[ Scene - On bus during a travel; Two passengers start a casual conversation which later takes an unusual turn ]
Old man - Sir, if you don't mind can I know who you are?
Young man - A teacher, I am a teacher, sir.
Old man (smiling mysteriously ) - But you are a passenger right now , aren't you ?
Young man - (smiling back but confused ) - Yes , of course I am but that is temporary, I mean I am a passenger only for a short period of time . How can I say that I am a passenger ?
Old man - But with this logic you are not a teacher as well , are you ? That too is for a short time in your life . Can you now tell me who you really are ?
Young man - (A little baffled ) OK. I am Brajendra.
Old man - But that too is given you by others , only after your were born . It shows that it is not your real identity .
Young man - ( Thoughtfully ) Well , then , I am a body without name, is that right ? .
Old man - (Still smiling mysteriously ) If you are a body, will you die with the amputation of any part of your body . If any of your legs, arms , ears , nose etc disappear, do you think you will die ? Definitely you will not. It means you are different from those parts of the body. We see that even when the body is perfectly all right with all its organs in perfect state it becomes dead . There is something different which is more vital and the real thing whose absence causes death . It means you're not the body , else you would live if the body is present. Can you now tell me who you are?
Young man - Oh , it's getting really puzzling . By now one thing is clear that I am different from this body . If I am not a body , I am the mind as it drives and controls the body. Life ceases to exist , if it ends . Also it's the most important organ of the body.
Old Man - But wait . Mind has a physical existence. It is contained in the brain . In a state of coma , it doesn't function but life exists. Even its soundness doesn't prevent the death of the body. The mind is physically present even in a dead body . You will notice that you can control your mind according to your will. It means you are its controller and the master, not itself. Please think more and answer decisively .
Young man- Well . Let me think. Mind is made up of thoughts, feelings , emotions and understanding . They are controlled by its conscious part that is buddhi . It means that I am Buddhi as it controls the mind.
Old Man - But note that the conscious buddhi doesn't work during sleep , unconsciousness and under the influence of drugs etc . Even then we exist.
Young man-( bewildered and in a tone of surrender ) Oh God , I am totally confused . I admit that I have never thought about such questions before it. I am at my wit's end now . I think I need to know its answer. It's really strange and depressing that I do not know my own self. Will you tell me its right answer ? I am really confused.
Old man - ( With a mystic smile ) - Don't be confused young man . There is nothing strange here. It's pity that we try to know everything but ourselves. We are busy learning everything that we can perceive outside, but never stop to look inside and try to know the perceiver.
Nobody else can tell you who you are. Actually it's not an object of knowledge , rather that of experience. It's to be experienced and felt . In total silence, away from the humdrum of outer world . Go inside you, reflect on your real identity. You are the seer , not the scene . You are neither the object , nor the subject. You are awareness , a witness . But it may sound crazy to you. It may look just a vague philosophy. But if you think it's a question worth your attention , this is the way .
[ He stood to get down from the bus as he had reached his destination. ]
