In English
and
The mind is allowed to wander and engage itself in external exercises like and . Here is a story to illustrate this: King was once going round his country incognito to find out what the people were doing. He noticed an old performing a (tire-sacrifice). Apparently as the had been performed over many years a huge mound of ash had come up near the sacrificial fireplace. asked the old what he was doing. He replied: "I have been performing a for the past 60 years. This mound you see is the accumulated ash from the . Though I have been ceaselessly performing this , I have not yet had a vision of the (the Lord of the Sacrifice)." was deeply moved by the anguished utterance of the old man. He sat in meditation himself. He performed a severe penance. Despite his long penance, he could not have a vision of the . He felt: "Of what use is all the penance I have performed? If I cannot get the grace of the Lord, what use is there in living?" Thinking in this way, he took out the sword from inside his cloak and decided to end his purposeless existence if he could not have a vision of the Lord. Addressing mentally the , he said: "If you will not appear before me, I am offering my life to you." As he drew his sword to offer his head, the appeared before him and seized the sword from the king's hand. He said to the king: "Oh ! This is a (an act of recklessness) and not a spiritual offering. Where am I? As , I am dwelling in all beings as the digestive power. Is it a sign of spirituality for you to seek, on the one hand, externally a vision of the Divine who is within you, and on the other, to put an end to your life, because you do not have a vision of the Divine that is in you? This kind of act savours of the Rajasic tendency. A real devotee should not resort to such desperate actions. To realise me, what you need to practise is love and not reckless courage. Whatever you see, whatever you do, be conscious of the allpervading Divine. Only then work will be transformed into worship. What this old has been doing for sixty years is to mumble the words of the without understanding their meaning. He did not invite my presence with all his heart and soul. I present myself to one who prays for me with all his heart and with harmony in thought, word and deed. If one cannot offer such dedicated worship, he should adhere to my injunctions without hesitation."