David Bruce Hughes

What makes something valuable? Value is associated with rarity, fineness and beauty, demand and usefulness. Let us examine these qualities briefly.

Rarity means that a thing is not often found. For example, certain coins and stamps are valuable simply because there are rare. Perhaps only a few of them are known to exist in the entire world. Rarity may also be due to being hard to obtain. Diamonds and other precious stones are valuable because they are found only in certain inaccessible places, and require great labor and expertise to produce.

Fine things are also valuable because of their inherent qualities. Pure materials such as silk, gold and other precious metals have always been valuable, along with necessities such as pure water, milk products, ghee and oils. Works of fine music and art have lasting value because they refine the spirit and intelligence, and educate people in aesthetics and higher states of consciousness.

Beauty is also valuable because it pleases the senses. Things of beauty derive their pleasurable character from Kṛṣṇa, who is the source of all beauty and other enjoyable qualities. Therefore beauty ultimately reminds us of Kṛṣṇa, the reservoir of all pleasure. Beauty is also connected with our highest ideal. Sometimes it is said that "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder." So our standard of beauty is intimately connected with our personal aspirations.

In the marketplace, value is determined by supply and demand. The value of a commodity gains when supply shrinks or demand increases. These economic laws determine the price of all basic articles of trade. Thus even though an item may be rather common, high demand may make it extremely valuable.

Demand can be driven by a number of factors, and one of the most important of these is usefulness. How many times have we discarded a broken item with the comment, "This is useless"? This implies that useless things are without value, hence usefulness is valuable. Useful things help us attain our goals and are instrumental in our achieving our desires. Thus the more useful something is, the more valuable it is.

The most valuable thing in the world, then, ought to be the most useful thing, for which there is universal need and high demand. It must also be extremely beautiful, of exquisite quality, and the most rare of all uncommon things. Certainly everyone would like to possess such a valuable item.

However, even if we were to encounter the most valuable thing in the world, what guarantee is there that we would recognize it? Since few people routinely have access to extremely valuable articles, it may be difficult for us to identify a thing of such tremendous worth.

For example, the average person cannot tell an original Old Masters painting worth millions of dollars from a valueless fraud. Nor could most people distinguish a flawless diamond from cut crystal or other counterfeits. Any very valuable thing also inspires frauds, copies and impostors, and it is very difficult for the untrained person to identify the authentic from among many facile imitations.

If we are to recognize the most valuable thing in the world, it follows that we must first obtain an education about it. This is for two reasons: to fully appreciate its value, and to recognize impostors and other frauds. Hence we are writing this just to help the gentle reader in his or her quest for the most valuable thing in the world.

For there is one more crucial factor in obtaining such value. One may recognize great value and may even be able to distinguish it from imitations. But to actually obtain such a valuable possession, one must be very fortunate. There is a great difference between a poor man who is struggling daily to make ends meet, an affluent businessman working to amass a million-dollar bank balance, and a wealthy multimillionaire. Only the wealthiest person is fortunate enough to become a connoisseur of the most valuable things in life. Similarly, only the most fortunate person can obtain the most valuable thing in life.

And what is the most valuable thing in life? It is, quite simply, the association of a perfect human being. The great sages of Naimisaranya once exclaimed to Suta Gosvami:

"The value of a moment's association with the devotee of the Lord cannot even be compared to the attainment of heavenly planets or liberation from material existence, and what to speak of worldly benedictions in the form of material prosperity, which are for those who are meant for death." [Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.18.13]

Let us analyze this to understand why association with a pure devotee of the Lord is the most valuable thing in the world.

Association is extremely important. It is said that a person's character is known by his association, because one absorbs qualities by association. If one associates with thieves, one certainly becomes a thief. But if one associates with a perfected being, one certainly becomes a pure devotee of the Lord and thus develops all the qualities of saintliness. This leads to the greatest benefits obtainable in the human form of life, therefore such association is the most valuable thing in the entire world because it is the cause of all auspiciousness.

A perfect human being is described in Bhagavad-gita as someone who is beyond the dualities of fortune and misfortune, honor and dishonor, heat and cold, and even life and death. They are always the same, and nothing can disturb their determination. They are transcendental to this material life, and they are fixed in pure devotion to God.

