A ruby of a man

A Bangalore resident wants his precious possession, the largest uncut ruby in the world, to be sold and the interest from the proceeds to be utilized for research for a cure to cancer and AIDS. He reminds me of evolved saints living without any material possessions.

His deed is heartening, especially in this era of globalization when man is reduced to what he hoards, what car (and how many) he drives and where he lives. For a moment Mother Nature would have been happy to have a precious object in the hands of an equally precious human.

After all, if only worldly possessions matter, Siddartha would not have become Buddha.

D. PRABHAKAR

Jakarta