What is a Puja?
To put it simply, a Puja is a prayer. In Mahayana Buddhism, the most prominent branch of the faith, the Buddhas can be asked for protection and guidance. The prayers involve the recitation of verses, and the use of incense and flowers (mainly the lotus) in front of an image of a Buddha.
When and why do they happen?
The Puja can be routine. People may pray for their long-term sickness or problems to subside. Other prayers can be for certain occasions. An example is the Puja after a death. Before moving to its next life, the soul remains in limbo for 49 days. During this time, a Puja can be held to pray for that person to enter heaven (not to be confused with Nirvana) in the realms of the Gods and Demi-Gods. These realms are not the same as enlightenment but rather are places where those who have attained good kharma over their previous lives spend it to live with great pleasure and little suffering.
Other Pujas can be held for a person who is gravely ill and in danger of dying. In these cases, people run to the monasteries at night to hold an emergency Puja in the person’s honour. Pujas can also be held for someone to succeed in life either spiritually or physically.
As some of the Pujas can happen last minute, especially for those dying or gravely ill, they are generally not set and therefore the monastery is unable to intricately plan when the Pujas happen sometimes.
How long do they last?
The Pujas can also last for a while. Depending on the type of Puja and what the monastery wants to do, the ceremony can last for hours, even up to 12 in some cases.
What is a Puja for a special occasion like?
The morning and evening prayers in the monastery I live in are routine. Often, only the kids are performing the ceremony. On these special Pujas, it is different. The adults are not only there but they also lead the prayer. As the puja requires people of pure mind and good intentions to pray to maximise its effect, it makes sense for all the adults to be there. A senior monk leads the ceremony. The Pujas contain mostly prayers read out by the leading senior monk. Unlike say in Christianity where a person may mutter words quickly or place slow, careful emphasis on these words, the prayers here have a musical quality to it. They are said quickly but in a recognisable rhythm. The voice is low and somewhat resembles throat singing. The prayers also utilise a range of instruments including a handheld drum, two types of trumpet and some cymbals (the two metal disks you hit together). Some prayers involve a few specific points where the speaker stops talking and the instruments play to create a crescendo. Some have few instruments and rely more on the leader changing his tone and tune to create a varied melody. Other makes extensive use of drums and a rising tone by the leader which is similar to a battle cry. While one might expect these prayer sessions to be quiet, my ears often ring afterwards. They are far from silent and make extensive use of notes and instruments. Halfway through the prayers sometimes there is Tibetian tea provided (a mixture of milk, salt and Yak's butter) depending on the length of the Puja.
What is its function?
These prayers are what binds the monastery and the outside Buddhist community together. The monks provide comfort for the believers by working to advance the welfare of sentient beings who require help. As monastic orders are pivotal to the Buddhist faith. The three jewels, the three main things Buddhists take refuge within, include the Buddha, the Dharma (the Buddhist path) and the Sangha. The Sangha is often interpreted as the monastic communities in Tibetian Buddhism. The Puja is one of the ways that monks can provide refuge.
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