Q:

Importance of worshipping Maha Meru or Sri Chakra

Can someone please enlighten the importance of worshipping Sri chakra. I have a few friends who worship at home. What are the things to remember when we worship. 

A:

Meru and Maha-Meru are different things. Maha-meru are big in size and usually established in temples or peethams. The pooja process is same of that of the sri chakra. Meru is the 3D form of normal sri yantra. The process of worship is mentioned in authentic books like "Nityotsava". However, one must be initiated in the vidya in order to do ritualistic pooja as per shastra. 

Srichakra is the diagrammatic representation of Shiva-Shakti in
  the Cosmic and the individual aspects. In the Hindu Tantras, there are
  three kinds of external symbols used for worship of the Supreme Being
  who is Himself formless and nameless. The most external is the image
  cast in the human forms but with paraphernalia signifying supra-human
  divinity. The last and the subtlest are the Mantras, which are Divine
  sounds or Bijaksharas or letters indicating certain indeclinable seed
  sounds. A Mantra is divine power clothed in sound. Between these two
  come Yantras, also called Chakras, which are representations of the
  Deity in geometrical diagrams.
The Srichakra is conceived as Shiva-Shakti in the macrocosmic as well
  as in the microcosmic aspects i.e. as the cosmos and the individual.
  The Chakra consists of a series of nine triangles superimposed around
  a central point called Bindu, forming forty-three Konas or triangular
  projections. In the center is the Bindu, representing Shiva-Shakti in
  union in the causal state from which all the other parts of the
  diagram representing the cosmos are evolved. The Bindu is in a central
  triangle with apex downwards in the Samhara Chakra of the Kaulas, but
  in the Srishti Chakra of the samayins, it is below the base of the
  central triangle with its apex upwards. Enclosing it and superimposed
  on one another are the four Shiva triangles with apexes upward and
  five Shakti triangles (inclusive of the inner triangle) with apexes
  downward. Two circles of lotuses, one with eight petals and the other
  with sixteen petals surround these. Outside these, are three circles
  around and a rectangular enclosure (Bhupura) of three lines for the
  entire Chakra, with four entrances on the four sides.
The central Bindu stands for Shiva-Shakti in the causal state of
  creation. Shakti is here represented as Mahatripurasundari, the great
  Mother or the incomparable beauty of the three Puras or three Bindus.
  The Bindu represents the initial pushing forth of massive or
  ghanIbhUtA Shakti, with the potentiality of the universe within
  itself. It is spoken of as three to indicate the three stresses when
  the unified non-dual Shiva- Shakti seem to separate into two aspects
  Prakasha (the Aham or I consciousness) and Vimarsha (the idam or
  this-consciousness). These three stresses are technically called Nada,
  Kalaa and Bindu. Naada is the inchoate sound movement (interpreted by
  human ear as Omkara) and Kalaa is the Kaama Kalaa, the desire to
  create, which the Vedas represent as 'May I be many'. Bindu is the
  potential universe ready to separate into various categories. All
  these three stresses of Shiva-Shakti together are represented by the
  central red Bindu with an imaginary line across it to represent the
  polarity in the supreme category as Shiva-Shakti. The great Bindu, the
  threefold stress of the externalizing or creative Shakti is indeed the
  divine mother Mahatripurasundari. She is described as 'puramathiturAho
  puruShikA' in the seventh verse of Saundaryalahari, popularly
  interpreted as the 'Pride of Shiva'. It however really means that
  Shiva as Prakasha (Luminosity or consciousness) realizes Himself as 'I
  am', through Her, the Vimarsha Shakti (the Object as the reflector).
The rest of the Srichakra represents the whole of the Brahmanda
  (cosmos) as evolved from the Bindu, standing for Mahatripurasundari.
  Surrounding the Bindu is a series of overlapping triangles. These nine
  triangles constitute the nine basic categories of the universe,
  evolving from the supreme mother Mahatripurasundari represented by the
  central Bindu. Hence they are called Mula Prakritis or root substances
  of the universe. The Shiva and Shakti triangles are superimposed to
  indicate that Shiva and Shakti are involved in the whole process of
  ‘Becoming’ in its microcosmic and cosmic aspects. In the individual,
  they are present as the nine Dhatus or substances constituting the
  physical body. These are Tvak (skin), Asrk (blood), Mamsa (flesh),
  Medhas (fat), and Asthi (bone). These five categories are born of
  Shakti element while the evolutes of the Shiva elements constitute of
  shukla (semen), majja (marrow), prana (vital energy) and Jiva (the
  individual soul). On the cosmic side, the five constitutes of Shakti
  are the five elements (pancha mahabhutas i.e. earth, water, fire, air
  and space) and the five Tanmatras (subtle elements), the five
  karmendriyas (organs of action), the five Gnanendriyas (organs of
  knowledge) and Manas (mind)- these have their origin in the Shakti
  element, while Maya, Suddha Vidya, Maheshwara and Sadashiva form the
  Shiva element. Thus the nine basic triangles symbolize the twenty-five
  elements or Tatvas that constitute the cosmos and the individual
  bodies.
The poojan is done in 9 stages where each "avarana" is done with the
  corresponding deities. Hence the pooja is also known as "Nava-avarana
  pooja". 
Each of the nine Aavaranas of the Srichakra has a speical
  significance.

