Guest guest Posted November 21, 2003 Report Share Posted November 21, 2003 There are three ways to do puja. One way is with audible sound w here you recite the mantras outloud called sabdha. Another way is to only move your lips when you recite the mantras. There is no sound. This is called pumsa. The third way is to perform the puja completely within the mind in silence. This is called manas. You make all the offerings inside pulling the articles to be offered f rom your heart. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 15, 2004 Report Share Posted April 15, 2004 "...Can people add in other ways to keep their pujas interesting ..." Dear Latha, For me, what has kept me focused on puja has been going deeper and deeper into the understanding of what I am doing. Learning the meaning of the offerings: why we use certain materials, how those materials relate to US, what the purpose of puja is (or the purposes, I should say), what the offerings symbolize, what we are trying to do when we do puja. Trying to discover all of these things and to incorporate them into my practice has led to a deepening of my experience of puja. I would find many of the "outside" things to be a distraction but that may just be where I am in my sadhana at the moment. I really DO like to go to the Mahalaksmi Temple and watch the Brahmin priests do puja. Each time I go, I am finding that maybe I understand a little more of what they are doing and can see a little more clearly and so I feel as though the blessings of the puja are more available to me. One thing I found when I was studying a particular kind of puja last Winter was this: I was one of two Westerners in a class that was, otherwise, all from India (mostly South India).This was a very complex puja and I felt really in "over my head", especially sitting next to an elderly Indian lady who had been doing puja since she was a child. She very kindly helped me with what must have seemed to her very basic things. But what she said to me later on when we were having tea was that I actually "knew" alot more about why we were doing what we were doing than she did. She told me that although she had done puja all her life so that it was almost "automatic"(although, of course, she didn't use that word), she had not had the understanding of what was underneath the actions she had been doing. She didn't know very much about the underlying meaning and was really so excited that at last some of these mysteries were being revealed to her. She told me that it had completely transformed her morning puja to have a deeper understanding of what she was doing. I think I agree with her...that's how it is for me. The more I learn, the more wonderful puja is to me. What is so very amazingly unique and quite incredible is that we have the best of both worlds here. Shree Maa and Swamiji are giving us both the practice and the deeper understanding. The Indian lady told me that although she had asked her priest many times about these things, he had told her, "you don't need to know this"!!!! best, sadhvi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 15, 2004 Report Share Posted April 15, 2004 most excellent oh sadhvi. this might be the one advantage we westerners have, is, no cultural clutter or "going-by-rote" on this, and our raw desire is there. of course, now we have SM and S. so now we are no longer deprived as i once believed we were. s , "nityashakti" <sadhvi@p...> wrote: > "...Can people add in other ways to keep their pujas interesting ..." > > Dear Latha, > For me, what has kept me focused on puja has been going deeper > and deeper into the understanding of what I am doing. Learning the > meaning of the offerings: why we use certain materials, how those > materials relate to US, what the purpose of puja is (or the > purposes, I should say), what the offerings symbolize, what we are > trying to do when we do puja. Trying to discover all of these things > and to incorporate them into my practice has led to a deepening of > my experience of puja. I would find many of the "outside" things to > be a distraction but that may just be where I am in my sadhana at > the moment. I really DO like to go to the Mahalaksmi Temple and > watch the Brahmin priests do puja. Each time I go, I am finding that > maybe I understand a little more of what they are doing and can see > a little more clearly and so I feel as though the blessings of the > puja are more available to me. One thing I found when I was studying > a particular kind of puja last Winter was this: I was one of two > Westerners in a class that was, otherwise, all from India (mostly > South India).This was a very complex puja and I felt really > in "over my head", especially sitting next to an elderly Indian lady > who had been doing puja since she was a child. She very kindly > helped me with what must have seemed to her very basic things. But > what she said to me later on when we were having tea was that I > actually "knew" alot more about why we were doing what we were doing > than she did. She told me that although she had done puja all her > life so that it was almost "automatic"(although, of course, she > didn't use that word), she had not had the understanding of what was > underneath the actions she had been doing. She didn't know very much > about the underlying meaning and was really so excited that at last > some of these mysteries were being revealed to her. She told me that > it had completely transformed her morning puja to have a deeper > understanding of what she was doing. I think I agree with > her...that's how it is for me. The more I learn, the more wonderful > puja is to me. What is so very amazingly unique and quite incredible > is that we have the best of both worlds here. Shree Maa and Swamiji > are giving us both the practice and the deeper understanding. The > Indian lady told me that although she had asked her priest many > times about these things, he had told her, "you don't need