41 - Living life as Yajna | Swami Tattwamayananda

-4th chapter: verses 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33<br />-The lecture was given by Swami Tattwamayananda on June 12, 2020.<br />-Yajna in Gita refers to any noble activity done with a sense of sanctity and sacredness, for the good of others, without selfish motives, and as an offering to God.<br />-Yajna as a Vedic ritual involves lighting a fire, chanting mantras, offering auspicious things in the fire as an act of renunciation, for the good of the world and to propitiate the devatas (gods).<br />-Verse 27: Atma Samyama Yoga refers to bringing self-restraint to the senses of perception, senses of action and the mind, and giving them a higher spiritual orientation. It is an inner yajna, where the yajna fire is kindled through spiritual wisdom that there is divinity in the entire creation, in every activity and thought. We offer all our actions, thoughts, deeds into this yajna fire.<br />-Atma Samyama Yoga enables us to spiritualize our whole life. Every act, thought, deed is performed as Yajna. Every secular activity becomes spiritualized. We can live in tune with the entire creation, as we are convinced of the divinity in everything.<br />-Yajna is based on the idea that we cannot live in disharmony with nature and expect harmony within. With Atma Samyama Yoga, we connect with the inherent harmony with nature. Harmony outside brings harmony within.<br />-With Atma Samyama Yoga, great qualities such as - non-violence, truthfulness, freedom from stealing, moderation, non-possessiveness – naturally come to us.<br />-28th verse: There are others who sacrifice material things (dravya yajna), who meditate and undertake vows (tapo yajna), who sacrifice through yoga (yoga yajna), and who read scriptures and realize their ideas (jnana yajna). These are all different ways of practicing Yajna.<br />-First step in practicing Yajna is to develop a higher spiritual ideal in our life, and think beyond immediate, tangible benefits. By practicing yajna, one finds harmony and peace everywhere.<br />-An ancient verse describes the pr