Jyotish-Yagya

Each morning at 7:45 am I’m driven to the Ashram where the Pandits have begun their day of prayer. The atmosphere at the Ashram is quiet, peaceful, with an undercurrent of immense power. These people converse with the Forces of Nature every day in a respectful, measured and life enhancing way. Nature supports them and smiles on them. I am lucky to get some of this! I participate in a Rudri Puja to Shiva and then a Durga Puja to the Mother Divine each morning.

Shiva Puja at the Vedic Life Foundation

The orange altar to the right contains a Shiva Lingam handed down through Pandit Dixit’s family for 1500 years. It is covered with flowers in this image. This picture is near the end of the daily morning Shiva Puja. You can see fire being offered from the Pandit’s right hand on the right side of the picture. They light camphor in a small brass holder to offer to the Force of Nature.

I had an epiphany a couple of days ago and realized that I could show more respect to the Devas. I went out and purchased a Kharta and pyjamas, a long shirt and pants. Shaunak Sharma pointed out that my kharta matches the Chandan Tilak, gold strip on my forehead. The Red Tilak is placed on the forehead at the beginning of every Puja. The Chandan tilak is only placed during a Shiva Puja.

The kharta and white pants are much cooler than my jeans and t-shirt! And I feel much better at the ceremonies being a bit more dressed up. Imagine going to a Sunday Church service at home in jeans and a t-shirt. I now wear more appropriate clothing.

I wore shorts to the Puja as well as into the office. Later, at the office, I was working away, feeling quite comfy since I was dressed the way I dress for hot weather in the USA. (It’s only been in the high 80’s during the day here and a little humid. So it’s not as extreme as some areas) One of my new friends in the office came over and with his eyes slightly downcast said, ‘Only the homeless wear shorts here.’ That floored me and got me thinking about how I fit in, or not. I’d been trying to get out and get some decent clothes since I’d arrived. That comment made the shopping trip even more urgent.

The next evening, Sri Ajay and Sri Gautam, Pandit Dixit’s executive secretaries seen in one of the first posts in the blog took me downtown. We entered a shop run by a Sikh, brightly lit, well organized, instantly waited on. I left with this gold kharta and also a white one in about 10 minutes. Problem solved!

Chuck Hunner at the entrance to the New Yagya Hall

Just behind me in this image is the following scene:

Chanting yagyas at the Vedic Life Foundation

The gold cloth on this Pandit’s right hand is called a ‘pocket’. His hand is inside this little bag where he keeps his mala, his strand of 108 beads. He moves along the necklace, one-bead-at-a-time as he chants each mantra. The pocket is said to keep the mantra in the beads and prevent the energy from dissipating.

Starting each day with a Puja to the specific Deva to which the yagyas are being chanted attracts his/her attention. It brings their positive influence to the ceremony. There are so many common sense, logical reasons behind the way yagyas are performed. The Puja at the beginning of the day may be oversimplified by saying that one is knocking on the door of the Deva. When the Deva comes to the door, you praise them and offer them respect and sweet, beautiful things. This predisposes the Deva to stay with you. Then the conversation with the Deva begins in earnest by chanting the mantra to them.

As the Deva stays with you, you begin to vibrate at a different frequency, a higher frequency more in harmony with the Deva. I remember when I was younger and I hung out with a bad crowd. I began to resonate with the way that they were vibrating. I became difficult to be around. Then, I began to hang out with a different crowd, one where everybody meditated and treated themselves well. I became like them. I began to resonate at that more life building, coherent frequency. My life just got better and better. Hanging out with the Devatas is like that. Things just get better and better.

It wasn’t always easy to improve. At the beginning of some yagyas, often obvious stress will be released. This trip I caught a cold shortly after arriving. I’ve had all sorts of challenges with the air conditioner where I’m staying! I’ve felt quite emotional at times as my old karma is burnt by the yagyas. I know for  a fact that things are getting better for me because of the yagyas. So I’m patient, knowing that good things are happening for me. It is all part of the process of transforming my old self into a new being.

Enough of my ramble for today. Thanks for visiting and reading. I’m always happy to answer any questions you may have.