to know > this"!!!! > best, > sadhvi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 15, 2004 Report Share Posted April 15, 2004 Dear Sadhvi, Namaste - My Pranams to you. Now that is an excellent suggestion - going deeper to learn more about our pujas to keep our love of the Puja alive. (Not just taking the deity to the beach for a day as I was planning to - weeeeel maybe I still will, just for the fun of it). May be we should start a series of questions -- what is the purpose of each and every step of the puja. Swamiji says that each step is like a milestone in our journeys towards union with God and that each flower , each step tells us exactly how we got there. But I think it is now time to analyze each and every step to understand the significance of it at a minute level. Re your other point, about learning in depth vs learning because it is ingrained in the culture... I wrote about this a while ago. I see the western devotees and disciples at the Mandir working SO hard at things that they find that doesnt come easily to them. They sweat at the Sanskrit, at the pronunciation, at the meanings, but they are SO committed, SO motivated , that it makes me admire them all the more. And they come out with a deep understanding of the practices. My humble pranams to them - may I be blessed enough for some of their commitment and knowledge to rub off on me through association. JAI MAA Latha , "nityashakti" <sadhvi@p...> wrote: > "...Can people add in other ways to keep their pujas interesting ..." > > Dear Latha, > For me, what has kept me focused on puja has been going deeper > and deeper into the understanding of what I am doing. Learning the > meaning of the offerings: why we use certain materials, how those > materials relate to US, what the purpose of puja is (or the > purposes, I should say), what the offerings symbolize, what we are > trying to do when we do puja. Trying to discover all of these things > and to incorporate them into my practice has led to a deepening of > my experience of puja. I would find many of the "outside" things to > be a distraction but that may just be where I am in my sadhana at > the moment. I really DO like to go to the Mahalaksmi Temple and > watch the Brahmin priests do puja. Each time I go, I am finding that > maybe I understand a little more of what they are doing and can see > a little more clearly and so I feel as though the blessings of the > puja are more available to me. One thing I found when I was studying > a particular kind of puja last Winter was this: I was one of two > Westerners in a class that was, otherwise, all from India (mostly > South India).This was a very complex puja and I felt really > in "over my head", especially sitting next to an elderly Indian lady > who had been doing puja since she was a child. She very kindly > helped me with what must have seemed to her very basic things. But > what she said to me later on when we were having tea was that I > actually "knew" alot more about why we were doing what we were doing > than she did. She told me that although she had done puja all her > life so that it was almost "automatic"(although, of course, she > didn't use that word), she had not had the understanding of what was > underneath the actions she had been doing. She didn't know very much > about the underlying meaning and was really so excited that at last > some of these mysteries were being revealed to her. She told me that > it had completely transformed her morning puja to have a deeper > understanding of what she was doing. I think I agree with > her...that's how it is for me. The more I learn, the more wonderful > puja is to me. What is so very amazingly unique and quite incredible > is that we have the best of both worlds here. Shree Maa and Swamiji > are giving us both the practice and the deeper understanding. The > Indian lady told me that although she had asked her priest many > times about these things, he had told her, "you don't need to know > this"!!!! > best, > sadhvi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 15, 2004 Report Share Posted April 15, 2004 Dear Latha, I think this is an EXCELLENT idea...to begin to go deeper into the meaning of puja...especially since we have so many different perspectives here. I have learned SO much from friends I have who have been doing puja all their lives (like the Indian lady)just as I have learned so much from friends I have, like me, who have been searching and trying to learn. Once I had another friend who considered herself to be a very devout Catholic. She was asked if she could open her home to a "new Catholic" from Zimbabwe who was visiting her parish. She told me that her entire experience had changed as she knelt next to this man and received communion. She realized that his awe and deep humility at what was happening, his real belief in the mystical nature of communion, had been something that she had felt many years earlier as a child but had not thought about in years. She was really inspired by this experience to re- connect to her own tradition in a much deeper way. I would love to just go through the "elements" of puja and brainstorm as a group. Like what have people heard as the "meaning" of dheepam or dhupam? we could correlate all of the information and be sure to run it by Swamiji. Then we would have an AMAZING reference file! I know there are people here from India whose understanding of puja is going to be very deep and rich...and there are people, like yourself, who have been doing puja around Maa and Swamiji,there are many Bhaktis whose personal understanding could be of great help to the group, etc. etc. It could be almost a "puja handbook". I once was part of a group where this information was held to be very secret: only a few people were "allowed" to know the meaning of the yagnas and the pujas, the rest of us were "the audience". I can remember feeling so much longing to know and to learn; it must have been similar to the