First, I collect nothing. There is not a single thing that I possess. For thirty years I have been the poorest man in the world. And on the judgment day, if there is a line you will find me in the front, ahead of Jesus Christ.

But my people who love me are there; that is my possession, that makes me rich. Their love is more to me than power over the whole world. I would not like to become Alexander the Great. Out of their love, whatsoever they want to do, they do.

If they want me to have Rolls Royces, they are free. If they want me to have diamond watches, they are free. They know my taste, and for that simple reason my people can manage to offer me everything that not even a king or queen is capable of having.

The reason is very simple: whatever I teach can be understood only by the very intelligent and creative people. So only the cream of intelligence comes close to me.

I am against poverty and against the poor. I don’t want any poverty, any poor people in the world. I am not in agreement with Jesus that the poor are the blessed; they are the cursed, they shall inherit the kingdom of hell. There is no need for anybody to be poor. We have enough intelligence, we have everything that can make the whole earth a beautiful garden. But politicians will not allow it to happen; priests will not allow it to happen, because if the garden of Eden can be created here, then what is going to happen to their paradise, their God, their hell and all the business that goes on around those bogus words which mean nothing?

Politicians would not like that there are no poor people in the world. If there are no poor people in the world, communism will lose all hold immediately. If there are no poor people in the world, it will not be easy for the capitalists to exploit anybody. In the capitalist countries, the capitalist wants there to be poor people because they can be purchased easily. In India you can purchase any vote for two rupees; that is the highest price for any vote. Now what kind of democracy can exist where you can purchase a vote for two rupees?

The rich people want the poor to exist; the priest wants the poor to exist, because without the poor, who is going to go to the church? The rich people have their Rotary Clubs, their Lion’s Clubs, the Club of Rome – who is going to the church? The priest wants the crippled, retarded, blind, sick, old, starving, all kinds of people who are not wanted at all. The priest needs them; otherwise, who is going to gather around Billy Graham?

If there are no orphans, who is going to give a Nobel Prize to Mother Teresa? These people are exploiting. With all the scientific and technological developments in the twentieth century, I am saying that it is absurd to allow poverty to exist for even a single moment longer.