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one in a series of prints influenced by a case involving a woman fleeing her family. she'd left her country and didn't want to return because she would be forced to undergo circumcision.
Sinasabi ng Bibliya, “Magsilapit kayo sa Dios, at siya’y lalapit sa inyo” (Santiago 4:8). Bilang mga Kristiyano, sa pamamagitan lamang ng paglapit sa Diyos at pagkakaroon ng isang tunay na pakikipag-ugnayan sa Kanya at saka natin mapananatili ang isang normal na relasyon sa Diyos at matamo ang gawain ng Banal na Espiritu. Katulad lang ito ng dalawang taong nakikipag-ugnayan sa bawat isa, na mapananatili lamang nila ang kanilang malapit na relasyon sa mahabang panahon sa pamamagitan ng pagiging bukas sa isa’t isa, madalas na pakikipag-usap kapag nahaharap sila sa mga isyu, at sa pamamagitan ng pag-unawa at paggalang sa isa’t isa. Nguni’t sa panahong ito na ang lahat ay napakabilis, ang sobrang daming trabaho, kumplikadong mga relasyon at masasamang kalakarang panlipunan ang humahatak sa atin at madalas na sumasakop sa ating panahon. Ang ating mga puso ay madaling mabagabag ng mga tao, mga pangyayari at mga bagay sa sanlibutan, at pinipigilan tayong mapanatili ang normal na relasyon sa Diyos. Ito ang nagdadala sa atin palayo nang palayo sa Diyos, at kapag nahaharap tayo sa mga isyu, nagiging mas mahirap para sa atin na mapanatag ang ating mga sarili sa harapan ng Diyos, na lumapit sa Diyos at hanapin ang kaliwanagan at gabay ng Banal na Espiritu. Kapag gumagawa tayo ng mga bagay, kadalasan ginagawa natin ang mga ito nang walang ano mang tamang direksyon o layunin, at ang ating mga espiritu ay patuloy na nasa kalagayan ng kahungkagan at pagkabalisa. Kaya’t paano natin tiyak na mapananatili ang isang malapit na relasyon sa Diyos? Kailangan lang nating maunawaan ang apat na puntos sa ibaba, at ang ating relasyon sa Diyos ay siguradong mas magiging malapit.
1. Manalangin sa Diyos nang may Katapatan sa Puso at Hayaang Makilusan ng Banal na Espiritu
Ang panalangin ay daan kung paano tayo nakikipag-usap sa Diyos. Sa pamamagitan ng panalangin, mas magiging panatag ang ating mga puso sa harapan ng Diyos, upang pagnilayan ang salita ng Diyos, upang hanapin ang kalooban ng Diyos at magtatag ng isang normal na relasyon sa Diyos. Nguni’t sa buhay, dahil sa abala tayo sa trabaho o mga gawaing-bahay, kadalasan nananalangin lang tayo para lang gawin ito, at tinatrato natin ang Diyos na tila wala tayong interes sa pamamagitan ng pag-usal ng ilang mga salitang hindi pinag-isipan. Kapag abala agad tayo sa umaga, halimbawa, pagpunta sa trabaho o pagiging abala sa ibang mga bagay, nananalangin tayo nang madalian: “O Diyos! Ipinagkakatiwala ko sa Inyong mga kamay ang gawain ko ngayong araw, at ipinagkakatiwala ko sa Inyo ang aking mga anak at magulang. Ipinagkakatiwala ko ang lahat ng bagay sa Inyong mga kamay, at hinihiling ko na pagpalain at protektahan Mo ako. Amen!” Tinatrato natin ang Diyos nang ganun lang sa pamamagitan ng pag-usal ng ilang mga salita na walang tiyak na layunin. Walang katahimikan ang ating mga puso, gayun din at wala tayong tunay na pakikipag-ugnayan sa Diyos. Minsan, umuusal tayo ng panalangin sa Diyos gamit ang mga salitang may tunog na nakalulugod, at ilang mga salitang hungkag, may pagmamataas, at hindi natin sinasabi sa Diyos kung ano ang nasa ating mga puso. O kung minsan, kapag tayo’y nananalangin, binibigkas natin ang ilang mga kabisadong salita, at inuusal natin iyong parehong lipas na at lumang mga salita, at ito ang nagiging isang ganap na relihiyosong ritwal na panalangin. Maraming mga ganitong panalangin ang naiusal natin sa ating mga buhay—mga panalanging nakakapit sa mga panuntunan, at mga panalangin kung saan hindi natin binubuksan ang ating mga puso o hinahanap ang kalooban ng Diyos. Namumuhi ang Diyos kapag nananalangin tayong wala naman talagang kahulugan sa atin, sapagka’t ang ganitong uri ng panalangin ay tumutukoy sa panlabas na anyo at relihiyosong ritwal, at walang tunay na pakikipag-ugnayan sa Diyos sa ating espiritu. Ang mga taong nananalangin nang ganito ay walang tunay na interes kung tratuhin ang Diyos at nililinlang ang Diyos. Kung kaya ang mga panalanging ito ay hindi dinidinig ng Diyos at napakahirap para sa mga taong ito na nananalangin sa ganitong paraan na makilusan ng Banal na Espiritu. Kapag nanalangin sila nang ganito, hindi nila nararamdaman ang presensiya ng Diyos, madilim at mahina ang kanilang mga espiritu, at palayo nang palayo ang kanilang relasyon sa Diyos.
Sinabi ng Panginoong Jesus: “Ang Dios ay Espiritu: at ang mga sa kaniya’y nagsisisamba ay kinakailangang magsisamba sa espiritu at sa katotohanan” (Juan 4:24). Ang Diyos ang Lumikha na nagpupuno sa langit at lupa. Nasa tabi natin Siya sa lahat ng sandali, binabantayan ang ating bawat salita at kilos, ang ating bawat isipan at ideya. Ang Diyos ang kataas-taasan, lubos na marangal, at kapag nanalangin tayo sa Diyos, sinasamba natin ang Diyos, at dapat tayong lumapit sa Diyos na may tapat na puso. Kaya’t kapag nanalangin tayo sa Diyos, dapat tayong magkaroon ng pusong may takot sa Diyos, nagsasalita sa Diyos ng taos sa puso at matapat, dinadala sa harapan ng Diyos ang ating tunay na kalagayan, ang ating mga kahirapan at mga tiisin at inilalahad sa Kaniya ang tungkol dito, at kinakailangan nating hanapin ang kalooban ng Diyos at hanapin ang daan upang maipamuhay, sapagka’t sa ganitong paraan lamang aayon sa kalooban ng Diyos ang ating mga panalangin. Halimbawa, mahaharap tayo sa mga kahirapan sa buhay, o matatagpuan natin ang ating mga sarili sa isang sitwasyon kung saan palagi tayong nagkakasala at nangungumpisal, at nahihirapan tayo. At sa gayon, binubuksan natin ang ating mga puso sa Diyos, inilalahad sa Diyos ang tungkol sa ating mga problema at hinahanap ang kalooban ng Diyos, at makikita ng Diyos ang ating katapatan at pakikilusin Niya tayo. Bibigyan Niya tayo ng pananampalataya, o paliliwanagan Niya tayo upang maunawaan ang Kanyang kalooban. Sa ganitong paraan, mauunawaan natin ang katotohanan at magpapatuloy tayo. Halimbawa, kapag totoong nakilala natin na ang ating mga panalangin ay nakakapit lang sa mga panuntunan at inuusal lang bilang isang seremonya, o nagsasalita tayo nang may pagmamataas o kahungkagan, at wala naman tayong tunay na pakikipag-ugnayan sa Diyos, magiging ganito ang paraan ng ating panalangin: “O Diyos! Nang manalangin ako noon, wala akong interes sa Iyo. Lahat ng sinabi ko ay nasabi ko upang dayain Ka at nagsasalita ako nang walang katapatan; May pagkakautang ako sa Iyo. Mula sa araw na ito, nais kong manalangin mula sa aking puso. Sasabihin ko sa Iyo ang ano mang nasa aking puso, at sasambahin Kita nang tapat sa aking puso at hihingi ng Iyong paggabay.” Kapag naging bukas tayo sa Diyos katulad nito mula sa kaibuturan ng ating puso, makakaramdam ang ating mga puso. Makikita natin kung gayon kung gaano tayo naghimagsik laban sa Diyos, at hahangarin nating mas higit pa na magsisi nang tunay sa harapan ng Diyos at makipag-usap sa kanyang nang taos sa puso. Sa panahong ito, mararamdaman natin na ang relasyon sa Diyos ay labis na malapit, na tila nakaharap sa Kanya. Ito ang bunga ng pagbubukas ng ating puso sa Diyos.