elderly lady whose priest told her "she didn't need to know any of this". If puja is partly a "conversation with God", then it sure helps to know something about the grammar! best, sadhvi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 15, 2004 Report Share Posted April 15, 2004 hey but ya know what, the puja-to-the-beach idea was cool, very cool. , "Latha Nanda" <lathananda> wrote: > Dear Sadhvi, > > Namaste - My Pranams to you. > > Now that is an excellent suggestion - going deeper to learn more > about our pujas to keep our love of the Puja alive. (Not just taking > the deity to the beach for a day as I was planning to - weeeeel maybe > I still will, just for the fun of it). > > May be we should start a series of questions -- what is the purpose > of each and every step of the puja. Swamiji says that each step is > like a milestone in our journeys towards union with God and that each > flower , each step tells us exactly how we got there. But I think it > is now time to analyze each and every step to understand the > significance of it at a minute level. > > Re your other point, about learning in depth vs learning because it > is ingrained in the culture... I wrote about this a while ago. I see > the western devotees and disciples at the Mandir working SO hard at > things that they find that doesnt come easily to them. They sweat at > the Sanskrit, at the pronunciation, at the meanings, but they are SO > committed, SO motivated , that it makes me admire them all the more. > And they come out with a deep understanding of the practices. My > humble pranams to them - may I be blessed enough for some of their > commitment and knowledge to rub off on me through association. > > JAI MAA > Latha > > > > > > > > > > > , "nityashakti" <sadhvi@p...> wrote: > > "...Can people add in other ways to keep their pujas > interesting ..." > > > > Dear Latha, > > For me, what has kept me focused on puja has been going deeper > > and deeper into the understanding of what I am doing. Learning the > > meaning of the offerings: why we use certain materials, how those > > materials relate to US, what the purpose of puja is (or the > > purposes, I should say), what the offerings symbolize, what we are > > trying to do when we do puja. Trying to discover all of these > things > > and to incorporate them into my practice has led to a deepening of > > my experience of puja. I would find many of the "outside" things to > > be a distraction but that may just be where I am in my sadhana at > > the moment. I really DO like to go to the Mahalaksmi Temple and > > watch the Brahmin priests do puja. Each time I go, I am finding > that > > maybe I understand a little more of what they are doing and can see > > a little more clearly and so I feel as though the blessings of the > > puja are more available to me. One thing I found when I was > studying > > a particular kind of puja last Winter was this: I was one of two > > Westerners in a class that was, otherwise, all from India (mostly > > South India).This was a very complex puja and I felt really > > in "over my head", especially sitting next to an elderly Indian > lady > > who had been doing puja since she was a child. She very kindly > > helped me with what must have seemed to her very basic things. But > > what she said to me later on when we were having tea was that I > > actually "knew" alot more about why we were doing what we were > doing > > than she did. She told me that although she had done puja all her > > life so that it was almost "automatic"(although, of course, she > > didn't use that word), she had not had the understanding of what > was > > underneath the actions she had been doing. She didn't know very > much > > about the underlying meaning and was really so excited that at last > > some of these mysteries were being revealed to her. She told me > that > > it had completely transformed her morning puja to have a deeper > > understanding of what she was doing. I think I agree with > > her...that's how it is for me. The more I learn, the more wonderful > > puja is to me. What is so very amazingly unique and quite > incredible > > is that we have the best of both worlds here. Shree Maa and Swamiji > > are giving us both the practice and the deeper understanding. The > > Indian lady told me that although she had asked her priest many > > times about these things, he had told her, "you don't need to know > > this"!!!! > > best, > > sadhvi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 15, 2004 Report Share Posted April 15, 2004 This is very good idea, i have been doing puja for some times now and i have collected so many litrature about puja, and at times it becomes very confusing, until i got hold of Swamijis Books, i was all over, even than when i go to local temple to attain pujas i see differnt ways again and the quastions comes to me why that way. Puja books from swaji is well self explanatory but there are some places i don't know what to do, for example VISHESAARGHYA ,what to do with the water after spinkling over all the items. or how to perform KALASHA STHAPANA it will be great to find out about all this steps. jai maa sanju nityashakti <sadhvi (AT) prodigy (DOT) net> wrote: Dear Latha, I think this is an EXCELLENT idea...to begin to go deeper into the meaning of puja...especially since we have so many different perspectives here. I have learned SO much from friends I have who have been doing puja all their lives (like the Indian lady)just as I have learned so much from friends I have, like me, who have been searching and trying to learn. Once I had another friend who considered herself to be a very devout Catholic. She was asked if she could open her home to a "new Catholic" from Zimbabwe who was visiting her parish. She told me that her entire experience had changed as she knelt next to this man and received communion. She realized that his awe and deep humility at what was happening, his real belief in the mystical nature