REVIEWS & COMMENTS

HINDUISMS ENDEARING ELEPHANT-FACED GOD

An Illustrated Resource on Dharmas Benevolent Deity, Remover of Obstacles, Patron of Art and Sci-ence, Honored as First Among the Celestials

Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami

Let this book be a source of inspiration for the devotees of Lord Ganesha, helping them to deepen their faith and love for him.

Sri Sri Mata Amritanandamayi, President/Founder,Mata Amritanandamayi Trust; Kerala, India

Reading Loving Ganesha I really felt raised to a heavenly sphere and was aware of the presence and brightness of this bliss-ful, very lively Deity. In this book Satguru Subramuniyaswami proves his profound knowledge, his deep intuition and wisdom and his heartfelt devotion and love of Lord Ganesha, the Guard-ian of the Sanatana Dharma, the Remover of Obstacles, the

Patron of Arts and Sciences, the Mediator and Intercessor between Man and God. He is the God on our side, our friend indeed, our protector and benefactor. In an excellent, clear and cultivated style, with simple words and a refreshing, subtle sense of humor the Great Ganesha is introduced to the reader. Each and every aspect, relation, symbol and meaning of Lord Ganesha has been explained and detailed skillfully, along with mantras, prayers and pujas to pay reverence to the merciful elephant-faced God. Many may think of Lord Ganesha as a little-over-weight, pompous, elephant-headed Deity Who belongs somehow to the Hindu pantheon, but with Whom he never really has gotten acquainted. If this has been your case, then Loving Ganesha has come to you in just the right time to get the right answers to all your questions and bring you closer to the magnicent and charming Ganapati, the Treasurer of all Knowledge and Great Ruler of the Universe. I express my heartiest thanks to Satguruji Subramuniyaswami for this wonderful book from which pours forth an abundance of divine nectar, wisdom and bliss. May all readers be bestowed with happiness, prosperity and the divine protection of the merciful, loving Ganesha!

Sri Sri Paramhans Swami Maheshwarananda, International Sri Deep Madhavananda Ashram Fellowship; Vienna, Austria

It is with a feeling of deep satisfaction and great joy that I read Gurudevas new book entitled Loving Ganesha. Hindus around the world pray to Lord Ganesha for help and guidance. All Hin-dus regardless of their sectarian position seek His able assis-tance in all things they do, as their rst Ishta Devata, the chosen God. In this book Gurudeva has brought forth a special interpre-

tive insight, a powerful and persuasive presentation. It is a deeply felt, powerfully conceived and a beautifully explained work. I would strongly recommend this book to all students interested in Hinduism. It will occupy a signicant place in the intellectual and spiritual life of Hindus for a long time to come.

YB Dato Seri S. Samy Vellu, President of Malaysian Indian Congress, Member of Parliament, Minister of Works; Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

REVIEWS & COMMENTS

HINDUISMS ENDEARING ELEPHANT-FACED GOD

An Illustrated Resource on Dharmas Benevolent Deity, Remover of Obstacles, Patron of Art and Science, Honored as First Among the Celestials

Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami

REVIEWS & COMMENTS

HINDUISMS ENDEARING ELEPHANT-FACED GOD

An Illustrated Resource on Dharmas Benevolent Deity, Remover of Obstacles, Patron of Art and Sci-ence, Honored as First Among the Celestials

Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami

Let this book be a source of inspiration for the devotees of Lord Ganesha, helping them to deepen their faith and love for him.

Sri Sri Mata Amritanandamayi, President/Founder,Mata Amritanandamayi Trust; Kerala, India

Reading Loving Ganesha I really felt raised to a heavenly sphere and was aware of the presence and brightness of this bliss-ful, very lively Deity. In this book Satguru Subramuniyaswami proves his profound knowledge, his deep intuition and wisdom and his heartfelt devotion and love of Lord Ganesha, the Guard-ian of the Sanatana Dharma, the Remover of Obstacles, the

Patron of Arts and Sciences, the Mediator and Intercessor between Man and God. He is the God on our side, our friend indeed, our protector and benefactor. In an excellent, clear and cultivated style, with simple words and a refreshing, subtle sense of humor the Great Ganesha is introduced to the reader. Each and every aspect, relation, symbol and meaning of Lord Ganesha has been explained and detailed skillfully, along with mantras, prayers and pujas to pay reverence to the merciful elephant-faced God. Many may think of Lord Ganesha as a little-over-weight, pompous, elephant-headed Deity Who belongs somehow to the Hindu pantheon, but with Whom he never really has gotten acquainted. If this has been your case, then Loving Ganesha has come to you in just the right time to get the right answers to all your questions and bring you closer to the magnicent and charming Ganapati, the Treasurer of all Knowledge and Great Ruler of the Universe. I express my heartiest thanks to Satguruji Subramuniyaswami for this wonderful book from which pours forth an abundance of divine nectar, wisdom and bliss. May all readers be bestowed with happiness, prosperity and the divine protection of the merciful, loving Ganesha!

