srini_sadhu: Om Sang Sarawatyai Namaha! Let us begin
Alphansa DSouza: ok
srini_sadhu: Today's class is on Homa
srini_sadhu: A very interesting topic
srini_sadhu: We also discuss Arpan or Offering
srini_sadhu: In general we will type a few sentences and then open for discussion
srini_sadhu: Homa is one of the seven forms of Siddhantachar.
srini_sadhu: The others are Puja, Path, Nrit, Geet, Pravachan, and Arpan
srini_sadhu: Homa is the abbreviated form of Yajna and means Sacred Fire Ceremonies
srini_sadhu: Yajna comes from the root word Yuj which means to unite
srini_sadhu: In Yajna we strive the unite the fire of knowledge in the ajna chakra with the fire outside
srini_sadhu: Discussion, questions?
Kalachandra Chandra: Jai dear ones Pranans
srini_sadhu: Namaste Kalachandra!
Alan: What does Yajna include that the abbreviated homa does not?
Ramya: Welcome Kalachandra - Happy Navaratri - we are discussing "Homa" now.
srini_sadhu: I think, Yajna is a elaborate Fire ceremony
srini_sadhu: Homa refers to the act of offering ghee
srini_sadhu: I will clarify with Swamiji
henny_v_i: Is homa the ceremony performed at sunrise and sunset?
srini_sadhu: Examples of elaborate yajnas: Putra Kameshti, Aswamedha, etc.
Ramya: We hear in Scriptures of rishis and kings performing different types of Yagya - for e.g. Sri Rama did Ashwamedha yagya which went on for a long time and related to His empire.
srini_sadhu: You can do Homa anytime.
srini_sadhu: In our tradition
Ramya: Swamiji is doing Chandi Homa now!
henny_v_i: oh, ok, thank you
Alan: Pujas are associated with one or more specific deities. Same with homa?
srini_sadhu: Yes Alan
srini_sadhu: When we do Chandi Homa the deity of worship is Chandi
srini_sadhu: We will talk a little about this later
Ramya: We can also do Homa where we chant the names of a diety - e.g., Kali Sahasranam - we chant 1000 names of Kali at the fire.
srini_sadhu: Yajnas and Homas are becoming rarer in these times compared to the Vedic times
Alan: You mentioned that Yajna is from yuj, to unite. But sometimes people refer to yajna as a sacrifice.
srini_sadhu: That may be the popular connotation
srini_sadhu: The metaphysical interpretation is that we are striving to unite the fire within the ajna chakra to the fire outside
srini_sadhu: Vedic Sacrifices are very rare in this age. So we are very blessed that Maa and Swamiji
srini_sadhu: are supporting and sharing this time-honored beautiful tradition
srini_sadhu: Question for Discussion
srini_sadhu: Why do we do Homa/Yajna, What are the benefits?
Alphansa DSouza: The performance of Homa assists the self purification of those attending, and balances the forces of nature.
The performance of Homa assists the self purification of those attending, and balances the forces of nature.
srini_sadhu: Thank you Alphansa!
kaliananda_saraswati: Purification of self and ancestry
Ramya: Homa sends innumerable positive vibrations into the environment, both physically and at the subtle level - Thanks Kali and Alphanso
Ramya: How does this purification happen? Any thoughts?
Kalachandra Chandra: the self purification in Puja is like in Homa ?
kaliananda_saraswati: not sure
Ramya: Yes Kalachandra - in one way it is the same - the mantras help purify.
Alphansa DSouza: I have heard that One has to swallow a pinch of the vibhuti daily to have a variety of benefits ranging from healing of diseases to spiritual awakening. The kum-kum powder can be used as a pious decoration on the forehead of the devotee, to protect and energize the spiritual eye.
Ramya: The mantras communicate inspiration and meaning - the purest vibrations that mankind has conceived.
srini_sadhu: Every place of worship, fire or altar, create a different focus and bhava
srini_sadhu: Both Puja and Homa aid in sending pure vibrations out into the cosmos
Ramya: Yes - Alphanso due to the potency of the mantras and because the articles of offering have been collected with pure intentions - the ash (vibhuthi) is very precious!
Ramya: Thank you!
srini_sadhu: Thank you Alphansa. I have heard that too!
srini_sadhu: At the end of Homa, Swamiji takes ash from the fire applies it as tilak on all of us as a blessing.
