A famous lawyer was introduced to Shri Nathji in Mussoorie, and Shri Nathji said to him:
I am glad to know that, by the grace of God, you have been a great success in Law.
You took the name of God, Sir,” said the lawyer.
Yes, I did, said Shri Nathji, smiling, I trust it was not the first time you heard of it. Had we met more frequently, you would have had occasion to hear it more.
The lawyer asked Shri Nathji:
Why do we need to know God? – Hamen kyaa zaroorat hai ke ham Bhagwan ko jaanen?”
Shri Nathji said:
I do not know of your need, but I know of the need of the rest of the world–Mujhe aapki zaroorat kaa to pataa naheen, magar main duniyaan ki zaroorat ko jaantaa hoon.”
The lawyer was apparently not satisfied, and Shri Nathji said to him:
Why do we need to eat food? – Hamen kyaa zaroorat hai ke ham khaanaa khaayen?”
The lawyer replied:
Hunger forces one to eat – Bhook majboor karti hai ke ham khaanaa khaayen.”
Shri Nathji asked again:
And why do you need to drink water? –
Hamen kyaa zaroorat hai ke ham paani peeyen?
The lawyer replied:
“Thirst forces one to drink water –
Pyaas majboor karti hai ke ham paani peeyen.
Shri Nathji said:
The sorrows of the world force one to seek God – Duniyaan ke dukh majboor karte hain ke ham Bhagwan ko jaanen!”
“There is only one answer to the totality of sorrow in this world–and that is God, Shri Nathji continued.
All right, then, said the lawyer, when I am thirsty, I shall go and dig a well. – Jab pyaas lagegi to kooaan khod loongaa!
And Shri Nathji said:
I shall not come to force you even then, if you don’t, but your logic does not appeal to me.
Is a thirsty man capable of digging a well?
Kyaa pyaasaa bhee kooaan khod saktaa hai?
The lawyer was taken aback A sudden realisation appeared to come to him.
You are right, he said to Shri Nathji, a thirsty man will not have the strength to dig a well. What must one do, then?
And Shri Nathji said: Dig a well when you are not thirsty, and drink from it when thirst comes to you–
“Jab pyaas naheen to kooaan khoden aur jab pyaas lage to paani peeyen!”
The lawyer was greatly satisfied, and said: I thank you, Sir, for revealing the secret of life to me.
Shri Nathji was enunciating a great spiritual truth. A person must establish a relationship with God during the happier moments of life, so that when misery comes upon him he shall find God by his side, ready to help him.
It is a great mistake to wait till misery comes in full force and only then to call out to God. The weight of misery may be so great as to make a man incapable of calling out to God, or it may come suddenly, as in an accident, when one is rendered incapable of praying to God for help. Most often people forget God when they are in happiness and go towards Him only when in sorrow. Later they have cause to complain that God did not listen to their prayers. This is because they had not formed a relationship with him earlier when they had the time to do so.
Shri Nathji often quoted these words from the Sikh writings:
Dukh daaru
Sukh rog bhayaa
Sorrow is a medicine,
And Happiness an ailment.
This is because sorrow takes man towards God – and on reaching Him all sorrows vanish. Happiness on the other hand takes man away from God–and plunges him into the depths of despair when it goes.