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Thread: Mini-Pujas

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    Mini-Pujas

    Namaste.

    Sometimes (as in the case with me), we find ourselves relegated to share accommodation, ashram, dormitory, half a room in a 2BR flat or in your brother's sleepout. so finding enough space to build a shrine and do one's 'daily devotions to Lord Shiva' rather discretely, can cause a bit of a problem.

    At the moment, my 'shrine' is on the topmost shelf of a small bookcase, obscured by a curtain.

    In keeping with the space, I have had to 'downsize' all my Murtis and pictures and now, my Shrine looks more like a 'Mt Kailasha diorama box' than anything else. lol

    I have placed a picture of Mt Kailasha in the background, there's a small, 6" statue of Lord Nataraja (standing inside a bracelet with Aum Namah Shivaya on it) at his feet, sits a small statue of Nandi in a garden of flowers...on the other side of the Nataraja statue is a very small, fully functional 3" crystal Shiva Lingam in a Yoni with Naga. Beside this, is a very small lota (vessel) filled with Ganga Jal (Ganges water) and topped off with a Rudraksha bead.

    Doing Abhishek with Ganga Jal on a crystal Shiva Lingam drop by drop gives the most profound and sublime experience!

    The crystal Lingam represents Jyotir Lingam (the endless pillar of Light) and its a beautiful meditative aid.

    I will do abhisheka of about a teaspoon full of water, catching it in a crystal dish, then after the puja, I will take it and mix it in a glass of bottle/tap water, purifying the whole glass of water and making it prasad before I drink it.

    On the other side of the top shelf of the bookcase, there's a medium-sized picture of Ardhanareshwara (with a small Mahamrityunjaya Mantra/Kavach standing up against one bottom corner of it and a Trisula standing up against the other corner) - all my Tantra stuff .

    In front of that, is a small statue of Lord Ganesha in another flower garden (just flower offerings) and off to the side of that, there's the smallest picture of Mother Kali and a small statue of OM.

    Yeah, that's pretty much it.

    You don't need much room or time to do Puja.

    For Shiva - The crystal Lingam is amazing and pouring drops instead of buckets is very nice. Mix it with water and drink it later.

    Offer white flowers like gardenia and jasmine to Lord Shiva and later, wear them in your hair.

    Offer a small crystal dish full of uncooked (raw) rice - just a few teaspoons full from an unopened packet of rice.

    I decorate the offered rice with a single Star Anise - everything I do in puja is totally symbolic.

    After the Puja and offering the rice, mix it back with the rest of the packet and all the rice becomes prasad then - nice, isn't it?

    With Ardhanareshwar, Lord Ganesha and Mother Kali, the flowers I offer are red and yellow like marigolds, roses and sometimes just plain old daisies.

    The food offerings are generally a very small dish, half/half of raw almonds and mishri (crystal sugar). Sometimes I will add cloves or cardamom pods and after Puja, I will take them in a tiny pocket tin and chew them throughout the day.

    Lord Ganesha usually gets a piece of fruit though and whatever is fresh and available.

    I have one drawer next to the bookcase dedicated to Puja items with my Rudraksh Mala in there, which I can do Japa...and incense, diyas and such.

    So, think small when you do your Pujas and notice the difference!

    Aum Namah Shivaya
    Last edited by Necromancer; 01 September 2013 at 01:45 AM.

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    Re: Mini-Pujas

    Namaste.

    Part 2 - Easy Puja for worshipers based upon old Tantric traditions and customs.

    1. After hygeinic bathing, cleansing rituals and calming the mind down, approach the shrine with total reverence and make a reverential gesture - bowing, prostrating, placing your hands in prayer pose or open to the sky.

    2. Chant a mantra or short prayer for Lord Ganesha, thanking Him for the opportunity to perform Puja for this day and to bestow His blessings for success and remove any obstacles towards spiritual growth (you can offer your prasad to Lord Ganesha at this stage, or you can wait until later).

    Aum Gum Ganapataye Namah.

    3. Chant a mantra or short prayer to the 'Celestial Bodies' and acknowledge all the Planets and planetary deities and the influence of them on your life.

    I like 'Brahma Murari Tripurantakari...'

    4. Light 3 sticks of incense to represent the Trimurti. One stick for Lord Brahma, one for Lord Vishnu and one for Lord Shiva.

    As you light each stick of incense, say a Mantra relating to each Face of the Lord. It can be short or long, just acknowledge Lord Brahma, Lord Vishnu and Lord Shiva individually before finally acknowledging them collectively as Trimurti.

