One evening, a group of young girls on their way home passed by Gautama who was sitting in meditation. They were playing the lute, a musical instrument, and singing. He thought, “When the string of the lute is loose, its sound won’t carry. When the string is too tight, it breaks. When the strings are neither too loose nor too tight, the music is beautiful. A loose string means a life of pleasure. A tight string means a life of self torture. I’m pulling my strings too tightly. I cannot find the Way of Truth living a life of luxury or with my body so weak.” Thus, he decide to give up self-torture.