Kalachandra Chandra: I received vibhuti of Chandi Yagna. Can I give a little of this vibhuti to non-devotees or only devotees?
srini_sadhu: Everyone Kalachandra!
Kalachandra Chandra: Thanks!
srini_sadhu: Speaking of Purity, Swamiji says Fire is the purest of the five elements
srini_sadhu: Water can become impure, earth, and air can become impure, but fire can never be impure.
srini_sadhu: Whatever we offer into it, it burns it and remains pure.
srini_sadhu: Divine Fire has seven tongues
srini_sadhu: 1st kali = black
srini_sadhu: Second Karali is Increasing, Formidable
srini_sadhu: Manojava is Swift as Thought
srini_sadhu: Sulohita: Excelent Shine
srini_sadhu: Sudhumravarna: Purple
srini_sadhu: Ugra or Sphulingini Fearful
srini_sadhu: Pradipta: Giving Light
srini_sadhu: Isnt that beautiful that fire has so many divine aspects?
srini_sadhu: Any questions?
kaliananda_saraswati: Not a question but whenever i sit at the fire i feel really transformed. The red embers of fire always seem to appears as Kali's tongue ... and all colours in the spectrum is embodied in the flames.
Ramya: Thanks Kali - that is so beautiful and powerful! Swamiji says that we can visualize our Beloved Diety in the Fire.
henny_v_i: So we could offer our negative thoughts to the fire and it would consume them? Or should we offer positive thoughts to feed the flames?
kaliananda_saraswati: Jai Kali Maa
srini_sadhu: Actually, Henny I asked this question to Swamiji
srini_sadhu: He said only two things to focus on when at the fire, the mantras and the fire.
srini_sadhu: The focus and concentration makes our prayer effective
henny_v_i: Yes, I see how that works, thank you!
srini_sadhu: Fire is Agni Devata, a very riveting object for concentration. As we offer mantras and offerings into the fire, we focus on the fire as an object of worship.
srini_sadhu: Offerings are known as Ahuti in Sanskrit.
Ramya: A major benefit of doing a homa is the ability to focus or concentrate.
srini_sadhu: Are there any other benefits to Homa beside the focus and concentration for the sadhak?
kaliananda_saraswati: it is said that concentrating on the flame of a candle helps the focus
Ramya: You are reading the scripture and offering masala with every verse, and looking at the fire - helps to keep focused on the moment.
srini_sadhu: Swamiji says we burn Karma every time we offer at the fire
srini_sadhu: What does that mean?
henny_v_i: that seeds of behavior get burnt so that they can't sprout again?
srini_sadhu: Very nice Henny.
Kalachandra Chandra: we burn bad karma and we get good karma?
srini_sadhu: Swamiji says
srini_sadhu: By focusing on the mantras and the fire, our mind is not in the world.
srini_sadhu: As we continue this practice daily, we transform our minds, our samskaras,
Ramya: Jai Kalachandra!
srini_sadhu: That is the sense in which we burn our samskaras.
srini_sadhu: We go inward toward God, away from the World.
Ramya: "samskaras" are the seeds that Henny mentioned
srini_sadhu: On a practical level, Maa says it is good to offer the masala as much as possible into the fire
srini_sadhu: That means sitting as close as possible to the Havan
Alphansa DSouza: Masala?
Alan: Srini, you mentioned different bhavas at the fire and at the altar. Can you say more on that?
Ramya: Masala is the offering we put in the fire.
Ramya: Masala has seven ingredients: rice, barley, black sesame seeds, and small quantities of milk, ghee, sugar, and honey.
Alphansa DSouza: ok
Ramya: Every time we say a mantra, we take a little bit of masala in our fingers and offer to fire.
srini_sadhu: Hard to describe Alan. I find it is easier to focus when at at the fire and sit for longer. Something about the fire.
srini_sadhu: Also easier to do tratak on the fire, which is looking at the fire without blinking for a while.
