WHY we do Puja .....

April 9, 2005

Our pranams to you on this occassion of the first day of Vasantha Navaratri.

Please bless us to be filled with devotion for Guru and God.

We have been discussing the beginner pujas on our forum . We have

compiled a list - "WHY we do puja".

We seek your blessings in keeping STRONG our reasons for doing puja.

Please bless us by giving to us only pure hearts in service of God

and Guru.

With love,Your children from Devi Mandir .

================================================================

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."

Ardis says,”

Because I am "in love".

Because I love sitting in the Presence of God.

Because I am grateful.

Because I can share my inner self with my Ishta.

Because when I am "lucky", everything stops.”

Arjuna says,” I do puja because it is another way of making real for

me the contact with my istas. I do it because it is a way of

entertaining my friends. I want to share with them the best of what

i have to offer. Puja also gives me a way of experiencing the

connection with the divine in a more tangible way. It brings the

aspects of meditation more into the world in which I live.”

Berijoy says,” I like puja because I like ritual in spiritual

practice. I think it helps me to practice the presence of God. I

also like puja because it is that presence that I also court and

desperately need.”

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 I do Puja because it has become a part of me. While doing

puja, I ask for things like getting help in some situation, asking

for wealth, etc and sometimes while I do puja I just do it because I

love my Lord so

much, I don’t know what else to do. ""

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'. "

Kaliananda Saraswati (Kalia) says,” Puja is a way of demonstrating

respect and devotion to God and Guru and helps me to be focussed.

Seeing the comfort and compassion in the eyes of the varying forms of

Mother, all attachments and separateness is replaced by the feeling of

love and oneness. For that moment all is at peace. At the Blessed

Feet of Gurujis.”

Linda says,” I do puja because it connects me to the Divine Energy; it

makes me happy; and it gives me a way to show my ishta devata or

whomever the puja is devoted to, how important (s)he is to me.”

Michael & Karen say,” We do puja to worship God.”

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! “

Naren says,” I do puja because

1.My guru asked me to

2.I feel less afraid of facing the world after doing puja.”

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."

Ruchi says,” Dear Maa, Primarily I want to do puja to connect to you.

I know I love you but it compares nothing with your love and my heart

aches to feel it. But when I sit in puja I rattle on about the

numerous difficulties I am having, and I struggle between asking you

for stuff and not asking for it and then I turn around and trouble

you anyways. Thank you Maa for being in my life.”

Sadhvi says,” Dear Maa (Who is Always Present) and Swamiji (Who is an Ever Helpful Friend),

It is the Nature of Things: this world we live in is the Bliss of our

own Beloved stretching out before our senses, everywhere we find

ourselves. Her love permeates even the tiniest molecules of matter;

we breathe Her in....Ma; we breathe her out...Hrim. She sings us

awake in the form of birds; she hovers over our head in the form of

clouds; she smiles at us in the checkout line at the supermarket as

she bags our groceries. But our minds cannot comprehend Her presence

and so we search frantically, calling out to her for help, as she

stands patiently beside us, waiting for us to notice that she has

been there all along. Puja is Her gift to us: a doorway into the

moment, a turning towards She who is always there, a reminder of the

importance of this "Precious Human Birth" and a joyful celebration of

waking up in the present time to find our Beloved sitting there right

in front of us and, also, inside

us. "”

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

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

yogi and more detached from the world."

Steve says,” My reasons change like the weather!

Sometimes I do puja …

…Because I am weary and sad and need refuge...

…Because I am happy and want understanding and deepening…

…Because I said I was going to!

Always I do puja …

…Because my giving is less than my receiving...

But when I do the puja…

…All the reasons are gone and I ring the bell for Shiva.”

Surya says,” Because what else is my life for?”

Yogini says,” I perform puja because I am drawn to express my love,

devotion and gratitude for Mahadeva, Lord of the Yogis. To be drawn

ever deeper into meditation.”

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April 9, 2005

Puja is invocational. Puja brings vision of Gods/Goddesses,

tigers/lions, elephants, monkeys and snakes. Puja activates all of

this within our very own beings and the world around us. Puja brings

the sacred into the air we breath, the food we eat and the water we

drink. Puja transforms our lives and makes of life a treasure worth

living. Puja fills our lives with magic and enchantment. Puja emerses

us into the realm of the Gods and Goddesses. The heavens above

descend into us through puja.

, Nanda <chandimaakijai> wrote:

> Dear Maa and Swamiji,

>

> Our pranams to you on this occassion of the first day of Vasantha

Navaratri.

> Please bless us to be filled with devotion for Guru and God.

>

> We have been discussing the beginner pujas on our forum . We have

compiled a list - "WHY we do puja".

>

> We seek your blessings in keeping STRONG our reasons for doing

puja. Please bless us by giving to us only pure hearts in service of

God and Guru.

>

> With love,

> Your children from Devi Mandir .

>

> ================================================================

>

> 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."

>

> Ardis says,"

>

> Because I am "in love".

>

> Because I love sitting in the Presence of God.

>

> Because I am grateful.

>

> Because I can share my inner self with my Ishta.

>

> Because when I am "lucky", everything stops."

>

> Arjuna says," I do puja because it is another way of making

real

for me the contact with my istas. I do it because it is a way of

entertaining my friends. I want to share with them the best of what

i have to offer. Puja also gives me a way of experiencing the

connection with the divine in a more tangible way. It brings the

aspects of meditation more into the world in which I live."

>

> Berijoy says," I like puja because I like ritual in spiritual

practice. I think it helps me to practice the presence of God. I

also like puja because it is that presence that I also court and

desperately need."

>

> 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

> I do Puja because it has become a part of me. While doing puja, I

ask for things like getting help in some situation, asking for

wealth, etc and sometimes while I do puja I just do it because I love

my Lord so much, I don't know what else to do. ""

>

> 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'. "

>

> Kaliananda Saraswati (Kalia) says," Puja is a way of

demonstrating

respect and devotion to God and Guru and helps me to be focussed.

Seeing the comfort and compassion in the eyes of the varying forms of

Mother, all attachments and separateness is replaced by the feeling

of love and oneness. For that moment all is at peace. At the Blessed

Feet of Gurujis."

>

> Linda says," I do puja because it connects me to the Divine

Energy;

it makes me happy; and it gives me a way to show my ishta devata or

whomever the puja is devoted to, how important (s)he is to me."

>

> Michael & Karen say," We do puja to worship God."

>

> 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! "

>

> Naren says," I do puja because

>

> 1.My guru asked me to

>

> 2.I feel less afraid of facing the world after doing puja."

>

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