GANESH CHATURTHI

SPEECH

By

Koosraj
koosradha@gmail.com
 On this auspicious occasion of
Ganesh Chaturthi, let us share
some spiritually enlightening
information that might take us
beyond mere ritual and rites into
the spiritual domain of turiya or
chaturthi: the fourth state of
consciousness. It is also called
SWAH- Superconscious
Witnessing Aliveness Herenow.
First thing to know : Ganesha
is the symbol of meditation.
Ganesha IS NOT GOD
(Generator-Operator-
Destroyer of existence) BUT
A GUIDED MEDITATION,
which implies a radical
change in our mentality.
This sudden and complete change of
head, of mindset, will enable us to
recognize and enjoy the energies of
the higher dimensions. These are:
Shiva (perfect human soul or summit
of human consciousness), Brahma
(our cosmic core connecting to the
Supreme Being in all four quarters),
and Vishnu (The All-Pervading,
Unborn, Imperishable Being).
 The story of Ganesha reveals an
important contradiction about us.
Gauriputra, when he was born,
knew only his mother, nature, the
sensory world. He was called
Heramba: mother’s beloved.
He never saw his father, though he
heard a lot about Shiva, the spirit
underlying all living entities. He
wanted deeply to meet his father
and to enjoy his company.
 But in his ignorance, he could not
recognise his father and he acted as an
obstacle to his own happiness. He was
then called Vigneshwara, lord of
obstacles.
It’s only after Shiva eliminated
Heramba’s old mentality or head and
replaced it with the new one that
Gajamukha or Gajanana (elephant-
headed) could recognise Shiva and
enjoy the bliss of his father’s presence.
 He then became Shivatanaya,
offspring of Shiva and was
granted the status of the leader
of all natural energies in human
beings [Ganesha, Ganapati].
This evolution from Heramba to
Ganesha highlights the stages in
meditation towards intelligence
and self-fulfilment.
Ganapati’s story is also our own story.
Like Heramba, we are interested in
spirituality, in God, but our daily
actions and reactions block our
spiritual progress.
Only meditation, which implies a
change of mentality, of consciousness
level, a direct encounter with death,
can lead us onto the spiritual path.
 We just have to learn to be
still, silent, motionless, alert
in the present, watching
gracefully our breath.
We just have to learn to
enjoy the sense of aliveness,
awareness, and delight in
our breathing living being.
 Ganesha, in the true and living
form of meditation, instructs us
not to act as an obstacle [vighna]
to the manifestation of superior
forces and not to block our
spiritual elevation up to the
Supreme Being.
Meditation is the path to fulfill
our Supreme Divine Destiny.
Ganesha, with an elephant head
or mind, is a great leader, able to
harness the lower forces and
energies of the mind (ganas).
An elephant creates a pathway
wherever it treads along in the
bushes of the wildest forest: it is
a path-setter, a pioneer, a
creator.
 Likewise, in all spiritual
practitioners, Ganesha as the
living power of meditation,
creates a new spiritual path in
this jungle of ignorance and
confusion.
It leads our consciousness from
darkness to light, from untruth
to truth and from the mortal to
the immortal.
The different names of Ganesha give
us clear indications about the holy
practice of meditation:

-Châmara karna [parabolic ears]:

