Idol Worship

 

We require some name and form to anchor our mind to.

When we do Pooja to an idol, the starting mantras mean something like, Oh my God, who is within me, come on out here into this idol, so I can play with you!

And then we do the Pooja, mimicking God:

He has provided us with food, so we offer some rice (as if it's ours to offer, What belongs to God, we simply give to God), and we offer flowers, etc...

Then just as He is doing our aarti with the sun and the moon, we light a small lamp and do His aarti…

Pooja means that which is born out of fullness of the heart it's done with deep gratitude and a sense of mischief…

and when we have finished, the mantras say,

ok, now that i have finished playing with you, come back within me.

 

It is very difficult for our minds to even begin to comprehend the immensity and vastness that is the (formless) God.

So, we create a name and a form, and can get some relationship, some anchor and then we worship that...
When a religious scripture is printed in the printing press, it is just printed paper...

It's just a book, until we ourselves through our feelings make it sacred and holy.

In the days of yore, there were no mobiles or internet, and it was very difficult for a lover to communicate with his beloved.

So, whatever had to be said was simply said to a photo... Now, that photo was not the beloved, was it? It was just a representation of the beloved.

Similarly, we do Pooja to the Idol... as a representation of God!

Ganapati Homa in Mumbai

The Ganapati Homa is performed to invoke the energy signified by Ganesha (the remover of obstacles). This Homa bestows health and wealth, removes obstacles and bestows success in endeavors and matters relating to service and business. The Ganapati Homa is recommended before starting any new venture, business or project, to remove any obstacles that might arise in the future. It also removes any blocks that might be there in the consciousness. Another quality of Ganesha is bestowing knowledge, alertness and awareness, and this homa therefore also aids in removing any blocks or obstacles that one might encounter in the field of studies and academics. It is one of the most eminent homas in the vedic tradition, as nothing is started without invoking this energy.

DON'T MISS THE GANESH HOMA HAPPENING FOR FIRST TIME IN MUMBAI THIS GANESH CHATURTHI

Secrets of Birth Of Ganesha

Parvati is the Celebrative aspect of our consciousness.
Parvat means mountain: The Earth herself rising up in celebration.


Now Parvati was dirty, meaning, the celebration had gone out of life, feeling of sadness, etc had arisen, and she decides to take a bath (be alone)…
When you are not feeling good (your celebratory aspect is dirty), you say, give me my space, leave me alone…
The dirt that comes off her and she gives life to is the Ego…
She tells the Ego see that no one disturbs me while i am not feeling well…
dont let anyone come in!
Thats exactly what most people do when they are not feeling good: people usually isolate themsleves, feel separate from everyone and dont like others around them…

This is the significance of Parvati animating her ego and asking it not to let anyone disturb her because she is feeling dirty.
Lord Shiva is the protector of Parvati. So when He sees her that way with her ego standing guard, keeping the Bliss of the Self out, He does what any protector would do… Kills it!

Chopping off the head signifies killing the ego… Now, when you have had your ego trampled upon, you are going to feel even more hurt and bewildered, which is where Parvati flares up… to appease her and teach her, Lord Shiva replaces the child’s (ego) head with an elephant head.


The Elephant in Hindu mythology is held in great reverence.

The big head symbolizes Knowledge.
The eyes of the elephant are kind, full of compassion and innocence: the most beautiful in the animal Kingdom.
So Shiva replaces the head of ego (ignorance) with Knowledge and innocence! That’s not all, if you have ever seen an elephant walk, stately and strong, you can see that nothing can stand in its way!
So Shivji removed the ego and replaced it with Strength, Grace, Knowledge and innocence.

Lord Shiva then names the child, Ganesh. The Lord of Knowledge and Wisdom.

Ganeshji is the remover of obstacles…
Obstacles are there because there is no Knowledge and awareness… as soon as wisdom dawns, all obstacles and problems just vanish like dew in the sunlight…And really what obstacle can stand in the way of an elephant?!

He has a huge stomach which signifies an all accepting nature… He is the Lord of all kinds of groups (Gan means group), so He accepts everyone…
but He also wears a snake as a belt around the stomach, which means that He accepts you, but with the full awareness of a snake!
He has many hands, one holds a rope, another a poke and still another a modak.

He offers you the modak (sweet) of Wisdom and Knowledge and when you come near to Him to take it, He quickly ties you with the rope (probably while you are eating it)… meaning that once Wisdom has dawned, you can never really go back to whatever you used to be!

And it may happen that even having all the Knowledge and Wisdom, you may feel low, unhappy or miserable… then He pokes you (remember the snake? He accepts you as you are, doesn’t cast you away, but takes action after accpetance)…
to wake you up to Reality… And sometimes if the poking is too much for you and you try to run away (you can’t He has got you tied with the rope! ),
He gives you the sweet, the Knowledge  and that brings you back to Him. And so Lord Ganesha binds you sweetly and firmly to Himself!

