Mahesh Thakkar's Blog
January 25, 2015
Do you know what Ganesh Stands for?Why he is worshiped before start of any new adventure?
Statue of Ganesh is like a Code word, a profound message for right way of living given in symbolic way.
It is symbolic message from those early days, when men had not invented language, and pictures were way of communication.
It is custom in India that before starting of any new work, you worship Ganesh. What does it mean?
(1) Ganesh has long nose-it is symbol of deep breath. Before you start on adventure take deep breath. Deep breath brings you peace of mind.
(2) Ganesh distributes laddu: It means be sweet in your talks and in your sharing all times to be happy and to make others happy
(3) Ganesh has big ears: It means: listen other person, attentively before you talk. Try to listen more than speak!
(4) Ganesh sits on Mouse: Vehicle of Ganesh is Mouse! Mouse is symbol of animal that goes on cutting everything with its teeth. It is that which cuts things. So it is symbol of time, time goes on cutting your life. If you want success in life you have to understand value of time and know how to master time, how to do best out of time available to you. In meditation terminology, it also means you have to reach beyond time, travel in timeless and thoughtless space, to reach to ultimate peak.
(5) Shri Ganesh has small legs, which suggest that nothing should be done hurriedly but with patience and slow speed.
(6) Ganesh has Small eyes, which tell us to have critical view of things, before you start the work
It is symbolic message from those early days, when men had not invented language, and pictures were way of communication.
It is custom in India that before starting of any new work, you worship Ganesh. What does it mean?
(1) Ganesh has long nose-it is symbol of deep breath. Before you start on adventure take deep breath. Deep breath brings you peace of mind.
(2) Ganesh distributes laddu: It means be sweet in your talks and in your sharing all times to be happy and to make others happy
(3) Ganesh has big ears: It means: listen other person, attentively before you talk. Try to listen more than speak!
(4) Ganesh sits on Mouse: Vehicle of Ganesh is Mouse! Mouse is symbol of animal that goes on cutting everything with its teeth. It is that which cuts things. So it is symbol of time, time goes on cutting your life. If you want success in life you have to understand value of time and know how to master time, how to do best out of time available to you. In meditation terminology, it also means you have to reach beyond time, travel in timeless and thoughtless space, to reach to ultimate peak.
(5) Shri Ganesh has small legs, which suggest that nothing should be done hurriedly but with patience and slow speed.
(6) Ganesh has Small eyes, which tell us to have critical view of things, before you start the work
Should we teach our religion to Children?(My Post on FaceBook on 5th Jan 2012, long time before PK Movie)
What is your religion? No religion is yours. Religions are superimposed by your parents upon you in childhood. You respect religion, only because you respect parents and they beloved in it and they taught it to you. Child believes in young age whatever parents and other elders say as true.
Same is story of your parents. They also believed in this religion only because a particular religion was superimposed on them in their childhood. Generations after generations this superimposition goes on.
If you were moved in your childhood to new parents belonging to religion other than that of your original parents, you would have loved that religion of new parents same way as now you love today your own religion. You would even be ready to kill person who would criticize this religion of new parents, even if such critic belonged to religion of your original parents!
So understand well, that you belong to no religion. Whatever is your religion is result of mass enslaving of human mind by the society- just abuse of your childhood made by your parents and so called believers.
All religions talk as if they were created by God! But no religion is created by God. God wanted to create you and not your religion. If God loved religions so much, why does he send every child innocent and fresh? Why he does not send child who knows Gita, Koran and Bible from the birth. He is all powerful. Why he can’t do this, if he really likes all of us to be religionist? Why would he leave such an important task in hands of pundits, priests and mullahs who have done nothing but harassing and even crucifying his messengers, avatars and son?
In fact, silence is the only religion, God likes. Lao-tzu has said rightly that moment any word is spoken about God, know that it is false.
Silence is the only religion that is what you are born with. Language is created and taught by society to communicate with each other. What you created cannot be greater than you. How it can be language of God, who is greater than you?
Silence is abode of God! That is where you go every night when you sleep. In that lap of silence you are being sent again, where you forget every introduction of yourself, all tensions, worries and desires of yourself, rise above your false identities of nationalities, religions, political parties and you are filled with new energy. Is this not enough proof, which you see every day, that God knows only one language-that of silence.
Same is story of your parents. They also believed in this religion only because a particular religion was superimposed on them in their childhood. Generations after generations this superimposition goes on.
