Can a yajna create an atmosphere that influences rain scientifically?

Now a friend has asked: Osho, could it not be that a yajna (fire ritual) creates a certain atmosphere such that, on a scientific basis, rain falls?

Prove it and show. The issue is not whether it cannot happen; it simply has not happened so far. The laboratories of science stand across the whole country—every college, every university has a laboratory. Go there, perform a yajna, and prove your claim. If you prove it by doing a yajna, the whole world will touch your feet and say you have discovered a great method. We go through a lot of trouble; your formula is very easy. But prove it! That it is written in your book proves nothing. That you believe it proves nothing. That your heart is hurt proves nothing. In the afternoon a gentleman wrote to me and handed me that...

A friend has also asked. He has asked that— Osho, Ramachandraji performed yajnas, Krishnaji performed yajnas, and Ravana performed yajnas—so did they all do wrong?

Now, whether they did wrong or right—first it is difficult even to find out whether they did them at all. It is also hard to know whether they ever existed or not. And it is equally hard to know whether their yajnas brought any benefit. But we ourselves are doing yajnas every day and seeing—nothing happens! At least make water fall out of a tap’s spout if no water is coming; to make it fall from the clouds is a much farther cry. If a tap has run dry, then perform a yajna-havan and make water pour from its spout! If a well has dried up, do a yajna and bring water into it! Clouds are a rather distant matter. But it is not that water cannot be made to fall from clouds. It will never fall because of yajna-havan, because the clouds have no idea of your yajnas, nor…

Osho, in the world of sadhana there is much mention of yajnas and rituals. There are many methods of yajna; people speak of homa-type yajnas. But in the Gita, japa-yajna and jnana-yajna are given special importance. And while speaking on japa you also spoke of ajapa-japa. So please shed light on the Gita’s japa-yajna, jnana-yajna, and on ajapa-japa as well.

Third: we see the flames of fire rising; we can only see them a little way, then they vanish. Fire is visible only a short distance; beyond that it becomes invisible. Knowledge too is visible only a little—or say: for a short distance its relation remains with the visible; beyond that its relation is with the invisible. Then the visible is lost; only the invisible remains. For all these reasons fire became a potent symbol of knowledge, and Krishna could use the word jnana-yajna. If these symbols are in our awareness, jnana-yajna will continue forever. The other rituals and yajnas built around fire will disappear, because they arise from circumstances; but jnana-yajna will continue. Thus Krishna, for the first time, freed yajna from circumstance and gave it an eternal meaning. The yajna of the Vedas was bound to particular conditions, tied to an event. Krishna freed it from that event…

Questioner: yajnas or rituals have an important place in spiritual discipline, and there are many forms of yajnas or sacrificial rituals mentioned in the scriptures. But the geeta attaches special importance to japa-yajna and jnana-yajna -- the rituals of chanting and knowledge. Talking about the significance of japa or chanting, you mentioned ajapa or wordless chanting. So please explain to us the significance of japa-yajna, jnana-yajna and ajapa as envisioned by the geeta.

Japa can be used with the awareness that it is a means which helps one to be free of his thoughts. But if someone takes japa to be an end in itself, of course he will be free of other thoughts but he will be a prisoner of this japa which is as good as a thought. His mind will remain as burdened and tense as ever. There is no difference between a mind teeming with thoughts and another filled with the chanting of Rama or Ave Maria. They are equally tense and restless. It is possible a thought-filled mind can achieve something worthwhile in the workaday world; a few of his thoughts may be found useful. But as far as the chanting-filled mind is concerned, it is completely a waste. But this man will say what helped to free him from wasteful thoughts is something valuable, and he is…

Verse (Sanskrit): अफलाकांक्षिभिर्यज्ञो विभिदृष्टो य इज्यते। यष्टव्यमेवेति मनः समाधाय स सात्त्विकः।। 11।। अभिसंधाय तु फलं दम्भार्थमपि चैव यत्‌। इज्यते भरतश्रेष्ठं तं यज्ञं विद्धि राजसम्‌।। 12।। विधिहीनमसृष्टान्नं मंत्रहीनमदक्षिणम्‌। श्रद्धाविरहितं यज्ञं तामसं परिच्रते।। 13।। Transliteration: aphalākāṃkṣibhiryajño vibhidṛṣṭo ya ijyate| yaṣṭavyameveti manaḥ samādhāya sa sāttvikaḥ|| 11|| abhisaṃdhāya tu phalaṃ dambhārthamapi caiva yat‌| ijyate bharataśreṣṭhaṃ taṃ yajñaṃ viddhi rājasam‌|| 12|| vidhihīnamasṛṣṭānnaṃ maṃtrahīnamadakṣiṇam‌| śraddhāvirahitaṃ yajñaṃ tāmasaṃ paricrate|| 13|| Translation: The sacrifice performed, as enjoined by scripture, by those who desire no fruit,। with the mind resolved: ‘it is to be offered’—that is sattvic।। 11।। But that which is performed with an eye to the fruit, and even for show,। O best of Bharatas, know that sacrifice to be rajasic।। 12।। Without rule, with food not duly shared, lacking mantra, without offering to the priests,। a sacrifice devoid of faith—they call that tamasic।। 13।। Now, the sutra: And, O Arjuna, that yajna which is fixed by…