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(1)
What
is puja?
Answer:
Puja is a time when
devotees offer devotion to God. We can talk to Him and He
will bless us. We can also thank Him for all the wonderful
things He has gifted us with. We show our devotion to God
by making a connection with Him. God Himself is present
in the murtis. We are symbolically offering our lives to
Maharaj and Swami and asking them for blessings that we
progress on the spiritual path and do only that which pleases
them. Click here
to learn more.
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(2)
What is a kanthi?
Answer: It is a two-stringed ‘chain’
of wooden beads worn around the neck. A kanthi is a symbol
of our ‘sharnagati’ to God. ‘Sharnagati’
means complete surrenderance to God. A kanthi reminds us
that God is with us at all times. It inspires us not to
be afraid of any outside influences because God will always
be with us and protects us. |
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(3)
What is arti?
Answer: Physically, arti is the ritual
of waving divas before God’s image. There are several
underlying sentiments of arti. One is that the divas illuminate
the murti so that devotees can have better darshan of God.
A second sentiment is that devotees lovingly welcome Bhagwan
during arti, by offering Him the Panch Bhutas – five
elements which together form arti. These are : pruthvi –
earth, jal – water, tej – light, vayu –
wind and akash – space.
A third sentment of arti is that just as the wicks of the
arti burn away to provide light, devotees are inspired to
offer their life to serve Bhagwan an mankind, and thereby
attain inner enlightenment. Click
here to learn more.
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(4)
What is tilak-chandlo?
Answer: A tilak-chandlo is a physical representation
of our sampraday, like the cross is for Christians. The
red chandlo is made out of powder and the tilak is made
out of sandalwood paste. The tilak’s U shape represents
the lotus feet of God, while the chandlo represents the
bhakta or devotee of God. By wearing this symbol, we show
that we have surrendered ourselves at His lotus-feet.
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(5)
Why are there 108 beads in a mala (rosary)?
Answer: According to the Upanishads, a
person will breathe 21,600 times a day. It is
broken up into two parts, day and night. Therefore, during
the day we breathe 10,800 times and at night we breathe
10,800 times. Because it is not practical for us to chant
the name of God
during every breath, we should chant them at least 108 times.
Every time we chant the mantra its fruit is multiplied by
100. Hence, if we say it 108 times it will really equal
10,800.
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