If you were moved in your childhood to new parents belonging to religion other than that of your original parents, you would have loved that religion of new parents same way as now you love today your own religion. You would even be ready to kill person who would criticize this religion of new parents, even if such critic belonged to religion of your original parents!
So understand well, that you belong to no religion. Whatever is your religion is result of mass enslaving of human mind by the society- just abuse of your childhood made by your parents and so called believers.
All religions talk as if they were created by God! But no religion is created by God. God wanted to create you and not your religion. If God loved religions so much, why does he send every child innocent and fresh? Why he does not send child who knows Gita, Koran and Bible from the birth. He is all powerful. Why he can’t do this, if he really likes all of us to be religionist? Why would he leave such an important task in hands of pundits, priests and mullahs who have done nothing but harassing and even crucifying his messengers, avatars and son?
In fact, silence is the only religion, God likes. Lao-tzu has said rightly that moment any word is spoken about God, know that it is false.
Silence is the only religion that is what you are born with. Language is created and taught by society to communicate with each other. What you created cannot be greater than you. How it can be language of God, who is greater than you?
Silence is abode of God! That is where you go every night when you sleep. In that lap of silence you are being sent again, where you forget every introduction of yourself, all tensions, worries and desires of yourself, rise above your false identities of nationalities, religions, political parties and you are filled with new energy. Is this not enough proof, which you see every day, that God knows only one language-that of silence.
Why Drugs or Drinks cannot give you that joy which Meditation Can?
It is not that poor people get attracted to drug. More often, rich, successful, sensitive or intelligent get attracted to drug.
There are reasons for this.
(1) Tension in our life:
More intelligent, more sensitive and more aware you are, you are going to feel more pain in life. May be it is not your own pain, but you will pain looking at others. Those are dull or stupid, close eyes to all around and just pass through life without being touched by miseries of the world or without looking to futility and pain of their own life!
Our life is full of stress and tension all time. Cause for this is revealed in definition of Economics- which says it is science of behavior teaching you how to adjust your unlimited wants with limited resources capable of alternative uses. Your physical and financial strength is limited, but mind does not know or does not want to know this. And this is story of every one of us. So there is mad, intense and stressful race. And when mind fails, there is frustration leading to depression or even suicide.
What is solution? Drugs or Meditation?
Both lead you away from mind, so desires and tension of mind does not affect you.
But drug is falling below mind and meditation is rising above mind.
Experiments with LSD by Thinkers of 30s:
In 30s Eastern meditation traditions and new kinds of psychedelic drugs became very popular in America, and it was suggested that LSD use and meditation were both means to the same spiritual goal.
As per recent research note published by journalist Giri Sonar, many western practitioners of eastern tradition rejected the idea of LSD and Meditation being the same in 40s. Many famous scholars even tried LSD themselves for research into this area. Aldous Huxley, English novelist and critic interested in Hindu philosophy, best known for his dystopian novel Brave New World (1931) was a user of LSD. In 1954 Huxley published a book The Doors of Perception, which made him a popular guru among Californian hippies. In contrast, writer Robert S De Ropp says, “LSD is the door to full consciousness, but it does not help to pass beyond the door”. Robert himself used LSD, and confessed through his book In “The Master Game – LSD” can give a glimpse of consciousness, but it ultimately fails to give consciousness. Today this has become established fact.
However still there is vast majority of people moving to addiction of drugs instead of going into meditation. Here is analytical review of Drug and Meditation, which also explain causes behind this happening.
Comparative Difference between Drug and Meditation, analyzed scientifically:
(1) Time period to achieve relaxation.
It is here that drug wins over meditation, as it can produce effect in few minutes. Drugs like heroin, cocaine, methamphetamine, LSD, ecstasy, opium, marijuana, and Psilocybin Mushrooms, Phencyclidine etc. give you click in seconds! That is why majority people get addicted to drugs despite knowing its dangerous effect on health. Taking drug also does not need any Guru. Druggist get even isolated form all friends and start living in their own world of dreams, so unlike meditation it does not need constant inspiration and guidance from a friend or Guru.
In journey of meditation, in first step when awareness increase you become aware of various blockages in body and mind and you feel it painful as you see unconscious mind forcing you and see that your consciousness cannot move in those areas. When you reach ultimate stage there is freedom from all blockages and there is unexplainable joy, but that needs long term struggle of persistent efforts and strong determination and also help of Guru to guide you. So meditation is long term journey needing intensive effort in initial period.
(2) Chances of habit formation.
