Dear Family,
Jai Shri Mataji!
As you are all aware we no longer hold Pujas in the same physical locations as a result of the social distancing associated with the Covid-19 Coronavirus and hence we cannot collect Puja Dakshina in cash form in person.
To ensure that we continue to follow the important protocol of offering Puja Dakshina to our Guru (please refer to a beautiful story shared by a yogi below) and that the running of Sahaja Yoga remains financially sustainable, we request yogis to contribute their Puja Dakshina through online bank transfers, via monthly recurring payments on the first day of each month (which can be set up via online banking portals or banking apps). The suggested voluntary Dakshina amount is $35 per adult except for students, pensioners and the unemployed. The latter groups can contribute according to their own discretion.
Please note that you do not need to transfer the money on the day of the Puja. The best way is to transfer it on the first day of each month as a recurring payment, this also ensures that your payment is present in the account at the time of the Puja. This ensures that we cover the Dakshina of the 12 Pujas per year. We suggest that you create a recurring payment from the 1st of May and also pay a one-off payment anytime before Easter Puja.
Please be aware that our collective expenses are increasing due to elevated insurance premiums for our properties as a result of the bushfires, requirement of additional webcast equipment as we ramp up our online delivery as well as the promotion of our webcasts through social media. Therefore, in addition to the Dakshina, we would strongly encourage yogis to set up a regular monthly donation, if they haven’t already done so, to help cover these costs. Please contribute any amount you feel comfortable with.
We would like to keep these two contributions separate as 50% of Puja Dakshina will go to National funds and 50% will go to the NSW State Council funds; whereas all of the the additional monthly donations will go to the NSW State Council funds for spreading Sahaja Yoga. When making an online payment, please specify “Dakshina <your initial and surname>” e.g. “Dakshina J. Smith” in the appropriate comments area so that we can direct 50% of the donation to the National funds.
The bank account details are:
- Bank: ANZ
- Account: LIFE ETERNAL TRUST – NSW PROMOTIONS
- BSB: 012 245
- Account number: 2217 67344
In summary, we are asking you to please make two separate voluntary monthly payments (please do not combine these into one payment!):
- A monthly recurring Dakshina payment to cover the Puja Dakshina for that month – please specify “Dakshina <your initial and surname>” e.g. “Dakshina J. Smith” in the comments when making this payment and pay this on the first day of each month. You should combine all the Dakshina amounts for your family into one payment. We suggest that you create a recurring payment from the 1st of May and also pay a one-off payment anytime before the Easter Puja.
- A monthly additional payment to cover online and other promotions as well as any other expenses that we may incur. Please add your initial and surname in the comments e.g. “J. Smith” when making this payment and pay this on the first day of each month. We suggest that you create a recurring payment from the 1st of May. For those of you who are already making this payment, you can ignore this request for an additional payment, however we would still request you to please pay the monthly Dakshina payment specified above in item 1.
Please note that yogis can continue to make Dakshina and additional payments online even after Covid-19 lockdowns are lifted. This actually makes things easier for the accounts team.
Please contact us on [email protected] if you have any questions.
Love
NSW Council
THE IMPORTANT PROTOCOL OF SAHAJA PUJA DAKSHINA
One of the first Pujas held in the city of Jaipur was an important occasion. The India tour of that year was touring Rajasthan. A pendal was erected to house the tour and to also serve as the venue for the Puja. It was a grand affair with a procession through the city with a decorated elephant leading the way, traditional music and dancing.
It was clear that many local yogis had travelled great distance from all the corners of Rajasthan to attend and to offer their Guru Shri Mataji their worship. Many of us were standing at the entrance of the pendal waiting to greet Shri Mataji and we noticed that there was a commotion occurring near the entrance where the Puja registration was taking place. We asked the local yogis what was the reason for the disturbance.
They pointed to a group of Indian villagers who were arguing with the yogis behind the registration desk. The group had travelled on foot for days to attend the Puja and the small amount of money that they had was spent on the journey. They did not have the funds to pay the Puja Dakshina. The Yogis behind the desk were adamant. If yogis could not pay the Puja Dakshina they could not enter but would have to offer their worship outside the pendal. The villagers were becoming quite animated at what they felt were the hard attitude of the yogis refusing them admission. Voices were being raised, more yogis were flocking to the throng, much finger pointing and hand waving. Matters seemed to be getting out of hand.
At that moment Shri Mataji’s car drove to the entrance of the pendal and in an instant all the shouting stopped. Many ears were being pulled. Most eyes were downcast looking at the ground. Such things happen when children are interrupted by their Mother in the midst of a fight. The window was wound down and Shri Mataji asked what was the cause of the disturbance. Yogis and villagers both approached the window of the car explaining each side of their dispute.
Shri Mataji listened patiently and then asked how many villagers were in the group who could not afford the Puja Dakshna. Shri Mataji then opened Her handbag and took the required amount of money from Her bag and then gave it to the yogis on the registration desk and bade them to register them, deposit the Dakshina on their behalf and to allow their entry. Shri Mataji then exited Her car and entered the pendal for an amazing Puja.
Shri Mataji as the Divine Mother expressed Her love for Her children by paying the Dakshina for Her children. Yet the Puja Dakshina represents a deep and profound protocol for all Sahaja Yogis to offer. A covenant exists between a disciple and their Guru, Shri Mataji as their Guru could have waived the payment of the Dakshina. The payment of the Dakshina is an important principle that Sahaja Yogis as disciples of Shri Mataji must offer to their Guru. Shri Mataji showed us how important the offering of the Puja Dakshina is by paying it on behalf of Her children, to then be offered back to Her as the Divine Guru.
Her Holiness HH Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi