Guest guest Report post Posted December 26, 2006 Thank You Vishweshwar, this is very helpful. I'll so just that. First I'll have to get a copy of the Advanced Puja. Then will come more questions. As to where I add them. This is great. Hope you and everyone at Devi Mandir had a wonderful Christmas celebration. It certainly sounded like you did. Debi inspectionconnection108 <inspectionconnection108 > wrote: Namaste As you feel more comfortable with beginner Shiva puja, and your desire to worship Shiva grows, you can add bits and pieces to your puja. For example, add the Shiva Kavach, on P. 186, The Armor of Shiva, to your practice. And as you wish, more detailed elaborate mantras for each offering you make. Milk, ghee, etc. Jai Maa Jai Shiva vishweshwar , Debra McDaniel <student61754 wrote: > > Thank you Chris, > Very good. > I'm presently doing Beginner Shiva Puja I supose I can move to Advanced when I learn this one. It's like the blind leading the blind with teaching myself. Thanks to Shree Maa & Swamiji and this site I have hopes of learning so much more. > > I have gone throught the Beginner Shiva Puja info posted. Did all assignments as if was in the class but cldn't grasp the calendar. #! the one posted is for Calfornia and I'm in GA. > Still tring to find calendar used by local temple. Don't get answers from them when I email them though. > > Like you said I just do it in english. Appreciate your help. Still struggling with a lot of the words. Have a note but that I use to help keep track of each new one. Sort of my own dictionary. > > I don't function well under stress, as most of us don't. So trying to compile notes on procedures for grave illness and death so I can follow them more easily when needed. > > Much Thanks, > Debi > > Chris Kirner <chriskirner1956 wrote: > Hi Debi, > > The sankalpa is that part of worship where we state our intention to > perform a certain action. It includes our name, the day, month, and > phase of the moon, the name of our family lineage, called the gotra, > (if you are from India, otherwise, use Satyananda), the name of our > temple, which deity the act is being performed for, and what the act > is, ie. ten malas Om Namah Shivaya, or Durga puja. It is the section > that begins, "Om adya jambudvipe, (name of country)deshe, (name of > State) pradeshe..." It's found in most of the pujas and scriptures > published for the Devi Mandir. > > In its simplest form a sankalpa is simply a statement of a commitment > to God or Guru to complete an activity. Maa does sankalpas for many > different activities, and never lets anything keep her from completing > them. > > It's good to learn to do it in the traditional manner, but if you > don't know how, or aren't inclined to learn yet, just substitute the > English month, day and date, etc. > > Since the traditional form of sankalpa involves the use of the > panchanga (the Vedic calendar), it is explained in a file Nanda put > together and left in the files section on the site, called > Understanding_the_panchang.doc, and it is located in a folder called > Calendar. Here is the link: > http://f1.grp.fs.com/v1/QBqNRUA_fa7UWRj0xlt88Yh-MtHcS20LpqNISEo7P7AZBgexxiCi26Ew_eYk-l0HkNM_M7Bp8RrdKQWiEpH6mbF_XdA0j_DE3bBCiYy3/Calendar/Understanding_the_Panchang.doc > > It's a Word file. Can you read Word files? If not, email me and I'll > link you to a site that offers a free alternative to Word. > > Jai Maa! > Chris > > , Debra McDaniel <student61754@> > wrote: > > > > Hi Chris, > > Sorry but there is so much that I still don't understand. > > What do you mean the Sankalpa to this is: > > I'm trying to make notes for myself and didn't understand this part. > > Thanks > > Debi > > > > Chris Kirner <chriskirner1956@> wrote: > > Hi Karen, > > > > I'm sure there's probably more to this process, but I have some notes > > from a similar question Swamiji answered a couple of years ago. > > > > When the soul leaves the body the Vishnu Sahasranama is recited. After > > death for eleven days one places a candle and fresh flowers next to a > > picture of the departed and recites at least one mala of Gayatri > > Mantra. The sankalpa for that is "pitri shraddhamaham karishye." > > > > I don't know anything about the daily prayers... > > > > Jai Maa! > > Chris > > > > , "inspectionconnection108" > > <inspectionconnection108@> wrote: > > > > > > NAMASTE KAREN > > > > > > After Bill requested this data, I posted a message to Swami asking for > > > specifics for prayers prior to, and post death. He sent a response > > > and I have posted it. I have completed the process several times for > > > loved one who passed, and performed the ceremony on the anniversary of > > > their death, etc., and it is very powerful. > > > The incredible thing about this tradition is that Maa and Swami want > > > us to be self sufficient and perform these ceremonies for ourselves, > > > our families, and friends. > > > Swami has said many times how fortunate it is that we can pray for > > > others. It is a real blessing. > > > I am committed to helping spread this knowledge in every way possible. > > > If I can be of further help, let me know. > > > > > > Jai Maa Jai Swami > > > > > > love > > > > > > vishweshwar > > > > > > , "Karen" <forall10q@> wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > > At the end of this post, you mentioned specific prayers. I wasn't > > sure > > > > if you meant the daily ones or the ones for the recently departed. > > But > > > > it doesn't matter, really, because I am very interested in knowing > > both. > > > > I especially would like to be able to have the prayers (and the > > > > procedure for chanting them) for the recently departed at the > > ready for > > > > immediate use. I would be so very appreciative if we could learn > > about > > > > these. Love, Karen > > > > > > > > > > > > , "inspectionconnection108" > > > > <inspectionconnection108@> wrote: > > > > > > > > > >In our tradition, there are prayers the > > > > > family member, or friend, performs for the departed soul > immediately > > > > > after they leave the body. The prayers are performed for a > specific > > > > > amount of days, in order to help the soul reach the highest > > planes of > > > > > consciousness. I have performed them for several friends and > family > > > > > members who have passed. I performed them daily for 9 days. The > > > > > experience was very profound. > > > > > As Swami has reported, the soul is given a boost by our prayers, > > > > > helping them rise high. In addition, we also ask the departing > > soul to > > > > > send divine