Once a man from the city came to a village. There he came to know about a saint who used to live in the nearby forest. While going through the forest, he passed by saint’s hut. He saw that many people came to visit that saint.
He went to Saint and said, “You are not rich, you are not even wearing expensive clothes. There is nothing impressive about you, as I am seeing. Then why do so many people come to see you?”
Saint took off one of his ring and gave it to that person and said, “You take this ring to a nearby market and ask them to give you a gold chain in exchange for this ring.”
Man took that ring and went to market and started asking for gold chain in exchange for that ring but no one was ready to give even a piece of brass in exchange for that ring.
A man got tired and went back to Saint and said, “This ring has no value.”
Saint smiled and said, “Now, take this ring to a jeweler’s shop.”
A man went to a jeweler’s shop and showed him that ring and asked him for the gold chain in exchange for that ring.
Jeweler immediately agreed to give him not one but five gold chains in exchange for that ring.
A man was surprised to see that. He went back to Saint and told him everything.
Saint smiled and said, “Things are not the same from inside as they appear from outside. This is not an ordinary ring but a diamond ring and only a jeweler could identify it. That’s why he agreed to give you five gold chains.
Similarly, you were not impressed with me after seeing my attire and wondered why people still come to me. Light of knowledge attracts people towards me.”
The man felt embarrassed after listening to Saint’s words and apologized for his behavior.