Ang pagbubukas ng ating puso sa Diyos ay hindi nakasalalay sa kung gaano karami ang nais nating sabihin sa Kanya, o dili kaya’y gumamit tayo ng mga mabulaklak na salita o magarbong wika. Hangga’t binubuksan natin ang ating mga puso sa Diyos at sinasabi sa Kanya ang tunay nating katayuan, hanapin ang Kanyang paggabay at kaliwanagan, pakikinggan tayo ng Diyos kahit na kaunti at simpleng mga salita lamang ang ating sasabihin. Kapag lumapit tayo sa Diyos nang madalas sa ganitong paraan, sa pagtitipon man o maging sa panahon ng espirituwal na debosyon, o kapag tayo ay naglalakad sa kalye o nakaupo sa bus o sa trabaho, ang ating mga puso ay tahimik na magbubukas sa Diyos sa panalangin. Hindi na natin mamamalayan, ang mga puso natin ay mas magiging panatag sa harapan ng Diyos, mas mauunawaan natin ang kalooban ng Diyos, at kapag nahaharap tayo sa mga isyu, malalaman natin kung paano isasabuhay ang katotohanan upang masiyahan ang Diyos. Sa ganitong paraan, ang relasyon natin sa Diyos ay higit na mas magiging normal.
2. Kapag Nagbabasa ng mga Salita ng Diyos, Pagnilayan Mo ang mga Ito sa Iyong Puso at Mauunawaan Mo ang Kanilang Tunay na Kahulugan
Ginagawa ng mga Kristiyano ang espirituwal na debosyon at araw-araw na pagbabasa ng mga salita ng Diyos. Paano tayo magbabasa ng salita ng Diyos sa paraang makakamit natin ang parehong magandang resulta at makatutulong upang maging mas malapit pa ang relasyon natin sa Diyos? Sinasabi ng salita ng Diyos: “Ang mga tao ay naniniwala sa Diyos, iniibig ang Diyos, at napalulugod ang Diyos sa pamamagitan ng pag-antig sa Espiritu ng Diyos gamit ang kanilang mga puso, sa gayon ay nakakamtan ang Kanyang kaluguran; kapag nakikibahagi sa mga salita ng Diyos sa kanilang puso, sila sa gayon ay kinikilusan ng Espiritu ng Diyos” . Sinasabi sa atin ng salita ng Diyos, kapag nagbasa tayo ng Kanyang salita, kailangan nating magnilay-nilay at maghanap kasama ang ating mga puso, kailangan nating makamtan ang kaliwanagan at pagpapaliwanag ng Banal na Espiritu, at kailangan nating maunawaan ang kalooban ng Diyos at kung ano ang kinakailangan Niya sa atin. Sa pamamagitan lamang ng pagbabasa sa salita ng Diyos sa ganitong paraan magkakaroon ng bunga ang ating mga pagsisikap at mapapalapit tayo sa Diyos. Kapag nagbabasa tayo ng mga salita ng Diyos, kapag binigyan lamang natin ang mga ito ng sulyap at hindi pinagtuunan ng pansin, kapag nakatuon lang tayo sa pag-unawa sa ilang mga letra at doktrina upang magpasikat lang at hindi natin binibigyan ng atensyon upang maunawaan ang tunay na kahulugan ng mga salita ng Diyos, kung gayon gaano man karami ang mababasa nating mga salita Niya, hindi tayo makakaayon sa Kanyang kalooban, lalo na ang pagkakaroon ng kakayahang magtatag ng isang normal na relasyon sa Diyos.
Kaya’t kapag nagbasa tayo ng mga salita ng Diyos, kailangang panatag at gamitin natin ang ating mga puso upang pag-isipan kung bakit sinabi ng Diyos ang gayong mga bagay, kung ano ang kalooban ng Diyos at ano ang mga bunga na nais ng Diyos na makamit kasama natin sa pagsasabi ng mga gayong bagay. Sa pamamagitan lamang ng malalim na pagninilay-nilay sa Kanyang mga salita at saka natin mauunawaan ang kalooban ng Diyos at magiging mas higit na umayon sa Kanyang puso, at ang ating relasyon sa Diyos ay mas magiging normal. Halimbawa, nakikita natin na sinasabi ng Panginoong Jesus: “Katotohanang sinasabi ko sa inyo, Malibang kayo’y magsipanumbalik, at maging tulad sa maliliit na bata, sa anomang paraan ay hindi kayo magsisipasok sa kaharian ng langit” (Mateo 18:3). Mauunawaan nating lahat ang mababaw na kahulugan ng pahayag na ito, na nais ng Diyos na tayo’y maging mga tapat na mga tao. Nguni’t ang mga isyu katulad ng kahalagahan ng pagiging tapat na mga tao, bakit mahal ng Diyos ang mga tapat na tao at paano ba talaga magiging tapat na mga tao, ay mga isyu na kailangan nating pagnilay-nilayan nang husto. Sa pamamagitan ng pabasang-panalangin at pagninilay-nilay sa mga salita ng Diyos, mauunawaan natin na ang likas na katangian ng Diyos ay pagiging matapat, at walang kasinungalingan o panlilinlang sa anomang bagay na sinasabi o ginagawa ng Diyos, at kung gayon mahal ng Diyos ang mga tapat na tao at kinamumuhian ang mga mapanlinlang na mga tao. Hinihingi ng Diyos na dapat tayong maging mga tapat na tao, dahil sa pamamagitan lamang ng pagiging matapat na tao ayon sa hinihingi ng Diyos maaari tayong pangunahan ng Diyos tungo sa Kanyang kaharian. Kaya’t paano ba talaga tayo magiging mga tapat na tao? Una, huwag tayong magsalita ng kasinungalingan, bagkus dapat tayong maging dalisay at bukas at sabihin kung ano ang nasa ating mga puso; ikalawa, huwag tayong kumilos nang may pandaraya, dapat nating talikuran ang ating mga sariling interes, at huwag maging mapanlinlang sa Diyos man o sa tao; ikatlo, dapat walang panlilinlang sa ating mga puso, dapat walang personal na motibo o pakay sa ating mga kilos, sa halip dapat kumilos lang tayo upang magsagawa ng katotohanan at masiyahan ang Diyos. Pagkatapos matanggap ang liwanag sa pamamagitan ng pagninilay-nilay, pagnilayan natin ang ating mga pagkilos at pag-uugali at makikita natin na nagtataglay pa rin tayo ng mga pagpapahayag na may panlilinlang: Kapag tayo’y nakikitungo sa ibang tao, kadalasan hindi natin napipigil ang ating mga sarili na magsinungaling at mandaya upang pangalagaan ang ating mga sariling interes, reputasyon at estado. Kapag ipinagamit natin ang ating mga sarili para sa Diyos, maaari nating sabihin sa panalangin na nais nating mahalin at pasayahin ang Diyos, nguni’t kapag dumating ang mga pagsubok, katulad ng pagkakasakit ng ating mga anak o pagkakasakit natin o kapag ang isang miyembro ng pamilya ay nawalan ng trabaho, mabilis tayong magreklamo sa Diyos, hanggang sa nais pa nating isuko ang ating gawain sa iglesya; sa ganito, makikita natin na ang pagpapagamit natin sa ating mga sarili para sa Diyos ay nadumihan, at parang nakikipagkasundo tayo sa Diyos. Ipinapagamit natin ang ating mga sarili sa Diyos upang makinabang tayo sa Diyos, at hindi lamang para magbigay kasiyahan sa Diyos. Ito ay ilan lamang sa mga halimbawa ng ating mga pagpapahayag ng panlilinlang. Mula sa mga pagpapahayag na ito, makikita natin na hindi talaga tayo mga tapat na tao. Kapag nakita na natin nang malinaw ang ating mga sariling kakulangan at kapintasan, magkakaroon tayo ng matibay na pagpapasya na mauhaw para sa katotohanan at maghahanap tayo upang maisagawa ang mga salita ng Diyos sa ating mga buhay. Ito ang bunga na makakamit natin mula sa pagninilay-nilay sa mga salita ng Diyos.