of communion, had been something that she had felt many years earlier as a child but had not thought about in years. She was really inspired by this experience to re-connect to her own tradition in a much deeper way. I would love to just go through the "elements" of puja and brainstorm as a group. Like what have people heard as the "meaning" of dheepam or dhupam? we could correlate all of the information and be sure to run it by Swamiji. Then we would have an AMAZING reference file! I know there are people here from India whose understanding of puja is going to be very deep and rich...and there are people, like yourself, who have been doing puja around Maa and Swamiji,there are many Bhaktis whose personal understanding could be of great help to the group, etc. etc. It could be almost a "puja handbook". I once was part of a group where this information was held to be very secret: only a few people were "allowed" to know the meaning of the yagnas and the pujas, the rest of us were "the audience". I can remember feeling so much longing to know and to learn; it must have been similar to the elderly lady whose priest told her "she didn't need to know any of this". If puja is partly a "conversation with God", then it sure helps to know something about the grammar!best,sadhvi Messenger - Communicate instantly..."Ping" your friends today! Download Messenger Now Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 15, 2004 Report Share Posted April 15, 2004 Namaste All, Valli and I started to go to Ocean Beach in San Francisco in the early 80's with our home made clay Lord Ganesha for the immersion in the One after our family puja on the sandy beach. Then later Baker Beach in San Francisco when it became the Ganesha Visarjana supported by most of the Bay Area Hindu community with the parade of Ganesha to the shore, puja and immersion. After moving to New Mexico we continue with our children to take the small Lord Ganesha deities we make of clay for puja and immersion in the One in the Rio Grande River. The joy of puja is in the doing and the receiving of the darshan of the divine is the peace that permeates. Love to All, Om Namah Sivaya Kanda Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 15, 2004 Report Share Posted April 15, 2004 Jai Mata Di bingo_ridley <sconnor (AT) austin (DOT) rr.com> wrote: hey but ya know what, the puja-to-the-beach idea was cool, very cool., "Latha Nanda" <lathananda> wrote:> Dear Sadhvi,> > Namaste - My Pranams to you.> > Now that is an excellent suggestion - going deeper to learn more > about our pujas to keep our love of the Puja alive. (Not just taking > the deity to the beach for a day as I was planning to - weeeeel maybe > I still will, just for the fun of it).> > May be we should start a series of questions -- what is the purpose > of each and every step of the puja. Swamiji says that each step is > like a milestone in our journeys towards union with God and that each > flower , each step tells us exactly how we got there. But I think it > is now time to analyze each and every step to understand the > significance of it at a minute level.> > Re your other point, about learning in depth vs learning because it > is ingrained in the culture... I wrote about this a while ago. I see > the western devotees and disciples at the Mandir working SO hard at > things that they find that doesnt come easily to them. They sweat at > the Sanskrit, at the pronunciation, at the meanings, but they are SO > committed, SO motivated , that it makes me admire them all the more.> And they come out with a deep understanding of the practices. My > humble pranams to them - may I be blessed enough for some of their > commitment and knowledge to rub off on me through association.> > JAI MAA> Latha> > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > --- In , "nityashakti" <sadhvi@p...> wrote:> > "...Can people add in other ways to keep their pujas > interesting ...."> > > > Dear Latha,> > For me, what has kept me focused on puja has been going deeper > > and deeper into the understanding of what I am doing. Learning the > > meaning of the offerings: why we use certain materials, how those > > materials relate to US, what the purpose of puja is (or the > > purposes, I should say), what the offerings symbolize, what we are > > trying to do when we do puja. Trying to discover all of these > things > > and to incorporate them into my practice has led to a deepening of > > my experience of puja. I would find many of the "outside" things to > > be a distraction but that may just be where I am in my sadhana at > > the moment. I really DO like to go to the Mahalaksmi Temple and > > watch the Brahmin priests do puja. Each time I go, I am finding > that > > maybe I understand a little more of what they are doing and can see > > a little more clearly and so I feel as though the blessings of the > > puja are more available to me. One thing I found when I was > studying > > a particular kind of puja last Winter was this: I was one of two > > Westerners in a class that was, otherwise, all from India (mostly > > South India).This was a very complex puja and I felt really > > in "over my head", especially sitting next to an elderly Indian > lady > > who had been doing puja since she was a child. She very kindly > > helped me with what must have seemed to her very basic things. But > > what she said to me later on when we were having tea was that I > > actually "knew" alot more about why we were doing what we were > doing > > than she did. She told me that although she had done puja all her > > life so that it was almost "automatic"(although, of course, she > > didn't use that word), she had not had the understanding of what > was > > underneath the actions she had been doing. She didn't know very > much > > about the underlying meaning and was really so excited that at last > > some of these mysteries were being revealed to her. She told me > that > > it had completely transformed her morning puja to have a deeper > > understanding of what she was doing. I think I agree with > > her...that's how it is for me. The more I learn, the more wonderful > > puja is to me. What is so very amazingly unique and quite > incredible > > is that we have the best of both worlds here. Shree Maa and Swamiji > > are giving us both the practice and the deeper understanding. The > > Indian lady told me that although she had asked her priest many > > times about these things, he had told her, "you don't need to know > > this"!!!!