Ganesh: Removing the Obstacles

The art, outside of a few oddly cut pieces, is a nice collection. The writing is disturbing at best. It is a sad reinterpretation of Indian thought according to cold western secularism. All beauty and soul is utterly lost. It is an insult to the brilliance and beauty that is India.

Great little pocket book that clearly campulsizes the fundamental of Ganesh. I'm interested in buying several copies. Great gift!

GANESH. Removing the Obstacles. Several years ago my son-in-law, not a Hindu by birth, gave my daughter and me each, a copy of this "diminutive" book. Its small size, beautiful illustrations and easy format caught my eye right away. From time to time I would read, at random, a paragraph or two. Aided by my wishful and open interpretations the short discourses gave me much solace. Symbolism and iconography are vital aspects of Hinduism. James Bae, the author, presents in this book a concise repository of Ganesh centered stories. He provides due mention of the best known of Ganesh mythologies: how Ganesha came to acquire an elephant's head, why he is wearing a serpentine belt and how he handled the friendly sibling contest between him and his brother Skanda. He refers to Ganesh's multiple monikers (Ekadanta - the single tusked, Vighneshwara - remover of obstacles), and differing representations in South and North India. Exquisitely sharp and blissful illustrations, mostly color and a few black and white or sepia, stud the pages. If the text falls just short of impressing you, the pictures will fill in readily. Generalizations and shared common wisdom of many faiths pepper this book. It is hard to argue with statements like these: "Just as there are many ways to interpret mythology, there are infinite ways to perceive any given situation." "We each arrive at fulfillment by different means and under vastly different conditions." "Each of us has a unique purpose in this life time." If we tread through a few such truisms and banalities, we do find inspirational nuggets that value patience ("What may initially appear as an obstacle can ultimately be seen as a source of strength and a tool for self-exploration and understanding") or encourage alternative perspectives whereby obstacles could become "unexpected openings, or opportunities." A receptive reader seeking situational guidance, at certain junctures, may find helpful universal advice about "not needing to be right in an argument," not accepting a job offer which might ostensibly "bring monetary gain" or to view boundaries as "not necessarily limitations." These messages are reminiscent of the Forer effect.[1] As we read these generalities we may find personal relevance and interpretive meaning in them. Perhaps that was the intended effect, and benefit for the reader. Bae has written this endearing, practical 94 page book hoping to offer "meaningful interpretations" of folk narratives and sacred texts about Ganesh, the elephant headed Hindu god, a remover of obstacles. He has succeeded quite admirably, perhaps with a little help from Ganesh's backing in his effort? It may serve as a vade mecum for a quick and generic spiritual break. 1. Forer, B. R. (1949). "The fallacy of personal validation: A classroom demonstration of gullibility". Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology 44: 118-123.).

First of all, yes the price is right. But, you should know that this book is 4 inches wide by 3 inches tall and 91 pages long. Right, the reciept is bigger than the book. The writing, about an hours worth of reading, is pretty well done if you are newly into learning the attributes of Ganesha. If you have been studying His Corpulentness for any period of time, it will, of course, only scratch the surface. Bae is not a great poet or anything, but does indeed understand the significant archetypal points of this beloved entity. On the positive side, the artwork in this book is definately outstanding. With a decent magnifying glass and a love for the artistic renderings of Ganesh, this is a delight. The cover is beautiful (you can't tell from the above pic), the color printing and choices of artwork are outstanding. It's a beaut. Ultimately, I'm glad I bought it. Not a scholarly work, it is beautiful and I will carry it with me, (in my shirt pocket) on hikes into the woods where I wish to sit and contemplate the gorgeous artwork and the short-and-to-the-point writing. I'd suggest that you buy it. It's pretty, very pretty. I may buy a few more for gifts because it's soooo pretty, affordable and not too deep (for friends who are interested but not as fanatical as I am). Good things do come in small packages. This is a very good example. Just left me wanting more. Om Gam Ganapatiye Namaha.