruction of the tree. He reported seeing remains of these walls and states that in the sixth century, a Saivite king of Bengal,
Shasanka, destroyed the tree. However, even though he dug deep into its roots, he was unable to unearth it completely. Purvavarma, of Magadha Empire, revived it later. He
poured milk of one thousand cows upon it, leading to the growth of tree to a height of ten feet, in a single night.
The origin of the Mahabodhi Temple, which adorns the site today, is shrouded in obscurity. Various legends hold that Ashoka erected a diamond throne shrine, basically a
canopy supported by four pillars, over a stone representation of Vajrasana. When General Cunningham was restoring the floor of the temple, he found traces that he took to
be the remains of the shrine. It is his opinion that the temple may have been built between the fifth century and seventh century. Others propose that because of its
resemblance to similar structures found in Ghandhara and Nalanda as well as the other archaeological evidence, it could have been founded as early as the second century
AD. Nagarjuna is reputed to have built the original stupa upon the roof. However, from the records of Huen Tsang, we can be certain that the temple existed before the
seventh century.
Records of the builder are not clear. Some legends go that he was a Brahmin, who acted on the advice of Shiva. The statue in the main shrine of the temple, famous for its
likeness to Shakyamuni, is said to have been the work of Maitreya in the appearance of a Brahmin artisan.
Monastic tradition seems to have been strong in Bodhgaya. Fa Hien mentions three monasteries and Huen Tsang describes particularly the magnificent Mahabodhi
Sangharama, founded in the early fourth century by a king of Ceylon. Both pilgrims make special remark of the strict observance of the Vinaya by the monks residing there.
Some accounts tell that the great master Atisha, who later emphasized pure practice of the Vinaya, received ordination in Bodhgaya.
Like everywhere else, neglect and desolation followed the Muslim invasion of northern India. However, extensive repairs and restoration of the temple and environs in the
fourteenth century by the Burmese and their further attempts in the early nineteenth century are recorded. In the late sixteenth century, a wandering sanyasi (ascetic) settled
in Bodhgaya and founded the establishment now known as the math of the Mahanta. In 1891, Anagarika Dharmapala, inspired by appeals in the press by Sir Edwin Arnold,
began the Mahabodhi Society and sought to restore the site as a Buddhist shrine. However, his efforts were hindered by bureaucracy. The British Government of India
decided that the temple and its surroundings were the property of the Saivite Mahanta. Nearly sixty years of judicial wrangling followed, after which the Mahabodhi Temple
was legally recognized as belonging to Buddhists.
Since the inception of the Bodhgaya Temple Management Committee and the beginning of its active administration in 1953, vast improvements have been made to both the
temple and its grounds. Existing structures have been repaired and new stupas are being erected. With the reintroduction of gilded images in the niches of the Mahabodhi
Temple, it began to regain some of its lost splendor. The establishment of beautiful temples and monasteries, in the surrounding district, by the people of Tibet, Japan,
China, Thailand, Burma, etc has brought to Bodhgaya, the varied traditions of Buddhist practice that have evolved in those lands. By contrast, the headless, mutilated statues
in the local museum present a disturbing reminder of past destruction.
Pilgrims abound in Bodhgaya. In the recent years, thousands have had the fortune to listen to the Dharma there. Many Buddhist masters are again traveling to Bodhgaya to
turn the wheel of Dharma. For example, over 100,000 devotees attended the Kalachakra empowerment given by His Holiness, The Dalai Lama, in the year 1974. The
Tibetan monastery now offers a two-month meditation course every year, for the international Buddhist community. It also provides meditation courses. Occasionally, the
teachings are given in the Burmese, Thai, Japanese and other temples.
Bodhisattva, having renounced the luxurious life of Prince Siddhartha, became Gautama, the ascetic. After leaving his home, he started walking in the southeastern direction
from Kapilavastu and came to Vaishali. There, he listened briefly to the teaching of Arada Kalapa, an aberrant samkhya, but left dissatisfied. Crossing the river Ganges, he
once again entered the kingdom of Magadha and came to Rajgir, its capital, where he listened to the yogic teachings of Rudraka. Again dissatisfied, he left the place,
followed by five ascetics. Along with them, he came to the village of Uravilva, situated on the banks of the Nairanjana River, close to the place now known as Bodhgaya.
There, they engaged in long, austere practices. For the first two years, Gautama ate only one grain of rice a day and for the next four years, he ate nothing at all. Despite
almost full degeneration of his body, he remained sitting in continual meditation.