> > best,> > sadhviDo you ? Tax Center - File online by April 15th Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 15, 2004 Report Share Posted April 15, 2004 That sounds truly wonderful. I would love to be there and share in this worship. Lall and Dolly Singh <dolly8655 > Thu, 15 Apr 2004 14:58:35 -0700 (PDT) Re: Re: puja Just want to share something. Last year in July members from Maha Tripur Sundarie Mandir was able to obtain a permit to porform Puja at the beach. We had about forty devotees and two priest and some life guards maybe two We were able to bath in the water on the beach at far rockaway and do our puja without anyone bothering us. Puja was done to all the Gods but the main one was for Ganga Maa and Lord Shiva. Its was a wonderful experience. We will do it again this year in July Jai Mata Di bingo_ridley <sconnor (AT) austin (DOT) rr.com> wrote: hey but ya know what, the puja-to-the-beach idea was cool, very cool. , "Latha Nanda" <lathananda> wrote: > Dear Sadhvi, > > Namaste - My Pranams to you. > > Now that is an excellent suggestion - going deeper to learn more > about our pujas to keep our love of the Puja alive. (Not just taking > the deity to the beach for a day as I was planning to - weeeeel maybe > I still will, just for the fun of it). > > May be we should start a series of questions -- what is the purpose > of each and every step of the puja. Swamiji says that each step is > like a milestone in our journeys towards union with God and that each > flower , each step tells us exactly how we got there. But I think it > is now time to analyze each and every step to understand the > significance of it at a minute level. > > Re your other point, about learning in depth vs learning because it > is ingrained in the culture... I wrote about this a while ago. I see > the western devotees and disciples at the Mandir working SO hard at > things that they find that doesnt come easily to them. They sweat at > the Sanskrit, at the pronunciation, at the meanings, but they are SO > committed, SO motivated , that it makes me admire them all the more. > And they come out with a deep understanding of the practices. My > humble pranams to them - may I be blessed enough for some of their > commitment and knowledge to rub off on me through association. > > JAI MAA > Latha > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > , "nityashakti" <sadhvi@p...> wrote: > > "...Can people add in other ways to keep their pujas > interesting ..." > > > > Dear Latha, > > For me, what has kept me focused on puja has been going deeper > > and deeper into the understanding of what I am doing. Learning the > > meaning of the offerings: why we use certain materials, how those > > materials relate to US, what the purpose of puja is (or the > > purposes, I should say), what the offerings symbolize, what we are > > trying to do when we do puja. Trying to discover all of these > things > > and to incorporate them into my practice has led to a deepening of > > my experience of puja. I would find many of the "outside" things to > > be a distraction but that may just be where I am in my sadhana at > > the moment. I really DO like to go to the Mahalaksmi Temple and > > watch the Brahmin priests do puja. Each time I go, I am finding > that > > maybe I understand a little more of what they are doing and can see > > a little more clearly and so I feel as though the blessings of the > > puja are more available to me. One thing I found when I was > studying > > a particular kind of puja last Winter was this: I was one of two > > Westerners in a class that was, otherwise, all from India (mostly > > South India).This was a very complex puja and I felt really > > in "over my head", especially sitting next to an elderly Indian > lady > > who had been doing puja since she was a child. She very kindly > > helped me with what must have seemed to her very basic things. But > > what she said to me later on when we were having tea was that I > > actually "knew" alot more about why we were doing what we were > doing > > than she did. She told me that although she had done puja all her > > life so that it was almost "automatic"(although, of course, she > > didn't use that word), she had not had the understanding of what > was > > underneath the actions she had been doing. She didn't know very > much > > about the underlying meaning and was really so excited that at last > > some of these mysteries were being revealed to her. She told me > that > > it had completely transformed her morning puja to have a deeper > > understanding of what she was doing. I think I agree with > > her...that's how it is for me. The more I learn, the more wonderful > > puja is to me. What is so very amazingly unique and quite > incredible > > is that we have the best of both worlds here. Shree Maa and Swamiji > > are giving us both the practice and the deeper understanding. The > > Indian lady told me that although she had asked her priest many > > times about these things, he had told her, "you don't need to know > > this"!!!! > > best, > > sadhvi Tax Center - File online by April 15th <http://taxes./filing.html> Sponsor / <?subject=Un> Terms of Service <> . