The Bodhi leaf from Sri Lanka becomes the trademark of PBF

Since my highly adventurous journey as a 24-year-old globetrotter overland to Ceylon in 1964, I have been strongly connected to this island in the Indian Ocean. After more than half a century, the still strong personal network of relationships is proving its worth, especially in the past year and probably even more intensively in this New Year 2025. One sign of this is the leaf of the Bodhi tree in India under which Buddha was given enlightenment, awakening (= Bodhi). As a sign of the introduction of Buddhism in Sri Lanka, an offshoot was sent there from India and planted in the city of Anuradhapura.

It still flourishes there and is protected as a shrine, as have its numerous offshoots at many sacred sites for centuries. The leaf is often given as a gift as a sign of friendship and solidarity. It is the same here and now. It is, so to speak, a “trademark” of PBF.  In Africa, the term “Ubuntu” stands for this.

It should be noted here that since August last year, all donations, regardless of their size, are thanked with personal words and an explanatory text. Terrence Tissera‘s highly elaborate production will be honoured elsewhere on this website in due course.

I have selected the following response from Thomas Schöb from the letters received.

Peter Bachmann

Here comes another leaf, another Bodhi leaf. This time as a reminder that we are at our most sensitive when we stretch our most delicate fibres into the wind. That we can achieve something special when we are at our lightest. Just as the leaf of a tree can transform light energy into chemical energy, just as it can transform carbon dioxide into carbohydrates. Just as the leaf of a tree transforms carbon dioxide into water and oxygen and cools and moisturises our environment. Just like the leaf, we can refresh, enrich and nourish our fellow human beings. We just have to accept the risk that every action harbours: vulnerability. We have to accept the vulnerability that we show when we stretch our most delicate fibres into the wind. As fragile as the Bodhi leaf. As strong as the Bodhi leaf.

Thomas Schöb