At the age of thirty-five, Siddharta Gautama sat down beneath the shade of a tree to meditate, and stayed under it until he received enlightenment seven weeks later. ... Only when we are able to give up useless desires and when we are able to learn to take each day at a time, enjoying the experiences that life offers us, patiently facing those problems that life involves without fear, hatred and anger, only then will we become happy and free human beings. ... Because we are no longer obsessed with satisfying our own self-centered desires that we find we have so much time to help others satisfy...

• Word Count: 2687
• Approx Pages: 11
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School