Kyle Tortora

Quotes about the Hindu God Ganesh

“O, Elephant Faced One!
You are so near
and we are far from You.
You are in and we are out;
You are at home, while I’m a stranger.
Yet, You have destroyed my egoity.
I shall sing Your Praise forever
and lay my garland of songs at Your feet.”
Saint Nambiandiyadigal

“His four arms stand for His immense power in helping humanity. The noose and goad borne in two of His hands stand for His all-pervasiveness and grace. The broken tusk held in the right hand shows that He is the refuge for all. His huge belly is indicative of His tolerance and also signifies that all things, the entire Universe, are contained in Him. His feet stand for the bestowal of siddhi and buddhi, attainment of desires and knowledge. The modaka (sweet goody) in His hand is symbolic of jnana, conferring bliss. His mount, the shrew, represents the worldly desires which are to be overcome.”
M. Arunachalam, Festivals of Tamil Nadu

“He is worshiped with red flowers.
Unfailing, merciful, the origin of the worlds,
He appears at the beginning of creation, alone, beyond Nature, beyond the Cosmic Person.
He who meditates on His form
becomes great among the yogis”
Ganapati Upanishad

In sculpture the position of Lord Ganesh’s trunk has a symbolic meaning. If the trunk turns to the Ganesh’s left, that is the direction for success in the world. It is a position associated with grihastas, or householders. To his right, the trunk represents moksha, good for renouncing the world. When one chooses a Ganesh sculpture that is proper for their own spiritual path the trunk position is one thing that is good to keep in mind.

“In heaven Lord Ganesh will establish the predominance of gods, on earth that of people, in the nether world that of serpents and anti-gods”

~A Hymn from Sri Bhagavat-Tathva~

“Shiva asked his two sons, Kartikeya and Ganesh to circle the world and return. Kartikeya hurried off on his peacock but Ganesh simply walked around Shiva and Parvati. He explained that for him, his parents constituted the world. Shiva granted him a boon, saying that before undertaking any important task people would pray to Ganesh.”

“If you take home a stone and worship it in full faith, over a course of time you are bound to see the image of Ganesh.”

In the comments section below you are welcome to add any other prayers, quotes or sayings about Lord Ganesh that you may know. We will add them to the page as they are posted.

The Laughing Buddha, Feng Shui Symbol

Fat and Happy Buddha of Wealth hand carved in Vietnam, 3 feet tall

The origins of feng shui, a Chinese art of aesthetics, based on astronomy to help improve life by conjuring positive energy, dates back around three thousand years ago. The techniques of this ancient practice have evolved since the invention of the magnetic compass, but the goal of enhancing the human built environment with good qi (chee) remains the same. Qi is referred to as energy– a movable positive or negative life force. The basic principle of feng shui being, “positive energy attracts positive energy”.

The use of symbols play an important role as feng shui cures. Symbols are used for various purposes and help shift the surrounding energy. One of the most popular feng shui cures is a symbol that represents good luck, abundance, happiness, health and success – the Laughing Buddha. He is also known as Fat & Happy Buddha or Budai (Chinese) or Hotai (Japanese), based on an historical figure of an obese Zen monk, who wandered in the 10th century China. People believed that he was the incarnation of the Maitreya Buddha.

“positive energy attracts positive energy”

A Laughing Buddha statue is considered to bring auspicious energy and joyful blessings. His enormous belly signifies abundance – not of material wealth, but good fortune and health. This statue can come in a variety of sizes, postures, materials and colors. It is an individual choice on which statue helps to attract the feng shui energy one desires. A popular location for a Laughing Buddha statue is displayed off the floor near the main entry area of the home. Since he is also considered the patron of children; a statue could be perfect for a child’s room. The Buddha pose most ideal for wealth and prosperity is one that carries a pot of gold, ingots or sack filled with treasure.

Wherever he is lovingly displayed, remember to rub the belly for good luck!

Exporting Buddha Statues from Thailand

Statues from Thailand of Lord Buddha — Thai Buddha Statues

As a Thai customs formality, Buddha sculptures are restricted to be exported from Thailand. The original law was established to protect Thailand’s ancient religious artifacts and antique Buddha images from being stolen and sold illegally. Until recently, this law was not actively enforced on newly made Buddha statues. Vendors could easily ship Thai Buddhas throughout the world.

“In November 2010, Lotus Sculpture experienced one of our containers filled with Buddha sculptures being confiscated en route to the USA by Thai customs officials.”

