Solitude in the Forest

After staying in kosambi for a while, the Buddha felt the need for a period of complete solitude and so he went to the forest near the village of Vaishali. The forest was a well-known haunt for wild animals and few people went there, and the Buddha was prepared to go without food in order to be completely alone for a while. He settled down at the foot of a beautiful sal tree and spent his time meditating. An elephant and a monkey served the Buddha with water and fruits. With the help of these animals, he was able to spend time without having any contact with people.