Spiritual Essence of Ganesh Puja

Sarvajanik Ganesh festival is the outcome of efforts put in by Lokmaniya Tilak during the British rule in India when group meetings were banned. Under the auspices of Ganesh puja people gathered in numbers. Even today, Ganesh festival is the most celebrated of all Indian festivals the world over. The deity is an epitome of super intelligence, power and wisdom.

Lord Ganesh is one of the favorite deities in every Indian household. Being referred to as Pratham Pujya, Lord Ganesh is the 1^st deity invoked before initiation of any religious ceremony.  It is believed that when Lord Ganesh is invoked, he leaves his heavenly abode and resides within the confines of our home. After serving him for a period of  1, 5, 7 or 10 days, he bids farewell to return back to his abode.

During his stay, chanting of prayers and mantras continue. This is a reflection of bhakti yoga. Chanting in groups raises the positive vibrations of every individual as well as the surrounding area. 

Ganesh is the lord of the panch tatvas i.e. Earth, Fire, Water, Air and Ether. So during visarjan, when the idol is immersed in water it is a gentle reminder that nothing lasts forever. All living things will eventually become formless. Our physical body will convert into these tatvas when the soul severs ties with the physical body.

The visarjan of the Ganesh idol actually represents the visarjan of all the vikars i.e.to surrender all negative qualities like anger, pride, desires, ego, lust, etc to the higher self. When one surrenders to the higher self, a complete transformation takes place. One is completely detached from all worldly aspects.  The realization that we are spiritual beings in a temporary physical body sets in.

The elephant head explains it all. In other words, when Ganesh was created by Parvati (Shakti or Kundalini), he was not spiritually developed. So when Shiva ( higher self, symbolized by the ball on his head) intervenes, there is resistance by the lower nature represented by original Ganesh. Slaying of Ganesh’s head by Shiva represents dissolution of the lower nature or negative qualities. The elephant head symbolizes Shakti or Kundalini energy which on activation rises from the base of the spine or the basic chakra and moves upwards towards the crown chakra on the top of the head and merges with the descending divine energy. When this happens you become like Ganesh.

Therefore, the practice of loving kindness and letting go of ill feelings towards oneself as well as others is the path leading to one’s spiritual development.

Adhik Maas

Religion helps to condition our mortal bodies (physical, etheric, astral and mental bodies) to manifest spiritual attributes.

Adhik Maas is the extra month in the Hindu calendar which bridges the gap between lunar and solar months. During this period, Hindus worship  Lord Vishnu, hence the term Purshottam Maas. Purshottam refers to “The Perfect Man.”

Perfection is achieved by prayer, penance and cleansing. In other words, a month devoted to self development, self introspection and inner purification. Penance, fasting, meditation and recitation of religious verses and books, donation and tithing are embraced.

Inner purification in simplified terms mean following the virtues to the core which lead to detoxification of our mortal bodies.Virtues of being honest, generous, kind  and loving, non injurious in thought, speech and deeds.

This is a period of rediscovery of our true self, the divinity within us all.

What you Give, You Get…That is the Divine Law..

Best wishes to all my spiritual buddies…..Explore and discover your True Self.!!!

Thought Power

With every passing second comes a new thought. Natural as they may seem, they have a tremendous effect. These thoughts are alive, just like you and me.. They have their own will and live in the cosmos for an indefinite time, for thoughts are not figments of our imagination. 

Thoughts are elementals. When put into action they become thought forms that can be devastating. Although a willful thought lingers indefinitely, a thought created by a wavering mind may dissipate quickly. It can still create havoc in a person’s life. A thought elemental created by an earnest wish, for oneself or others, will hover in the aura for a few days.

Similarly, when a person / persons gossips or criticizes, bitterness and hatred toward oneself or others, he/she creates a living entity which either surrounds or resides in the aura of the person concerned and may remain there forever. Hence, Gossip and criticism are the deadliest of all sins. We knowingly create such thoughts, good and bad, which can be injurious. 

Despite our limited knowledge  regarding the subject, it is not difficult to come to an inference that these, so called, mere thoughts affect the physical, mental, social and spiritual well being of the individual who owns it, of the individual who is thought about and of those around them. 

So, it is our ultimate test to avoid this deadly indulgence for the well being of ourselves as well as others and to curb the generation of negative elements. It is indeed difficult for us, we who are conscious of our mortal, bodily nature to conceive that the potentiality of the infinite splendor exists within us..

Being able to stand amidst the darkness and constantly reminding ourselves that “ We are the sparkle of Light “ is our final test...

To conclude, think carefully, think positively. Your positive thoughts and attitude may fill someone’s life with love, happiness and success............

What Lies Beyond The Physical Plane

A snake sheds it covering  just as a human being, over a period of time. 

We humans are basically an eternal soul wrapped in 5 bodies namely, the physical, the etheric double, the emotional (astral), the mental and ultimately the causal (spiritual). Out of these, it is only the spiritual body which remains to the end when the soul merges with the Divine light.

These bodies interpenetrate each other and form an aura around the physical body.

Each of these bodies has a different composition and an important significance. 

To begin with, the Physical body or the Annamayakosha is gross in nature and consists of cellular tissues and organs. Adjacent to the physical body is the Etheric double or the Pranamayakosha which supplies energy to the entire body and organs. Various nadis or energy channels  run through it. Beyond the Etheric double is the Astral/Emotional body or the Manomayakosha consisting of the conscious mind and memory and is involved in the emotional aspects of life and desires. Following the Emotional body is the Mental/Intellectual body or the Vijnamayakosha, the higher intellect or the super conscious mind. It reflects our thought processes, understanding, knowledge and beliefs. And finally comes the Causal body or the Anandmayakosha, the body of cosmic consciousness. Feelings of divine love and bliss are centered here. It is the source of life consciousness for the current personality i.e. the knowledge of our true existence. The Akashic   records are stored here, i.e. , our past life experiences and knowledge. 

A balance between these bodies is a must, as any mal-alignment of these bodies with one another  will lead to various physical, emotional and mental disorders.