The motif of the Sidrat al-Muntahā (سِدْرَة ٱلْمُنْتَهَىٰ), the Tree at the Furthest Boundary of Heaven, originates in the spiritual ascent visions or Mi'raj of the prophet Muhammad; conceptually wedding the Tree of Life and the Burning Bush seen by Moses on Mt. Sinai, it acquired a prominent metaphorical importance in the Baha'i faith: a messianic movement in 19th century Iran; answering Islam in the same light as Christianity answered Judaism, the followers of the Bab were persecuted brutally for their beliefs.

One of the founders of the faith claimed: “The Divine Tree is none other but the Manifestation of God in every age.” It is said the Tree stands at the very horizon of angelical wisdom; being as far as anyone may approach true knowledge of the divine, it denotes the incarnate avatar as the axial source or fountainhead of all revelation.

These three arboreal motifs bring further weight to the ancient use of tree symbolism. Cultures the world over depict an axial tree in their art, often adorned with Birds of Paradise like angels resting in its boughs.

The motif of the Santu Gonger (三兔共耳), or Three Hares sharing ears, appears in sixteen of the Mogao Caves in Dunhuang. Also known as The Thousand Buddha Grottoes, whose murals date between 600 and 900 CE, the Hares are usually set within a blooming lotus. The motif also appears at a Buddhist temple complex in Alchi, around the mountains of Ladakh. Likely decorated by 12th century Kashmiri artists, the design is extremely prevalent and adorns the robes of the Maitreya, or Pakpa Jampa: Lord of Love, the Buddha prophesied to come.

The Three Hares appear to have traveled along the Silk Road during Mongol rule in the 13th century, Islamicate artifacts of this period were found featuring them in Iran and Russia. Making their way to both synagogues and churches in Germany and France, they became very common ornaments in South Western England; sometimes adjacent to the Green Man, the Hares often appear centrally on the vaulted ceilings of churches around the moorlands - echoing their prominence in Dunhuang.