How can a dog realise the value of fasting during the day?
How can an ox realise the taste of parched rice?
How can one who cannot smell appreciate any fragrance?
How can a blind man realise the beauty of moonshine?
Students:
The great rishis of ancient times have handed over sacred ideals to us. From the culture and traditions of Bharath, we should pick out some aspects which are applicable in our daily life. The statements made by such great rishis were the result of their own personal experience in a life full of happiness and bliss. The path that was taken by them can be described as a golden path. The words they gave to us were words of truth. Their experience was such that whatever they did was only promoting the prosperity of the world and the happiness of the people. Unfortunately, it appears that man today has taken a path which is quite the opposite. We think that all the injunctions that are given to us by our ancestors are full of superstitions, and that they are based o...
Manasa bhajare — Worship in the mind! I do not need your flower garlands and fruits, things that you get for an anna or two; they are not genuinely yours. Give Me something that is yours, something that is clean and fragrant with the perfume of virtue and innocence and washed in the tears of repentance! Garlands and fruits you bring as items in the show, as an exhibition of your devotion; poorer devotees who cannot afford to bring them are humiliated and feel sorry that they are helpless; they cannot demonstrate their devotion in the grand way in which you are doing it. Install the Lord in your heart and offer Him the fruits of your actions and the flowers of your inner thoughts and feelings. That is the worship I like most, the devotion I appreciate most.
We should partake of food with a Sathwic mind. Our ancestors recommended the offering of food to God before partaking. Food so partaken becomes ‘Prasad’ (consecrated offering). Prayer cleanses the food of the three impurities caused by the absence of ‘Patra Shuddhi’ (cleanliness of the vessel), ‘Padartha Shuddhi’ (cleanliness of the food stuff and ‘Paka Shuddhi’ (cleanliness in the process of cooking). It is necessary to get rid of these three impurities to purify the food; for, pure food goes into the making of a pure mind. It is not possible to ensure the purity of the cooking process, since we do not know what thoughts rage in the mind of the man who prepares the food.
Here are a few excerpts from Discourses, where Swami explains the importance of praying and offering food to God.
To listen to the prayers in Swami's voice, please see: Food Prayer.
