Beginner Puja –Day 5- Q&A, Swamiji’s feedback and floralcharms

[Guest guest]

Dear All,

Here are some more clarifications on yesterday’s posts and then

Swamiji’s input on some of the questions.

Berijoy wanted to know:” well if you are using the individual petals

instead of flowers, what do you do?”

Dear Berijoy – I wasn’t very clear on the context of the question ,

but I will say that whether you offer petals or full flowers it is

best to clean out your altar at the end of the day in preparation for

tomorrow. Now, flowers if still fresh can be reused, petals..naaaah !

You can’t re-use petals; they are too fragile and probably will wilt

by the end of the day anyway. Did that give the answer to your

question? If not could you please clarify your question. Thank you.

Linda had this to say “Dear Nanda ~ unless I am remembering

incorrectly, there is another possibility. When I saw Swamiji do the

homa in Colorado, he said (paraphrase), if you don't have flowers,

imagine taking a flower from your heart for each eta gandhapushpe. If

I am wrong, please let the other know. Jai Swamiji ~ Linda “

And “I seem to remember a post where Swamiji answered a question about

what to do with flowers, once they were removed from your altar. But

there was a definite, perhaps a couple of things he suggested. Do

you, Nanda, remember, or can you ask Swamiji again?”

I certainly can Linda; I think our posts must have crossed each other.

I believe these questions and some more have been answered in

/message/10339

Also, you raised a very interesting question “I live in a trailer

where every bit of room is used up. I currently have my altar on top

of a bureau in the "living room" area, but this doesn't feel suitable

for chanting. Can I just put my Shiva Nataraj on the floor, on a

lovely cloth, with the incense, and use that for my altar.”

Linda, that should be fine, except that you don’t want to place the

idol in a location where you could accidentally knock over with your

feet. We would like to give the highest respect to all objects of

worship, so we would never put them in a place where we would walk

over them or kick or knock over or step over… you get the idea. Looks

like you have to be a bit inventive with your altar, my dear lady.

And you also said “I really hope you are perhaps putting all of this

information in one folder in the section for later

review”

Yes I am dear Linda, would I lie to nice lady like ya?

And this beautiful bouquet of digital flowers from our tree sprite

Jana (I swear she knows so much about trees….)

/message/10381

Dear Jana, I thank you for the flowers and agree with Grace that they

are beautiful quotes. I gladly accept them and forward them to Maa.

May she bless you (and me too)?

An aside here – once Swamiji was leading the Chandi Homa and it was

the 13th chapter – time to ask for blessings. So Swamiji started off

with asking for blessings for this world, for all his spiritual

children, for Shree Maa and then after he had gone through his entire

list stopped and asked so endearingly “and bless this Swami too”

HENNNNNNNNNNY , did your question on Asana get answered ? Our Visiting

Prof Parvati Saraswati just posted

/message/10382

Please write in with any doubts that you may have. That goes for everyone dear readers.

I have save the best for the last – Swamiji’s comments.

Jami said “I have also read that in a pinch, one can substitute

akshat, washed and dried rice mixed with a drop of ghee and some

turmeric, for fresh flowers. Is this true?

Swamiji says, “Yes. In fact, you make any appropriate substitutions

necessary, using whatever is readily available. The important thing

is our intention and devotion.”

Henny's little write up on Savitri , "Is Savitur, the Light of Wisdom,

the Light that is seen on the physical plane as the Sun, and

considered to be male? So that Gayatri, as the incessant pursuit of

Wisdom, could be seen as incessant longing for union? So that our

invocation means our desire to share in that longing, taking us away

from what obscures the Light and closer to it? (I am trying to

understand the meaning of meditation during the puja)

"

Ardis had said to Henny, "your expression of your insight is deeply beautiful."

Swamiji tends to agree. He said, when I forwarded Henny’s post forwarded to him

"Very nice explanation. An alternative could be Savitur is the male

and Savitri is the female aspects of the Light of Wisdom, which

shines through, burns away, melts the clouds, of egotistical

attachment."

Jai Maa,

Hope all doubts have been resolved and we are ready to tackle purification.

