"Siddhartha is said to have learned some simple truths from which he had been shielded: we all get sick, grow old and die. He decided to abandon his previous life and devote himself to working out a way to end suffering. His initial method was to emulate the traveling monk, deny all pleasure, and follow a life of extreme asceticism. But this state of being nearly killed him. What saved him was that one day he heard someone speak about the strings on a musical instrument: if a string is too tight it will break and be ruined; if it is too loose, you cannot make beautiful music. Siddhartha applied this to his own existence and formulated the idea of the Middle Way: do not deny the physical body totally and yet do not live life to indulge the body’s every whim. Siddhartha meditated on this for some time and eventually came to an understanding of the concept of enlightenment. After this, he became known as “Buddha” or the “enlightened one.” Eventually, he started teaching his philosophy and gained a large following. After going through a life of self-denial, discipline and meditation, he is said to have attained enlightenment which resulted in the alleviation of his pain and suffering. He then embarked on a journey of teaching others the path that would liberate them from the cycle of life and death."