Shri Ganesha: Saguna and Nirguna BrahmanNo other religion offers such insight into the intricate workings of our universe than Hinduism. More importantly, no other religion offers the grace of a God that is within us as well as within all things outside of ourselves, that is both within form as Saguna Brahman and beyond form as Nirguna Brahman and that may be known my the devout seeker even in this life. Little wonder that the Sanatana Dharma, the Eternal Path, has withstood the ravages of time and stands today as the most advanced system of philosophy and devotion on the earth. It is fully in accord with, and in fact its sages clearly anticipated, the advances of 20th Century science. Hinduism today stands as the religion of the village community as well as the urban family - an enlightened faith for all men in all times. The single most unifying force within Hinduism is Lord Ganesha, son of Siva/Sakti, beloved Deity of over 600 million Hindus.It is an incontrovertible fact that Lord Ganesha is real, not a mere symbol. He is a potent force in the universe, not a representation of potent universal forces. Of course, Ganesha belongs to all mankind, not to Hindus alone, though not all men on the planet call Him by our name, Ganesha. ... To some Chinese He is Kuan-shi t'ien or Ho Tei, the large-bellied God of Happiness. To the Polynesians He is God Lono. The Tamils call him by the affectionate term Pilliar, Noble Child. The Tibetians know Him as ts' ogs-bdag, and the Burmese worship Maha-Pienne. In Mongolia His name is Totkhar-our Khaghan. Cambodians offer worship to Prah Kenes, and the Japanese supplicate Vinayaksa or Sho-ten. By some He is envisioned as the feminine Mother Nature, and even non-believers seek to understand Him through personifying His great powers as Fate, Destiny or Numen, The Greeks called Him Janus and sought His blessings at the outset of any new venture. ... In one form or another, Lord Ganesha is honored throughout the world. Hindus worship Him at countless pujas performed daily on every continent. In temples and home shrines Ganesha is worshipped today in India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Malaysia, Java, Bali, Borneo, Tibet, Burma, Siam, China, Indo-China, Japan, Trinidad and Tobago, Hawaii and the Pacific Islands, Africa, Europe and North America.Abundantly built. Lord Ganesha is said to contain within Himself all matter, all mind. He is the very personification of material existence. We look upon this physical world as the body of Lord Ganesha. Hindus do not believe that God is in heaven, aloof from His creation. We believe in the divine immanence of God, that He is non-different from the world that He has created. In seeing and understanding the varied forces at work in the physical universe, we are seeing and understanding the powers and the being of Lord Ganesha. God is everywhere. Lord Ganesha is everywhere in this physical universe. In looking upon the world and all that happens in it and in our daily lives, we are learning to see God everywhere. There is nothing that exists apart from God. If we know that, then life becomes a joy, for we know that all that happens, whether it brings sorrow or happiness, whether we personally wanted it to happen or not, still we know that all that happens is right and good. This is a wonderful spirit for all Hindus to carry into our daily lives - a complete trust that all that happens is for the best, a full knowing that God's Will prevails everywhere.Symbols of Lord GaneshaSWASTIKAThe swastika is a sign of auspiciousness, a lucky cross associated with the good fortunes given by Lord Ganesha. It is said that the swastika has the crooked arms due to the fact that the path toward our objectives is not always straight, but filled with change and indirection.NOOSEThe noose, usually held in Ganesha's left hand, is unlike the more warring weapons of the other Deities. It is a gentle implement, used to capture and then hold obstacles or difficulties, to direct us along the right path much as a rider guides his steed by the use of the bridle and reins.MODAKAThe modaka is a sweet, round cake made of rice and sugar, and offered in Ganesha worship, The modaka is looked upon as the sweetest of all things sweet: as Siddhi, the gladdening fulfillment or joy hidden within everything.TUSKThe single broken tusk held in Ganesha's fourth hand is considered the symbol of sacrifice. For the elephant the tusks are beauty and pride and strength. But, in order to save the Mahabharata, Ganesha broke His own tusk. Thus He teaches us the noble principle of personal sacrifice.Shri Ganesha: Saguna and Nirguna Brahmanwww.hinduismtoday.com The Sadguru is BrahmanThe Guru is God Himself manifesting in a personal form to guide the aspirant. Grace of God takes the form of the Guru. To see the Guru is to see God. The Guru is united with God. He inspires devotion in others. His presence purifies all.The Guru is verily a link between the individual and the immortal. He is a being who has raised himself from this into That, and thus has free and unhampered access into both the realms. He stands, as it were, upon the threshold of immortality; and, bending down he raises the struggling individuals with his one hand, and with the other lifts them up into the empyrean of everlasting joy and infinite Truth-Consciousness.

* Ganesha Mantra
Ganesha Mantras are known as Siddhi Mantra
(the one with perfection).
Each and every mantra is full of energy and power of Lord Ganesha.
It is believed that mantras of Ganesha,
when chanted with genuine devotion, give positive results.
These mantras ward off all trials and troubles
gracing the devotee with every success.
All mantras are disclosed by the Almighty,
through the Intelligence, Vision and Experience
of the divinely illuminated and perfected sages
and men of integral God-Experience.
Ganesha is the power of knowledge, success and fulfillment.
It is believed that people get benefit out of these mantras
when chanted with utmost devotion and faith.
Success is not far when you have
love and respect, faith and understanding, kindness and willpower
in your heart and when you are in touch with that power
which breaks up all restrictions, obstacles, problems, difficulties
and makes available to you the rays of success,
prosperity and abundance.
Some such Mantras are given below for the
spiritual benefit of the readers -
*Special Ganesha Mantras*
*Aum Shri Ganeshaya Namah* "Praise to Lord Ganesha".
