After the boy in the wheelchair leaves, Maharaj welcomes Naresh Singh, the United Nations environment and development scientist from the United States and his UNDP colleague Anand Kumar. Maharaj remarks to Naresh, “You have traveled a lot and are worried.” Naresh answers, “Our work on poverty is going well. We try to unite global science and local wisdom. But every time we think we have solved a problem, we create another problem. How to know what is right?”
Maharaj assures him,
Faith and hard work are needed for success. You will succeed, even though you will wonder how. Suddenly the way will open.
People’s inner strength must be encouraged. They are weak-willed. But that same Power is within them that is in everything. They need both outer power and inner peace. You can’t meet all their outer needs. Guru Gobind Singh was asked how to help the poor. He said, “The things that you will give will not last long.” Vivekananda was asked, “What is sannyas (life of renunciation)?” He said one form of sannyas is to sit meditating in the wilderness. But to him, the real sannyas is to give divine wisdom and strength to the weak. Guru Gobind Singh said, “There is no weakness. Stand up!” He said to God, “You are the Inner Strength.” When people understand this, you won’t have to keep giving them money.
Anand Kumar asks, “Do we bring new difficulties to villages by bringing in outer technologies and chemicals?”
Maharaj replies,
There is great strength in the soil. Give knowledge of how medicines could be used, but in a limited way, by a proper method.
Naresh says, “The demand for my work is too much for me to handle.”
Maharaj tells him, “No problem. People are ready. Slowly they will be able to do this work, even though they won’t be just like you.”
Naresh explains, “This work requires scientific background but also spiritual awakening. We can teach the first. For spirituality, I was lucky to meet Maharaj, but what about the others?”
Maharaj assures him, “When you talk to them, it will have an effect.”
Naresh asks, “Are we nearing an age when knowledge of the scientist and the saint will converge?”
Maharaj says, “Yes. Both will recognize what they didn’t see before about the other. They will say, ‘Why didn’t you tell me before?’”
Anand Kumar says, “Ego and jealousy are so much that the scientists can’t even work together.”
Maharaj says,
Never mind. God won’t let you down once you start. The time is fixed—not sooner or later.
Management and priests are the ones who have distanced people from God. Since we met Naresh on the plane, he has done so much. And now scientists are coming to this side. If you really speak of dharma, even the trees as well as the people will listen. If you take the name of religion, no one will listen.