But do you know what rationalization Mahatma Gandhi had? He said, “You are not the cause. I am simply purifying my spirit, and because my own secretary falls in love, that means my soul is not pure. Something is impure in me; otherwise, how is it possible? It is inconceivable – my own secretary, who lives with me twenty-four hours a day. It is not to punish you, it is to punish myself. I must be wrong; some impurity in my soul must have caused this.”

Strange. That means if he becomes absolutely pure, no love affair is going to happen in the whole world – because one mahatma has become absolutely pure, how can you dare to fall in love? Love will disappear. It is because of the impurity of Mahatma Gandhi that it exists! But it exists too much; that means all these mahatmas and saints are really impure. Rationalizations…but they cannot hide the fact.

Maitreya was caught in the trap of these people. I simply took him out of the parliament. One of my friends, who was an MP, had arranged a small meeting of a few parliament members who he thought would be able to understand me. Maitreya was also invited, and that’s how he was caught in my net. But he was not aware that this is a totally different kind of net.

His whole life he has been a Gandhian – miserable, sad, sacrificing, living for others. With me he started thinking of totally new things –living for yourself, loving yourself, exploring your being, because to me, your individuality is your universe. First explore it. Don’t leave a single corner of your being unexplored. Only then will the things which others had been forcing on you start happening. I want you to love many people, I want you to share your joy with many people – but first you must have it.

You are a beggar and you are trying to make others rich.

I am reminded:

One American, Napoleon Hill, has written a very beautiful book; he is certainly one of the best writers alive. The name of the book is Think and Grow Rich. When his first edition was published, he was standing in the publisher’s shop to sign the first-day copies. There was a big crowd. Henry Ford had also come; he always used to go to look in the bookshop to find some books. Seeing this big line and a man signing books, he went there. He asked, “What kind of book is this?”

Napoleon Hill said, “I am happy – I know you, but you don’t know me. My name is Napoleon Hill, and this is my first book. And it is certainly going to be one of the best-sellers in the world.” And it proved true; now that book has sold second only to the Bible.

Henry Ford looked at the cover and read the title: Think and Grow Rich. He looked from up to down, from down to up at Napoleon Hill; Napoleon Hill said, “Is there something wrong?”

He said, “No, nothing is wrong. Have you come in your own car or on public transport?”

Napoleon Hill said, “But that is not connected with the book.”