Drugs deem or kill consciousness, so obviously results into pattern of unconscious and uncontrollable movements or blockages in mind and body-called habit or addiction. While meditation increase awareness and gives you taste of great freedom from mind or body.
Meditation increases awareness and makes one free from all blockages and this freedom gives great joy. It does not form habit, but it raises level of awareness to such an extent that you do not need to do any meditation.
(3) Risk of Falling back to life of tension.
State of Drug cannot remain for long time, as you cannot be unconscious all the time, or else you will die. You have to come back to life. So it is temporary solution.
State of meditation leads you to awareness which can be life long, in fact once you become aware of blockages of consciousness in your body, and no prisoner, set free would like to come back to prison. And awareness brings you near to your original and intrinsic nature, which is so full of joy and bliss that you will not like to fall back to old level.
(4) Costs in terms of Money
Consumption of drug costs money, But meditation is free, as it needs only watching your own mind and body.
(5) Level of joy.
Level of joy is limited as drugs make major part unconscious. In fact at time comes when you feel that you do not get any joy in taking drug, but you feel acute pain when you have not taken drug, compelling you to take drug. This is the period when it becomes most difficult to get out of its addiction.
Level of joy goes on increasing in practice of meditation, as your increased awareness give you greater capacity to feel your sensation more intensely. Moreover clearance of blockages make you to feel this joy over entire body or to put more correctly in totality. Yogis and devotees say that joy which one gets in ultimate state of Samadhi is so great that it is not even possible to be expressed in words it!
(6) Effect on Health
Ill effects of drugs on health need not elaboration. They affect lungs, heart, kidney, liver and also memory and brain and paralyze digestion and even thinking capacity.
Many research studies have been published on the various methods of meditation which can influence a person’s metabolism, blood pressure, brain activities, and other bodily processes. Some Western medical practitioners use meditation for counseling and psychotherapy, while relaxation techniques are used for achieving mental and muscle relaxation to reduce daily stress and strain.
There are reasons for this.
(1) Tension in our life:
More intelligent, more sensitive and more aware you are, you are going to feel more pain in life. May be it is not your own pain, but you will pain looking at others. Those are dull or stupid, close eyes to all around and just pass through life without being touched by miseries of the world or without looking to futility and pain of their own life!
Our life is full of stress and tension all time. Cause for this is revealed in definition of Economics- which says it is science of behavior teaching you how to adjust your unlimited wants with limited resources capable of alternative uses. Your physical and financial strength is limited, but mind does not know or does not want to know this. And this is story of every one of us. So there is mad, intense and stressful race. And when mind fails, there is frustration leading to depression or even suicide.
What is solution? Drugs or Meditation?
Both lead you away from mind, so desires and tension of mind does not affect you.
But drug is falling below mind and meditation is rising above mind.
Experiments with LSD by Thinkers of 30s:
In 30s Eastern meditation traditions and new kinds of psychedelic drugs became very popular in America, and it was suggested that LSD use and meditation were both means to the same spiritual goal.
As per recent research note published by journalist Giri Sonar, many western practitioners of eastern tradition rejected the idea of LSD and Meditation being the same in 40s. Many famous scholars even tried LSD themselves for research into this area. Aldous Huxley, English novelist and critic interested in Hindu philosophy, best known for his dystopian novel Brave New World (1931) was a user of LSD. In 1954 Huxley published a book The Doors of Perception, which made him a popular guru among Californian hippies. In contrast, writer Robert S De Ropp says, “LSD is the door to full consciousness, but it does not help to pass beyond the door”. Robert himself used LSD, and confessed through his book In “The Master Game – LSD” can give a glimpse of consciousness, but it ultimately fails to give consciousness. Today this has become established fact.
However still there is vast majority of people moving to addiction of drugs instead of going into meditation. Here is analytical review of Drug and Meditation, which also explain causes behind this happening.
Comparative Difference between Drug and Meditation, analyzed scientifically:
(1) Time period to achieve relaxation.
It is here that drug wins over meditation, as it can produce effect in few minutes. Drugs like heroin, cocaine, methamphetamine, LSD, ecstasy, opium, marijuana, and Psilocybin Mushrooms, Phencyclidine etc. give you click in seconds! That is why majority people get addicted to drugs despite knowing its dangerous effect on health. Taking drug also does not need any Guru. Druggist get even isolated form all friends and start living in their own world of dreams, so unlike meditation it does not need constant inspiration and guidance from a friend or Guru.
