Existem muitos contos sobre Ganesha
Muitas vezes o conto casa-se com a realidade, o seu objectivo parece misterioso mas se estivermos atentos aprendemos algo com ele.
O patrono dos Ganas (seres) - Como Ganesha ganho um dos seus nomes
Nos tempos antigos Shiva era visto como mestre dos deuses, semi-deuses, pessoas, diabos, fantasmas, e todos os seres. Mas como estava sempre absorvido em samadhi, era muito complicado comunicar com ele.
Sempre que aconteciam problemas, os seres tinham de orar por horas para que o seu mestre descesse das alturas e lhes ajudasse. Sentiam necessidade de ter outro mestre, que resolvesse os seus problemas.
Shiva fez amor com Parvati, e desse amor nasceu um fruto ( uma manga ), ao sentir as queixas dos seres e vendo tudo como Maya aceitou que um dos seus filhos seria o novo Ganapati ( lider dos Ganas ).
Chama os seus dois filhos Kartikaya e Lambodar (Ganesha) e deixou que Vishnu anunciasse o teste, dar a volta ao Universo, quem chegar primeiro seria o novo " Ganesha ".
Depois de ouvir o desafio Kartikeya montou o seu Garuda e voou velozmente pelo espaço, e Ganesha ficou a olhar para o seu meio de transporte - um pequeno rato branco.
Vishnu reparou no sucedido e alertou Ganesha que tinha de participar. Ganesha sorriu e prestou homenagem tradicional aos seus pais, saudou todos os seres presentes e entrou na corrida.
Todos ficaram admirados pois em vez de voar pelo espaço, Ganesha voou em volta de Shiva e Parvati e voltou ao seu ponto de partida. Ajoelhou-se e disse:
" Cumpri a minha tarefa. Dei a volta ao universo." Todos os deuses e semi-deuses protestaram imediatamente: " Afinal este trata-se apenas de um rapaz preguiçoso!".
Ganesha virou-se para Vishnu e disse: " Sei que percebes o significado dos meus actos, mas para todos perceberem digo isto: Dei a volta ao universo, todo o universo, todas as formas e nomes tratam-se de Maya, apensa uma forma de manifestar dos meus pais, a origem de tudo o que existe. Fui directamente para a fonte de todos os fenomenos. Este universo vive numa existencia relativa. Nao faz sentido negar a realidade ultima por uma viagem ilusoria.
My brother is still touring the universe. When he reaches the truth, it will be the same truth that is one, and compared to whom the rest is but an illusion, including me and you."
This statement lit a spark of authentic understanding in his listeners, who were amazed and delighted with his wisdom. Applauding his refined judgment and his enlightening action, the gana-s had accepted the "fat" Ganesha as their lord.
While Vishnu was placing the mark of victory (tilak) on Ganesha's forehead, Kartikeya returned from his journey. He was very upset and contested Ganesha's victory.
Then the gods told Kartikeya about Ganesha's subtlety and wisdom and added: "you turned your attention to the matter, which is illusion. You did go around the phenomenal world, whose existence is relative, and therefore you were not able to perceive the truth directly.
Ganesha showed us that the entire universe is but a manifestation of the ultimate truth. This is the source. The phenomenal universe is maya, the illusion."
Kartikeya realized just then that he also had been fooled by maya, that his rush into the world of ever-changing phenomena had been in vain. He had chased a mirage.
Kartikeya had behaved just as any other mortal who take the world of names and forms as reality, and the title of Ganesha was offered to the one whose wisdom had passed beyond the material existence.
Also, Vishnu decided that beginning with that moment on, all beings should invoke Ganesha's grace in the beginning of all their actions, because thus they would not have to deal with various obstacles in achieving their beneficial goals, and their path will be smooth and without hardships.
There is also a legend about Ganesha's prominent abdomen. It is said that the god of wealth, Kubera, once invited the divine couple Shiva and Shakti for dinner, to boast with his wealth.
The divine couple declined the invitation, sending instead their divine son, and asking Kubera that he should feed Ganesha. Kubera laughed, saying "I can feed many children such as this one!".
Ganesha sat calmly at the table and started eating. First he ate the food, then the furniture, than the palace. Frightened, Kubera heard the little god saying: "you promised my parents to feed me. Now I will have to eat you as well."
Kubera ran for his life, and asked Shiva for help. Shiva gave him some rice, and advised Kubera to give this rice with deep humility to Ganesha. Kubera came back.
Meanwhile, Ganesha's stomach had become gigantic, and he was ever joyful. When Kubera offered him with great humility the rice, Ganesha's hunger was finally quenched.
It is also considered that Ganesha is represented thus because he has the Cosmic Egg within him.
GANESHA'S YANTRA
The meditation and focus on Ganesha's yantra grants a state of inner balance. The background is intense green. The green is obtained from the mixture of the warn yellow and cold blue, consequently the green is a color of balance.
Focusing on the green color, we produce its complementary color, red. Anyone noticed red from a distance even, as it is the symbol of life, inspiration, revolution, and freedom from rules and limitations.
The eight-petals red lotus represents the eight aspects of Prakriti (the primordial nature):
1. akasha 2. air 3. fire 4. water 5. earth 6. sattva 7. rajas 8. tamas
The yellow star represents the balance between the masculine and feminine energy, and is was created through the superposition of a masculine triangle pointing upwards and a feminine one pointing downwards.
The male triangle pointing upwards represents the vital masculine essence, the elixir of immortality. The color of this triangle is the same with Ganesha's skin.
