The Ganesha door
June 30, 2009
I am fascinated by the process of carving and sanding the Ganesha front door. I think that the level of artistry is really amazing. I think the next step is varnish, which in a way is too bad because the natural teak is such beautiful wood in its natural state. With the extended rainy season, I suspect it is necessary.
The upward curve…
June 29, 2009
From a recent email;
<< I don’t think I can recall ever ‘feeling’ anything during past yagyas. And my meditation practice has never been flashy. But when I look at my life, it has been a constant upward curve in all aspects. The ups, the downs; they all seem to deliver just what I need to progress in a forward manner. >>
Spirituality
June 29, 2009
“My experience with this yagya period has been amazing. My sleep has been so deep every night and filled with intense dreaming all night long or appears to be all night long. And every night the same thing.
My meditations have been deeper and more active too. Saw a very clear vision of a paragraph of an ancient text during my flying sutra. So clear and vivid. Never experienced a vision so clear before. I have no idea what the text was or meant. I just consider it a gift.”
#16 – The North Indian Chart
June 28, 2009
Penny Farrow discusses the way that the North Indian style of chart reflects the position of the planets in the zodiac. In our conversation we explore the features of this style of chart and how it aids in the interpretation of an individual’s destiny.
Penny practices and teaches Jyotisha full-time having been trained primarily under the expert tutelage of Hart deFouw. She is also a teacher and tutor for the American College of Vedic Astrology. Her website is www.vedicchart.com and she can be reached via email at info@vedicchart.com or pennyaf@comcast.net.
A six month report
June 28, 2009
“Ben:
My feed back from my recent experiences of a series of Personal Yagyas performed at Varanasi which has been taking place for me in recent months focusing onVenus,Saraswati and Lakshmi is as follows :
My experiences have been characterised by surges of physical,spiritual and sexual energy.I have also been delighted to experience the blossoming of mutual love and adoration in the relationship with my girl friend who I have started to see these last 3 to 4 months. We have both been experiencing much expanding love and happiness for and with each other. This effect in particular I have been surprised and delighted by as I did not have a conscious wish for a relationship earlier on in the year ; I am very glad it has happened though- so another experience of effortless attraction of much needed happiness there I feel !
The whole effect on me has been to greatly increase my vitality,energy and happiness levels and I have even lost some excess weight very easily which make me feel even better about myself. My hope,confidence for the future has improved beyond all measure and it is difficult to describe easily in words the great benefits I am feeling in my life. My spirtual life feels more integrated and dynamically interacting with my daily life – therefore even more meaningful. The main effect out of all of these is a marked experience of expanding love and happiness for me, my loved ones, friends,family which I experience as being frequently blissful for some considerable time during the day.I also feel much,much stronger inside and more confident.
Since having Yagyas done at Varanasi – I have experienced an intensity and an effect of immediacy on the day and in the following week which feels even stronger than before, so therefore would like to request as many of my Yagyas to be performed there as possible.”
The Rahu/Ketu tree
June 28, 2009
One of my favorite temples in Kanchipuram is Kachapaeswara temple which is primarily a Shiva temple. ”Kacchapam” is Sanskrit for “Turtle”. The story is that in this temple Lord Shiva was worshipped by Lord Vishnu in his Kurma Avatara; the form of a Turtle. After the purpose of that incarnation was completed, Vishnu wanted to regain his usual form and he came here to ask Shiva to destroy his turtle aspect and replace it with his more pleasing form. Interestingly, the temple is built around a sand lingam that Vishnu made for the purpose of his Shiva puja.
Off to the side is a huge tree surrounded by hundreds of naga statues. This is essentially a Rahu/Ketu area since they are the head and tail of a divine snake. Astrologically, Rahu and Ketu are very representative of karma and this area of the temple has a very strong atmosphere, as you might imagine. Mostly people come here to do pujas to have a child or to get married.
One of the services that we (as Puja.net) perform is the periodic cleaning and maintenance of this area which gives it a much lighter feel.
When visiting temples it is customary to do pradakshina; walking around each deity 1 or 3 times. So when we go to this part of the temple Seetharam always walks around on the lower level. The first time we were there, I decided to walk up among the snakes and walk around the tree three times. That night I had the strangest dreams…really really really strange dreams. Now I walk around at the bottom level.
Subtle effects…
June 26, 2009
A lot of the time, the effects of the yagyas are simple, subtle, and just a nice positive feeling. Given time, these effects deepen and frequently become a more profound sense of support and protection. It is never so much that problems disappear completely, but we are sensitive to the solutions that are present, and are able to take advantage of them without being overwhelmed by circumstance.
<<Thank you for facilitating these yagyas, and including my family. We are all feeling the positive, obstacle removing, good energy! I think my daughter M. benefited from the Guru (Jupiter) yagya, she seems more centered. Thank you! >>
The Sage of Kanchi – Sri Chandrasekharendra Saraswati
June 26, 2009
The Sage of Kanchi is a wonderful video on Sri Chandrasekharendra Saraswati who was the 68th Shankaracharya in Kanchipuram from 1894 until his passing in 1994 at the age of 100. He was profoundly influential and this video captures both the simplicity and power of his presence. For those of us in the west, the video is a rare insight into the traditional life of a sanyasi in the vedic tradition.
Many of the priests who perform the yagyas for our puja.net group worked in the Shankar Mutt when Chandrashekharendra was there, and Seetharama Shastry in particular served him for quite a few years. Without exception everyone speaks of him with awe and admiration.
The video is presented in two parts. It can be viewed here or downloaded if you prefer.
Sage of Kanchi, Part 1: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download Sage of kanchi, Part 2: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download
Varadaraja Abishekam
June 23, 2009
The Varadaraja temple, which is located about 1 block from our Kanchipuram yagya facility, is the 2nd largest Vishnu temple in all of India (after Srirangam). It is a magnificent place to visit and feeling inside the temple grounds is very soft and welcoming. This video (found on YouTube) shows the traditional tirumanjanam, or abishekam being performed. It is fairly rare to see these rituals on video.
Kanchipuram Temples
June 23, 2009
Over the course of my many visits to Kanchipuram, I have become very fond of the city. It is a fascinating place to visit and it has a rich spiritual and cultural history that is present everywhere you look. These two videos, which I found on YouTube, will give you sense of this delightfully charming place which contains some of the best temples that India has to offer.
The Temples of Kanchipuram, Part 1: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download The Temples of Kanchipuram, Part 2: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download