Guest guest Posted December 14, 2005 Report Share Posted December 14, 2005 And is there a schedule for how often they should be done to help your karma? I know that you pick a God or Goddess according to your needs. I do not know enough about the many deities of Hinduism to have an ishta devata. I'm not even sure if I could be classified as a Hindu. I have been studying Hinduism and Buddhism for several decades, and I truly enjoy learning about Asian cultures. They seem to be so much deeper and more profound than my American/European culture. I really do not want to be around the people here in America that want everybody to be just like them -- namely, rich white and Christian. That is quite boring to me. I have a serious dislike for Christians and they are dominating everybody else (or trying to ) here. Back to my subject.... I have gotten emails from a company in india called Vedic-by-choice.com that recites the virtues of regular pooja for a person. If you buy a CD of a pooja and play it, will that be effective or not? Is playing a CD of a mantra or mantra song effective? I will confess that I have done mantra worship with my mala, in Hindu mantras, in a Buddhist temple, just because I liked the Hindu mantra more than the Buddhist one. Maybe that is wrong, but I would like to know. Humbly thanking you for your information, Sharon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 14, 2005 Report Share Posted December 14, 2005 house Hope i have cleared your doubt to some extent. If you need any furthur info, please mail me. Thanks Karthik L Sharon Gray <perragrande > wrote: Namaste and greetings to all, I speak English and do not know Sanskrit. Could someone knowledgeable answer my questions? Please give the definitions of aarti, chalisa, ashtotram, and other forms of worship. If you pay a temple to do a pooja of some kind for your benefit, does it matter where in the world it is? Would it be better to choose a local temple near home? I'm in Texas, and we do have a few Hindu temples here. There are two or three large ones in Houston. The most well known one is Sri Meenakshi Temple. They had a worship listed called Ashtotram Acharya, and I could not find out what the Acharya part meant. They said it was done on a walk in to the temple basis, and only $10, so that got my interest. Does it matter which kind of pooja they recite as far as effectiveness? And is there a schedule for how often they should be done to help your karma? I know that you pick a God or Goddess according to your needs. I do not know enough about the many deities of Hinduism to have an ishta devata. I'm not even sure if I could be classified as a Hindu. I have been studying Hinduism and Buddhism for several decades, and I truly enjoy learning about Asian cultures. They seem to be so much deeper and more profound than my American/European culture. I really do not want to be around the people here in America that want everybody to be just like them -- namely, rich white and Christian. That is quite boring to me. I have a serious dislike for Christians and they are dominating everybody else (or trying to ) here. Back to my subject.... I have gotten emails from a company in india called Vedic-by-choice.com that recites the virtues of regular pooja for a person. If you buy a CD of a pooja and play it, will that be effective or not? Is playing a CD of a mantra or mantra song effective? I will confess that I have done mantra worship with my mala, in Hindu mantras, in a Buddhist temple, just because I liked the Hindu mantra more than the Buddhist one. Maybe that is wrong, but I would like to know. Humbly thanking you for your information, Sharon Shopping Find Great Deals on Holiday Gifts at Shopping Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 15, 2005 Report Share Posted December 15, 2005 have found to be the most accurate, you would need your date, time and place of birth, perhaps a priest in a temple near where you live could draw up your chart for you. I do not think listening to a cd of a pooja would have the same effect of you making the offerrings in a pooja - but the vibration is beautiful to listen to vedic chanting has the effect of purification of your surroundings. I do not see any harm in reciting vedic mantra in buddhist temple - quite honestly i believe it is the purity of heart that really counts. God is all merciful and kind, have faith and less fear. Whenever we perform any puja we should first worship Lord Ganesh - Elephant God, he is first God and remover of obstacles. I do not know all - and i feel sure you will receive more clarity from Hindu person on this site, but I have experienced much bliss and peace through participating in Puja and Yagna and visiting temple Many pua's are donation only, though some temple's have a fixed price. Aarti, ãrti, arathi, or ãrati is a Hindu ritual in which light from wicks soaked in ghee (purified butter) or camphor is offered to one or more deities. It may be said to have descended from the Vedic concept of fire rituals, or homa. The word may also refer to the traditional Hindu devotional song that is sung in the ritual of the same name. Aarti is performed and sung to develop the highest love for God. "Aa" means towards, and "rati" means the higest love for God in Sanskrit. Until one attains the highest love for God, he/she should continue to do Aarti. Aarti is generally performed twice or three times daily. For example, in the morning and in the evening, and at the end of a puja or bhajan session. Aarti, ãrti, arathi, or ãrati is a Hindu ritual in which light from wicks soaked in ghee (purified butter) or camphor is offered to one or more deities. It may be said to have descended from the Vedic concept of fire rituals, or homa. The word may also refer to the traditional Hindu devotional song that is sung in the ritual of the same name. Aarti is performed and sung to develop the highest love for God. "Aa" means towards, and "rati" means the higest love for God in Sanskrit. Until one attains the highest love for God, he/she should continue to do Aarti. Aarti is generally performed twice or three times daily. For example, in the morning and in the evening, and at the end of a puja or bhajan session. Chalisa is a prayer - different Chalisa for different Gods Ashtotram is a prayer or poem Acharya is the qualifications a priest carries for prayers he has learnedHari Om SuL Sharon Gray <perragrande > wrote: Namaste