From the Memoirs of
my Father, Shri Bhola Nathji (1902-1992) The Founder of the World Prayer Day
for Peace in the world.
Shri Nathji was the
gentlest, kindest, humblest person in the world who called himself in all
humility " Ghulam Rue Zameen" -The Servant of the Earth.
He bowed his head low
before everyone, even before children and added the suffix of "jee' to
their names, a term of respect. Indeed he was the living epitome of the best
civilisations of the world, and even the western world were over-awed at his
manners, politeness and height of civilisation.
Thus he always called
me, his son, Priya, as "Priyajee" all his life.
His extreme goodness
led many to take adantage of him, Many people imitated him, plagiarised his
books, plagiarised even his 1932 Divine Love Society, Ishwar Prem Sabha,
without his permission, and began a life of self-worship, drawing followers to
themselves and wrongly telling people they were obeying his orders. They called
themselves his closest disciples, even though they had not even visited him for
over 60 years at his residence at Mussoorie. These people had begun with humble
beginnings in life earning but small salaries, and soon found themselves in
possession of untold wealth, name, fame and followers, and an empire of ashrams
runnings into millions of rupees.
When Shri Nathji
found out about their activities he told them to put a stop to it, as it was
wrong for a person to allow self-worship of his own body.It was wrong for a
preson to seek wealth, namd and fame in the name of God. It was wrong for a
servant to imitate his Master and to tell the people that he was following his
Master's orders. These people did not listen to a single order or wish of HH
Shri Nathji and carried on with their pursuit of name, fame, followers, wealth
and ashrams and buildings running into crores of rupees.
If these people fell
ill the best hospitals in India opened up for them, if they travelled it was by
air conditioned trains or in planes. But they were plagued by illnesses and
dreadful suffering all their lives and prayed to Shri Nathji for forgiveness and
a new life, which they instantly got from the ocean of forgveness and Love,
Shri Nathji.
This was in sharp
contrast to the humble life of Shri Nathji who lived in a small rented home
with his family and a servant. Shri Nathji endured the privations of living in
the rented homes in the houses of unscrupulous landlords. But these grandiose
devotees who were engaged in collecting name fame and glory had no concern for
him. They did not invite him to come and live with them in their mansions, nor
would Shri Nathji have gone there. In fact he never did.
If Shri Nathjifell
ill, Priya Nath was at hard ends merely to get a doctor for him. These grand
devotees who claimed to be carrying his torch within them never even bothered
to come and ask after him, far less care for him ot bring any doctors to attend
upon him.
And thus while Shri
nathji lived a life of hardship and sufferings these people who claimed to be
his closest disciples and rarely showed their faces before him, continued to
usurp his name to spread their own name and fame and glory and to amass wealth,
despite Shri Nathji angrily stopping them. and telling them that this self
worship was a sin in the eyes of God and would bring them to grief.
Later these people
suffered horribly in life, despite their name and fame and wealth and followers
and hospitals. The inevitable laws of Nature ruined their families and
devastated their home,s gave them dreadful diseases-- but even up to the last
these people did not give up their lust for name, fame and wealth, and
followers and buildings, hoping to perpetutate their names upon earth even
after they were gone.
They used the
glorious personality of HH Shri Nathji as a stepping stone to success, usurping
his written and spoken words and even his books. When people told Shri Nathji
about these imitators he was amused and said:
"Imaitations
really prove the existence of the real diamond!"
"These people
who hanker after name, fame, and followers and wealth and buildings must ask
themseves how many of these things will accompany them when they leave the
world, and where will they go!"
"Will they
really go to God after death or will they find themselves sent down into the
endless cycle of births and deaths again - the bhav saagar!!"
"What shall it
profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses his own soul!"
While these people
lived like kings in ashrams and buildings running into hundreds of rooms Shri
Nathji spent his life inone small rented house after another-- and eventually
passed away in a rented home.
Here was the greatest
personality upon earth, looked upon as God Incarnate, living in the humblest
manner upon earth, and there were these imitators capiltalising on his name.
Some even began calling themselves "Nathji" while others openly declared
that they and Shri Nathji had become "one",they had merged into HH
Shri Nathji!!
They would copy his
literature and his words but there was one thing that they could never copy and
that was his Living Personality, the Handsomest Being in the World filied with
a Light that carried the Glory of God. The Purest Being upon Earth with no
worldy guile in him.
Although they lost no
opportunity of placing their worldly faces in large portraits next to the
portraits of HH Shri Nathji, which none of the genuine devotees of HH Shri
Nathji had ever done, yet they could see the difference between the Pristine
Glory and Purity of the face of HH Shri Nathji in contrast to their own worldly
faces filled with the desires of the world.
Yes, Shri Nathji
carried his mission of love and peace in the world alone by himself in contrast
to societies and organations. But he had something none of these imitators had
or will ever have -- he had TRUTH with Himself, and the Glory of God. He had no
desire for name, fame or wealth or followers. He even declared once:
"I have no
desire even to have my name written down in history! Write down the names of
all those who have such desires in their hearts! I am too large for the pages
of history to contain!"
"In any case,
what care have I for history when neither the world nor its history is going to
remain!"
"I came into
this world, lived as mortal amongst mortals, sufffered with them and shared
their lives with them. I reieved them of their ills and sorrows and spread Love
and Peace everywhere. I came to do my work, not to secure recognition. There
were many who listened to my words, there were many who went astray..but I
continued to do my work.. like the sun which shines its light upon all
regardless of whether these eyes are opened or closed..."
"I often ask
myself, Will the world ever change-- or will I have to come again!"
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