Why should we be grateful to the Divine? What tax does He expect from us as an expression of our gratitude? Bhagawan endearingly explains the fundamentals today.

A synonym for sacrifice (tyaga) is Bali. Bali means offering, dedication, sacrifice and tax levy. What tax? Bali means that which is to be given as an offering in human life. Ancients regarded bali as offering living objects as sacrifice. This isn’t the correct meaning of bali. Bali is recognition of Divinity in man. People pay water tax to authorities who make water available at their dwelling from distant sources. Likewise, people pay dues for the electricity they receive. What tax do you pay to God for implanting divinity in you when you consider yourself to be remote from God because of involvement in worldly affairs? You pay for small amounts of water supply and electrical energy. But what do you pay for the heavy downpour of rain which you get from God? God fills tanks and rivers with water. He provides man with life-giving oxygen in the air he breathes. Sun illumines the whole world with his light. What is the tax we pay for all these services? The arpitam (feeling of offering to God) is the tax. That has been called bali. One should not be frightened by the term bali. It means only offering one's self to the Divine.