Lakshmi Puja and the Eye Opening Ceremony

[Guest guest]

> Om.

> Greetings friend,hope you are well and in good spirit,

> ~today on the full moon of 15th October marks the occasion of the

Lakshmi puja.

>

> Devotees worship Lakshmi for the well being and prosperity of the

family.The divine Hindu mother is the goddess of wealth and prosperity,

both material and spiritual.Lakshmi is respected as a beautiful woman of

golden complexion, with four hands, sitting or standing on a

full-bloomed lotus and holding 2 lotus buds, which stands for beauty,

purity and fertility.

>

> Her four hands represent the four truths of human life:

righteousness,desires,wealth, and " moksha " or liberation from the cycle

of birth and death.Two elephants are often shown standing next to the

goddess and spraying water symbolising material and spiritual prosperity

effected by one's wisdom and purity .

>

> It is believed that on this full moon night the goddess herself visits

the homes of devotees and replenishes the inhabitants with wealth.Many

will draw patterns on the floor with rice paste displaying Lakshmi's

feet, to welcome the goddess to their homes in the evening..

>

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> *This full moon also celebrates the end of the Buddhist monk's three

months rains retreat and marks the Kathina month of robes , where lay

people donate a set of robes to the Sangha.

>

> *This celebrates also the day that Buddha began to teach the Abhidhamma!*

>

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> *Recently during a recent trip to Asia,i visited a few temples in

Thailand where the 3 day blessing ceremony was being conducted.

>

> ' During the blessing ceremony an image is created with power and energy

having undergone a 'life-giving process' that animates and transmits the

life,efficacy and supernatural qualities of the ancient cult image to

the new ones as the metal is poured or ceramic is composed.

>

> The magnificent images have special powers,energy and protective

virtue,providing refuge.The monks by their recitations of the dharma and

by their transfer of their spiritual virtues and energies as followers

of the path,conduct the ritual consecration procedure and ceremony.This

has the qualities of animating the image by 'opening the eyes ' whereby

the Buddha or Deity will become immanent in the image'.

>

> The process involves a quantum leap and a uplifting stimulated emission

of pure energy.In some ways similar to the creation of homeopathic

medicines.....'Some monks have achieved the 'state of internal sitting'

which enables him to achieve supra-normal mystic powers.By chanting and

meditation,the monk is able to concentrate power and transmit it to the

amulets or images thus opening the eyes of the image.

>

> With offerings,chanting of the dharma,and meditation on the astrologer's

chosen day, the ancient image is bound with a sacred chord [which the

monks will hold while chanting],and the life-giving rite is conducted.By

forming a circuit consisting of joining the newly cast image to an

existing sacralised historical and famous image by a chord such that the

latter's energies and virtues can be transmitted to the former.The

underlying logic of this is that there is a line of authenticated images

which represent a line of likeness leading back to the original Buddha

or deity.

>

> The 2nd circuit relates to the fact that the rite of 'charging with

life' is conducted by monks,through whose hands the sacred chord of

transmission passes and who by chanting and meditation,energise

> the image which takes place in the monastery at the auspicious moment'.

>

>

> Thus begins the 'cult of the amulets'...

> {source;'The Buddhist Saints of the Forest and the Cult of the Amulets'-

> -Stanley Jeyaraja Tambiah}-[Cambridge press].

> http://www.natural-tribal-designs.com/

> *****************

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>

> U-TUBE HIGHLIGHTS;

> " Multiverses " - Buddhism in a Global Age of Technology; Great

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>

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wish you good health of body, mind and spirit,and that you have the time

to welcome Lakshmi to visit you soon.

> peace

> Terry