Bindu, the point placed in the center of the central triangle represents Ganesha himself. Meditation on this bindu is the main purpose of yantric worship. Its color is golden, attractive and calming at the same time.
O patrono dos Ganas (seres) - Como Ganesha ganho um dos seus nomes
Nos tempos antigos Shiva era visto como mestre dos deuses, semi-deuses, pessoas, diabos, fantasmas, e todos os seres. Mas como estava sempre absorvido em samadhi, era muito complicado comunicar com ele.
Sempre que aconteciam problemas, os seres tinham de orar por horas para que o seu mestre descesse das alturas e lhes ajudasse. Sentiam necessidade de ter outro mestre, que resolvesse os seus problemas.
Shiva fez amor com Parvati, e desse amor nasceu um fruto ( uma manga ), ao sentir as queixas dos seres e vendo tudo como Maya aceitou que um dos seus filhos seria o novo Ganapati ( lider dos Ganas ).
Chama os seus dois filhos Kartikaya e Lambodar (Ganesha) e deixou que Vishnu anunciasse o teste, dar a volta ao Universo, quem chegar primeiro seria o novo " Ganesha ".
Depois de ouvir o desafio Kartikeya montou o seu Garuda e voou velozmente pelo espaço, e Ganesha ficou a olhar para o seu meio de transporte - um pequeno rato branco.
Vishnu reparou no sucedido e alertou Ganesha que tinha de participar. Ganesha sorriu e prestou homenagem tradicional aos seus pais, saudou todos os seres presentes e entrou na corrida.
Todos ficaram admirados pois em vez de voar pelo espaço, Ganesha voou em volta de Shiva e Parvati e voltou ao seu ponto de partida. Ajoelhou-se e disse:
" Cumpri a minha tarefa. Dei a volta ao universo." Todos os deuses e semi-deuses protestaram imediatamente: " Afinal este trata-se apenas de um rapaz preguiçoso!".
Ganesha virou-se para Vishnu e disse: " Sei que percebes o significado dos meus actos, mas para todos perceberem digo isto: Dei a volta ao universo, todo o universo, todas as formas e nomes tratam-se de Maya, apensa uma forma de manifestar dos meus pais, a origem de tudo o que existe. Fui directamente para a fonte de todos os fenomenos. Este universo vive numa existencia relativa. Nao faz sentido negar a realidade ultima por uma viagem ilusoria.
My brother is still touring the universe. When he reaches the truth, it will be the same truth that is one, and compared to whom the rest is but an illusion, including me and you."
This statement lit a spark of authentic understanding in his listeners, who were amazed and delighted with his wisdom. Applauding his refined judgment and his enlightening action, the gana-s had accepted the "fat" Ganesha as their lord.
While Vishnu was placing the mark of victory (tilak) on Ganesha's forehead, Kartikeya returned from his journey. He was very upset and contested Ganesha's victory.
Then the gods told Kartikeya about Ganesha's subtlety and wisdom and added: "you turned your attention to the matter, which is illusion. You did go around the phenomenal world, whose existence is relative, and therefore you were not able to perceive the truth directly.
Ganesha showed us that the entire universe is but a manifestation of the ultimate truth. This is the source. The phenomenal universe is maya, the illusion."
Kartikeya realized just then that he also had been fooled by maya, that his rush into the world of ever-changing phenomena had been in vain. He had chased a mirage.
Kartikeya had behaved just as any other mortal who take the world of names and forms as reality, and the title of Ganesha was offered to the one whose wisdom had passed beyond the material existence.
Also, Vishnu decided that beginning with that moment on, all beings should invoke Ganesha's grace in the beginning of all their actions, because thus they would not have to deal with various obstacles in achieving their beneficial goals, and their path will be smooth and without hardships.
There is also a legend about Ganesha's prominent abdomen. It is said that the god of wealth, Kubera, once invited the divine couple Shiva and Shakti for dinner, to boast with his wealth.
The divine couple declined the invitation, sending instead their divine son, and asking Kubera that he should feed Ganesha. Kubera laughed, saying "I can feed many children such as this one!".
Ganesha sat calmly at the table and started eating. First he ate the food, then the furniture, than the palace. Frightened, Kubera heard the little god saying: "you promised my parents to feed me. Now I will have to eat you as well."
Kubera ran for his life, and asked Shiva for help. Shiva gave him some rice, and advised Kubera to give this rice with deep humility to Ganesha. Kubera came back.
Meanwhile, Ganesha's stomach had become gigantic, and he was ever joyful. When Kubera offered him with great humility the rice, Ganesha's hunger was finally quenched.
It is also considered that Ganesha is represented thus because he has the Cosmic Egg within him.
GANESHA'S YANTRA
The meditation and focus on Ganesha's yantra grants a state of inner balance. The background is intense green. The green is obtained from the mixture of the warn yellow and cold blue, consequently the green is a color of balance.
Focusing on the green color, we produce its complementary color, red. Anyone noticed red from a distance even, as it is the symbol of life, inspiration, revolution, and freedom from rules and limitations.
The eight-petals red lotus represents the eight aspects of Prakriti (the primordial nature):
1. akasha 2. air 3. fire 4. water 5. earth 6. sattva 7. rajas 8. tamas
The yellow star represents the balance between the masculine and feminine energy, and is was created through the superposition of a masculine triangle pointing upwards and a feminine one pointing downwards.
The male triangle pointing upwards represents the vital masculine essence, the elixir of immortality. The color of this triangle is the same with Ganesha's skin.
Bindu, the point placed in the center of the central triangle represents Ganesha himself. Meditation on this bindu is the main purpose of yantric worship. Its color is golden, attractive and calming at the same time.