Alan: How common or uncommon is it to do homa at home? Is it mostly done at temples?
srini_sadhu: I would say more common in temples. In my home in India we used to regular Homas though with a priest.
srini_sadhu: Depends on the samskaras of the head of the family
Alan: You mentioned masala as offering, but pure ghee is also offered, right?
srini_sadhu: Yes Alan
Ramya: There is information on how to do homa in Hanuman Puja book and Shiva Advance puja book.
srini_sadhu: We also offer coconuts, pudding
srini_sadhu: Chanting at Fire can be a Tapasya
srini_sadhu: There is a class on Swamiji's Five Fires Sadhana where he talks about this aspect of Homa. I will put it up.
srini_sadhu: So benefits of Homa: Purification of atmosphere, focus, burning of karma, tapasya
srini_sadhu: Some specifics now
srini_sadhu: Homa Vidhi is a vast topic
Kalachandra Chandra: we need to be priest to make homa?
Ramya: No Kalachandra - Swamiji gives us the teachings on how to do it - so we can become priests ourselves!
srini_sadhu: We can start simple to the extent we are capable and our circumstances
srini_sadhu: Rather than expounding on this vast topic I wish to list the major topics under it that can serve as an outline for further enquiry
srini_sadhu: Some of the issues that arise here are: the fire pit and how to construct it, how do we enkindle the fire
srini_sadhu: and what mantras we chant when so doing, what do we offer at the fire, how do we keep it alive and how do we put it out.
srini_sadhu: The Mantras for enkindling a fire are in the Hanuman Puja Book
srini_sadhu: When we offer Mantras at the fire we chant each mantra followed by Swaha
Ramya: Swa means "own" and ha means "God" Swaha means - God is my own or I am one with God.
Ramya: As we offer masala in the fire we say "Swaha"
Ramya: E.g. Om Nama Sivaya Swaha
srini_sadhu: Before we begin any Homa, we chant
srini_sadhu: Om Bhuh Swaha, Om Bhuva Swaha, Om Sva Swaha, Om Bhu Bhuva Sva Swaha
srini_sadhu: We also end the Homa with the same mantras.
srini_sadhu: Discussion about Homa before we discuss Arpan?
kaliananda_saraswati: none from me
henny_v_i: Can you use a copper bowl or something or do you have to make a fire pit?
henny_v_i: I mean for a very small and simple homa...
srini_sadhu: We will discuss this in the club. There is some discussion on the FAQ page of our website
srini_sadhu: I will ask Swamiji.
henny_v_i: thank you, I'll look that up.
Kalachandra Chandra: Good question Henny
srini_sadhu: In India, at Homa we used to use red bricks as the receptacle, but we had mosaic floors
srini_sadhu: The floors never stained after Homa
srini_sadhu: Should we discuss Arpan?
kaliananda_saraswati: yes
Alan: Yes
Kalachandra Chandra: yes
henny_v_i: Yes, please
Ramya: We have been talking of different types of Siddhantachara - Behavior in accordance with scriptures...Puja, Path, Homa.
Ramya: Arpan or offering of service is also one of the behaviors. Others are singing, dancing and discussing (like we are doing now!)
Ramya: Arpanam means offering of service
srini_sadhu: While "Arpanam" is stated as a specific type of behavior in Siddhantachar, this offering occurs in all the other behaviors and indeed we want it to permeate our every action.
srini_sadhu: We want our every action to be an offering to God, an offering to God's creation.
Ramya: We want our every action to be an offering to God, an offering to God's creation.


kaliananda_saraswati: how does this differ from seva?
Ramya: How do we do this? Please share your thoughts and experience
Alphansa DSouza: services during homa?
srini_sadhu: Alphansa could you elaborate?
Alphansa DSouza: what services do you mean?
srini_sadhu: It could be service in the world
Ramya: Kali - If you are doing it for God, it is the same!
kaliananda_saraswati: Thanks
kaliananda_saraswati: paying attention to our every action
srini_sadhu: Swamiji says offering is the attitude that we take from our sadhana (homa, puja) and carry in our actions and interactions in the world
Alan: First step might be to be detached from your actions; no expectations of mundane fruit as a result of your actions. Then your actions might better be transformed into arpanam.
srini_sadhu: Does that help Alphansa?
Alphansa DSouza: So are services outside homa time arpan?
srini_sadhu: Yes Alphansa
Alphansa DSouza: ok
srini_sadhu: Provided we do with remembrance of God and we doing for God
henny_v_i: Our actions, then, will be carried forward on waves of love and devotion
Alphansa DSouza: It is like renewing of the mind
Ramya: We are doing some karma - it may be the same karma but in one case we do it as a "duty" a reponsibility and in another case as an expression of our love and devotion - that is what makes it "an offering" - arpanam
srini_sadhu: Maa says when we interact with people in the world we should try to see them as Shiva, Vishnu, Devi
srini_sadhu: That way when we interact with them and serve them we feel like we are serving God
Kalachandra Chandra: is very beautiful but not very easy, we need many sadhana...
henny_v_i: Yes indeed...
