Recently, I got a gift from my #1 grandson, Joe. It’s a sculpture of a man with four arms and the head of an elephant. As if that’s not enough, he has a broken tusk, a snake around his big belly, and a rat at his feet. Cool. Here’s a guy I’d like to get to know better. So, I cranked up my trusty laptop, let ‘er warm up a bit, and went to work. Turns out his name is Ganesha and he’s a Hindu deity.

According to lotussculpture.com, “Ganesh, or Ganesha, the chubby, gentle, wise, elephant-headed Hindu god is one of Hinduism’s most popular deities. The Hindu God Ganesha is the remover of obstacles, the deity whom worshipers first acknowledge when they visit a temple.” You know, overcoming obstacles is one of the first steps to inner peace.

As you can see, each part of Ganesha’s appearance has a purpose. With this in mind, follow his lead to remove any obstacles that stand in your way.

Remover of Obstacles and More

Stop and think for a moment. What do you have standing in your way right now? Wouldn’t it be great to have someone to get you past it? Of course it would. And, because it costs you nothing, all you have to do is ask.

Ganesha Wants to Help

This chant, “Om Gam Ganapataye Namaha” means, “Salutations to Lord Ganesha, the Remover of Obstacles.” In other words, “Hey, Ganesha, can you give me a hand?” Either way, the prayer is asking for his help in finding the knowledge needed to sidestep bumps in the road.

Here’s a short version of a story about Ganesha that illustrates a way to remove an obstacle. The story, “Ganesha and the Golden Mango” is short and an easy read.

Ganesh can do it all

Known as the patron of intellectuals, bankers, scribes, and authors, Ganesha also serves others. In fact, he is called the God of happiness, joy, prosperity, fortune, and success. My guess is that’s another reason he is so revered!

“Ganesh was actually the recipient of a boon (a wish) from another god. The boon granted him to be more revered and worshiped than even his father, and he would be the first god to be acknowledged when entering a temple. (Modern day translation: most shared and posted god on all of Facebook!)”*

One last thing.

To discourage unwanted intruders, some suggest placing an image or statue of Ganesha facing the main entrance of your home. I say, why not? Couldn’t hurt!

*courtesy sivanaspirit.com