Siyempre, ang bungang ito ay hindi makakamit sa pamamagitan ng isang beses lang na pagninilay-nilay sa mga salita ng Diyos, at sa halip ay sa pamamagitan ng pagninilay-nilay sa Kanyang mga salita nang maraming beses. Dagdag dito, kailangang sadya nating isabuhay ang mga salita ng Diyos kapag nahaharap tayo sa mga isyu. Sa maikling salita, hangga’t hindi tayo tumitigil sa pagninilay-nilay sa mga salita ng Diyos sa ating mga puso sa ganitong paraan, sa gayon, matatamo natin ang kaliwanagan at paliwanag ng Banal na Espiritu. Isang araw, magkakamit tayo ng kaunting kaliwanagan, at sa susunod na araw mas madadagdagan ang kaliwanagan, at sa paglipas ng panahon, mas mauunawaan na natin ang katotohanan sa mga salita ng Diyos, ang daan sa pagsasabuhay ay mas magiging malinaw, unti-unting susulong ang ating mga buhay, at mas magiging malapit ang ating relasyon sa Diyos.
3. Hanapin ang Katotohanan at Isabuhay ang mga Salita ng Diyos sa Lahat ng Bagay
Ang pinakapangunahing mga bagay sa mga Kristiyano para mapanatili ang isang normal na relasyon sa Diyos ay ang hanapin ang katotohanan kapag nakaranas sila ng mga isyu at isabuhay ito ayon sa Kanyang salita. Nguni’t sa buhay, kapag nakararanas tayo ng mga isyu, kadalasan umaasa tayo sa ating sariling mga karanasan o gumagamit tayo ng mga sariling paraan para ayusin ang mga ito, o hinaharap natin ang mga ito ayon sa ating mga sariling kagustuhan. Madalang nating pinapatahimik ang ating mga sarili sa harapan ng Diyos at hinahanap ang katotohanan, o hinaharap ang isyu sang-ayon sa kalooban ng Diyos. Ito ang nagiging dahilan upang mawalan tayo ng maraming pagkakataon na maisabuhay ang katotohanan, at napapalayo nang napapalayo tayo sa Diyos. Sinasabi ng salita ng Diyos, “Ano man ang ’yong ginagawa, kahit gaano kalaking bagay man ’yon, at sa kabila ng kung ikaw man ay tumutupad sa ’yong tungkulin sa pamilya ng Diyos, o kung ito man ay pansarili mong kapakanan, dapat mong isaalang-alang kung ang bagay na ito ay sumasang-ayon sa kalooban ng Diyos, kung ang bagay na ito ba ay isang bagay na dapat gawin ng isang taong may pagkatao, at kung ang ginagawa mo ba ay makakapagpasaya sa Diyos o hindi. Dapat pag-isipan mo ang mga bagay na ito. Kapag ginawa mo ito, samakatuwid isa kang taong naghahanap sa katotohanan at isang taong tunay na sumasampalataya sa Diyos” . “Kung kayo’y magsisipanatili sa aking salita, kung magkagayo’y tunay nga kayong mga alagad ko” (Juan 8:31). Ipinapakita ng mga salita ng Diyos ang isang malinaw na daan. Gumagawa man tayo ng gawain ng iglesya o inaayos natin ang mga isyu na nararanasan natin sa ating mga buhay, dapat palagi nating hanapin ang katotohanan at unawain ang kalooban ng Diyos, tingnan kung paano hahawakan ang mga bagay sa paraang matutugunan ang mga pangangailangan ng Diyos, gamitin ang katotohanan upang malutas ang lahat ng mga problema na ating kahaharapin at mapanatili ang ating normal na relasyon sa Diyos.
Tingnan mo halimbawa kung paano tayo hahanap sa katotohanan kapag namimili tayo ng magiging asawa. Kapag naghahanap tayo ng makakapareha, palagi nating sinusunod ang ating sariling kagustuhan at nakatuon lang tayo sa panlabas na anyo at pag-uugali ng tao, at hinahanap natin ang isang matangkad, mayaman, at guwapong lalaki, o maputi, mayaman, magandang dalaga, sa paniniwalang magkakaroon lamang tayo ng masayang pag-aasawa kapag nagpakasal tayo sa ganoong tao, at tayo ay mamumuhay nang may kaalwan, kaginhawahan at kasiyahan, at kaiinggitan tayo ng iba. Subali’t naisip man lang ba natin na ang paghahanap ba sa ganoong kapareha ay magiging mabuti sa ating mga paniniwala sa Diyos at sa pagsulong ng ating mga buhay? Kung ang ating kapareha ay hindi naniniwala sa Diyos at tinatangka nila tayong pigilin sa ating paniniwala sa Diyos, ano na ang magiging kalalabasan nito? Sinasabi ng Bibliya, “Huwag kayong makipamatok ng kabilan sa mga di nagsisisampalataya” (2 Corinto 6:14). Mula dito, makikita natin na ang mga naisin ng mga mananampalataya at mga di mananampalataya ay hindi magkatugma at hindi pa angkop sa isa’t isa. Sa kanilang pagharap sa pananampalataya at mga panlipunang kalakaran, mayroon silang magkahiwalay na pananaw at naghahanap ng magkaibang mga bagay: Ang Kristiyano ay magnanais na sundin ang paraan na may takot sa Diyos at pag-iwas sa kasamaan, samantalang ang di mananampalataya ay magnanais na sumunod sa mga masasamang kalakaran ng sanlibutan. Kapag tayo’y nakipag-isa sa di mananampalataya, tiyak na maiimpluwensiyahan nila tayo, at mapipigil ang pag-sulong ng ating buhay. Kung kaya, kapag pumipili ng isang kapareha, kailangan nating isaalang-alang ang katauhan at katangian ng tao at isaalang-alang kung ang pakikipag-ugnayan o hindi sa kanila ay makabubuti sa ating paniniwala sa Diyos, kung pareho o hindi tayo ng pananaw, kung ang hangarin natin ay magkaayon o hindi. Kapag hindi natin isinaalang-alang ang mga bagay na ito, at nakatuon lamang tayo sa panlabas na anyo ng tao at sa kanilang sitwasyon sa pamilya, magkagayon, pagkatapos nating ikasal, darating ang kasakitan dahil hindi tayo magkapareho ng pananaw. Kapag pinilit tayo ng ating kapareha at pinigil tayo sa ating paniniwala sa Diyos, ito ang mas wawasak sa ating mga espirituwal na buhay. Kaya’t makikita ngayon na kahit ano mang isyu ang makakaharap natin sa buhay, tanging sa pamamagitan lamang ng paghahanap sa katotohanan, pag-unawa sa kalooban ng Diyos at pagkilos ayon sa kalooban ng Diyos tayo makakapamuhay sa ilalim ng pangangalaga at proteksyon ng Diyos, at tanging sa paraang iyon lang natin mapananatili ang ating normal na relasyon sa Diyos.
