What is Sacrifice?

In Sri MadBhagvad Gita, chapter four the concept of Sacrifice has been explained. It says every creature is meant to do some sacrifice and unconsciously we do it all the time. However we are never aware what we renounce. All creations are made of five elements Earth, Wind, Water, Fire and Sky.

When we want to attain a certain desire we sacrifice to procure them. Fire is an essential element that is present in all our senses and sense organs, physically and metaphysically. Hence in literal or metaphorical sense fire is termed to be the divine sacrificial tool. As it would burn all into ashes which then sublimes to the rest of four elements.

For instance: Married couples to attain sensual pleasure sacrifice at times their pleasing sights, habits, sounds and peace.” Karma Yogis” or Eucharist’s oblation to achieve some material success are all basic instances.

Similarly to attain self realization some sacrifice all their material pleasures to the fire of Knowledge. The elaboration goes to what we are meant to do , why the term of ultimate truth comes up while it is only self realization of yourself that your physical presence is only their to do prescribed actions of nature, no matter what you desire there is nothing you will take with you. At the end of it all you will get what you deserved.

Detachment is a sacrifice. Some practice celibacy as sacrifice. However what we do not realize is even if we are doing are regular activities, at some point we all sacrifice something which was required for attainment of the goal or certain pursuit.

When Krishna asks Arjuna to stand up, leave all material thoughts to fire and fight is a simple manifestation of what we need to do in our daily life. Instead of being belittle, attached unnecessarily to certain attributes, if nature prescribes a sacrifice of them to move ahead, do not ponder. Only react.

To brief, we should not step back and think otherwise if we are on a certain track for it to be good or bad, at the end we only react to nature’s action. There is nothing that we do on our own. Nobody owns you. Your presence came alone and will leave alone. Your biological parents only reacted to natural science of reproduction. They do not own you.

Once we reach the stage where we have sacrificed all for eternal knowledge, the fire turns all our sins to ashes. Valmiki, who wrote Ramayana, was a miscreant however once he chose to indulge in route to transcendental knowledge all his sins were washed away.

The other revelation in this chapter is the explanation of Braham’s reincarnation from time to time whenever there is some unrighteousness prevalent. It is not necessary that it has to be an avatar or physical being, it could be anything. Even a flood is nature’s force to wipe out the physical beings that are no longer required and have been taking too much from nature without sacrificing anything.

We blame the wars however it too is a cosmic force that made people stand and fight. The way we are going, we are ruling out sacrifice and only taking as much as we can from nature. And it is science that if you do not give something as an action you will never get a reaction and your physical presence hence is not required. Hence there would be a point when we all will perish. It could be anything, nature’s wrath to nuclear holocaust.

Hence sacrifice is nothing however it is surrender in a certain manner to nature. It is a gradual process and even if we go through the Gita several times, the realization of the true essence comes only with prescribed time. With each action we break away from one incarceration. Once we reach where we oblate attachment, the rest of the sacrifices will flow without any thought or emotions. The knowledge of being you will come to you once you follow nature’s course and surrender. When the true knowledge will evince, it will give you a state of absolute bliss and pleasure. You will be nothing; will want nothing however will be afloat profound happiness where love and happiness will only be your rest of the state for eternity

Source: http://childrenofsea.blogspot.com/2010/08/what-is-sacrifice.html