A Blanket is a Blanket

"Come on," said Maharajji to a devotee. "I'll show you a very big mahatma. You'll have darshan(here he was being sarcastic) of a very great saint."

Maharajji and the devotee traveled by car to the ashram of this baba, and Maharajji led the devotee to a young man clothed in saffron silken robes and smoking cigarette.

When this man saw Maharajji, he threw his cigarette away and pranammed to him. They sat down and the sadhu went into his room and brought out a very expensive blanket. (Maharajji's was wearing an old, very plain blanket.)

The sadhu removed Maharajji's blanket and wrapped the new one around him.

"What's this?" asked Maharajji.

"It's a new blanket, a very beautiful, expensive one. That millionaire's mother came and gave it to me. It was kept for you, Maharajji. Here it is. It's a most excellent blanket. Don't give it to anyone."

Maharajji didn't take a second to get up. He threw off the expensive blanket and said,"You are a sadhu? Can there be distinctions between blankets? This is good and this is bad? A blanket is a blanket!"

He snatched his old blanket and said to the devotee,"Come on. He's a sadhu and he sees a difference in blankets. What can he see in men?"

Maharajji left for the car, mumbling,"What's this? Hap!" they got into the car and drove away. Maharajji was very different from the ordinary sadhu.