4. Lumapit sa Diyos at Araw-araw na Magmuni-muni sa Sarili, at Panatilihin ang Iyong Malapit na Relasyon sa Diyos
Sinabi ni Jehovah: “Gunitain ninyo ang inyong mga lakad” (Hagai 1:7). Mula sa salita ng Diyos, makikita natin na ang pagmumuni-muni ay mahalaga para sa pagpasok natin sa buhay! Sa pamamagitan ng pagmumuni-muni, makikita natin na marami tayong mga kakulangan at hindi natin naabot ang hinihinging pamantayan ng Diyos. Kung gayon nagkakaroon tayo ng motibasyon sa paghanap sa katotohanan, dumarating tayo sa pagpapasya na talikuran ang laman at ginagawa natin ang lahat ng ating makakaya upang maisabuhay ito ayon sa salita ng Diyos. Sa ganitong paraan, nag-iingat tayo sa pagkilos ayon sa kinakailangan ng Diyos sa ating praktikal na karanasan, isinasabuhay ang salita ng Diyos, at ang relasyon natin sa Diyos ay mas nagiging normal. Halimbawa, tayong mga nagsisilbing mga pinuno sa iglesya ay nakikita na sinasabi sa Bibliya: “Pangalagaan ninyo ang kawan ng Dios na nasa inyo, na magsigamit kayo ng pagpupuno, na hindi sapilitan, kundi may kasayahan, na ayon sa kalooban ng Dios; ni hindi dahil sa mahalay na kapakinabangan, kundi sa handang pagiisip; ni hindi din naman ang gaya ng kayo’y may pagkapanginoon sa pinangangasiwaang ipinagtagubilin sa inyo, kundi kayo’y maging mga uliran ng kawan” (1 Pedro 5:2–3). Kung kaya, dapat nating gawin ang pagmumuni-muni kapag tayo’y umaakay sa ating mga kapatiran, at tanungin natin ang ating mga sarili: Nag-iingat ba tayo upang magpatotoo sa mga salita ng Panginoon at sa Kanyang kalooban, at pinangungunahan ang ating mga kapatiran sa harapan ng Diyos, o nagpapahayag ba tayo ng mga bagay na tunog-mahalaga, walang kahulugang mga bagay kapag nagbabahagi tayo ng mga sermon upang magpakita, at nangangaral ng mga letra at doktrina upang tingalain at sambahin tayo ng ating mga kapatiran? Kapag ang mga kapatiran ay nagbibigay ng mga makatwirang mungkahi sa atin, pinag-iisipan ba natin ang ating sariling mga problema o tinatanggihan natin ang kanilang mga mungkahi, hanggang sa punto na gumagawa na tayo ng mga dahilan at pinipilit na bigyang-matwid ang ating mga sarili? Sa pamamagitan ng pagmumuni-muni, makikita natin na marami pang bahagi ng ating serbisyo sa Diyos kung saan tayo ay naghihimagsik, at tayo’y nagtataglay pa rin ng maraming tiwaling disposisyon na kinakailangang patuloy tayong maghanap sa katotohanan upang ang mga ito ay malutas. Sa ganitong paraan, makakakilos tayo ng may kababaang-loob, mas mahahanap natin ang kalooban ng Diyos sa ating trabaho, at mapapangunahan natin ang ating mga kapatiran ayon sa mga hinihingi ng Diyos. Kung hindi tayo madalas na lumalapit sa Diyos at magmuni-muni, mabibigo tayong kilalanin ang ating mga sariling katiwalian at mga kakulangan at aakalain pa rin nating patuloy tayo na naghahangad sa katotohanan. Magiging kuntento tayo kung gayon na tumayo na lang at tumangging kumilos tungo sa pag-unlad at mas magiging mapagmataas tayo at makasarili, paniniwalaan ang sariling tayo’y ayon sa puso ng Diyos. Subali’t ang totoo, ang ating mga kilos at pag-uugali ay hindi katanggap-tanggap sa Diyos, at kasusuklaman tayo ng Diyos. Makikita kung gayon na ang madalas na pagmumuni-muni ay napakahalaga at ang pagsasabuhay sa katotohanan ay nakatayo sa pundasyon ng pagkilala sa sarili. Tanging sa pamamagitan lamang ng tunay na kaalaman sa ating sariling katiwalian at kakulangan at saka tayo darating sa pagsisisi, at magiging handang hanapin ang katotohanan at isabuhay ang mga salita ng Diyos. Ang pagmumuni-muni ay napakahalaga para sa pagpapatuloy natin sa buhay, at ito ang susing kailangang-kailangan upang mas mapalapit tayo sa Diyos.
Maraming paraan upang magmuni-muni sa ating mga sarili: Maaari tayong magmuni-muni sa ilalim ng liwanag ng mga salita ng Diyos; maaari tayong magmuni-muni sa mga maling nagawa natin sa ating pang-araw-araw na buhay; ang paglahad ng ibang tao sa ating mga kakulangan at katiwalian ay higit na napakagandang pagkakataon upang tayo ay makapagmuni-muni sa ating mga sarili; dagdag pa, kapag nakita natin ang mga kamalian na nagawa ng mga nasa paligid natin, maaari din tayong magmuni-muni sa ating mga sarili, tingnan ang kanilang mga kamalian bilang isang babala, matuto ng mga aral at makinabang sa mga ito, at iba pa. Ang pagmumuni-muni ay hindi lamang ginagawa sa araw o sa gabi. Ano mang oras at saan mang lugar, maaari tayong manalangin sa Diyos mula sa ating mga puso, magmuni-muni at alamin ang ating mga sariling katiwalian, at maaari nating hanapin ang kalooban ng Diyos at mga kinakailangan na makikita sa Kanyang mga salita, at agad na magsisi. Gayunman, bago tayo matulog sa gabi, dapat tayong magmuni-muni at ibuod ang lahat ng ating ginawa sa buong araw, at doon tayo magkakaroon ng mas malinaw na pag-unawa sa ating kalagayan at malaman ang mga bagay na hindi pa natin nagagawa nang tama. Kapag nasimulan nating gawin ito, ang ating mga hangarin ay mas magkakaroon ng direksyon at mas kapaki-pakinabang sa pagtatatag ng isang normal na relasyon sa Diyos.
Mga kapatid, ang apat na puntos sa itaas ay ang mga daan sa pagsasabuhay upang mas maging malapit tayo sa Diyos. Hangga’t isinasabuhay natin ang mga gawaing ito, ang ating relasyon sa Diyos ay mas magiging malapit, magkakaroon tayo ng isang daan sa pagsasabuhay sa mga isyu na ating kahaharapin, at ipagkakaloob sa atin ng Diyos ang kapayapaan at kagalakan at makakapamuhay tayo sa ilalim ng Kanyang pagpapala. Kaya bakit hindi tayo magsimula ngayon?
The Daily Devotional Tagalog page provides rich devotional resources to help you get close to God every day and build a normal relationship with Him.
Rekomendasyon:
10 Mga Kanta ng Panalangin sa Umaga upang Mapalapit Ka sa Diyos
Paano Mapalapit sa Diyos: 3 Mga Paraan ng Pagsasagawa
Image Source: The Church of Almighty God
Terms of Use: tl.godfootsteps.org/disclaimer.html
Phases of devotion, a collection of faces from Kodungalloor Bharani.
The series is here: on.fb.me/gpIkSe
(More than anything, this series an attempt to remind myself about many things I had to stop with my 3 month hibernation. I feel good & I am back to everything which I love to do - ofcourse with the help of lot of people who stood with me during the difficult times arised with bad health)
DSC_9773
IAF "Shimshon" (C-130J Super Hercules) in the RIAT (Royal International Air Tattoo)
RAF Fairford
Photo by: Shachar Tzorani
מטוס ״שמשון״ בתערוכת המטוסים השנייה בגודלה בעולם
פיירפורד, אנגליה
צילום: שחר צורני
Ganesha, also spelled Ganesh, and also known as Ganapati and Vinayaka, is a widely worshipped deity in the Hindu pantheon. His image is found throughout India and Nepal. Hindu sects worship him regardless of affiliations. Devotion to Ganesha is widely diffused and extends to Jains, Buddhists, and beyond India.
Although he is known by many attributes, Ganesha's elephant head makes him easy to identify. Ganesha is widely revered as the remover of obstacles, the patron of arts and sciences and the deva of intellect and wisdom. As the god of beginnings, he is honoured at the start of rituals and ceremonies. Ganesha is also invoked as patron of letters and learning during writing sessions. Several texts relate mythological anecdotes associated with his birth and exploits and explain his distinct iconography.
Ganesha emerged as a distinct deity in the 4th and 5th centuries CE, during the Gupta Period, although he inherited traits from Vedic and pre-Vedic precursors. He was formally included among the five primary deities of Smartism (a Hindu denomination) in the 9th century. A sect of devotees called the Ganapatya arose, who identified Ganesha as the supreme deity. The principal scriptures dedicated to Ganesha are the Ganesha Purana, the Mudgala Purana, and the Ganapati Atharvashirsa.
ETYMOLOGY AND OTHER NAMES
Ganesha has been ascribed many other titles and epithets, including Ganapati and Vighneshvara. The Hindu title of respect Shri is often added before his name. One popular way Ganesha is worshipped is by chanting a Ganesha Sahasranama, a litany of "a thousand names of Ganesha". Each name in the sahasranama conveys a different meaning and symbolises a different aspect of Ganesha. At least two different versions of the Ganesha Sahasranama exist; one version is drawn from the Ganesha Purana, a Hindu scripture venerating Ganesha.