In November 2010, Lotus Sculpture experienced one of our containers filled with Buddha sculptures being confiscated en route to the USA by Thai customs officials. It was a complete loss with no way to get the confiscated sculptures back. The USA’s Patriot Act has paid for a large X-Ray machine to examine every container shipped from Bangkok to the US. When US or Thai officials scan a container and see outlines of Buddha statues they now confiscate the contents of the container. This may lead to an end of importing Thai Buddhist images altogether, which would be a tragedy to all involved; Buddhists who worship Lord Buddha; business who sell Buddha statues; and especially for the artists who rely on selling Buddhist art to earn a living.

Dancing Ganesh Statue at Calgary Zoo

Hindu God Ganesh Dancing Stone Statue — Dancing Ganesh in front of Calgary Zoo

In 2006, the Calgary Zoo, with the help of a private donor, commissioned Lotus Sculpture to custom make a nine-foot tall, 5-ton statue to be displayed in front of their new Elephant Crossing exhibit. The sculpture, which was modeled after the Hindu god Ganesh, was beautifully hand-carved with polished Indian black granite and took approximately one year to complete. The statue’s proportionate size, with the head of an elephant and bulbous trunk, uplifted arm, slight chest, potbelly, huge thighs, and chubby feet fit together with perfection. Much thought, and many fine details were carved into this work of art.

The zoo, with consideration of their guests, removed all of Ganesh’s religious symbols before it was erected. The statue was meant to show the link between elephants and Asian culture, not to represent a religious icon. Once installed, the ‘dancing elephant’ still brought about a ‘handful’ of complaints and unwanted controversy to the exhibit. A Canadian Christian group organized a campaign to protest the statue, citing “selective religious partiality and indoctrination”. Despite the few grievances, the zoo did not remove the sculpture. It still stands peacefully today (for now).

Unfortunately, it was recently announced that the Calgary Zoo will be closing the Elephant Crossing exhibit, where it holds one bull and three female endangered pachyderms. The climate is too cold for the small herd. The time-frame of their departure could take up to five years, as one female is pregnant and not due to give birth until February 2013. Likely, once born, they will not relocate the group to another zoo until the baby is at least four-years-old. The elephants will go away one day, but the $11-million, taxpayer-funded building will remain and house a new species. The zoo anticipates continuing the focus on an Asian theme, with animals that are better suited to the climate of Calgary. Hopefully, with keeping in line of the Asian theme and culture, the beautiful, carefree, and loving Ganesh statue will remain the gatekeeper of the exhibit and for all visitors to enjoy.
Click here to view the stone dancing Ganesh statue

Stone Hindu God Ganesh Statue — Dancing Ganesh Stone Statue

Easter Island Moai Head Sculpture in Encinitas, California

In April 2011, an Easter Island Head replica, or Moai, was carved out of an 11-foot Torrey pine stump in Encinitas’ Swami’s Park. This sculpture was declared a temporary public work of art, due to the nature of the carved material and environmental decay. Over a year later, the statue still stands proudly, showing only some signs of beetle infestation.
The sculpture at Swami’s is a beautiful and fitting representation of the original Polynesian monolithic statues carved from stone, mostly between the years 1250 and 1500 CE, on the Chilean Easter Island. The Moai were created by the indigenous Rapanui to honor their deified ancestors. They are commonly referred to as “tiki” or “Easter Island heads”, due to their disproportionate size, although they are whole-body statues. Moai are known for their large, broad noses, strong chins and rectangle-shaped ears. Normally, the statues are in a squat position, with arms resting.
The iconic sculptures have been theorized in the news recently. According to a report in the July issue of National Geographic, a study suggests that the massive stone heads were ‘walked’ with ropes by the natives, from the main quarry to stone platforms around the island’s perimeter. Much mystery and intrigue has surrounded Easter Island and the transportation of the original 33-foot tall, 80-ton structures. Rapanui lore says that the Moai, animated by mana, a spiritual force conveyed by powerful ancestors, were not transported; they walked.
Given the history the Rapanui endured, such as, famine, civil wars, slave raids and deforestation, the resilience of the Swami’s Easter Island head sculpture is appropriate. Attempts will be made to preserve the wood statue, but only time will tell, if and when, nature will get the best of it.

View Lotus Sculpture’s Large Moai Sculpture for Sale

Enormous Custom 14 foot Moai head statue	4 foot tall Black Marble Easter Island Moai Head
Large Pink Granite 7.5 foot tall Polished Moai Head	Custom Big 8 foot tall Easter Island Moai Statue

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