Continued from my examiner post . . .
While the Ganesh legend seems strange to Westerners within the Abrahamic religious context which objects vehemently to idolatry, there are many valid themes and elements we shouldn’t lose sight of: the importance of wisdom; triumph of good over evil, elimination of obstacles through faith and devotion, right thinking and action. What Ganesha symbolizes matters to us all.
While the Ganesh legend seems strange to Westerners within the Abrahamic religious context which objects vehemently to idolatry, there are many valid themes and elements we shouldn’t lose sight of: the importance of wisdom; triumph of good over evil, elimination of obstacles through faith and devotion, right thinking and action. What Ganesha symbolizes matters to us all.
Scholar Stephen Prothero explains further that ‘Devotion to Ganesha is not confined to India, or even Hindus, however. It extends to Buddhists and Jains and far beyond the borders of the Indian subcontinent. One of the first traditional Hindu temples built in the United States-the Sri Maha Vallabha Ganapati Devasthanam in Flushing, New York-is dedicated to Ganesha -who is also known as Ganapati).’ P 132 [photo is by Madhav Pai from Mumbai India and shows an boys about to immerse an idol of Ganapati at Juhu Beach.]
Hinduism, claims Prothero is the least dogmatic of the great religions and the most diverse; one becomes Hindu by birth rather than conversion; thus it’s as much a people as a religion. ‘In the Western monotheisms, one is the holiest number, but Hindus worship many gods through many different paths (margas), disciplines (yogas), and philosophies (darshanas). . . . Some Hindus say that there is really just one god underlying these many manifestations. Others say that there are many gods but one is supreme. Still others say there are many gods and all are equal. Some Hindus even say there is no god whatsoever-that the gods are a by-product of our hyperactive imaginations. Hindus are also divided on just how the gods are present in the murtis (icons) bearing their names . . . some Hindus say that the divine resides in these images, whil others say that these images are symbols pointing beyond themselves to divinity.’ P134 God is Not One Christianity has had a flap over representations of God and holy ones in Orthodox icons; and Protestant vs. Catholic re.: statues, stained glass, sculptures and paintings- as has Islam in an even bigger way-a flat out No! to any representations of Allah.
In the Hindu tradition humans are trapped in the endless cycle of birth, death and rebirth called samsara-a meandering journey. This is where reincarnation enters the picture. The ultimate goal is to escape it all and attain moksha or liberation. This is not the same picture of reward-punishment or salvation one might find in Islam or Christianity. There are several paths to attain liberation via three different yogas: karma yoga-action based (inspired by the Vedas); jnana yoga-wisdom based (inspired by the Upanishads) and bhaki yoga-devotion (based on love).
Perhaps the biggest incursion into Western thinking (and New Thought) is the elevation of the self as a revelation of, or unfolding of God, (a heretic thought for many Christians). “Hindus refer to the essence of the human being as Atman, which is typically translated as ‘self’ or ‘soul.’ The essence of divinity they refer to as Brahman. And the liberating wisdom of Hindus who walk this jnana path is as simple and complicated as this: The individual soul is divine. The essence of each of us is uncreated, deathless, and immortal. Atman and Brahman are one and the same. . . . it is not enough to believe . . . You must experience it. . . . Some believe that Atman and Brahman are identical-the essence of the human being is the same as the essence of God. Others claim that Brahman and Atman are different but indivisible.’ pp148-149 ibid
Perhaps the biggest incursion into Western thinking (and New Thought) is the elevation of the self as a revelation of, or unfolding of God, (a heretic thought for many Christians). “Hindus refer to the essence of the human being as Atman, which is typically translated as ‘self’ or ‘soul.’ The essence of divinity they refer to as Brahman. And the liberating wisdom of Hindus who walk this jnana path is as simple and complicated as this: The individual soul is divine. The essence of each of us is uncreated, deathless, and immortal. Atman and Brahman are one and the same. . . . it is not enough to believe . . . You must experience it. . . . Some believe that Atman and Brahman are identical-the essence of the human being is the same as the essence of God. Others claim that Brahman and Atman are different but indivisible.’ pp148-149 ibid
Whether one is a philosophical or devotional Hindu, if one moves beyond the legendary and mythic elements there are some important and thought provoking ideas that seem to resonate with the modern mindset, scientific understanding and context. Religious understanding isn't as clean cut as columns with belief A, B and C outlined in comparitive fashion because interpretation, experience, cross pollination of ideas and context vary in different times and places. Coming from a completely different cultural environment or a place of agnosticism, any of our religions and practices might seem mighty strange and contradictory in a 21st century setting. [And purely tongue-in-cheek, before the man in the red suit comes down the chimney, after the ghouls and goblins have extinguished our jack 'o lanterns, it seems to me elephants could wreak havoc with donkeys . . . we may see some of that in play come election time.]
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