The name Ganesha is a Sanskrit compound, joining the words gana, meaning a group, multitude, or categorical system and isha, meaning lord or master. The word gaņa when associated with Ganesha is often taken to refer to the gaņas, a troop of semi-divine beings that form part of the retinue of Shiva. The term more generally means a category, class, community, association, or corporation. Some commentators interpret the name "Lord of the Gaņas" to mean "Lord of Hosts" or "Lord of created categories", such as the elements. Ganapati, a synonym for Ganesha, is a compound composed of gaṇa, meaning "group", and pati, meaning "ruler" or "lord". The Amarakosha, an early Sanskrit lexicon, lists eight synonyms of Ganesha : Vinayaka, Vighnarāja (equivalent to Vighnesha), Dvaimātura (one who has two mothers), Gaṇādhipa (equivalent to Ganapati and Ganesha), Ekadanta (one who has one tusk), Heramba, Lambodara (one who has a pot belly, or, literally, one who has a hanging belly), and Gajanana; having the face of an elephant).
Vinayaka is a common name for Ganesha that appears in the Purāṇas and in Buddhist Tantras. This name is reflected in the naming of the eight famous Ganesha temples in Maharashtra known as the Ashtavinayak (aṣṭavināyaka). The names Vighnesha and Vighneshvara (Lord of Obstacles) refers to his primary function in Hindu theology as the master and remover of obstacles (vighna).
A prominent name for Ganesha in the Tamil language is Pillai. A. K. Narain differentiates these terms by saying that pillai means a "child" while pillaiyar means a "noble child". He adds that the words pallu, pella, and pell in the Dravidian family of languages signify "tooth or tusk", also "elephant tooth or tusk". Anita Raina Thapan notes that the root word pille in the name Pillaiyar might have originally meant "the young of the elephant", because the Pali word pillaka means "a young elephant".
In the Burmese language, Ganesha is known as Maha Peinne, derived from Pali Mahā Wināyaka. The widespread name of Ganesha in Thailand is Phra Phikhanet or Phra Phikhanesuan, both of which are derived from Vara Vighnesha and Vara Vighneshvara respectively, whereas the name Khanet (from Ganesha) is rather rare.
In Sri Lanka, in the North-Central and North Western areas with predominantly Buddhist population, Ganesha is known as Aiyanayaka Deviyo, while in other Singhala Buddhist areas he is known as Gana deviyo.
ICONOGRAPHY
Ganesha is a popular figure in Indian art. Unlike those of some deities, representations of Ganesha show wide variations and distinct patterns changing over time. He may be portrayed standing, dancing, heroically taking action against demons, playing with his family as a boy, sitting down or on an elevated seat, or engaging in a range of contemporary situations.
Ganesha images were prevalent in many parts of India by the 6th century. The 13th century statue pictured is typical of Ganesha statuary from 900–1200, after Ganesha had been well-established as an independent deity with his own sect. This example features some of Ganesha's common iconographic elements. A virtually identical statue has been dated between 973–1200 by Paul Martin-Dubost, and another similar statue is dated c. 12th century by Pratapaditya Pal. Ganesha has the head of an elephant and a big belly. This statue has four arms, which is common in depictions of Ganesha. He holds his own broken tusk in his lower-right hand and holds a delicacy, which he samples with his trunk, in his lower-left hand. The motif of Ganesha turning his trunk sharply to his left to taste a sweet in his lower-left hand is a particularly archaic feature. A more primitive statue in one of the Ellora Caves with this general form has been dated to the 7th century. Details of the other hands are difficult to make out on the statue shown. In the standard configuration, Ganesha typically holds an axe or a goad in one upper arm and a pasha (noose) in the other upper arm.
The influence of this old constellation of iconographic elements can still be seen in contemporary representations of Ganesha. In one modern form, the only variation from these old elements is that the lower-right hand does not hold the broken tusk but is turned towards the viewer in a gesture of protection or fearlessness (abhaya mudra). The same combination of four arms and attributes occurs in statues of Ganesha dancing, which is a very popular theme.
COMMON ATTRIBUTES
Ganesha has been represented with the head of an elephant since the early stages of his appearance in Indian art. Puranic myths provide many explanations for how he got his elephant head. One of his popular forms, Heramba-Ganapati, has five elephant heads, and other less-common variations in the number of heads are known. While some texts say that Ganesha was born with an elephant head, he acquires the head later in most stories. The most recurrent motif in these stories is that Ganesha was created by Parvati using clay to protect her and Shiva beheaded him when Ganesha came between Shiva and Parvati. Shiva then replaced Ganesha's original head with that of an elephant. Details of the battle and where the replacement head came from vary from source to source. Another story says that Ganesha was created directly by Shiva's laughter. Because Shiva considered Ganesha too alluring, he gave him the head of an elephant and a protruding belly.
Ganesha's earliest name was Ekadanta (One Tusked), referring to his single whole tusk, the other being broken. Some of the earliest images of Ganesha show him holding his broken tusk. The importance of this distinctive feature is reflected in the Mudgala Purana, which states that the name of Ganesha's second incarnation is Ekadanta. Ganesha's protruding belly appears as a distinctive attribute in his earliest statuary, which dates to the Gupta period (4th to 6th centuries). This feature is so important that, according to the Mudgala Purana, two different incarnations of Ganesha use names based on it: Lambodara (Pot Belly, or, literally, Hanging Belly) and Mahodara (Great Belly). Both names are Sanskrit compounds describing his belly. The Brahmanda Purana says that Ganesha has the name Lambodara because all the universes (i.e., cosmic eggs) of the past, present, and future are present in him. The number of Ganesha's arms varies; his best-known forms have between two and sixteen arms. Many depictions of Ganesha feature four arms, which is mentioned in Puranic sources and codified as a standard form in some iconographic texts. His earliest images had two arms. Forms with 14 and 20 arms appeared in Central India during the 9th and the 10th centuries. The serpent is a common feature in Ganesha iconography and appears in many forms. According to the Ganesha Purana, Ganesha wrapped the serpent Vasuki around his neck. Other depictions of snakes include use as a sacred thread wrapped around the stomach as a belt, held in a hand, coiled at the ankles, or as a throne. Upon Ganesha's forehead may be a third eye or the Shaivite sectarian mark , which consists of three horizontal lines. The Ganesha Purana prescribes a tilaka mark as well as a crescent moon on the forehead. A distinct form of Ganesha called Bhalachandra includes that iconographic element. Ganesha is often described as red in color. Specific colors are associated with certain forms. Many examples of color associations with specific meditation forms are prescribed in the Sritattvanidhi, a treatise on Hindu iconography. For example, white is associated with his representations as Heramba-Ganapati and Rina-Mochana-Ganapati (Ganapati Who Releases from Bondage). Ekadanta-Ganapati is visualized as blue during meditation in that form.
VAHANAS
The earliest Ganesha images are without a vahana (mount/vehicle). Of the eight incarnations of Ganesha described in the Mudgala Purana, Ganesha uses a mouse (shrew) in five of them, a lion in his incarnation as Vakratunda, a peacock in his incarnation as Vikata, and Shesha, the divine serpent, in his incarnation as Vighnaraja. Mohotkata uses a lion, Mayūreśvara uses a peacock, Dhumraketu uses a horse, and Gajanana uses a mouse, in the four incarnations of Ganesha listed in the Ganesha Purana. Jain depictions of Ganesha show his vahana variously as a mouse, elephant, tortoise, ram, or peacock.
Ganesha is often shown riding on or attended by a mouse, shrew or rat. Martin-Dubost says that the rat began to appear as the principal vehicle in sculptures of Ganesha in central and western India during the 7th century; the rat was always placed close to his feet. The mouse as a mount first appears in written sources in the Matsya Purana and later in the Brahmananda Purana and Ganesha Purana, where Ganesha uses it as his vehicle in his last incarnation. The Ganapati Atharvashirsa includes a meditation verse on Ganesha that describes the mouse appearing on his flag. The names Mūṣakavāhana (mouse-mount) and Ākhuketana (rat-banner) appear in the Ganesha Sahasranama.