Jai Shiva

Nanda

[Guest guest]

Dear Nanda,

 

I cannot begin to tell you how much I enjoy this Q&A series. It is

sooo good to feel safe enough to ask absolutely anything you want to

know. So thank you again for your clear answers to my questions.

> HENNNNNNNNNNY , did your question on Asana get answered ? Our

Visiting Prof Parvati Saraswati just posted http://groups..

com/message/10382

> Please write in with any doubts that you may have. That goes for

everyone dear readers.

 

Yes, my question got answered, but I doubt my physical abilities. But

who knows what a little practice may do..

 

> Henny's little write up on Savitri , "Is Savitur, the Light of

>Wisdom, the Light that is seen on the physical plane as the Sun, and

considered to be male? So that Gayatri, as the incessant pursuit of

Wisdom, could be seen as incessant longing for union? So that our

invocation means our desire to share in that longing, taking us away

from what obscures the Light and closer to it? (I am trying to

understand the meaning of meditation during the puja) "

 

Thank you for your input: I did not know that Savitri is the daughter

of Surya, and you also reminded me that meditation should not be a

separate activity but that all activity should be meditation.

Thank you also for forwarding my musings to Swamiji. Frankly I was in

a bit of a shock to see that he had taken the trouble to look at it

and his answer, of course, opens up a whole range of possibilities and

shades of meaning. May the Light of Wisdom always shine through and

drive away the clouds of delusion,

 

with love,

 

Henny

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Dear Henny,

 

That is what is so amazing about our teachers. They are making

themselves totally available to us.

 

Swamiji answers all our questions. They both continually guide us and

shower us with their Divine Love.

 

I believe this is unique in the history of the guru/disciple

relationship... unless you were sitting physically at

the guru's feet. Even then, this type of relationship was not always

available.

 

We are so blessed.

 

Ardis

 

 

 

On Mar 24, 2005, at 1:18 AM, henny_v_i wrote:

>

>

> Dear Nanda,

>

> I cannot begin to tell you how much I enjoy this Q&A series. It is

> sooo good to feel safe enough to ask absolutely anything you want to

> know. So thank you again for your clear answers to my questions.

>

> > HENNNNNNNNNNY , did your question on Asana get answered ? Our

> Visiting Prof Parvati Saraswati just posted http://groups..

> com/message/10382

> > Please write in with any doubts that you may have. That goes for

> everyone dear readers.

>

> Yes, my question got answered, but I doubt my physical abilities. But

> who knows what a little practice may do..

>

>

> > Henny's little write up on Savitri , "Is Savitur, the Light of

> >Wisdom, the Light that is seen on the  physical plane as the Sun, and

> considered to be male? So that Gayatri, as the incessant pursuit of

> Wisdom, could be seen as incessant longing for union? So that our

> invocation means our desire to share in that longing, taking us away

> from what obscures the Light and closer to it?  (I am trying to

> understand the meaning of meditation during the puja) "

>

> Thank you for your input: I did not know that Savitri is the daughter

> of Surya, and you also reminded me that meditation should not be a

> separate activity but that all activity should be meditation.

> Thank you also for forwarding my musings to Swamiji. Frankly I was in

> a bit of a shock to see that he had taken the trouble to look at it

> and his answer, of course, opens up a whole range of possibilities and

> shades of meaning. May the Light of Wisdom always shine through and

> drive away the clouds of delusion,

>

> with love,

>

> Henny

> >

> >

> > 

>

>

>

Sponsor

>

>

> <22305_0205_016_b_300250_a.gif>

> <l.gif>

>

> Links

>

> •

> /

>  

> •

>

>  

> • Terms of

> Service.

>

>

Attachment: (text/enriched) [not stored]

[Guest guest]

thank you, nanda.  yes, you addressed my question. thank you.

Nanda wrote:

> Dear */Berijoy/* – I wasn’t very clear on the context of the

question

> , but I will say that whether you offer petals or full flowers it

is

> best to clean out your altar at the end of the day in preparation

> for tomorrow. Now, flowers if still fresh can be reused,

> petals..naaaah ! You can’t re-use petals; they are too fragile and

> probably will wilt by the end of the day anyway. Did that give the

> answer to your question? If not could you please clarify your

> question. Thank you.

--

Be Love,

Berijoy