[ANNAPURNA SARADA, HEARING VEDANTA Yajna — Sacrifice “The world is bound by actions other than those performed for the sake of Yajna. Do therefore, O son of Kunti, earnestly perform action for Yajna alone, free from attachment.” N WESTERN ENGLISH, che word “sacrifice” often brings co mind che idea of doing something against ‘one's inmost deste and even against one’s better good. Asa culture, we long ago let behind the idea of sacri ficing to God or gods in order to achieve our personal fr collective well-being. Sadly, “sacrifice” seems to have ‘acquited a negative connotation in today’s society where slf- aggrandizement and narcissistic pastimes are considered normal behavior. Even those who hold an ideal of service often draw back from the word “sacrifice,” because itis associated with giv ing up what is too dear to be given: one’s time, health, pride, wealth, ordinary pleasures. It conjures up examples of people who have given and given until they could give no more, ending up forlorn and bitter, impoverished, sick, isolated, having lost ‘youth, health, and independence while catering a the whims and real or false needs of ochers. such “sacrifice,” willing or unwilling, is not even a caries ture of the true meaning of this word as it comes t0 us from Sanskrit. Sacrifice is noble and uplifting, more in tune wich the ‘concept of “worship,” and leading to the well-being of those con ‘cerned. Our society is desperately in need of a culture of sacri fice in its original and divine intent, which is a fundamental social and spiritual value chat crosses cultural and religious boundaries. Sactfice, yajna, has three phases that pertain to three types ‘of beings: 1) those who are secking satisfaction through individ ual existence lived in a dharmic (principled) manner, 2) those striving to realize an ieal chat eranscends the limits of individ ual existence, and 3) those who are the living-liberated, the jivanmuktas. | Over this spectrum, sacrifice includes multiple ideas and shades of meaning. Merely listing them will not evoke the fullness and power of the term. Therefore, we shall acempe to reclaim the original purity and practicality of this inspiring ‘word and ical through a study of the Mahapanchayajna, the 5 Great Sacrifices. In India, the ancient practice of the 5 Sacrifices was incur: bent upon every houscholder, every day. These sacrifices are imminently practical, for through them people come to under stand the benefit of service, self-dedication, cooperation and spenerosity. For chose secking satisfaction (the first type of per- son) of legitimate human desites, sacrifice enables the individual to lve life according toa sense of incerconnecrediness with all of ‘existence and establishes the poverty of living merely for one’s ‘own self. For the second type of person, those intent upon teal ixing That which transcends empirical existence, sacrifice trans forms into Karma Yoga, the path of consecrated and selfless (not dlsite-rlated) action, attenuating the sense of separation inher ‘ent in J," me," and “mine.” Through the practice ofthese five Sri Krishna Gailyoferings the entre society was benefited a planetary and cosmic balance was maintained: people understood and valued the relationship between themselves, celestialfnatural powers, the divine teachers, the prior generation, humans, and other beings. ‘These five sacrifices are briefly described below, along with their contemporary significance: 1. Deva Yajna — Sacrifice tothe gods. ‘The gods are the personifications of the cosmic forces, such as the sun, wind, water, fire, earth, and others. These represent the divene pow em of the one Divine Reality who remains the ultimate Recipient of al serifice. Sacrifices sincerely offered tothe gods — traditionally a ritual offering of appreciation, gratitude, prayer, and actual objeces —ensured the kind of weather tha led to good harvests. Philosophicaly speaking, these gods are asso- ciated with the five senses of perception, the five senses of action, the vial force and mind. One's body receives not only food for sustenance and the pawer of motion and perception but, quite literally, che capacity o seek happiness and get enjoyment in this world from those very powers whose Support is the Indivisible Realty. Sri Krishna says inthe Bhagavad Gita: Cherished by Yainasacrce, che Devas (gods) shall bestow’ om ‘you the enjoymenes you desire. A thief verity is he who enjoys what is ven by them without returning them angthing. The god who eat the remains of Yajna (fod fst offered tothe gods) ae freed from all sins; but the sinful ones who cook food only for themselves, veri eat sin, From fod beings become: frm rains food reduced: from yaina ‘ain proceeds; yaa s bom of harma. Know karma to have risen from. the Veda, and the Veda from the Imperishable. The al-pervaing Veda is, therefore, ever centered in Yaya.” 3:13, 15 All too often, people disregard these ideas as primi superstitious. Instead of extracting the principles behind this practice of sacrificing to the ods, people have carelessly tosed these observances aside and with them the sense of thankfulness, moderation, balance, interconnecredness, custodianship, and stewardship that they engender. Her, “sacrifice” has todo with siving up selfishness, greed, and attachment. Further, it means snaking a sincere efor to understand and experience, through philosophical enquiry and service, ehe unity of al life and the interdependence of its parts in the phenomenal world. Today, eva yajna can be practiced in many ways, fom thankfulness for the food tha sustains us and those that brought to our mouths, toa ceascless mindfainess of Divine Reality asthe power under- lying cognition, senses and object 2. Rishi Yajna — Sacrifice to the SeersTeachers. In our present time this saerifice involves studying the great tuths and assimilating the highest ideals of the illumined beings, the saints and sages. This aspect of sacrifice involves taking responsibility for seifculture and thereby honoring those who have realized ADVAITA-SATYA-AMRITAM 25the wlkimate goal of life. te means walking in thei footsteps, secking to aan the sate of peace, quaniminy, compassion, ad love tha they ataineg and reaching the ext generation not cl how eo wale, bur thats the formas path o ead ile ting and harmonising the other pursuits ofthis