Namah shivay! If its
Baba ji’s day, can it be that there is no message or teaching for His beloved
pupils? In his special message to the sadhaks from Mauritius, where He is
conducting yagyas for the welfare of that nation, Baba ji sheds light on how
excessive logic can wreak havoc on one’s faith. It was Baba ji’s desire that
Shiv Yogis take this important lesson in their spiritual life – the lesson of
understanding the wrong from the right when it comes to making offerings to God.
In order to fulfill this desire of His, under the heavy influence of Mahamaya or the worldly delusion, a seeker told Baba ji: “I feel guilty whenever I present offerings to God. Such as those made to Shiv Lingam. The milk, the fruits, the honey, curd, Bel leaves etc I feel all are a big waste. I would rather give to some other needy person. I want everyone to be genuine.”
Baba ji retorted that firstly logic must be consistently applied. We never think of the poor when we spend lavishly on luxury restaurants, pizzas, burgers, ice-creams. And splurging on junk food is something we do almost on a daily basis. Why doesn’t the logic of feeding the needy occur then? Once a year we offer the milk and other consecrated items to Shiv Lingam and all of a sudden the do-gooder in us comes to the fore with a skewed logic that the offerings are a waste and they must be diverted for other purpose. Why the double standards of preaching about wastage in Shiv Lingam offerings on the one hand and turning a complete blind eye to the colossal wastage of food in parties, marriages, social gatherings, professional meetings on the other? Where is the activist in us when trash bins after social functions are full to the brim with food left over by the attendees? Every day we waste so much food in our home, almost as a routine. All this without an iota of remorse or the much vaunted guilt that shows up only during the Lingam abhishek. Where does the awareness of “waste” and “better utilization” go when almost all our friends, relatives, acquaintances drain down buckets of food?
The whole dire scenario of global hunger can be sorted out if we just learn to ensure that heaps of unconsumed food does not go down the drains after our merriment in restaurants and parties.
Secondly, society follows the rituals out of greed and fear. Just because some priest tells us that offering xyz to so and so God will give wealth, good job, rid us of evil eye of others or some such easy boon, that we rush to temples to further our request. The intention is impure. The underlying reason to offer is “I will offer something to God and God will do this for me”. But, if we see things not happening the way we wish them to, we curse God. We doubt the rites of offering to Almighty.
This argument of “wastage” and “better utilization” is only an excuse, a pretext, an object of hiding then, to disguise our own shortcomings of impure intention.
Primordial Shiv Yogi Guru Adi Shankracharya said the real ritual is to visualize pouring all the ingredients to your own self. Because you yourself are the ‘Ling roop’. The ‘sarvashreshth abhishekam’ of the ‘sarvashreshth Lingam’ is that done on your own self through the power of emotion. The outer act is done so that the process is complete. What we are doing outside is what we are doing inside. God only wants your intention, not the items.
Thirdly, while having the pizza or burger, it does not occur to us that we should give one slice to the poor. We shoo away the poor when they seek something from us even as we are entering into restaurants.
While shopping for expensive shampoos and lotions, we never think that we should distribute some to the poor. While living in a palatial mansion, we never think that one room I should reserve for the poor. All the misplaced logic emerges only when a petty poly pack of milk is being poured out of devotion to the Almighty.
The lesson is not that you should donate a slice of your pizza or lotions to the poor. The teaching is that in every action; perform your best without having any doubt or guilt. When worshipping, do not harbor miscued, misplaced and unfounded logic. Just as you totally immerse in the moment when partying or enjoying with your loved ones, without logic, nurture the same attitude when remembering the Almighty.
Banish guilt while interacting with the Supreme. Banish logic. Steer clear of a misdirected sense of self-righteousness when offering anything to God.
Geetanjali Shivanand ji adds: “इंसान के लिए भी करो, भगवान के लिए भी करो| सबके लिए करो| Proportionately करो| But never be guilty for anything either while doing for इंसान or भगवान| हर हफ्ते करो हर रोज़ करो| ग़रीब बच्चों को खिलाओ| Do your best for the needy. Give your best while worshipping.”
