Once upon a time, a young
man in India wanted to know the value of life.
He went to the wise sage
Guru Nanak Sahib, knelt down in respect, and asked,
“Please tell me, O great Guru, what is the value of life?”
Guru Nanak gave him a red stone
and said,
“Go and find out the value of this stone, but don’t sell it.”
The young man took the
stone to a fruit-seller and asked him,
“How much do you think this stone will cost?”
The fruit-seller saw the
shiny stone and said to the young man,
“Take a dozen oranges and give me the stone.”
The young man apologized
and said that the Guru had told him not to sell it.
He walked a little distance
and came across a green grocer.
He asked the green grocer,
“How much do you think this stone will cost?”
The green grocer noticed
the stone and said,
“Pick a sack of potatoes and give me the stone in exchange.”
The young man apologized and said that the Guru
had told him not to sell it.
A little ahead, he saw a
jewellery shop. He went inside and asked the jeweller,
“How much do you think this stone will cost?”
The jeweller looked at the
stone closely and replied,
“I will give you a thousand gold coins in exchange for this stone.”
The young man apologized
and said that the Guru had told him not to sell it.
Opposite the jeweller’s
shop was a shop selling gemstones. The young man went inside and asked,
“How much do you think this stone will cost?”
The shopkeeper looked at
the stone with eyes as wide as two hula hoops. He carefully placed the stone on
a silk cloth and asked the young man,
“Where did you bring this priceless gemstone from? I will not be able to purchase this precious ruby even if I sell everything I have in this world.”
The young man was amazed
and confused. He returned to the Guru and told him what had happened.
Then he knelt down and said,
“Now please tell me, O great Guru, what is the value of life?”
Guru Nanak smiled gently
and said,
“The answers that you got from the fruit-seller, the green grocer, the jeweller and gem-seller explain the value of life.You may be precious like the priceless stone that I gave you, but people will determine your value based on their knowledge, their belief in you, their ambition, their wealth, and their family background. Do not worry, young man, you will surely find someone who will know your true value. What is important is that you must respect yourself because you are unique and priceless.”
(Retold)
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