A. They fancied he was dead; but after a time he revived.

58. Q. What then?

A. The thought came to him that knowledge could never be reached by mere fasting or bodily suffering, but must be gained by the opening of the mind. He had just barely escaped death from self-starvation, yet had not obtained the Perfect Wisdom. So he decided to eat, that he might live at least long enough to become wise.

59. Q. Who gave him food?

A. He received food from Sujata, a nobleman's, daughter, who saw him sitting at the foot of a nyagrodha (banyan) tree, He arose, took his almsbowl, bathed in the river Neranjara, ate the food, and went into the jungle.

60. Q. What did he do there?

A. Having formed his determination after these reflections, he went at evening to the Bodhi, or Asvattha tree, where the present Mahabodhi Temple stands.

61. Q. What did he do there?

A. He determined not to leave the spot until he attained perfect wisdom.

62. Q. At which side of the tree did he seat himself?

A. The side facing the east. [**]

63. Q. What did he obtain that night?

A. The knowledge of his previous births, of the causes of re-births, and of the way to extinguish desires. Just before the break of the next day his mind was entirely opened, like the full-blown lotus flower; the light of supreme knowledge, or the Four Truths, poured

in upon him. He had become BUDDHA--the Enlightened, the all-knowing--the Sarvajna.

64. Q. Had he at last discovered the cause of human misery?

A. At last he had. As the light of the morning sun chases away the darkness of night, and reveals to sight the trees, fields, rocks, seas, rivers, animals, men and all things, so the full light of knowledge rose in his mind, and he saw at one glance the causes of human suffering and the way to escape from them.

65. Q. Had he great struggles before gaining this perfect wisdom?

A. Yes, mighty and terrible struggles. He had to conquer in his body all those natural defects and human appetites and desires that prevent our seeing the truth. He had to overcome all the had influences of the sinful world around him. Like a soldier fighting desperately in battle against many enemies, he struggled: like a hero who conquers, he gained his object, and the secret of human misery was discovered.

66. Q. What use did he make of the knowledge thus gained?

A. At first he was reluctant to teach it to the people at large.

67. Q. Why?

A. Because of its profound importance and sublimity. He feared that but few people would understand it.

68. Q. What made him alter this view? [**]