"The bhavana, the mental attitude with which he threw the coin, is worth at least two or three such coins, is it not? If the money had been given for some good cause, it would, no doubt, have been better. We shall think about it later. But then, he was moved to do this because of the feeling that this is not a mere river, but the Lord's compassion flowing before us. Is there any room for this feeling in your Economics?

When his eyes saw one of his country's rivers, his heart melted. If you can assess in terms of money the value of this feeling, then I shall know how to estimate your patriotism." Does love of country mean mere bread? If on seeing one of the great rivers of one's country, the idea awakes in one's mind that one should immerse all one's possessions in it, and dedicate them to it, how great is that love! All the wealth, those discs of gold and silver, the pearls concreted in the oyster, the hardened coal which we call diamonds - they are indeed worthy of being thrown into the waters.

Regard them as dust at the feet of the Lord. You may wonder what is the connection between a river and the feet of the Lord. In your creation, has the Lord a place? The river is a combination of oxygen and hydrogen. The sun is a kind of big gas-lamp. Why worship these? One should therefore bow low before this loaf of bread. But what is there even in this loaf of bread? Even that, if you go into it, is a kind of white earth. Why does your mouth water at the sight of it?

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