Tattva-viveka
Offering arati
Shreekrishna - August 4, 2008 10:43 pm
So this may seem like a pretty silly question to post: What order does one offer the articles for the arati? In ISKCON, this is a raging controversy, and I know of many temples where confusion abounds...
Some say, in the "old" days, the arati articles were offered to Guru, Paramaguru, and so on up to Krsna with the idea that each would offer to those before (seems logical until you think about it a bit, and then it makes no sense... with this logic, you'd just offer it to Guru, and he would offer to everybody else). The other system used more commonly nowadays in ISKCON is showing the article to Guru, and then offering (with his blessing, and on his behalf) to Krsna, and then down to everybody on the altar...
I'm not sure which system is used at Audarya. If anyone could clarify, it would help me greatly. The Boston temple has this as one (of its many) controversies, and I thought I'd try to get some guidance here at TV.
Thanks for reading (it's my very first "new topic"! 
)
Citta Hari Dasa - August 5, 2008 12:15 am
So this may seem like a pretty silly question to post: What order does one offer the articles for the arati? In ISKCON, this is a raging controversy, and I know of many temples where confusion abounds...
Some say, in the "old" days, the arati articles were offered to Guru, Paramaguru, and so on up to Krsna with the idea that each would offer to those before (seems logical until you think about it a bit, and then it makes no sense... with this logic, you'd just offer it to Guru, and he would offer to everybody else). The other system used more commonly nowadays in ISKCON is showing the article to Guru, and then offering (with his blessing, and on his behalf) to Krsna, and then down to everybody on the altar...
I'm not sure which system is used at Audarya. If anyone could clarify, it would help me greatly. The Boston temple has this as one (of its many) controversies, and I thought I'd try to get some guidance here at TV.
Thanks for reading (it's my very first "new topic"!
As you mentioned, there are two possible orders: descending and ascending. Audarya uses the descending order in the arcana.
Syamasundara - August 5, 2008 12:40 am
Such a big deal huh?
Well, the deity worship book for Audarya was supposed to be done being compiled in time for the inauguration of Gaura Vijaya. I don't know if it happened, but if things remained the same, the way I remember reading on the deity worship book (which is for the most part the same as the panca-ratra pradipa) is that either way is ok.
You can either offer each upacara to Krsna first and work your way down, as if to offer that same item as prasada to the other deities and finally the parampara, or you could offer it to the guru first and get the blessings of him and all the other deities to be able to offer it to Krsna.
Either approach is bona fide. Personally I prefer the descending one, because the other way around it feels like you are offering Krsna some remnants. Then again, the idea that Krsna would be pleased to receive the remnants of his devotees corresponds with a super advanced conception, having or nurturing which can also be beneficial for the pujari or the people attending the arati.
As you can see, surprise surprise, it's all in the consciousness.
I became a pujari shortly before GM left for India, where he used to spend a few months for Gaura Purnima and for Radhastami. Once, he wrote me a letter saying that what we do is bhava-seva, that's the most important upacara. If we don't do it with feeling, it's all for naught. I thought it was nice that he would specify such a thing, and so telling about himself, so, over the years, I always kept that in mind, despite my many flaws and faults in arcana-seva, and although I never used that as an excuse to lower the standards. However, over the years, I came across a lot of devotees who I actually had to tell about the bhava-seva aspect. Many people really get caught up in so many technicalities and they confuse them with bhakti. I understand that doing everything properly shows that you care, but... anyway, you had to be there and see and listen to those devotees.
In general, I'd say adopt the method that best suits your forma mentis, or at least the one that will disturb the least number of people in the temple room. If it's not anukula, what's the use?
Like everything, arcana can be seen in terms of tattva and bhava. The bhava in deity worship is that you are feeding, clothing and pampering the Lord in the best possible way, and you are loving it; the tattva is that God really needs nothing from you and whatever puja you do is for your benefit and upliftment. That's why going through the motions of the puja yields no result.
Actually, as far as I remember, everybody has always told me either method is ok. How can it be a controversy now? Hopefully in one century we won't be having holy wars about it, like when I learned that some internal wars among muslims are because some say the Prophet (Allah bless his name) appointed his son-in-law as successor, and some say it was the brother-in-law, or something like that... 
Vrindaranya Dasi - August 5, 2008 2:36 am
I'll try to upload the Audarya deity worship book with this post (it's a customized version of Pancaratra Pradipa). As Citta Hari mentioned, we use the descending method (which makes more sense to me for the reason you mentioned). This booklet needs to be revised, and in fact I have it on my desk right now to work on. I should have an updated version soon. The second part of the book is especially outdated, but from the first section you'll get a fairly accurate picture of arcana at Audarya.
Note: This download is for those devotees with second initiation. For those who don't have second initiation, there is a different guide with simplified procedures at www.swami.org/downloads. The file name is Beginning Arcana.
Syama Gopala Dasa - August 5, 2008 5:08 pm
Looking forward to seeing the updated version!
Gaura-Vijaya Das - August 5, 2008 6:01 pm
I'll try to upload the Audarya deity worship book with this post (it's a customized version of Pancaratra Pradipa). As Citta Hari mentioned, we use the descending method (which makes more sense to me for the reason you mentioned). This booklet needs to be revised, and in fact I have it on my desk right now to work on. I should have an updated version soon. The second part of the book is especially outdated, but from the first section you'll get a fairly accurate picture of arcana at Audarya. deity_worship.pdf
This book really illustrates how far of from the ideal standard I am. Thank you for the book. It helps to contemplate on one's faults.
Shreekrishna - August 6, 2008 9:47 am
This book really illustrates how far of from the ideal standard I am. Thank you for the book. It helps to contemplate on one's faults.
Awww... well the standard is always what we should strive for... one day, we'll get there!
I feel most comfortable using the descending order myself, and it's what I use when doing aratis. The ghee wicks are always fresh this way... the other way, Krsna just gets flames that are about to go out! I'm sure there are many devotees who were trained the other way, but luckily, I was trained this way, right when the temple started making the change, so it caught on (to me!).
Thanks for the responses, and the upload of the deity worship manual.