To Divinity Through Sacrifice

The sacred and fragrant articles that are offered and the precious gems that are placed in the sacrificial fire are symbolic of the offerings which man should make in life. He should offer his pure heart and good qualities such as satya, dharma, shanti and prema (Truth, Virtue, Peace, and Love) to the Divine. The real spirit of giving to society and the community the wealth, knowledge, and skills one possesses is the true yajna (sacrificial rite). Without the spirit of sacrifice, the performance of external rituals has no meaning.

Life itself is a yajna. To make human life an oblation in the sacred fire of duties and actions is itself a yajna. To get rid of one's bad qualities is yajna. Every individual who seeks to lead an ideal life, to achieve bliss, and attain self-realization has to cultivate the spirit of sacrifice. Yajna is the means to lead one from sorrow to happiness, adversity to prosperity, darkness to light. Human life can be worthwhile only when it is based on sacrifice or the quality of renunciation. Thereby not only can it become meaningful but Divinity can also be experienced.

Life does not consist of eating, sleeping, and such activities. The vedanta (concluding essence of vedas) has declared that the human goal is moksha (release from bondage). What is this bondage? It is not association with wife and children, property or attachments, and hatreds. Even the sense of 'I' and 'Mine' does not constitute bondage. It is the ignorance of one's true self that constitutes bondage. The process of liberation begins with the attempt to discover one's own Self. This yajna is intended to reveal to man the truth about himself and lead him to the Divine.

The Lord Is Both The Performer And Enjoyer Of Yajna

From ancient times wrong conceptions about the purpose of yajna resulted in the sacrifice of living beings, and the true purpose of yajnas was forgotten. Yajna is also called adhvaram. Dhvaram means "killing." Adhvaram signifies "non-killing." Hence the inner meaning of yajna is that in which there is no violence. All the mantras (sacred formulas) used in yajnas are aimed at achieving ananda (Divine Bliss). Yajnas must lead to Bliss and Self-realization. Only when the import of the mantras is fully understood and experienced will there be Self-realization.

The Lord is hailed as the yajna-purusha. He is known as yajna-bhrit, i.e., the Lord of the yajna. He is the Master of all that takes place in the yajna. From this, the supreme significance of the yajna should be obvious. The Lord is also known as yajna-krit and yajna-bhuk. That is, He is both the performer and the enjoyer of the sacrifice. The Lord is thus the protector and the destroyer of the sacrifice. All the sacred things that are offered in the sacrificial fire, including the mantras (holy sacred formulae) and yantras (ritual diagrammatic representations), are accepted by Him. When each offering is made with the mantra, 'svaha,' it means that it is being offered to the Divine. Hence, everything that is offered must be pure, sweet, and enjoyable.

We have to look upon our body as the sacrificial platform. Our mind is the altar on which the offerings are to be made. Our desires represent the ghee that is poured into the sacrificial fire. Our hatred is the sacrificial animal. Our mental conflicts are the blades of kusha grass. Our heart is the sacrificial fire. It is with these elements that life should be turned into a sacrificial yajna. Every pure thought should be regarded as a 'samidha' (holy twig) which is offered in the fire.

Man Should Offer To The Divine His Pure Heart

The essential significance of yajna consists in the spirit of sacrifice. Knowledge or strength or wealth that is not used for the good of others is useless. The object of yajna is to make man realize that all the powers given to him should be offered to the Divine to elevate one's life.

To perform yajnas and yagas in the true spirit no special sacrificial altars or priests are necessary. The external yajna is only a reflection of the antar-yajna. Through the performance of the bahir-yajnas, by rituals, religious practices, and righteous deeds, the Inner-self is purified. At the time of 'purnahuti' (completion of the yajna) many sacred and fragrant articles are offered in the sacrificial fire. Precious gems like diamonds, rubies, emeralds, etc., are also put into the fire. Even pure silk cloth is offered. The significance of this is that man should offer to the Divine his pure unselfish heart and such noble qualities as satya, dharma, shanti, prema (truth, virtue, peace, love), compassion, and kindness for all beings alike.

Cultivate Discrimination Between Right And Wrong

The world has any number of wealthy persons, profound scholars, and knowledgeable scientists. But if none of them has compassion and kindliness, their wealth or knowledge is of no avail. It is only when we resolve to offer all that we have for the promotion of the well-being of the world and the good of society, will we be embarking on real yajna. Without faith in God and this spirit of sacrifice all actions will only result in evil.