    Offer your heartfelt prayers of love and devotion with the incense - see your prayers entwining with the coils of smoke on their way to heaven - use your hand to fan this incense smoke towards your favourite Deities - do this for a few minutes, spending time in private reverie and communion with your Lord.

    5. Light a candle or Diya. I like performing Puja using black candles:

    Tamasoma Jyotir Gamayah.

    See the flame as that one belonging in your heart - the Light of Shiva dawning and shining there.

    You can say a prayer to Agni, or you can see the flame representing the sun or Surya Deva and chant the Gayatri Mantra when you light the candle. That's what I do, worship my 'inner Sun' in the form of Lord Shiva while chanting Gayatri Mantra.

    6. Now one is chanting Gayatri Mantra, the Goddess must be worshipped (it's traditional to worship her after the Guru and third after Ganesha), but here, you can offer a piece of fruit to Mother/Gaia with a prayer to Goddess Durga and the thought that fruit is her bountiful harvest and Shakti/Energy her final reward - you have to appease the Mother and get Her blessings before making out with Her 'better half'..



    7. After worshiping mother, worship your Guru and each individual deity however you like, doing abhishekam of Shiva Lingam to the words of Lingashtakam, offering the rice, almonds, spices, sugar to each deity with love and offering more incense in the process or applying chandan paste to things or just praying more to the Planets...whatever it is your heart is telling you to do, you do that.

    8. At the end, just say 'Om Shanti, Shanti, Shanti' and go with peace and love into the world.

    Each person can customise the way they worship and what Mantras they choose for each Deity, as long as you are praying and worshiping with an open heart and clear mind, paying love and respects to the Deities.

    The whole process takes anywhere from 10-15 minutes, tops - if done with full focus of mind and it isn't 'rushed'.

    Aum Namah Shivaya
    Last edited by Necromancer; 01 September 2013 at 04:45 AM.

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    Re: Mini-Pujas

    Namaste.

    About those hygienic body cleansing rituals - commonly referred to as Kriya Yoga.

    Doing that was tough work!

    Before doing Puja of any kind, more than a quick shower is required.

    Strict dental hygiene with flossing must be observed and the use of a tongue scraper/cleaner needed.

    We would often make bush brushes out of neem branches and use a wide variety of Vicco products...

    Then there was Jal and Sutra Neti using a Neti pot with warm, saline water or a catheter soaked in hot, salty water...after a few sneezing fits, I manage to put it in through the nostril and out through the mouth. That's cool.

    I have done the 'swallow muslin bandage and throw it up' Kriya a few times, but it's not one I really like to do (although I was very proficient at doing Nauli - stomach churning). I'd usually only do these as a demonstration to students.

    We also drank our weekly 'brew' of hot lemon water with epsom salts in it and spent the next 2-3 hours walking around in crow pose.

    Those were my 'fun days'.

    Aum Namah Shivaya

  4. #4

    Re: Mini-Pujas

    Namaste,

    Thank you so much for starting this thread! I find this information to be very valuable.

    Right now, all I have is my Shiva murti. I don't know where to start with doing puja yet. Rather than doing miscellaneous things that I read here and there and trying to go through the motions without understanding, I have been trying to just learn as much as possible and incorporate small things as I begin to understand and associate meaning with them.

    Currently, that does not consist of much more than meditating on Shiva, a few mantras, and just talking to him as we build that relationship. It is not much, but it is very meaningful to me.

    How did you get a bottle of Ganges water? Did you visit there and bring it back with you?
    Also, what is the significance of the candle being black?

    Pranam.
    Om Namah Shivaya

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    Re: Mini-Pujas

    Quote Originally Posted by fem_phoenix1109 View Post
    Namaste,

    Thank you so much for starting this thread! I find this information to be very valuable.

    Right now, all I have is my Shiva murti. I don't know where to start with doing puja yet. Rather than doing miscellaneous things that I read here and there and trying to go through the motions without understanding, I have been trying to just learn as much as possible and incorporate small things as I begin to understand and associate meaning with them.

    Currently, that does not consist of much more than meditating on Shiva, a few mantras, and just talking to him as we build that relationship. It is not much, but it is very meaningful to me.

    How did you get a bottle of Ganges water? Did you visit there and bring it back with you?
    Also, what is the significance of the candle being black?

    Pranam.
    Namaste.

    I'm glad you found this thread helpful and it's best to just go with the flow.

    I had a friend in India send me the bottle of Ganges water.

    The significance of the candle being black, is the light/flame of knowledge that arises out from darkness or ignorance.

    Aum Namah Shivaya

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