To Katia about items for puja (was weird dream)

[Guest guest]

Katia wrote:

 

yeah, I always feel a bit inadequate when I do puja, not just because of my

 

not having any professional teaching by a pujari or anyone of that nature

(just my Amma-based puja book and casette), I also can't always get the

supplies. I have no ghee, no clue on how to use half of the lamps and

usually don't

have access to flowers where I am.

 

 

My heart is in it, but I can't help but wonder if it's enough or will be

accepted for not being quite right...

 

Dear Katia, and everyone ~ okay, I'm a bit sorry to keep bringing up Shree

Maa and Swamiji in the Amma digest, but they do actually teach you these

things, provide instructional booklets, etc. In a post where someone wrote to

Swamiji and was worrying because she could not get all the items needed for a

puja, he wrote back and said that it is more important to do the worship (or as

you said, have your heart in it) than to worry about having all the items.

When I did my first puja, I didn't have any of the items. In a book about

Swami's life, there were many times when he didn't have items needed for a

puja, so

he would just take whatever was available, like, instead of flowers, a tree

leaf or a blade of grass, and if even that is not available, imagine taking

the items from within your heart. It is very empowering.

 

One of the stories I'd like to share is about Swamiji visiting a village

that had been undergoing a drought for a long time. Nothing would grow. The

people were beside themselves. When Swami came, they asked him to pray for rain.

So he started doing the Chandi Path puja as his prayer, and pretty soon it

began to rain, and rain, and rain, and rain ... all the villagers ran to higher

ground. As the rain began to taper off they noticed Swamiji was nowhere to be

found so they went back down to the village. Swami was sitting high up in a

tree still doing the puja. It is one of my favorite stories. Of course, being

up a tree, figuratively and literally, he did not have the normal items for

a puja. But his heart was really in it. : )

 

Blessings ~ Linda

 

 

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

that is an awesome story, made me grin quite a bit like an idiot. lol

I'm definitely finding that puja from the heart is better than puja with all

items but no concentration.

 

Jai maa!

-Katia