In plain words
God is not somewhere far off; you yourself are God. Though so sacred a humanness has been bestowed, it is not set on the proper path. Even animals have their rules and observances, but the man of today has no rule, no observance. He sets observance aside and follows his own liking. He worships lifeless stones but does not honour living human beings. Are pūjās that do not help one's fellow men pūjās at all? No, no. Man exists as the form of God. God exists in the form of man. That is precisely why the Veda said, “Daivaṃ mānuṣa rūpeṇa”. Many people wonder, “May one offer namaskāra to human beings?” To whom else should one offer namaskāra? Should one offer it to ghosts?!
The worth of a human head
Once Emperor Aśoka set out on an outing with his minister. Midway along the road a Buddhist guru met them. At once Aśoka laid his head on the feet of that Buddhist guru and bowed. The minister saw this and was much hurt. He was pained that Emperor Aśoka had laid his most precious head on the feet of a common sannyāsī. He was a minister in name, but a man of very narrow mind. He did not have the broad heart that Aśoka had. After they reached home he chose his moment and raised the matter with Aśoka. But Aśoka said nothing; he smiled and let it be. He resolved to teach the minister the truth when the proper time came.
Some days later Aśoka sent for that minister: “Minister! I want three heads. One a goat's head, the second a tiger's head, the third a man's head. Bring all three,” he said. The minister went to a man who sold goat's meat and brought back a goat's head. He went to the forest, hunted, and brought back a tiger's head. Then he went to the burial ground, cut off the head of a corpse that was about to be buried, and brought it back. “King! I have brought these as you commanded,” he said. “Good. Take these three to the market tomorrow, sell them and come back,” he said. The next day, as soon as he reached the market, some glutton came and bought the goat's head. Another man bought the tiger's head, thinking he could set it over the door of his house as a decoration. But no one at all bought the man's head. The minister came back and said to Aśoka, “Emperor! No one is buying this man's head.” “Very well; if no one buys it, let it go. Give it to someone for nothing and come back,” he said. In the market no one would agree even to take the man's head free. The minister came back and said, “Mahārāja! Even when we say we will give it for nothing, no one will take it.” Then Aśoka: “Minister! This head has value only as long as there is life in it. As soon as life goes, the head's value goes too. So while there is life we must lay the head at the feet of great souls and receive that holiness. While life lasts we must put the head to good use,” he said.