Guest guest Posted March 26, 2005 Report Share Posted March 26, 2005 Dear All, Here is a quick recap of where we are. We invited Shiva, offered him lights and incense, prayed to Gayatri to make our meditation more fruitful, offered flowers to the other deities, purified our hands and mouth and asans and directions, took the sankalpa, sought the help of the universe to make our sankalpa successful. Now we are getting into the technical stuff of the puja. Remember that we have washed our hands and they are now pure. With these pure hands we are going to purify all our offerings. The purification medium is water.... which then begs the question.... dont we have to purify water? Yes we do! (And Berijoy hope you are paying attention to the step here cos it answers a question you had earlier with respect to pure and impure water) What is pure water? No, it is not filtered water or mineral water. It refers to water that is purified by mantras. OK, we will talk about the method of purification in a few steps below. But first we draw another yantra, this time on the altar. (Where did we draw the first one, anyone remember? 20 points if you do and tell me so I can add it to the test at the end of these series.) If you have a cloth on your altar, like Grace and I do, then you will need a plate on (preferably) the right side of your altar within arm's reach. You can also draw the yantra on the altar itself if it is something that you can wipe off at the end of the day without any problems. Now, you pour a drop of water on your left palm, mix with sandalwood if you so want (I prefer plain old water), and with the ring finger of your right hand draw the yantra, again inside out. So you start with the bindu or dot, work your way out with the triangle (kamakala), circle (all manifested existence) and the square (the four objectives of life - dharma, artha , kama, moksha) . Then with each offering below starting with "Om Adhara shaktaye namah" and ending with "om prithvyai Namah" you offer a grain or two of rice (called akshat). Note - you can offer plain rice, or you can make it fancy and offer plain rice mixed with a little turmeric, so the rice grains are yellow in color. And you offer only a grain or two. What do you do with these grains after the puja? You could throw them into running water or you could put them under a tree or plant so that ants could get them. OK, by this point, you have drawn the yantra on your altar and put the grains of rice for each of the four mantras in your book. Remember, when we talked about all the items that we would need for puja - see post /message/10218 We have items g) One water pot to hold water h) One water pot with spoon to hold purified water. So now, you take the item (h) and while saying "phat" as in "sthaam sthiim sthiiro bhava PHAT" you place it on the altar. Remember that (h) is empty at this point in time. Then you take the pot (g), which has the water that you got from your tap at the beginning of the puja, and pour the contents into (h) while chanting "Om gange cha jamune ....sannidhim kuru" We are symbolically saying, that this is not just ANY water but water gathered from the 7 holy rivers (in India). Say "Ete Gandhapushpe Om Namah Shivaya" three times and for each time offer a flower into the pot (h) on your altar. Or if you have only a few flowers, you could do what I do, I take a flower; offer a couple of its outer petals for the first two times and then the entire flower the third time. It is nice to have one flower at least and you will understand why in a few steps. So now, you have filled pot (h) with water, and offered it three flowers with mantras. Make your right hand into Ankush mudra. Some times the devotees jokingly refer to this mudra as the "uncouth" mudra - you place your right thumb at the base of your right pinky finger and fold over all your fingers except your middle finger. Then you fold over your fist downward and circle (clockwise) over the pot (h) once again chanting the mantra "Om Gange cha .....kuru" Then, chant "Om Namah Shivaya' 10 times. Hope you know how to count with your fingers dear readers, if not please refer to question 22." Can anyone tell me how to count my mantras by using my hands?" in the FAQ - http://www.shreemaa.org/faq.htm Once this completes, the water in the pot (h) is considered purified water. We take a flower that we have offered to the water in a step above and use it to sprinkle the items that you have to be offered, and behind your shoulders and on yourself. If you didn’t have a flower, you could use the spoon that came along with pot (h) to sprinkle water as said above. OK ... lets take a logical break here. Next step is purification of flowers. To use Swamiji's famous phrase "Are there any questions?" Jai Maa NandaDo You ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 26, 2005 Report Share Posted March 26, 2005 Dear Nanda, thanks, no questions... and yes, we placed that last yantra under our asan. By the way, it is not obvious in the photo Nanda, but I have a piece of glass on the puja which I can draw my messy yantras with without ruining the cloth. Then later I can simply wipe the glass down. Always there and ready to go. Jai Maa and Jai Swamiji Grace On 27/03/2005, at 2:11 PM, Nanda wrote: > Dear All, > > > > Here is a quick recap of where we are. > > > > We invited Shiva, offered him lights and incense, prayed to Gayatri to > make