Ganesha first

[Guest guest]

Once I brought a picture of Ganesha to my Gurudev and asked him to

please tell about the various items in each of the 8 hands. [For fun

let me tell you about how this picture came to be with me... I fell

in love with Ganesha. Every day I found myself focusing on Ganesha

at my altar and throughout the day. After several months I began to

look for a picture or statue of Ganesha to put by my altar. I went

again and again to the "new age" place in town that always had such

things - yet never found any form of Ganesha. Please note that there

were always lots of Ganesha items at that store. After several

visits, I was sitting at my altar talking with Ganesha - sort of

complaining, when I realized that I had never even asked Ganesha if

I could have His image. And so I asked Him. Two days later when I

stopped by the same place there was the most beautiful Tibetan

Ganesha on rice paper with gold leaf - which has been with me ever

since. This is the picture I presented before my Gurudev.]

Rather than answer my question as posed, Swami Satchidananda instead

explained that Ganesha should always be invoked at the beginning of

any venture. He told us that what we sought from Ganesha, and what

He gave to us, was Divine Vision - the ability to see the venture we

were about to undertake from the right perspective. He explained

that when Ganesha blesses us with Divine Vision, then, by having the

right perspective, the venture is assured success. We then proceed

in the right way with protection, joy and no obstacles . He said

that we should understand this and clearly look for that from Lord

Ganesha before we move forward on any venture.

Jai Ganapathi Jai!

jayadeva