Question for traditional Hindus?

[3bob]

I have a question for traditional Hindus or those who follow traditional Hindu ways concerning Lord Ganesha. (who is a very important and key god in Hinduism!) For instance why does or would Lord Siva say worship His son first before trying to worship Him? I have some trouble with that because of my Christian background of reserving worship for the Supreme God, while honoring and respecting all other divine beings which is who Lord Ganesha would be if he was recognized in Christianity.

 

(Btw, I realize there are various sects of Hinduism, and that some see or believe rather differently - namely with the comparative positions or importance of the Gods and or Goddess's of Ganesha, Shiva, Vishnu, Brahama, Kali and her different forms, Krishna, etc. (etc.) as in representing the Supreme Being to them.

 

Thanks ahead of time for your input

[cadejoblanco]

 

This tells the story pretty well. It doesn't really go into any deeper reasoning though. Maybe you can come up with your own ideas after knowing the story.

 

In my understanding, Ganesh is the lord of obstacles. By recognizing him first, you're pleading to remove any obstacles from the goal of communing/recognizing/merging/whatever with self/brahman/ishta-devta/whatever. It's the same reason we view fire as important in ritual. The god Agni is said to relay messages and bring offerings to the heavens. Fire, quite obviously, represents much more than just that, too.

 

There's a lot of things that are said to be important in prayer and ritual, and they're often quite elaborate. Everyone's a little different though, and you have to find your own way, form your own ideas of what's important, what goals you want, and deeper spiritual ideas; That will help to show you the way to which path to take, even inside larger, multi-branched religions such as Hinduism and Christianity.

 

Just my thoughts on the topic.

[3bob]

and those are very fine thoughts indeed! Thanks for your contribution Cadejoblanco

[dwai]

I have a question for traditional Hindus or those who follow traditional Hindu ways concerning Lord Ganesha. (who is a very important and key god in Hinduism!) For instance why does or would Lord Siva say worship His son first before trying to worship Him? I have some trouble with that because of my Christian background of reserving worship for the Supreme God, while honoring and respecting all other divine beings which is who Lord Ganesha would be if he was recognized in Christianity.

 

(Btw, I realize there are various sects of Hinduism, and that some see or believe rather differently - namely with the comparative positions or importance of the Gods and or Goddess's of Ganesha, Shiva, Vishnu, Brahama, Kali and her different forms, Krishna, etc. (etc.) as in representing the Supreme Being to them.

 

Thanks ahead of time for your input

Lord Ganesha is the God of Beginnings and a remover of obstacles per the puranic tradition. But also, because he is the deity of the Mooladhara chakra. For Kundalini to awaken and begin her transit to the Crown point, the Moola needs to be awakened first. Sri Ganesha is the presiding deity of the Moooladhara chakra and his bija mantra is "Lam".

 

Why that is relevant (the Kundalini part) is because rituals in the Hindu/Vedic tradition is actually a simultaneously internal and external process. The external acts of fire sacrifice (Yagna) needs to be complemented by internal processes. So, imho, when Sri Ganesha is offered obeisance externally via ritual, there is an internal aspect to it as well...

 

Hindu traditions have other aspects to them wrt deities. The Gods and Goddesses are aspects of the absolute and represent various specific characteristics. Hindus have the ability/freedom to choose their "Ishta Devata" (or Deity of choice). Once the choice is made, they then follow the path prescribed for that deity (until it is time to then follow another deity). So, deities are like teachers (as they contain the potential of specific characteristics that will then unfold in the seeker). But also, at a cultural level, Hindu culture never developed the "my way is the best way" malaise, because there was an effort to syncretize the various systems (of the deities) into an organic familial setting. It is common knowledge that Shiva, Vishnu and Shakti have their respective systems/traditions. But folklore assimilated them into one family. So, in some traditions, Vishnu and Brahma are the sons-in-law of Shiva and Parvati. Ganesha and Kartikeya are their sons. Sarasvati and Lakshmi are their daughters. Vishnu's wife is Lakshmi, Brahma's is Sarasvati, and so on...

Edited December 29, 2014 by dwai

[3bob]

Dwai, Thank you for the in-depth reply and information. And I have studied what you mentioned but even now still tend to see honor and respect as being applicable for all other beings compared to worship for the Supreme Being in whatever form one chooses to do so. Thus I have some work to do...