The mouse is interpreted in several ways. According to Grimes, "Many, if not most of those who interpret Gaṇapati's mouse, do so negatively; it symbolizes tamoguṇa as well as desire". Along these lines, Michael Wilcockson says it symbolizes those who wish to overcome desires and be less selfish. Krishan notes that the rat is destructive and a menace to crops. The Sanskrit word mūṣaka (mouse) is derived from the root mūṣ (stealing, robbing). It was essential to subdue the rat as a destructive pest, a type of vighna (impediment) that needed to be overcome. According to this theory, showing Ganesha as master of the rat demonstrates his function as Vigneshvara (Lord of Obstacles) and gives evidence of his possible role as a folk grāma-devatā (village deity) who later rose to greater prominence. Martin-Dubost notes a view that the rat is a symbol suggesting that Ganesha, like the rat, penetrates even the most secret places.
ASSOCIATIONS
OBSTACLES
Ganesha is Vighneshvara or Vighnaraja or Vighnaharta (Marathi), the Lord of Obstacles, both of a material and spiritual order. He is popularly worshipped as a remover of obstacles, though traditionally he also places obstacles in the path of those who need to be checked. Paul Courtright says that "his task in the divine scheme of things, his dharma, is to place and remove obstacles. It is his particular territory, the reason for his creation."
Krishan notes that some of Ganesha's names reflect shadings of multiple roles that have evolved over time. Dhavalikar ascribes the quick ascension of Ganesha in the Hindu pantheon, and the emergence of the Ganapatyas, to this shift in emphasis from vighnakartā (obstacle-creator) to vighnahartā (obstacle-averter). However, both functions continue to be vital to his character.
BUDDHI (KNOWLEDGE)
Ganesha is considered to be the Lord of letters and learning. In Sanskrit, the word buddhi is a feminine noun that is variously translated as intelligence, wisdom, or intellect. The concept of buddhi is closely associated with the personality of Ganesha, especially in the Puranic period, when many stories stress his cleverness and love of intelligence. One of Ganesha's names in the Ganesha Purana and the Ganesha Sahasranama is Buddhipriya. This name also appears in a list of 21 names at the end of the Ganesha Sahasranama that Ganesha says are especially important. The word priya can mean "fond of", and in a marital context it can mean "lover" or "husband", so the name may mean either "Fond of Intelligence" or "Buddhi's Husband".
AUM
Ganesha is identified with the Hindu mantra Aum, also spelled Om. The term oṃkārasvarūpa (Aum is his form), when identified with Ganesha, refers to the notion that he personifies the primal sound. The Ganapati Atharvashirsa attests to this association. Chinmayananda translates the relevant passage as follows:
(O Lord Ganapati!) You are (the Trinity) Brahma, Vishnu, and Mahesa. You are Indra. You are fire [Agni] and air [Vāyu]. You are the sun [Sūrya] and the moon [Chandrama]. You are Brahman. You are (the three worlds) Bhuloka [earth], Antariksha-loka [space], and Swargaloka [heaven]. You are Om. (That is to say, You are all this).
Some devotees see similarities between the shape of Ganesha's body in iconography and the shape of Aum in the Devanāgarī and Tamil scripts.
FIRST CHAKRA
According to Kundalini yoga, Ganesha resides in the first chakra, called Muladhara (mūlādhāra). Mula means "original, main"; adhara means "base, foundation". The muladhara chakra is the principle on which the manifestation or outward expansion of primordial Divine Force rests. This association is also attested to in the Ganapati Atharvashirsa. Courtright translates this passage as follows: "[O Ganesha,] You continually dwell in the sacral plexus at the base of the spine [mūlādhāra cakra]." Thus, Ganesha has a permanent abode in every being at the Muladhara. Ganesha holds, supports and guides all other chakras, thereby "governing the forces that propel the wheel of life".
FAMILY AND CONSORTS
Though Ganesha is popularly held to be the son of Shiva and Parvati, the Puranic myths give different versions about his birth. In some he was created by Parvati, in another he was created by Shiva and Parvati, in another he appeared mysteriously and was discovered by Shiva and Parvati or he was born from the elephant headed goddess Malini after she drank Parvati's bath water that had been thrown in the river.
The family includes his brother the war god Kartikeya, who is also called Subramanya, Skanda, Murugan and other names. Regional differences dictate the order of their births. In northern India, Skanda is generally said to be the elder, while in the south, Ganesha is considered the first born. In northern India, Skanda was an important martial deity from about 500 BCE to about 600 CE, when worship of him declined significantly in northern India. As Skanda fell, Ganesha rose. Several stories tell of sibling rivalry between the brothers and may reflect sectarian tensions.
Ganesha's marital status, the subject of considerable scholarly review, varies widely in mythological stories. One pattern of myths identifies Ganesha as an unmarried brahmacari. This view is common in southern India and parts of northern India. Another pattern associates him with the concepts of Buddhi (intellect), Siddhi (spiritual power), and Riddhi (prosperity); these qualities are sometimes personified as goddesses, said to be Ganesha's wives. He also may be shown with a single consort or a nameless servant (Sanskrit: daşi). Another pattern connects Ganesha with the goddess of culture and the arts, Sarasvati or Śarda (particularly in Maharashtra). He is also associated with the goddess of luck and prosperity, Lakshmi. Another pattern, mainly prevalent in the Bengal region, links Ganesha with the banana tree, Kala Bo.
The Shiva Purana says that Ganesha had begotten two sons: Kşema (prosperity) and Lābha (profit). In northern Indian variants of this story, the sons are often said to be Śubha (auspiciouness) and Lābha. The 1975 Hindi film Jai Santoshi Maa shows Ganesha married to Riddhi and Siddhi and having a daughter named Santoshi Ma, the goddess of satisfaction. This story has no Puranic basis, but Anita Raina Thapan and Lawrence Cohen cite Santoshi Ma's cult as evidence of Ganesha's continuing evolution as a popular deity.
WOSHIP AND FESTIVALS
Ganesha is worshipped on many religious and secular occasions; especially at the beginning of ventures such as buying a vehicle or starting a business. K.N. Somayaji says, "there can hardly be a [Hindu] home [in India] which does not house an idol of Ganapati. [..] Ganapati, being the most popular deity in India, is worshipped by almost all castes and in all parts of the country". Devotees believe that if Ganesha is propitiated, he grants success, prosperity and protection against adversity.
Ganesha is a non-sectarian deity, and Hindus of all denominations invoke him at the beginning of prayers, important undertakings, and religious ceremonies. Dancers and musicians, particularly in southern India, begin performances of arts such as the Bharatnatyam dance with a prayer to Ganesha. Mantras such as Om Shri Gaṇeshāya Namah (Om, salutation to the Illustrious Ganesha) are often used. One of the most famous mantras associated with Ganesha is Om Gaṃ Ganapataye Namah (Om, Gaṃ, Salutation to the Lord of Hosts).
Devotees offer Ganesha sweets such as modaka and small sweet balls (laddus). He is often shown carrying a bowl of sweets, called a modakapātra. Because of his identification with the color red, he is often worshipped with red sandalwood paste (raktacandana) or red flowers. Dūrvā grass (Cynodon dactylon) and other materials are also used in his worship.
Festivals associated with Ganesh are Ganesh Chaturthi or Vināyaka chaturthī in the śuklapakṣa (the fourth day of the waxing moon) in the month of bhādrapada (August/September) and the Gaṇeśa jayanti (Gaṇeśa's birthday) celebrated on the cathurthī of the śuklapakṣa (fourth day of the waxing moon) in the month of māgha (January/February)."
GANESH CHATURTI
An annual festival honours Ganesha for ten days, starting on Ganesha Chaturthi, which typically falls in late August or early September. The festival begins with people bringing in clay idols of Ganesha, symbolising Ganesha's visit. The festival culminates on the day of Ananta Chaturdashi, when idols (murtis) of Ganesha are immersed in the most convenient body of water. Some families have a tradition of immersion on the 2nd, 3rd, 5th, or 7th day. In 1893, Lokmanya Tilak transformed this annual Ganesha festival from private family celebrations into a grand public event. He did so "to bridge the gap between the Brahmins and the non-Brahmins and find an appropriate context in which to build a new grassroots unity between them" in his nationalistic strivings against the British in Maharashtra. Because of Ganesha's wide appeal as "the god for Everyman", Tilak chose him as a rallying point for Indian protest against British rule. Tilak was the first to install large public images of Ganesha in pavilions, and he established the practice of submerging all the public images on the tenth day. Today, Hindus across India celebrate the Ganapati festival with great fervour, though it is most popular in the state of Maharashtra. The festival also assumes huge proportions in Mumbai, Pune, and in the surrounding belt of Ashtavinayaka temples.
