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Why Do We Invoke Ganesha Before Every Beginning?

Before beginning anything important or auspicious, we invoke Lord Ganesha. But why Ganesha? He is not primarily associated with creation. Brahma traditionally represents creation. Why, then, is Ganesha invoked at the beginning of an undertaking? Creating something means bringing it into existence. Beginning is the moment when we decide to undertake something. It is also a moment of celebration: a celebration of possibility, intention and the opportunity to bring something new into our lives. At that moment, we need more than enthusiasm. We need clarity, discrimination, preparedness and the ability to deal with obstacles. Ganesha is traditionally associated with obstacles. As Vighnaharta, he is the remover of obstacles, while Vighneshvara means the Lord of obstacles. This apparent paradox offers a deeper insight. An obstacle is not always negative. It may make us pause, reconsider our direction or prevent us from taking the wrong path. The deeper prayer, therefore, may not be to remo...

Are We Really in Control of Ourselves?

Very often, a thought, feeling or impulse arises within us and prompts us to act. Only afterwards, when the moment has passed, do we sometimes realise that we could have responded differently or better. What is striking is that the reason to pause or act differently was already there, yet something else within us seemed to take over. Why does this happen? Why does a thought, emotion or impulse sometimes lead us into action before our reasoning has had a chance to regulate it? And why, afterwards, do we see the situation differently? We assume that we think, decide and then act. But perhaps the process is not always so straightforward. Sometimes something seems to arise within us first, and conscious reasoning enters only afterwards. This tension between conscious reason and what arises within us has occupied philosophers and psychologists for a long time. Arthur Schopenhauer, the nineteenth century philosopher, challenged the belief that conscious reason is always in charge of huma...

A Holistic Approach to Wellbeing

Modern life exposes us to environmental pollution and unhealthy food choices. Demanding careers, business pressures and relentless competition add to our emotional stress, while our minds remain cluttered with insecurity, fear and anxiety. We invest in physical fitness and professional development, but how often do we consciously examine our inner wellbeing? Three concepts drawn from healthcare, namely purging, detoxification and antidotes, offer useful metaphors for addressing these challenges. Our minds accumulate regrets, prejudices, unrealistic expectations and fears of failure. Constant comparisons and anxieties about the future consume mental energy and cloud judgement. Purging the mind involves recognising and releasing unproductive thought patterns. Patanjali’s Yogash Chitta Vritti Nirodhah , describing yoga as the stilling of the fluctuations of the mind, offers a profound insight. Self reflection and meditation help us distinguish between what deserves our attention and wha...

Does Krishna’s Dark Blue Form Mirror the Cosmos?

Why is Krishna, the all attractive, depicted as black, dark or blue? Why would a tradition that sees beauty in the divine choose a colour associated with darkness? The clue lies in his very name. Krishna in Sanskrit can mean black, dark or dark blue. He is also called Shyama and Neel Megh Shyam, dark as a rain laden monsoon cloud. However, this description may point to something deeper than physical appearance. The ancient Indian imagination often used darkness to suggest what lies beyond ordinary perception. The Rig Veda, in its famous hymn of creation, speaks of a time when “darkness was hidden in darkness”. Before the familiar forms of creation appeared, there was neither the world we see nor the distinctions by which we understand it. Look at the night sky. To our eyes, the universe appears black, punctuated by points of light. Yet that darkness is not empty. It contains stars, galaxies and vast regions beyond direct observation. The ocean offers another evocative image. From a...

Who Decides What Is Right?

A noticeable shift in values is taking place around us. Generation Z is questioning many assumptions that earlier generations accepted as established traditions and conventions. Ideas about work, success, authority, relationships, identity and social responsibility are being viewed differently now. Generation Alpha is emerging into an even more digitally connected world, shaped by technologies and experiences that previous generations could scarcely have imagined. Every generation inherits a worldview from those before it, but also reshapes it in response to the world it inhabits. Some beliefs lose their relevance, some are reinterpreted and new ones emerge. This does not necessarily signify moral decline. It may simply be part of how human societies evolve. But this raises a fundamental question: who decides what is right? More than a century ago, German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche confronted this question through his provocative declaration, “God is dead.” He was not asserting th...

How to Be a Karmayogi

The Bhagavad Gita presents Karma Yoga as one of the paths to navigate the complexities of life. Yet we often face a dilemma about how to practise its teachings while living in the mundane world. Karma Yoga does not ask us to withdraw from the world or escape action. Instead, it asks us to transform the way we perform our actions. This is its essence. The Isha Upanishad too reminds us that one can live in the world through action without allowing action to become a source of bondage. The question, therefore, is not whether we should act, because action is unavoidable, but how we can act without becoming prisoners of our desires, attachments, expectations and outcomes. The starting point is understanding Swadharma. It is commonly translated as one's own duty, but it is more than simply fulfilling the responsibilities attached to a role. Swadharma arises from our nature, abilities, circumstances, responsibilities and, importantly, our values. It asks us to recognise who we truly are a...