What does "Self-Service" mean in Shakti Peetam? Can you please elaborate!

Om Sakthi! Shakti Peetam & Spiritual Center in Chester Springs, PA USA operates on Self-Service mode. In simplest form, this means most of the regular religious services can be performed by all devotees, while adhering to laid out protocol. Shakti Peetam is the Abode of Mother AdhiParaSakthi where all Her children can visit Her and be connected to Her directly. The interaction between child (us) and the Mother is uninhibited. The conversations and exchanges of thoughts between the Mother and Devotee is private, personal, and so is direct. Shakti Peetam is established with the objective of enabling this Direct Divine Connection between individual Soul (Jeevathma) and Universal Soul (Paramathma). It finds no barriers in languages, national boundaries, religions, race, color, gender, age, etc., etc. So, a 'Self-Service' model is established here to enable this connection and interaction. 

All visitors and individuals irrespective of belief systems, can engage in simple services like reciting mantra, doing archana, and giving arathi. For newcomers, the Core Volunteers who are trained will guide and instruct on how to do these. - Self-Service Model. There are no dedicated 'Priests' or 'Pundits' in Shakti Peetam. Please do not mistake this to be revolt against priesthood. It is simply that Universal Supreme Mother AdhiParaSakthi is above and beyond all Agamic protocols. Hence Shakti Peetam functions in non-Agamic way.

To do next level of religious services like performing Abhishekam, Decorating Mother, Doing Sankalpam, participating in higher rituals like Yagna, etc, the protocols are specific. Any individual performing religious services to Mother AdhiParaSakthi (any deity for that matter) is intrinsically assuming the role of a priest. Just in every practice a priest is bound by rules and regulations of priesthood. So is a devotee performing religious services here in Shakti Peetam. Some of the basic requirements for priesthood in Shakti Peetam are: The body and mind of individual must be clean and pure. While everyone is aware of bathing or washing hand and foot before approaching Shrine, most important is the purity of mind. The three main sources of dirt in mind are the Gunas of Jealousy, Possessiveness, and Fear. These sources give rise to anger, lust, selfishness, hate, betrayal, etc.  If one is completely aware of the fact that Mother AdhiParaSakthi resides in every life form, that individual will realize that to hate someone or be angry with someone or to compete with others is futile as it is equivalent to hating, being angry, and competing with the self. This awareness is enabled and heightened when individual wearing red attire firms up in mind that the blood running every one's body is red. SO ANYONE WISHING TO TAKE ON PRIESTHOOD, IS MANDATED TO BE IN RED ATTIRED.

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