05th April, 2022
Once a disciple of Guru Nanak Dev ji asked him about the ‘Aim or the purpose of being born a human.’
Baba Nanak, opened a closed fist and gave the disciple a beautiful red coloured stone and said to the disciple, “Go, get the stone valued from different people in different trades, but do not sell it. Come back and I shall answer your question.”
The disciple came across a fruit seller and presented the stone to him. The fruit seller had a look and said, “This is a beautiful stone and although I have not much need for it, I can offer you a dozen Oranges in exchange.”
The disciple said, “No, my Guru has instructed me not to sell it.”
He then visits a vegetable vendor and presents the stone to him, asking him how much he can offer in exchange. The vegetable seller offers him a bag full of potatoes as it’s worth.
The disciple thanks him for his opinion and tells him about the command of his Guru of not selling it.
He moves on.
Realizing that his Guru has given him something much more precious than he had thought, he visits a Goldsmith.
The Goldsmith, being deeply impressed by its beauty, offers him Rs.5 Million. On refusal to sell, he offers him Rs 10 million, even twenty million.
The disciple politely repeats the command of his Guru and takes his leave.
By now the disciple has gained enough confidence in its worth and conjures up the strength to visit the biggest Diamond merchant of the area.
This merchant, on seeing the stone, takes off his turban, spreads it and reverently places the stone on it.
He performs a ‘parikrama’, bows to it and states,
“What you have is the most beautiful and precious Red Ruby, I have ever set my eyes on. It is priceless. You can demand any price that you may and it shall still be less.”
The disciple, perplexed and amazed, rushes back to Baba Nanak ji.
Even before he could utter a word, Guru Nanak Dev ji says, “The aim of a human life should be clear to you by now, my son. It’s all up to you, whether you rate it for a dozen oranges, a bag full of potatoes or for Rs twenty million, Or you may make it the most valuable.
Immense possibilities are open to one and all. To be born a human is the biggest gift of the Almighty. It’s all for you to decide what you want to make of it.”
Life is like a coin. You can spend it any way you wish, but you only spend it once.
We are all given the same life, the same 24 hours, the same natural resources, the same physical attributes,
It’s upto us to use them and chisel our uncut diamond to the most precious stone or let it be used as a piece of coal.
Live life, spend it in service, use it for learning & spreading knowledge and stay blessed forever.