I am pretty sure that if you laugh at and mock any ISKCON leader or authority virtually nothing can possibly happen to you. But macking fun of Ganesh is very dangerous.

While I’m sure your examples are 100% validated by sources and not merely anecdotal, I submit that the article was not making fun of Lord Ganesha, but making fun of the cheap plastic Wal-Martesque disgraces that are passed off as murtis by money-grubbing “Hindus.”

Oh, and it probably makes fun of ISKCON. Hard to tell, really.

Haribol!

It is very dangerous though to poke fun at Ganeshji (God of Money & Wealth). Srila Prabhupada states that he is one of the great Isvaras of the universe, and controls all the demigods.

I remember the Laughing Man Institute bookstore in Santa Monica used to keep a poster of Lord Ganesh over the toilet, because he removes all obstacles. It was no laughing matter when they closed and went bankrupt. One of my suppliers made a derogitory comment about Lord Ganesh – they too went bankrupt. The famous story is the Moon God himself mocked Lord Ganesh and was cursed for it. Laugh at Ganesh, but only at your own peril.

http://www.kannadaaudio.com/Songs/Devotional/TimesMusicGanesha/Ganesha.ram

May all sentient beings benefit, and meditate carefully.

Om Mani Peme Hung

P.S. In Vajrayana Buddhism they still have Ganesha in Temples, but mostly in Nepal, and Hills. Who knows maybe a Ganesha Sutra will spontaneously merge to unite India with Mayawati Kumari and Dalit Buddhists in full support and in nondual realization of the Buddha Nature of Brahmins.

May peace prevail.

I know for ISKCON who hold very high standards and are sensitive, and other Hindus, this must be a shock. But in impermanence, this too shall pass.

The elephant and Ganesha, are subtly representative of the stabilization of mind, as well as being a Hindu deity. Many Buddhist practices relate stabilization of mind with taming an elephant, once stabilized one can realize the all pervasive reality, and ride the mouse of humility while are obstacles are but a joke.

As Swami Sivananda said “prakriti is the wetnurse of the jivanmukti”, and in this scientific age we should be a little less shocked that to be a wetnurse the Divine Mother occasionally will expose a breast, briefly.

Though I agree this Ganesha representation is not in good taste, similar to maybe a Jesus riding a Harley Davidson with a naked pornstar on the back. Of course it would be ok Jesus riding a Harley Davidson with a clothed Porn Star, this is radical acceptance and nondual compassion for all.

Om Mani Peme Hung
Jai Ganesha
Hare Krishna

Please turn off the ’spurting’ feature before prahbu arrives at your home to have the Saturday Nama Hatta program. Enough of the ISKCON community has already been offended.

I like subji without that sauce! Thank you!

Haribol,

Devak…..trying not to offend

I read this article about one of my favorite demigods and now I am beginning to worry about the possible fallen status of the other four million Hindu demigods.

I don’t mind the hugging of the lingham but it’s the spurting that’s bothersome. That’s really going a bit too far!

I first met Ganesha back in September, 1995 when he was drinking milk at a shine in a local sari store. All the ladies were giving him spoonfuls of milk , the floor was covered with empty milk cartons and more were arriving by the hour. Those were great days. After I saw this I knew my days as a Zen Buddhist were over.

And now this awful naughty Lingham Fountain. Are other demigods going down this path to hell? I can only wonder.

I think I’ll call Master Roshi Suzuki and ask his opinion. Maybe the Zendo will take me back.

Devak….questioning everything