The importance of rituals

A businessman invited the holy man during the inauguration prayer ceremonies on the opening ceremony of a new factory. Usually Baba don’t accept such invitations, but looking at the faith and devotion of the invitee, Baba agreed. On the day of Yagna ceremony, Baba reached before time and sat on the side quietly, while observing the happenings all around. At the set time priest came and performed the Yagna rituals while chanting Sanskrit mantras and left. Everyone left after a while, but the Baba keep sitting in his own bliss.

Once everyone left, the businessman came and sat next to Baba. Baba asked, “So, how did the Puja go?”

With a satisfying smile on his face, the invitee replied, “Sir, I am glad it is over without any hindrance. Everything went as per the plan. Now I feel relaxed.”

Baba started laughing and said, “Son, the purpose of this puja was to introduce you to the ever present peaceful blissful Divine within, while performing the puja. But it seems you are more peaceful after the puja. I have observed that before the puja and during the puja, you were quiet tense – ensuring all Samagri (materials required for Puja) is available, flowers are placed in correct manner, guest are being taken care of and other formalities. Priest came and chanted a few mantras on your behalf, performed all the rituals and you are thinking puja is done. Have you ever thought, what is the real purpose behind it?”

A few close family members also gathered all around and started listening to the Saint. Baba continued, “It is high time that you grow up and stop doing business with God. You think you will get God’s blessings in return of performing these rituals. Please change your mindset. God’s blessings are always showering on us just like Sun. We need to know how to receive his blessings. We just need to gain the wisdom of how to sit quietly in meditation, quieten our mind and receive his ever flowing blessings. We don’t have to ask him, we just have to elevate ourselves to receive his ever present blessings, peaceful and blissfulness. We just need to take time out of busy schedules to receive His ever flowing blessings.”

“Thousands of years ago, there were no rituals. People use to sit in meditation to receive the blessings and to rejuvenate the peacefulness and blissfulness within. This helped them to perform their daily chores with attentiveness, joy and fervor, which in turn gave them success. As the world begin to give more importance to the material world, Rishi-Munis of India introduced the concept of rituals so that the material man can continue to sit in the remembrance of God at least during the important occasions of life. The purpose of these rituals is to help you sit in the remembrance of your soul consciousness, help you to quieten your thoughts so that your mind and intellect rejuvenates, which in turn will enable you to hear your own deep voice and helps you to take right, well thought decisions. Success is just a byproduct of a peaceful, quiet and blissful mind. Don’t just ask for the success to the Almighty, but ask for his deep inherent wisdom which will help you to take right decisions in life, which in turn will bring wholesome success, not just a shallow material success.”