Hari OM
Story-day is for cultural exploration, puraanas and parables and finding out about leading lights in spiritual philosophy.
We will now read more from the current 'Guru-incumbent' of this Saraswati Maharaj parampara which drives the Mission of Chinmaya (Single Consciousness). Here, we are admonished, release all sense of ownership, 'my-ness and I-ness' - make of them an offering.
WHAT SHOULD WE OFFER IN WORSHIP?
Every bhakta must express gratitude. How each one does it depends upon individual choice. Many are the options open to us:
Prayer
Worshipping the Lord
Singing His glories
Choose the path of your liking, but make some offering. It is not what you offer that makes the difference. What matters is how you make the offering…
In the Bhagavad Gita, Bhagawan says: “I will accept ANYTHING I am offered with love and devotion: a leaf…a flower…a fruit…water…!” He is happy with just ONE Leaf, ONE Flower... All that counts is the sentiment that sanctifies the moment of worship. Does any material offering belong to me?
Are we not mere tenants using what He has made available for us? Does not everything belong to the Lord? Hold in your mind the thought. 'All that I have is yours; even this what I offer is also yours, and I offer that to you!'
So what did you offer? Actually not that specific object which anyway belonged to the Lord. You offered what you were holding close to your heart as "Mine…Mine…Mine" What does the Lord want? It is this POSSESSIVENESS…
That He wants
That we need to offer.
– – SWAMI TEJOMAYANANDA
