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Help a Brother or Sister Out

  
 
Scrambled Password Bogus Email
12:48 / 14.04.06
OK, so I was about to embark on a solid weekend of studio work (yes, it's a double bank holiday and I have to work the whole damn thing, sunny or not) and, in my whimsy way, donned my beautiful new Ganesh T-Shirt, and brought along a couple of nice Ganesh images with me, to scatter around the lab, thinking 'A new endeavour! The remover of obstacles will accompany me and I can place him strategically hither and thither, shining his beneficence and grace on my weekend's trials and labour...This'll be great!'

Except, when I arrived, the kitchen had flooded and the water has leaked through the ceiling onto all the studio gear, and I can't even switch the desk on for fear it might go ka-plooey, and there is thick viscous brown liquid on everything and all over the place and its just fucking chaos. I have to let everything dry out before I can even consider starting, and then it's perfectly possible nothing is going to work. So I'll have to breakneck organise Plan B. Except it's Friday. Bank Holiday Friday. Before a Bank Holiday Weekend.

The deadline looms for Tuesday, it's the first decent bite I've had so far this year, and now this.

Yeah, thanks Elephant Head. Great Fucking Job.

Help a brother to re-assess and re-imagine his place in relation to this situation, as no doubt Trunky Boy knows what a g'wan, and I'm just too short sighted to see the bigger picture. Yeah, that's it. Trust the process. It's a message from Spirit saying something essential and profound.

I just can't figure out what, except perhaps "OI! Funny Squat! FUCK YOU!!!!!"

Perhaps the purpose of my existence really is to serve as a warning to others.

Anyone who works with the Great Pachyderm, could you please, pretty please have a word on my behalf? I'm sure he's just late to the party, or something.

Ta very much.
 
 
electric monk
13:02 / 14.04.06
Will see what I can do.

In my recent experience, Wondrous Ganesha sometimes takes an obstacle away only to give you another to deal with. If you can, go get a red flower and some sweets and set them out for him. Have a little chat with him and ask how best you can overcome what you're facing. I'm attempting to do the same from here on your behalf.

Hope it works out for you!
 
 
illmatic
13:07 / 14.04.06
Shit man, sorry to hear about your bad luck. Hope the damage is not too severe once it all gets cleared up.

Help a brother to re-assess and re-imagine his place in relation to this situation

I Ching?
 
 
electric monk
13:10 / 14.04.06
Wasn't sure I'd be able to find a red flower on the office grounds, but sonuvagun, I did. I've offered some flowers and a chocolate bunny I received from a co-worker to the Great Hefalump and said a prayer on your behalf. I hope it works.

Bless ya, pal.
 
 
Less searchable M0rd4nt
13:17 / 14.04.06
Blimey, what a horror story!

Do you have much of a relationship with Ganesh? Possibly you just didn't have the Destroyer of Obstacles' attention and this was just random horrible life stuff unrelated to elephant-headed Gods. Did you give Him sweeties? Or incense? I don't know what Ganesha is like because I've never had much contact with that pantheon, but if I ask my guys for anything I make with the booze first. If I seriously need Them onside, I make a bit of fuss, maybe cook some food, spend a couple of hours splitting a six-pack or dancing with Them or whatever. Seems unlikely that just putting on a t-shirt and buying a few nick-nacks would cut the mustard.

Show the dude some respect. Next time, maybe you could get some nice incense and some sweets--really rich toothachy Indian sweets would probably be a good bet. Make up a little shrine somewhere and spend some time there. Learn some suitable prayers. Explain what you're trying to achieve and how you're going about achieving it, then invite Him to get involved, rather than putting up His picture and expecting Him to deliver.
 
 
trouser the trouserian
13:34 / 14.04.06
Money, from reading your account it sounds to me as though you went to your new studio with the intention of performing some kind of worship to Ganesha, only to find it flooded. It's not clear to me why you should blame Ganesha for this. That might have been a good time to offer Ganapati some devotion though.