Life is cascading around me like rapids in a mountain stream. Mother Divine celebrations started yesterday. I participated in two pujas, one to begin the Mother Divine celebration, the other to begin a Rudrabishek yagya. The Sounds were remarkable. I have recordings, some of which I’ll post in the next few days. Since today is the second day of the celebrations, here are several images I hope will give you a feeling of the celebration.

Ganesha, Lord of the Devas, grants access to the Transcendental world

The north wall of the yagya hall holds the main altar. I’ll show some close-ups in the next few days with a brief discussion of altars.

Altar in the new Yagya Hall of the Vedic Life Foundation

Just to the right of the Main Altar is a small, separate altar for Hanuman. Note the sunlight shining on the orange statue in the small altar. The Monkey image here is very subtle, flattened, only a hint of an animal to it, but definitely a consciousness that is available to us. Just a few minutes later in the day and it is in the shadow.

Hanuman - General of the Monkey armies

Finally, in the Northeast corner of the room is the statue to Durga. She’s covered up, waiting for her debut during this morning’s puja.

Durga waiting to come out

A bit later, near the end of a wonderful puja, Mother Divine enters the room.

Mother Divine riding on Singh

A short while later we performed the daily Homa. This fire ceremony is performed each day to purify the atmosphere in which the yagyas are chanted.

Daily Homa at the Vedic Life Foundation

BTW, any of the images with me in them were kindly and expertly shot by Mrs. Manju. Thank you!

This morning, October 01, I participated in two more pujas, one to Shiva and another to Mother Divine, then got to meditate while the pandits performed their yagyas. I’m having a very sweet time here, thanks to the kindness and generosity of the Dixit Family and everyone with the VLF. Thanks!

I was up at 4:30 am getting ready for my train ride to Kanpur. I was a little foggy after the 14+ hour plane ride from Newark. But Ashish, a former VLF (Vedic Life Foundation) employee now working in Delhi, got me to my train on time. I was a little concerned, being a stranger in a strange land surrounded by a crowd of busy people at the train station. I was wondering if I was going to make it. I decided all was well and began to silently chant a simple Ganesha mantra – Ganesha Sharanam Sharanam Ganesha. When reading/chanting this mantra, pronounce all the vowels. The ‘a’s sound like ah, a soft sound like the ‘o’ in God. The ‘e’s sound like eh, a little harder sound like the ay in pay. Ashish got me there in plenty of time. I’ll have a good picture of him near the end of this journey.

Mrs. Manju and Pandit Dixit’s assistant Mr. Gautam met me at the train in Kanpur with big smiles. They brought flowers as well and then installed me at the Kanha International. I have to say that I’m not used to being waited on hand and foot! The service at the Kanha Continental in Kanpur is superb! I was slightly concerned about hotel as its website says that it is popular with backpackers. Very upscale backpackers!

This is Mrs. Manju, Pandit Dixit’s daughter and her executive secretary, Mrs. Meenu in their office at the Vedic LIfe Foundation.

Mrs. Manju and Mrs. Meenu

Here is a view of Pandit Dixit’s office. Mr. Gautam, is on the left. Mr. Ajay is in the middle. He is Panditji’s main secretary. Panditji can look over his shoulder as Mr. Ajay types the emails you recieve. This is D. S. Dixit (Panditji) on the right. It’s the end of the day and their desks are covered with the work of the day. We all get very busy just before big holidays (Holy Days) like Sharadiya Navaratri. Lots of yagya orders must be processed. There is a lot of record keeping that goes on behind the scenes here in order to keep everything well organized.

Vedic Life Foundation office

While I was in the office with Panditji today we spoke about Saraswati and Ganesha.
He said that not only did Saraswati govern wisdom, but also general knowledge and intellect. Ganesha’s job is to refine the intelligence and bring it to enlightened intelligence. If you want to become enlightened, create a conversation in your life with Ganesha. You can do this by giving an image of Ganesha an important place in your house. A picture or statue is good. Annette and I have both. Sit in front of the image and meditate each day. Have a daily conversation with this friendly Force of Nature and watch the depth and sweetness of your intellect grow.

This is one of the reasons we do yagyas. A yagya is a conversation with one of the Devas, with a Force of Nature, held for you by a learned man, a Pandit. The Pandit sits and chants your yagya for you. In this way, the Deva is given attention by you from our material world. It is nutured by us. According to Natural Law, the Devas then gives their divine attention to those who converse with them. It’s good to have the Gods smiling on you!