Sri Sri Paramhans Swami Maheshwarananda, International Sri Deep Madhavananda Ashram Fellowship; Vienna, Austria

It is with a feeling of deep satisfaction and great joy that I read Gurudevas new book entitled Loving Ganesha. Hindus around the world pray to Lord Ganesha for help and guidance. All Hin-dus regardless of their sectarian position seek His able assis-tance in all things they do, as their rst Ishta Devata, the chosen God. In this book Gurudeva has brought forth a special interpre-

tive insight, a powerful and persuasive presentation. It is a deeply felt, powerfully conceived and a beautifully explained work. I would strongly recommend this book to all students interested in Hinduism. It will occupy a signicant place in the intellectual and spiritual life of Hindus for a long time to come.

YB Dato Seri S. Samy Vellu, President of Malaysian Indian Congress, Member of Parliament, Minister of Works; Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

REVIEWS & COMMENTS

HINDUISMS ENDEARING ELEPHANT-FACED GOD

An Illustrated Resource on Dharmas Benevolent Deity, Remover of Obstacles, Patron of Art and Science, Honored as First Among the Celestials

Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami

REVIEWS & COMMENTS

Here is a marvelous book, full of attractive pictures, songs and poems, an enticing encyclopedia about Loving Ganesha writ-ten by the honorable satguru of Kauai Aadheenam, Hawaii, a heavenly place on earth and the unique Center of the Universe of Hinduism that is consistently trying to infuse new blood and spirit in children and adults of the society so that Hinduism can regain its past glory as the oldest and the richest religion

in the world. His beautiful analysis of Sri Ganesha and His symbols, from a spiri-tual as well as scientific point of view, is incomparable. Sri Satguru has poured out his heart, and each and every word of the book is full of extreme love, not only for Ganesha but for every human being. He fearlessly repudiates all mis-concepts that present Hinduism in a wrong form and removes all doubts with clear and convincing answers. It is actually his own experience flowing through the words, drenching the minds of devotees of Sri Ganesha with showers of hap-piness, peace and bliss. It is really all in one about Sri Ganesha. The author has not only explained His worship and chants, along with the meaning of mantras, but has included detailed recipes for preparing prasadam for Him, along with the ayurvedic explanations of vegetables, grains and spices and the significance of vegetarianism. He wishes from the depth of his heart for every Hindu who loves Ganesha to come up as a real Hindu in diet, costume, name and culture. He has beautifully explained the importance of Hindu names and given cultural cues and clues for becoming a real Hindu. Sri Satguru welcomes those who wish to change their hearts to become Hindu and has explained the way one can adopt Hindu Dharma. The Ganesha puzzles and alphabet for small children have added beauty to the book. The soul of the book, however, is the three letters revealed by the Lord to Sri Gurudeva that have been reproduced verbatim for the benefit of humanity. I dismay as you retreat to the devilish worlds in the plane beyond My sight. I sit waiting for your return. What encouraging, inspiring and assuring words from Ganesha! The letters simply melt the heart and bring tears in eyes.

Pandit Satyapal Sharma, Sanskrit Scholar, Vice Chancellor, Vedic University of America; San Diego, California

Loving Ganesha captures the true spirit of Ganesha and pro-ceeds to explain in both scientific and spiritual terms the esteemed pedestal He holds in Hindu homage. The pages on vegetarianism and ayurveda deserve commendation. I wish to congratulate Satguru Sivaya Subramuniaswami on this magnificent effort. This invaluable publication will be an asset to the Hindu world.

Pandit Reepu Daman Persaud, Minister of Agriculture, Guyana; President, Guyana Hindu Dharmic Sabha; Georgetown, Guyana

REVIEWS & COMMENTS

The Hindu, by understanding the philosophy and meaning of the forms, symbols and festivals of Ganesha explained in this book, so rich with pictorial illustrations, becomes more devout and attached to his religion and to Ganesha. Aspiring Hindus and the many non-Hindus in the Western world, increasingly becoming interested in vegetarianism, ahimsa, karma, rebirth and other concepts of Hindu religion, will find useful informa-

tion and explanations to remove many misconceptions and misinformation about Hindu religion and Hindu worship. The large number of Hindus living in the Western world, cut off from their roots in India and Sri Lanka, will find the book inspiring to refresh their religion and make them proud of their rich cul-ture. Many quotations from the Vedas, Bhagavad Gita, Mahabharata, Tirumanti-ram, Tirukural, Auvaiyar, Yogaswami and other scriptures make the book a reli-gious and literary treatise worthy of study by scholars and savants. The glossary explains many words and phrases to help the understanding of the text. This book should find a place in every Hindu home and library.

