To Henny and Swamiji on Sacred Thread with follow-up question

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Swamiji responded to a question from Henny (follow-up comment and question from Linda):

Question from Henny:I have a puja-question: in the enhanced Shiva

puja, we offer a sacred thread...And another thing: could these

activities (in the verse beginning with 'shamo')be arranged thus;

first three - tamas, second three - rajas and last three - sattva?

(And perhaps within each group, we can also make the same distinction

in threes, something like tamas of tamas, rajas of tamas etc.?)Or am I

barking up the wrong t(h)ree?I just had to ask, because everytime I

recite this text, my mind wanders off and I lose the thread of the

puja.Swamiji's response:Maybe you could come down from your t(h)ree

and no need to bark so much. These are all pure qualities, and

perhaps there is no need to ascribe them to the three gunas.

Dear Henny ~ thank you so much for asking this question, and I have a follow-up question of my own.

 

Dear Swamiji ~ your response gave me the best laugh I have had in a

long time, and I really need to laugh badly. Still with your concise

clarity you state the truth in a way that brought spontaneous joy to

my heart and tears to my eyes. Here is my question about the sacred

thread.

 

Linda's Question

When this sacred thread is mentioned, are we supposed to use an actual

thread and drape it over ourselves in some way? I have seen pictures

of sadhuks with a red thread coming over their shoulder and going

into their doti. Is this the kind of thread the Chandi refers to? Is

there a tradition we should try to follow if we can? Or can we use

any kind of thread, any color? I don't yet have the Advanced Shiva

Puja, but the thread is mentioned in the Chandi, and I am assuming it

may be a part of any puja performed. Thank you so much Swamiji ~ Linda