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Shri Ganesha: Saguna and Nirguna Brahman
“No
other religion offers such insight into the intricate
workings of our universe than Hinduism. More
importantly, no other religion offers the grace of a
God that is within us as well as within all things
outside of ourselves, that is both within form as
Saguna Brahman and beyond form as Nirguna Brahman and
that may be known my the devout seeker even in this
life. Little wonder that the Sanatana Dharma, the
Eternal Path, has withstood the ravages of time and
stands today as the most advanced system of philosophy
and devotion on the earth. It is fully in accord with,
and in fact its sages clearly anticipated, the
advances of 20th Century science. Hinduism today
stands as the religion of the village community as
well as the urban family - an enlightened faith for
all men in all times. The single most unifying force
within Hinduism is Lord Ganesha, son of Siva/Sakti,
beloved Deity of over 600 million Hindus.
It is an incontrovertible fact that Lord Ganesha is
real, not a mere symbol. He is a potent force in the
universe, not a representation of potent universal
forces. Of course, Ganesha belongs to all mankind, not
to Hindus alone, though not all men on the planet call
Him by our name, Ganesha. ... To some Chinese He is Kuan-shi
t'ien or Ho Tei, the large-bellied God of Happiness.
To the Polynesians He is God Lono. The Tamils call him
by the affectionate term Pilliar, Noble Child. The
Tibetians know Him as ts' ogs-bdag, and the Burmese
worship Maha-Pienne. In Mongolia His name is Totkhar-our
Khaghan. Cambodians offer worship to Prah Kenes, and
the Japanese supplicate Vinayaksa or Sho-ten. By some
He is envisioned as the feminine Mother Nature, and
even non-believers seek to understand Him through
personifying His great powers as Fate, Destiny or
Numen, The Greeks called Him Janus and sought His
blessings at the outset of any new venture. ... In one form or another, Lord Ganesha is
honored throughout the world. Hindus worship Him at
countless pujas performed daily on every continent. In
temples and home shrines Ganesha is worshipped today
in India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Malayasia, Java, Bali,
Borneo, Tibet, Burma, Siam, China, Indo-China, Japan,
Trinidad and Tobago, Hawaii and the Pacific Islands,
Africa, Europe and North America.
Abundantly built. Lord Ganesha is said to contain
within Himself all matter, all mind. He is the very
personification of material existence. We look upon
this physical world as the body of Lord Ganesha.
Hindus do not believe that God is in heaven, aloof
from His creation. We believe in the divine immanence
of God, that He is non-different from the world that
He has created. In seeing and understanding the varied
forces at work in the physical universe, we are seeing
and understanding the powers and the being of Lord
Ganesha. God is everywhere. Lord Ganesha is everywhere
in this physical universe. In looking upon the world
and all that happens in it and in our daily lives, we
are learning to see God everywhere. There is nothing
that exists apart from God. If we know that, then life
becomes a joy, for we know that all that happens,
whether it brings sorrow or happiness, whether we
personally wanted it to happen or not, still we know
that all that happens is right and good. This is a
wonderful spirit for all Hindus to carry into our
daily lives - a complete trust that all that happens
is for the best, a full knowing that God's Will
prevails everywhere.
Symbols of Lord Ganesha
SWASTIKA
The swastika is a sign of auspiciousness, a lucky
cross associated with the good fortunes given by Lord
Ganesha. It is said that the swastika has the crooked
arms due to the fact that the path toward our
objectives is not always straight, but filled with
change and indirection.
NOOSE
The noose, usually held in Ganesha's left hand, is
unlike the more warring weapons of the other Deities.
It is a gentle implement, used to capture and then
hold obstacles or difficulties, to direct us along the
right path much as a rider guides his steed by the use
of the bridle and reins.
MODAKA
The modaka is a sweet, round cake made of rice and
sugar, and offered in Ganesha worship, The modaka is
looked upon as the sweetest of all things sweet: as
Siddhi, the gladdening fulfillment or joy hidden
within everything.
TUSK
The single broken tusk held in Ganesha's fourth hand
is considered the symbol of sacrifice. For the
elephant the tusks are beauty and pride and strength.
But, in order to save the Mahabharata, Ganesha broke
His own tusk. Thus He teaches us the noble principle
of personal sacrifice.”
Shri Ganesha: Saguna and Nirguna Brahman
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