A wretched beggar stood outside the entrance to a temple, supporting his emaciated body by embracing a pillar.

A gentleman approached the temple after having bathed in the Ganges. Seeing the ragged fellow clinging to the pillar outside, the gentleman felt compassionate and purchased some popcorn. He brought it to the poor man and offered it to him. Without relaxing his embrace from the pillar, the beggar opened his palms to receive the popcorn. The gentleman poured the popcorn into his palms, and because of the beggar’s awkward stance, most of the popcorn fell from his fingers to the ground. But even though the beggar could retain a few kernels in his grip, he was unwilling to let go of the pillar to bring his hands to his face to eat.

And so the astonished gentleman left the beggar as he struggled vainly to bend his head around the pillar to his hands so that he could eat the popcorn.

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The beggar represents the atheist who embraces the pillar of materialism very tightly. Thus even when the benediction of God comes to them, they are in too awkward a position to receive it.