Ishan Shivanand ji sums up: “Baba ji and sister dear have said everything so beautifully. I just want to conclude by stating that for humanity’s evolution, purity of emotion is the only solution. This is Baba ji’s birthday message for all the sadhaks world over. Lots of gratitude for the wishes and double the blessings to all.”
In order to fulfill this desire of His, under the heavy influence of Mahamaya or the worldly delusion, a seeker told Baba ji: “I feel guilty whenever I present offerings to God. Such as those made to Shiv Lingam. The milk, the fruits, the honey, curd, Bel leaves etc I feel all are a big waste. I would rather give to some other needy person. I want everyone to be genuine.”
Baba ji retorted that firstly logic must be consistently applied. We never think of the poor when we spend lavishly on luxury restaurants, pizzas, burgers, ice-creams. And splurging on junk food is something we do almost on a daily basis. Why doesn’t the logic of feeding the needy occur then? Once a year we offer the milk and other consecrated items to Shiv Lingam and all of a sudden the do-gooder in us comes to the fore with a skewed logic that the offerings are a waste and they must be diverted for other purpose. Why the double standards of preaching about wastage in Shiv Lingam offerings on the one hand and turning a complete blind eye to the colossal wastage of food in parties, marriages, social gatherings, professional meetings on the other? Where is the activist in us when trash bins after social functions are full to the brim with food left over by the attendees? Every day we waste so much food in our home, almost as a routine. All this without an iota of remorse or the much vaunted guilt that shows up only during the Lingam abhishek. Where does the awareness of “waste” and “better utilization” go when almost all our friends, relatives, acquaintances drain down buckets of food?
The whole dire scenario of global hunger can be sorted out if we just learn to ensure that heaps of unconsumed food does not go down the drains after our merriment in restaurants and parties.
Secondly, society follows the rituals out of greed and fear. Just because some priest tells us that offering xyz to so and so God will give wealth, good job, rid us of evil eye of others or some such easy boon, that we rush to temples to further our request. The intention is impure. The underlying reason to offer is “I will offer something to God and God will do this for me”. But, if we see things not happening the way we wish them to, we curse God. We doubt the rites of offering to Almighty.
This argument of “wastage” and “better utilization” is only an excuse, a pretext, an object of hiding then, to disguise our own shortcomings of impure intention.
Primordial Shiv Yogi Guru Adi Shankracharya said the real ritual is to visualize pouring all the ingredients to your own self. Because you yourself are the ‘Ling roop’. The ‘sarvashreshth abhishekam’ of the ‘sarvashreshth Lingam’ is that done on your own self through the power of emotion. The outer act is done so that the process is complete. What we are doing outside is what we are doing inside. God only wants your intention, not the items.
Thirdly, while having the pizza or burger, it does not occur to us that we should give one slice to the poor. We shoo away the poor when they seek something from us even as we are entering into restaurants.
While shopping for expensive shampoos and lotions, we never think that we should distribute some to the poor. While living in a palatial mansion, we never think that one room I should reserve for the poor. All the misplaced logic emerges only when a petty poly pack of milk is being poured out of devotion to the Almighty.
The lesson is not that you should donate a slice of your pizza or lotions to the poor. The teaching is that in every action; perform your best without having any doubt or guilt. When worshipping, do not harbor miscued, misplaced and unfounded logic. Just as you totally immerse in the moment when partying or enjoying with your loved ones, without logic, nurture the same attitude when remembering the Almighty.
Banish guilt while interacting with the Supreme. Banish logic. Steer clear of a misdirected sense of self-righteousness when offering anything to God.
Geetanjali Shivanand ji adds: “इंसान के लिए भी करो, भगवान के लिए भी करो| सबके लिए करो| Proportionately करो| But never be guilty for anything either while doing for इंसान or भगवान| हर हफ्ते करो हर रोज़ करो| ग़रीब बच्चों को खिलाओ| Do your best for the needy. Give your best while worshipping.”
Ishan Shivanand ji sums up: “Baba ji and sister dear have said everything so beautifully. I just want to conclude by stating that for humanity’s evolution, purity of emotion is the only solution. This is Baba ji’s birthday message for all the sadhaks world over. Lots of gratitude for the wishes and double the blessings to all.”
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