Once a disciple of Guru Nanakdev asked him. "What is the value of a human being?" The saint said, "Come back tomorrow and I will tell you." The next morning when the disciple returned, Guru Nanakdev handed him a diamond with the instruction "Take this to the market and have it appraised. Do not sell it; just take it to every shopkeeper and get a price for it."

The disciple took the diamond from shopkeeper to shopkeeper. First, he went to the fruit-seller. "I will give you two oranges,'' said the fruit-seller. Next he went to the potato-seller, who said, "I will give you four kilos of potatoes." Then the disciple went to a goldsmith, a very ordinary jeweller, and asked him to price the diamond. "I will give you one hundred rupees," said the goldsmith. The disciple went to several other jewellers, each of whom offered him a little more money. Finally, he went to the best jeweller in town and asked him to price the diamond. The jeweller placed the diamond on his palm. "Oh brother," he said "You cannot sell this diamond. It is priceless."

The disciple brought the diamond back to Nanakdev and told him what had happened. "Now do you understand the value of a human being?' Nanakdev asked, "A person can sell himself for two oranges or four kilos potatoes or, if he likes, he can make himself priceless.''

It all depends on your own vision.

The great saint Surdas wrote, "You have attained this human body through God's grace. You cannot attain it over again. Oh forgetful one, remember ! This human body is a priceless jewel. Do not throw it away.'