When Shri Nathji was in Calcutta in 1940 he met a very famous lawyer. Shri Nathji asked him: How are you? Aapkaa kyaa haal hai?”
He replied: Well, quite well–but not well enough!
“Achhaa hai, achhaa hai magar bahut achhaa naheen hai!”
Shri Nathji said: “That appears to be the reply that I always get whenever I ask this question of anyone!
“Maine to jisko bhee ye savaal poochha usne yehi javaab diyaa!”
The advocate said: But, Maharaj, if I were to be made a High Court Judge tomorrow my reply would be different. I would say, well, quite well – and as a matter of fact, very well!
“Phir to kahoongaa ke achhaa achhaa hai, bahut achhaa hai!”
Shri Nathji said to him: “Are you quite sure that would be your reply? However I think you will even then say: ‘Achhaa hai, achhaa hai magar bahut achhaa naheen hai!’
“Today you are discontent because the status of a High Court Judge appears to you to be higher than your status. But when you become a High Court Judge you will look at the status of a Supreme Court Judge and find that it is higher than yours and thus become discontent again!
“I would advise you to look at the lower status of those beneath you and derive contentment from that, rather than look at the higher status of those above you and thus become discontent.
Is there no real contentment in the world? the advocate asked again.
And Shri Nathji said: The very fact that there is discontentment in the world proves the existence of contentment. One has only to find it!
Shri Nathji then told him the parable of the man and the blanket, which has already been related.