Buddhist-Meditation-Systematic-and-Practical

which only stems from pride.
I hope that all this will make clear that the inward mind
of reverence and the outer sign of devotion, such as
prostration, strengthen each other, and that from their
combination comes truly unshakeable faith in the
teachings of the Buddhas.
6. What is the relation between the regular
performance of puja and that of meditation? As
some Western Buddhists are against "ritualism,"
please explain how necessary puja is for advance in
meditation.
From the last question, appropriately, we pass on to
consider puja. We are still dealing with problems arising
from the sorrow of pride. Puja is of several kinds and
here we may distinguish four.
Outward Puja is that made by a person with some
worldly desire: an old woman for long life, a young one
for love, a merchant for money, and so on. This is the
gross puja.
Finer than this is Inward Puja. This is when, in samatha,
one holds a mudra, recites a mantra, intones a puja to
the Three Gems, etc. A powerful state of calmness is
needed for this, so that the mind will not stray from its
concentration. For those who are well-realized, puja can
even be performed in samadhi.
626