There was a small town in France, and as with all small towns, it had people who practised some old traditional beliefs. The Christians living there did not cook or eat chicken on Fridays. However, there was an Indian who had also housed himself there and used to barbecue a chicken every day including Friday. The people there protested and told him to adhere to their beliefs. However, he continued doing what he was doing. The priest of the parish had an idea, he called the man and requested him to barbecue fish instead of chicken on Friday. But our Indian friend was adamant.
The priest and the community there slowly convinced him to convert to Christianity. Somehow he agreed. So, finally with friends accompanying him he went to church on Sunday. The priest sprinkled holy water on him and with some prayers, baptized him. His name changed from Shyam Lal Saxena to Samuel Saxon. Then he was instructed by the priest to observe all the norms that were practised there.
Next Friday the Indian was seen barbecuing his chicken again with great pleasure. When the people objected, the clever Indian said, “Oh no! This is not a chicken, this is a fish, I have just baptised it by sprinkling holy water, and naming it ‘My Chicken’, but we all know that now after conversion it is a true blue fish.” A mere chanting of shlokas or the sprinkling of Ganges water on yourself, will never purify you. Even daily repetitions of this ritual can never bring about the magical transformation of an individual from a sorrowful creature to divine sainthood. Rituals are a dramatisation of deep philosophical concepts and the objectification of the ultimate Reality, the Truth.
They are not the Truth.
Prarthna Saran, President, Chinmaya Mission Delhi
