Trees of Life

Trees can give life. It can produce the air that people need in order to breath and reduces the carbon dioxide which can pollute and bring harm to one's respiratory system. But aside from playing this role in our environment, trees can also offer more. It can give food, it can provide shelter, it can be created into medicine, and so much more. Every country or region has their so-called "tree of life". Find out what these plants are and why are they considered as one of the most important trees that exists today.

In Asia, particularly in the country called Philippines, there is a certain tropical tree called the Coconut. The coconut tree was considered as the country's Tree of Life because of the unlimited benefits that you can get from the tree starting from its leaves up to its roots. The roots and the trunk of the coconut tree can be used in creating durable materials from wood. More often than not, the trunk of this tree is turned into furniture and materials needed for constructing a home. On the other hand, the roots of the coconut tree can provide extracts that can be used in creating beverages and medicines at the same time. Meanwhile, the leaves of the coconut tree can be turned into baskets, hats, trays, and other novelty items. But it is widely used in the country as brooms since vacuums are not really popular in Philippines. Of course, who could forget about the fruit about this tree of life? There is a wide array of products that you can get in this one fruit alone. The coconut meat can be made as chips, flour, milk, and even candy. From the same fruit, you can also create coconut oil that can be used for cooking and even for automobiles as well.

India also has its own plant that they consider as the Tree of Life such as the peepal and the banyan tree. Also known as the Bo-Tree or the Sacred Fig, the peepal is famous among the Hindus as well as Buddhist. But unlike the coconut tree, the peepal does not give as much products compared to the other tree. In this case, the Sacred Fig is just symbolically called as the tree of life. This is where many Buddhists and Hindus do their meditation. Many believe that this must be called as the tree of spirituality rather than the tree of life.

From the same country, there is another plant that they call as their tree of life called the banyan tree. Unlike the peepal tree, the banyan tree is widely used in the country for making herbal medicines. Aside from that, it is also considered by the locals of India as a sacred tree and most of them call the banyan tree as the Ashwath Vriksha which means The Light Within. Most of the trees of life here in India are their sacred trees where they get faith instead of usable items. It might not nourish their bodies or give them a source of income but it does feed their souls with faith, which is essential part of their religion.