Man today has made considerable progress in science. He labors to acquire wealth, scholarship, and skills of various kinds. What is the use of acquiring all these if they are not put to right use. The use of these things depends on the character of the persons possessing them. If they are good, these will be put to right use. If they are bad, these will be misused. If wealth, knowledge, or scientific skills are possessed by persons with rajo-guna (quality of passionate activity) they will be used for wrongful ends. If persons with tamo-guna (quality of inertia and ignorance) have them, they will be used purely for selfish ends. The persons with rajo-guna may some time or other reform themselves, but those with tamo-guna will use their talents and energies in sinful and anti-social ways.

Man has, therefore, to cultivate primarily the sense of discrimination between right and wrong. The gayatri mantra declares, "Dhiyo Yo Nah Prachodayat." It is a prayer to the gayatri Goddess to illumine the mind. Gandhiji's favorite prayer was "Sab ko sanmati de bhagawan" (O Lord, bestow good sense on everyone). Because, today, evil-minded men are active everywhere the world suffers from violence, disorder, and confusion.

Too many wealthy people nowadays prefer to hoard their wealth rather than utilize it for the good of society and for relieving the distress of the poor. They are behaving like a dog in the manger. It is high time every person who wishes to lead a purposeful and righteous life decides to engage himself in service to society and devotes all his wealth and energies to spread happiness in the community. Men must realize that there can be no greater source of real bliss than tyaga (renunciation).

Those Who Are Affluent Should Help The Distressed

Look at the trees, the rivers, and the cows. They are supreme examples of self-sacrifice for the sake of others. The trees grow and produce flowers and fruits for the enjoyment of others. A tree gives shade even to one who is felling it. The rivers keep flowing all the time to provide life-giving water to all living things. The cows offer the milk which is intended for their calves to man. If trees, rivers, and cows can exhibit such exemplary qualities of sacrifice, it is deplorable that man, who has inherently noble qualities, should be lacking in the spirit of sacrifice.

Bharat had the reputation for centuries of being the land of tyaga, yoga, and karma (sacrifice, divine communion, and right action). If today persons born in such a country have no sense of sacrifice it is a matter for shame. The educated persons and those who are affluent should try in every way to help the weak, the distressed, and the poor in society. They must go to the relief of the sick and suffering. Those who go abroad to acquire scientific and other knowledge should come back to the mother country and use their knowledge for building up the national economy and serving their countrymen.

Engage In Service To People Around You

Instead of cultivating the higher human qualities we are developing selfishness and other undesirable traits. Many are engaged in looking at the faults of others and ignoring their own defects. The right attitude is to learn from the good qualities of others and correct one's own faults. If you do not like a person you may keep away from him, but you should not go about decrying him. When you point your finger at the faults of others you must remember that three fingers are pointing at your own faults.

There are many sadhakas (spiritual aspirants) and devotees who go to ashrams (monasteries), cultivate the company of elders and listen to their teachings, and who imagine that they have renounced everything. However, if there is no change in their mental attitude and way of life, of what use is this renunciation? If you cannot shed your envy or likes and dislikes, what is the point of staying in an ashram? Many sadhakas are in the habit of moving from house to house and indulging in gossip. Is this the kind of life that should be led in an ashram? Instead of devoting their time to spiritual and Godly matters, indulging in idle gossip is a gross abuse of one's life in an ashram. It is more important to put into practice even one or two good things that one learns from a preceptor than listen endlessly to discourses.

Your Real Wealth Is The Practice Of Virtue

Embodiments of the Divine! On this auspicious purnahuti day, offer in the sacrificial fire of your heart, all your defects and bad qualities such as envy, greed, and antipathy and take a resolve to cultivate good qualities. All the wealth about which you boast is valueless. The real wealth is the practice of virtue. Good character is real knowledge. This knowledge is wealth which will not decline however much you may use it, and no one can filch it away from you.

Today this yajna has come to a close. This should mean that our spirit of sacrifice has achieved fulfillment. Henceforth, develop universal love and dedicate yourself to the service of society. Life is constantly ebbing away. To utilize all your resources for the good of others is the way to experience real bliss. Whatever may have been your lapses in the past, begin a new life of dedication and devotion from today. Make the best use of the sacred atmosphere prevailing in the ashram and engage yourself in spiritual sadhana (practices) and service to the people around you.

On this purnahuti day, I bless you that you should find fulfillment by becoming integrated personalities, enjoying unalloyed Bliss.

Prasanthi Nilayam, 16-10-1983