August 26, 2023
Why are we taught to regard the whole world as God and all our actions as offering unto the Lord? Because that again is a yajna (sacrifice). It is not a total yajna but it is a part, a sample. Unless the whole life is transformed into divine life, it's still hopeless, useless. But why do we indulge in all this? Because we can see the result immediately. While seeing it, if we are alert all the time, it is possible at one stage to suddenly see this truth: with me or without me, and more without me, the world goes on better. That is because the 'me' does not exist at all. Hoping that one day the inner intelligence would arrive at this truth, the sages invented all these little sacrifices, yoga practices and techniques. You go on doing this, one day you will surprise yourself by arriving at this truth: "Huh, I thought there was a shadow here on the wall, it isn't there. Even so, I thought this is my wife, my son, my house, it's not so any more. My God! Maybe the whole thing is imagination!"
When there is thus no attachment and no motivation, the ego-sense drops away. Does it mean that one would become inert, lazy? No. Because what holds back also is the ego-sense. What says "I won't do," is also the same ego-sense. The motivation of restraint is as good as or as bad as the motivation of action. That is why the rishis invented the 'havan' ceremony and called it yajna. It has nothing whatsoever to do with yajna according to the Gita interpretation. But some intelligence must some day ask, "I am pouring this ghee into the fire, what does this fire give me in return?" Nothing. Ashes. Why is this ghee poured there? The same ghee that is poured into this body makes it grow but one day this body also is going to be cremated. What is happening to this ghee right now is going to happen to this body a little later. It will be reduced to ashes. If nothing comes out of that fire, nothing comes out of this body either. Why should I cling to this body and feel that this is 'me', 'my' body, 'I must make it live'? Can I drop this body as I am dropping this ghee into the fire? Can you also drop everything and reduce every action to ashes?
When will you do that? When you discover that the ego which motivates this action does not exist, that pure action takes place not because 'I want', not because 'I don't want'. If this 'I' which says 'I do' is seen to be non-existent, then your problem is solved. Then what is called "God's Will" will prevail.