our meditation more fruitful, offered flowers to the other > deities, purified our hands and mouth and asans and directions, took > the sankalpa, sought the help of the universe to make our sankalpa > successful. > > > > Now we are getting into the technical stuff of the puja. > > > > Remember that we have washed our hands and they are now pure. With > these pure hands we are going to purify all our offerings. > > > > The purification medium is water.... which then begs the question.... > dont we have to purify water? > > > > Yes we do! (And Berijoy hope you are paying attention to the step here > cos it answers a question you had earlier with respect to pure and > impure water) > > > > What is pure water? No, it is not filtered water or mineral water. > > > > It refers to water that is purified by mantras. OK, we will talk about > the method of purification in a few steps below. > > > > But first we draw another yantra, this time on the altar. (Where did > we draw the first one, anyone remember? 20 points if you do and tell > me so I can add it to the test at the end of these series.) > > > > If you have a cloth on your altar, like Grace and I do, then you will > need a plate on (preferably) the right side of your altar within arm's > reach. You can also draw the yantra on the altar itself if it is > something that you can wipe off at the end of the day without any > problems. > > > > Now, you pour a drop of water on your left palm, mix with sandalwood > if you so want (I prefer plain old water), and with the ring finger of > your right hand draw the yantra, again inside out. > > > > So you start with the bindu or dot, work your way out with the > triangle (kamakala), circle (all manifested existence) and the square > (the four objectives of life - dharma, artha , kama, moksha) . > > > > Then with each offering below starting with > > "Om Adhara shaktaye namah" and ending with "om prithvyai Namah" you > offer a grain or two of rice (called akshat). > > > > Note - you can offer plain rice, or you can make it fancy and offer > plain rice mixed with a little turmeric, so the rice grains are yellow > in color. > > > > And you offer only a grain or two. What do you do with these grains > after the puja? You could throw them into running water or you could > put them under a tree or plant so that ants could get them. > > > > OK, by this point, you have drawn the yantra on your altar and put the > grains of rice for each of the four mantras in your book. > > > > Remember, when we talked about all the items that we would need for > puja - see post > /message/10218 > > > > We have items > > g) One water pot to hold water > > h) One water pot with spoon to hold purified water. > > > > So now, you take the item (h) and while saying "phat" as in "sthaam > sthiim sthiiro bhava PHAT" you place it on the altar. Remember that > (h) is empty at this point in time. > > > > Then you take the pot (g), which has the water that you got from your > tap at the beginning of the puja, and pour the contents into (h) while > chanting > > > > "Om gange cha jamune ....sannidhim kuru" > > > > We are symbolically saying, that this is not just ANY water but water > gathered from the 7 holy rivers (in India). > > > > Say "Ete Gandhapushpe Om Namah Shivaya" three times and for each time > offer a flower into the pot (h) on your altar. > > > > Or if you have only a few flowers, you could do what I do, I take a > flower; offer a couple of its outer petals for the first two times and > then the entire flower the third time. It is nice to have one flower > at least and you will understand why in a few steps. > > > > So now, you have filled pot (h) with water, and offered it three > flowers with mantras. Make your right hand into Ankush mudra. > > > > Some times the devotees jokingly refer to this mudra as the "uncouth" > mudra - you place your right thumb at the base of your right pinky > finger and fold over all your fingers except your middle finger. Then > you fold over your fist downward and circle (clockwise) over the pot > (h) once again chanting the mantra > > > > "Om Gange cha .....kuru" > > > > Then, chant "Om Namah Shivaya' 10 times. Hope you know how to count > with your fingers dear readers, if not please refer to question 22." > Can anyone tell me how to count my mantras by using my hands?" in the > FAQ - http://www.shreemaa.org/faq.htm > > > > Once this completes, the water in the pot (h) is considered purified > water. > > > > We take a flower that we have offered to the water in a step above and > use it to sprinkle the items that you have to be offered, and behind > your shoulders and on yourself. > > > > If you didn’t have a flower, you could use the spoon that came along > with pot (h) to sprinkle water as said above. > > > > OK ... lets take a logical break here. Next step is purification of > flowers. <40.gif> > > > > To use Swamiji's famous phrase "Are there any questions?" > > > > Jai Maa > > Nanda > > > > > > > > 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...
