IttiHaas Chronicle
philosophy

Scholars Unveil 11th-Century 'Bodhi-Vriksha' Copper Plates in Sri Lanka Detailing the 'Philosophy of Arboreal Wisdom'

📅 April 9, 2026 📰 Lanka Historical Journal
Scholars Unveil 11th-Century 'Bodhi-Vriksha' Copper Plates in Sri Lanka Detailing the 'Philosophy of Arboreal Wisdom'

Researchers at the Anuradhapura Archaeological Site have unveiled a set of 11th-century copper plates that describe a unique Bodhi-Vriksha philosophy. Unlike standard Buddhist texts, these plates present a Vedic-inspired synthesis that treats the tree not just as a symbol of enlightenment, but as a living syllogism of the Brahman. The text details a 'biocentric logic' where the growth of branches represents the expansion of philosophical inquiry.

The inscriptions outline a social code known as Vriksha-Dharma, which mandates the protection of ancient trees as repositories of ancestral wisdom. This find is significant for heritage researchers as it demonstrates a shared philosophical substrate between Sanatan Dharma and early Sri Lankan thought, focusing on the ethical reciprocity between human cognition and the natural world.

Original source: Lanka Historical Journal