on the bank of a small river, taking a morning sun-bath. The place was absolutely silent and Diogenes looked so beautiful that Alexander felt jealous for the first time in his life. Alexander had everything, he had almost conquered the whole world. Just India was left out, so he was coming towards India and was certain that he would conquer India too. Yet, he felt jealous of Diogenes, a naked fakir with nothing, not even a begging bowl. One day Diogenes had seen a dog drinking water in the river. Saying to the dog, "Master, you have taught me a great lesson! If you can manage without a begging bowl, why cannot I?", he threw the begging bowl into the river.

He had nothing, and yet he had something which was missing in Alexander. Alexander immediately said, "If next time God will ask me to come back to the world, I would like to be Diogenes rather than Alexander" But, mind you, he said "next time"... Postponing for the next life. Diogenes said, "Don't be a fool! Don't try to deceive me! What do you mean 'next time'? If you are so much interested in being Diogenes, why not now? Now or never! And who is preventing you? God is not preventing you. This river bank is big enough for both of us. Throw the clothes in the river, lie down, take the sun bath! You need not even bother about food, because, I go to beg, and I will bring enough for us two. You simply rest here, forget all about the world. Be Diogenes right now!"

Alexander said, "That is difficult. Right now I cannot do it, but I will come one day. First I have to finish my conquest. I have to conquer the whole world!"

And Diogenes said, "Remember, if you have conquered the whole world, then what will you do?" Alexander was only thirty two at that time. "What you will do when you have conquered the whole world? Do you know? There is no other world! You will be at a loss! At least right now you are occupied, busy, with business, but if you conquer the whole world then the real problem will arise: what to do next? Because there is no other world."

Alexander felt sad even listening to the idea that there is no other world. He was shocked. He felt immediately a great sadness descend on him and he said, "Don't talk such sad things to me. First let me conquer this and then I will see. And I will come to see you when I have conquered the whole world." Diogenes said, "Nobody comes back, you will not be able to come back. Don't be so certain about the future. One can be certain only about this moment."

It happened that way : Alexander died on the way, he never returned back home. He was only thirty three when he died, Alexander had instructed his people to keep his hands out of the coffin, so that the World would know that even Alexander the Great, left this world with empty hands.

We all need to learn the lesson that we come into the world with empty hands and we leave with empty hands. It means, appreciating what all we have, as well as what we don't have. Willing to give as well as receive. This is truly being a nobody.