| For those who are unfamiliar with the Hindu gods, | | | | asking you to give up all the others. I'm not giving up |
| Ganesha is the elephant-headed god of overcoming | | | | Ganesha. But I'm not giving up Jesus either. Or Mary |
| obstacles. He also happens to be the patron god of | | | | or Archangel Michael or the Buddha or Kwan Yin for |
| writers. Apparently writer's block has been around for | | | | that matter.I believe in the One True God, and I |
| quite some time.I realize that a belief in multiple | | | | believe in all His vast and beautiful religions. I guess |
| "gods" is considered sacrilegious by some. Both | | | | that makes me a pan-religious monotheist.If that |
| Christians and Muslims, for example, are quite strict | | | | sounds like a mouthful, you could call me a Christian |
| about their belief in the One True God. But these | | | | Buddhist Hindu Gaian follower of the Tao.I don't |
| arguments have arisen more from semantics than | | | | mention Judaism or Islam because I haven't yet felt |
| from any underlying philosophical divide. Even if there | | | | called to study much about them, but I do believe in |
| is only One God, still there are many aspects of | | | | Moses and Abraham and I do believe that |
| God--truth, justice, honor, integrity, trust, faith, joy, | | | | Muhammad was a True Prophet. I just don't see |
| peace... Using the word "god" to depict the Hindu | | | | what all the fuss is about in refusing to "take |
| representations of the divine is really a | | | | sides."Somehow I can't see the Great Masters of |
| misrepresentation of Hindu beliefs.Hindus believe that | | | | Earth all standing around in heaven arguing with each |
| all reality is One. There is only One God because | | | | other. As far as I'm concerned, they're standing |
| there is only One Everything. So I'm perfectly happy | | | | around together and shaking their heads in |
| to call Ganesha the divine aspect of Mighty Faith--just | | | | perplexity."They just aren't getting it," they're saying |
| one of many aspects of the One True God--if that | | | | to each other. "What are we going to do about all |
| will keep us all on the same page.Here's a little prayer | | | | this arguing? That's not what we were trying to do |
| I wrote myself that I like to offer up to Ganesha | | | | at all!"The real problem is this underlying attitude we |
| whenever I'm stuck on a writing project: "Beloved | | | | hold to so tightly--this belief that one thing always |
| and Mighty Ganesha... I'm stuck... Please help me... | | | | has to be better than another. Why can't we accept |
| Amen."Hey, if anyone in the Heavens is going to | | | | the fact that everything has its place? "For |
| accept a minimalist prayer, it's Ganesha. Writer's bock | | | | everything there is a season, and a time for every |
| is His Thing. I'm sure he understands.If you happen to | | | | matter under heaven..." (Ecclesiastes 3:1). Well there's |
| know that I was born in New Jersey to Caucasian | | | | a purpose for every matter under heaven too. And |
| parents and that I am currently writing this blog from | | | | it's time we made a little room in our minds--and in |
| the heart of the Bible Belt, you might wonder what | | | | our hearts--for that idea.So here's a prayer for the |
| I'm doing praying to an elephant-headed Hindu | | | | world tonight, another prayer I wrote myself, and I |
| god-slash-divine-aspect in the first place.Well, I read a | | | | offer it up to the Heavens in all earnestness:"Beloved |
| lot. Hinduism is the world's third largest religion, after | | | | One True God,in all Your myriad Divine |
| Christianity and Islam, with over 800,000,000 | | | | Aspects,please help us all who walk the Earthto learn |
| followers. The Vedas, The Ramayana, and The | | | | to Love, Honor, and Cherish one anotherwithout any |
| Mahabharata--including The Bhagavad Gita--are all | | | | barriers of fearand without any errors of |
| available on Read enough about Hinduism and | | | | exception,as You have in Your Infinite Wisdomsent |
| eventually you'll run across Ganesha, also known as | | | | so many of Your childrento teach us to do in Your |
| Ganesh or Ganapati.If you're a writer, and you | | | | name."Amen.--EM Sky has been a math instructor for |
| discover a god for overcoming writer's block, you file | | | | The Johns Hopkins University, a special effects |
| that information away, just in case. If you pray to | | | | technician in Hollywood, a project manager for |
| that god and you start writing again, that's what's | | | | BellSouth, and a rock climbing instructor in Atlanta. |
| known as conversion.But in all seriousness I haven't | | | | She even tried being a lawyer for a while, but |
| converted to Hinduism. I don't see the need. In fact, | | | | fortunately she came to her senses. Now she is an |
| I refuse to belong to any one religion because after | | | | author, writing on business, life, and society for the |
| a while, the ones that want you to "convert" start | | | | whole human being. |