Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
A jewel or diamond may be priceless and weighty, but with no buyer, it's worth no more than straw.
When the Holy Guru — the Buyer — saw this jewel, he purchased it for a fortune.
Guru Ram Das extends the jewel image with a striking economic parable. A jewel's worth depends on someone recognizing it: without a buyer, even a priceless gem is treated like straw. The soul, he suggests, is such a jewel — infinitely valuable, yet unrecognized, passed over, until the one who can see its worth comes along. The "Guru the Purchaser" is the one who recognizes you — who sees the priceless thing in you that the world walked past. There is deep comfort here for anyone who has felt overlooked: your worth was never in question; it was only waiting for the right eyes to see it.
Have you ever felt overlooked, like no one saw what you're really worth? What changes when someone finally recognizes it?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI