The Human Cohesion Project — Ganesh Utsav — 15 Sep 2021
I had the opportunity to work with the Heartfulness community in India today around peacebuilding within ourselves, and the conversation meandered to micro aggressions and how they eventually escalate and contribute to larger socio-political conflicts. We then spoke of how therefore, it is critical that each of us pays active attention to our thoughts, words and deeds so as to contribute to world peace. In the larger scheme of things, our effort may appear tiny, but it is critical in building up a shift of consciousness.
The conversation reminded me of the symbolism of Ganesh. Like a lot of other deities in the Hindu pantheon, he is depicted as riding a specific vehicle, which in his case is a mouse. The vehicle or the seat of the deities often points to the kind of work and the methods that are propelled by the archetype that the deity represents.
In this case, the mouse represents the ability to crawl into and access tiny spaces that are otherwise difficult to get into. The nature of a rodent is to diligently snip away at ropes and wires that bind. Working with the Ganesh archetype consciously, is about volunteering to crawl into inner spaces that block our growth, and nibble at the ropes that bind us to old habits and patterns. In the process, opportunities open up and we become the Vighnaharta — remover of obstacles (one of the epithets of Ganesh). It is important to note that while modern rituals may point otherwise, traditionally, the idea around the Hindu pantheon has been about becoming the deity, by studying their symbolism and using them as tools to navigate through life. The deities were energies that could be respectfully worked with, not meant to be trapped in a temple for worship.
Ganpati Bappa Morya! What inner spaces did you crawl into today? What obstacles within did you diligently chip away? What have you gained freedom from?
#RukminiIyer #peacebuilding #interfaith #religion #TheHumanCohesionProject
