"At whose root, seated, the All-Knowing One attained enlightenment by himself – That Bodhi tree I venerate, I bow my head to it." The Bodhi Puja Gatha is a compact, powerful practice that bridges devotion and mindfulness. By chanting these verses, a Buddhist connects not to a physical tree alone, but to the moment of awakening itself—reminding themselves that the potential for bodhi (enlightenment) lies within their own mind, just as it did under that ancient fig tree in Bodh Gaya, India.
Bodhi Puja Gatha refers to a collection of Pali or Sinhala verses (gatha) chanted by Theravada Buddhists to pay homage to the Bodhi Tree (Ficus religiosa)—the sacred fig tree under which Siddhartha Gautama attained Enlightenment, becoming the Buddha. The term breaks down as: Bodhi (Enlightenment), Puja (honoring/offering), and Gatha (verses or stanzas). bodhi puja gatha