Siddharta Gautama abandoned his family at the age of twenty-nine to search for a way to bring to an end suffering in the world. He studied meditation with many teachers. 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. He received the Great Enlightenment: the Four Noble Truths and the Eight-fold Path. From this day on he was known as the Buddha. ...

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