For fish, water is the greatest treasure and for trees, the soil in which they grow. Man's life is sustained by what he eats. That is why food is his treasure. However, life itself is the most precious of all treasures. Even the treasures of the entire universe cannot equal the value of a single human life.
Life is like a lamp, and food like oil.
When the oil is gone, the flame will die out, and without food, life will cease. This word derives from Sanskrit, and means to devote one's life. Ultimately it means to offer our lives to the Buddha. Some may have wives, children, retainers, estates, gold, silver or other treasures according to their status. Others have nothing at all.