What connection, if any, does the story of the three wise men presenting gifts to the infant Jesus, have to do with the fact that even today we decorate trees during our most Holy Day of the year, just like it was the same Asian Tree of Plenty? A cargo cult?
Also, is it a coincidence that the emblem for MUM is the Tree of Knowledge which is akin to the Bodhi Tree of the historical Buddha? [image: Inline image 1] Three motifs loom large on the stage of world mythology; the dying and rising tree spirit, the tree of life, the waxing and waning of the moon, and the cast-skin. The myth of immortality can be traced back to Neolithic times and had it's origin in Southeast Asia well over 5000 years ago. These myths through a process of diffusion and human migration have spread out in more complex combinations in Western mythology. In Asian mythology the fruit of the Tree of Plenty was discovered by children through experimentation. Their parents decided to cut the tree down to get the fruit. In this myth, the cutting down and destruction of the sacred tree acts as a trigger, or is necessary to the general distribution of its product (Eden in the East 356). The myth of the "Sacred Tree" in Genesis and the "Great Flood" myth mentioned in the "Epic of Gilgamesh" could be versions of two of the most basic myths known to history. The rite of "tree worship", in which the dying and rising tree-spirit is destroyed and then brought back to life, points to man's ability to harvest food. It is well known that the first cultivation of rice took place in Southeast Asia and hence spread to India. Likewise, the myth of the flood could have originated when the polar icecaps melted along with a general warming of the planet, forcing countless thousands of coastal habitations to migrate all over Asia, China, Tibet, India, and the Middle East, about 7,000 years ago. There are at least 2 more "tree" references, used in the TMO. 1. On the new currency by Maharishi: "The Raam Mudra is named for the ancient Indian prince whose image appears on the notes. The colorful bills also feature Sanskrit messages of peace and prosperity, a cow and a wish-fulfilling tree." 2. On the cover of a textbook for the Ideal Girls School: "The cover, designed by Heather Hartnett, depicts the Kalp Vriksha, the "wish-yielding tree" that symbolizes the effortless ability to fulfill desires from the level of Natural Law." Works Cited: Harris, Stephen J. "Understanding the Bible." Mountain View: Mayfield, 2000 The Jerusalem Bible. New York: Doubleday, 1966 Oppenhiemer, Stephen, M.D., "Eden in the East." London: Phoenix, 1998 Other titles of interst: De Camp, L. Sprague. "Lost Continents." New York: Dover, 1970
