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. ... In history, it is said that Lord Buddha Shakyamuni lectured on these noble truths during his first public speech after his enlightenment. ...

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