Wisdom

The Tree of Life
The Uniter of Worlds

From Jennifer Emick,
Your Guide to Alternative Religions.

The Tree of Life is an important symbol in nearly every culture. With
its branches reaching into the sky, and roots deep in the earth, it
dwells in three worlds- a link between heaven, the earth, and the
underworld, uniting above and below. It is both a feminine symbol,
bearing sustenance, and a masculine, visibly phallic symbol- another
union.

In Jewish and Christian mythology, a tree sits at the center of both
the Heavenly and Earthly Edens. The Norse cosmic World Ash,
Ygdrassil, has its roots in the underworld while its branches support
the abode of the Gods. The Egyptian's Holy Sycamore stood on the
threshold of life and death, connecting the worlds. To the Mayas, it
is Yaxche, whose branches support the heavens.

The tree has other characteristics which lend easily to symbolism.
Many trees take on the appearance of death in the winter- losing
their leaves, only to sprout new growth with the return of spring.
This aspect makes the tree a symbol of resurrection, and a stylized
tree is the symbol of many resurrected Gods- Jesus, Attis, and Osirus
all have crosses as their symbols. Most of these Gods are believed to
have been crucified on trees, as well. The modern Christmas tree
hearkens back to trees decorated to honor Attis, the crucified God of
the Greeks.

A tree also bears seeds or fruits, which contain the essence of the
tree, and this continuous regeneration is a potent symbol of
immortality. It is the fruit of a tree that confers immortality in
the Jewish creation story. In Taoist tradition, it is a divine peach
that gives the gift of immortality. In ancient Persia, the fruit of
the haoma bears this essence. The apples of Idun give the Norse gods
their powers, much like the Gods of the Greek pantheon and their
reliance on Ambrosia. This aspect of the tree as a giver of gifts and
spiritual wisdom is also quite common. It is while meditating under a
Bodhi tree that Buddha received his enlightenment; the Norse God Odin
received the gift of language while suspended upside down in the
World Ash (an interesting parallel is the hanged man of the tarot).
In Judeo-Christian mythology, the Tree of heaven is the source of the
primordial rivers that water the earth- similar to the Tooba Tree of
the Koran, from whose roots spring milk, honey, and wine.
This tree and its gifts of immortality are not easy to discover. It
is historically difficult to find, and almost invariably guarded. The
tree of Life in the Jewish bible is guarded by a Seraph (an angel in
the form of a fiery serpent) bearing a flaming sword. To steal the
apples of knowledge, the Greek hero Hercules had to slay a
many-headed dragon Ladon. In Mayan legends, it is a serpent in the
roots that must be contended with. Similarly, the Naga, or divine
serpent guards the Hindu Tree. The Serpent Nidhog lives under
Ygdrassil, and gnaws at the roots.

The tree as the abode of the Gods is another feature common to many
mythologies; in some, the tree itself is a God. The ancient Sumerian
God Dammuzi was personified as a tree, as is the Hindu Brahman. The
Byzantine World tree represents the omnipotence of the Christian god.

Another form, the inverted Tree, represents spiritual growth, as well
as the human nervous system. This tree, with its roots in heaven, and
its branches growing downward, is most commonly found in Kabbalistic
imagery. A similar tree is mentioned in the Bhagavad Gita, "The
banyan tree with its roots above, and its branches below, is
imperishable. " In Jewish Kabbalah, the inverted tree represents the
nervous system as well- the 'root' in the cranial nerves, with the
branches spreading throughout the body; it also represents the cosmic
tree- rooted in heaven, the branches all of manifest creation.

Zoroastrian Wisdom

I, who am attuning my soul
to Good Mind,
know that the actions
done for the Wise God have their rewards.
As long as I continue to have the will and the power,
I shall teach others to strive after Righteousness.
(Gathas: Song 1 stanza 4)

(from "The Gathas, Our Guide," translated and annotated by Ali A. Jafarey,
Cypress, California , USA, 1989)

Hindu Wisdom

I honor the God and the Goddess,
The eternal parents of the universe.

The Lover, out of boundless love,
takes the form of the Beloved.
What Beauty!
Both are made of the same nectar
and share the same food.


-Jnaneshwar (also known as Jnanadeva)
From Teachings of the Hindu Mystics, © 2001 by Andrew Harvey. Reprinted by arrangement with Shambhala Publications, Boston, www.shambhala.com

What is it what you post?

I'm sorry if you don't want this kind of post? If this is the case? I will stop. This is your group and it is a great group. Thank you for haveing it. I post things I find that promotes unity and love between people. God is love, If you love not, you do not know God.
Ell

No! You didnt understand. I wanted to know what was that post because i dont understand it.

I take it to mean All Gods and Goddess's are the same. They take different shapes or forms to different people. Everything is made of the same nectar, so we eat (or follow) the same food (or God). For every God, there is also a Goddess. An Adam and a Eve. A Male and a Female. It could mean something else but that is what I got from it. I hope this helps.
Ell