energy back to Earth to help us evolve. The higher the > > > > > soul rises, the more powerful the energy, so the effect on our > > > > > evolution in greater. > > > > > In our tradition, we maintain our relationship with the departed, > > > > > especially the ancestors, daily. In our daily prayers, we > thank the > > > > > ancestors for their sacrifices, as their efforts brought us to the > > > > > place we are today, and we ask them to send their energy to us on > > > > > Earth. Our energy, helps them, and their energy helps us. > > > > > We can discuss the specific prayers, and other details if you are > > > > > interested, in the future. > > > > > > > > > > I hope this helps. > > > > > > > > > > Jai Maa Jai Swami > > > > > > > > > > love > > > > > > > > > > vishweshwar > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Vishweshwar, Bill Smith > > > > > biggerblat@ wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > > Wow! Many thanks for your kindness in this regard. It is a > > question > > > > > I have long wondered about since I have been at some many > deathbeds > > > > > (not to be dramatic) over the years. And in our society, as we all > > > > > know, most of us die in hospital, hooked up to who knows how many > > > > > machines, with lots of distractions and no peace. A tough > > environment > > > > > in which to be composed. > > > > > > > > > > > > I await the swami's thoughts with keen interest. Again, > thank you > > > > > for taking trouble with this for me. > > > > > > > > > > > > Bill > > > > > > > > > > > > inspectionconnection108 inspectionconnection108@ wrote: > > > > > > Namaste Bill > > > > > > > > > > > > I sent a copy of your e mail to Swami for a reply. Either he > will > > > > post > > > > > > directly, or I will forward to you upon receipt. > > > > > > > > > > > > It is a powerful question, one which needs Swami's response. > > > > > > > > > > > > Jai Maa Jai Swami > > > > > > > > > > > > love > > > > > > > > > > > > vishweshwar > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > , Bill Smith wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Namaste: > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Ok, here goes with question number one. I have heard, for > a long > > > > > > time now, all about the importance of one's last, dying thoughts > > > > > > before we depart this body. It seems to me that this assumes > > we are > > > > > > reasonably conscious when we do the departing, that is to say, > > have > > > > > > some control over our minds. But almost everyone I have ever > seen > > > > die > > > > > > did so after a long period of unconsciousness and coma. Who > > has any > > > > > > idea of what, if anything, was going on in their minds then? > > And how > > > > > > can I, if I am the one in that situation, which likely > willbe the > > > > case > > > > > > one day, be told to form the proper thoughts for a proper > > death, so > > > > to > > > > > > speak? It would seem to me that the last thoughts I had before > > > > losing > > > > > > consciousness and going into coma are the only ones I can be > > > > > > responsible for.... > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Bill > > > > > > > > > > > > > > inspectionconnection108 wrote: > > > > > > > Namaste > > > > > > > > > > > > > > From the Devi Mandir publication: "Before Becoming This", page > > > > 198, > > > > > > > Swami says: > > > > > > > > > > > > > > "We all come back each lifetime. In fact, we don't even go > away. > > > > > > > Energy never dies; it only changes form. Kinetic energy > becomes > > > > > > > potential energy, and potential energy becomes kinetic. > > > > Consciousness > > > > > > > never dies. Consciousness is eternal. Each individual is > made of > > > > > > > consciousness and energy. If the consciousness doesn't die > > and the > > > > > > > energy doesn't die, what dies? If there is not a death, there > > > > can't > > > > > > > be a rebirth. There is one continuous transformation. > > > > Consciousness > > > > > > > and energy are constantly changing forms. You were small > > when you > > > > > > > were a young child, now you are older, someday you will > > leave this > > > > > > > form, and the energy and consciousness will leave this form. > > What > > > > > > > dies? What was born? The Atma, individual soul, is one > with the > > > > > > > Paramatma, universal soul. The space inside the container is > > > > exactly > > > > > > > the same as the space outside the container. The only > difference > > > > > > > between the two is the definition that is created by the > > > > container. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > The energy of that container will move into a new > container. And > > > > the > > > > > > > space within the container will move into a new container. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > The soul never had a form. The soul is the same as the > > space. The > > > > > > > space is the same inside and outside. When the body > > dissolves, the > > > > > > > container dissolves. The awareness is one with the universal > > > > > > > awareness, the world soul, the Paramatma, the Supreme > soul. Now > > > > here > > > > > > > comes a new container that encompasses another piece of that > > soul. > > > > > > > Certainly, all the samskaras, all of the tendencies laden with > > > > that > > > > > > > soul and that container, are coming into manifestation as > a new > > > > > > > container of that same consciousness. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Samkaras are tendencies, attitudes, a propensity to manifest > > in a > > > > > > > certain way. > > > > > > > Those tendencies maintain some continuity from lifetime to > > > > lifetime. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > As Swami has stated, all the sadhana we have performed in our > > > > life, > > > > > > > prepares us for the last thoughts we have in our body. If we > > have > > > > > > > been chanting the Holy Names of God for many years, then > > naturally > > > > our > > > > > > > mind will dwell on those mantras as we leave the body. > Those are > > > > the > > > > > > > thoughs we want to have as we leave the body. Then as we > > begin our > > > > > > > next life, we will begin from that lofty plateau. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Jai Maa Jai Swami > > > > > > > > > > > > > > love > > > > > > > > > > > > > > vishweshwar > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Please visit us online at http://www.ShreeMaa.org > > > > > > > Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