Guest guest Posted March 27, 2005 Report Share Posted March 27, 2005 beloved nanda, i wanted you to know i am listening. :-) > Yes we do! (And */Berijoy/* hope you are paying attention to the step > here cos it answers a question you had earlier with respect to pure > and impure water) > What is pure water? No, it is not filtered water or mineral water. > It refers to water that is purified by mantras. OK, we will talk > about the method of purification in a few steps below. got it! > But first we draw another yantra, this time on the altar. (Where did > we draw the first one, anyone remember? 20 points if you do and tell > me so I can add it to the test at the end of these series.) *waving hand* i know, i know! the SEAT which i find complicated to do in actuality. sitting on the floor with crossed legs--wo! gonna take some real work. (legs falling asleep, cramped, etc.) > So you start with the bindu or dot, work your way out with the > triangle (kamakala), circle (all manifested existence) and the square > (the four objectives of life - dharma, artha , kama, moksha) . good to know this > Then with each offering below starting with > /"Om Adhara shaktaye namah/" and ending with "/om prithvyai Namah/" > you offer a grain or two of rice (called akshat). > OK, by this point, you have drawn the yantra on your altar and put > the grains of rice for each of the four mantras in your book. what do you mean put them in the book? > Some times the devotees jokingly refer to this mudra as the "uncouth" > mudra - you place your right thumb at the base of your right pinky > finger and fold over all your fingers except your middle finger. Then > you fold over your fist downward and circle (clockwise) over the pot > (h) once again chanting the mantra > ok, this is good to know about the downward direction! Be Love, Berijoy http://www.egyirba.net Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 27, 2005 Report Share Posted March 27, 2005 p.s. nanda, per one of your recent q&a sessions. i am stil working on the panchang exercise. just haven't had time to study the chart yet. i didn't read your answer yet...so i hope to get that off to you, soon. not that i'm not interested or have it down already! -- Be Love, Berijoy http://www.egyirba.net Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 27, 2005 Report Share Posted March 27, 2005 Dear Nanda, ok, after drawing the first yantra underneath our seat, we now draw the second yantra: question 1: why do we draw with the ring finger? question 2: why is the circle inside the square? I mean: if the Source (or Point of Origin) and the circle or Totality of Manifestated Existence are One, how can there be anything outside the circle? Are objectives not played out inside the circle? Or perhaps I should rephrase the question: what does the square signify in general? Does it have anything to do with following Divine Order? Looking at it from another angle the square gives me problems as well: if I understand the four objectives correctly, there seems to be a certain development or unfoldment from dharma to moksha, but perhaps in the end 'to manifest an ideal of Perfection' IS to realize you ARE (and always have been) that. And so I am going round in a circle again... question 3: the rice goes more or less on the dot? or just inside the yantra in general? question 4: concerning the mantra that is to be repeated when sprinkling the purified water on the articles and on yourself: it really means 'repeat', that is you say it with every item or in every direction you sprinkle the water? Thank you again for your explanations. These lessons keep me glued to my computer, with love, Henny > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 27, 2005 Report Share Posted March 27, 2005 , beloved sister Nanda <chandimaakijai> wrote: "But first we draw another yantra, this time on the altar. (Where did we draw the first one, anyone remember? 20 points if you do and tell me so I can add it to the test at the end of these series.)" We draw it on the floor under our asan, pointing toward the altar. "Then, chant "Om Namah Shivaya' 10 times. Hope you know how to count with your fingers dear readers, if not please refer to question 22." Can anyone tell me how to count my mantras by using my hands?" in the FAQ - http://www.shreemaa.org/faq.htm" 1. Hold out your right hand palm facing up. 2. Look at the lines and the space across the fingers. 3. Place your right thumb in the space in the middle of the ring finger (between the two lines) and count this space as 1. 4. Next move your thumb to the bottom space of the ring finger and count this as 2. 5. Move your thumb over to the base of the pinky finger count this space as 3. 6. Move thumb up to space in middle of pinky finger count this space as 4. 7. Move thumb to top of pinky finger count this space as 5. 8. Move thumb to top of ring finger, count this space as 6. 9. Move thumb to top of middle finger, count this space as 7. 10. Move thumb to middle space of middle finger, count this as 8. 11. Move thumb to bottom of middle finger, count this as 9. 12. Move thumb to bottom of pointer finger , count this as 10. 13. Now mark this on your left hand by putting your left thumb in the middle space of your left ring finger. Every time you count 10 on your right hand you will mark it on your left hand following t he same pattern as on the right hand. When you reach the bottom of your left pointer finger that will be 100. Count 8 more and you will have completed one maala . "To use Swamiji's famous phrase "Are there any questions?"" Yes, just one - how can I ever adequately express my gratitude for all the blessings that this puja brings? Rick Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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