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Pūjā is a prayer ritual performed by Hindus to host, honour and worship one or more deities, or to spiritually celebrate an event. Sometimes spelled phonetically as Pooja or Poojah, it may honour or celebrate the presence of special guest(s), or their memories after they pass away. The word Pūjā (Devanagari: पूजा) comes from Sanskrit, and means reverence, honour, homage, adoration, and worship. Puja rituals are also held by Buddhists, Jains and Sikhs.
In Hinduism, puja is done on a variety of occasions, frequency and settings. It may include daily puja done in the home, to occasional temple ceremonies and annual festivals, to few lifetime events such as birth of a baby or a wedding, or to begin a new venture. The two main areas where puja is performed are in the home and at temples to mark certain stages of life, events or some festivals such as Durga Puja and Lakshmi Puja. Puja is not mandatory; it may be a routine daily affair for some Hindus, periodic ritual for some, and infrequent for other Hindus. In some temples, various pujas may be performed daily at various times of the day; in other temples, it may be occasional.
Puja varies according to the school of Hinduism. Within a given school, puja may vary by region, occasion, deity honored, and steps followed. In formal Nigama ceremonies, a fire may be lit in honour of deity Agni, without an idol or image present. In contrast, in Agama ceremonies, an idol or image of deity is present. In both ceremonies, a diya or incense stick may be lit while a prayer is chanted or hymn is sung. Puja is typically performed by a Hindu worshipper alone, though sometimes in presence of a priest who is well versed in procedure and hymns. In temples and priest-assisted event puja, food, fruits and sweets may be included as offerings to the deity, which, after the prayers, becomes prasad - blessed food shared by all present at the puja.
Both Nigama and Agama puja are practiced in Hinduism in India. In Hinduism of Bali Indonesia, Agama puja is most prevalent both inside homes and in temples. Puja is sometimes called Sembahyang in Indonesia.
ETYMOLOGY
Puja (Sanskrit: पूजा) is an ancient word, with unclear origins. Joshi claims the word puja was first used in vedic times when Sūtra were composed, to describe prayers and worship before yajna or homa - fire deity, Agni. Charpentier suggests the origin of the word Puja may lie in the Dravidian languages. Two possible Tamil roots have been suggested: Poosai "to smear with something" and Poochei "to do with flowers".
ORIGNS
According to scholars, one of the earliest mentions of Pūjā is in the Grihya Sutras, which provide rules for domestic rites. These Sutras, dated to be about 500 BC, use the term puja to describe the hospitality to honor priests who were invited to one’s home to lead rituals for departed ancestors. As Hindu philosophy expanded and diversified, with developments such as the bhakti movement, the vedic puja ritual were modified and applied to the deities. As with vedic times, the general concept of puja remained the same, but expanded to welcoming the deity along with the deity's spiritual essence as one's honored guest. The Puranic corpus of literature, dating from about 6th century CE, contain extensive outline on how to perform deity puja (deva pūjā). Deity puja thus melds Vedic rites with devotion to deity in its ritual form. As with many others aspects of Hinduism, both Vedic puja and devotional deity puja continued, the choice left to the Hindu.
As a historical practice, Pūjā in Hinduism, has been modeled around the idea of hosting a deity, or important person, as an honored and dearest guest in the best way one can, given one's resources, and receiving their happiness and blessing in return. Paul Thieme suggests from passages in the Rāmāyaṇa that the word pūjā referred to the hospitable reception of guests and that the things offered to guests could be offered to the gods and their dwellings. The rituals in question were the "five great sacrifices" or pañcamahāyajña recorded in the Gṛhyasūtra texts (for this literature, see Kalpa). The development of pūjā thus emerged from Vedic domestic traditions and was carried into the temple environment by analogy: just as important guests had long been welcomed in well-to-do homes and offered things that pleased them, so too were the gods welcomed in temple-homes and offered things that pleased them. Copper-plate charters recording grants of lands to temples show that this religious practice was actively encouraged from the mid-4th century.