Trailokyamohana Chakra: Here, the word Loka indicates Maata, Meya and Maana i.e the seer, the object seen and the act of seeing itself
  or in other words Kartru, karma and kriya. The compound of these three
  is Trailokya. This great chakra enchants these three i.e the trailokya
  and dissolves the three into a single non-dual entity which is what
  leads to complete Advaita.
Sarvaashaaparipooraka Chakra: Here, the word Asha indicates the insatiable desires of the mind and the senses which lead us more and
  more towards duality. This great Chakra grants all desires by uniting
  its Sadhaka with the ever satisfied, all fulfilling, eternal
  Parabrahman or Paramashiva. This stage is indeed the Kamakoti the
  state of accomplishment of all desires or actually going beyond all
  desires by achieving the most desirable thing, which indeed is the
  liberating Brahma Jnana.
Sarvasamkshobhana Chakra: During dissolution, all Tatvas right from Prithvi upto Shiva dissolve into one another. This great Chakra
  creates the destructive agitation (Kshobha) in all the Tatvas causing
  duality, thus dissolving any duality in the Sadhaka. It agitates and
  destroys duality in the sadhaka.
Sarvasoubhagyadayaka Chakra: Saubhagya is something that is desired by everyone. This great Chakra grants the most desired object to the
  Sadhaka which is nothing but the great Paramashiva or
  Mahatripurasundari. What greater fortune or Bhagya does a sadhaka long
  for other than his beloved mother? Thus this Chakra is indeed
  Chintamani - Kalpataru - Kamadhenu, all put in one.
Sarvarthasadhaka Chakra: The ultimate goal of all Vedic and Tantric rites and ceremonies is the attainment of Paramashiva. Various
  scriptures elaborate numerous methods to achieve this final beatitude.
  In the same way as all rivers merge into the great ocean finally, any
  of these legitimate means take the Sadhaka to the same destination.
  This great Chakra results in the Siddhi of all these paths or means
  i.e it grants the final Siddhi which is doubtlessly Parabrahma Prapti.
Sarvarakshaakara Chakra: This great Chakra protects the Sadhaka from all forms and kinds of Avidya and duality, which are the only
  reasons for misery and grief. The visible world, constituted of the 36
  Tatvas is impermanent and since these Tatvas grant Bhedadrishti or a
  sense of separation between the Atman and the Paramatman, the world
  has to be rejected as falsehood. By flooding the Sivaaham Bhavana (the
  sense of Iam Shivaa i.e the Advaita Bhavana) through the Sadhaka, this
  Chakra protects him from the treacherous Samsara composed of 36
  Tatvas, all leading to duality. When the Sadhaka realizes himself and
  the entire world as not separate from Paramashiva, he is automatically
  protected from Avidya. What this Chakra does is to destroy 'Idamtaa or
  sense of this' by the pure awareness of 'Ahamtaa or I-ness'.
Sarvarogahara Chakra: There is no worse disease than Samsara which induces duality. Due to its constituent 36 Tatvas which are different
  from each other. This great Chakra destroys the disease of this
  Samsara which is the root cause of all other types of diseases. When
  Vamakeshwara Tantra and also the Mudra kanda of Rudrayamala speak of
  Khechari as destroying all diseases, this is what is hinted at.
Sarvasiddhiprada Chakra: Yoginihridaya says that this Chakra indicates the potentiality to create - maintain - destroy the
  universe. As Pratyabhijnaahridaya says 'Chiti Shakti is indeed
  responsible for the Siddhi of the universe'. Thus, the trikona or the
  triangle Chakra is responsible for creation, destruction and
  preservation, while the other two acts namely Tirodhana and Anugraha
  are indicated by these three only.
The state of complete harmony of Shiva and Shakti exists in Sarvaanandamaya Chakra. Thus this Chakra is the very personification
  of eternal, limitless bliss. This grants Brahmananda to Sadhaka.

