Puja is the name for ceremonies that involve offerings, or gifts. During these ceremonies, there will also be meditation and prayer.
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Its purpose is to enable Buddhists to express how grateful they are to the Buddha for what he taught. This allows them to show respect for his teachings.
The Sanskrit word puja simply means “reverence, honour, homage, adoration, or worship”, so a Puja is a ceremony that enables us to create the highest merit by making actual and visualized offerings, with the bodhicitta motivation, to the highest objects of offering, the Guru and the Triple Gem – the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha. That merit is the basis for achieving every good thing up to and including enlightenment.
Bardo is believed to be a critical stage in a person’s transition in the afterlife as his/her wisdom and intelligence quadruples and puja helps focus them in lighting up their path.
According to Buddhist beliefs, the 49 days following someone's departure from this world, are special and significant. The prayers and practices done on behalf of the departed can assist them while in the bardo and benefit them directly.
Video taken at a Monastery supported by Rinpoche in Tibet
