佛的考试Buddha's examination

98° Buddha's examination. Even the very early Hindus exhibited great skill in calculating with large numbers. Thus we are told of an examination to which Buddha, the great religious teacher of about the sixth century B.C., had to submit, in his youth, in order to win the hand of the maiden he loved. He was asked to determine the number of primary atoms which, when placed side by side, would form a line one "mile" long. Buddha found the required number as follows: seven primary atoms make a very minute grain of dust, seven of these make a minute grain of dust, seven of these a grain of dust whirled up by the wind, and so on. He proceeded thus, step by step, until he finally reached the length of one "mile." The product of the factors gave a number of fifteen digits.