SIGNIFICANCE OF PUJA
In the earliest texts describing Vedic puja, the significance of puja was to host the priest so that he could make direct requests to the gods. An example petition prayer made during a Vedic puja, according to Wade Wheelock, is:
Indra-Agni, slayers of Vrtra with the beautiful thunderbolt, prosper us with new gifts;
O Indra, bring treaures with your right hand;
O Agni grant the enjoyments of a good household;
Give (us) vigor, wealth in cattle, and possession of good horses.
- ÄsvSü
In contrast to Vedic pujas, the significance of deity pujas shifted from petitions and external goals to the experience of oneness with the deities and their spiritual essence. It became a form of yoga whose final result aimed to be the consciousness of god through homage to god. Nevertheless, even with this evolved theoretical spiritual significance, for many people, puja continued to be a vehicle to petition desires and appeals, such as for good health of one's child, speedy recovery from illness, success in venture envisioned or such. In the structure and practice of puja, the mantras and rituals focus on spirituality, and any petitions and appeals are tacked only to the end of the puja.
Zimmer relates puja to yantras, with the rituals helping the devotee focus on the spiritual concepts. Puja in Hinduism, claims Zimmer, is a path and process of transformation of consciousness, where the devotee and the spiritual significance of the deity are brought together. This ritual puja process, in different parts of India, is considered to be liberating, releasing, purifying and a form of yoga of spirit and emotions.
Puja in Hinduism sometimes involves themes beyond idols or images. Even persons, places, rivers, concrete objects or anything is seen as manifestations of divine reality by some Hindus. The access to the divine is not limited to renunciatory meditation as in yoga school of Hinduism or idols in bhakti school. For some the divine is everywhere, without limit to its form, and a puja to these manifestations signifies the same spiritual meaning to those who choose to offer a prayer to persons, places, rivers, concrete objects or anything else.
TEMPLE PUJA
Temple (Mandir) pūjā is more elaborate than the domestic versions and typically done several times a day. They are also performed by a temple priest, or pujari. In addition, the temple deity (patron god or goddess) is considered a resident rather than a guest, so the puja is modified to reflect that; for example the deity is "awakened" rather than "invoked" in the morning. Temple pujas vary widely from region to region and for different sects, with devotional hymns sung at Vaishnava temples for example. At a temple puja, there is often less active participation, with the priest acting on behalf of others.
ELABORATE PUJA
A full home or temple puja can include several traditional upacaras or "attendances". The following is an example puja; these steps may vary according to region, tradition, setting, or time particularly in ways the deity is hosted. In this example, the deity is invited as a guest, the devotee hosts and takes care of the deity as an honored guest, hymns and food are offered to the deity, after an expression of love and respect the host takes leave and with affection expresses good bye to the deity. Indologist Jan Gonda has identified 16 steps (shodasha upachara) that are common in all varieties of puja:
