A. No. He grew thinner and thinner in body and fainter in strength
until, one day, as he was slowly walking about and meditating, his
vital force suddenly left him and he fell to the ground unconscious.

57. Q. _What did his companions think of that?_

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
alms-bowl, 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.[5]

63. Q. _What did he obtain that night?_

A. The knowledge of his previous births, of the causes of rebirths,
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 bad influences of the
sinful world around him. Like a soldier fighting desperately