[stefos]

Lord Ganesha is the God of Beginnings and a remover of obstacles per the puranic tradition. But also, because he is the deity of the Mooladhara chakra. For Kundalini to awaken and begin her transit to the Crown point, the Moola needs to be awakened first. Sri Ganesha is the presiding deity of the Moooladhara chakra and his bija mantra is "Lam".

 

Why that is relevant (the Kundalini part) is because rituals in the Hindu/Vedic tradition is actually a simultaneously internal and external process. The external acts of fire sacrifice (Yagna) needs to be complemented by internal processes. So, imho, when Sri Ganesha is offered obeisance externally via ritual, there is an internal aspect to it as well...

 

Hindu traditions have other aspects to them wrt deities. The Gods and Goddesses are aspects of the absolute and represent various specific characteristics. Hindus have the ability/freedom to choose their "Ishta Devata" (or Deity of choice). Once the choice is made, they then follow the path prescribed for that deity (until it is time to then follow another deity). So, deities are like teachers (as they contain the potential of specific characteristics that will then unfold in the seeker). But also, at a cultural level, Hindu culture never developed the "my way is the best way" malaise, because there was an effort to syncretize the various systems (of the deities) into an organic familial setting. It is common knowledge that Shiva, Vishnu and Shakti have their respective systems/traditions. But folklore assimilated them into one family. So, in some traditions, Vishnu and Brahma are the sons-in-law of Shiva and Parvati. Ganesha and Kartikeya are their sons. Sarasvati and Lakshmi are their daughters. Vishnu's wife is Lakshmi, Brahma's is Sarasvati, and so on...

 

Hi Dwai,

 

Why do Brahma, Shiva or Vishnu need to be worshipped at all IF the goal is moksha/Brahman?

 

Advaita ultimately points to Monotheism and not Polytheism per se.

 

I'm not sure if Brahma, Shiva and Vishnu are considered "gods" or deities in the light of the Bhagavad Gita:

If anything, These so called "gods" according to the Bhagavad Gita are not be worshipped, the Gita says.

 

The Upanishads continuously make mention of Brahman only.

 

I would appreciate your understanding sir.

 

Namaste,

Stefos

[dwai]

Hi Dwai,

 

Why do Brahma, Shiva or Vishnu need to be worshipped at all IF the goal is moksha/Brahman?

 

Advaita ultimately points to Monotheism and not Polytheism per se.

 

I'm not sure if Brahma, Shiva and Vishnu are considered "gods" or deities in the light of the Bhagavad Gita:

If anything, These so called "gods" according to the Bhagavad Gita are not be worshipped, the Gita says.

 

The Upanishads continuously make mention of Brahman only.

 

I would appreciate your understanding sir.

 

Namaste,

Stefos

All these roads lead to the same thing. It is dependent on the make up of the individual. Not everyone is ready for Advaita teachings. Having an Ishta Devata (Deity of Choice) helps the individual open up his/her heart in love (Bhakti Yoga).

 

The four paths of union with the ultimate - Bhakti for those who are devotionally inclined (this is the majority imho), Karma for those who want to follow the path via selfless action, Raja for those who want to use techniques - asanas, pranayama, the ashtanga path and finally Jnana, for those who follow the path using their intellects (this is the minority and the hardest of the paths).

 

The Bhagavad Gita has sections for each path. In each one Sri Krishna says that it is the best way to get to him (Brahman). What that means essentially is that all the ways are equally valid.

 

This is why we don't see many incidences of religious violence among the various hindu traditions. Plurality is the way of the Hindu.

Edited January 16, 2015 by dwai

[mYTHmAKER]

I have a question for traditional Hindus or those who follow traditional Hindu ways concerning Lord Ganesha. (who is a very important and key god in Hinduism!) For instance why does or would Lord Siva say worship His son first before trying to worship Him? I have some trouble with that because of my Christian background of reserving worship for the Supreme God, while honoring and respecting all other divine beings which is who Lord Ganesha would be if he was recognized in Christianity.

 

(Btw, I realize there are various sects of Hinduism, and that some see or believe rather differently - namely with the comparative positions or importance of the Gods and or Goddess's of Ganesha, Shiva, Vishnu, Brahama, Kali and her different forms, Krishna, etc. (etc.) as in representing the Supreme Being to them.

 

Thanks ahead of time for your input

Not a Hindu but don't Christians worship Jesus the son of God - same thing