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Whatever you offer God reflects your love

A gift is a memory that you create for your loved one. 

When you offer a rose to the love of your life, wouldn't you carefully pick the most beautiful rose that has bloomed? Or, when you gift the love of your life with chocolates, wouldn't you take great care to make sure it is perfect in taste and presentation? 

So, when we gift God with flowers or fruits or any form of prasad, do we dedicate it to God with the same degree of perfection, commitment and love? Or, do we do it as a mechanical chore that needs to be quickly done.

To his earliest devotees, Bhagawan Sri Sai Baba said, "When you offer something to God, it should be with purity of thought, word and deed. Your heart is the temple of God. Therefore anything that you offer God externally should reflect the same detailing, the same purity. Never offer a flower that has slipped to the floor or a wick thread that fell out. Never offer to God something that has fallen down. God needs only love. Whatever you offer God reflects your love. So, never offer God something that is remotely unclean or dirty."

Comments

Rachna said…
And, I wonder about those people who pluck flowers from others' gardens to offer to God. That is stealing, isn't it? And, I have seen many aunties doing it.
Yes, I believe it would. I've also seen many people doing it, and even adults telling children to do that. It's equivalent to stealing even though the intention is to offer something to God. Whatever the intention, taking from some one without that person's consent is stealing.
Ajith said…
This comment has been removed by the author.
Ajith said…
Good one.just one thought, why cant you offer a fallen flower to God but if your heart is pure its still fine rit?
@Ajith - Thanks for stopping by. The spiritual masters say that when we offer something to God, it reflects the quality of our love and respect to God. For the same reason, we have to take extreme care of what we offer God. Best to offer namaskar before God than a fallen flower.

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