Today Gurudeva explains the difference between yajna and puja, and then answers a question about how a Westerner can find a guru. He advises that one should first make a full religious commitment to Hinduism. Gurudeva explains the Shum concept of kamsatyamne, mountain-top consciousness.

Unedited Transcript:

Today at Kauai Aadheenam. April 13th. Greetings, everyone from cyberspace. We are very happy to be able to talk to you today.

Toronto, Canada has a question. "What is the difference between puja and yagna?"

Yagna is usually a group ceremony around a homa fire. Either the priest is conducting the homa or fire-puja, putting sacred substances into it or in a more relaxed situation, the entire group is participating and putting sacred substances and chanting and singing sacred songs.

A puja is generally done by an individual in front of a shrine and does not have a fire burning in the middle of the temple or a great hall. Puja can also be done personally.

"How does a Westerner find a guru?"

Well, first of all, the Westerner should make himself the same religion as the guru, so he is not on the looking in through a glass window. He is on the inside participating in understanding by making a full religious commitment.

We are very happy to be here today and we want to bring in another portrait in Shum. kam-sat-yam-ne, which means a mountain-top consciousness. We look at the world as if we were on top of a mountain, problems being very small. If we look at the world and the problem from the base of the mountain, the problem seems very big. sim-shum-be-see. ka-eef. kam-sat-yam-ne.

That is the meditation today. Feel the power of the spine. Be aware of being aware. Then, open your inner eye and look out down upon the lower minds and you will have clarity and you will find shanti, you will find peace.

Be back again tomorrow, everyone.

Aum Namah Sivaya. Aum Namah Sivaya. sim-shum-be-see. ka-eef. kam-sat-yam-ne.