The topic of immortality has long been of interest to mankind. Seeking the elixir of eternal life were carried away by those in power - kings, emperors, and ordinary people. The symbol of immortality in most religious teachings of the world and cultural civilizations is the tree of life. It embodies strength and longevity.
The Significance of the Tree of Life in Religions and Culture of the World
This concept can be found in the culture of many peoples and religious monuments of the most common beliefs.
Jewish Kabbalah
In Kabbalah, the world is represented as a composition of ten emanations or manifestations of the Supreme Mind. This composition is the tree of life, it is also called the Sephiroth or Sefirot. It represents elements - Sefira, having Jewish names and possessing magical potential. They are interconnected by the Zivug line, which means mating. Sefira also express the names of the planets of the solar system. The highest point - Keter - personifies God. Divine light passes through it, with each element passed its energy is weakened. Divine radiation reaches its lowest point, Malkut, having decreased many times. The lower element of the Sefirot is Earth.
The tree of life, according to Kabbalah, is an expression of a person who has reached the highest state of mind. In the composition of the tree, three main components can be identified, called pillars. The left side is the foundation of rigor, the central is the pillar of balance, and the right side is mercy. All Sefira express human condition at different levels of spiritual development. As it grows, the human soul passes through all stages or elements of the tree, and in the Sefira of Bina reaches Paradise. And the highest point is available only with the complete purification or “correction” of the world.
Bible
Bible legends also mention the tree of life. They say that God drove out the first people from Paradise, thereby depriving them of this beautiful symbol of wisdom. The tree is mentioned in the Apocalypse and other texts of the Old Testament monuments. In Christianity, this symbol was depicted hung with fruits and guarded by the Serpent, Dragon or Leo.
In other cultures
Also, a tree giving immortality is mentioned in many ancient legends, for example, in the Hittite memorial text about Gilgamesh, in Egyptian images. For different peoples, it is represented by different types of earth trees. So, among the Germans, the tree of life is yew, among peoples practicing shamanism, it is birch.
Commemorative Designs with the Tree of Life
There are several monuments of world culture that capture this symbol of immortality. For example, the icon "Tree of Life", which depicts Jesus Christ surrounded by a vine of grapes. Therefore, this icon also has the name "Christ the vine" or "Christ the vine of Truth." Around him are the apostles, and in some examples also John the Baptist and the Holy Virgin. This image is based on gospel legends.
There is another interpretation of the sacred text, which depicts the tomb of the Lord, a vine with bunches of grapes grows from it. From grapes Christ squeezes wine (which expresses wisdom and sacrifice) into a vessel.
The Germans preserved beautiful tapestries with the tree of life depicted on them, which were hung on the facades of the fortresses, gates. They were also used as flags in campaigns.
Interesting Facts
Not far from the Persian city of Bahrain, a mesquite tree has been growing for 400 years right in the desert. Locals call it the tree of life, as it grows in the sand burning with the sun, despite the lack of water. This phenomenon attracts many tourists from all over the world.
Interestingly, this symbol of immortality is used in our lives very often. For example, the philosophy of attracting wealth and abundance is widespread. Practitioners of this system grow a money tree (fat tree) at home. Various ornaments imitating this element are also made, for example, pendants made of beads. There are meditation techniques called “The Money Tree of Life, ” which promote well-being.
This symbol has existed since time immemorial and continues to find its new sound in the modern world. Even in the scientific world, this concept is quite relevant. After all, the tree, giving eternal life, personifies the genealogical structure of man, his evolution. Further study of this element may open to people new secrets of the universe.