How can we recognize such a saintly person? Kṛṣṇa describes the qualities of such a person to Arjuna in Bhagavad-gita:

"When a man gives up all varieties of sense desire, which arise from mental concoction, and when his mind finds satisfaction in the Self alone, then he is said to be in pure transcendental consciousness. One who is not disturbed in spite of the threefold miseries, who is not elated when there is happiness, and who is free from attachment, fear and anger, is called a sage of steady mind. He who is without attachment, who does not rejoice when he obtains good, nor lament when he obtains evil, is firmly fixed in perfect knowledge. One who is able to withdraw his senses from sense objects, as the tortoise draws its limbs within the shell, is to be understood as truly situated in knowledge." [Bhagavad-gita 2.54-57]

Later on in the Gita, Kṛṣṇa says: "Fearlessness, purification of one's existence, cultivation of spiritual knowledge, charity, self-control, performance of sacrifice, study of the Vedas, austerity and simplicity; nonviolence, truthfulness, freedom from anger; renunciation, tranquility, aversion to faultfinding, compassion and freedom from covetousness; gentleness, modesty and steady determination; vigor, forgiveness, fortitude, cleanliness, freedom from envy and the passion for honor-these transcendental qualities belong to godly men endowed with divine nature. [Bhagavad-gita 16.1-3]

Such a human being is very rare. Out of millions of human beings, only a few have these spiritual qualities. And of those who possess some spiritual qualities, only a few rare souls have reached complete perfection. Since they are rare, authentic saintly people are extremely valuable. Their presence bestows all blessings on the place where they reside. Similarly, their association grants incomparable benefits to those who seek spiritual perfection.

Association with a saintly person cannot be taken; it must be given. No one can force a pure devotee to associate with them. Furthermore, not all saintly persons are willing to give their association. Often they do not wish to be disturbed in their ecstatic devotional service. Therefore great saints who have attained spiritual perfection often disguise themselves as ordinary people, or even as poverty-stricken mendicants, fools and madmen, just to avoid the association of ordinary people. One great devotee even faked his own death because he did not want to be disturbed by unwanted association.

Actually, since a perfected saintly person is far beyond ourselves in all ways, we can recognize and associate with them only if they reveal themselves to us out of their unlimited compassion and grant us their association by their mercy. Thus the association of a self-realized soul is the greatest gift that can be given or received in this human form of life.

The self-realized soul is the finest of all human beings. They excel all others in love, devotion, service, knowledge, wisdom and especially compassion. A real Spiritual Master knows Kṛṣṇa (God) directly, and can communicate His grace and benedictions to us. In the presence of such a perfected soul, a pure devotee, the most difficult attainments become easy. Therefore we must all seek the association of such a pure devotee of Kṛṣṇa.

A pure devotee of the Lord is the most beautiful person. Not only are they decorated with all spiritual qualities, but their material form also displays uncommon divine grace in all their actions and dealings. Actually the body of a pure devotee is never material, but has become spiritualized by their complete realization and constant engagement in divine service. Spiritual perfection is obtained simply by glorifying the Lord in association with such a pure devotee.

The benefits obtainable by association with a pure devotee are always in great demand. Everyone wants relief from suffering, unconditional happiness, perfect knowledge, unlimited freedom and ecstatic love. The recondite intricacies of spiritual life become easy to understand by the mercy of a pure devotee. All these advantages and more are natural results of association with great souls. In fact, there is no other way to obtain them. Therefore if people in general understood the source of these perfections of life, there would be unlimited demand for association with perfected saints.

According to all the criteria of value discussed above, the association of a pure devotee of the Lord is the most valuable thing in the world. A great soul who has understood Kṛṣṇa consciousness fully, and has performed austerities for many, many lives to attain the perfection of devotional service, is very rare. Such a pure soul is much rarer than the most valuable jewel.

One time Sanatana Gosvami was given a touchstone, a jewel that can turn base metals into gold. Sanatana Gosvami threw the touchstone on the garbage heap. One night a thief came, found the touchstone in Sanatana Gosvami's garbage, and took it away. Then he began to enjoy life very opulently, using the touchstone to make gold.

However, after some time he began to doubt: "The touchstone was in the garbage. Certainly Sanatana Gosvami did not put it there accidentally. This means he must have something so valuable that he considers a touchstone to be garbage. I am a great thief; let me steal that most valuable thing."

The thief came before Sanatana Gosvami and inquired, "Dear Sir, I found a touchstone discarded in your trash. If a touchstone is garbage to you, then please tell me what is really valuable." Sanatana Gosvami laughed, and then initiated the thief into the chanting of the pure Holy Name of Kṛṣṇa.

Pure bhakti-yoga, devotional service to the Lord is the finest thing, possessing all aesthetic and spiritual qualities, praised by the Lord Himself in so many scriptural passages. It is most beautiful because it leads us directly to the source of all beauty, the Supreme Lord Himself. It is the most demanded thing because it grants the objects of all desires. And it is the most useful thing because it provides the greatest benefits: cessation of all suffering and complete happiness.

In the preliminary stage of devotional service the pure devotees relish transcendental pleasure from the service itself, and in the mature stage they are actually situated in love of God. Once situated in that transcendental position, they relish the highest perfection, which is exhibited by the Lord in His abode. Therefore the association of pure devotees should be sought with great determination and intelligence by everyone who desires the greatest gift that human life has to offer.

Next: The Most Confidential Knowledge