wold. The ignficance ofthis aerfice cannot he overestimated or when Tish yana is valed, the highest apical ideal are maintained ffom age o age. This isthe rue “hero? worhp. ‘Pte’ Yaina — Socrifce tothe ancestors In the past this tinal sacrifice was intend to bring comfort and pleasure to the ‘sparred. ‘The principle behind ican be uz in thi ay and age to recognite the noble qualities of those who have Rone before ws to respect and revere the parent who have givens these bodies through which we have the opportunity co realize the Selfand be fee; and to help maincina sense of continuity among the gencrations al of which facilitates socal harmon: 4. Nara Yaina — Sacrifice to other humans, The idea behind this sacrifice is willingness to sve others what i ned: cd for their well-being. In this ease, sctifice means worship. God, who is present inal humans, 0 be worshiped with food, knowledge, clothing housing kindes and a0 on. leas a demonic at of selfishness for anyone to deny another being ‘that he or she needs when isin one’s power to give or faci tate in the giving. Even wore is the negativity tae awaits he perion who acvely impodes such giving. Service of God in man, which is different from merely serving/helping others, is a ‘Sacred path to blesednes, leading to tue humility egolesmnes, and communion with God. Swami Vivekananda has sid that service is even higher than compassion, forin service ane forges oneself in the one being served (a form of God). 5. Bhuta Yaina — Sacrifice ro other erates, The prin ciple Fehind this yaa isnot very diferent fom the one above. If'nara yaina engender sense of unity with other hemans, thers yajna makes vs one with all being, sentient and insen sien, animals swell sth plants and minerals, throu acts of service and worship. God is worshiped inthe plants and animals by fering water and food or nutrients, with appreciation an acknowledgment ofthe life and Sprit within them, their bea ty, and/or unique place in the creation, by moderation of use and never exploitation. Castoiarshp, stewardship, and ulkimaely, ‘oneness insed on the univenal life principle, are engendered through ths sacrifice. Holy Mothers practical teaching on this can he acon in Her warement, Each sho hve hi die. What tren can ent shou not be wasted oneal. What cal ca et ‘should notbe deur ay to digs. Wht eae ar dog cannot at, a be tron into ponds for fh oat. Nothing sha be wasted [sm Sarada Devi the Fly Moser, p. 229) Sacrifice exalts ones cathy exitence. It inchides the impulse of grated, apprsciation, serie, selfcultor, dics tion, sense of interconnectednes, worship, and enero (ie ing to all what i their due). ‘The fst category of beings, those ‘who are seeking penoaal aatifction, are yraally molded by thewe five scsificn ino moral and ethical pes with a ser tiie for univer eeiprociy, Eventually however secking st isaetion fom fe on earth or even in celestial reals (that are also finite and all based ypon seeking pleaure and avoiding 26 SPRING 2002 pain) becomes tiresome. One wearies of mere satisfaction and sccks fulfillment inthe Exernal Verity wherein good and bad, life and death, pleasure and pain all ge dissolved in the Existence, Knowledge and Bliss Absolute Ieisat this point chat the above sacrifices, performed with a desi for certain results, begins to transform into tue worship, and one sccks God as an end in Irself Prior to this, one wanted wealth, family, freedom from suflering, knowledge, approval from society fr being righteous person, of one was seeking per fection in world and society. Speaking in terms of worship, Si Krishna illumines the difference beeween these two approaches (vith and withour desire) and also explains why we must not stop with just the moral and ethical good, “Whatever form any devote with faith wishes to worship, I make tha faith of his stead Endowed with tha fith, he engages she worship of that frm, anal {from ithe obtains his desies, which are Being actualy ordained by Me Ithe Ulemate Reality] Bu the fruit thar accrues to those men of sal ineellecisfnte. The worshiper ofthe gods go tthe gods; My devo- tees come to Me." — Bhagavad Gita, 7:21-23 Finished with the limited rewards thae come as the fruit of sacrifice, social service, and other actions performed with desire, the second type of being engages in selless sacrifice and service discharged in the knowledge that God alone exists before, dur ing and after the universe, pervading all beings like the ocean water pervades the waves. "This disolves the notions of “my time, ray body, ny ife, my wealth” that bind one eo the narrow confines of self-centered individuality. One's entice life chen becomes service ofthe one divine Being expressing in all beings “Thus, sacrifice culminaces in che destruction of the sense of sp aration, between beings and between oneself and God. “The las eategory of beings, which include not only the “Ib crate in life.” but also the incarnations of God (Avatar), mani fest the ideal of sacrifice at its highest level: a ceaseles flow of universal sustenance, purification, and transformation, which is ‘thoroughly divine and based in absolute Oneness. Such beings, {reed from the notion of separate individualiy, and embodying the entire universe by virtue of their being poised in the Supreme Self, are the very principle of sacrifice. The Upanishads state: "That One, insite Being, the Btemal in the rometernal, he Ineligence in che inceligene, fulfil the desires ofthe rmany...." —this is the supreme sacrifice that goes on unending ly and racually. Ramprasad sings of che Universal Mother, “All the blood ever shed in sacrifice and conflict rears doun Her Black form as ed flowers float om dark waters.” All the experiences, sood and bad, tragic, horrifying, or sublime — all of cher are home by that One who further transmutes all negativity within Its vase being, just like the ocean takes in all the rivers of the continents and never changes. Such beings, walking the earth, asuage all sorow, temper al limited joys, give without feeling the giving, and continuously act from the ourpouring of divine beneficence that spontancously knows whats needed and when, and responds from overlowing abundance, “Frnaporre Sa usin Porn, Oregon, where she teaches and le. ‘ures on Vedanta Phicsopty. She 2b0 serves as pescert of SV Oregon nd manages Sv puatestone