When you do not enrich every person with the fruit of enriching after constantly being enriched by the sacrifice of the Existence, the Supreme, your life becomes full of sins and you live a useless, incomplete life

This metaphorical explanation in a few verses actually has a deep meaning about life, about how we connect with life, how we depend on the Universe, and how we affect the whole Universe.

Just this concept that Kṛṣṇa explains in a few verses here is explained in detail in the Chāndogyopaniṣad. Our relationship with the activity of Nature is a very deep one. Our actions are like oblations offered in a fire sacrifice. Our activities are not just movements of the limbs. When we perform a yajña, a fire sacrifice of enriching the Source, the Cosmic Energy we pour various offerings into the fire. We do so to tap the Cosmic Energy and to flow in tune with Existence, with Nature. Continue reading “When you do not enrich every person with the fruit of enriching after constantly being enriched by the sacrifice of the Existence, the Supreme, your life becomes full of sins and you live a useless, incomplete life”

Kṛṣṇa says that enriching should be practiced because everyone is part of us. Nobody is separate from us. Only then does enriching become a selfless sacrifice, yajña bhāvitaḥ.

A very beautiful story from the great Indian epic history, Mahābhārat:

King Yudhiṣṭra, the eldest of the Pāṇḍavas, performed a great sacrifice after the battle of Kurukṣetra was over. He gave very rich offerings to the priests and the poor. They were all impressed by the grandeur of this sacrifice. They praised him saying, ‘We have never seen such a great sacrifice in our lifetime.

Just then, a small mongoose appeared. Half of his body was golden and the other half was brown. He rolled on the ground where the sacrifice was performed. He then exclaimed with sorrow, ‘This is no sacrifice at all. Why do you praise this sacrifice?

The priests were aghast and angry, ‘What! You silly mongoose! Did you not see the sacrifice? Thousands of poor people have become very rich.  Millions of people have been sumptuously fed. So many jewels and clothes have been distributed! Continue reading “Kṛṣṇa says that enriching should be practiced because everyone is part of us. Nobody is separate from us. Only then does enriching become a selfless sacrifice, yajña bhāvitaḥ.”

Meditation is just being. It is experiencing the present moment without resistance

Meditation is falling in tune with nature, with Existence. This is your natural state, your true state of bliss. This is connecting with the Ultimate Consciousness.

You see, the universe or the macrocosm is made up of the five elements – earth, water, fire, air and space. In the same way, the body, the microcosm, is also made up of the same five elements. We can relate to the macrocosm, the Whole, the Divine, through any or all of these five elements. The microcosm can experience the macrocosm by relating with these five elements that pervade both. Continue reading “Meditation is just being. It is experiencing the present moment without resistance”

Why do hindus perform rituals ?

Rituals are very powerful tools. They are powerful techniques. Many people ask me, ‘You are enlightened. Why should you then perform rituals?’ I tell them, ‘Because I am enlightened, I am teaching people exactly why and how to perform rituals!’ Enlightened beings do not need any rituals for themselves.

A small story:

A man went to a hotel and started eating idlis.

He ate eight idlis*, and after the ninth idli* his hunger was satisfied. The waiter came and gave him the bill for nine idlis. The man said, ‘What is this? I will pay only for one idli, the ninth idli, which satisfied my hunger! The first eight idlis did not do the job. Only the ninth one did the job of satisfying my hunger. So, I will pay only for that idli!

If the man had not eaten the eight idlis, would the ninth idli have satisfied his hunger? This is exactly what we do in life also. People who reject rituals are actually rejecting the first eight idlis! People who think that rituals are a waste and that they can go straightaway to meditation and spiritual experiences are doing nothing but rejecting the first eight idlis. Continue reading “Why do hindus perform rituals ?”