TEMPLES
In Hindu temples, Ganesha is depicted in various ways: as an acolyte or subordinate deity (pãrśva-devatã); as a deity related to the principal deity (parivāra-devatã); or as the principal deity of the temple (pradhāna), treated similarly as the highest gods of the Hindu pantheon. As the god of transitions, he is placed at the doorway of many Hindu temples to keep out the unworthy, which is analogous to his role as Parvati’s doorkeeper. In addition, several shrines are dedicated to Ganesha himself, of which the Ashtavinayak (lit. "eight Ganesha (shrines)") in Maharashtra are particularly well known. Located within a 100-kilometer radius of the city of Pune, each of these eight shrines celebrates a particular form of Ganapati, complete with its own lore and legend. The eight shrines are: Morgaon, Siddhatek, Pali, Mahad, Theur, Lenyadri, Ozar and Ranjangaon.
There are many other important Ganesha temples at the following locations: Wai in Maharashtra; Ujjain in Madhya Pradesh; Jodhpur, Nagaur and Raipur (Pali) in Rajasthan; Baidyanath in Bihar; Baroda, Dholaka, and Valsad in Gujarat and Dhundiraj Temple in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh. Prominent Ganesha temples in southern India include the following: Kanipakam in Chittoor; the Jambukeśvara Temple at Tiruchirapalli; at Rameshvaram and Suchindram in Tamil Nadu; at Malliyur, Kottarakara, Pazhavangadi, Kasargod in Kerala, Hampi, and Idagunji in Karnataka; and Bhadrachalam in Andhra Pradesh.
T. A. Gopinatha notes, "Every village however small has its own image of Vighneśvara (Vigneshvara) with or without a temple to house it in. At entrances of villages and forts, below pīpaḹa (Sacred fig) trees [...], in a niche [...] in temples of Viṣṇu (Vishnu) as well as Śiva (Shiva) and also in separate shrines specially constructed in Śiva temples [...]; the figure of Vighneśvara is invariably seen." Ganesha temples have also been built outside of India, including southeast Asia, Nepal (including the four Vinayaka shrines in the Kathmandu valley), and in several western countries.
RISE TO PROMINENCE
FIRST APEARANCE
Ganesha appeared in his classic form as a clearly recognizable deity with well-defined iconographic attributes in the early 4th to 5th centuries. Shanti Lal Nagar says that the earliest known iconic image of Ganesha is in the niche of the Shiva temple at Bhumra, which has been dated to the Gupta period. His independent cult appeared by about the 10th century. Narain summarizes the controversy between devotees and academics regarding the development of Ganesha as follows:
What is inscrutable is the somewhat dramatic appearance of Gaņeśa on the historical scene. His antecedents are not clear. His wide acceptance and popularity, which transcend sectarian and territorial limits, are indeed amazing. On the one hand there is the pious belief of the orthodox devotees in Gaņeśa's Vedic origins and in the Purāṇic explanations contained in the confusing, but nonetheless interesting, mythology. On the other hand there are doubts about the existence of the idea and the icon of this deity" before the fourth to fifth century A.D. ... [I]n my opinion, indeed there is no convincing evidence of the existence of this divinity prior to the fifth century.
POSSIBLE INFLUENCES
Courtright reviews various speculative theories about the early history of Ganesha, including supposed tribal traditions and animal cults, and dismisses all of them in this way:
In the post 600 BC period there is evidence of people and places named after the animal. The motif appears on coins and sculptures.
Thapan's book on the development of Ganesha devotes a chapter to speculations about the role elephants had in early India but concludes that, "although by the second century CE the elephant-headed yakṣa form exists it cannot be presumed to represent Gaṇapati-Vināyaka. There is no evidence of a deity by this name having an elephant or elephant-headed form at this early stage. Gaṇapati-Vināyaka had yet to make his debut."
One theory of the origin of Ganesha is that he gradually came to prominence in connection with the four Vinayakas (Vināyakas). In Hindu mythology, the Vināyakas were a group of four troublesome demons who created obstacles and difficulties but who were easily propitiated. The name Vināyaka is a common name for Ganesha both in the Purāṇas and in Buddhist Tantras. Krishan is one of the academics who accepts this view, stating flatly of Ganesha, "He is a non-vedic god. His origin is to be traced to the four Vināyakas, evil spirits, of the Mānavagŗhyasūtra (7th–4th century BCE) who cause various types of evil and suffering". Depictions of elephant-headed human figures, which some identify with Ganesha, appear in Indian art and coinage as early as the 2nd century. According to Ellawala, the elephant-headed Ganesha as lord of the Ganas was known to the people of Sri Lanka in the early pre-Christian era.
A metal plate depiction of Ganesha had been discovered in 1993, in Iran, it dated back to 1,200 BCE. Another one was discovered much before, in Lorestan Province of Iran.
First Ganesha's terracotta images are from 1st century CE found in Ter, Pal, Verrapuram and Chandraketugarh. These figures are small, with elephant head, two arms, and chubby physique. The earliest Ganesha icons in stone were carved in Mathura during Kushan times (2nd-3rd centuries CE).
VEDIC AND EPIC LITERATURE
The title "Leader of the group" (Sanskrit: gaṇapati) occurs twice in the Rig Veda, but in neither case does it refer to the modern Ganesha. The term appears in RV 2.23.1 as a title for Brahmanaspati, according to commentators. While this verse doubtless refers to Brahmanaspati, it was later adopted for worship of Ganesha and is still used today. In rejecting any claim that this passage is evidence of Ganesha in the Rig Veda, Ludo Rocher says that it "clearly refers to Bṛhaspati—who is the deity of the hymn—and Bṛhaspati only". Equally clearly, the second passage (RV 10.112.9) refers to Indra, who is given the epithet 'gaṇapati', translated "Lord of the companies (of the Maruts)." However, Rocher notes that the more recent Ganapatya literature often quotes the Rigvedic verses to give Vedic respectability to Ganesha .
Two verses in texts belonging to Black Yajurveda, Maitrāyaṇīya Saṃhitā (2.9.1) and Taittirīya Āraṇyaka (10.1), appeal to a deity as "the tusked one" (Dantiḥ), "elephant-faced" (Hastimukha), and "with a curved trunk" (Vakratuņḍa). These names are suggestive of Ganesha, and the 14th century commentator Sayana explicitly establishes this identification. The description of Dantin, possessing a twisted trunk (vakratuṇḍa) and holding a corn-sheaf, a sugar cane, and a club, is so characteristic of the Puranic Ganapati that Heras says "we cannot resist to accept his full identification with this Vedic Dantin". However, Krishan considers these hymns to be post-Vedic additions. Thapan reports that these passages are "generally considered to have been interpolated". Dhavalikar says, "the references to the elephant-headed deity in the Maitrāyaṇī Saṃhitā have been proven to be very late interpolations, and thus are not very helpful for determining the early formation of the deity".
Ganesha does not appear in Indian epic literature that is dated to the Vedic period. A late interpolation to the epic poem Mahabharata says that the sage Vyasa (Vyāsa) asked Ganesha to serve as his scribe to transcribe the poem as he dictated it to him. Ganesha agreed but only on condition that Vyasa recite the poem uninterrupted, that is, without pausing. The sage agreed, but found that to get any rest he needed to recite very complex passages so Ganesha would have to ask for clarifications. The story is not accepted as part of the original text by the editors of the critical edition of the Mahabharata, in which the twenty-line story is relegated to a footnote in an appendix. The story of Ganesha acting as the scribe occurs in 37 of the 59 manuscripts consulted during preparation of the critical edition. Ganesha's association with mental agility and learning is one reason he is shown as scribe for Vyāsa's dictation of the Mahabharata in this interpolation. Richard L. Brown dates the story to the 8th century, and Moriz Winternitz concludes that it was known as early as c. 900, but it was not added to the Mahabharata some 150 years later. Winternitz also notes that a distinctive feature in South Indian manuscripts of the Mahabharata is their omission of this Ganesha legend. The term vināyaka is found in some recensions of the Śāntiparva and Anuśāsanaparva that are regarded as interpolations. A reference to Vighnakartṛīṇām ("Creator of Obstacles") in Vanaparva is also believed to be an interpolation and does not appear in the critical edition.