In journey of meditation, in first step when awareness increase you become aware of various blockages in body and mind and you feel it painful as you see unconscious mind forcing you and see that your consciousness cannot move in those areas. When you reach ultimate stage there is freedom from all blockages and there is unexplainable joy, but that needs long term struggle of persistent efforts and strong determination and also help of Guru to guide you. So meditation is long term journey needing intensive effort in initial period.
(2) Chances of habit formation.
Drugs deem or kill consciousness, so obviously results into pattern of unconscious and uncontrollable movements or blockages in mind and body-called habit or addiction. While meditation increase awareness and gives you taste of great freedom from mind or body.
Meditation increases awareness and makes one free from all blockages and this freedom gives great joy. It does not form habit, but it raises level of awareness to such an extent that you do not need to do any meditation.
(3) Risk of Falling back to life of tension.
State of Drug cannot remain for long time, as you cannot be unconscious all the time, or else you will die. You have to come back to life. So it is temporary solution.
State of meditation leads you to awareness which can be life long, in fact once you become aware of blockages of consciousness in your body, and no prisoner, set free would like to come back to prison. And awareness brings you near to your original and intrinsic nature, which is so full of joy and bliss that you will not like to fall back to old level.
(4) Costs in terms of Money
Consumption of drug costs money, But meditation is free, as it needs only watching your own mind and body.
(5) Level of joy.
Level of joy is limited as drugs make major part unconscious. In fact at time comes when you feel that you do not get any joy in taking drug, but you feel acute pain when you have not taken drug, compelling you to take drug. This is the period when it becomes most difficult to get out of its addiction.
Level of joy goes on increasing in practice of meditation, as your increased awareness give you greater capacity to feel your sensation more intensely. Moreover clearance of blockages make you to feel this joy over entire body or to put more correctly in totality. Yogis and devotees say that joy which one gets in ultimate state of Samadhi is so great that it is not even possible to be expressed in words it!
(6) Effect on Health
Ill effects of drugs on health need not elaboration. They affect lungs, heart, kidney, liver and also memory and brain and paralyze digestion and even thinking capacity.
Many research studies have been published on the various methods of meditation which can influence a person’s metabolism, blood pressure, brain activities, and other bodily processes. Some Western medical practitioners use meditation for counseling and psychotherapy, while relaxation techniques are used for achieving mental and muscle relaxation to reduce daily stress and strain.
Does Hinduism believe in Mulitple Gods?
In fact, Hinduism does not believe in God!! To say truly Hinduism never existed!
Before few days, I came across a lesson in text book of school children in an American High School about world religions. It stated that Hinduism believes in multiple Gods. I was shocked to see this. In fact Hinduism is the only religion which does not believe in God! It only talks of becoming God and not of believing him!
You may feel surprised at this statement. But let me explain why. Hinduism does not believe in believing. It says religion is pure science by practicing which you can become God!
Hinduism says God is not an idea to be believed, but a Goal to be achieved. You can become God, you never need to believe in God. This is the beauty of Hinduism, glory of Hinduism. It trusts man infinitely and wholeheartedly. It believes in you and me- more than God!
Patanjali has stated in Yoga Sutra that it is not necessary to believe in God, although concept of God is helpful, but you can move to Samadhi without using that concept!
Text book also said that Hinduism believes in 33 crore, i.e. 330 million Gods. Correctly this is misunderstanding. When this shlok was written, human population of world was around 330 million, so this statement declared that there were 330 million Gods!
In fact, no religion named Hinduism ever existed ! It was name given by Muslim aggressions to all people who lived on other side of Sindhu River. From word Sindhu Sindhu they named all of them as Hindus.
But in India that time hundreds of spiritual paths existed. There was no united single name religion like Hinduism. This word Hindu itself was not
there in existence. There was only one word used for all spiritual path and it was called: Dharma- meaning religion.
Religion was not considered like a group or caste that time. But due to attack of organized religions of Islam and Christianity, all people in India, were forced to unite and get coined with name of Hindu.
In Hindu scripture religion was an individual journey, flight of alone to the alone- or matter of personal dialogues between master and disciple. And multiple masters were allowed. But religion was not matter of being member of some group. Groupies did not existed that time.
In fact, that was the reason why they got defeated against aggression of Islamist and Christians. They were divided. There was no union with one name or one head!
Unfortunately these aggressions converted all people with diversified paths into a group. Hinduism also become group.
This killed an era of pure religion-ungrouped -allowing multiple ways- encouraging research on multiple techniques to go within and find God.
We need again that era to come back on the earth, where religion is not a community membership tied with one master and one dogma, but freedom from all dogmas.
Man has deep down inner longing to know his own source. It is like a child calling for mother. Can you prescribe universal set of words which child must use to call mother? Then how can you work out standard mass prayers to address god? Can you determine a code of conduct child must follow to please mother? Just his smile could be enough! Then how can you define detailed code
defining everything from length of hair on head and face to the cap man should wear in praying God?
When I see lot of people gathered in mosque or church or temples with specific style of dress, I often doubt, have these people gathered to
communicate with god, or to play some drama or to fight with someone? Because only dramas have specific dress code! Or Armies have dress code. In fact old time religions were nothing but fighting armies that seems to be primary reason explaining why they developed dress codes.
When shall we be free from this drama called religions, setting aside all defined codes of dressing, praying and living? Why can’t we try to communicate with God as we are? Why can’t we meet him without being member of mass community and without recommendation notes of those idiots, called priests, acting like stage directors of this stupid play called religions? Why can’t we abolish all farce going on in name of Islam, Christianity, Hinduism, Buddhism etc. and have just one name for this science, calling it simply: Religion?
Before few days, I came across a lesson in text book of school children in an American High School about world religions. It stated that Hinduism believes in multiple Gods. I was shocked to see this. In fact Hinduism is the only religion which does not believe in God! It only talks of becoming God and not of believing him!
You may feel surprised at this statement. But let me explain why. Hinduism does not believe in believing. It says religion is pure science by practicing which you can become God!
Hinduism says God is not an idea to be believed, but a Goal to be achieved. You can become God, you never need to believe in God. This is the beauty of Hinduism, glory of Hinduism. It trusts man infinitely and wholeheartedly. It believes in you and me- more than God!
Patanjali has stated in Yoga Sutra that it is not necessary to believe in God, although concept of God is helpful, but you can move to Samadhi without using that concept!
Text book also said that Hinduism believes in 33 crore, i.e. 330 million Gods. Correctly this is misunderstanding. When this shlok was written, human population of world was around 330 million, so this statement declared that there were 330 million Gods!
In fact, no religion named Hinduism ever existed ! It was name given by Muslim aggressions to all people who lived on other side of Sindhu River. From word Sindhu Sindhu they named all of them as Hindus.
But in India that time hundreds of spiritual paths existed. There was no united single name religion like Hinduism. This word Hindu itself was not
there in existence. There was only one word used for all spiritual path and it was called: Dharma- meaning religion.
Religion was not considered like a group or caste that time. But due to attack of organized religions of Islam and Christianity, all people in India, were forced to unite and get coined with name of Hindu.
In Hindu scripture religion was an individual journey, flight of alone to the alone- or matter of personal dialogues between master and disciple. And multiple masters were allowed. But religion was not matter of being member of some group. Groupies did not existed that time.
In fact, that was the reason why they got defeated against aggression of Islamist and Christians. They were divided. There was no union with one name or one head!
Unfortunately these aggressions converted all people with diversified paths into a group. Hinduism also become group.
This killed an era of pure religion-ungrouped -allowing multiple ways- encouraging research on multiple techniques to go within and find God.
We need again that era to come back on the earth, where religion is not a community membership tied with one master and one dogma, but freedom from all dogmas.
Man has deep down inner longing to know his own source. It is like a child calling for mother. Can you prescribe universal set of words which child must use to call mother? Then how can you work out standard mass prayers to address god? Can you determine a code of conduct child must follow to please mother? Just his smile could be enough! Then how can you define detailed code
defining everything from length of hair on head and face to the cap man should wear in praying God?
When I see lot of people gathered in mosque or church or temples with specific style of dress, I often doubt, have these people gathered to
communicate with god, or to play some drama or to fight with someone? Because only dramas have specific dress code! Or Armies have dress code. In fact old time religions were nothing but fighting armies that seems to be primary reason explaining why they developed dress codes.
When shall we be free from this drama called religions, setting aside all defined codes of dressing, praying and living? Why can’t we try to communicate with God as we are? Why can’t we meet him without being member of mass community and without recommendation notes of those idiots, called priests, acting like stage directors of this stupid play called religions? Why can’t we abolish all farce going on in name of Islam, Christianity, Hinduism, Buddhism etc. and have just one name for this science, calling it simply: Religion?