1. Avahana (“invocation”). The deity is invited to the ceremony from the heart.
2. Asana. The deity is offered a seat.
3. Padya. The deity’s feet are symbolically washed.
4. Water is offered for washing the head and body
5. Arghya. Water is offered so the deity may wash its mouth.
6. Snana or abhisekha. Water is offered for symbolic bathing.
7. Vastra (“clothing”). Here a cloth may be wrapped around the image and ornaments affixed to it.
8. Upaveeda or Mangalsutra. Putting on the sacred thread.
9. Anulepana or gandha. Perfumes and ointments are applied to the image. Sandalwood paste or kumkum is applied.
10. Pushpa. Flowers are offered before the image, or garlands draped around its neck.
11. Dhupa. Incense is burned before the image.
12. Dipa or Aarti. A burning lamp is waved in front of the image.
13. Naivedya. Foods such as cooked rice, fruit, clarified butter, sugar, and betel leaf are offered.
14. Namaskara or pranama. The worshipper and family bow or prostrate themselves before the image to offer homage.
15. Parikrama or Pradakshina. Circumambulation around the deity.
16. Taking leave.
Sometimes additional steps are included:
1. Dhyana (“Meditation”). The deity is invoked in the heart of the devotee.
2. Acamanıya. Water is offered for sipping.
3. Aabaran. The deity is decorated with ornaments.
4. Chatram. Offering of umbrella.
5. Chamaram Offering of fan or fly-whisk (Chamara).
6. Visarjana or Udvasana. The deity is moved from the place.
There are variations in this puja method such as:
1. Pancha upachara pooja (puja with 5 steps).
2. Chatushasti upachara puja (puja with 64 steps).
The structure of elaborate puja also varies significantly between temples, regions and occasions.
QUICK PUJA
A quick puja has the same structure as acts ordinary people would perform for a quick reception, hospitality and affectionate interaction with a beloved guest. First the deity is greeted, acknowledged by name and welcomed, sometimes with a diya or lighted incense stick. The devotee proceeds to connect with the spiritual manifestation by meditating (a form of darshan), or chanting hymns and mantras, then personal prayers follow. After prayer is finished, the spiritual visitor as guest is affectionately thanked and greeted good bye. A quick meditative puja is sometimes offered by some Hindus without an idol or image. According to Fuller, Hindu texts allow flexibility and abbreviated puja according to occasion, needs and personal preferences.
PUJA IN BALINESE HINDUISM
In Hinduism of Bali Indonesia, puja is sometimes called Sembahyang. The word originates from two words in old Javanese: sembah and hyang. Sembah means to respect and bow down; Hyang means divine, God/Shang Hyang Widhi, holy man, and ancestors. So to pray means to respect, bow down, surrender to the divine and ancestors.
Sembahyang (Puja) is an obligation for Balinese Hindus, the prayers and hymns are derived from the Vedas. A family typically offers prayers everyday, with Kewangen and other offerings. Kewangen means aromatic, and it is made from leaves and flowers in form of auspicious Vedic symbols. Balinese use kewangen to worship the divine, both in form of Purusha (soul) and Pradana (body). As with India, Balinese make offerings, including symbolic inclusion of fire, incense and mantras.
GURU PUJA
In the case of great spiritual masters, there is also a custom to perform puja for a living person. Gurus are sometimes chosen as objects of puja and honored as living gods or seen the embodiment of specific deities. Gurus are sometimes adorned with symbolic clothes, garlands and other ornaments, and celebrated with incense, washing and anointing their feet, giving them fruits, food and drinks and meditating at their feet, asking for their blessing.
PUJA AS A SOCIAL, HUMAN RIGHTS EVENT
As with Church services in Christianity, Pūjā in Hinduism has served as a means for Hindu communities outside India to gather, socialize, discover new friends and sometimes discuss ways to address social discrimination of Hindus. For example, Marion O'Callaghan reports that the Hindu diaspora brought as indentured laborers to Trinidad by the British colonial government, suffered discriminatory laws that did not recognize traditional Hindu marriages or inheritance rights of children from a traditional Hindu marriage, nor did the non-Hindu majority government allow pyre cremation or construction of crematorium. These Hindu rituals were considered pagan and uncivilized. Pujas offered a way for Hindus to meet, socially organize and petition their human rights. Over time, pujas became as much as social and community recreational event, as a religious event.
