"He stopped his breathing.

"The Angel of Death was puzzled, could not believe his own eyes. It had never happened; it was so irregular; God has never been known to create two people alike; he always creates the unique. He has never believed in any routine. He is not like an assembly line. He is absolutely against carbons; he creates only originals. What had happened? Twelve people in all – absolutely alike? Now, whom to take away? Only one has to be taken away. Death, the Angel of Death, could not decide. Puzzled, worried, nervous, he went back. He asked God, 'What have you done? There are twelve persons exactly alike, and I am only supposed to bring only one. How should I choose?'

"God laughed. He called the Angel of Death close to him, and he uttered in his ear the formula, the clue how to find the real from the unreal. He gave him a mantra and told him, 'Just go, and utter it in that room where that artist is hiding himself among his own statues.'

"The Angel of Death asked, 'How is it going to work?'

"God said, 'Don't be worried. Just go and try.'

"The Angel of Death went, not yet believing it was going to work, but when God had said, he had to do it. He came in the room, looked around, and not addressing anybody in particular, he said, 'Sir, everything is perfect except one thing. You have done well, but you have missed one point. One error is there.'

"The man completely forgot that he was hiding. He jumped; he said, 'What error?'

"And Death laughed and said, 'You are caught. This is the only error: you cannot forget yourself. Come on, follow me.'

"Death is of the ego. If the ego exists, death exists. The moment the ego disappears death disappears. You are not going to die, remember; but if you think that you are, you are going to die. If you think that you are a being, then you are going to die. This false entity of the ego is going to die, but if you think of yourself in terms of nonbeing, in terms of non-ego, then there is no death – already you have become deathless."