________________
10
MIRA AND MAHAVIR
a thing, deny it, and throw the onus of proof on your opponent. That is how I won the prize.
KRISHNA-I see, I see. This is all very interesting. You
talk by the book. But surely, you do not deny everything. You believe in yourself, don't you ? You may not know whence or why you are. But you are sure that you exist, you think, you act and,
may be, also achieve. MAHAVIR-Of course, of course. That is what I mean
when I say that when Man lives, God dies. The more we think and act and achieve, the more we belicve in ourselves and less in God, till at last the
delusion of God dies away. KRISHNA--But what about life itself? Can you live for
ever ? MAHAVIR--Men may die, but Man lives on for ever! KRISHNA --Are you so sure? What does your Science
say about it? MAHAVIR-Yes, I know. There was a time when there
was no man on earth—but he has evolved through an interminable process of evolution. I cannot tell
you everything. KRISHNA - Of course not. But, as he has evolved, even
so he might die. And, then, what would you say about God ? Man having died, I suppose God would come to life again!
