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According to Buddhist tradition, the Buddha sat at night peacefully meditating under a Bodhi tree near the village of Gaya in the middle of an Indian forest. The leaves of the Bodhi tree were heart-shaped, symbolizing that the heart, not the mind, was the key to enlightenment. Without judgment, he was careful not to rush to any conclusions. His meditative practice brought him to a place he had never experienced before. Through the focus on his breathing and his third eye, an awareness came of an internal life that included the endless cycle of birth, death, and rebirth. Memories arose of his life’s difficulties, challenges, and fears, which might prolong his rebirth cycle. By remaining vigilant and by staying present in his internal meditative state, he experienced the importance of karma and how actions of the past affect the future.

When the enlightenment occurred, certain myths describe how an apple from the Bodhi tree fell on his head, and the Bodhi tree burst into bloom with all living things, becoming exuberant and celebratory. Like in the Garden of Eden, the apple symbolizes knowledge equal to God, to a higher consciousness. When he greeted the next morning, he was awakened, becoming the Buddha, meaning the Awakened One. He envisioned a world where there would be no ignorance and fear.

The three images of Buddha represent 3 stages of enlightenment:

In the initial watch of the night, the Buddha unearthed his myriad past lives within the cycle of rebirth, acknowledging his countless births and reincarnations.

In the subsequent watch, the Buddha discerned the Law of Karma and the significance of adhering to the Noble Eightfold Path, prompting Siddhartha to contemplate the transformative potential of altering one’s inner experience. This led him to consider the notion that “karma was primarily a mental process, rather than a physical one.”

In the final watch, the Buddha illuminated the Four Noble Truths, culminating in his attainment of Nirvana, the ultimate state of enlightenment.