Die Versuchung des Buddha durch den Dämonenkönig Mara

For Buddhists, the representation of a tree usually stands for the Bodhi tree, under which Buddha attained enlightenment. For those who agree with the old Indian tree symbolism, it was also the world tree or the axis mundi. In some Buddhist texts, however, the "tree also stands for the transient world of phenomena and thus symbolizes the consequences of craving for existence. It was only with his enlightenment that Buddha transformed it into the tree of wisdom. It is rooted in stability and bears moral deeds as its blossoms and righteousness as its fruit. Thus the tree also becomes the "wishing jewel tree" (dpag bsam ljon shing), in which the old Indian motif of this legendary tree lives on in Buddhist symbolic language.

Here we see Buddha in a phase of his meditation in which Mara, the king of demons, is still trying to prevent Buddha from attaining enlightenment. To do so, he sends fearsome warriors to attack him or his beautiful daughters to seduce him with their provocative dances. All in vain - Buddha has attained enlightenment and passed on his insights. The Bodhi trees in or in front of many Buddhist monasteries, which are revered as a symbol of this, are a reminder of this.