symbolise Shravanam, the ability to
listen attentively to things occurring
now, in the living moment of
existence, so that we can learn from
life directly and act wisely.
 -Vakratounda [flexible trunk]:
symbolises the flexibility of the mind,
the ability to maintain the mind in a
state of awareness, alertness, sensitivity,
in a positive, receptive disposition in
order to learn to reflect before acting
and reacting [mananam].
It also indicates the depth of our breath
during meditation: it moves from the
nose till the navel and back (the practice
of deep breathing or pranayama).
-Ekadanta [one-tusk]: the focusing of our
mental attention on a single goal, which is
truth. This brings us to the recognition of
the unique truth that we are beyond the
illusion of belief and diversity.
It also symbolises moving out of
contradictions, inability to decide, doubt
and confusion. It represents adopting the
philosophy of oneness of existence, of life.
 -Sidhi-buddhi pate[lord of two
powers]: meditation activates the
hidden potential in us which develops
intelligence or buddhi and self-
realisation or siddhi.
-Shubh-Laabh janaka [father of Shubh
& Lâbh]: When meditation combines
with intelligence and self-realisation,
we always enjoy well-being [shubh]
and accomplishment [lâbh] in life.
 The mental capacities to
be developed through the
science and art of playful,
living Meditation or
Ganesha [Gathering All
Natural Energies Silently
Herenow Attentively] are
as follows:
 -Pâsha: the rope or bond– the
accumulation of inner energies like
threads in a rope and using those
combined energies to create a bond
with the Supreme Being that we are
ultimately beyond the illusion of
personality and body.
-Ankusha: the rod – the development
of self-control by focusing all mental
energies on the unique goal [like the
shepherd guiding his herd with a rod].
 -Parashu: the axe of detachment-
which cuts our strong material ties &
which frees us from the chains of our
egoistic tendencies, so that we could
connect with our deepest personal
core, which is Shiva.
-Modaka: the sweet cake- living in
sweetness, in joy (moda), by tasting
the sweetness of our being, our soul
that lies beyond the perishable human
personality.
 Abhaya/varada mudrâ: the spiritual
attitude that makes us fearless [abhaya]
and blessed [varada]. Only meditation
can give that deep sense to the mind.
-Lambodara: vast belly- the capacity to
digest a huge mass of knowledge inside
the space of our mind. This ability is
determined by the amount and quality of
calmness, stillness, coolness and
alertness developed in our mind as
shown by the serpent around the waist
of Ganesha.
 Mushika vâhana: riding the rat– the
capacity to control the chaotic
movements of our animalistic drives
[the rat, the dark egoic shadow] which
always hides in the darkness of the
subconscious or automatic thinking and
which steals away our innocence.
The rat symbolises our lower, negative
mentality that is motivated only by
personal pleasure, profit, power and
prosperity, without compassion and
sensitivity to others.
 Ganesha teaches us about the essential
need to be able to control and sublimate
this base animalistic energy in order to be
able to move ahead and higher up in life.
This ego-rat is the source of all worries and
wastages in life. It can be stilled only by
the awareness and attention created in the
mind by meditation.
This is why people stay awake during the
night of Ganesha Chaturthi: to prevent the
rat of ego from creating havoc in our
spiritual space.
 Chandrabhâla: moon as crest jewel or crown –
raising attention beyond the lower mind, which
is conscious during the day, subconscious during
dreaming and unconscious during sleep.
-turning attention from objects, emotions and
thoughts and fixing it on the chaturthi or fourth
state, unveiled through meditation.
People avoid looking at the moon during
chaturthi as the moon symbolizes lower
consciousness states that keep changing and
that keep us away from the truth.
Svânanda loka: The kingdom of own
bliss– meditation ultimately rests in
the fourth dimension or chaturthi,
where the bliss of the soul is enjoyed.
Hence the goal of Ganesha Chaturthi is
to awaken us to the practice
meditation in order to attain the
kingdom of heaven with us, where we
enjoy our being as perfect bliss.
 The practice of Murthi Visarjana:
drowning/dissolving the idol in the
sea– indicates that meditation is a
celebration, an elevation of the mind,
which usually starts the spiritual
pilgrimage through rituals and idol-
worship as a preliminary stage but
ends in the infinite ocean of bliss.
The culmination is the dissolving of
the idol once for all and taking a dip
in the ocean of samadhi.
 Every true devotee of Ganesha
should at this second stage discard
the hand-made idols or ritual dolls
with the rites and noises and plunge
body and mind into the ocean of
meditation.
The dip into the vast ocean is the
only way to get into silent divine
communion with the Supreme Being
that we are ultimately, beyond all
forms and images.
Ganesha as meditation connects
us to Shiva, our deepest, highest
human core. We then realise
ourselves as the son of Shiva, the
son of Isha, just like the Christ,
who after sacrificing his lower
self, attained the status of son of
god.
 So, henceforth, whenever you look at
an idol or image of Ganesha, let it
reveal the secret of meditation to you.
Decrypt the image with the above
codes provided to you.
You will come into contact with the
living Ganesha as the power of
meditation: the only energy capable
of elevating our consciousness.
Best of luck and salutations.
GANESH CHATURTHI SPEECH

By

Koosraj
koosradha@gmail.com