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| Jaxx |
Jagger lends a hand as Jerry looks into gurus
By Matt Born
Telegraph(Filed: 21/08/2003)
The rise of the celebrity guru, one of the more bizarre facets of modern culture, is to be examined in a BBC documentary presented by Jerry Hall, the fashion model.
Jery Hall examines the rise of celebrity gurus
Her former husband, Mick Jagger, and the actress Anjelica Houston, are among those she interviews about the fascination that gurus, mystics and new age cults have held over celebrities from The Beatles to Madonna.
In the programme, Jagger, the Rolling Stones singer and notorious lothario, talks about the less well-documented spiritual side of his life.
He recalls meeting the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi - who had a profound impact on The Beatles - in 1968 at a conference in Bangor, North Wales.
Jagger also goes on to say that the Greek god he most closely resembles is Dionysus, the god of wine and fertility.
The three-part series, which will be broadcast in the autumn, forms a key part of BBC3's public service remit, which includes an obligation to broadcast 15 hours a year of programmes about "business, ethics, documentaries with a global perspective and science".
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| fmk438j |
What is a lothario? |
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| Talya Peachfeather |
That's going to be very entertaining. Especially since most new age people and gurus that are connected with celebrities are more into running lucrative businesses - that's generally why they're looked at as gurus. There are always the exceptions such as the Dalai Lama - my guess is it'll be like watching the Entertainment "E" Channel on TV with Jerry Hall presenting it!!!!! |
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| Lazy Bones |
quote:
fmk438j wrote:
What is a lothario?
A man who seduces women. |
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| Ten Thousand Motels |
quote:
Jaxx wrote:
Jagger also goes on to say that the Greek god he most closely resembles is Dionysus, the god of wine and fertility.
LOL, see a perfect illustration of when these guys begin to take themselves too seriously....how about sticking to Peter Pan and worry about all that AFTER one has paid the Boatman.
[Edited by Ten Thousand Motels] |
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| Monkey Woman |
quote:
LOL, see a perfect illustration of when these guys begin to take themselves too seriously...
As Mick would say: It's all tongue-in-cheek, dear!  |
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| Street Fighting Man |
What exactly makes spiritual "gurus" so spirtual?
These gurus are simply human beings who are professing to know some deep spiritual truths. Unless they are placing their faith & trust in Jesus Christ and proclaiming his "God News" of salvation, they are leading their "disciples" (i.e., followers) down the path to destruction.
When you stop to consider it.....Eternity is a long time!
Jesus said: "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No man comes to the Father except through me." John 14:6 |
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| FPM C10 |
quote:
Street Fighting Man wrote:
When you stop to consider it.....Eternity is a long time!
Jesus said: "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No man comes to the Father except through me." John 14:6
Oh give us all a break, will you? That whole "My fairy tale is better than your fairy tale" schtick has gotten a lot of people killed. Besides, being a worshipper of Ganesh, I am insulted by your lack of regard for other opinions.
"Please do not feed peanuts to my god." - Apu
"If you meet the Buddha in the road...kill him." I forget where I read that. Hermann Hesse? A Silver Surfer comic?
Sounds like nihilism but means that Buddha is within, and anyone you meet who CLAIMS to be the Buddha (Enlightened One) is a liar. A good Catholic drinking buddy of mine used to say "GURU is spelled Gee You Are You."
I will wait to see whether Mick said he "most closely resembles" Dionysis, which sounds a bit untoward, or if he said he was "Dionysian", which he certainly IS. |
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| Joey |
" Jesus said: "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No man comes to the Father except through me." John 14:6 "
" Money go forth and all doors open " ( Shakespeare , 1971 )
" Everything Drowns in the Ocean of Love " ( Avatar Meher Baba , 1985 )
" This is not a time for timid souls and trembling spirits " ( LBJ , 1967 )
" Richards or Richard , discuss ....... " ( Joey , 1999 )
SKEE !
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| Boomy |
Pete Townshend : "Rock is dead they say...LONG LIVE ROCK!!" |
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| Street Fighting Man |
Thanks for your replies.
