Buddha, GOTAMA

ab.500-ab.420 B.C. Of the Sakya tribe, settled ab.100 miles n. e. of Benares. His mother died in his infancy, and her sister brought him up. He abandoned wife and son at the age of 29 to work out his religious ideas. Failing to find what he wanted in the systems of the famous teachers with whom he studied, he next practiced extreme austerities for two or three years, but finally abandoned this road to deliverance, whereupon his disciples left him in displeasure. Then came the mental crisis when for a day and a night he sat under the Bo Tree and the vision came clothing him with the quality of perfect wisdom and revealing the doctrine he should teach. His disciples had gone to Benares; he followed them there, unfolded his system, and sent them out to proselytize. For the 45 remaining years of his life he preached throughout the Ganges Valley with marvelous effect, and is even said to have visited Ceylon.