This is the mantra of prayer, love and adoration.
It is chanted to get Ganesha's blessings
for the positive starting of a project,
work or simply to offer
him the praise.
*Aum Gan Ganapatye Namah* This is Lord Ganesha's mula ("root") mantra.
It is also known as his ''beej'' Mantra.
This mantra is used for Yoga Sadhana in which
we pray to Lord Ganesha and merge ourself with the
supreme knowledge and peace.
This is a mantra from Ganapati Upanishad.
One can always use it before starting any new venture
so that success comes without any hassle.
*Aum Vakratundaya Hum* This is a powerful mantra from Ganesha Purana.
When things are not in your favour,
or when the minds of the people turn negative,
depressed or discouraged, the attention of Ganesha
may be drawn by this mantra to straighten their ways.
The HUM symbolizes
"Delay no more, my Lord, in straightening the paths
of the crooked-minded ones."
This mantra is used many a times in the
Ganesha Purana to reduce the violence of cruel demons.
In addition, this mantra could also be used for healing
any spinal problem,
such as curvature of the spine or curved limbs.
Dedicate 1,008 repetitions of this holy word
to straighten and heal such deficiencies.
*Aum Kshipra Prasadaya Namah* Kshipra means immediate.
If some danger or negative energy is coming
your way and you don't know how to get rid of that danger,
with true devotion, practice this mantra
for quick blessing and purification of one's aura.
*Aum Shrim Hrim Klim Glaum Gam Ganapataye vara varada sarva janamme vashamanaya svaha * There are several beej (seed) mantras in this mantra.
Among other things, it says,
"Shower Your blessings,
O Lord. I offer my ego as an oblation."
*Aum Sumukhaya Namah* This mantra has a lot of meaning, in simple terms,
it means you will be always very beautiful in soul,
in spirit, in face,
everything. By meditating on this mantra,
very pleasing manners and a beauty comes on you.
Along with that comes peace,
which constantly works in your eyes;
and the words you speak are all filled with that power of love.
*Aum Ekadantaya Namah* Ekadanta refers to one tusk in the elephant face,
which means God broke the duality and made you
to have a complete one-pointed mind.
Whoever has that oneness of mind and single-minded
devotion will achieve everything.
*Aum Kapilaya Namah* Kapila (red) means that you are able to give colour therapy.
You are able to create colours around
yourself and around others, soak them in that colour and heal them.
As per the mantra you create,
so will you create the colors. Another meaning is
"wish cow," the "cow of plenty."
It means that whatever you wish, that comes true.
There is a wish-cow inside you.
Whatever you wish, especially for curing others,
comes true instantly.
*Aum Gajakarnikaya Namah* The ears of Ganesha, the elephant - god, are constant fanning,
which means people can talk a lot,
but you are not receiving inside anything other than what is important.
It also means that you can sit anywhere and tune
this celestial tube (the body) with seven channels
(chakras) and all 72,000 nadis, to any loka and be able
to hear ancestors, angels, the voice of God
or the voice of prophets.
That kind of inner ear you will develop through this mantra.
*Aum Lambodaraya Namah* This means you feel that you are this universe.
It means that all the celestial bodies are within you.
Like an entire tree is in the seed,
the whole universe is in the sound of creation, which is Aum,
and that Aum consciousness in you makes you feel
that you are the universe.
Therefore, if you say, realizing the oneness with the universe,
"shanti to the world"
every day, then the grace of God will come
and there will be world peace, universal peace.
It is the universe within Aum and Aum within you.
*Aum Vikataya Namah* This means realizing this world as a dream or a drama.
When you are in that high consciousness,
this whole world looks like a dream.
All of us have taken a role. We have to play our role in life
as wife or husband or children or citizens,
all consistent with the role we have taken.
When an actor bitten by a sponge cobra that is brought
on the stage falls, the entire audience cries;
but that boy who has fallen knows it was not a real cobra
and he is not dead.
Life is a drama --definitely life in this material world,
this physical world of ego, is a drama.
But inside, like the boy on the stage
who is quite happy knowing that he didn't die by the bite
of the sponge cobra,
like that, the truth never dies in us; it is immortal.
So everything else you consider as drama.
That consciousness comes to you by knowing this mantra.
*Aum Vighna Nashanaya Namah* This mantra invokes the Lord Ganesha
to remove every hindrance in your life and in your works.
By constant meditation on this mantra,
all obstacles and blocked energy in your physical
and cosmological bodies are released.
*Aum Vinayakaya Namah* Vinayaka is the name of Ganesha in the golden age.
So by realizing this mantra, your life will have a golden age.
In your office, in your work, you'll be the boss.
Vinayaka means something under control.
Vinayaka means the Lord of resolving problems.
*Aum Ganadhyakshaya Namah* This mantra is very important.
Suppose you have a group,
a country, neighbours, or any kind of group therapy,
group healing or a whole country requiring healing,
then you have to bring that entire group to your mind's
arena and say this mantra.
A group healing takes place by this mantra.
*Aum Bhalachandraya Namah* In Sanskrit, bhala means the forehead center.
Chandra means the crescent moon.
Bhalachandra means that chakra from where the nectar drips.
That is the secret of all healing.
It is to feel yourself as Shiva, identifying yourself with the
Truth and feeling constantly that you are carrying
the crescent moon, the symbol of growth and nectar of peace.
-- Sriram Savarkar Hinduism is more a way of life than a method of worship. *Dharmo Rakshati Rakshithaha *If you protect Dharma, Dharma will in turn protect you