and greetings to all, I speak English and do not know Sanskrit. Could someone knowledgeable answer my questions? Please give the definitions of aarti, chalisa, ashtotram, and other forms of worship. If you pay a temple to do a pooja of some kind for your benefit, does it matter where in the world it is? Would it be better to choose a local temple near home? I'm in Texas, and we do have a few Hindu temples here. There are two or three large ones in Houston. The most well known one is Sri Meenakshi Temple. They had a worship listed called Ashtotram Acharya, and I could not find out what the Acharya part meant. They said it was done on a walk in to the temple basis, and only $10, so that got my interest. Does it matter which kind of pooja they recite as far as effectiveness? And is there a schedule for how often they should be done to help your karma? I know that you pick a God or Goddess according to your needs. I do not know enough about the many deities of Hinduism to have an ishta devata. I'm not even sure if I could be classified as a Hindu. I have been studying Hinduism and Buddhism for several decades, and I truly enjoy learning about Asian cultures. They seem to be so much deeper and more profound than my American/European culture. I really do not want to be around the people here in America that want everybody to be just like them -- namely, rich white and Christian. That is quite boring to me. I have a serious dislike for Christians and they are dominating everybody else (or trying to ) here. Back to my subject.... I have gotten emails from a company in india called Vedic-by-choice.com that recites the virtues of regular pooja for a person. If you buy a CD of a pooja and play it, will that be effective or not? Is playing a CD of a mantra or mantra song effective? I will confess that I have done mantra worship with my mala, in Hindu mantras, in a Buddhist temple, just because I liked the Hindu mantra more than the Buddhist one. Maybe that is wrong, but I would like to know. Humbly thanking you for your information, Sharon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 16, 2005 Report Share Posted December 16, 2005 Sharon, I notice there have been a couple of responses; This is in addition to those responses. A puja is a ritual. In this ritual, God is invited and invoked as a guest with us. The traditional puja is called "Shodasha Upachara puja", meaning a ritual with sixteen(shodasha) services (upachara). Some of the sixteen services are Invocation ( invoking God in a deity in the form of an image/statue) Seating Offering water for cleansing Offering water for shower dressing up with cloth offering perfume (sandalwood paste) and cosmetics Ashtotara (eight over 100) puja Incense and Light (wick drenched in ghee) offering Food offering + Beetle leaves Aarati - lighting camphor and waving before the deity Namaskara - turning clockwise three times and prostrating to the feet of God Singing for entretainment Prarthana - asking for your and your loved one's welfare and desires These are about the basic services. These don't make 16; there are a few additional ones. For each of the services there is a mantra chanting. The objective of the puja is to engage the speech instrument thru mantra, mind thru focusing and hands through action. Such simultaneous participation through three of our faculties is what elevates the mood. When you participate in a puja in a temple, you are limited to participation through mind and if you know the mantras, through speech. If you follow carefully, the 16 services is generally what we follow when we invite a guest to our home. We know we have good time when we have guests in our home. What better guest we can think of other than God? I hope this gives you an idea of what puja is. If you want to know more ask thru this group. There are lot of knowledgeable people to respond ( I will be on vacation thru the end of the year. I may not get time to read messages; I will add whatever I can, when I come back). To the members of this group: I am new to this group. This is my first posting. I look forward to a good exchange thru this column. Regards, Krishnamurthy Ramakrishna. []On Behalf Of L Sharon GraySent: Wednesday, December 14, 2005 3:27 AMTo: Subject: i have questions Namaste and greetings to all, I speak English and do not know Sanskrit. Could someone knowledgeable answer my questions? Please give the definitions of aarti, chalisa, ashtotram, and other forms of worship. If you pay a temple to do a pooja of some kind for your benefit, does it matter where in the world it is? Would it be better to choose a local temple near home? I'm in Texas, and we do have a few Hindu temples here. There are two or three large ones in Houston. The most well known one is Sri Meenakshi Temple. They had a worship listed called Ashtotram Acharya, and I could not find out what the Acharya part meant. They said it was done on a walk in to the temple basis, and only $10, so that got my interest. Does it matter which kind of pooja they recite as far as effectiveness? And is there a schedule for how often they should be done to help your karma? I know that you pick a God or Goddess according to your needs. I do not know enough about the many deities of Hinduism to have an ishta devata. I'm not even sure if I could be classified as a Hindu. I have been studying Hinduism and Buddhism for several decades, and I truly enjoy learning about Asian cultures. They seem to be so much deeper and more profound than my American/European culture. I really do not want to be around the people here in America that want everybody to be just like them -- namely, rich white and Christian. That is quite boring to me. I have a serious dislike for Christians and they are dominating everybody else (or trying to ) here. Back to my subject.... I have gotten emails from a company in india called Vedic-by-choice.com that recites the virtues of regular pooja for a person. If you buy a CD of a pooja and play it, will that be effective or not? Is playing a CD of a mantra or mantra song effective? I will confess that I have done mantra worship with my mala, in Hindu mantras, in a Buddhist temple, just because I liked the Hindu mantra more than the Buddhist one. Maybe that is wrong, but I would like to know. Humbly thanking you for your information, Sharon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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