'Sacrifice' Is The Attitude Of Giving
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śrotrādī nīndriyāṇyanye saṁyamāgniṣu juhvati | śabdādī nviṣayānanya indriyāgniṣu juhvati ||
Some sacrifice the hearing process and other senses in the fire of equanimity and others offer as sacrifice the objects of the senses, such as sound in the fire of the sacrifice.
'Sacrifice', it is not just the act of giving, but the attitude of giving.
sarvāṇīndriyakarmāṇi prāṇakarmāṇi cāpare I ātmasaṁyamayogāgnau juhvati jñānadī pite
One who is interested in knowledge offers all the actions due to the senses, including the action of taking in the life breath into the fire of Yoga and is engaged in the yoga of the equanimity of the mind.
The very act of enriching, the welcoming attitude is what is important.
dravyayajñāstapoyajñā yogayajñāstathāpare I svādhyāyajñānayajñāśca yatayaḥ saṁśitavratāḥ
There is the sacrifice of material wealth, sacrifice through penance, sacrifice through yoga and other sacrifices while there is sacrifice through self-study and through strict vows.
Sacrifice is a divine quality
In all these verses, Kṛṣṇa talks about various types of sacrifices. 'Sacrifice', it is not just the act of giving, but the attitude of giving. Otherwise, you may do everything, following all rituals according to the scriptures, but you will miss out on the real intent for which the act had to be done.
A beautiful story from the Bhāgavatam, the ancient Hindu epic: Once, Kṛṣṇa was playing with his friends. After playing, his friends were tired and they asked Kṛṣṇa for food. Kṛṣṇa replied, 'Go to the nearby hall where the learned brāhmaṇas (priests) are performing a great ritual to attain heaven. Tell them that you have been sent by Me and request them to give you some cooked rice.'
'Kṛṣṇa sent us here. We are hungry and Kṛṣṇa asked us to seek food from you.'
The brāhmaṇas were all caught up in the rituals and sacrifices, not knowing the intent of the sacrifice. The very divine energy for which the sacrifice was being made was asking for an offering, but the brāhmaṇas could not realise that and did not give the boys any food. Kṛṣṇa's friends returned disappointed.
Kṛṣṇa, on hearing about the foolish brāhmaṇas, just laughed and said, 'Now, go to the innocent wives of these brāhmaṇas and ask them the same thing. The friends now went to the wives told them,
'O ladies, we have been sent here by Kṛṣṇa who was playing with us nearby. We are hungry and have come to you for food.'
The ladies, on hearing that they had been given such a wonderful opportunity to enrich by serving, gathered all the food from their houses and rushed to feed Kṛṣṇa and his friends.
The very act of enriching, the welcoming attitude is what is important. A beautiful verse in the Mahābharat that says, 'A guest comes with all the gods. If the guest is honored, so are the gods; if he goes away disappointed, the gods are disappointed too.'
That is why in Saṃskṛit, we say, 'atithi devo bhava', the guest is God. 'Tithi' means date and prefix ' a' negates it. Therefore, one who arrives unexpectedly without a prior appointment is atithi or guest. When somebody comes unexpectedly also, serving him is the real welcoming attitude. The word used for ritual giving in Saṃskṛit is 'dāna', which means sharing, imparting.
Impress upon the child that more than the act or ritual of giving, the welcoming attitude with which you give is important.
- ❖ What kind of attitude is important to have when making a donation or ritualistic fire sacrifice?
- ❖ How should an unexpected guest be treated?
MATERIALS NEEDED:
- 1. Color paper
- 2. Color pens
PROCEDURE
Make an invitation card inviting your friend to come to your home to attend a satsang/meditation program you are hosting. In the alternative, you may make a public flier inviting people to a public satsang / spirituality program.
INFERENCE
Through your card put in every effort to make guests feel welcome.
CONCLUSION
Having a welcoming attitude towards your guests is a must.
MATERIALS NEEDED:
- 1. Some of your favorite organic sattvik food and drinks