The Bible, God's word, tells us that He created the heavens and the earth, and all things in it. Further, he sent His beloved Son, Jesus Christ, to die on the cross to pay the price for man's sins. He offers each of us the gift of salvation, but you must accept it individually by inviting Him into your heart as your personal Lord & Savior. It doesn't matter whether you're Catholic, Jewish, Protestant - the Bible says "you must be born again."
One day when we pass from this earth (i.e., we die) the Bible tells us we will stand before God on the day of judgement, during which we'll be asked to account for our lives before the living & holy God - i.e., every word we've ever spoken, every thought that we've had, everything we've ever done. Without Christ's cleansing blood, no man (or woman) can enter the Kingdom of God. Those who don't trust Christ will be eternally separated from God in a place called hell - i.e., a place of darkness, nashing of teeth, burning flames. Eternity is time without end. As long as you have a heartbeat you have an opportunity to trust Jesus. After that, it is too late.
You can search the world over for the meaning of life, but still come up empty if you don't trust Jesus. Spirtual "enlightenment" sought through any other paths is empty. Jesus Christ is life. He can give your life purpose and meaning because He is the truth.
It's not an opinion, but rather what God's word says is the truth. I urge everyone to read the Bible, and when you do simply pray to God to open your eyes to his truth. Jesus Christ loves each person and has a plan for their life. Seek Him and you shall have life.
www.gospel.com |
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| FPM C10 |
KEEE-ripes!
Isn't there some law about seperation of church and Stones?
I know you people feel the need to constantly recruit, but you oughta take it somewhere else.
Me and Ganesh demand equal time for our fairy tales. |
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| FPM C10 |
The Birth of Ganesh
Each Purāna reports a different story to narrate the birth of the god Ganesh. Some legends tell that he was born from the Shiva spirit (mānasika putra) ; others, in fact most of them (Vāmana-Purāna, Matsya-Purāna, Skanda-Purāna), Ganesh is the creation of Pārvatī .
In certain vishnuļt stories, Ganesh is considered like a Krishnā embodiment.
According the very well known Shiva-Purāna version, the Shiva's wife, Pārvatī the Mountaineer, was disturbed once by her husband who entered the house, even though she was taking her bath.
The goddess felt annoyed, because she didn't have any personal servant to guard her door. So, she rubbed her skin and, with the perfumed unguents obtained, she molded the shape of a young boy, as glorious as daylight. Then, she granted him life and named him Ganesh, ordering that he should be on guard in front of her house.
When the child intended to impede the great god to enter the house, Shiva, enraged, transformed himself in his Rudra form and attacked Ganesh. In the battle, Ganesh got his head cut off.
Ascertaining the incommensurable disaster striking her son, Pārvatī was inconsolable. Unable to find the child head, Shiva grafted a elephant head on the dead body and gave him life again. Trying to repair his big mistake, he recognized Ganesh as his son and empowered him on all his servants; so he became "Ganapati".
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| Jaxx |
holy shit, this has been a real interesting read. FPM, you never cease to amaze me. interesting story. and i had no idea you were a bible boy, sfm. however, don't take offense if i point out that true christians are not judgemental. isn't it possible that all beings that worship, are worshipping the same "energy" but with different tags attached to it? i've studied many religions and i've read different "holy books". isn't it possible you are taking too literally what needs to be taken metaphorically? i have an ongoing conversation with a friend of mine that reminds me of you! IMO we get the answers at the end of our life. i firmly believe that good deeds and random acts of kindess will be rewarded. we all know in our heart how we should live our life, regardless of our religion, or lack of it. i don't buy the Parable that jeffrey dahmer claimed christ in his final moments of life and went to heaven while gahndi who never claimed christ as his savior went to hell. who are we,as mere mortals, to judge, anyway? |
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| prism |
Historians tell us that the writers of the Bible studied Hindu and Buddhist scriptures and borrowed many stories. The myth of Krishna, which is at least 4000 years old, inspired the story of Christ. Krishna was born of a virgin in a manger under a star, and he performed miracles, raised the dead, was resurrected and went to "Heaven" which is actually a metaphor for inner peace. The Krishna story is so similar to the Christ story that the Catholic church finally had to admit that the similarity was more than just coincidence. I read the Catholic Encyclopedia for fun, it's online. My favorite book is The Christ Conspiracy. |
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| Steel Wheels |
The only religion I have is Rock and Roll.
