eChat Of The Week: Value of Life

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Dear Sai Devotees,

In this week's eChat, we will read about an incident where Guru Nanak teaches a valuable lesson...

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Guru Nanak and his company were resting on the banks of Ganges river, when a disciple was casually inspecting a stone he had picked up on the river bank asked a question: "Master, what is the value of human life?"Guru Nank replied, "Human life is the dearest treasure on this earth - although many do not recognize it." "Each man places his own value on things according to what he thinks. A different man with different knowledge will place a different value. That stone you found in the dirt will make a good example. Take it to the marketplace and see what you can get for it."Puzzled, the disciple took the stone to the marketplace and at a stall that sold sweets asked what the vendor would trade for it. The man laughed. "Go away, you're wasting my time." He next tried a produce seller. "I have paying customers to wait on," said the grocer.

"I'll give you an onion for it just to get you out of here."The disciple tried several more shops with no better response. Finally he came to the shop of a goldsmith. The goldsmith's eyes opened wide when he saw the stone. "I'm sorry," he said, "I don't have enough money to buy your gem. But I will give you a hundred rupees if you will let me look at it a while longer."The disciple hurried back to the Guru to tell him what had happened. "See," said Guru Nanak, "how when we are ignorant we mistake a valuable gem for a worthless stone. If someone had told you its value before you knew what it was, you would have thought they were crazy. Such a jewel is human life."

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May we make the best of our jewel - in His service!

 

Om Sai Ram!