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 15, 2004 Report Share Posted April 15, 2004 far rockaway ... boy it's been a while ... is that in new york city, like at the end of a train line? steve , Lall and Dolly Singh <dolly8655> wrote: > Just want to share something. Last year in July members from Maha Tripur Sundarie Mandir was able to obtain a permit to porform Puja at the beach. We had about forty devotees and two priest and some life guards maybe two We were able to bath in the water on the beach at far rockaway and do our puja without anyone bothering us. Puja was done to all the Gods but the main one was for Ganga Maa and Lord Shiva. Its was a wonderful experience. We will do it again this year in July > Jai Mata Di > > bingo_ridley <sconnor@a...> wrote: > hey but ya know what, the puja-to-the-beach idea was cool, very cool. > > , "Latha Nanda" <lathananda> > wrote: > > Dear Sadhvi, > > > > Namaste - My Pranams to you. > > > > Now that is an excellent suggestion - going deeper to learn more > > about our pujas to keep our love of the Puja alive. (Not just > taking > > the deity to the beach for a day as I was planning to - weeeeel > maybe > > I still will, just for the fun of it). > > > > May be we should start a series of questions -- what is the purpose > > of each and every step of the puja. Swamiji says that each step is > > like a milestone in our journeys towards union with God and that > each > > flower , each step tells us exactly how we got there. But I think > it > > is now time to analyze each and every step to understand the > > significance of it at a minute level. > > > > Re your other point, about learning in depth vs learning because it > > is ingrained in the culture... I wrote about this a while ago. I > see > > the western devotees and disciples at the Mandir working SO hard at > > things that they find that doesnt come easily to them. They sweat > at > > the Sanskrit, at the pronunciation, at the meanings, but they are > SO > > committed, SO motivated , that it makes me admire them all the more. > > And they come out with a deep understanding of the practices. My > > humble pranams to them - may I be blessed enough for some of their > > commitment and knowledge to rub off on me through association. > > > > JAI MAA > > Latha > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > , "nityashakti" <sadhvi@p...> > wrote: > > > "...Can people add in other ways to keep their pujas > > interesting ..." > > > > > > Dear Latha, > > > For me, what has kept me focused on puja has been going deeper > > > and deeper into the understanding of what I am doing. Learning > the > > > meaning of the offerings: why we use certain materials, how those > > > materials relate to US, what the purpose of puja is (or the > > > purposes, I should say), what the offerings symbolize, what we > are > > > trying to do when we do puja. Trying to discover all of these > > things > > > and to incorporate them into my practice has led to a deepening > of > > > my experience of puja. I would find many of the "outside" things > to > > > be a distraction but that may just be where I am in my sadhana at > > > the moment. I really DO like to go to the Mahalaksmi Temple and > > > watch the Brahmin priests do puja. Each time I go, I am finding > > that > > > maybe I understand a little more of what they are doing and can > see > > > a little more clearly and so I feel as though the blessings of > the > > > puja are more available to me. One thing I found when I was > > studying > > > a particular kind of puja last Winter was this: I was one of two > > > Westerners in a class that was, otherwise, all from India (mostly > > > South India).This was a very complex puja and I felt really > > > in "over my head", especially sitting next to an elderly Indian > > lady > > > who had been doing puja since she was a child. She very kindly > > > helped me with what must have seemed to her very basic things. > But > > > what she said to me later on when we were having tea was that I > > > actually "knew" alot more about why we were doing what we were > > doing > > > than she did. She told me that although she had done puja all her > > > life so that it was almost "automatic"(although, of course, she > > > didn't use that word), she had not had the understanding of what > > was > > > underneath the actions she had been doing. She didn't know very > > much > > > about the underlying meaning and was really so excited that at > last > > > some of these mysteries were being revealed to her. She told me > > that > > > it had completely transformed her morning puja to have a deeper > > > understanding of what she was doing. I think I agree with > > > her...that's how it is for me. The more I learn, the more > wonderful > > > puja is to me. What is so very amazingly unique and quite > > incredible > > > is that we have the best of both worlds here. Shree Maa and > Swamiji > > > are giving us both the practice and the deeper understanding. The > > > Indian lady told me that although she had asked her priest many > > > times about these things, he had told her, "you don't need to > know > > > this"!!!! > > > best, > > > sadhvi > > > > > > Links > > > / > > > > > Terms of Service. > > > > > > Tax Center - File online by April 15th Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 16, 2004 Report Share Posted April 16, 2004 Thank you for sharing this. It sounds like a wonderful family tradition. You are all blessed. kandaaran (AT) aol (DOT) com Thu, 15 Apr 2004 20:39:15 EDT Re: Re: puja Namaste All, Valli and I started to go to Ocean Beach in San Francisco in the early 80's with our home made clay Lord Ganesha for the immersion in the One after our family puja on the sandy beach. Then later Baker Beach in San Francisco when it became the Ganesha Visarjana supported by most of the Bay Area Hindu community with the parade of Ganesha to the shore, puja and immersion. After moving to New Mexico we continue with our children to take the small Lord Ganesha deities we make of clay for puja and immersion in the One in the Rio Grande River. The joy of puja is in the doing and the receiving of the darshan of the divine is the peace that permeates. Love to All, Om Namah Sivaya Kanda / <?subject=Un> Terms of Service <> . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 16, 2004 Report Share Posted April 16, 2004 Jai Mata DiArdis Jackson <anandamama (AT) earthlink (DOT) net> wrote: That sounds truly wonderful. I would love to be there and share in this worship. Lall and Dolly Singh <dolly8655 > Date: Thu, 15 Apr 2004 14:58:35 -0700 (PDT)Subject: Re: Re: puja Just want to share something. Last year in July members from Maha Tripur Sundarie Mandir was able to obtain a permit to porform Puja at the beach. We had about forty devotees and two priest and some life guards maybe two We were able to bath in the water on the beach at far rockaway and do our puja without anyone bothering us. Puja was done to all the Gods but the main one was for Ganga Maa and Lord Shiva. Its was a wonderful experience. We will do it again this year in JulyJai Mata Di bingo_ridley <sconnor (AT) austin (DOT) rr.com> wrote: hey but ya know what, the puja-to-the-beach idea was cool, very cool., "Latha Nanda" <lathananda> wrote:> Dear Sadhvi,> > Namaste - My Pranams to you.> > Now that is an excellent suggestion - going deeper to learn more > about our pujas to keep our love of the Puja alive. (Not just taking > the deity to the beach for a day as I was planning to - weeeeel maybe > I still will, just for the fun of it).> > May be we should start a series of questions -- what is the purpose > of each and every step of the puja. Swamiji says that each step is > like a milestone in our journeys towards union with God and that each > flower , each step tells us exactly how we got there. But I think it > is now time to analyze each and every step to understand the > significance of it at a minute level.> > Re your other point, about learning in depth vs learning because it > is ingrained in the culture... I wrote about this a while ago. I see > the western devotees and disciples at the Mandir working SO hard at > things that they find that doesnt come easily to them. They sweat at > the Sanskrit, at the pronunciation, at the meanings, but they are SO > committed, SO motivated , that it makes me admire them all the more.> And they come out with a deep understanding of the practices. My > humble pranams to them - may I be blessed enough for some of their > commitment and knowledge to rub off on me through association.> > JAI MAA> Latha> > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > --- In , "nityashakti" <sadhvi@p...> wrote:> > "...Can people add in other ways to keep their pujas > interesting ...."> > > > Dear Latha,> > For me, what has kept me focused on puja has been going deeper > > and deeper into the understanding of what I am doing. Learning the > > meaning of the offerings: why we use certain materials, how those > > materials relate to US, what the purpose of puja is (or the > > purposes, I should say), what the offerings symbolize, what we are > > trying to do when we do puja. Trying to discover all of these > things > > and to incorporate them into my practice has led to a deepening of > > my experience of puja. I would find many of the "outside" things to > > be a distraction but that may just be where I am in my sadhana at > > the moment. I really DO like to go to the Mahalaksmi Temple and > > watch the Brahmin priests do puja. Each time I go, I am finding > that > > maybe I understand a little more of what they are doing and can see > > a little more clearly and so I feel as though the blessings of the > > puja are more available to me. One thing I found when I was > studying > > a particular kind of puja last Winter was this: I was one of two > > Westerners in a class that was, otherwise, all from India (mostly > > South India).This was a very complex puja and I felt really > > in "over my head", especially sitting next to an elderly Indian > lady > > who had been doing puja since she was a child. She very kindly > > helped me with what must have seemed to her very basic things. But > > what she said to me later on when we were having tea was that I > > actually "knew" alot more about why we were doing what we were > doing > > than she did. She told me that although she had done puja all her > > life so that it was almost "automatic"(although, of course, she > > didn't use that word), she had not had the understanding of what > was > > underneath the actions she had been doing. She didn't know very > much > > about the underlying meaning and was really so excited that at last > > some of these mysteries were being revealed to her. She told me > that > > it had completely transformed her morning puja to have a deeper > > understanding of what she was doing. I think I agree with > > her...that's how it is for me. The more I learn, the more wonderful > > puja is to me. What is so very amazingly unique and quite > incredible > > is that we have the best of both worlds here. Shree Maa and Swamiji > > are giving us both the practice and the deeper understanding. The > > Indian lady told me that although she had asked her priest many > > times about these things, he had told her, "you don't need to know > > this"!!!!> > best,> > sadhvi Tax Center - File online by April 15th <http://taxes./filing.html> Sponsor / <?subject=Un> Terms of Service <> . Tax Center - File online by April 15th Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 16, 2004 Report Share Posted April 16, 2004 In a message dated 4/16/04 7:40:32 AM Mountain Daylight Time, dolly8655 writes: Yes Far Rockaway beach is in the ney york area. When we get our permit I will post the date and the beach # and anyone in the NY area can join us. Jai Mata Di How wonderful ! A visit to Flushing Meadows and living near the Ganesha Temple for 2 weeks of pujas and meditation is unforgetable for me. Love to All, Om Namah Sivaya Kanda Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 16, 2004 Report Share Posted April 16, 2004 Sounds really wonderful. Chris , Lall and Dolly Singh <dolly8655> wrote: > Just want to share something. Last year in July members from Maha Tripur Sundarie Mandir was able to obtain a permit to porform Puja at the beach. We had about forty devotees and two priest and some life guards maybe two We were able to bath in the water on the beach at far rockaway and do our puja without anyone bothering us. Puja was done to all the Gods but the main one was for Ganga Maa and Lord Shiva. Its was a wonderful experience. We will do it again this year in July > Jai Mata Di > > bingo_ridley <sconnor@a...