Naked Power and the Power of Nakedness.

Alexander (the Great) & the Gymnosophists*.

Two different mythologies. Two different ways of looking at the world. One believes this is the one and only life. The other believes this is one of many lives.

So the story goes:

Alexander met a person in India whom Plutarch refers to be a Gymnosophist, which means a naked wise man. He was sitting on a rock doing nothing, just staring at the sky.

Alexander asked the Gymnosophist, “what are you doing?”

The Gymnosophist answered, “I’m experiencing nothingness.”

Then the Gymnosophist asked, “what are you doing?”

 Alexander said, “I am conquering the world.” 

And they both laughed. Each one thought the other was a fool.

Gymnosophist said, why is he conquering the world? It’s pointless. 

And Alexander thought, why is he sitting around doing nothing? What a waste of a life.

The two people looked at the same situation very differently because each of them believed it different things. The Gymnosophist believed in the impermanence of physical victory and wealth until unless you conquer your inner urges.

And Alexander won many wars. He was renamed as Alexander the great. But finally, at the time of his death he could understand that all those wars were meaningless. All his life was pointless.

It took a whole life and a lot of bloodshed for Alexander the great to come round to the Gymnosophist’s view. After all ideas come around. They always do.

*Gymnosophist: A Greek word for the Jain philosopher who refuses to wear clothes .( Digambar Jain )