Once, Guru Nanak Dev Ji and Bhai Mardana arrived in a village where people would offer gold and silver coins at a temple for worship but neglected to help the poor. Witnessing this, Guru Ji decided to teach the villagers a lesson. He asked a wealthy person for a gold coin and threw it into the river, where it immediately sank. Then, Guru Ji took a copper coin from a poor man and tossed it into the water as well. To everyone’s surprise, the copper coin floated on the surface.
Guru Ji explained to the people that donations made out of greed, pride, or for show are meaningless, just like the gold coin that sank. However, offerings given with a pure heart and a sense of service hold great value in the eyes of both the world and God, much like the copper coin that floated. This lesson emphasized the importance of sincerity and selflessness in giving.
Through this incident, Guru Nanak Dev Ji taught that true service and charity come from a place of genuine intent, not for display or personal gain. Help offered with a sincere heart not only uplifts others but also leaves a lasting impact. This teaching reminds us that the purity of our intentions matters more than the material value of what we give.