Tiru M. Arumugam, Chairman, Siva Thondan Nilayam (Yogaswami Centre); London, U.K.

Millions of Hindus around the world invoke Ganesha, the divine Remover of Obstacles. Millions of Hindus should study this book and benefit from the esteemed authors knowledge, wis-dom and human warmth. It is a wonderful cornucopia of those wishing to deepen their understanding of and strengthen their faith in Lord Ganesha. A high-quality, practical and very read-

able volume.Georg Feuerstein, Ph.D., author of Encyclopedic Dictionary of Yoga and Whole-ness and Transcendence; Lower Lake, California

In putting this book Loving Ganesha together, Satguru Sivaya Subra muniyaswami has done an outstanding and encyclope-dic work, especially for the benefit of Westerners interested in Hindu thought and second-generation Indian Hindus growing up in the West. Several aspects of Ganesha that are not popu-larly known are included. These will tend to strengthen the faith of the readers in Lord Ganesha and make their prayers to

Him come from deep within and hence be more fruitful. In addition to covering the various aspects of Ganesha, Swamiji has also included several other topics of common interest. These will prove very valuable to the readers in developing clarity about Hindu thought and in adopting more meaningful things in their daily lives.

Dr. Deendayal Khandelwal, Chairman, Board of Directors, Hindu University of America, Orlando, Florida

REVIEWS & COMMENTS

REVIEWS & COMMENTS

Here is a marvelous book, full of attractive pictures, songs and poems, an enticing encyclopedia about Loving Ganesha writ-ten by the honorable satguru of Kauai Aadheenam, Hawaii, a heavenly place on earth and the unique Center of the Universe of Hinduism that is consistently trying to infuse new blood and spirit in children and adults of the society so that Hinduism can regain its past glory as the oldest and the richest religion

in the world. His beautiful analysis of Sri Ganesha and His symbols, from a spiri-tual as well as scientific point of view, is incomparable. Sri Satguru has poured out his heart, and each and every word of the book is full of extreme love, not only for Ganesha but for every human being. He fearlessly repudiates all mis-concepts that present Hinduism in a wrong form and removes all doubts with clear and convincing answers. It is actually his own experience flowing through the words, drenching the minds of devotees of Sri Ganesha with showers of hap-piness, peace and bliss. It is really all in one about Sri Ganesha. The author has not only explained His worship and chants, along with the meaning of mantras, but has included detailed recipes for preparing prasadam for Him, along with the ayurvedic explanations of vegetables, grains and spices and the significance of vegetarianism. He wishes from the depth of his heart for every Hindu who loves Ganesha to come up as a real Hindu in diet, costume, name and culture. He has beautifully explained the importance of Hindu names and given cultural cues and clues for becoming a real Hindu. Sri Satguru welcomes those who wish to change their hearts to become Hindu and has explained the way one can adopt Hindu Dharma. The Ganesha puzzles and alphabet for small children have added beauty to the book. The soul of the book, however, is the three letters revealed by the Lord to Sri Gurudeva that have been reproduced verbatim for the benefit of humanity. I dismay as you retreat to the devilish worlds in the plane beyond My sight. I sit waiting for your return. What encouraging, inspiring and assuring words from Ganesha! The letters simply melt the heart and bring tears in eyes.

Pandit Satyapal Sharma, Sanskrit Scholar, Vice Chancellor, Vedic University of America; San Diego, California

Loving Ganesha captures the true spirit of Ganesha and pro-ceeds to explain in both scientific and spiritual terms the esteemed pedestal He holds in Hindu homage. The pages on vegetarianism and ayurveda deserve commendation. I wish to congratulate Satguru Sivaya Subramuniaswami on this magnificent effort. This invaluable publication will be an asset to the Hindu world.

Pandit Reepu Daman Persaud, Minister of Agriculture, Guyana; President, Guyana Hindu Dharmic Sabha; Georgetown, Guyana

REVIEWS & COMMENTS

The Hindu, by understanding the philosophy and meaning of the forms, symbols and festivals of Ganesha explained in this book, so rich with pictorial illustrations, becomes more devout and attached to his religion and to Ganesha. Aspiring Hindus and the many non-Hindus in the Western world, increasingly becoming interested in vegetarianism, ahimsa, karma, rebirth and other concepts of Hindu religion, will find useful informa-

tion and explanations to remove many misconceptions and misinformation about Hindu religion and Hindu worship. The large number of Hindus living in the Western world, cut off from their roots in India and Sri Lanka, will find the book inspiring to refresh their religion and make them proud of their rich cul-ture. Many quotations from the Vedas, Bhagavad Gita, Mahabharata, Tirumanti-ram, Tirukural, Auvaiyar, Yogaswami and other scriptures make the book a reli-gious and literary treatise worthy of study by scholars and savants. The glossary explains many words and phrases to help the understanding of the text. This book should find a place in every Hindu home and library.

