Ganesh

Ganeśa : 

Ganeśa

Sanskrit Prayer : 

Sanskrit Prayer Om maha Ganapathe namaha Om, I invoke the name of Ganapathi Sarva vignoba shantaye Bringer of peace over all troubles Om Ganeshaya namaha. Om, I invoke the name of Ganesh 2

Happy Diwali (Deepawali) : 

Happy Diwali (Deepawali) 3 Diwali is a Sanskrit word - Deepa meaning light and Avali, meaning a row. Symbolically, it teaches us to vanquish ignorance that subdues humanity and to drive away darkness that engulfs the light of knowledge.

Ganeśa : 

Ganeśa Myths & Mythology Symbols Ganeśa Myth Background Symbolism Conclusion 4

Myths and Mythology : 

Myths and Mythology What is a Myth Myth is a telling of events that happen before written history and of a sense of what is to come. Myth is the thread helps man relate to the wonders of existence. Purpose Myth is a pattern of beliefs that give meaning to life. Myth enables individuals and societies to adapt to their respective environments with dignity and value. How it Transforms Codified as a belief system As a disguised history As disguised philosophy or allegory As fables illustrating moral truths As allegories or natural events As illumination - spiritual information or wisdom 5

Symbols : 

Symbols Symbols are the non-verbal, non-written mode of communicating an idea or myth that invokes a spiritual response Why non-verbal an non-written? Symbols are a unique use of metaphors that describes the realities beyond our five senses. It fills the gap between the images of the unconscious and the language of conscious logic. Similar to the silence between music notes Ancient seer’s chose to express Divinity in terms of symbols rather than words, since words change over time, but symbols remain unchanged 6

Symbols : 

Symbols 7

Slide 8: 

Ganesha GANESHA (Skt., Ganeśa; Hindi, Ganesh) is that aspect of creative intelligence which removes obstacles to success, happiness, and fulfillment. He is the remover of obstacles, god of : knowledge of all beginnings of education, knowledge, and wisdom and patron of art, science, and literature.

Background : 

Background SHIVA He is, within the Hindu trinity, the god of destruction. He is portrayed as an aesthetic who is in a constant meditative state. Shiva also happens to be half man, half woman (symbolically the ying-and-yang). The male side of the Shiva is detached, remote, and unmoving, while the female side is active, creative, and powerful. It’s his dream that creates our reality. And, when he is awake, the reality dissolves to start another cycle of creation. 9

Background : 

Background PARVATI She is the Mother goddess. She’s Shiva’s female shakti (energy) personified. She herself has two other personas – Durga (as represented below), and as the fearsome Kali. 10

Background : 

Background 11 KALI She brings the death of the ego as the delusional self-centered view of reality. It’s the Ego that sees her in her terrifying form. Kali receives her name because she devours Kala (Time). Symbolically, she is like a strict school teacher-mother. She enforces karmic law, and induces changes in us through stressful events. It is not a reward / punishment system, just a learning one, through experience.

Background : 

Background According to the creation story regarding Ganesha's birth, as told in the Puranas, Shiva's wife, the Divine Mother Parvati, created a childlike form from the dirt of her own body and breathed life into it. The story goes on to say that Parvati appointed Ganesh to stand guard at the door of the palace while she bathed. When Lord Shiva returned home, the overzealous boy prevented him from entering. This causes Siva to fly into a rage. Shiva cuts off the boy's head. Parvati looked on in horror, and threatened to become Kali and destroy the universe. In order to console the grief-stricken Parvati, Shiva found an elephant sleeping and severed its head. Shiva attached the head to the child's body and revived him. Siva names the boy Ganapati. 12

Symbolically…what does it mean? : 

Symbolically…what does it mean? Like Jehovah who in his loneliness created man, the divine mother, Parvati, creates Ganesh from dirt and breathed life into the boy. Similar motif the world over. The allegory to the guarding of the gate refers to dualism. As in good and evil, etc. Shiva is beyond good and evil. The boy does not understand that…Shiva’s decapitation is symbolic in that he removes the illusion of singularity (maya). The elephant head symbolizes the ability to absorb knowledge. Gana – knowledge, pati – leader. Leader of Knowledge, i.e. God of knowledge. 13

Ganesha Symbolism (7 steps) : 

Ganesha Symbolism (7 steps) You shall realize your own divinity You are in union with the universe, it does not exist to fail / condemn you You are not alone on your spiritual path. The path has been taken by hero's before you . You are blessed in each and every way. There is an abundance of love for you (eros vs. agape)* Participate joyfully Cultivate your intellect Your prayers are listened to and answered 14 Outward Inward * Threshold: Christ on the cross

Why Seven? : 

Why Seven? 15

Step 1: Your prayers answered : 

Step 1: Your prayers answered The trunk of Ganesh symbolizes the importance of being efficient and adaptable in order to be successful in one's ventures. Ganesh only helps those who help themselves first…similar to the myth of Hercules…same motif. With his large ears Ganesha hears the prayers of all; yet he does not always give his true devotees what they ask for, but gives them what they need for their spiritual progress. Thus his ears are likened to winnowing fans, sifting out the true and essential from the false and nonessential. 16

Corollary to Step 1: Abundance of love : 

Corollary to Step 1: Abundance of love 17 Ganesh has a sweets for his devote. Symbolically this refers to the abundance of love, good will, and boons god has for his devote. There isn’t a sense of punishment, but rather reward. “Father bless me, for I have been good” is the Hindu prayer.

