Honesty is the best policy

Shri Babaji Maharaj would be seen writing out hundreds of sheets of paper at home with the words: "Honesty is the best policy" written on them over and over again.  Photograph of one such paper is given here, where we can see the words are written on both sides of the paper, utilizing every given space.  A close up of Shri Babaji Maharaj's handwriting is also given.

Babaji Maharaj had obtained a job in Simla in the Army Recruitment Department of the British. The people in his office were all at once awed and thrilled by his personality. Never before had the British Officers there seen such an honest man. Shri Babaji Maharaj was so concerned about ethics and morality that he would never use the office ink for writing his personal letters. His superiors were almost afraid of his honesty and saw in him an unfathomable quality that they lacked. He used to say;-

"I am content with what God has given me as my share, And commit to my Creator my every care, To do good in the past has been indeed His Will.  He will do good as well in what is to come still."

One day a British officer came to Shri Babaji Maharaj while he was in the office and said to him: “I am afraid of you!" Shri Babaji said in a humorous vein, "Is my face so frightening that it should make you afraid? When I last looked at my face in the mirror it was not that bad. Perhaps the climate of Simla has adversely affected it!"

The Britisher laughed and said: “O Mr. Devi Das, but I am not joking. It is not your face that frightens me. It is your honesty." Shri Babaji Maharaj said, "Should you be afraid of an honest person?" The Britisher replied, "We are afraid of you because we do not find ourselves to be as honest as you! And it worries us that you might someday see some shortcoming in us and report us to our superiors."

Shri Babaji Maharaj said: "It is not my part to look upon your shortcomings and to report them. My part is only to do my work here. But, yes–if it becomes my duty to report your faults, then I shall not hesitate to stand by the truth, even though it may put me or my sons or any other person in jeopardy. “He who is with truth is with me. I can never side with anyone who denies the truth, not even if it be myself or anyone close to me!"

The British Officer was so impressed by Shri Babaji Maharaj that he came to develop a great love and respect for him. Babaji used to say -

There is nothing more valuable than honesty. Honesty is the best policy.

 Shri Nathji also strongly advocated the principle of honesty. The son of Bhatt Sahib; Jagdish was a student studying law, and he had given up his studies to be with Shri Nathji. However, as it was not Shri Nathji’s mission in life to make anyone renounce the world, he advised Jagdish to return to his parents and resume his studies. On August 24, 1943, Jagdish finally parted from his Lord and Master who was his very life and soul. Before he left, he asked Shri Nathji to pen down a few words in his diary so that he could preserve Shri Nathji’s handwriting for posterity. Shri Nathji wrote on August 20, 1943, in the diary of Jagdish: “Honesty is the best policy”