We need food to eat.
We need rains to produce our food.
Is it possible for man to produce rain? As much as is needed, no more, no less. Judging by our record so far, the odds are stacked heavily against us. We do not just need rains … we need just enough rainfall to irrigate our fields .. Jill our reservoirs … cool the earth after a blazing summer season. Unfortunately, this does not aLways happen. Come June and the weatherman churns out the ritualistic rain forecasts that haplessly fail. Last July Mumbai experienced its heaviest rainfall in the Last hundred years and similar heavy and unseasonal rains Lashed Chennai in December 2005.
What really causes rainfall – clouds, sun, air currents, stars, El Nino? Is it possibLe for man to completely free himseLf from the vagaries of nature and control rainfall as easily as one controls a tap? As the two statements in the beginning make perfect sense, the following two aLso made perfect sense (at Least to the ruLers of ancient India): Rains are produced from sacrifice (yajiia). Sacrifice consists of pleasing the Supreme Personalityof Godhead, Sri Krsna.
The Vedas provide information about how various essentiaL items are supplied. In fact, this literature is created for the guidance of the conditioned souls – which means all of us in this world. We are called 'conditioned' because every Living being who is in this material world is conditioned by the Laws of material nature.
One example of this stringent Law is – All those who take birth have to die. The process, which begins with birth, ends in death, with old age and disease in between. Thus, this material world and especially this human body is a chance to get rid of this material enranglement. And the chance is open by acting for the satisfaction of Visnu. The Bhagavad-gita states In the beginning of creation, the Lord of all crearures sent forth generations of men and demigods, along with sacrifices for Visnu, and blessed them by saying, "Be happy by this yajila [sacrifice] because its performance will bestow upon you everything desirable for living happily and achieving liberation." (Bg. 3.10)
As all living beings have to subsist on food, this is the first requirement thar is cared for in cosmic managemenr. Unfortunately, modern so-called 'civilization' does not know that grains cannot be manufactured in our factories. We have set up so many factories for manufacturing tools, machinery, motor cars, computers, satellites etc., but there is not a singLe factory in the whole world which can manufacture wheat, grains or vegetables.
Therefore, the important eLement of whar are rhe specific duties of mankind, and what is the easiest form of sacrifice amounts to real knowledge. All living entities are reLated to the Supreme Lord as His parts and parceLs. Hence rheir only duty is to act as His loyal servants. As the eye acts as part of the body and in due course receives its share of nutrition, simiLarly every person can remain happy by serving Krsna. On the contrary if someone offers food to his eye neither the eye can enjoy it nor will it be beneficial for the whole body.
As far as Vedic sacrifices are concerned the fire sacrifices are no more practical due to the shortage of qualified brahmanas (who can bring forth fire directly from the wood) and paucity of resources.
Lord Caitanya recommends the simple process of chanting the following sound vibration
Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare Indeed, this is the sacrifice for this current age.
(Syamananda Dasa)