Six years after his initial renunciation, he realized that extreme mortification does not lead to liberation. He arose and broke the austerities. The five ascetics got upset and left
for Benares.
As his former garments had perished, he took a yellow shroud from the corpse of a servant girl awaiting cremation nearby. To help him wash it, Indra Deva struck the
ground to form a pond. A local Brahmin's daughter, Sujata, approached him and offered him a golden bowl filled with rice, prepared in the essence of the milk of one
thousand cows. Renewed, he bathed and then walked to a nearby cave to continue his meditation. However, the earth shook and the voices of the earlier Buddhas resounded
in the air, telling him that this was not the place of his enlightenment. They advised him to proceed to the nearby Bodhi tree. The sites, where these events took place, were
seen by the Chinese pilgrims in the fifth and seventh centuries. The records mention that stupas had been constructed at each of the sites. However, none of these exist
today.
As Buddha walked to the Bodhi tree, Svastika, a graincutter, gave him a bundle of kusha grass. A flock of birds flew around him three times. When he entered the area
around the tree, the earth shook. He made a seat from the kusha grass for himself, on the eastern side of the tree and after seven circumambulations sat down facing east.
He made the great resolve of not rising again, till enlightenment had been attained, even if his skin, bones and flesh crumble away. Sending forth a beam of light from the
center of his eyebrows, he invoked Mara, who came to challenge him. Mara first dispatched his horrible armies and then his enticing daughters, but Buddha remained
unmoved and defeated him, calling upon the earth and her goddess as his witness. He continued in profound meditation for three nights and finally realized the Supreme
Enlightenment at dawn. The air filled with flowers and light and the earth trembled seven times.
For seven days, Buddha continued to meditate beneath the tree, without moving from his seat and for the next six weeks, He remained in the vicinity. During the second
week he paced, lost in thoughts, with lotus flowers springing from his footsteps. He pondered whether or not to teach. The chankramanar jewel walk later represented this
event. The walk consists of a low platform adorned with eighteen lotuses, which now runs close to and parallel to the north side of the Mahabodhi Temple. For another
week after the walk, He sat under the Bodhi tree. The Animeshalochana Stupa, situated to the north of the Chankramanar, later marked this spot. Brahma and Indra offered a
hall made of the seven precious elements, where Buddha sat for a week, radiating lights of five colors from his body to illuminate the Bodhi tree. Huen Tsang described this
site as being to the west of the tree and remarked that with time the precious elements changed to stone. Today, Ratnaghara stands identified by some as a roofless shrine to
the north of Chankramanar.
During a week of unusually inclement weather, the Naga king, Muchalinda wrapped his body seven times around the meditating Buddha, protecting him from the rain, wind
and insects. Huen Tsang saw a small temple next to the tank, believed to be the Naga's abode. He described it as lying to the southeast of the Bodhi tree. Presently, it is
identified as the dry pond in Mucherim village near Bodhgaya.
While Buddha was meditating beneath the Ajapala nigrodha tree, Lord Brahma came and requested him to teach the Dharma. Huen Tsang saw this tree, along with a small
temple and stupa beside it, at the southeast corner of the Bodhi tree enclosure. It is thought that the site is now within the Mahanta's graveyard, near the present eastern gate.
Trapusha and Bhallika, offered Buddha food for the first time, since his enlightenment. Seeing that he needed a vessel to receive it, each of the four guardians of the
directions offered precious bowls. But, He accepted only a stone bowl from each one of them. He pressed the four bowls together to form one and when Fa Hien saw it in
directions offered precious bowls. But, He accepted only a stone bowl from each one of them. He pressed the four bowls together to form one and when Fa Hien saw it in
Peshawar, four rims could be seen in the one.
Peshawar, four rims could be seen in the one.
After spending forty-nine days in meditation, close to the seat of enlightenment, Buddha left Bodhgaya on foot to meet the five ascetics at Benares, where He was going to
turn the first wheel of Dharma. After accomplishing this task, he returned briefly to Uruvela and introduced the three brothers, namely Uruvela, Gaya and Nadi Kasyapa, to
his teachings. They, along with a thousand followers of their own, became monks and accompanied Shakyamuni to Rajgir.
