Gandhi and the Copper Coin

One day, Mahatma Gandhi was traveling from village to village collecting for the Charkha Sangh fund.

One of the villages that he visited was called Orissa.

Upon hearing Gandhi's speech, an old woman struggled to get to the front so that she could meet Gandhi.

When she got to meet Gandhi, she took out a small copper coin and gave it to him.

The Charkha Sangh fund was managed by another gentleman called Jamnalal Bajaj.

He asked Gandhi for the coin but Gandhi refused. Jamnalal refuted by saying that he manages hundreds of thousands of rupees, how could he not be able to manage one copper coin.

Gandhi replied by saying that all of those rupees were donated by people who had much. This copper coin was all that the lady had, that is why it had to be kept in his trust and so securely.

Those of us who have computers and are able to read our e-mails are immensely blessed. There are millions of people who barely have enough to feed themselves, clothe themselves and wash themselves. What then is more valuable? Something that we have or something that they have? It is very easy to judge people and actions by numerical values, however, it is the intentions and the motives behind those numerics that truly value.