Mind and Ganesha

This happened some two weeks ago, during first week of May. One of the beautiful realization I have had during the recent times is that mind is really like an immature innocent kid and all thoughts are really innocent and so is everyone else.

That day, I lied down and calmed down my mind, silenced it, relaxed it just like a mother sings a lullaby and makes her child sleep. As it silenced, I had this insight. Isn’t our mind like Ganesha?

All our random thoughts are like Shiva-ganas (गण), the attendants of Shiva and our mind, it is the master (पति – pati) of all those thoughts, i.e. Ganapati (गणपति). Now, Ganesha is said to be Vighnaharta (विघ्नहर्ता), the remover of obstacles. Our mind, a naughty kid like Ganesha, is the creator of all our obstacles, Vighnakarta (विघ्नकर्ता). However, when the same mind is treated with love and care, when it is calm, it becomes Vighnaharta.

Srimad Bhagvad Gita says –

आत्मैव ह्यात्मनो बन्धुरात्मैव रिपुरात्मन:

ātmaiva hyātmano bandhur ātmaiva ripur ātmanaḥ

“One is verily one’s own friend and one’s own enemy.”

This refers to the mind. If you are not okay with your mind, then you are like fighting an endless battle with your own family member :P. If you rise above it and befriend it, then it becomes a great help rather than being a headache :D. (Mind can cause headache, sounds amazing!)

It’s just kid, don’t take it too seriously!