He is Vinayaka. The peerless leader. He reports to no one!

And the mouse?

The mouse nibbles the veils of ignorance that surround our consiousness, so that true Knowledge can get established in the Self. So, Lord Ganesha rides the mouse who eats away the anger, the ignorance and allows the Bliss of Knowledge to dawn…

Thus Lord Ganesha is the gift of Lord Shiva for Parvati to teach and nurture her to always be in her true nature… The Celebration and Bliss of the Self!

Ganesha Rahasya

The ultimate truth in this existing world is that it is nothing but a collection of molecules. This is called as ‘Gana’ (collective form). Our own body is a ‘Gana’. It is made up of flesh, blood and bone marrow. Thus the Lord of all ‘Ganas’ is ‘GANESHA’.
Ganesha is ‘Achintya’, ‘Avyakta’ and ‘Ananta’. That is beyond thought, beyond expression and is eternal. Thus no other is as beautiful as Him and He is omnipresent.
Now the question arises that why this one-consciousness and one supreme power is depicted in the form of an elephant? The elephant is endowed with peculiar qualities, like its fearless and royal walk. It proudly destroys any obstacle on its path. An elephant is also a symbol of authority, endurance, strength and courage. We are thus, able to imbibe all these qualities into our consciousness.
The long trunk of the elephant symbolizes that true enlightenment is a good balance between ‘knowledge’ and its implementation (in action). Ganesha has only one tooth that stands for ‘one consciousness’.
We are often struck by the question that why does a big Ganesha sit on a small mouse? This is because the mouse is ‘Logic’ and the ‘Knowledge of self’ and over it sits the symbol of ‘supreme knowledge’ Ganesha.
The ‘Modak’ in Ganesha’s hand is the attainment of ‘Ultimate Bliss’. Also his one hand showers blessings on those who have faith and have surrendered to him. In one hand, Ganesha holds a ‘Pash’ or a string that is to tie down oneself in discipline. The other hand of Ganesha holds an ‘Ankush’ or a spear, showing self-control.
Always, the belly of Ganesha is enormous with a snake around it. This stands for acceptance with awareness. Also we surrender all our dreams of woe and distress to Ganesha in the form of ‘Durva’ grass.
We are aware of the story of Ganesha’s birth. Ganesha was born out of the collection of dirt from Parvati’s body. ‘Parvati’ is the high energy of a celebration or festival, and there always is some aspect of negativity in this high energy. This is symbolized by the dirt. When this body of dirt encountered the ‘Shiva element’, the ‘Advait Tatva’ its head, that is ego, fell apart and was then replaced by the head of an elephant. Ganesha was blessed by Lord Shiva himself that he would be worshipped at the out start of any auspicious occasion or puja.



Knowledge by His Holiness Sri Sri Ravi Shankarji

The deeper meaning of Janamashtami

The beauty in our ancient stories is that they were never made location-specific or time-specific. Ramayana or Mahabharata are not just events that happened a long time ago, they are happening everyday in our lives. The essence of these stories is eternal.

There is a deeper meaning to the story of Krishna’s birth too. Devaki symbolizes the body and Vasudev symbolizes the life force (prana). When prana rises in the body, joy (Krishna) is born. But the ego (Kamsa) tries to eliminate joy. Kamsa is Devaki’s brother which indicates that ego is born along with the body. A person who is happy and joyful does not create trouble for anyone. It is the one who is unhappy and emotionally wounded who ends up causing disruption. Those who feel injustice has been done to them end up being unjust to others out of their hurt ego.

The biggest adversary of ego is joy. Ego cannot survive and has to bow down where there is joy and love. A person can hold a very high position in society, but he melts in front of his own little child. When the child falls ill, however strong the person is, they feel a little helpless. Ego simply melts when confronted with love, simplicity and joy. Krishna is the epitome of joy, the quintessence of simplicity and the very source of love.

Devaki’s and Vasudev’s imprisonment by Kamsa signifies that when the ego takes over, the body feels like a prison. When Krishna was born, the prison guards fell asleep. The guards here are the senses which protect the ego because they are turned outward when awake. Inner joy sprouts in us when the senses turn inwards.

Krishna is also known as the butter thief. Milk is the essence of nourishment and curd is a denser form of milk. When curd is churned, butter comes up and floats on top. It is nourishing and yet light, not heavy. When our intelligence is churned, it becomes like butter. When knowledge sprouts in the mind, one gets established in one’s Self. Such a person remains unattached to this world and his mind does not sink in it. Krishna stealing butter is a symbolism depicting the glory of love. So attractive is Krishna’s charm and skill that he steals the minds of even the most dispassionate.

Why does Krishna have the peacock feather on his head? A king is responsible for the whole society and that responsibility can become a burden, which sits on the head as the crown. But Krishna fulfills all his responsibility effortlessly, like a game. A mother never feels taking care of her children is a burden. Similarly, Krishna wears his responsibility lightly and plays his roles colorfully, just like the peacock feather on his crown.

