Puja (Hinduism) Pūjā

Puja... Puja (Hinduism) Pūjā 

Why is Puja?

              Pūjā is one of the most beautiful way to bring out the devotee within oneself and establish a relationship with Isvara, the Lord. Pūjā is called kayikam karma, and action involving one’s limbs. It also including speech and mental action in the form of chanting and thinking of the Lord.

                In a physical form of worship, such as a Pūjā, there is a greater field of expression of one’s devotion than is possible in purely oral or mental forms of worship. The body, mind and speech are all involved in a Pūjā. The forms , colors, fragrances and sounds of the various items if worship arrest one’s mind and aid in evoking devotion on oneself.

             A Pūjā is performed in order to express one’s gratitude to Isvara for all one has been given in one’s life. The very creation in which one is born is considered to be a gift of the Lord. The body-mind –sense complex is made up of five basics elements: space, air, fire, water and earth which also constitute the creation. Through the sense perceptions backed by the mind one perceives the lord’s vast creation and appreciates his glories.

            Whether a Pūjā is performed at home or in a temple, the essential steps are the same. The basics Pūjā is called pancopacara- Pūjā, in which one makes a fivefold offering. A more elaborate puja is called sodasopacara- Pūjā, a sixteen –step puja, in which one additionally offers clothes, ornaments and other similar items that one enjoys. The most elaborate puja is called catussasti-upacara- Pūjā , a sixty –four step Pūjā , where the offering include music, dance, chariots, elephants and other similar items. Whatever one enjoys in life can be offered to the lord as an expression of gratitude.

Prayers .... Why Prayers?

Prayers

                                     

 Why Prayers?

Prayer is the highest form of communication with the lord, and can be offered in simple words or as an elaborated ritual. The modes of prayer may from person to person, but the attitude is fundamental to all. Prayer helps nurture one’s special relationship to the lord- the relationship of the created to the creator –by involving the devotee in the person. Unlike the other relative roles one plays, the roles of a devotee is non-demanding since the Lord seeks nothing from us. When one’s relationship to the Lord becomes primary in life, other relationships become secondary and, thus less problematic.

Prayer has its purpose in helping one achieve an object of desire, be it mental clarity or a given and. ultimately, prayer helps one gain the maturity to be a qualified recipient of spiritual knowledge. This knowledge teaches us our identity with the Lord and helps us discover freedom and happiness, the nature of oneself.

Prayer is expressed in three ways: Physical, Kayika; oral,vacika; and Mental, manasa. A ritual or a puja is a physical form of prayer. Singing in praise of the Lord or chanting verses and Vedic hymns is an oral prayer. Japa or worship done silently is a mental prayer.

Like any other action, prayer produces a result. The result is twofold: one is immediately seen drsta-phala and the other is unseen, adrsta-phala.

The immediate result of prayer is the inner comfort that comes from acknowledging one’s limited capacities and accepting a power higher than oneself. Being objective about situations over which one has no control and praying to that all-knowing source is an act that frees one from anxiety regarding the expectation of a result.

The unseen result of prayer refers to the subtle result called punya, which accrues to the doer of the action. Punya manifests in the form of comfortable situations whether in this life or later. When one prays for success, the accrued punya, which one may call ‘grace’, helps neutralise obstacles that one may not foresee. The ‘grace’ may not ensure success, but without it the outcome could be worse.