to Srini- Online-class: PUJA - some questions for you!

[Guest guest]

Namaste Sriniji,

 

thank you for your kind answer. Judging from what you said, I think it

best to wait with the Prana Pratishta until the opportunity arrises to

learn directly from someone who knows. It is just that I like the

translation of the prana pratishta mantra so much ('you are the life

of this life' and so on). But I can meditate on those lines anyway.

Thank you for your explanation, though, because it has made it easier

for me to imagine how it is done,

 

with love,

Henny

 

 

, "srini_sadhu" <srini_sadhu

wrote:

>

> Dear Henny,

>

> Namaste!

>

> It would be best to learn about the Prana Pratishta when in the

physical presence of

> someone who knows.

>

> I will share the little I know.

>

> 1. Swamiji demonstrates how to do Prana Pratishta to the Fire in the

VCD "Sadhana at the

> Jyotir LIngams"

>

> 2. In Advanced Shiva Puja, Kalasa Stapana is from 98-111, Prana

Pratishta is page 112

> -113.

>

> For Kalasa Stapana, follow the instructions imagining the rice, pot,

pouring of water etc.

> For Prana Pratishta, imagine a flower in front of you. Pick it up

with your right hand. As

> you pick it up bring it up in front of you, then touch your forehead

with it and then your

> heart, in a circular motion. You are chanting "Om Am Aam, hrim, etc"

as you do this. After

> that, blow air out of your mouth into the object you are

establishing life in. Repeat for the

> four verses.

>

> Later in Puja Naivedhya you can make the actual offerings to your

Lingam.

>

> Hope this helps.

>

> Sincerely

> srini

>

>

>

>

> , "henny_v_i" <henny_v_i@> wrote:

> >

> > Namaste Ramya,

> >

> > thank you (and Sriniji, of course) for the wonderful class we had.

I

> > am looking forward to Saturday!

> >

> > Ok, the questions:

> >

> > (a) I do the Enhanced Shiva Puja as taught by Parvatiji last year

and

> > I have added Bhuta Shuddi and Shiva Sankalpa Stotram. It takes me

> > about an hour to complete. I do this in the morning before

breakfast

> > and sometimes I get up singing the mantra and sometimes I have to

drag

> > myself to my puja corner:). Sometimes I have to postpone till the

> > evening, but then I feel 'not right' all day. Sometimes I skip a

day

> > and then I feel positively bad.

> > I find that the way I feel during puja differs: sometimes I get

> > distracted easily (thoughts all over the place) and make

> > mistakes/forget the words of a mantra I knew the day before,

sometimes

> > I feel stressed because I have to go somewhere and don't know what

> > time at is, sometimes I feel an hour is a very long time, and

> > sometimes...something 'other' comes to visit and takes over. These

are

> > very precious occasions to me, and when this happens there is

peace,

> > and light and silence.

> > After the puja I always feel wonderful; in part because I feel

pleased

> > I have done what I promised to do, and in part because the puja

puts

> > me on the right track for the rest of the day, or, in other words,

it

> > brightens my day. Having asked the Consciousness of Infinite

Goodness

> > to come into my heart, I find that it becomes easier to remain

> > centered and remember God during the day's activities. And I do so

> > love doing puja; it is so beautiful with the lights and the

flowers

> > and the beautiful Sanskrit. I use water instead of the milk etc.

and I

> > don't have real flowers every day, but still it is beautiful.

> > When I started doing puja, I ordered a small lingam/yoni via the

> > internet. After a week or so I received the parcel, opened it with

> > eager anticipation, only to find that this was a very small lingam

> > indeed. To me, it looked like a pebble. But I put it on my altar

and

> > started learning the puja. And now, I would not trade my pebble

for

> > anything in the world. It has become something else entirely and

is

> > very dear to me because it has graciously absorbed all the love

and

> > devotion I can muster. So when I say that sometimes I have to drag

> > myself to my puja-corner, this is only half true, because the

moment I

> > sit down in front of my altar I feel welcomed and no matter what

goes

> > wrong in the procedure, at that time there is no place I would

rather

> > be. And I am very very grateful to Shree Maa and Swamiji, and to

> > Parvatiji and to you for teaching me the value of puja.

> >

> > (b) I wanted very much to add the prana pratishta to my puja, but

I

> > got very confused when I consulted the Advanced Shiva Puja book.

As I

> > understand, I can use the prana pratishta mantras that are used

for

> > the establishment of the pot also for the lingam.

> > In the book, the establishment of the pot comes after the pushpa

> > shuddi and dhyanam, and before the kara/anga nyasas (which in

Enhanced

> > Shiva Puja immediately follows pushpa shuddi). It starts with many

> > offerings and then the sthiri karana and prana pratishta. So I

thought

> > perhaps I could add that part, ending with the prana pratishtam

> > stotram. But then I don't know how I should proceed. I don't

> > understand what you should do when you do prana pratishta on the

> > lingam: should you just read the offering mantra's without

offering

> > anything physically? Because, otherwise, what do you do for the

puja

> > naivedya if you have already made offerings? And also, in the

Shiva

> > Advanced Book, there is a second prana pratishta for the

establishment

> > within and then there is the stapana upon the altar. So now, I

don't

> > know what to add and what to leave out, what the correct order

would

> > be and if it is even possible to add this without the instruction

of a

> > qualified guru who could show me. But I do love the mantras of the

> > prana pratishta stotram.

> > Anyway, these are many words to tell you I don't really know what

to

> > add best. I would be very grateful if Swamiji would be so kind to

> > advise me.

> >

> > Sorry for going on a bit, it is so nice to be able to talk about

what

> > has become a part of me,

> >

> > with love,

> > Henny

> >

> >

> >

> >

> > , "n_ramya108" <n_ramya108@>

> > wrote:

> > >

> > > Namaste Everybody,

> > >

> > > We had a fun discussion on puja this weekend and hope you will

all

> > join so we can share

> > > and learn together!

> > >

> > > Can you please share your thoughts about these issues:

> > >

> > > (a) Do you do puja - what type of puja and how do you feel doing

> > puja or after the puja?

> > >

> > > (b) If you had extra time (e.g. 1/2 hour more in a day!) -- what

> > would you add to your

> > > puja?

> > >

> > > Thank you very much! Looking forward to hearing from all of you!

> > >

> > > Jai Maa!

> > >

> > > ramya

> > >

> >

>