Guest guest Posted March 21, 2005 Report Share Posted March 21, 2005 Dear All, Here are my responses to your feedback to my feedback for Day 2. Steve Austin of Connor TX says “My current altar is in a very strange position above the stairs. it is like a little alcove with a swinging wooden door.i have to be very nimble to get there. unlike berijoy i am 51. AGE MEANS NOTHING. even tho a couple times i almost fell, hoho. i climb over all kinds of stuff to get there.AND I AIN'T COMIN" OUT TILL I'M DONE.” Nanda : Yikes!!! Didn’t realize you live dangerously Steve. I know that it’s a steep and tricky path to the Divine, didn’t realize it was a steep and tricky path to your altar too! Couldn’t you, um, maybe, well, look for a room on sturdy ground? Just an idea that I am throwing your way… I am not attached to it. Onto Ms Nimble Thimble Berijoy – THANK YOU for your questions. Means you are actually reading my posts and more importantly interested in puja. To answer your questions, the bowl for drinking water is in addition to the two pots for water. Different entirely and you will see in the course of the explanation in the next few days. You also asked “ your drawing the flowers and the items to be offered, and the water pot are not on the platform. is this right? where are they? “ In my drawing they are on separate plates on the floor beside the seat/asan/cushion. You also wanted to know why we needed two water pots . Well, the first pot (say A) holds the tap water , and the second pot B is empty at the beginning of the puja. Then during the course of puja, water is transferred from A to B and then some mantras chanted which purifies the water in B. Hope this cleared up your question a little bit. You will for sure understand this more when we come to this section of the puja. Regarding Conches – I like Muktimaa’s suggested website and they don’t look too expensive. One to suit every budget. Also remember, it aint enough to just buy the conch, ya gotta learn to blow it too. Hope we can have a lesson on blowing the conch towards the end of this series… Regarding the cloth offered to the deity – we offer (at the Mandir) unsewn material and the length really varies from the size of a pocket-handkerchief or napkin to a saree. I would say, look at the size of your idol and see how much cloth you would need to wrap around the deity and double it for the fun of it. Just an idea. You could offer an actual article of clothing too that you wanted to present your friends or family. Also, you asked the million dollar-winning question “if one does not have all these items at once, is it ok to do puja with the things available so far?” The answer is a resounding YES ! Do with what you can. You also asked “where do you get garland from? i have never seen one before” Bharat gave a very good answer : “What my wife Amita does, is she arranges the flowers on the table in the shape of a garland. Then she takes her needle and strong thread and takes one flower at a time and prepares her garland.” Unlike India, you can’t find ready made garlands of fresh flowers. You could find plastic garlands or make your own with fresh flowers. Again the length depends on the size of your idol and how long you want the garland to be. Moi, I just offer one flower and tell Shiva to pretend that he received a garland from me. Dear Grace, Swamiji says for the placement of the altar – “North, east or northeast work fine.” As I said earlier, if this is not possible because of the way your room is structured, do the best you can. Also, keeping the altar inside a closet – while many people do this – I find it personally unsatisfying as though we are locking away the deity after our job is done. That’s just my personal rant. OK all, we’ll move next to some theory. LoveNanda Read only the mail you want - Mail SpamGuard. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 21, 2005 Report Share Posted March 21, 2005 Dear Nanda, I am still doing battle in my mind over the location of the puja. I guess it has become the surrender of my life. If I make a new puja on the Northern wall , am I turning my back on my past 20 years of sadhana. I cannot break the puja down. If I don't make another puja and I refusing to accept Ma and Swamiji as my guiding light and inspiration?, which they are. Every morning I place the mantra in the ten directions . Is there a place that Gods and Goddess are not? Oh the mind can be such a pain in the but. Jai Ma and Jai Swamiji Grace On 21/03/2005, at 6:40 PM, Nanda wrote: > Dear All, > > Here are my responses to your feedback to my feedback for Day 2. > > > > Steve Austin of Connor TX says > > > > “My current altar is in a very strange position above the stairs. it > is like a little alcove with a swinging wooden door. > > i have to be very nimble to get there. unlike berijoy i am 51. AGE > MEANS NOTHING. even tho a couple times i almost fell, hoho. i climb > over all kinds of stuff to get there. > > AND I AIN'T COMIN" OUT TILL I'M DONE.” > > > > Nanda : Yikes!!! Didn’t realize you live dangerously Steve. I know > that it’s a steep and tricky path to the Divine, didn’t realize it was > a steep and tricky path to your altar too! Couldn’t you, um, maybe, > well, look for a room on sturdy ground? Just an idea that I am > throwing your way… I am not attached to it. > > > > Onto Ms Nimble Thimble Berijoy – THANK YOU for your questions. Means > you are actually reading my posts and more importantly interested in > puja. > > > > To answer your questions, the bowl for drinking water is in addition > to the two pots for water. Different entirely and you will see in the > course of the explanation in the next few days. > > > > You also asked “ your drawing the flowers and the items to be > offered, and the water pot are not on the platform. is this right? > where are they? “ > > > > In my drawing they are on separate plates on the floor beside the > seat/asan/cushion. > > You also wanted to know why we needed two water pots . Well, the first > pot (say A) holds the tap water , and the second pot B is empty at the > beginning of the puja. Then during the course of puja, water is > transferred from A to B and then some mantras chanted which purifies > the water in B. Hope this cleared up your question a little bit. You > will for sure understand this more when we come to this section of the > puja. > > > > Regarding Conches – I like Muktimaa’s suggested website and they don’t > look too expensive. One to suit every budget. Also remember, it aint > enough to just buy the conch, ya gotta learn to blow it too. Hope we > can have a lesson on blowing the conch towards the end of this series… > > Regarding the cloth offered to the deity – we offer (at the Mandir) > unsewn material and the length really varies from the size of a > pocket-handkerchief or napkin to a saree. I would say, look at the > size of your idol and see how much cloth you would need to wrap around > the deity and double it for the fun of it. Just an idea. You could > offer an actual article of clothing too that you wanted to present > your friends or family. > > > Also, you asked the million dollar-winning question “if one does not > have all these items at once, is it ok to do puja with the things > available so far?” > > > > The answer is a resounding YES ! Do with what you can. > > > > You also asked “where do you get garland from? i have never seen one > before” > > > > Bharat gave a very good answer : > > > > “What my wife Amita does, is she arranges the flowers on the table in > the shape of a garland. Then she takes her needle and strong thread > and takes one flower at a time and prepares her garland.” > > > > Unlike India, you can’t find ready made garlands of fresh flowers. You > could find plastic garlands or make your own with fresh flowers. Again > the length depends on the size of your idol and how long you want the > garland to be. > > > > Moi, I just offer one flower and tell Shiva to pretend that he > received a garland from me. > > > > Dear Grace, Swamiji says for the placement of the altar – “North, east > or northeast work fine.” > > > > As I said earlier, if this is not possible because of the way your > room is structured, do the best you can. Also, keeping the altar > inside a closet – while many people do this – I find it personally > unsatisfying as though we are locking away the deity after our job is > done. That’s just my personal rant. > > > > OK all, we’ll move next to some theory. > > > > Love > Nanda > > > Read only the mail you want - Mail SpamGuard. > > > Sponsor > > > <22305_0205_016_b_300250_a.gif> > <l.gif> > > Links > > • > / > > • > > > • Terms of > Service. > > Attachment: (text/enriched) [not stored] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You are posting as a guest. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.