Puja, japa, mala, oh my!

[tejaspriest]

Hi all,

I have been intrigued by the various mentions of more devotional practices that some of y'all have mentioned in your blog posts, and so wanted to ask:

What chants/mantras do you like to use? How many repetitions do you normally do? Do you follow a set regimen or go as the spirit moves you? Do you have an altar in your practice space? What's on it? Do you dedicate your practice to any specific deity? How do you find this influences your practice?

Thanks ever so much for sharing!

[Parthena]

Hindu deities, pictures of teachers/gurus, Christ, Buddha...
Start with whatever or whoever you're drawn to.
Make a little alter, include a candle, some incense, some flowers, a rock or crystal, whatever feels good to you. Make it nice, keep it clean.
Sit in front of the puja, breathe. What do you feel to do?--maybe a little chanting or Om-ing before you sit quietly.

Whatever you put on an alter, it will come "alive", whether it's a picture or a muruti (statue) you will begin to feel something. Keep your mind on God.

I've had experiences sitting in front of Durga and Baba Neem Karoli--
Christ too, though I've never set up a particular puja for Him, Hanuman, St. Francis of Assisi, Ramana Maharshi

I've never repeated a particular mantra though I know some like to use rudrasha beads (108) and repeat their mantra while going through them...
a rosary will do too if you're drawn to that.

I don't think there's any one right way, but I know that when I was made pujari of a particular deity that I would begin to feel a great connection and that deity would "speak" to me in his or her particular way.
It's all good as long as you look to God and open your heart.

And always keep the most practical things in mind--like blow the candle out when you're done and chant or sit when you have the space and time.
Don't be obnoxious or righteous about your time or puja. If a little kid comes along and takes the flowers away, it's okay, they didn't know. It's holy to you, but others may not feel it. If someone walks in the room and you're chanting and they want to know where you put the butter, try not to snap--they're sharing your world too.

Living on an ashram has taught me much, but most important--it taught me not to get too SERIOUS. So have fun with it and look to it with joy. Good luck!
Namaste'

[Ovidia]

Hi! My puja space & time are probably less traditional than most--

Yes, I have an 'altar'. It is a wooden table with a live plant (I choose a plant to bring in--several of my small window plants take turns) a vase sculpted by a late friend on a woven mat I have candles sometimes, floating or in a holder. I may have flowers. And 3 wooden frogs of different sizes. I think of them as my prayer frogs because when you run the stick each comes with across the ridges on its back, it gives a lovely sound, from high to low pitch depending on whether I pick up the smallest or the largest frog first. This is really not as tacky as it sounds--the wood gives a nice resonant sound and it calms my mind and clears the space. I do this before and after each of my puja sittings.

During puja: Sometimes I do a candle meditation, sometimes I do a breathing meditation. Sometimes I focus on people or events and 'send' positive white light & healing energy in their direction. Very often I offer thanksgiving--'For love, for peace, for joy, for protection, for all the blessings I am aware of and even more for the blessings I am not yet aware of'

After puja I do savasana, like after practice. Then again I clear my mind and space with my prayer frogs...

I will visit my puja space 5, 10 minutes a day... if I am tired or stressed a longer visit would probably help more but sad to say that is usually when I resist it most!

Like Narayani says, it's not about finding how to do it the 'right' way but finding a way that works for you-- (I mean--how many ashrams come with wooden frogs...!) -- hope you try & enjoy it!

[jaen]

I have two altars at home. One is in the yoga room where my husband and I practice and occasionally teach. It consists of a statue of Quan Yin, two candles in front of the statue, another candle in a chalice beside the statue, and a vase for flowers. On the other side of the room is a statue of Shiva Nataraj with another candle and two flower vases. I light all the candles when we practice or meditate in that room. Thus we honor all the traditions that sustain our household-- Shiva presiding over Yoga, Quan Yin for my Buddhist meditation practice and studies, and the flaming chalice for the Unitarian Universalist community that we are a part of. Before my morning meditation I light the candles and say the Buddhist refuge prayer and recite the 5 precepts for lay people. Aferwards I offer the benefits of the practice to all beings and then ask to be able to hear the cries of the world, like Quan Yin.

My other altar is in my home office right behind where I am sitting at my computer. It is a one shelf on a tall bookshelf, and it is also presided over by Quan Yin. It has an accretion of things on it that I have placed there over several years, and one of these days I am going to clean it and put some of the things away in a special box. There are family pictures, sea shells and stones, several small statues, my mala beads, other meaningful or symbolic objects, incense burner, and a bowl with philodendron leaves and occasionally flowers. I do feel that objects that stay on an altar become charged with the energy of the deity and with the energy and intentions of your practices.

I have wanted one of those frogs for a long time, but I was never sure what I would do with it-- what a lovely idea to use that sound in your practice, Ovidia.