"Do you really think so, do really understand the meaning of life?" I asked the old man.
He just nodded his head.
"If I tell you the meaning of life, would you believe me? And if I reveal to you the ultimate truth, would you follow me?" he asked.
I just smiled.
"What else would I do, follow anyone who reveals the ultimate truth? I will have to do whatever you say!" I replied.
"A king needs his subjects, a ruler needs his subjects. Follow me." I replied.
"One of my subjects, one of my subjects, be one of my subjects." I replied.
"Is there more to life than being a subject?" I asked.
"No there isn't!" he replied.
I just gave him a slap!
"How dare you in front of me, a wise king." I said.
"Aren't you a king?" he asked.
"I am." I replied.
"You just said that there isn't more to life than being a subject, whatever I say is life itself, no questions asked." he said.
"I am not sure of the meaning of your words, explain it to me again, in a different manner." I replied.
"Life is just an illusion for you to act as you so wish, do and get whatever you want out of it." he said.
"How and why is it an illusion?" I asked.
"Think about it, you live your life thinking that it's real, it isn't though. Whatever you think, see, believe and act as is true for you, is actually what's real for you." he said.
"Do you really know how life is, how things really happen?" he asked.
"I do now." I replied.
"Prove it to me." he said.
"Everything happens according to my will. I want there to be life, I want to build my empire, I want to rule. That is the only reality." I replied.
"Is that what life is?" he asked.
"Yes, my will is the only means of life, I have to have everything I want, or else I am doomed, born and die to a meaningless existence." I replied.
"Do you think about this all the time?" he asked.
"Not as much as you think, I just pretend to believe it." I replied.
"Do you really believe that?" he asked.
"Yes." I replied.
"Then I must go." he said.
"Why did you come here, why did you live?" I asked.
"To see if you really knew the meaning of life." he replied.
"I do, I do!" I replied.
"Then let's agree to work towards it, we both have the same goal, to build an empire and rule." he replied.
"An empire and rule, this means that neither of us can give up the other, neither can change the agreement. Our will then will become our reality, I will also be the only ruler of an empire and rule." I replied.
"Exactly! We will build an empire and rule it together!" he replied.
"Okay, let's build an empire and rule it together, but who will rule?" he asked.
"You are the man for the job!" I replied.
"I got my first idea from you, whether it is good or bad, time will tell. But who will rule the empire?" he asked.
"We will." I replied.
"My idea, then I will be the only ruler of the empire." he said.
"No, you need a good idea to rule it, remember that you need me to rule it and rule it with." I replied.
"I got an epic idea! We two shall rule the empire." he replied.
"What do you mean?" I asked.
"Simple, I got an idea, one of us will be me and the other will be you, our will will make life for everyone as it should be. The other will be you and the other will be me." he replied.
"What will our will be for everyone?" I asked.
"Who came?" he replied.
"I do!" I replied.
"Okay, I didn't ask you, you came to find out that the meaning of life, not what life is. Let's agree then, we two shall rule over everything. I shall rule the empire of you, and you will rule over my empire." he replied.
"That's where I am different from you, my will is that your will will be my will." I replied.
"So you are not only that you are me, you go along with everything I your will. You are me too!" he replied.
"Well, you are not just me, you ask yourself, or as you say yourself, you do not follow anyone else." I replied.
"I am the only person who can stop you." he replied.
"Now you really sound like a king. We always have a will and we always follow it. I am the only ruler who doesn't follow a will and decide what to do, instead, everyone else thinks they are someone else. I am the only person who doesn't react to anything, or think anything, or want anything." I replied.
"So you think you are the only one who travels around and kneels down in front of others, you want to kneel in front of everyone else." he replied.
"I do, so I couldn't be you, that is how I can rule the empire of everyone else, rule them with my will and not my physical rule." I replied.