One of my favorite gods is Ganesh (or Ganesha), the four-armed, elephant headed god that rides a rat. Now, no one thinks that Ganesha is how God is supposed to look and be, exactly (except the Ganapataya, devout Ganesh worshippers of ancient times). Instead, they see Ganesh as depicting one facet of the unknowable and ineffable Ultimate, which no icons or ideas can encompass. I like this facet of the Infinite Radiant IS: the remover and placer of obstacles.
I like when one of my favorite yoga teachers does a call-and-response chant to Ganesha: Jai AUM sharanam, sharanam Ganesha. Gam, gum Ganapatay sharanam Ganesha, Jai AUM sharanam, sharanam Ganesha (in her crystal-clear and perfect voice). I am a Gemini, and am also both an empiricist and a mysticist. I believe Ganesha is a god icon both for a facet of God, and for atheists, as the god of Statistics and Probability.
Ganesha represents the power of the breath in the physical portion of yoga, Hatha (or asana). Ganesh need not be religious or spiritual, and may in fact be thought of as the facet of life that is continually in new beginnings.
Here's an ancient prayer to Ganesha:
"(O Lord Ganapati!) You are (the Trinity) Brahma, Vishnu, and Mahesa. You are Indra. You are fire [Agni] and air [Vāyu]. You are the sun [Sūrya] and the moon [Chandrama]. You are Brahman. You are (the three worlds) Bhuloka [earth], Antariksha-loka [space], and Swargaloka [heaven]. You are Aum. (That is to say, You are all this)"
-Ganapati Atharvashirsa
AUM Gam Gum Ganapatayay namaha! AUM Sri hrim glim gam gum Ganapataya namahaiiiiiii!
AUM, Shanti, Shanti, Shantihiii
I like when one of my favorite yoga teachers does a call-and-response chant to Ganesha: Jai AUM sharanam, sharanam Ganesha. Gam, gum Ganapatay sharanam Ganesha, Jai AUM sharanam, sharanam Ganesha (in her crystal-clear and perfect voice). I am a Gemini, and am also both an empiricist and a mysticist. I believe Ganesha is a god icon both for a facet of God, and for atheists, as the god of Statistics and Probability.
Ganesha represents the power of the breath in the physical portion of yoga, Hatha (or asana). Ganesh need not be religious or spiritual, and may in fact be thought of as the facet of life that is continually in new beginnings.
Here's an ancient prayer to Ganesha:
"(O Lord Ganapati!) You are (the Trinity) Brahma, Vishnu, and Mahesa. You are Indra. You are fire [Agni] and air [Vāyu]. You are the sun [Sūrya] and the moon [Chandrama]. You are Brahman. You are (the three worlds) Bhuloka [earth], Antariksha-loka [space], and Swargaloka [heaven]. You are Aum. (That is to say, You are all this)"
-Ganapati Atharvashirsa
AUM Gam Gum Ganapatayay namaha! AUM Sri hrim glim gam gum Ganapataya namahaiiiiiii!
AUM, Shanti, Shanti, Shantihiii
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