In all the years I have been a devotee of Ganesa, I have found him to be beneficient and auspicious. There was one occasion when a group of us promised to perform puja to him and didn't, and when it came time for us to leave the place where we had gathered - most of us had serious travel problems. I wouldn't necessarily 'blame' what happened to Ganesha somehow fucking things up for us, but on the other hand, we had broken our vow to offer him devotion. If you have a serious relationship with a deity, you have to expect this sort of thing.
 
 
petunia
13:45 / 14.04.06
Perhaps a bit of a tangent, as i don't know the nature of your design work... But...

Is there any chance that this could be a message to try out something new in your work?

Like if you work with computers, try a bit of old-skool reel-to-reel or tape. Or if you usually work inside an electric room, try outside on the grass..

Straight lines become jagged, the solid flows.

As i say, i'm not sure if this really applies to what you need. Now might not be time to get all 'Brian Eno', but it might help to think outside the block.

Muhammed might move the mountain, as might ganesh, but your average type just walks around it.

Failing that, get hold of a good hairdryer...
 
 
Scrambled Password Bogus Email
14:32 / 14.04.06
I was being a bit flippant, to be honest. I was just a trifle discombobulated, and waiting for a plumber!

I wouldn't say my relationship with Ganesha is anything like as involved as my relationships with emissaries from a totally different pantheon, but he gets a good look in when new t'ings a g'wan.

I was singing bhajans and kiirtan last Saturday at an absolutely beautiful devotional get together with a bunch of daimistas and others and we covered lots of ground for Kali and Shiva among others. Mum, and all that! A really excellent sound-healing with a frankly enormous gong and a load of singing bowls and chimes followed, which worked a treat.

This week was fantastic. A lot of the early year Darqueness which set in early February showed excellent signs of breaking cloud cover to let the Light flow back in, and then ZAP! This rather peachy job turns up on Wednesday. Hurray!

I spent this morning in serious altar devotional mode working with my Usual Suspects, then collected Ganesha who also accompanied me yesterday to an Oração. Damn, I even put him on the altar as a guest of honour. Flowers, incense and half an hour of singing (though not specifically for him, he was still visiting dignitary, like!)

Anyway, in spite of all this, I'm not attributing any of it to Him, actually. Bottom line is a washer in the water heater in the kitchen bust and the leak has been steadily progressing for two days. It had to find somewhere to go and it found it - Down, down, down. Unfortunately all over my gear. Sometimes, in fact, Often - Shit Happens.

But you know what? Am I freaking out? I am not. Am I angry? I am not. Am I even complaining? Erm, maybe I have, a bit, briefly, but not now. It all seems to me to be dialogue with Spirit. This is a view I am trying to cultivate consciousness of as permanently as possible. Non-attachment in the face of Just What I Need This Instant. Why be pissed off? It's a communication, there is no sense 'liking' this and 'disliking' that, in 'accepting' the feelgood stuff and 'rejecting' the pain. False dichotomoy in the knowledge of the Original Base, Grasshopper!

The point is more 'what is the lesson here' and 'how should I respond'. It reminds me of a Daoist story about the farmer who after a storm loses all his horses and his neighbour consoles him 'Oh Bad Luck!' He shrugs. Next day his horses return with a dozen wild fillies in tow, his neighbour is jealous 'What incredible good luck!' He just shrugs. Next day his son breaks his leg breaking in the horses, same neighbour 'Oh, what terrible luck!' A week later the Duke of the region declares war and all the young men are drafted to go to battle. Except Son with broken legs, of course. Neighbour curses 'You get all the luck!' Farmer shrugs. And on it goes. Yeah, well, you get the point. Who knows enough to attribute one way ot the other, this : Good; that : Bad...? Not me matey.

Funny enough, I have written a mantra which I recite in the mornings with a rather apposite section:

I am satisfied
Satisfied the Universe is unfolding exactly as it should, each moment a sublime manifestation of everpresent perfection within the eternal, evolving and convolving process of Change.

