Pujas

The word puja derives its meaning from the Dravidian language and can be translated as ‘to do with flowers’. When the Buddha travelled, the custom developed to offer flowers on his arrival in a particular place. The earliest pujas consisted of offering flowers, light and incense in front of a symbol or image of the Buddha.

The Buddha taught there are 10 Blessings that accrue from offering flowers, these are:

1. Long life
2. Good health
3. Strength
4. Beauty
5. Wisdom
6. Ease along the Buddha Dhamma Path
7. Being born in beautiful environments
8. Born with good skin, hair and beautiful to look at
9. Always having a sweet smelling body
10. Pleasant relationships with friends

Pujas are expressions of devotional attention, reverence and honour.

The practice of pujas grows out of and reinforces faith and true devotion, which are positive emotions that benefit one’s Buddha Dhamma practice.

The purpose of doing a puja is manifold; some are meant to be expressions of devotion, others to induce wealth, long life, help from the gods and also spiritual qualities. There are pujas that are specifically designed to remove obstacles to bring a person’s good karma forward and for the necessary conditions to ripen in the present.

Pujas generate vast blessings and much merit. They help to clear one’s mind and environment. If conducted in a temple, it strengthens its Buddha Dhamma field, gives protection and makes strong causes that the Dhamma be taught.

Ultimately, it helps all beings to overcome suffering and sorrow through the attainment of perfect enlightenment.

When practised mindfully, vast merit can be shared with all beings for the purpose of their enlightenment. The puja is a powerful method of brightening the mind and the bright mind can remove defilements of greed, hatred and ignorance.

For maximum benefit to the Buddha Dhamma practitioner, the puja should not be treated as a mindless ceremony, but be practised as a meditation with the development of continuous mindfulness.

Pujas help the students appreciate the Buddha Dhamma texts and to learn them by recitation. This is a meritorious way to develop your scholarship.

In the Buddhist tradition, we generate powerful merit by doing pujas and stating truth asseverations, and then dedicate the merit towards whatever aim we wish to achieve.

At our centre, we conduct the following pujas regularly: