Full Moon Puja

Full Moon Puja was conducted by one of the Temple Priests and Sri Narayani Amma on Wednesday January 11th, 2015 in the Yagashala at the Sri Narayani Peedam. As usual there was a huge gathering of devotees who came to witness this auspicious event and to recieve the blessings of Beloved Amma.

When the universal mother Parasakthi, is fed by us via the Fire Puja (Yagam) She is happy and showers the whole world with blessings. That's why the yagams, pujas are performed to Sri Narayani in the Yagashala at the Sri Narayani Peedam. All those who attend these pujas and yagams also receive the blessings.

Amma's Full Moon (Pournami) message: 11.01.2015

"Om Sarva Mangala Mangalye,

Shive Sarvatha Shaadhike,

Sharanye Triambake Gowri,

Narayani Namostute"

Hinduism tells us many ways to live a peaceful and happy life and one of them is going to the temple. By going to the temple, we can get peace and happiness. A lot of people have the habit of going to the temple but do not understand the benefits. The Tamil word for temple is ‘Kovil’. The meaning of this word is “big house”. ‘Ko’ meaning big and ‘il’ meaning house. So, when going to the temple, how do we get peace? If we look at how the temple is organized or built, it absorbs the panchabootha shakthi (the five elements). First Garbagraham, then Artha Mandapam, then Maha Mandapam, then Vasnatha Mandapam then Raja Gopuram. So look at this like the head, neck, stomach and feet. This is how the temple is organized. In the Garbagraham also known as the Moolasthanam, it is where the idol is placed.

What is on top of the Gopuram? There is a Kalasam. Normally, the Kalasam is made of copper. Copper has the ability to attract. Since the copper has the ability to attract, the Kalasam acts like an antenna and absorbs the Panchabootha Shakthi and sends it to the idol in the temple. That is why there are slots within the crown of the idol. It is never fully filled up because it allows the Panchbootha Shakthi which is absorbed by the Kalasam to fully reach the idol. This is also the reason why there are no windows in the Garbagraham so the energy absorbed by the idol is not disturbed. So the energy absorbed from the universe by the Kalasam is stored in the Garbagraham, and does not get disturbed by the air from outside.

When building a temple, before placing the idol in the Moolasthanam, the Yantram specifically for the idol is placed underneath it. You give the Manthram Shakthi to the Yantram. The Shakthi absorbed by the Yantram is the centre of the idol and every devotee’s body absorbs this Shakthi. So people think “we go, we pray and we tell all our problems to God”. However, there is more, everyone is absorbing this Shakthi without their knowledge. If there is milk and is mixed with water, it become water. But when milk is mixed with milk, it is still milk. Just like that when a devotee goes to the garbagraham, the atma within devotee absorbs the Panchabootha Shakthi from the Garbagraham and is mixed within the soul.

So when going to the temple, people go with many different problems, confusions and sorrows. However, when leaving the temple, they feel peaceful. This is because the atma absorbed the Panchabootha Shakthi and they forget about their problems and sorrows and feel peaceful. Therefore a temple is not just a building, it is a place with stores the energy which gives peace to the mind and the body. Another name for the Moolasthanam is Garbagraham. ‘Garba’ is used twice once referring to the mother’s womb other times at the temple. This is because life comes from a mother’s womb and just like that the Shakthi needed for humans comes from the Garbagraham. Just like how the mother’s womb in dark, the Garbagraham is also dark. The light is the womb is the Life and Shakthi in the Garbagraham is like the life and light.

Pujas happens and mantras are said form morning to night at temples, when a mantra is said, the vibrations made is absorbed by the yantram and the idol. When someone goes in front of the place where all this energy is stored, the atma attracts all the energy stored and the body absorbs this energy. When a person absorbs this energy, it is the reason why they feel peace, happiness, good health and wisdom. A lot of people ask if someone has the habit of going to the temple. Some may say they will pray from home hence why they don’t go to the temple.

There is God at home too however the difference between home and the temple is like the difference of one rose which has a nice smell, but the smell from a garland with a 1000 roses is much stronger than 1 rose. The 1 rose is like the altar at home, it is for our satisfaction, we do puja that we know. But in temples, they do pujas based on vedas and traditions, it is like the 1000 roses garland.

There is a big difference in the Shakthi at home and at the temple. At home, we pray and do puja for about 10 minutes however at temples they do pujas, archanas, yagams, abhishekams from morning till night. With all this there is also the mantras are being said throughout the day as well. All these mantras is absorbed by the idol. Since there is a lot of shakthi being stored there, it is the reason why we feel so peaceful right away. So the prayers at home is for our satisfaction, we do it based on what we know. However, at temples pujas is happening all the time for the well-being of this universe. It is like how there is a nice fragrance in 1 flower but the fragrance of a 1000 flowers is much stronger.

So the prayers at home is like 1 flower and the temple is like 1000 flowers. Just like how a thousand flowers have a stronger fragrance, the Garbagraham has much more Shakthi. So when we go to temples, without our knowledge, the body absorbs the vibrations from these mantras. So when we enter the temple, we enter with problems, worries and sorrows. Coming to temple doesn’t get rid of the problems but gets rid of the worries that come because of the problem. The heart will feel very light because of the connection the atma feels with the divine at the temple.

So many would think that going to the temple is for God. They think they did something for God if they break coconut or do abhishekams. But that is not the truth, by going the temple we absorbed the divine energy. That Shakthi gives us strength, good health, happiness and many other good things. That is why older traditions made it mandatory to go to the temple at least once or twice a week. By going very frequently, the atma also gains a level of divine. This is the purpose of temples. That is why whenever you have the time, you should go to temple. Going to the temple is not for God, but for us.

The Shakthi we get from temples is something we cannot get no matter how much money we spend. We could sell a lot of things but nobody is selling divine shakthi. This shakthi is only available at temples. Instead of thinking going to the temple as a tradition or duty, think of it as something necessary for the body. Just like food, peace is necessary for the body.

Peace can be found at temples. This is the reason why Amma has started building in 1992 Shakthi Peedam, so everyone can experience this peace and live happy life. That is why in Hinduism it says we should go to temples. So we could absorb the Shakthi and experience peace. So don’t treat going to the temple as a tradition or duty, but as the Shakthi that is necessary for the soul and body and understand that is important for all the good things we need. So whenever you have the time, visit the temple.

Amma blesses all to live a peaceful, happy and prosperous life.