Yajña
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In ancient Chinese philosophy, the word 功夫 (Kung Fu) explicitly means “accumulation of time spent training.” It’s a beautiful concept; it changes one’s perspective from “spending” time to “collecting” it when training. Your mastery over anything in life becomes a proud representation of the time you took to develop that particular skill. I think its interesting how ancient cultures formed a relationship with perfection and how it contrasts with the way we deal with our obstacles today.
In Hinduism, every effort made toward the ultimate goal is seen as a willing sacrifice for something greater. Hindu culture doesn’t believe in sin, but instead mediates moral obligations through the law of Karma. If you throw a ball into the air, it isn’t right or wrong for it to come back down; it simply falls because of the conditions that were in place. Our actions in society are much more nuanced, so there may not be immediate retribution in some cases, but eventually, self-destructive habits will catch up with anyone who becomes a victim of them. This autonomy of decision-making extends to making “sacrifices” toward a better version of yourself. Giving up a part of yourself to make room for something greater is a concept that can manifest in many different ways in one’s life. Whether it’s something as natural as dealing with the pain that comes with physically training your body, or missing a family member’s birthday for an important business meeting. In Hinduism, another concept that has been repeated in many yogic texts is that everything we do with our bodies first begins in the mind. Rituals in Hinduism mainly exist to activate the mind toward a certain cause beyond something as mundane as personal commitment to oneself.
The Yajna is a ritual in which we associate our day-to-day sacrifices with the Samagri (Ayurvedic herbs, seeds, roots, and flowers, along with resins) and offer them to a vibrant orange fire while chanting mantras.The fire represents the common light of truth and knowledge that all should aspire to. It also represents the eternal universe and its perpetual dynamism. Although there is no sin in Hinduism, the concept of light and dark very much exists: light signifies knowledge, while darkness signifies ignorance. All beings should live in a way where they slowly begin to move from an ignorant state to a more self-aware one. By performing a Yajna, one is inaugurating a change for the better in their life. It’s a custom I’m glad has survived thousands of years for me to be a part of.
