Gentle Reminder - Why do you do Puja?

April 8, 2005

I am collecting responses from everyone for the question "Why do you do Puja".

I am hoping to send the collection to Maa and Swamiji and request them

to bless us and our puja endeavours.

If you havent sent it to me already, and would like to get Maa and

Swamiji's blessings, please send me your input, on or before 5 PM

Pacific on April 8th 2005.

Jai Maa

Nanda

~~~~~~~~~~~~Here is what we have so far~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Aravind says "I do puja for two reasons primarily: 1. It is so much

fun! Really, really, I think it might be the most pleasurable human

activity possible. 2. I long to have darshan of my ishtadevata."

Bharat says," I have been doing Puja at my altar for years and I have

set up a system of doing it. I am now by following Swamiji's

instructions am feeling much at ease and very natural and as if

coming from my heart. The most important thing I got by doing it this

way and from all this is that the Love, Bond, Talk ...with God during

the Puja became more ALIVE and SO REAL.... THANK YOU MAA THANK YOU

SWAMIJI"

Grace says,” Why do I do puja? I suppose I started to try and do puja

because it was a recommended technique as it were. However, I

continue to do puja because it works. That is it brings me joy as my

heart opens, and it stills my mind so that I am able experience

peace, contentment, and a sense of connection with the world. I am

eternally grateful to Shree Maa and Swamiji for giving me this

opportunity to learn the tools I need to become truly Self-sufficient

and thusly learn to be both a disciple and a sevite."

Henny says,”‘ Why do you want to do puja'? From the silence of

meditation and from the white flame in my heart the answer comes loud

and clear: 'Because I love You'. "

Morningsong says,"In answer to your question, "why do I want to do

puja?" I would have to say that I do it to learn how to love; and to

learn how to surrender to that source of all amrita, which is Life. I

think it's a very hard thing to do, letting go of our attachments and

desires. But if I can let go of them a little for an hour in the

morning and at night...well, that's better than having them all the

time, right? Puja also helps me to remember that all of the worlds

are impacted by everything that I do. If my doing puja pleases Maa,

then I can imagine

creating peace in the world, or healing in the sickened body of my

friend's mother. Mainly it reminds me that there is no where God is

not, so God is right here, now, manifesting in, as, and through me,

you, us, them, everywhere, all the time! Whew... God is Great!!! I

am quite ill a lot of the time and so my activities are limited, but

I can do puja with the faith that my actions and love truly creates

peace in all the worlds. OM Shanti, Shanti, Shanti"

Muktimaa says,’ I perform Puja Because I love God, and because Puja is

a way to express my Love, Respect, and Devotion. Puja raises the

vibrations so that we can more easily feel the Divine Presence. These

vibrations are healing and purifying us, as well as the world. Our aim

is to take our Bhava [Divine Attitude] into all of our so-called

mundane activities in the world until every act we perform is an

offering to the Goddess, every gesture, a Divine Mudra. Our Whole

life will then be Puja and every being will be our beloved deity, and

the whole world will be our Altar!"

Nanda says,” I feel the closeness to you during puja. I abandon all

sense of self. Only you exist. Only you! “

Rick says,"I want to do puja because it is such a privilege to come

into Maa's presence and share love with Her. Her magnificent presence

and power are all I need, and by Her grace they are becoming all I

desire. I want to do puja because with each flower, with each drop of

water, with each mantra I am brought nearer to Her beautiful heart. I

want to do puja because I can mentally leave the noise and confusion

of this world and spend time with the Great Mother of the Universe in

whom I exist. And when I do puja, and when I remember not only to

speak, but also to listen, I can clearly hear Her saying to me, "you

are my wonderful child and I love you very much." I want to do puja

because I cannot imagine my life without it. Though it has taken on a

wonderful new form since coming to Shree

Maa and Swamiji, it still has one element that has come with me all

along the way - my heart is still completely in Her hands. In puja I

remind Her of that."

Srini says,” The main reason I do puja is because Swamiji says in

"Before Becoming This" that doing Siva Puja will help you become a

yogi and more detached from the world."

Better first dates. More second dates. Personals

April 8, 2005

Nandaji,

My response is:

Because what else is my life for?

Pranams,