Patron of Reading, now Writing

[Guest guest]

Several list-members were speculating on Ganesha's role as the patron of

reading (and, by extention, of writing). I just received in the

snail-mail a new, 2003 catalog from Sacred Source (formerly "JBL

Statues"), and there on the back cover is a <murthi> of "Ganesh Writing"!

 

Sacred Source was founded 25 years ago by Richard Freeman Allen, an

American devotee of Satya Sai Baba who was sent by the avatar to do

volunteer work for Mother Teresa in Calcutta. He met a group of families

in Calcutta of the murthi-making caste, began importing Ganges clay

statues to the USA under the aegis of "Jai Bhagavan Limited," and

eventually had his clay-sculpting employees working on an assortment of

Neo-Pagan images as well.

 

Sacred Source produces close to a dozen different Ganges clay images of

Ganesha, brightly painted and in a variety of poses and sizes. In India,

these are used as temporary residences for Ganesha's spirit during his

festival, and at festival's end are immersed in the Ganges (or another

body of water) to dissolve back into the primordial cosmic ooze.

Neo-Pagans, who have paid a lot for these rather pricey imports, are more

likely to set the clay statues on their altars, or as brick-a-brack on a

cluttered shelf.

 

I find it interesting that the molds made by the Calcutta statue-makers

always show Ganesha holding a discus, a conch-shell, a mace, and a lotus.

These are NOT Ganesha's traditional attributes, they are Vishnu's! It

appears that the Calcutta devotees see Ganesha as an avatar of the

Preserver?

 

About a year ago, Sacred Source came out with a new statue called

"Reading Ganesh." Made of resin instead of Ganges clay, it portrays a

two-armed Remover of Obstacles reclining on large bolsters, perusing a

bound codex-type book. The statue is painted a solid verdigris green

(Westerners often find the polychromatic Indian images garish.)

 

The newest catalog presents a "Ganesh Writing." Here's the blurb:

Artist's Inspiration. As remover of obstacles, Ganesh will cure

writer's block. Active, creative, focused, Ganesh is so

dedicated that he snapped off one tusk to write with when

his pen broke. Six inch <Ganesh Writing>, black marble-

colored Resin-Plus, indoor/outdoor, $39.

 

Ekadanta Ganapati, the one-tusked Ganesha associated with writing, is

traditionally portrayed as blue-black in complexion. But the Sacred

Source image has two intact tusks, and is seated writing in a bound book

with a quill pen.

 

If they're gonna update Ganesha, I'd prefer an image where he's seated

typing at a computer keyboard!

 

The website is <www.SacredSource.com>

 

-- Len/ Kalipadma

 

 

 

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[Guest guest]

I have a batik painting of Sri Ganesha it is quite naif, but he is

writing with a golden pen over a black book.

 

Last year in meditation I entered a cave of Ganesha and it was full of

books pilled up. I felt the books were empty, not yet writen. The

covers were black.They were lining up in the entrance of the cave and

you could even seat there, as they were pilled like a bank where you

could sit. As I am journalist, I thought maybe this was a symbolic

image to do with my work or future work, but perhaps not...perhaps

Ganesha is Inspirer of many other beings who use communication as a

tool.

 

In dreams I´ve seen a golden pen...that is for me quite symbolic, at

least it represents right speech. Perhaps Ganesha´s inspiration comes

to us when we have already purified all obscurations and ignorance from

our mind, our vision and throat, the OM AH HUM.

 

who knows...who knows...

 

Love

Barbara