Indeed! Actually, part of what happened was that our group's events was getting larger than some of the events that the temple was sponsoring so it caused a lot of political problems with the Malibu temple's board and they were wanting thousands of dollars to use the temple.
So, yeah, we outsourced. --- In [email protected], "shempmcgurk" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Paying priests in India to do yagyas at a fraction of the cost that > your Malibu priests would charge you? > > Sounds like outsourcing to me... -): > > > --- In [email protected], "benjaminccollins" > <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > > I'v enjoyed reading all the discussions in yagyas. I, of course, > have > > my own perspective on this subject and thought that I add a few > > observations. > > > > Yagyas are a tool for evolution, just like TM is. There is much > to be > > learned and one ultimately comes to one's own conclusions regarding > > yagyas and how they should be performed etc. > > > > I started puja.net about 10 years ago after my first trip to > India. > > For me it was out of necessity because I couldn't afford the TMO > > yagyas. So a group of my friends got together and shared the > cost. > > We had group yagyas once a month for many years at the Malibu > Temple. > > It was great to be there in person. > > > > We all found that small yagyas performed over and over had > significant > > effects. It was another way of accomplishing what might otherwise > > cost $10,000 with the TM yagyas. Is one approach any better than > the > > others? Who knows and I doubt there is an objective criteria > anyway. > > We liked them and $51 per month made it possible to continue > without > > a big financial strain. > > > > As the group grew, we started having yagyas in India with a group > of 5 > > priests all of whom were from the Shankara Mutt and were well > known by > > Seetharam, the Chief Priest at the Shiva temple in Malibu. So we > > gradually added more days of yagyas and our little group continued > to > > grow. > > > > We pay our priests about $40 per day for 5-6 hours work. I fully > > realize that you could pay much much less. But it seems to me > that if > > anyone deserves to be well paid, it is the priests that are doing > this > > kind of work for you. My observation based on hundreds of yagyas > is > > that the priest's consciousness is an important link in the overall > > success of the yagya. I want them to feel honored and well paid. > > > > I have seen first hand how hard it is to be a priest in India. It > is a > > tough life unless you are born into a family of priests that has a > > heriditary place in a big temple. They are not guaranteed > employment > > and yet are expected to be married and have children. It can be > very > > very difficult to make a good living there. > > > > So I know we pay more than we have to. But in the overall scheme > of > > our western lives, the difference is not so much to us, and hugely > > different to them. > > > > As an act of considerable faith and generosity, Seetharam took his > own > > money and bought a facility for us to use in Kanchipuram. It is a > > great little temple town about 1 hour from Madras. Our "house" was > > owned by a Brahmin who was the temple cook. Now, it is what they > call > > in India a "devastanum" a place of God. No one lives there. It > is > > only used for yagyas for the past couple years and has a genuine > > purity in the air. We wanted to be close to the temples, but also > > away from the "public" vibe in the large temples. This allows us > more > > control over what happens during the yagyas. > > > > We have experimented with a number of innovations. Firstly, I call > > India every night to listen to the chanting during yagya time. I > have > > a standing invitation to any sponsor who wants to hear their yagya > > being performed to listen as long as they want. > > > > We also go out into the countryside near Kanchipuram and perform a > big > > yagya in a local temple. We spend a lot of money on this because > > these are smaller temple where the local populace can't afford to > > perform the yagyas on the same scale. This yagya is video taped > and, > > although it may take some time, I usually distribute a CD of the > yagya > > to the sponsors afterwards. > > > > In fact, any FFL member who wants a yagya CD can contact me and > I'll > > gladly send you one. It is great to see them being performed in a > > traditional setting. > > > > In the end, I have ended up in the same place that I started. That > > is, yagyas are a form of service, a form of spiritual practice, a > form > > of prayer, a means to personal evolution. They are not some sort > of > > cosmic ordering service..."I want money so here's a yagya, > > Lakshmi...kindly deliver!" In fact that is the best way to make > sure > > they don't work. > > > > The good priests are very humble, very respectful, and very > talented > > individuals. To me it doesn't matter if they are puja.net, TMO, > > yagya-by-choice..they are all doing the best they can with this > > ancient and traditional "technology". They deserve our respect. > > > > So in conclusion, I'd say that yagyas are about empowerment. They > are > > all about empowering the divine in you and as a result enabling > you to > > manifest the results that you desire in life. Whether you use > > puja.net or yagyas by choice is really a matter of personal > preference > > and style. > > > > And this is where the skeptics get it right. They point out that > it > > is <you> who have to change. Yagyas don't do it for you, but they > > give you a boost in the right direction and smooth the path. So > does > > meditation, so does puja, and so do a lot of other things like > sports, > > and art, and service, and study, etc. Because they are all the > tools > > with which you build your life. It is just a matter of what ones > you > > want to use. > > > > /ben > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > --- In [email protected], "Tom Pall" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > wrote: > > > Akasha, I just received notice that I'm on for September 1 > > evaluation for the big enchilada Jump Start. I'll be given more > > detail tomorrow. > > > > > > As I said, their website is purposely set up to be difficult to > > navigate. It's not Amazon or iHerb. They want you to know what > > you're getting into, why and what you'll be getting. And they are > > quite responsive. How very refreshing. > > > > > > I don't think these are temple yagyas. Puja.net's yagyas are > > performed in the house formerly owned by the cook at the big Vishnu > > temple across the street in Kanchipurinam. The yagyas are done > near > > the residences of the pundits, I suspect. I know you're invited to > > watch your yagya being performed. > > > > > > I've already felt a result since I made a decision to go with > these > > people. I've felt more elevated. Highest first sort of thing. > > Haven't looked at a single p0rn picture on my PC all day. > > > > > > I do still find this URL a riot, however: > > > > > > http://toccionline.kizash.com/films/1001/178/index.php > > > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > > From: akasha_108 > > > To: [email protected] > > > Sent: Monday, August 29, 2005 3:55 PM > > > Subject: [FairfieldLife] Re: Yagna by Choice > > > > > > > > > Thanks Tom. That helps. > > > > > > Re: > > > http://www.yagna.by-choice.com/monthlys.htm . > > > You are right, I had not yet found that page. Thats the info I > was > > > seeking. Their website, though spiffy, is a bit hard to > navigate, IMO > > > > > > Where are their temples located ? > > > > > > Keep us posted on the results. I will probably do some > planetaries > > > soon and try them out. ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> Get fast access to your favorite Yahoo! Groups. Make Yahoo! your home page http://us.click.yahoo.com/dpRU5A/wUILAA/yQLSAA/JjtolB/TM --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> To subscribe, send a message to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Or go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FairfieldLife/ and click 'Join This Group!' Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FairfieldLife/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
