The Values God Looks For

"When attention is focused on the aspirations that are common to all, the joys and griefs that are shared by all becomes kin to everyone.  God is on the lookout for this inner vision; He blesses those whose hearts can take in all His children.  He does not care for external pomp and show.

A rich merchant was having for his daily worship a golden Ganesh weighing 20 tolas.  He got a mouse of gold, weighing 20 tolas, as the vehicle for Ganesh and a golden chair weighing 20 tolas, for placing Ganesh on.  As days passed, penury overwhelmed him and he had to sell the image, the mouse and the chair.  So he took them to a goldsmith who offered to purchase all three at a certain uniform price of so many rupees per tola.  The man was shocked that the image of the God and the chair were being evaluated alike.  But the goldsmith was paying for the gold, not for the form which the gold was in.

So, too, God values the gold in you, not the outer expressions of that gold.  He looks for faith and sincerity, virtue and earnestness in sadhana, not outer conformity and correctitude."

~ Sri Sathya Sai Baba ~

(From Bhagawan's speech at a Public Meeting in Kampala, 8.7.1968)