What is the Significance of Lord Ganesha in Buddhism ?
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Hindu traders from the 10th century onwards introduced Ganesha to the rest of Asia. Along with other Hindu gods (Brahma, Indra, Shiva and Vishnu), Ganesha was assimilated into Buddhism.
The Ganesha of Buddhism is quite at variance with the god that Hindus are familiar with. He is the only Hindu god regarded as a bodhisattva a (Buddha-to-be). Ganesha is an ambivalent figure in Tibetan Buddhism. Some scriptures depict him as Vinayaka, a demon who must be propitiated in order to avoid destruction. He is also shown being trampled upon by a Buddhist deity, Mahakala. In another form, he is the Destroyer of Obstacles, Nrtta Ganapati, the dancing god who made his way into Tibet through Nepal. As a red, many-limbed and fearfully armed deity, he is an emanation of Avalokiteswara, the Buddhist deity.
The early Buddhists took Ganesha with them to Japan, where he became a minor deity called Kangiten. Several rituals and beliefs practiced by his worshippers in Japan correspond with the Indian cult of Ganapatya. Many prominent temples have been dedicated to Ganesha in Japan. While businessmen propitiate him for success in their enterprises, young lovers pray to him for a fruitful courtship.http://www.buddhagroove.net/6-tibetan-buddhism/
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This is the first time I heard Lord Ganesan (Hindu Deity) as a bodhisattva in buddhism...!
I only know the story of how this deity got an elephant head... His father is Lord Shiva, brother Murugan (God of War) and mother Pavati. The stories about them are interesting.
Well I think it is blend of cultures and arts... The Hindus in India assimilated Buddha as the reincarnation of Lord Vishnu... Now then I know Lord Ganesan is bodhisattva... lol
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its written in the an mahayana sutra the lord ganapati is actually lord Ganesha
He is one of the protector of Buddhism
not known in mahayana ,but more in vajrayana
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http://theemerald.wordpress.com/2009/03/19/buddhist-deity-ganapati/
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Cos buddha that time hinduism is already in India. Hinduism is a religion that have a long history.
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Lord Ganesha is a very powerful protector. He loves to protect true practitioner.
He is also the God of Wealth in Tibetan Buddhism.
In Hinduism he is the God of Education, God of clearing obstacles , God of blessed marriage and God of Businessmen.
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Originally posted by Wiser:
Lord Ganesha is a very powerful protector. He loves to protect true practitioner.
He is also the God of Wealth in Tibetan Buddhism.
In Hinduism he is the God of Education, God of clearing obstacles , God of blessed marriage and God of Businessmen.
Elephant God? -
Hinduism not that I want to say but alot of Gods. Elephant,monkey,coconut ... ... Kind of strange.
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Strange because you didn't take the trouble to learn more. If you googgle to read about the Elephant God (Lord Ganesha), the Monkey God (Lord Hanuman) , they have very interesting plus touching stories.
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Story of Lord Hanuman in English on youtube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PKpqEc6NkzI
Story of Lord Ganesha
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The buddhist story of Lord Ganesha. How is Lord Ganesha being converted to protect Buddhism ?
The Guan Yin Pusa changed herself into a very beautiful woman and approached Lord Ganesha. Lord Ganesha fell in love with her immediately and wanted to marry her. The Guan Yin Pusa agreed to marry him only upon his vows to protect Buddhism. Lord Ganesha happily agreed to do so.
In the Buddhist version, Lord Ganesha is the husband of Avalokitesvara.
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Originally posted by Wiser:
Strange because you didn't take the trouble to learn more. If you googgle to read about the Elephant God (Lord Ganesha), the Monkey God (Lord Hanuman) , they have very interesting plus touching stories.
Of course I did not know much abt hinduism, I am not hindu. -
Eh aunty wiser also not a hindu or an indian leh.
This is more of a spiritual pursuit interest than race or faith. Any way more and more Chinese are getting into Hinduism.
