It is a chance for people to reaffirm their commitment to Buddhist practices and traditions.The Sangha is precious in Buddhism as without those in the community to look up to or share aspirations with, the spiritual life would be very challenging.Sangha Day is a traditional time for exchange of gifts; it has become a prominent festival among Western Buddhists even though it is less well known in the East.
In the context of puja, bowing refers to the act of raising one's hands together (anjali) and lowering one's head in a gesture of homage and humility. As a devotional act, one bows to the Buddha's likeness in a statue, to a stupa (a pagoda that enshrines bodily relics of the Buddha) or to the Bodhi tree. In its simplest form, puja usually consists of making an offering of flowers or fruit to an image of a god. Buddhist monks in a Magha Puja candlelight procession at Wat Dhammakaya in Bangkok, Thailand. Dharma Data: Puja : The name given to the wide variety of devotional and offering ceremonies practiced in all Buddhist traditions. In contrast, in Agama ceremonies, an idol or image of deity is present. What is a Puja.

A puja is a ceremony in which meditational prayers are offered to the Buddhas and holy beings to request their blessings or help. But most importantly, making offerings to the different manifestations of enlightened beings, and to the sangha community generates and increases merit, our positive potential. Puja in Hinduism, claims Zimmer, is a path and process of transformation of consciousness, where the devotee and the spiritual significance of the deity are brought together. Choose one option from below.Find here a collection of prayers and pujas for your own use.Ask one of our lamas to make an observation for the puja that would be the most suitable and effective for your problem.The power of prayers derives from the sincere motivation of the person asking for prayers, as well as the pure mind of the persons performing the prayers. In some temples, various pujas may be performed daily at various times of the day; in other temples, it may be occasional. For some Buddhists Sangha refers only to monks and nuns. Purification of Puja Water: Ceremonial purification of the water in the kalasa or water vessel, to make it fit for use in puja. Buddhist puja can be performed at a home shrine, in a temple or monastery, at a stupa. Athit Perawongmetha / Contributor / Getty Images Buddhism. In Buddhism, puja (Sanskrit & Pali: pūjā) are expressions of "honour, worship and devotional attention."

Puja is typically performed by a Hindu worshipper alone, though sometimes in presence of a priest who is well versed in procedure and hymns. or at a site of pilgrimage. Celebrations vary, but can include chanting, meditation, the lighting of oil lamps, and the reaffirmation of people's commitment to Buddhist practice.Sangha is the term used for the Buddhist spiritual community. One of The Three Refuges (or Three Jewels) is “to the Buddha for refuge I go”. The word itself comes from the root of the ancient Tamil cultura meaning ‘to do with flowers’ while pujas themselves probably developed from the custom of offering the Buddha flowers on his arrival in a particular place during his travels.

According to Buddhism, the world in which we live and all that happens to us is a result of our past actions. It moves through seven stages which include gratitude, confession and reverence.Sometimes there are readings slotted into the puja … A puja is a special ceremony in which prayers are offered to the Buddhas to request their blessings or invoke their help.Order a Gift of Prayer Puja (valid for one or more years) as a gift for a friend or someone in need of support.While some prayers are of universal benefit, there are others that help with specific problems. The two main areas where puja is performed are in the home and at temples to mark certain stages of life, events or some festivals such as Durga Puja and Lakshmi Puja. This festival is also known as Fourfold Assembly or Magha Puja Day. Sangha Day is the second most important Buddhist festival.

In temples and priest-assisted event puja, food, fruits and sweets may be included as offerings to the deity, which, after the prayers, becomes prasad – blessed food shared by all present at the puja.In Hinduism, puja is done on a variety of occasions, frequency and settings. These devotional acts are generally performed daily at home (either in the morning or evening or both) as well as during communal festivals and Uposatha days at a temple. Puja, also spelled pooja or poojah, in Hinduism, ceremonial worship, ranging from brief daily rites in the home to elaborate temple rituals.The word puja is derived from the Dravidian pu (“flower”).
Merit is needed to have success in all activities. 

Another typical Buddhist building is the Stupa, which is a stone structure built over what are thought to be relics of the Buddha, or over copies of the Buddha's teachings.