The boy is on his way to school. But he is struggling to study. No proper uniform, no bag, no slippers. And no money for transport, so he takes the short-cut, over barbed wire and through the gullies.

The lady came from the village to work in a construction site in the city. But she doesn’t know for who she is working. The home she is building for someone else will be her home for a few years. But when she finishes she has to leave. She cannot stay and will be denied entry if she tries to return.

Basmati is grown only to sell. The girl’s family has grown Basmati rice but she will not get a chance to taste it. It will be eaten by others. For her and her family Basmati is grown only to sell. Just as she sifts, separating out the chaff from the rice, so society sifts her out.

The girl has found the shade of the palm tree to sit in. She has found a chance to study but it is very small. It is like the shade of the palm tree, which compared to other trees, is a very small area.

Hyper-rational view a loosely knit movement in metropolitan city, which only flourished in the village.

The cycle-rickshaw driver is filled with pleasure because he recognizes he is carrying God in his rickshaw. The divine has entered the realm of human beings and is humble to ride in a rickshaw barefooted. Often, we either view the rich as gods, or the rich see themselves as gods and act that way. What is a solution to the disparity? The gods coming down to earth, the forging of real relationships across the divides, the love and respect that comes from seeing the spark of God in each human being.

Disparity is here and will always be, but how can we bridge it? If there is one way, it is through the children. Many times I have seen the rich behave badly with the poor. But whether rich or poor in each person there is humanity. If we can recognize this it will make all the difference. Under the one umbrella of our shared humanity we would find shelter. Children are wet clay. What we do shapes them. If we lie, they quickly understand and copy us. They are flowers, and where the sun moves the sunflower follows. It collects its colour from the sun. We are a ‘profit-loss’ society. Always asking “What will I get?” In this materialistic world if we are able to realize our common humanity it will be as if we are living in heaven. If I realize this I am in the truth, and if I am in the truth then God is with me. Realizing this will be like living in heaven.

Children collect garbage on the streets because that is where they find food to eat. On their minds is their hunger. Other children go to school, but the rag-pickers don’t even consider education. Their concerns are food, a few rupees, maybe some drugs. They never get the chance to ask ‘’Who am I?’ ‘Why am I here on this earth?’ Even if some try to ask, those who give them drugs, who make profit out of their picking of rags, don’t let them. Will they ever be able to realize the truth about their humanity? Will they be able to go to school? Is a better life for them not possible? Is it right for this to continue?

Disparity is seen most among children in the cities. The world of rich children is about loss and profit. Their questions are: How much loss? How much profit? These questions come from their surroundings, primarily their parents. They are unable to see the world in a different way, and this leads to disparity. These two children are seeing the real world, which doesn’t cost anything. Rays coming from the sun for free. The man-made world always costs something. As the children understand this principle and stop the ‘profit-loss’ thinking they will realize true happiness and the truth of our shared humanity.

This is my dream. When lots of people realize how we should live, realize the truth about our common humanity, whether rich or poor, then when a baby comes into this world it will be filled with joy. In my mind in heaven there is only happiness and joy, and a baby coming into a world where each others’ humanity is recognized would feel like it is entering heaven.

The trees are small but they already carry fruit. From earliest childhood the boys begin working. While they work they think of the Rs.10 or Rs.50 that they will earn. They will always think small, never Rs.100, never bigger or higher. The boys think Rs.10 is a lot, while we give away Rs.10 without thinking.