Shri Nathji used to narrate the story of a man who had been sentenced to be hanged at twelve noon. The time was 9 am in his cell in the prison.
Instead of being mournful, the man broke out into a song and dance. When he was seen in this happy state by his jailors they marvelled at him and asked him what had caused him to be so happy at a time like this, and he said:
“I have but three hours of life left. Why should I not spend them laughing? Why should I spend them in tears?”
There was Shri Nathji’s verse on this theme:
Ai shamaa umr tabeyi teri hai ik raat
Chaahe hanskar guzaar usko, chaahe rokar guzaar
O Flame, thy life is that of one night,
Spend it laughing if thou willst, or spend it in tears
And Shri Nathji would add:
“Who is spending his life in happiness? He, who lives in the world and has established a relationship with God. And who is spending it in tears? He, who is living in the world without having any relationship with Him.
“Think of two children who fall on the road. One has a mother and father and he calls out to them when he falls. The other child is an orphan who has no mother and no father. He has no one to call out to when he falls! Think of his misery!
“Man is not an orphan when he has no parents; rather he is an orphan when he has not God with him!
“Vo anaath naheen jiske maan baap naa hon. Annath vo hai jiske Bhagwan na hon!”