'Nuff said.
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| Street Fighting Man |
Hey Jaxx.
No offense taken. I wasn't judging anyone personally (if it came off that way, my apologies), but simply sharing the truth of God's gospel (i.e., "Good News" of salvation through Jesus Christ) message in the spirit of love & concern for others. The Bible actually tells us not to judge others in a hypocritical way, but clearly tells us that we are able judge whether people truly love God + follow Him though how they conduct their lives vs. God's standards of right & wrong set forth in the bible. The bible also tells us that we can never earn our way to heaven by being good (i.e., doing good works). It's only by God's grace (i.e., Jesus Christ's death on the cross of Calvary & resurrection) and the acceptance of Christ's sacrifice for us by personally inviting him into our heart as Lord & Savior that we can be saved. As far as worshipping other "energy" forces, etc., God tells us in His word that He is "the Alpha, and the Omega. The beginning and the end." Meaning that there are no others. God also says in His word that we must not worship any graven images of false Gods. As for people like Jeffrey Dahmer of Gandi, I don't know where there hearts were when they passed from this earth, but the bible tells us that no one is righteous not one before a pure & holy God. We've all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.
A couple things to consider. The Bible has consistently been proven to be true (e.g., archeological finds, accuracy vs. historical records, etc.) and has never been proven disproven in any way. It was written by 36 different men over a period of several hundred years through the inspiration of God. The Bible never contradicts itself. Any claims or attacks against the Bible (i.e., scientific or otherwise) have simply been opinions of men, and have been repeatedly shown to be false. Today's Bible translations have remained accurate vs. it's original writings (i.e., verified by the "Dead Sea" scrolls which were discovered in a cave in the early 1900's). The Bible has changed more lives that any other book because it is God's living truth.
Whew, that was a lot - thanks for your patience in reading this reply. What I've shared is not a religion, but a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Anyway, I'm glad to hear that you have a friend who shares the Bible with you. You may want to share this message string of posts with him/her.
I'd be glad to discuss further with you any time.
Respectfully, SFM |
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| FPM C10 |
Ganesh and the Moon
One day, Ganesh was given a lot of sweets by his devotees. Indeed, everybody is aware of his greediness. He swallowed the sweets forthwith.
Then Ganesh went back home, riding his mouse. It was sunset and in the darkness, it came to pass that the mouse suddenly stumbled over a snake. Ganesh fell to the ground.
But he had so much eaten that his over-filled stomach burst and the cakes poured out.
Ganesh collected and replaced them in his widely open belly. By way of belt, he caught the snake who had caused the disturbance and tied him around the waist (one can see this girdle made-of-a-snake on many Ganesh representations).
Looking at this funny performance, the Moon, Chandra, burst out laughing.
Ganesh was very annoyed, and thought that jeer had offended him. Resentful, he removed his right tusk and threw it to the moon face (generally Ganesh is depicted with a broken right tusk).
At the same time, he put a curse on her, so that she stops to shine at night and disappears from the sky. At that time, the legend tells that the moon used to shine every night.
Since then, the moon being missing, there was neither moonlight neither twilight. Young lovers lamented and bewailed; old people grumbled. They could not sleep, because the sun brightened even nightly.
Without the moon, the gods found the heavenly life as unbearable as the men found on earth. So, they hurled themselves at Ganesh's house, supplicating him to manage the situation.
Everyone knows that Ganesh is basically full of indulgence; thus, he complied with their urgent requirement but, nevertheless, decided that the moon would not be allowed to shine every night as she did before.
Henceforth, she was sentenced to wax and wane, alternating a shining fortnight and a dark fortnight, each of these periods ending by the full moon and the new moon.
