A problem with lamps (and a question on the Prayer Club)

[Guest guest]

Dear friends,

 

I have a few more questions: nothing particularly profound, but I will

much appreciate any answers.

 

The first concerns the prayer club: I love the idea, and would be happy to

start reciting the suggested mantra every Saturday. My question is: is it

enough to consciouly recite the mantra for the benefit of others, or

should a formula to indicate sankalpa be used beforehand? Should I go

through the list of persons we are currently praying for? I couldn't

really find any indications on the Devi Mandir website.

 

The second question is of more practical nature. I will break it up into two:

 

a) why does my lamp burn out so quickly? I am using whicks dipped in olive

oil (I know it would be best to use ghee, but I haven't gotten my hands on

any yet). Has anyone else faced a similar problem? Any tips on how to keep

your lamp burning? When it goes out it gives off quite a bit of smoke;

 

b) talking of smoke, how should I light the incense? Can I light the

incense from the lamp or should I light it separately and before hand?

Also: can I put the incense off after I have offered it in the puja? The

puja takes a while, and I live in a small flat: if I keep it burning it

fills the room with smoke, and I'm not sure that's too healthy (not to

mention that it upsets my wife...!). Any suggestions?

 

I hope you don't find these questions silly: I'm just trying to improve my

worship :-)

 

Jai Maa!

 

Sergio

[Guest guest]

Namaste Sergio

 

These are not silly questions at all! They are the nuts and bolts of

spiritual practice. As long as I feel it is necessary to have tools

and rituals, I will have to deal with these nuts and bolts, myself.

It is all part of being a sadhu, which Swamiji points out is learning

to do these things in an efficient way.

 

Olive oil has a very low smoking point, so I could see you having

problems with that in an oil lamp. Best to use is ghee (butter in

which all the solids have been removed by heating and straining)

This is available in Indian grocery stores if you have any where you

live and is not too hard to make yourself. Otherwise I have found

corn oil to work very well.

 

Are you filling the resevoir in the oil lamp completely or just

enough to saturate the wicks? That may be why they are burning out

too fast. If that's not it, try a lamp with a larger resevoir or you

may just have to put another spoonful of oil in the lamp as it is

running out. It is just something you have to pay mind to as your

ritual or meditation is continuing. You can start up the lamp again

by adding more oil and relighting it, of course. Small candles are

another choice, if you don't want the light to go out.

 

As far as incense is concerned, when my asthma is bothering me I have

no problem with lighting the incense, offering it and then putting it

out. Make sure the puja room has adequate ventilation and open the

windows to air it out regularly. You can even place a small fan in

front of the window to blow the smoke outside. This becomes even

more necessary if you start to do fire sacrifices inside. I light my

incense as well as the aarti lamp from the standing lamp which is

always burning on my altar. (except when there is no one in the house

or I am sleeping).

 

Hope this helps! I am glad to share whatever small things I have

learned over the years.

 

Om Jai Kali Ma! Om Namah Shivaya!

Kumari

 

, " Sergio Knipe " <sergio.knipe

wrote:

>

> Dear friends,

>

> I have a few more questions: nothing particularly profound, but I

will

> much appreciate any answers.

>

> The first concerns the prayer club: I love the idea, and would be

happy to

> start reciting the suggested mantra every Saturday. My question is:

is it

> enough to consciouly recite the mantra for the benefit of others, or

> should a formula to indicate sankalpa be used beforehand? Should I

go

> through the list of persons we are currently praying for? I couldn't

> really find any indications on the Devi Mandir website.

>

> The second question is of more practical nature. I will break it up

into two:

>

> a) why does my lamp burn out so quickly? I am using whicks dipped

in olive

> oil (I know it would be best to use ghee, but I haven't gotten my

hands on

> any yet). Has anyone else faced a similar problem? Any tips on how

to keep

> your lamp burning? When it goes out it gives off quite a bit of

smoke;

>

> b) talking of smoke, how should I light the incense? Can I light the

> incense from the lamp or should I light it separately and before

hand?

> Also: can I put the incense off after I have offered it in the

puja? The

> puja takes a while, and I live in a small flat: if I keep it

burning it

> fills the room with smoke, and I'm not sure that's too healthy (not

to

> mention that it upsets my wife...!). Any suggestions?

>

> I hope you don't find these questions silly: I'm just trying to

improve my

> worship :-)

>

> Jai Maa!

>

> Sergio

>