Step 2: Cultivate your intellect : 

Step 2: Cultivate your intellect Ganesh's vehicle, his mouse, bowing down close by, is there to indicate that though a little desire is good, it is essential for one to master it. You have to ride your desires and not vice versa. The mouse is the ego, and Ganesh is the universal consciousness. Our ego is the vehicle to something greater if properly harnessed. The mouse is often depicted next to a plate of sweets with his eyes turned toward Ganesha while he tightly holds on to a morsel of food between his paws, as if expecting an order from Ganesha. This represents the mind which has been completely subordinated to the superior faculty of the intellect. 18

Step 3: Participate Joyfully : 

Step 3: Participate Joyfully His large tummy points to the necessity of digesting all that life has to offer—the good, the bad, and the ugly. His grotesque body reminds us that it’s inner spiritual beauty, not outward appearance that should be valued. Ganesha's pot belly contains infinite universes. It signifies the bounty of nature and the ability of Ganesha to swallow the sorrows of the Universe and protect the world. 19 The Trishula (weapon of Shiva, similar to Trident) is depicted, symbolizing time (past, present and future) and Ganesha's mastery over it. Don’t let your past define your future. Rather, let your future define your present. Chose joy. Ganesh can only be approached in joy.

Step 3: Participate Joyfully : 

Step 3: Participate Joyfully Ganesh has one leg raised, up in the air. And, the other touching the ground. This symbolizes that we should take part in both the spiritual world and the material world. We need to cultivate the ability to live in the world without being of the world. Participate joyfully. Don’t get stuck in the here and now. If you get stuck, your ego takes over…and you are back to square one. 20

Step 4: You are blessed : 

Step 4: You are blessed Ganesh typically has one hand raised, palm outward, in a reassuring gesture meaning don't worry or fear not, you are blessed. Compare that with the Lord’s prayer. There is no fall from grace. There is no original sin. His tiny eyes speak of the importance of concentration and attention to detail. The chief form of concentration is to listen more and talk less. This is again represented by the large ears and the tiny mouth of Ganesh. 21

Step 5: You are not alone on your path : 

Step 5: You are not alone on your path He holds an elephant goad, his "fierce" weapon, used to remove obstacles from his devotees' path and to drive them in the right direction. He also wields a noose, symbolic of his gentle restraint of the mind so that the devotee is pulled nearer to the spiritual path. 22 In fact, your own realization when you put yourself in harms way, alludes to your Ganesh nature. The curvature of the trunk is also said to represent the rising of the kundalini (spiritual energy that is believed to be coiled serpent-like at the base of the spine) powers.

Step 6: You are in union with the Universe : 

Step 6: You are in union with the Universe His broken tusk with which he wrote the Mahabharata – the act of writing is a threshold activity, and Ganesha removes the obstacles involved in the transmission from thought or speech into a written medium. At the request of Vyasa, Ganesha wrote down the text to Vyasa's dictation. Ganesha is said to have agreed to write it only on condition that Vyasa never pause in his recitation. Vyasa agreed, provided Ganesha took the time to understand what was said before writing it down.  Symbolically, the single tusk indicates Ganesha’s ability to overcome all forms of pair of opposites…also it points to the fact that what you need is within you. The universe is within you. The kingdom of heaven is within you…. 23

Step 7: Realize your own divinity : 

Step 7: Realize your own divinity Parvati produces a son with singular consciousness, with no ability to reflect (“Thou shall…”). Siva removes the head, and thereby the Maya and replaces it with the unforgettable certainty of spiritual truth. Ganesh will not blindly follow duty, but rather reflect. Symbolically, we too, must decapitate our worldly concerns to realize our own divinity. This story also points out that individuality is an illusion. A constant Hindu theme. We are all linked together. We are One and the same. It’s our ego’s that creates the Maya of singularity. 24

Step 7: Realize your own divinity : 

Step 7: Realize your own divinity Some images show Ganesh holding a lotus, or sitting on a lotus. This symbolizes the highest goal of human evolution, the sweetness of the realization of our own divinity. 25 Man is untouched by sin, like the beautiful lotus flower standing high above the mud and water.

Corollary to Step 7: Recognize divinity within others : 

Corollary to Step 7: Recognize divinity within others Ganesh has a huge crown on his head, and is revered as the first god to be offered salutations. The myth regarding the crown and why Ganesha is the first god that’s invoked during Hindu prayers is as follows: The gods could not agree who is first among them. Shiva set the challenge: goaround the world, first one in is first among all the gods. They all set off expect Ganesha. Ganesh took a few steps aroundhis mother and sat down. Parvati reminded him of the challenge. "But you are myworld and I have gone aroundyou," Ganesh replied. Needlessto say, he won the race. 26

Om Shri Ganasha namaya! : 

Om Shri Ganasha namaya! 27 * Earliest (700 B.C.) known image of Ganesh on a temple in Orissa, India. For that’s what being Ganesh is: giving up the ego, remaining above materialism yet using materials when needed, being an exceptional leader (Gana-pati) and yet keeping humble. You are free to live with calmness, forbearance, compassion, and selflessness. The needs of the ego no longer drive your actions.

Conclusion : 

Conclusion 28 Hinduism is a way of life, with a set of core beliefs. Dharma being the prime belief, along with Karma. “Salvation” in Hinduism is like a razor’s edge…very few have been able to traverse it. Hindu deities (read symbols) are for the individual. It is all about an individual approaching a personal God in an individual way according to his temperament. You get out of it what you are capable of grasping, each myth works at many levels You can only approach Ganesh in joy and playfulness , and when he does appear within your spiritual life you discover in short, live life to the fullest with jest, and love it.

Ganeśa : 

Ganeśa