The worldly status of the people who came to Shri Nathji was of no significance to him, since he desired nothing from anybody. Genuinely thirsty souls produced in Shri Nathji a spiritual flood-a flow which became manifest in his personality, his words and his actions. He would frequently embrace the men. The women he would bless from a distance, in strict observance of worldly etiquette-maryaadaa.
His spiritual flow would not necessarily go out towards everyone. To take an example: when Shri Nathji was in Chamba State, near Dalhousie, in Punjab, people of status, Rai Bahadurs, and Maharajas were amongst those who attended his darbaar. However, Shri Nathji’s spiritual flow only gushed forth when a poor, retired schoolmaster made his appearance amongst them. Because of that one man, Shri Nathji would drench the entire gathering with His Blessings. Spiritual thirst did not differentiate between status. The rich as well as the poor–both could be in possession of it. It was not the monopoly of any one person.
I have a great pity for the rich, Shri Nathji used to say, who have nothing but their money.
Shri Nathji’s version of a genuinely rich man was–any person who had emptied himself of his ego, his pride, and had taken on the garb of humility, was a genuinely rich person. Whether he had millions or not a penny was of no consequence. A poor man was one who had none of these qualities within him.
Shri Nathji would also say: “A genuinely rich person is one who has no desires within himself and who is content with what he has. If a poor man is content with a hundred rupees and does not desire more, he is rich. But if a rich man earns one million and has a desire to earn two million, he is poor!”
Finally a truly rich person was one who had God with him.
As Shri Nathji would say:
Woh jo sab kuch rakhte hain tere sivaa Parmaatma
Unpe hanste hain jo kuchh rakhte naheen tere sivaa
Those who have everything except Thee, O God!
Laugh at those who have nothing except Thee!