"When do I make my mark in this world?" asked her mind.
"Why do you need to make a mark in this world?" questioned a tiny voice from deep within her, trembling slightly as it's yet a child in the midst of towering consciousnesses.
"Because I wish to be remembered for posterity," replied the mind, slightly irritated that a young one had bothered to question her, who is known for her age old wisdom and scientific temperament.
"And then what?" the tiny voice sought to know, emboldened by now.
"And then people will follow the path shown by me, my ideals, my thoughts..." the mind said proudly. "My thoughts will become their thoughts; my command their wish."
"Later?" persisted the child within.
"Later? What's there for later? People will idolise me and worship me for my knowledge and for bringing them onto the true path. I will be God," boomed the mind.
"Then?" the child who did not wish to be defeated by mere words, queried the mind.
The all-knowing mind was puzzled. What was the best way to answer the child? It remained silent, thinking of a retort that would silence the inquisitive young one.
"Then," the child itself answered, "the path of truth laid by you will be forgotten by those who follow leading it to be overgrown with weeds of lies and dishonesty; your ideals and great thoughts will be trampled upon in the great rush towards your temple. You will be a God alright, but dwarfed and inaudible in the din of ballads of greatness sung in your honour. You will be reduced to a mere beautifully carved stone. Your teachings will be alive only in the pages of a book which everyone worships but no one reads and comprehends. You will be a God not wanted for real in the world of humans. You will remain a mere nagging fear in the back of people's minds who can neither be ignored nor embraced. Do you wish to be so?
For the first time in ages, the great mind bowed to the young one, reason.
"Why do you need to make a mark in this world?" questioned a tiny voice from deep within her, trembling slightly as it's yet a child in the midst of towering consciousnesses.
"Because I wish to be remembered for posterity," replied the mind, slightly irritated that a young one had bothered to question her, who is known for her age old wisdom and scientific temperament.
"And then what?" the tiny voice sought to know, emboldened by now.
"And then people will follow the path shown by me, my ideals, my thoughts..." the mind said proudly. "My thoughts will become their thoughts; my command their wish."
"Later?" persisted the child within.
"Later? What's there for later? People will idolise me and worship me for my knowledge and for bringing them onto the true path. I will be God," boomed the mind.
"Then?" the child who did not wish to be defeated by mere words, queried the mind.
The all-knowing mind was puzzled. What was the best way to answer the child? It remained silent, thinking of a retort that would silence the inquisitive young one.
"Then," the child itself answered, "the path of truth laid by you will be forgotten by those who follow leading it to be overgrown with weeds of lies and dishonesty; your ideals and great thoughts will be trampled upon in the great rush towards your temple. You will be a God alright, but dwarfed and inaudible in the din of ballads of greatness sung in your honour. You will be reduced to a mere beautifully carved stone. Your teachings will be alive only in the pages of a book which everyone worships but no one reads and comprehends. You will be a God not wanted for real in the world of humans. You will remain a mere nagging fear in the back of people's minds who can neither be ignored nor embraced. Do you wish to be so?
For the first time in ages, the great mind bowed to the young one, reason.
