Our Values Are A Precious Jewel
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Our Values Are A Precious Jewel
Unknown Author
Original text in Spanish, Translation by Luis Prada.
— I come, master, because I feel a such a little thing that I do not have strength to do anything. They say that I’m not worth, that I don’t do anything right, that I am quite clumsy and quite a fool. How can I improve myself? What can I do so others value me more? The master without looking at him said:
— How I am sorry, boy!, but I cannot help you, I have to solve first my own problem. Maybe later…, and pausing added: If you want to help me, I could solve this problem faster and then maybe I could help.
— G… g… gladly, master, hesitated the youth, but felt that once again he was undervalued, and his needs postponed.
— Well, agreed the master. He removed a ring that was wearing on his little finger and giving it to the boy, added:Take the horse that is out there and ride to the market place. I must sell this ring because I have to pay a debt. It’s necessary that you get for it the most possible sum, but do not accept less than a golden coin. Go and come back with that coin as fast as you can.
The young took the ring and parted. As he arrived, he offered the ring to merchants. These looked at it with some interest, until the young said what he sought for the ring. When the youth mentioned the coin of gold, some laughed, others turned their face around and only a little old man was so kind as to bother explaining that the golden coin was too valuable to give it in exchange for a ring. With zeal to help somebody offered him a silver coin and a copper utensil, but the youth had instructions of not accepting less than the golden coin and he rejected the offer.
After offering the jewel to every person that crossed the market —more than one hundred persons— and disheartened for his failure, rode the horse and came back.
How would the young have wished to have himself that coin of gold. He could have given it himself to the master to free him of his worry and to receive his advise and help. He came into the room:
— Master, he said, I am sorry, but I cannot get what you asked for. Maybe I could get two or three silver coins, but I do not think that I can trick anybody with respect to the true value of the ring.
— How important what you said, young friend, answered smiling the master. We should know first the true value of the ring. Ride up again and go to the jeweler Who better than him to know it? Tell him that you want to sell the ring and ask him how much he may give you for it. But no matter what he offers, do not sell it to him. Come back here with my ring.
The youth rode the horse again.
The jeweler examined the ring at the light of the oil lamp with a loupe, weighed it and then told him:
— Tell the master, boy, that that if he wants to sell it NOW, I cannot give him more than 58 golden coins for his ring.
— ¡¡¡58 COINS!!! Exclaimed the youth.
— Yes, replied the jeweler, I know that with time we could obtain for it close to 70 coins, but I don’t know … if the sale is urgent…
Moved the youth rode to the house of the master to tell him what happened.
— Sit down, said the master after listening to him. You are like that ring: A valuable and unique jewel. And as such only an expert can evaluate you. What do you do through life pretending that anybody find your true value? And after saying this he placed the ring on his little finger.
We all are as this jewel, valuable and unique, and we walk by the markets of life pretending that inexpert people value us.
Reflections of the Master
In reality the jewels of each one shine at each minute of life for various reasons… and each one of us is unique and valuable because we are instruments in higher hands, and together we represent each one of us a little stone of the ring of the melody of life, that the little stones of the big ring be each day more brilliant by the reflection of solidarity and fraternity and of the universal love, without letting that nothing or anybody come to dazzle our brilliance even though small …. our values were made for life, for the path, for our evolution … will change some day, they will turn into petty diamonds with the same naturalness of the budding of a flower in the field … They were not made for other people to admire them or make them higher or smaller. We are unique and created as an "exclusive model" by invisible hands very wise … exactly as we are for the path of evolution … and only there the value of each one is alive that the Divine master has judged worthy of drinking of the cup of life.
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