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Originally posted by Wiser:
Eh aunty wiser also not a hindu or an indian leh.
This is more of a spiritual pursuit interest than race or faith. Any way more and more Chinese are getting into Hinduism.
My auntie's frenz worshipped elephant God. My ex classmates also worship elephant God. -
Lol...
Can't imagine the stunned look on my friend's face if I were to tell him:
-Lord Ganesan is related to Buddhism
-He has a consort (in Hinduism, he is still single leh... maybe update status)
By the way, I can't recall he is God of Education... should be the Patron of the Arts (lol).. Coz he likes to discuss arts with Goddess Sarasvati (Brahma's consort). Anyway... devotees like to give their favourite deities multiple roles... it happens to other deities as well.
Like Guan Yu... taoist chinese tradition he is associated with loyalty, fortune (zheng cai) medicine (healing) qualities.
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Originally posted by Wiser:
The buddhist story of Lord Ganesha. How is Lord Ganesha being converted to protect Buddhism ?
The Guan Yin Pusa changed herself into a very beautiful woman and approached Lord Ganesha. Lord Ganesha fell in love with her immediately and wanted to marry her. The Guan Yin Pusa agreed to marry him only upon his vows to protect Buddhism. Lord Ganesha happily agreed to do so.
In the Buddhist version, Lord Ganesha is the husband of Avalokitesvara.
Sure ? This is my 1st time hearing this story. There are many stories about GuanYin Pusa changing into a very beautiful lady but each time when some guys fell in love with her and wanted to marry her, she would pass away before she could get marry. If I'm not wrong, she would reveal herself as Guanyin Pusa to the guys after she passed away.
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Sure. I research on Lord Ganesha. You just goggle in Chinese to read the story.
Novice, Hindus will pray to Lord Ganesha for their children before they start school.
So i also call him the God of Education.
Both northern and southern Indians have different versions stories about him. He is single in one but having two consorts in the other side of India. I think in Northern India he is the younger brother of Lord Murukan but become the elder brother in Southern side.
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Elephant-headed Hindu god, the son of Shiva and Parvati. He is also revered in Jainism, and he is important in the art and mythology of Buddhist Asia. As the remover of obstacles, Ganesha is invoked when beginning worship or starting any new venture. He was popular with Indian nationalists, who saw British colonialism as one obstacle to be removed. The patron of letters and learning, he is the legendary scribe who wrote down the Mahabharata. His popularity continued to grow through the 20th century. His festival is especially popular in the Indian state of Maharashtra.
Read more: http://www.answers.com/topic/ganesha#ixzz1NQGqI0xM -
Ganesha (Sanskrit: गणेश; IAST: Gaṇeśa;
listen (help·info)), also spelled Ganesa or Ganesh, also known as Ganapati (Sanskrit: गणपति; IAST: gaṇapati), Vinayaka (Sanskrit: विनायक; IAST: VinÄ�yaka), and Pillaiyar (Tamil: பிளà¯�ளையாரà¯�), is one of the deities best-known and most widely worshipped in the Hindu pantheon.[5] His image is found throughout India and Nepal.[6] Hindu sects worship him regardless of affiliations.[7]Devotion to Ganesha is widely diffused and extends to Jains, Buddhists, and beyond India.[8]
In northern India, Skanda is generally said to be the elder, while in the south, Ganesha is considered the first born.[106] Skanda was an important martial deity from about 500 BCE to about 600 CE, when worship of him declined significantly in northern India. As Skanda fell, Ganesha rose. Several stories tell of sibling rivalry between the brothers[107] and may reflect sectarian tensions.[108]
Ganesha's marital status, the subject of considerable scholarly review, varies widely in mythological stories.[109] One pattern of myths identifies Ganesha as an unmarried brahmacari.[110] This view is common in southern India and parts of northern India.[111] Another pattern associates him with the concepts of Buddhi (intellect), Siddhi (spiritual power), and Riddhi (prosperity); these qualities are sometimes personified as goddesses, said to be Ganesha's wives.[112] He also may be shown with a single consort or a nameless servant (Sanskrit: daÅŸi).[113
Read more: http://www.answers.com/topic/ganesha#ixzz1NQHoaiAf -
Ganesh is a popular deity of Shingon Sect, known as Kankiten æ“喜天 http://www.onmarkproductions.com/html/kankiten-idaten-other-tenbu.html. In fact, there is a lot of similarity between Japanese deities and Asia deities. If you look at history, Buddhism travel from India, into China then Japan. Of course, when the state embrace the religion automatically a lot of patron deities become popular with the Jap.
