The Tree of Enlightenment
When people think of wood the first thing that usually pops into their head is trees. The reason for this is that trees are ancient, and in most cultures ancient things are considered wise. If something has been around long enough it has probably been in the presence of the animals and worlds of our wildest dreams; and in turn this said ancient, object, plant, or animal, becomes fused with the things we think it has witnessed. It then becomes an object of equal respect and mystique.
Due to the fact that trees have been around for longer than humans, trees symbolize knowledge and life. The tree of life represents the state of eternal aliveness and fulfillment. This is not the same as immortality since the body eventually dies, however it is possible to experience perfect goodness. It is only when humans learned about duality that they were no longer able to live in this constant state of living.
Two of the strongest examples of the tree of knowledge and life come from Buddhism and Christianity. These two myths however are the opposite of each other. Prince Gautama Siddharta (More commonly known as the Buddha) sat and meditated beneath the grandeur of the Bohdi tree to reach enlightenment. In the Christian faith the story of Adam and Eve centers around the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, the only tree in the garden from which they should not pick. In the beginning of both stories the people whom the stories revolve around are all ignorant of the true reality of their worlds. At the end there is also some kind of test/temptation underneath the tree. The Buddha was tested by a wrathful deity who used his seven daughters to try and tempt the Buddha. Unfortunately for the deity, and fortunately for us, the Buddha was able to avoid temptation and achieved enlightenment. In the story of Adam and Eve the Serpent living in the Garden of Eden tempts Eve to take an apple from the tree and succeeds, causing Adam and Eve to see the true world around them. The difference also lies in the beginning and end of the story. In the beginning Buddha was a normal human and eventually he was able to achieve enlightenment. Adam and Eve were already at their enlightened state and because they learned about the duality of life, could never return to paradise.
Other famous trees include the Yggdrasil, or the world tree in Nordic mythology. This tree also shelters the last two humans after Ragnarok. The humans feed off of dew and are protected by the tree. Trees of life exist in almost every culture and even appear today in movies, comics, and songs. We even use the symbol of the tree of life in science for evolutionary purposes. Despite the difference in cultures and time periods, trees continue to fascinate human beings.