This is the reason why people think it inauspicious to look at the moon on the Ganesh's birthday, the Ganesh Chaturthī (which corresponds to the forth day of the wax), during the Bhādrapad month (in august or early september). One says that people taking no notice of that will probably get big problems...
This belief is still running nowadays and people carefully avoid glancing at the moon on the Ganesh Chaturthī day. Some people, very superstitious, abstain from looking at the very moon every fourth day of the waxing moon, to be sure not to mistake !
And if any unlucky man sees the moon on that particular day, he has to throw stones quickly on the next house, so that the injuries sent by his neighbors in return unprime the god's anger !
The meaning of this legend, or at least an interpretation which we could accept is the following : Ganesh riding his rat represents the Truth Seeker, the Man of Perfection who, by means of his body, his mind and his understanding, tries to reach his spiritual goal to finally convey the unlimited Truth.
Body, Mind and Intellect are limited realities. They are not able to explain what is Atman .
The one who is seeking after the Supreme Reality knows that it is nearly impossible to share his experience by "ordinary" means and words. ordiniries". This is why we find strange and inscrutable the speeches and actions of the spiritual teachers.
The intellect of a man unengaged in this type of spiritual search is unable to understand what is the ultimate Truth, what is the ultimate Reality. The moon is the deity which governs the human mind. The moon laughing at Ganapati riding his rat reminds us the ignorant person who mocks spiritual seeker's efforts to reach the Truth.
Similarly, when somebody tries to ridicule the spiritual Teachers, the Sages who teach the Truth and their talks, this is detrimental to the Humanity.
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| caro |
Is there any particular meaning to the mouse? I mean, the fact it turns into a rat at the end of the story?
Sounds kind of scary to me. |
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| Sir Stonesalot |
Of course it's scarey.
It's religion.
Religion IS scarey. Well, any religion worth anything, that is.
How the heck else can the "church" keep it's "subjects" in line...except through fear.
I was brought up in the church. Sunday School, church camp, chorus. I came to discover that it was all a farce. The guy who was the preacher at our church once prayed for me...in front of the entire congregation...to be healed of my heroin addiction. I have never even once tried heroin. Yet my "pastor", without speaking to me on the subject, just decided that he should pray for me to kick heroin in front of half the town.
And yet he stood there fucked up on pain pills and muscle relaxers.
I tried several other "churches"....and found them all the same...close minded and two faced.
SFM...is your way to true light and hope littered with the corpses of the non-believer? Or with the piles of bodies felled by cruel diseases? Or the rotting piles of infants who die from crib death?
If the Christian God and Christ are really the true way, a great and benevolent God...then how do you explain the vast amounts of cruelty that he bestows on us daily? |
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| Jaxx |
this thread has been very enlightening. i'm glad no offense, taken, SFM. i enjoy playing "devil's advocate" in these discussions in an effort to get to the "heart" of the matter. religious beliefs are so personal. i'm glad you hold dear to yours and that it provides an inner peace for you just as someone else's religious beliefs that are different from yours gives them an inner peace. i guess the moral of the story is don't ever tell someone that their mother is ugly.  |
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| Sir Stonesalot |
But Jaxxy...what if their mother really IS ugly? |
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| Jaxx |
quote:
Sir Stonesalot wrote:
But Jaxxy...what if their mother really IS ugly?
hey babe. long time no see. i understand your point. maybe i should have said don't tell him his wife is ugly.(ie a wife is chosen, a mother is not....) but must you? it might cost you your life! |
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| Street Fighting Man |
Hello Sir Stonesalot!
First of all, I'm very sorry to hear about the incident which happened to you with your pastor before the congregation. It doesn't sound like he got to know you personally, and it wasn't in any way demonstrating God's love for you. Rather it sounds like religious "grandstanding." The bible says such "religious" teacher have already received their reward on earth before men (i.e., they will receive no heavenly reward from the Lord). Again, I don't know this man, nor do I know if his heart to say whether he is a true follower of Christ. On the day of judgment, the bible says that many will come before God claiming to have done many great things in God's name. God will instead say "Depart from me, I never knew you" to those false teachers, prophets, and all those who did not truly trust & follow Jesus Christ. Many will be surprised on that day, as the bible says, "the path to destruction is wide, the road that leads to life is narrow and few will find it."
