Day 35 - Ganesh Part 1

Today's Tarka Practice
As many of you already know, in Hinduism there are many gods and goddess. Why so many? Because while there is one form of ultimate reality, it can be looked upon in many ways. This is often called Brahman or Brahma. Each god and goddess represents this total reality but in a different way. Each god or goddess is a symbol for an aspect of that reality. Reality and truth can be called by many names and it can have many forms but it is still one totality.

Because using symbols in our practice can be a powerful way to connect with ourselves and heal ourselves, this week I wanted to talk about the symbolism of Ganesha. Ganesha or Ganesh can be thought of as the Lord of Beginnings and Wisdom as well as the remover of obstacles.

Ganesh has the body of a human and the head of an elephant. The head symbolizes wisdom, understanding and intellect. All things that one would need in order to have a perfect life. A perfect life is self-realization or the ability to see and understand the truth about oneself and about reality. Your task, then, is to use your wisdom and intellect to come to an understanding of yourself/reality. In other words, you are to use the wisdom you gain in your practice to move towards greater enlightenment. You are Ganesh. Ganesh is you. You can remove your own obstacles. Obstacles are removed by gaining greater wisdom.

For today's tarka practice, I want you to think about the obstacles in your life. What do you see as your greatest obstacles?

Shanti