Merging with Siva Lesson 134

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Lesson 134

 

Lord Ganesha, The Gatekeeper

 

Lord Ganesha is the first God a Hindu comes to know. As the Lord of

Categories, His first objective is to bring order into the devotee's

life, to settle an individual into the correct and proper flow of his

dharmathe pattern of duties, responsibilities and expectations suited

to the maturity of his soul. As the Lord of Obstacles, He deftly wields

His noose and mace, dislodging impediments and holding avenues open

until the individual is set in a good pattern, one that will fulfill

his spiritual needs rather than frustrate them.

 

 

 

Always remember that Ganesha does not move swiftly. He is the

elephant God, and His gait is slow and graceful. As the God of the

instinctive-intellectual mind, His darshans are carried on the slower

currents of mind, and so his response to our prayers is usually not

overnight or sudden and electric, but more deliberate and gradual. Yet,

our patience is rewarded, for His work is thorough and powerful, of

matchless force persisting until our lives and minds adjust and our

prayer has become reality.

 

 

 

Lord Ganesha is also known as the Gate-keeper. Access to all the other

Gods comes through Him. It is not that He would want to keep anyone from

another God, but He prepares you to meet them and makes the meeting

an auspicious one. This preparation can mean lifetimes. There is no

hurry. It is not a race. Ganesha will faithfully bar access to those

who do not merit a divine audience and an ensuing relationship with the

other Deities whose darshans are faster. Should a devotee gain unearned

access and invoke the powers of other Deities before all preparations

were

concluded, karma would accelerate beyond the individual's control.

Worship

of Lord Ganesha, however, may begin at any time.

 

 

 

Ganesha is the ubiquitous God. There are more shrines, altars and

temples

for Lord Ganesha than for any other God. Ganesha bhakti is the most

spontaneous worship and the simplest to perform. It requires little

ritual. Just the ringing of a small bell at the outset of a project

before His picture or the burning of camphor or the offering of a flower

is enough to invoke His presence and protection. Throughout India and

Sri

Lanka, there are small, unadorned shrines to Ganapati under shaded

trees,

along country roads, at bus terminals, along footpaths and in the city

streets. His blessings are indeed everywhere. Helping Ganesha, whose

powers of mind outreach the most advanced computers we can conceive,

are His ganas, or devonic helpers. These ministering spirits collect

the prayers of those in need, ferret out and procure the necessary

information and bring it before Lord Ganesha's wisdom.