Glass comes from sand. Who owns Sand?

Dayananda dasa: Not long after Prabhupada's visit to Dallas, the Texas billionaire died. Some of the devotees remembered Prabhupada's words and how they never were able to approach the man. One of the devotees present on the walk was Dayananda dasa, who vividly recalled this whole incident years later, when he witnessed Prabhupada in the presence of a wealthy industrialist. The scene was Mayapur and Prabhupada was taking his morning walk on the roof of the residential building. Jayapataka Swami introduced Prabhupada to a prominent businessman who had come to visit from Calcutta. Speaking in English, Prabhupada greeted him pleasantly. "I am pleased to see you," said Prabhupada. "Thank you for coming to Mayapur. So, what is your factory?" The businessman from Calcutta, a heavy-set man in an immaculate white dhoti, kurta, and vest, spoke in a loud voice. "I manufacture glass," he said. "Hmm," Prabhupada reflected. "So where does the glass come from?" The man was now walking beside Prabhupada, along with other devotees and friends, as they circumambulated the roof, talking and viewing the surrounding flatlands of Mayapur. "It is from silicon," the man replied. "It is from sand." "Yes," said Prabhupada, "but who owns the sand?" The Calcutta man was not only an intelligent businessman, but he was pious and could understand what Bhaktivedanta Swami, as guru, was driving at. He said, "Oh, the sand comes from Bhagavan." Prabhupada replied quickly, "Oh, you are stealing from Bhagavan?" Prabhupada's retort made everyone laugh?even the industrialist could not help but join in the laughter. After the quick exchange, the Calcutta businessman dropped toward the back of the group, and others came forward to ask Prabhupada their philosophical questions. Prabhupada's morning walks were often this way, fragmented conversations with different guests and devotees who would come forward and ask Prabhupada some query. He would answer one after another, sometimes developing different themes or going from one theme to another. After walking for about half an hour, the industrialist again moved to the front for another round of questions with Prabhupada. He had been considering what Prabhupada had said and he felt a little guilty. "Swamiji," the man offered, "although I may be taking from Bhagavan, but I am giving in charity also." Prabhupada smiled and replied, "Oh, you are just a little thief." Again everyone on the walk laughed at Prabhupada's last word on the subject. Thus Srila Prabhupada showed the practical application of the theoretical advice he had given in Dallas.