CRITIQUE OF PUJA IN THE PURVA MIMAMSAKA SCHOOL
Although pūjā is accepted as a valid religious activity by Hindus at large, it has long been criticised by Mīmāṃsā thinkers. The foundational work of this school is the Karmamīmāṃsāsūtra or "Aphorisms for Enquiry into the Act," composed by Jaimini. The earliest surviving commentary is by Śabara who lived around the end of the fourth century. Śabara's commentary, known as Śabarabhāṣya holds pride of place in Mīmāṃsā in that Sabara's understanding is taken as definitive by all later writers. In his chapter entitled Devatādikaraṇa (9 : 1: 5: 6-9), Śabara examines the popular understanding of the gods and attempts to refute the belief that they have material bodies, are able to eat the offerings made to them, and are capable of being pleased and so able to reward worshippers. Basing himself on the Vedas (he refused to accept the Mahābhārata, Purāṇa texts or even the Smṛti literatures as valid sources of authority), Śabara concludes that the gods are neither corporeal nor sentient and thus unable to enjoy offerings or own property. For this he appeals to empirical observation, noting that offerings do not decrease in size when given to the gods; any decrease is simply due to exposure to the air. Likewise he argues that substances are offered to gods not according to the wishes of the gods, but that "what is vouched for by direct perception is that the things are used according to the wishes of the temple servants (pratyakṣāt pramāṇāt devatāparicārakāṇām abhiprāyaḥ). In the course of his discussion, Śabara's asserts that "there is no relation between the case of guests and the sacrificial act." This incidental remark provides sound historical proof that pūjā was built on analogy with atithi, the ancient Vedic tradition of welcoming guests. What Śabara is maintaining is that this analogy is not valid. While the Mīmāṃsakas continued to maintain this interpretation for centuries, their defeat in debate at the hands of Śaṅkarācārya led to theirs being a minority view. It is a remarkable testament to the plurality and tolerance of Indian civilization that Mīmāṃsakas flourished even into the 17th century, as evidenced by the commentaries of Nīlakaṇṭha.
REGIONAL NAMES
Puja, sometimes spelled pooja, is called பூஜை in Tamil, and bucha (บูชา) in Thai.
WIKIPEDIA
Unnatural Affections
One Pride Day in Toronto, I noticed a guy taking a million pictures of all the scandalous perverts, but pulling faces to clearly communicate his disapproval. Of course I had to photograph his performance. The moment he noticed, he rushed up and demanded I stop. I dedicate this to him and hope he found some kind of redemption in his collection of dirty, dirty pictures.
So, for your consideration, a set of illustrations taken from an encyclopaedic catalogue of human sexual diversity, chosen to poke at the way we run together moralizing with evidence-based medicine to produce ideas about what's healthy and what's criminal. Experts dissect and evaluate and problematize, religions vilify - and tourists walk around with cameras taking pictures and going EWWWWW!
This series is showing at garner narrative gallery www.garnernarrative.com in Louisville, KY, opening Friday April 6 (6-9 pm) and running through May 25, 2018.
Unnatural Affections
One Pride Day in Toronto, I noticed a guy taking a million pictures of all the scandalous perverts, but pulling faces to clearly communicate his disapproval. Of course I had to photograph his performance. The moment he noticed, he rushed up and demanded I stop. I dedicate this to him and hope he found some kind of redemption in his collection of dirty, dirty pictures.
So, for your consideration, a set of illustrations taken from an encyclopaedic catalogue of human sexual diversity, chosen to poke at the way we run together moralizing with evidence-based medicine to produce ideas about what's healthy and what's criminal. Experts dissect and evaluate and problematize, religions vilify - and tourists walk around with cameras taking pictures and going EWWWWW!
This series is showing at garner narrative gallery www.garnernarrative.com in Louisville, KY, opening Friday April 6 (6-9 pm) and running through May 25, 2018.
SUPPORT ON:
ideas.lego.com/projects/8bd25eba-307b-41aa-a920-9a298fecaceb
Who hasn’t watched the 80s classic films of the Karate Kid franchise? Who didn’t dream of becoming a student of Mr. Miyagi… to wear the black belt or the headband and to spill out in battle?
Let’s go and beat another karate bout together!
The Karate Kid was an adventure that I will always remember fondly, it left a legacy that is now continued with the wonderful series Cobra Kai.