Krishna is the most attractive, joyful space within all of us. When there is no restlessness, worry or desire in the mind, you are able to get deep rest. And it is in deep rest that Krishna is born.

The message of Janamashtami is that it is time to bring a wave of joy in society. Become seriously joyful!

- Sri Sri

Disturbances in Mind

While I was in a Restaurant, suddenly a cockroach flew from somewhere and sat on a lady standing a little away from me.

She started screaming out of fear. With panic stricken face and trembling voice, she started jumping, with both her hands desperately trying to get rid of the cockroach. Her reaction was contagious, as everyone in her group got cranky to what was happening. The lady finally managed to push the cockroach to another lady in the group.

Now, it was the turn of the other lady in the group to continue the drama. The waiter rushed forward to their rescue.

In the relay of throwing, the cockroach next fell upon the waiter.

The waiter stood firm, composed himself and observed the behavior of the cockroach on his shirt.

When he was confident enough, he grabbed and threw it out with his fingers.

Sipping my coffee and watching the amusement, my mind picked up a few thoughts and started wondering:

- Was the cockroach responsible for the ladies' histrionic behavior?

- If so, then why was the waiter not disturbed? He handled it near to perfection - without any chaos or drama.

- So, it was not the cockroach, but the inability of the ladies to handle the disturbance caused by the cockroach that disturbed them.

I also realized even in my case then, it is not the shouting of my father or scolding of my boss that disturbs me, but it's my own inability to handle the disturbances caused by their shouting that disturb me.

Similarly, it's not the traffic jams on the road that disturbs me, but my inability to handle the disturbance caused in my mind by the traffic jam that disturbs me.

More than the problem, it's my own reaction to the problem that hurts me!

The Take-Away:

- The women reacted but the waiter responded.

- We must not react in life; we should always respond.

- Reactions are instinctive; responses are intellectual.

Ant and Grasshopper - Indian Version of story - too good and fact

Original Story:

The Ant works hard in the withering heat all summer building its house and
laying up supplies for the winter. The Grasshopper thinks the Ant is a fool
and laughs dances plays the summer away. Come winter, the Ant is warm and
well fed. The Grasshopper has no food or shelter so he dies out in the
cold.

Indian Version:

The Ant works hard in the withering heat all summer building its house and
laying up supplies for the winter. The Grasshopper thinks the Ant's a fool
and laughs dances plays the summer away.

Come winter, the shivering Grasshopper calls a press conference and demands
to know why the Ant should be allowed to be warm and well fed while others
are cold and starving.

NDTV, BBC, CNN show up to provide pictures of the shivering Grasshopper
next to a video of the Ant in his comfortable home with a table filled with
food.

The World is stunned by the sharp contrast. How can this be that this poor
Grasshopper is allowed to suffer so?

Arundhati Roy stages a demonstration in front of the Ant's house.

Medha Patkar goes on a fast along with other Grasshoppers demanding that
Grasshoppers be relocated to warmer climates during winter .

Mayawati states this as'injustice'done on Minorities.

Amnesty International and Koffi Annan criticize the Indian Government for
not upholding the fundamental rights of the Grasshopper.

The Internet is flooded with online petitions seeking support to the
Grasshopper (many promising Heaven&Everlasting Peace for prompt support
as against the wrath of God for non-compliance) .

Opposition MPs stage a walkout. Left parties call for'Bengal Bandh'in
West Bengal and Kerala demanding a Judicial Enquiry.

CPM in Kerala immediately passes a law preventing Ants from working hard in
the heat so as to bring about equality of poverty among Ants and
Grasshoppers.

Lalu Prasad allocates one free coach to Grasshoppers on all Indian Railway
Trains, aptly named as the'Grasshopper Rath'.

Finally, the Judicial Committee drafts the'Prevention of Terrorism Against
Grasshoppers Act'[POTAGA] , with effect from the beginning of the winter..

Arjun Singh makes'Special Reservation'for Grasshoppers in Educational
Institutions in Government Services.

The Ant is fined for failing to comply with POTAGA and having nothing left
to pay his retroactive taxes, it's home is confiscated by the Government
and handed over to the Grasshopper in a ceremony covered by NDTV, BBC, CNN.

Arundhati Roy calls it'A Triumph of Justice'.

Lalu calls it'Socialistic Justice'.

CPM calls it the'Revolutionary Resurgence of the Downtrodden'

Koffi Annan invites the Grasshopper to address the UN General Assembly.

Many years later...

The Ant has since migrated to the US and set up a multi-billion dollar
company in Silicon Valley ,

100s of Grasshoppers still die of starvation despite reservation somewhere
in India ,

....AND

As a result of losing lot of hard working Ants and feeding the
grasshoppers, India is still a developing country...!!