I am satisfied.
Satisfied that anything less than complete satisfaction with this eternal everpresent perfection is delusion, a clinging to attachments I abandon in this instant.

I am satisfied
Satified that the 'I' who is satisfied is a convenience of language, nothing more, temporary, illusory, ephemeral, and that satisfaction is all there ever was, is, or ever can be.

So maybe my integrity and sincerity in making these grandiose claims is being held up to the light...sounds like the sort of thing that occupies Powers to me. I mean, they must get bored occasionally, right?

Getting despondent or sore just doesn't make any sense at the moment. Sore about what? Ego's petty little nonsense desire to experience nothing but bliss, comfort and convenience all the time, its cunningly weaved tantalizing suggestion that this is 'the goal', and achievable if one can just [insert egoic process supporting and strengthening diversion here] .

Wakey Wakey!

I'm a daily reciter of ye olde Hawvlan lachma d'sunqanan yaomana, particularly when eating, so if I'm inviting Oneness to give me this day what I need in bread and insight, sustenance for the call of new life, and just enough for now this instant, no more no less, then how arrogant to jump up in a rage if what arrives is not what I expected or hoped for.

btw, thanks a lot to monk for hir efforts! Most appreciated.

Thanks to all respondents, anyway. I need something to pass the time while this mess dries out. Don't go! Stay and chat!
 
 
illmatic
15:17 / 14.04.06
I really like your mantra mate. To be honest, that chimes in more with my understanding of the Hindu pantheon that external entities who cause bad or good luck.

You are speech. You are consciousness. You are bliss. You are Brahma. You are being-consciouness-bliss. You are the non-dual.Ganapati Upanishad.

Not saying my limited understanding doesn't have huge limits to it though.

So maybe my integrity and sincerity in making these grandiose claims is being held up to the light...

I couldn't help thinking that. Good luck sorting it out.
 
 
electric monk
15:21 / 14.04.06
I really like your mantra mate.

Second that. You've got a real way with words.
 
 
Scrambled Password Bogus Email
17:10 / 14.04.06
Aw, shucks. Cheers.

Following Ill's advice, The great I has this to say.

Static Situation.

Gua 28 - Da Guo - Preponderance of the Great

Great Traverses

Floodwater? Sagging roof? The ridgepole cannot take the weight? But monieur, you are so literal!

The pair (27+28) represent an ordeal that transforms the spirit, giving the power to become an individual, free of collective judgements.

Jeebus. It's a biggie. A symbol for how to act in a time of crisis. To deal with it, push principles beyond ordinary limits and accept the movement it brings. Find what is truly important and organize yourself accordingly. The structure of your entire life is in danger of collapse. But there is a creative force at work in this breakdown. So impose a direction on things. Have a place to go. You must stand by what you know to be true and find the power to exist inpedendent of collective norms. Life and death are involved ion this step. This is a letting go of the past and and the emergence of the power to lead your life. This is a very great time.

Metal Over Wood : The Joyous Dancer and the Lady of the Fates. Stand alone, without fear or sorrow.

Niclear Gua - Hidden Possibilities

Gua 1 - Qian - The Creative

Nuff Said

The Dragon. Emerging from the centres and thresholds of change within the Gua, while the limits disintegrate, sag, are drowned. Great indeed!

Paired Gua

Gua 27 - Providing Nourishment

Fasting day

It's the Rouser defining the inner situation here, something I keep getting again and again.

Shadow Site : 37+38 : The Dwelling and Ghost that Haunts It

Hahah! The I Ching is scary...

Intriguing. A bian transformation, no less, a 'fork in the road', a radical site of transformation : Extraordinary, Transformative, Quantum.

Well, duh.
 
 
illmatic
05:20 / 15.04.06
God, the I Ching is so ... literal, sometimes, isn't it? Good luck mate.
 
  
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