Brahmachari Shantamrita Chaitanya - Pujas & Homas
 What is a Puja / Homa?
Puja is ritualistic worship of the Divine performed to keep us in harmony with cosmic forces, thereby removing and overcoming the sorrows of life and bringing spiritual upliftment.
Puja or ritual worship of images of God, the Divine Mother or the Guru has a special place in spiritual sadhana. The puja is a simple expression of our love and devotion, a means of drawing near to the Divine.
In pujas, through worship and offerings the grace of the deity (such as Ganesha) is invoked, bestowing spiritual and material blessings. There are many different types of pujas, from a private daily worship at home to large-scale temple rituals conducted simultaneously by many priests.
 In a homa, a sacred fire is lit in a square hearth made of bricks (homa kunda), in which many offering are made.
This homa kunda symbolizes the mouth of God, and by offering the purified items into it, the worshipper can make direct contact with the Divine. Furthermore, when the offerings are burned in the fire, their solid matter is transformed into a more subtle, powerful, and effective form.
Read more about the science of pujas and homas, and what Amma says about them...
The science of Pujas and Homas, and what Amma says about them...
By doing pujas and homas, thoughts and vibrations of spiritual forces are created around us. These spiritual forces work to eliminate the negative influences in our life and help surround us with positive energy which can bring us peace of mind, material prosperity and enable us to more clearly touch the Divine, our true nature.
 Pujas and Homas are traditionally performed by priests trained in the exact science of puja including the precise details of auspicious times to do certain pujas, which mantras to chant, etc. Brahmachari Shantamrita Chaitanya is one such trained priest.
Amma’s pujas and homas, handed down by ancient tradition are usually performed at Amma's brahmasthanam temples, but now, for the first time in Australia, such pujas and homas will be performed without the temple. It will certainly be a rare chance to experience these pujas and homas that have Amma's powerful divine resolve.
By coming into contact with these pujas and homas, we can feel and experience their sacredness and their power to purify the environment. These ceremonies are also considered very effective in helping us to realize our desires and goals in material life. Come feel the difference. It will certainly be a rare chance to experience these pujas and homas that have Amma's powerful divine resolve.
Both Pujas and Homas are “upayas” (methods to alter one's destiny). As in other upayas, by "offering oneself" to the Divine, the individual can alter his destiny through Divine Grace.
 Pujas and homas represent a sophisticated yet ancient technology by which we can directly work on the various phenomena that affect our lives and destiny, using ordinary everyday materials. This spiritual science was revealed by the Realized Sages of ancient India, called "Rishis", and has been handed down through the generations for the sake of mankind.
By performing pujas/homas the environment becomes purified. Nature becomes pleased with us and bestows It’s Grace on us. Not only that, the subtle essence of the mantras, items used and various offerings made literally becomes food for our ancestors (who dwell on a subtle plane.) from which they receive nourishment and they in return bestow blessings on us as well.
This form of worship, performed with concentration, sincerity and love has proven to be a tremendous tool for stress release and self-healing on the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual levels due to the intensity of purifying vibrations generated by and within the practitioner.
Finally, the object of all rituals is to create thoughts and vibrations of spiritual forces in and around us. This is best achieved by singing or chanting of mantras, performing certain actions and making offerings. The Sanskrit verses repeated in the puja are extremely powerful repositories of spiritual forces. These spiritual forces are released into the atmosphere and promote Love and Peace throughout the entire world.
What Amma Says
 Amma says that her path is "love" and her religion is "love and selfless service".
However, vedic practices such as pujas and homas are certainly beneficial to those who have faith in them. It would be ideal if we pray that all our pujas lead us to the path of love that Amma shows us all the time.
Amma says "Children, whatever you are engaged in, you must always be thinking of God. This is the purpose of rituals. Rituals will foster good habits and they will bring order in life. Every ritual was created as an aid to maintain an unbroken remembrance of God."
"The malefic planetary conjunctions are the phases in one's life when one's aura gets darkened. Such a person is like one groping in the darkness. His thoughts and activities are misguided. The vibrations radiating from him displease others. It is possible to reduce the suffering due to the unfavorable position of planets through sincere reliance on God, the One who controls the planets. The Indwelling Lord cannot turn a deaf ear to a soulful prayer said with an open heart."
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