> wrote: > hey but ya know what, the puja-to-the-beach idea was cool, very cool. > > , "Latha Nanda" <lathananda> > wrote: > > Dear Sadhvi, > > > > Namaste - My Pranams to you. > > > > Now that is an excellent suggestion - going deeper to learn more > > about our pujas to keep our love of the Puja alive. (Not just > taking > > the deity to the beach for a day as I was planning to - weeeeel > maybe > > I still will, just for the fun of it). > > > > May be we should start a series of questions -- what is the purpose > > of each and every step of the puja. Swamiji says that each step is > > like a milestone in our journeys towards union with God and that > each > > flower , each step tells us exactly how we got there. But I think > it > > is now time to analyze each and every step to understand the > > significance of it at a minute level. > > > > Re your other point, about learning in depth vs learning because it > > is ingrained in the culture... I wrote about this a while ago. I > see > > the western devotees and disciples at the Mandir working SO hard at > > things that they find that doesnt come easily to them. They sweat > at > > the Sanskrit, at the pronunciation, at the meanings, but they are > SO > > committed, SO motivated , that it makes me admire them all the more. > > And they come out with a deep understanding of the practices. My > > humble pranams to them - may I be blessed enough for some of their > > commitment and knowledge to rub off on me through association. > > > > JAI MAA > > Latha > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > , "nityashakti" <sadhvi@p...> > wrote: > > > "...Can people add in other ways to keep their pujas > > interesting ..." > > > > > > Dear Latha, > > > For me, what has kept me focused on puja has been going deeper > > > and deeper into the understanding of what I am doing. Learning > the > > > meaning of the offerings: why we use certain materials, how those > > > materials relate to US, what the purpose of puja is (or the > > > purposes, I should say), what the offerings symbolize, what we > are > > > trying to do when we do puja. Trying to discover all of these > > things > > > and to incorporate them into my practice has led to a deepening > of > > > my experience of puja. I would find many of the "outside" things > to > > > be a distraction but that may just be where I am in my sadhana at > > > the moment. I really DO like to go to the Mahalaksmi Temple and > > > watch the Brahmin priests do puja. Each time I go, I am finding > > that > > > maybe I understand a little more of what they are doing and can > see > > > a little more clearly and so I feel as though the blessings of > the > > > puja are more available to me. One thing I found when I was > > studying > > > a particular kind of puja last Winter was this: I was one of two > > > Westerners in a class that was, otherwise, all from India (mostly > > > South India).This was a very complex puja and I felt really > > > in "over my head", especially sitting next to an elderly Indian > > lady > > > who had been doing puja since she was a child. She very kindly > > > helped me with what must have seemed to her very basic things. > But > > > what she said to me later on when we were having tea was that I > > > actually "knew" alot more about why we were doing what we were > > doing > > > than she did. She told me that although she had done puja all her > > > life so that it was almost "automatic"(although, of course, she > > > didn't use that word), she had not had the understanding of what > > was > > > underneath the actions she had been doing. She didn't know very > > much > > > about the underlying meaning and was really so excited that at > last > > > some of these mysteries were being revealed to her. She told me > > that > > > it had completely transformed her morning puja to have a deeper > > > understanding of what she was doing. I think I agree with > > > her...that's how it is for me. The more I learn, the more > wonderful > > > puja is to me. What is so very amazingly unique and quite > > incredible > > > is that we have the best of both worlds here. Shree Maa and > Swamiji > > > are giving us both the practice and the deeper understanding. The > > > Indian lady told me that although she had asked her priest many > > > times about these things, he had told her, "you don't need to > know > > > this"!!!! > > > best, > > > sadhvi > > > > > > Links > > > / > > > > > Terms of Service. > > > > > > Tax Center - File online by April 15th Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 16, 2004 Report Share Posted April 16, 2004 "Yes Far Rockaway beach is in the ney york area. When we get our permit I will post the date and the beach # and anyone in the NY area can join us. Jai Mata Di How wonderful ! A visit to Flushing Meadows and living near the Ganesha Temple for 2 weeks of pujas and meditation is unforgetable for me. Love to All, Om Namah Sivaya..." Wow, Wouldn't it be wonderful if some of us on the East Coast could get together and go to Dolly's puja at Far Rockaway and, maybe, pay a long visit to the Ganesha Temple in Flushing. I have heard alot about it....funny thing is that I was born in Flushing (many years ago)..who would have imagined that, one day, a Ganesha Temple would be there! Please keep us posted as to the puja dates. love, sadhvi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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