The Fire Ceremony (Yajna) is an integral part of Hinduism. Yajna, which means the union of the two fires, one of internal spiritual enlightenment mirroring the ceremonial fire altar, is a core part of Siva Puja. This union is the sacrifice of an individual's egotism, duality, selfishness and other asuras. Puja means "the actions which give birth to the highest merit." By doing Puja, we practice what it would be like for God to visit our homes. The Siva Puja and Advanced Yajna book goes into the intricate details of worshipping the great deity, Mahadeva. Siva allegorizes Infinite Goodness and Continual Transformation; the literal translation of Siva is "the welfare of all objects of perception." He is inconceivably limitless and by worshipping him, we can cultivate and imbibe some of His great qualities, such as Detachment, and Infinite Consciousness. We learn to recognize that the intrinsic reality is not the external appearance and this wisdom frees us from pain and fear. Swamiji is most encouraging in his guidance and continuously helps us along in our quest for divine grace. He says, "Worship does not mean the memorization of mantras, or even the proper placement of the flowers and other objects. Worship is an attitude of respect, of dedication, of devotion to the exclusion of selfishness...." In this manner, we can all become a part of Lord Siva.
Jumpha
