I have not reached them (wealthy and powerful classes) all as a class, but to the extent that I am able to contact them individually, and the results are encouraging. The wealthy and powerful, of course, present a difficult problem in the matter of transformation. They need a special approach. The poorer people on the other hand are very cooperative. They understand, appreciate and help my plans and ideas.

The transformation of both (wealth and power and poverty and weakness) into a single co-operative brotherhood on terms of equality without competition or conflict can result only from truth and love. The problem, however, is one of bringing them together on a common base or platform. Wealthy people live isolated in a certain state or condition. How do we bring them together?

I do so in many subtle ways by breaking the barriers of wealth and poverty and creating a feeling of equality and oneness between the poor and the rich. In this ashram (spiritual community) you find them living and working together even performing menial labour on terms of complete equality. Here there are no distinctions whatever, nor special facilities for the rich. They live, eat, work, worship and sleep like the poor. All live like a community of workers to share the common austerities of the ashram. (S&M, pp. 245-246)