A saint lived on the outskirts of the city. This place was completely free from the hustle and bustle of crowds and vehicles. There were tall trees on both sides of the main road and a few huts. He kept his cottage very neat and clean. Various kinds of flower, fruit, and vegetable plants around it looked attractive. The saint took care of all the plants and vines as if they were his own children.
The saint would give fruits and vegetables picked from his garden to the guests who came to his cottage. The rest of the day was spent in worship, study of scriptures. In the evening, people from the surrounding area would flock to him. The assembled listeners would be happy listening to the Gita, Bhagavata, Puranas, and scriptures from the saint's mouth. One day the saint went to the nearby market with the people. At this time, he met a young man who had come from a distant city. The young man knew a little bit about the saint. The young man was sociable and sweet-spoken. In a very short time, he became very well acquainted with the saint.
When the saint left for his cottage, the young man also ran with him. It was time for worship, so he gave the young man a glass of water. He requested him to sit down. The young man seemed pleased with the saint's gentle behaviour. At this time the young man asked a question, "Do you believe in God?" The saint remained completely silent at this question. The young man asked again, "Do you believe in the soul?" This time too the saint was silent. The young man was sure that the saint had no answer to this, and got ready to leave.