Johnny Lawrence is now facing his childhood opponent and it all starts again… a new dojo, new students, but Mr.Miyagi's iconic dojo house looks very similar to the original.
Therefore I decided to upgrade Mr.Miyagi's beautiful house, which is the only thing that has not changed, the link between the generation of the 80s and today!
Now you can have the opportunity to choose between the two houses you want to assemble! With removable extra pieces you can "paint" the house, renovate its courtyards and live in the era you desire!
Johnny Lawrence: "Strike first strike hard, no mercy, cobra kai never dies"
or
Mr. Miyagi: "If Karate Used Defend Honor, Defend Life, Karate Mean Something. If Karate Used Defend Plastic Metal Trophy, Karate No Mean Nothing."
A. The front yard is the area where Mr. Miyagi kept his collection of cars, his boat for fishing next to the small water tank.
In the Cobra Kai era, the front yard has Johnny's car, the podium as well as the group training area set by Johnny and Daniel for the young students.
B. The back garden is a beautiful well cared space with Asian elements, plants and trees that depict mr.Miyagi’s love and affection. The wooden decks, the paved floor and the stream that runs across the garden make it complete and unique with a small pool has been added for Daniel’s balance lessons.
c. The house is composed of 3 rooms: one is the dojo, one is where the kitchen and the bedroom are, and the other one is where the small dinner table and the fireplace are. This is the room where Daniel learned “Paint the house” [Fourth lesson] and one of the most rememberable scenes of the movie took place. Mr. Miyagi catches a fly with his chopsticks and explains to Daniel-san that whoever manages to do that can achieve everything.
While creating this model it was very important to keep all the Japanese details of the space like the sliding doors, Mr.Miyagi’s medal and the bonsai he gifted to Daniel for the tournament. The roof is detachable in every room for easy access.
The Karate Kid era minifigures:
Mr. Miyagi, Young Daniel LaRusso.
The Cobra Kai era minifigures:
Old Daniel LaRusso, Old Johnny Lawrence, Samantha LaRusso, Miguel Diaz, Robby Keene, Eli 'Hawk' Moskowitz.
A funny time in the garden, is March. The snow is dirty; the grass is brownly sodden; the bushes are bedraggled.
But there are still things I like in my back yard.
by Rafael Rybczynski
Harmony session, Denmark
Models: Vera Sylvia & Yuliya
© 2010. All rights reserved.
Photograph selected to become Cover to Peacelounge Label
Hi everyone well after being scolded by my cousin for not posting anything lately to Flickr :( I figured out I better post soon so I wont be scolded again looool
Hi Nouf you must be reading this hehehehehe :)
I love seeing this side of those gorgeous cats, I was like awwww when I saw this :)
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Affection: Comment Réclamer ...
A whitetail doe pauses in the early light of the Oklahoma Cross Timbers. She is on alert, watching the approach of a small six-point buck. But he will be moved off by a much bigger eleven-point. The doe fled with the buck in hot pursuit. It's that time of year.
Our beautiful world, pass it on.
beautiful are a countless expressions of love...affection that is heartfelt beyond words to describe...
Just after staring our hiking to Horsetooth mountain, I saw a kid and his mom in front of us. It was great to watch them going - Fort Collins, CO
The Plucky Knitter Primo Fingering"Neapolitan Kit" - Oatmeal, Bashful, and Smokey the Bear
I finished this in February, while reading The Hunger Games trilogy. What a fantastic knit, and so easy to do while reading. And I *LOVE* TPK. Perfect yarn for this knit. I loved this yarn and this pattern so much that I'm going to make it again in fall colors. My next TPK kit should be arriving this week.
I knit this on size 7s at a slightly looser gauge than pattern, and I ended up running out of the Oatmeal. A very kind raveler sent me enough to finish up. As you can see, this thing is ENORMOUS. I'm considering making the next one on size 6s or 5s.