CHARVAKA How are you keeping? MAITREYA I'm alright. (reads) Pastafarian! Is that a new joke? The word is revealed on Charvaka's T-shirt. The illustration shows a mass of green pasta with two meat balls bulging out. Two lines of pasta emerge from the top of the congealed mass and end in eye balls. CHARVAKA Not mine, and its not a joke. It's a very serious religion I follow! Maitreya laughs as Charvaka takes a seat. ChARVAKA (CONT'D) You know, I always knew monks are closet drinkers but unfortunately liver cirrhosis is going to give you away. MAITREYA You know it should have more to do with intoxication than with drinking. Charvaka laughs. They switch to speaking in Hindi.
We leave tomorrow- CHARVAKA Why are you not taking medicines? MAITREYA Because there are no alternatives. Every medicine has animal violence behind it. CHARVAKA But how does your boycotting them make a difference? MAITREYA That way nothing makes a difference. CHARVAKA (In English) Exactly! See, it's pretty clear how inconsequential our actions are in the larger scheme of things. MAITREYA I am not convinced. Every molecule in the universe is affected by our actions. That is the truth or else everything is meaningless. (In English) What is the sense of existence then? The hedonism and nihilism of your namesake, Charvaka? Charvaka smiles like a man who has just been hit with a small punch. He recovers. They continue, in English. CHARVAKA So, your world view provides you with meaning... purpose? MAITREYA See, we are dualists. CHARVAKA If you were to ask me if life is perpetual or temporary, MAITREYA I would say, it's both. Temporary for the body and infinite for the soul. The soul is formless, shapeless, immaterial. And it connects to the world through the body and every, every minute action that you take, even inaction, leaves behind a karmic record on the soul. Charvaka makes to speak.
And the purpose of our existence is enlightenment and eventual liberation from the perpetual suffering of life and death. CHARVAKA Ok, so then why is there so much importance to not kill? I mean, if you kill an animal, its probably going to come back, perhaps happier. MAITREYA Freedom of choice and right of consent is the core of our world view. CHARVAKA What about killing by consent? Maitreya How do you judge the validity of consent? Charvaka is losing patience. He takes a second to mull it over. CHARVAKA What about the violence you are committing on yourself by not taking medication? How is your choice a choice of sanity? And how is your choice not different from a suicide bomber who is so convinced about the fundamentalism of his political and religious thoughts? MAITREYA Are you really making that analogy? A frustrated Charvaka stands up.
What happened? CHARVAKA See, I am not good at this but I am going to try. There are a lot of people who love you, respect you and need you including myself. I know you're a rational, open minded person so I can only suggest - please take care of yourself. MAITREYA (matter of fact) I will. CHARVAKA I'll see you later then. MAITREYA Stay for a while. CHARVAKA (sharply) No.