PURANIC PERIOD
Stories about Ganesha often occur in the Puranic corpus. Brown notes while the Puranas "defy precise chronological ordering", the more detailed narratives of Ganesha's life are in the late texts, c. 600–1300. Yuvraj Krishan says that the Puranic myths about the birth of Ganesha and how he acquired an elephant's head are in the later Puranas, which were composed from c. 600 onwards. He elaborates on the matter to say that references to Ganesha in the earlier Puranas, such as the Vayu and Brahmanda Puranas, are later interpolations made during the 7th to 10th centuries.
In his survey of Ganesha's rise to prominence in Sanskrit literature, Ludo Rocher notes that:
Above all, one cannot help being struck by the fact that the numerous stories surrounding Gaṇeśa concentrate on an unexpectedly limited number of incidents. These incidents are mainly three: his birth and parenthood, his elephant head, and his single tusk. Other incidents are touched on in the texts, but to a far lesser extent.
Ganesha's rise to prominence was codified in the 9th century, when he was formally included as one of the five primary deities of Smartism. The 9th-century philosopher Adi Shankara popularized the "worship of the five forms" (Panchayatana puja) system among orthodox Brahmins of the Smarta tradition. This worship practice invokes the five deities Ganesha, Vishnu, Shiva, Devi, and Surya. Adi Shankara instituted the tradition primarily to unite the principal deities of these five major sects on an equal status. This formalized the role of Ganesha as a complementary deity.
SCRIPTURES
Once Ganesha was accepted as one of the five principal deities of Brahmanism, some Brahmins (brāhmaṇas) chose to worship Ganesha as their principal deity. They developed the Ganapatya tradition, as seen in the Ganesha Purana and the Mudgala Purana.
The date of composition for the Ganesha Purana and the Mudgala Purana - and their dating relative to one another - has sparked academic debate. Both works were developed over time and contain age-layered strata. Anita Thapan reviews comments about dating and provides her own judgement. "It seems likely that the core of the Ganesha Purana appeared around the twelfth and thirteenth centuries", she says, "but was later interpolated." Lawrence W. Preston considers the most reasonable date for the Ganesha Purana to be between 1100 and 1400, which coincides with the apparent age of the sacred sites mentioned by the text.
R.C. Hazra suggests that the Mudgala Purana is older than the Ganesha Purana, which he dates between 1100 and 1400. However, Phyllis Granoff finds problems with this relative dating and concludes that the Mudgala Purana was the last of the philosophical texts concerned with Ganesha. She bases her reasoning on the fact that, among other internal evidence, the Mudgala Purana specifically mentions the Ganesha Purana as one of the four Puranas (the Brahma, the Brahmanda, the Ganesha, and the Mudgala Puranas) which deal at length with Ganesha. While the kernel of the text must be old, it was interpolated until the 17th and 18th centuries as the worship of Ganapati became more important in certain regions. Another highly regarded scripture, the Ganapati Atharvashirsa, was probably composed during the 16th or 17th centuries.
BEYOND INDIA AND HINDUISM
Commercial and cultural contacts extended India's influence in western and southeast Asia. Ganesha is one of a number of Hindu deities who reached foreign lands as a result.
Ganesha was particularly worshipped by traders and merchants, who went out of India for commercial ventures. From approximately the 10th century onwards, new networks of exchange developed including the formation of trade guilds and a resurgence of money circulation. During this time, Ganesha became the principal deity associated with traders. The earliest inscription invoking Ganesha before any other deity is associated with the merchant community.
Hindus migrated to Maritime Southeast Asia and took their culture, including Ganesha, with them. Statues of Ganesha are found throughout the region, often beside Shiva sanctuaries. The forms of Ganesha found in Hindu art of Java, Bali, and Borneo show specific regional influences. The spread of Hindu culture to southeast Asia established Ganesha in modified forms in Burma, Cambodia, and Thailand. In Indochina, Hinduism and Buddhism were practiced side by side, and mutual influences can be seen in the iconography of Ganesha in the region. In Thailand, Cambodia, and among the Hindu classes of the Chams in Vietnam, Ganesha was mainly thought of as a remover of obstacles. Today in Buddhist Thailand, Ganesha is regarded as a remover of obstacles, the god of success.
Before the arrival of Islam, Afghanistan had close cultural ties with India, and the adoration of both Hindu and Buddhist deities was practiced. Examples of sculptures from the 5th to the 7th centuries have survived, suggesting that the worship of Ganesha was then in vogue in the region.
Ganesha appears in Mahayana Buddhism, not only in the form of the Buddhist god Vināyaka, but also as a Hindu demon form with the same name. His image appears in Buddhist sculptures during the late Gupta period. As the Buddhist god Vināyaka, he is often shown dancing. This form, called Nṛtta Ganapati, was popular in northern India, later adopted in Nepal, and then in Tibet. In Nepal, the Hindu form of Ganesha, known as Heramba, is popular; he has five heads and rides a lion. Tibetan representations of Ganesha show ambivalent views of him. A Tibetan rendering of Ganapati is tshogs bdag. In one Tibetan form, he is shown being trodden under foot by Mahākāla, (Shiva) a popular Tibetan deity. Other depictions show him as the Destroyer of Obstacles, and sometimes dancing. Ganesha appears in China and Japan in forms that show distinct regional character. In northern China, the earliest known stone statue of Ganesha carries an inscription dated to 531. In Japan, where Ganesha is known as Kangiten, the Ganesha cult was first mentioned in 806.
The canonical literature of Jainism does not mention the worship of Ganesha. However, Ganesha is worshipped by most Jains, for whom he appears to have taken over certain functions of Kubera. Jain connections with the trading community support the idea that Jainism took up Ganesha worship as a result of commercial connections. The earliest known Jain Ganesha statue dates to about the 9th century. A 15th-century Jain text lists procedures for the installation of Ganapati images. Images of Ganesha appear in the Jain temples of Rajasthan and Gujarat.
WIKIPEDIA
[+] Week 2 of 52
“Art is an absolute mistress; she will not be coquetted with or slighted; she requires the most entire self-devotion, and she repays with grand triumphs.” ~Cyril Connolly
This spring my two lovelies made a wonderful trip to Paris.
My love put her new Sony Ericsson to best use...
skye and sam
border collies are said to be able to understand upwards of 250 words they read your facial expresions and watch your every move with an almost telepathic understanding
Berlin - Alexanderplatz
At the subway station Alexanderplatz in the center of Berlin. - The bill is an advertisement for "The most beautiful 19th-century French masterpieces from the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York". Exclusively from June 1st to October 7th in the Neue Nationalgalerie (New National Gallery), Kulturforum Potsdamer Platz. An exhibition by the Staatliche Museen zu Berlin (Berlin State Museums).
Sit here with Nanie
As Christmas is coming near,
Listening to a simple mess,
but oh so devoted....
Vijayadashami, also known as Dashahara, Dussehra, Dashain (in Nepal), Navratri or Durgotsav is one of the most important Hindu festivals celebrated in various forms, across India, Nepal and Bangladesh.
The name Dussehra is derived from Sanskrit Dasha-hara literally means remover of ten referring to Lord Rama's victory over the ten-headed demon king Ravana. The day also marks the victory of Goddess Durga over the demons Mahishasur. The name Vijayadashami is also derived from the Sanskrit words "Vijaya-dashmi" literally meaning the victory on the dashmi (Dashmi being the tenth lunar day of the Hindu calendar month).
As the name suggests Vijayadashmi or Dussehra is celebrated on the tenth day of the month of Ashwin according to the Hindu lunisolar calendar which corresponds to September or October of the Gregorian calendar. The first nine days are celebrated as Maha Navratri or Sharada Navratri (the most important Navratri) and culminates on the tenth day as Dasara.
In India, the harvest season begins at this time and so the Mother Goddess is invoked to start the new harvest season and reactivate the vigor and fertility of the soil. This is done through religious performances and rituals which are thought to invoke cosmic forces that rejuvenate the soil. Many people of the Hindu faith observe through social gatherings and food offerings to the gods at home and in temples throughout Nepal and India.