As for why so many bad things seem to happen in this life, I don't pretend to have all of the answers. I can tell you though that when Adam & Eve first disobeyed God in the Garden of Eden, sin first entered the world. As a result of sin, we have death, decay and all forms of ungodliness. Before that time, the world was perfect in every way, as God blessed mankind with all good things for his enjoyment. Further, the Devil (i.e., the "deceiver") want to rob you of your soul by leading you down the path to destruction. What I can tell you is that both Christians (i.e., those who "belong to Christ") and non-Christians have problems in this life. The difference for Christians is that even in times of trials & tribulations, God will use these circumstances to draw us nearer to himself in faith, and will give us victory in this life. As a Christian, I recognize that this life is short & passing quickly, and this life is simply preparation for eternity.
Sir Stonesalot, the bible says if you seek Him with all of your heart you shall find Him. The Lord loves you and desires to have a personal relationship with you through His Holy Spirit. To have this relationship, you must confess by praying to God that you are a sinner (i.e., the bible says we've all sinned), that you cannot save yourself (i.e., only Jesus Christ's cleansing blood saves us), and that you ask Jesus to come into your life as your Savior & Lord (i.e., we must trust God by submitting our will to God's plan for our life). Further, the bible says you must repent of your sins (i.e., sin as defined by God's standards in the bible - e.g., The 10 Commandments, etc.) and turn to God and ask him to change your life. The bible says in 2 Corinthians 5:17 - "Therefore, if anyone is in Chris, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!" Only by asking Christ into your heart will you ever have peace, joy and a sense of purpose in this life.
Once Christ comes into your heart & life, it's important to read the bible regularly - asking God to help you understand the Bible as your read it. Further, pray that God will bring true believing Christians into your life (i.e., people who truly love Jesus AND seek to follow God's commands in the bible), and that He will lead you to a true believing church (there are many false churches). When you go to a church, it's important that the preacher is constantly speaking from the bible (i.e., quoting bible verses). Remember, a pastor's personal opinion holds no weight with God. If the preacher's message is consistent with what I've shared about the "Good News" of Jesus Christ's saving grace, that is a good yardstick because what I've shared is right from the bible.
Again, I'd always be glad to speak to you & anyone else who is seeking the truth of Christ.
Respectfully,
SFM |
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| FPM C10 |
It is said that Ganesha was born when the eternal couple contemplated on AUM. If you view Lord Ganesha sideways, then you will see the symbol AUM in sanskrit. That's why Ganesha is called AUMkara and worshipped first. AUM is praNava. What is meant by praNava? pra is short for prakriti and navam means excellent boat. That is, AUM is the way to cross the ocean of worldly existence.
The following stotra is from the narada purana, and is recited to remove all troubles and get liberation.
praNamya shirasaa devaM gaurii putraM vinaayakaM |
salutation head god gaurii son vinaayakaM
bhaktaa vaasaM smaren.h nityaM aayuH kaama artha siddhaye ||1 ||
devotee stays remember always longlife desired wealth powers
One should bow the head and offer obeisance before the
son of Gauri, Vinayaka, whose abode is the devotees, and
remember Him always for the purpose of obtaining longevity, desired powers and prosperity.
Vinakaya is like all of us, never born and eternal. But it is our nature to associate a naama-ruupa to everyone including Gods. The divine, pleased with this, bestows forms on themselves (Shankara). All devotees start with the purpose of obtaining desired powers or with a wish to live long. Eventually, all of the true devotees see the futility of such a venture. Why live long ? As long as one earns money and is fit, everyone fawns on him but when one gets old, everyone forgets him. When life leaves the body, even the spouse who enjoyed the body runs away from it fearing that death will touch that person too (Shankara). Why live long in a body when one can realize that the person is immortal by letting go of the notion there is a body-mind. As long as the body lives, the mind should be fixed on Divinity. The life lived catering to the senses should not counted as living.
prathamaM vakratuNDaM cha eka dantaM dvitIyakaM |
first curved trunk and one tusked secondly
tR^itIyaM kR^ishhNa pi.ngAkshhaM gaja vaktraM chaturthakaM || 2 ||
thirdly black red-eyed elephant faced fourth
(Now the twelve names of Ganesha are mentioned. One must
utter) first the name Vakratunda, One with a curved trunk, second ekadanta, the single-tusked One, third Krishnapingaksha, the black and red-eyed One, fourth gajavaktra, the God with the face of an elephant.