In fact, there is another deity known in Asia as 玄æ¦ä¸Šå¸� http://www.onmarkproductions.com/html/28-moon-stations.html. He was adopted as a patron bodhisattva of Nichiren Buddhist sect. He is known as 北斗妙見è�©è–© due to his appearance to Nichiren in time of danger.
Most of us will classified the deities based on geographic and culture. However, the deities is able to manifest themselves in certain manner to teach and guide the people which is beyond our human comprehension. Perhaps this is Lotus Sutra implication Skillful Mean,方便行.
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good info up there.
玄æ¦ä¸Šå¸�
is also known as Marici Bodhisattva in Taoism . She is in charge of the 28 celestial stars in Heavens. In Ancient Japan, she is the principal deity for Ninja warriors . They can become invisible practising a method of Marici.
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Originally posted by reborn76:
Ganesh is a popular deity of Shingon Sect, known as Kankiten æ“喜天 http://www.onmarkproductions.com/html/kankiten-idaten-other-tenbu.html. In fact, there is a lot of similarity between Japanese deities and Asia deities. If you look at history, Buddhism travel from India, into China then Japan. Of course, when the state embrace the religion automatically a lot of patron deities become popular with the Jap.
In fact, there is another deity known in Asia as 玄æ¦ä¸Šå¸� http://www.onmarkproductions.com/html/28-moon-stations.html. He was adopted as a patron bodhisattva of Nichiren Buddhist sect. He is known as 北斗妙見è�©è–© due to his appearance to Nichiren in time of danger.
Most of us will classified the deities based on geographic and culture. However, the deities is able to manifest themselves in certain manner to teach and guide the people which is beyond our human comprehension. Perhaps this is Lotus Sutra implication Skillful Mean,方便行.
@ Reborn76Haha nice info... Another inter-related deity.. I was thinking whether is it the deity stepping on serpent and tortoise... indeed it is him lol (googled his picture lol)
@Wiser
Like I said... devotees will often linked up several roles for their favourite deities... For Lord Ganesan, or Remover of Obstacles. His title is sooo wide... It's like, students can pray for good results, couples for good marriage life, workers for good working life, good bosses, etc this list goes on...
But I am not very comfortable with the idea that Guanyin was supposed to "married" to Lord Ganesan... lol
Anyway... always remember... 皈ä¾�佛，永ä¸�皈ä¾�天é”外é�“ ok...?
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What is so uncomfortable about how Lord Ganesha become a protector of Buddhism? It's just a story. Don't attach label to it. Free your mind of such labelling.
Lord Ganesha is the official Wealth God of Tibetan Buddhism and the protectors of Buddhist cultivator.
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Originally posted by Wiser:
What is so uncomfortable about how Lord Ganesha become a protector of Buddhism? It's just a story. Don't attach label to it. Free your mind of such labelling.
Lord Ganesha is the official Wealth God of Tibetan Buddhism and the protectors of Buddhist cultivator.
Wiser... i mean the marriage thingy la... not the protector issue... read again -
aiya....marriage is still a holy thing. What's wrong with Guan Yin Pusa marrying Lord Ganesha? It can be just a metaphor. That Lord Ganesha become her dharma protector.