Dear Seeker,

    The aim of any ritualistic worship is to imbibe the divine principle into the icon, picture or symbol to which the worship is performed. The articles that are chosen for the worship should be such that they have the ability to absorb the maximum amount of the divine principle. Flowers, incense sticks, lamps etc., have the ability to absorb the divine principle and are therefore offered in worship.

    When flowers are offered the stalks of flowers offered at the altar should be towards the Divine Principle’s pictures or sacred symbols. The reasons for this are as follows:

	Flowers offered unto a sacred symbol absorb divine consciousness of the Divine Principle’s image or sacred symbol. The stalk acts like an antenna wherein it attracts the divine energy and directs to the object that it is facing. When the stalk of the flower is towards the Divine Principle’s image or sacred symbol, the image gets charged with the divine energy. This charged symbol and the flower, in turn, helps the devotee due to its increased Divine Consciousness (chaitanya).
	In contrast to this, when the stalk of the flower faces the devotee, it creates a flow of Divine Energy from the Divine Principle to the devotee. Only those following the Path of Divine Energy (Shaktimarg), like tantriks (practitioners of tantra) who want to attract Divine energy to use for various purposes, offer flowers the other way. Followers of path of Devotion aim for Bliss and Peace and not Energy.
	Therefore, the first method is appropriate for most seekers, since they need Divine Consciousness, not Divine Energy (Shakti), for devotion unto God.