The trunk should be curved to the left for normal idols. If it is curved to the right, it is called siddhi vinakya and needs special worship. One should be very careful in worshipping such idols.
The trunk of Ganesha reaches the sweet, modaka. Ganesha is known as modaka priiya. When Ganesha was "born", the Gods were very happy and presented Parvati Devi with modaka. They said anyone who smells it realizes he/she is immortal. He who eats it will become great in both spiritual and worldly knowledge. This is said in the padma purana.
Trunk is also an unique instrument. It can pick up a needle and also a huge tree. No man made instrument can do both. Similarly, Ganesha will give you wealth, health etc. or liberation (we will see that in the later verses). He will give you what you sincerely ask unless there is a reason (see under large ears). If you ask Him, he will grace you with the touch of his trunk, and smash all the obstacles with the same trunk. The trunk hangs between the two tusks signifying discrimination between the worldly and spirituality. Ganesha, beyong all dualities, is attached to neither.
But why is the trunk curved to right so special and so strict ? The iDa naaDii is on the left side, while the pingalaa naaDii is on the right. The left-turning trunk has easy rules and one can do puja however one wants with respect since the ida naadii is the moon. but the right turning nadi is the sun and will burn one if rules are violated. When the trunk is facing straight forward, then it signifies the sushumna is entirely open. Idols such as these are very rare and special. Even more special is the trunk where the trunk is swung up right in the air. It means the kundalini shakti has reached the sahasra permanently.
The single tusk is because the tusk was broken when Ganesha killed Gana, the demon. Another incident is related to the breaking of the tusk to write the Mahabharata. The following are other incidents.
The name ekadanta is from the incarnation to subdue mada-asura (pride). The asura after surrendering to ekadanta describes that eka is the embodiment (maayaa) and danta stands for truth (satya). Thus, ekadanta stands for the supreme truth that weilds maya. Who weilds the maya ? Mahamaya. Who is Mahamaya ? Ekadanta.
Ganesha ate all the modhakas and became very fat. When he could not move, the moon laughed at Him. Ganesha broke his tusk and threw it at the moon. Thus he became ekadanta. Later, the moon apologized. The inner meaning is that the light was covered by the maya. How does eka stand for maya ? Mudgala purana says so. the interpretation is that eka means one. Everything is one. But maya is the bija of the brahman. Only the maya makes it seem it is many. Mudgala purana says that the tusk stands for both creation and the one who supports creation. the creator and the created are not different.
Why is Ganesha red-eyed ? I don't know. Maybe he is crying at my ignorance and became red-eyed. :-) Generally, it is referred to the slaying of the slaying of the demon sindura.
Gajavaktra means elephant faced. Perhaps the most popular story regarding Ganesha's origin is the one derived from the Shiva Purana. Mother Parvati once wanted to take a bath and created a boy from the dirt of Her own body, asking him to stand as a guard outside while She bathed. In the meantime Lord Shiva returned home to find a stranger at His door, preventing Him from entering. In anger, Shiva cut off the boy's head, upon which Parvati was stricken with great grief. In order to console Her, Shiva sent out His troops (gaNa) to fetch the head of anyone found sleeping with his head pointing to the north. They found an elephant sleeping thus and brought back its head. Shiva then attached the elephantine head to the body of the boy and revived him. He named the boy Ganapati or commander of His troops, and granted Him a boon that anyone would have to worship Him (Ganesha) before beginning any undertaking.