Just like Shakyamuni, all other Buddhas who show enlightenment to this world eat a meal of milk rice, sit upon a carpet of grass at Vajrasana, engage in meditation, defeat
Mara and his forces and attain supreme enlightenment beneath the Bodhi tree (although the species of tree differs with each Buddha). The present Bodhi tree is a descendant
of the original, as the tree was destroyed deliberately on at least three occasions. King Ashoka, initially hostile to Buddhism, ordered it to be cut down and burned on the
spot. But, when the tree sprang up anew from the flames, his attitude changed. Deep regretting his destruction, Ashoka lavished so much personal care and attention on the
new tree that his queen became jealous and secretly had it destroyed once more. Again Ashoka revived it and built a protective enclosing wall, as had previously been done
by King Prasenajit of Koshala, during the Buddha's lifetime. Nagarjuna is said to have built an enclosure later, to protect the tree from being damaged by elephants. With
time, this became less effective. So, he placed a statue of Mahakala upon each pillar.
Huen Tsang gave a record of the third destruction of the tree. He reported seeing remains of these walls and states that in the sixth century, a Saivite king of Bengal,
Shasanka, destroyed the tree. However, even though he dug deep into its roots, he was unable to unearth it completely. Purvavarma, of Magadha Empire, revived it later. He
poured milk of one thousand cows upon it, leading to the growth of tree to a height of ten feet, in a single night.
The origin of the Mahabodhi Temple, which adorns the site today, is shrouded in obscurity. Various legends hold that Ashoka erected a diamond throne shrine, basically a
canopy supported by four pillars, over a stone representation of Vajrasana. When General Cunningham was restoring the floor of the temple, he found traces that he took to
be the remains of the shrine. It is his opinion that the temple may have been built between the fifth century and seventh century. Others propose that because of its
resemblance to similar structures found in Ghandhara and Nalanda as well as the other archaeological evidence, it could have been founded as early as the second century
AD. Nagarjuna is reputed to have built the original stupa upon the roof. However, from the records of Huen Tsang, we can be certain that the temple existed before the
seventh century.
Records of the builder are not clear. Some legends go that he was a Brahmin, who acted on the advice of Shiva. The statue in the main shrine of the temple, famous for its
likeness to Shakyamuni, is said to have been the work of Maitreya in the appearance of a Brahmin artisan.
Monastic tradition seems to have been strong in Bodhgaya. Fa Hien mentions three monasteries and Huen Tsang describes particularly the magnificent Mahabodhi
Sangharama, founded in the early fourth century by a king of Ceylon. Both pilgrims make special remark of the strict observance of the Vinaya by the monks residing there.
Some accounts tell that the great master Atisha, who later emphasized pure practice of the Vinaya, received ordination in Bodhgaya.
Like everywhere else, neglect and desolation followed the Muslim invasion of northern India. However, extensive repairs and restoration of the temple and environs in the
fourteenth century by the Burmese and their further attempts in the early nineteenth century are recorded. In the late sixteenth century, a wandering sanyasi (ascetic) settled
in Bodhgaya and founded the establishment now known as the math of the Mahanta. In 1891, Anagarika Dharmapala, inspired by appeals in the press by Sir Edwin Arnold,
began the Mahabodhi Society and sought to restore the site as a Buddhist shrine. However, his efforts were hindered by bureaucracy. The British Government of India
decided that the temple and its surroundings were the property of the Saivite Mahanta. Nearly sixty years of judicial wrangling followed, after which the Mahabodhi Temple
was legally recognized as belonging to Buddhists.
Since the inception of the Bodhgaya Temple Management Committee and the beginning of its active administration in 1953, vast improvements have been made to both the
temple and its grounds. Existing structures have been repaired and new stupas are being erected. With the reintroduction of gilded images in the niches of the Mahabodhi
Temple, it began to regain some of its lost splendor. The establishment of beautiful temples and monasteries, in the surrounding district, by the people of Tibet, Japan,
China, Thailand, Burma, etc has brought to Bodhgaya, the varied traditions of Buddhist practice that have evolved in those lands. By contrast, the headless, mutilated statues
in the local museum present a disturbing reminder of past destruction.
Pilgrims abound in Bodhgaya. In the recent years, thousands have had the fortune to listen to the Dharma there. Many Buddhist masters are again traveling to Bodhgaya to
turn the wheel of Dharma. For example, over 100,000 devotees attended the Kalachakra empowerment given by His Holiness, The Dalai Lama, in the year 1974. The
Tibetan monastery now offers a two-month meditation course every year, for the international Buddhist community. It also provides meditation courses. Occasionally, the
teachings are given in the Burmese, Thai, Japanese and other temples.