Accepted For Our Devotion

With a palmful of nature, I reflected on the aphorism “It’s not the gift, but the thought that counts.” The Cambridge Dictionary explains the meaning of this phrase: kind intentions are the important thing, even if the gift is imperfect. Never has this saying been more accurate than in our offerings to the Supreme Person who already has everything. In the Bhagavad Gita, Krishna says: “If one offers Me with love and devotion a leaf, a flower, a fruit or water, I will accept it.” (BG 9.26) Confirmation: It’s our affection that counts!

Recently I heard a wonderful explanation of this verse by Hridayananda das Goswami: “The Sanskrit word prayatātmanaḥ literally means one who has offered their own soul. Krishna is saying that when you offer something with devotion, what that means is that you are really offering yourself. There is no fruit shortage in the spiritual world. They don’t have a hydrology issue; they don’t need the water. So the real point is that the fruit, leaf, water and flower are ways for a devotee to offer their own soul. And when Krishna says ‘I accept it,’ He is actually accepting you, He is accepting your soul. Because if you think of it, if Krishna accepted the leaf and left you behind, that wouldn’t help would it?”

No Loss or Dimunition

Look, it's a leafy changing bodies exhibit! I took this photo about a year ago. Since then, the wall has been torn down and a new building has taken its place. Time is life’s great conveyor belt, and we can't turn it off. Time also seems to move faster the older I get. This speeding up of subjective time with aging is well documented and is a phenomenon that continues to be explored. As Andy Rooney humorously puts it: “I’ve learned that life is like a roll of toilet paper. The closer it gets to the end, the faster it goes.”

Sometimes I reflect on how much time I have used up in mindless activities. Occasional twinges of regret spur me into positive change, while wallowing backfires and results in more lost time. I find that the most helpful question I can ask myself is "how will I spend the time I have right now, today?" As Bhaktivinoda Thakur eloquently reminds us:

“Forget the past that sleeps and ne’er

The future dream at all,

But act in times that are with thee

And progress thee shall call."

Fortunately, the time and energy I invest in my spiritual journey are never lost. Krishna promises in Bhagavad Gita: "In this endeavor there is no loss or diminution, and a little advancement on this path can protect one from the most dangerous type of fear." (BG 2.4) I find this verse reassuring and plan to make some eternal investments today. What about you?