Of course, there are several esoteric meanings to having an elephant head. An elephant is strong, but always calm. It is the one of the few animals which is self-aware and even has rituals for funerals. Despite its strength, it is vegetarian. Hinduism allows for animals to be worshipped, because essentially everything is Divine. We should see Divinity in every living being. gajavaktra has an inner meaning also. gao is sound and ja is to be born. Thus, gajavaktra is one who is born from sound. Another derivation is ga is goal and ja is origin. Thus, Ganesha is the origin and goal of life.
The mudgala purana states that the ganapati took the vakratunda incarnation to subdue the demon Maatsarya-asura (envy, jealousy). The demon was born out of the negligence (pramaada) of Indra. Indra is the Lord of the subtle tendencies i.e., the mind. When the mind is neglected, then demons are born. The bad demon is envy. This demon can be found in all fields, including spirituality. Only when duality of "me" and the "other" is lost, one truly awakens to the state of nondual objectless awareness. All that is left is pure bliss and consciousness.
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| prism |
Read The Christ Conspiracy. It's at Amazon.com |
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| Sir Stonesalot |
SFM....
Thank you for your concern over my soul. You show more concern than I do.
My problems lay not with Christianity...but with churches. In other words, organized Christians, have ruined the religion of the Christianity. Man does that with most things that are good.
The churches have become obnoxious, judgemental, domineering, and tyranical. I'll have nothing to do with that, thank you.
The relationship I have with whatever my idea of a divine being is MY business. I do not want or need anyone's help in deciding HOW or IF I worship. Especially if it's some clueless moron all wacked out on pain pills and muscle relaxers praying for me to kick a drug I've never taken.
I do not go to church because I have never been in a church that is NOT full of hypocrites. And I certainly wouldn't want to worship with people that I wouldn't invite to my own house.
Well, unless I can have like, 10 wives or something. I might go for something like that.
I think I'll stand a much better chance of getting to the promised land by NOT going to some hypocritical church, and just living a life well lived.
My fave Christian expression, "Kill them all, God knows his own." |
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| gypsy |
Jaxxy, I'm so in agreement with you on this subject. I don't believe in a vengeful God. My mom told me she would make up different endings to the Bible stories she read to me and my sister sometimes. She said that she couldn't believe God would be so mean and unforgiving.
SS, I'm so glad you're not doing heroin anymore...I had no idea you were an addict.<---just joking, hon.
Like Keith Richards says: "I love God, but I don't like preachers." Something like that...but I totally agree. |
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| Mother baby |
quote:
Sir Stonesalot wrote:
I do not go to church because I have never been in a church that is NOT full of hypocrites.
Although I have to agree with most of your post, I must ask though if you're not falling into the same trap as them, sitting as the judge? Anyway all christians may be hypocrites but not all hypocrites are christians. I guess we all are to a certain point though...but I can only speak for myself. |
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| Sir Stonesalot |
I'm not judging anyone. I was just stating a fact. All the churches that I've ever tried out were filled with people that I despised. They would all be trying to get me to "mend" my ways, cut my hair, change my views, and yet they would be doing the SAME things that I was doing...or worse! At one church, they had a study on the book of Ruth...but in reality it was just an excuse to drink wine. At a different church, they went through THREE pastors in 2 years...because they kept having affairs with married congregation members.
So when I say hypocrite...THAT is the kind of behavior that I am talking about.
I have had NOTHING but negative experiences with going to churches.
And Gypsy...you are saying that your Mom, without God's permission, changed endings of bible stories? Ooooooooooooo.
I wrote a song once called "Mormon Pictures Of Death". I got a Book Of Mormon from some of those wandering missionary types. EVERY illustration in that book was of some sort of catastrophe involving someone getting killed, usually because they strayed from "The Word Of God".
It's nice to pretend that the Christian God is a kind, gentle, benevolent God. Bullshit. Read the bible. God is vengeful to the point of sending people to eternal torment in the fires of hell. Turning women into pillars of salt for disobeying. S.I.D.S.!!!! We are to fear "God's Wrath". They sing "Onward Christian Soldiers" in every church.
Am I going to hell....probably. At least I'll be in good company. |
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