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The literal meaning of puja is “to
please.” And
the best way to please our
teachers and the Buddhas is through our practice. Intellectual study
alone is not enough to completely transform the mind.
We also need to engage in
intensive practices for purifying the mind and accumulating
virtue, complemented by heartfelt prayers.
These practices typically commemorate
a milestone in Shakyamuni Buddha's life or honor
a holy being in the Buddhist Vajrayana tradition. We
hold pujas or ceremonies around a particular Buddha
or holy being several times each month. These group
practices involve visualizations, verse recitation
and presentation offerings.
Buddhist holidays are traditionally celebrated by
taking the 8 Mahayana Precepts, a practice held several
times each month according to the lunar calendar.
These practices are
all the more powerful when performed in a group. Everyone
is warmly invited to join us for the pujas we hold
at
the center. At first they
may seem strange and complicated, but after a while
you will learn how to engage effectively in these ritual practices.
Pujas are celebrated on dates determined by the lunar
calendar. See our calendar for the dates and times of our
pujas.
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