Not To Be This Or That, Just Be

A woman in a coma was dying. She suddenly had a feeling that she was taken up to heaven and stood before the judgement seat.
“Who are you?” a voice said to her.
“I’m the wife of the mayor,” she replied.
“I did not ask you whose wife you are but who you are.”
“I’m the mother of four children.”
“I did not ask whose mother you are, but who you are.”
“I am a school teacher.”
“I did not ask you what your profession is but who you are.”
And so it went. No matter what she replied, she did not seem to give a satisfactory answer to the question, “Who are you?”

“I’m a Christian.”
“I did not ask what your religion is but who you are.”
“I’m the one who went to church every day and always helped the poor and needy.”
“I did not ask you what you did but who you are.”
She evidently failed to examination for she was sent back to earth.
When she recovered from her illness she was determined to find out who she was. And that made all the difference.

The purpose of life is the realization of the self. We all need to find the answer to this question, “Who am I”.