Alphansa DSouza: well said...good idea!
Ramya: Kali mentioned - Respect and attention to every action and that seems to be the key
srini_sadhu: For example, if we see someone has lot of creative capacity think of them as Brahma and serve them
Ramya: When we pay attention to every action, we are conscious and that means we are doing the karma efficiently.
srini_sadhu: When we see some one has aprotective attitude, see them as Vishnu.
Ramya: Kalachandra - you are so right! Swamiji says that our goal is not to just do spiritual practices -- but to live a spiritual life.
henny_v_i: Ah, that is very helpful, Srini! I never thought of it like that!
srini_sadhu: So offering becomes beautiful when we do it for God and do with respect and attention
Ramya: The spiritual practices help us -- remind us -- to lead a spiritual life.
Ramya: Swamiji says that to be a sadhu means to be "efficient" - i once asked Maa what that means - efficient.
srini_sadhu: That really helped me too Henny when Maa said this a few weeks ago
Ramya: She smiled and answered - to do with respect, to do for God - every action, every moment!
henny_v_i: Jai Maa
kaliananda_saraswati: Jai Maa
Kalachandra Chandra: all actions become offering and it is the beautiful goal for us in this week.
Ramya: So how do we live a spiritual life? How do we integrate our sadhana with the rest-of-our-life? Just sharing some things we learnt ....please add and we can discuss more in yahoo_group too!
Ramya: First - Make an overall goal - where you want to do in life. Think about it clearly.
Ramya: Second - make a goal each day. Look at night and check how much you achieved and what you can do better.
Ramya: Thrid - Do each action with sankalpa - that makes us more conscious
Ramya: Fourth - Be efficient in each action - Look for solutions and be enthusiastic!
Ramya: Fifth - Complete your karma
Ramya: Sixth - Offer all to God!
Ramya: Please share your thoughts.
kaliananda_saraswati: i was thinking that one the karma is complete we must try with Mother's guidance not to create new karmas.
Ramya: Thanks for the goal for this week Kalachandra - i will like to join you in this goal!
kaliananda_saraswati: So will i.
srini_sadhu: One of the most frequent teachings that I have received from Maa and Swamiji is: Complete you karma
srini_sadhu: For example, when you wash dishes, dry them and put it away
Ramya: "your karma" - Be it putting away dishes you wash or finishing a project.
srini_sadhu: And do it for the God inside the individual.
Ramya: We become free when we do our karma perfectly
srini_sadhu: We don’t need to come back and do it again
Ramya: All these discussions have helped me immensely to think about Maa and Swamiji's teachings - please accept my gratitude for all your participation - kind thoughts and inspiration!
srini_sadhu: Closing thoughts?
Kalachandra Chandra: this is in the 1 Kashyapa Sutra too
henny_v_i: a verse from one of Maa's songs: 'hang on to the Name with all your might, proceed along your way". That will help us lead a spiritual life
srini_sadhu: May we all be peaceful and happy on the occassion of this Navaratri!
Alphansa DSouza: May God keep my soul eternally safe as I offer my actions, thoughts and minds to the Divine. Jai Maa!
Ramya: Thanks Henny for the beautiful reminder!
srini_sadhu: It has been wonderful talking to you for the last five weeks
Ramya: Thanks Alphanso!
Alan: Thank you Srini and Ramya!
Kalachandra Chandra: Jai Maa! This family and these class is in fact a blessing to me ! Thanks all you
henny_v_i: It has been a privilege to be here; thank you all for sharing your wisdom.
Ramya: Hope to see you all here and online - and in the lap of Divine Mother! Jai Maa!
srini_sadhu: Take care! Jai Maa!
kaliananda_saraswati: Jai Maa and thanks so very much to you all.
kaliananda_saraswati: Pranams
Alphansa DSouza: I have been like a sponge absorbing all your wisdom...thanks to you all again!
Ramya: Thank you! Jai Maa!
Kalachandra Chandra: Happy Navaratri for all you