In ancient India, a prince named Siddharta had renounced his royal background to become an ascetic, desperately seeking the meaning of life through extreme means such as sitting on thorns or living on a single grain a day. One day, as he meditated by the river, a small boat passed by. On the boat, a zitar player was teaching his young apprentice. "If the string is too tight," said the teacher, "it will snap. If the string is too loose, it will not make sound."
Siddharta opened his eyes and realized that all his efforts were nothing compared to what he had just heard. He realized that if a person were to find the meaning of life, he must not go to the extremes, but pursue a middle path instead. Pursuing a middle path meant following the rules which make up a meaningful life. Siddharta eventually became the Buddha, which means "the Enlightened One."