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Thread: Shrine photos & advice on pujas please

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    Shrine photos & advice on pujas please

    Hi, I've kept shrines for a few years with the gods Saraswati, Krishna-Radha, Shiva, Parvati & Ganesh and would be pleased to hear of any improvements I might make. At present my pujas run like this, though I may skip the abhishekam-


    Offer food, drink and flowers (usually dried)

    Burn candel, incense and oil

    Perform abhishekam (with yogurt), namaskara and aarti

    Read from the Gita (Maharishi translation & commentary), do TM (20 mins) and take prasad


    Sean







    Last edited by Sean; 10 February 2011 at 07:55 PM.

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    Re: Shrine photos & advice on pujas please

    Make sure the candles you burn aren't from killed animals(especially cows). Now insence, beeswax, oil, and clarified butter are to my knowledge better than a generic wax candle.

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    Re: Shrine photos & advice on pujas please

    Hi TheOne

    Make sure the candles you burn aren't from killed animals(especially cows). Now insence, beeswax, oil, and clarified butter are to my knowledge better than a generic wax candle.
    Thanks. Most candles are made just of parafin wax and no longer with the animal fat tallow for strength; I haven't found any beeswax candles, and vegetable oil ones from Bodyshop are far too expensive.

  4. #4

    Re: Shrine photos & advice on pujas please

    Quote Originally Posted by Sean View Post
    Hi, I've kept shrines for a few years with the gods Saraswati, Krishna-Radha, Shiva, Parvati & Ganesh and would be pleased to hear of any improvements I might make. At present my pujas run like this, though I may skip the abhishekam-


    Offer food, drink and flowers (usually dried)

    Burn candel, incense and oil

    Perform abhishekam (with yogurt), namaskara and aarti

    Read from the Gita (Maharishi translation & commentary), do TM (20 mins) and take prasad


    Sean
    Dear Sean,

    Nice shrine you have built. I don't have much to improve on the shrine, but probably you can slowly build on the preliminary practices before puja eg:-

    1. Sitting on the puja mat
    2. vishnu smaran: Remembering vishnu and purifying oneself
    3. Achaman: sipping water 3 times to purify self, basically continuation of 2.
    4. Guru & Kundalini: Remembering Guru in sahasrara chakra and kundalini in muladhara chakra - the entire goal of sadhana is to unite these 2, hence remembering them in the very begining
    5. asan suddhi: Purifying your puja mat (simple procedure: touching your puja mat recite mentally your guru mantra Or your main mantra you do japa with Or simple Om).
    6. Pranayama
    7. dhyana & manasa puja: A meditation of your deity or guru and offer him/her the same stuff you offer outside, mentally (the main thing is to understand the deity is in you).
    8. Ahavana: Simply call these deities now to occupy the murtis/idols you have placed. This can be done ritually or by simply imagining, but not to dwell on imagination too much.

    now understanding that deity occupies you and is also in fornt of you, realizing the unity externally also...continue with the external ritual you have outlined. TM or any other personal practice after puja is good.

    There should be many resources on the web on these steps with appropriate rituals and mantras, but one needs to build slowly and with real feeling and understanding. Steps should not be mechanical. How much may it be technically correct, mechanical performance leads nowhere - its not worship at all.
    Last edited by sm78; 11 February 2011 at 06:08 AM.
    What is Here, is Elsewhere. What is not Here, is Nowhere.

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    Re: Shrine photos & advice on pujas please

    I like your shrine. SM has given you good tips.

    If you want to make a dia (butter lamp) instead of using candles, it's very easy, you warm up the ghee and put it in the copper holder, then you take a wad of cotton wool and make a fuse out of it. Ghee is best, but sesame oil is also allowed. I also burn candles next to my shrine, but I don't offer them.

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    Re: Shrine photos & advice on pujas please

    sm78, many thanks indeed for that.

    Nice shrine you have built. I don't have much to improve on the shrine, but probably you can slowly build on the preliminary practices before puja eg:-

    1. Sitting on the puja mat
    2. vishnu smaran: Remembering vishnu and purifying oneself
    3. Achaman: sipping water 3 times to purify self, basically continuation of 2.
    4. Guru & Kundalini: Remembering Guru in sahasrara chakra and kundalini in muladhara chakra - the entire goal of sadhana is to unite these 2, hence remembering them in the very begining
    5. asan suddhi: Purifying your puja mat (simple procedure: touching your puja mat recite mentally your guru mantra Or your main mantra you do japa with Or simple Om).
    6. Pranayama
    7. dhyana & manasa puja: A meditation of your deity or guru and offer him/her the same stuff you offer outside, mentally (the main thing is to understand the deity is in you).
    8. Ahavana: Simply call these deities now to occupy the murtis/idols you have placed. This can be done ritually or by simply imagining, but not to dwell on imagination too much.
    That's a very inspiring list, really useful and interesting. I'll start making use of a mat and begin pranayama, which I used to do before meditation, along with a set of asanas, and sipping hot water. I'll also begin incorporating 5 & 8, thanks.

    Philosophically I'm especially interested in the subject to object relationship you touch on, becoming subject to subject, that the puja illuminates: internal potential and individual self becoming external universality and Self.

    And indeed the enormous value of Hinduism is that it's not dogmatic or prescriptive, and I'm mindful of not having to fall into a mechanical routine.

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    Re: Shrine photos & advice on pujas please

    Vannakkam Sean: If you go to some Indian shops in your area, or in London, you will quite likely find many accessories such as standing oil lamps (candles aren't really in the Indian way) achamaniyam cups, and the like. But really it is the vibration you put into it, not the shrine itself. Of course it helps to have an awesome physical shrine because it motivates you more. I presume you've been through the thread of other's shrines on here.

    Aum Namasivaya

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    Re: Shrine photos & advice on pujas please

    Sahasranama & Eastern mind, I understand there are better oil lamps than my candle contraption, and I will try to give it some though in the future. Actually I'm doing some teaching in China right now, which of course is a spiritual wasteland and I haven't seen much of the right equipment around, though there's plenty of incense.

    Indeed a shrine's vibration is important, and I think it makes an impression on people when they visit my place, particularly as I moved the television set previously in the room into the junk cupboard. They don't understand of course and most never ask many questions, but I expect it percolates through their minds.

  9. Re: Shrine photos & advice on pujas please

    I like your Mandir

    Pure Ghee is the right choice instead of candle. We always use Ghee Diya to make light, but mostly on Dharmic Days. However if the candle is from pure form, then there is no harm, but using Ghee is still better during Dharmic Days
    [CENTER][B][FONT=Arial Black][SIZE=7][COLOR=Yellow] ॐ[/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT][/B]
    [/CENTER]

  10. #10

    Re: Shrine photos & advice on pujas please

    Namaste Sean,

    A puja can be as simple as saying a few prayers and offering some fruit or it can be a long and extended ritual hours long ritual. What you are currently doing sounds good, and sm78 has great suggestions.

    I have also found the time immediately after puja to great for meditation. The shakti at that time is very powerful, and it becomes much easier to feel the presence of the deity that you have just done puja to. Beautiful shrine, BTW.


    Jai Sri Ram

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