Tiru M. Arumugam, Chairman, Siva Thondan Nilayam (Yogaswami Centre); London, U.K.

Millions of Hindus around the world invoke Ganesha, the divine Remover of Obstacles. Millions of Hindus should study this book and benefit from the esteemed authors knowledge, wis-dom and human warmth. It is a wonderful cornucopia of those wishing to deepen their understanding of and strengthen their faith in Lord Ganesha. A high-quality, practical and very read-

able volume.Georg Feuerstein, Ph.D., author of Encyclopedic Dictionary of Yoga and Whole-ness and Transcendence; Lower Lake, California

In putting this book Loving Ganesha together, Satguru Sivaya Subra muniyaswami has done an outstanding and encyclope-dic work, especially for the benefit of Westerners interested in Hindu thought and second-generation Indian Hindus growing up in the West. Several aspects of Ganesha that are not popu-larly known are included. These will tend to strengthen the faith of the readers in Lord Ganesha and make their prayers to

Him come from deep within and hence be more fruitful. In addition to covering the various aspects of Ganesha, Swamiji has also included several other topics of common interest. These will prove very valuable to the readers in developing clarity about Hindu thought and in adopting more meaningful things in their daily lives.

Dr. Deendayal Khandelwal, Chairman, Board of Directors, Hindu University of America, Orlando, Florida

REVIEWS & COMMENTS

pa=emavaana< gaNaexa:sanaatanaDama*vallaBaae gajaananamahadeva:

pa=emavaana< gaNaexa:sanaatanaDama*vallaBaae gajaananamahadeva:

Hinduisms EndearingElephant-Faced God

pa=emavaana< gaNaexa:sanaatanaDama*vallaBaae gajaananamahadeva:

Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami

Second Edition

Copyright 2000by Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami

Loving Gaea: Hinduisms Endearing Elephant-Faced God is published by Himalayan Academy. First edition . All rights are reserved. This book may be used to share the Hindu Dharma with others on the spiritual path, but repro-duced only with the publishers prior written consent. De-signed, typeset and edited by the sannysin swms of the Saiva Siddhanta Yoga Order, Kaholalele Road, Kapaa, Hawaii, -, USA.

Published byHimalayan AcademyUSA India

PRINTED IN MALAYSIA BY SAMPOORNA PRINTERS SDN BHDBY ARRANGEMENT WITH UMA PUBLICATIONS.

Library of Congress Control Number 99-073601isbn-13: 978-0-945497-77-6isbn-10: 0-945497-77-6

Hinduisms EndearingElephant-Faced God

pa=emavaana< gaNaexa:sanaatanaDama*vallaBaae gajaananamahadeva:

Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami

Second Edition

Copyright 2000by Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami

Loving Gaea: Hinduisms Endearing Elephant-Faced God is published by Himalayan Academy. First edition . All rights are reserved. This book may be used to share the Hindu Dharma with others on the spiritual path, but repro-duced only with the publishers prior written consent. De-signed, typeset and edited by the sannysin swms of the Saiva Siddhanta Yoga Order, Kaholalele Road, Kapaa, Hawaii, -, USA.

Published byHimalayan AcademyUSA India

PRINTED IN MALAYSIA BY SAMPOORNA PRINTERS SDN BHDBY ARRANGEMENT WITH UMA PUBLICATIONS.

Library of Congress Control Number 99-073601isbn-13: 978-0-945497-77-6isbn-10: 0-945497-77-6

Dedication

Samarpaam

@

IT WAS NOT SO LONG AGO THAT SEEKERS RE -QUESTED THAT WE PUBLISH MORE ABOUT THIS MYSTICAL GOD, MOST BELOVED OF THEM ALL. So we did. Now, into your hands we present a lovable Lov-ing Gaea. Why did we choose that name of all names? Because everyone, young and old, thin and hefty (especially the latter) loves Gaea. Of course, He loves us all very, very much. He is the God of unfailing laws, such as gravity, retribution and karmic responses. In matters of less grav-ity, He is the lover of all things sweet. He is also the Prince of Culture and Patron of the Arts. Everyone loves music, art, drama and the dance. He, in His joyous ponderous-ness is the Remover of Obstacles, and that is just what He did for usremoved the obstacles we faced in publishing Loving Ga ea, and in producing this second edition, and those you faced in nding it. Many months of research and effort went into this gem. Help was given by mahadpatis, chr yas, swms, pandits, Gaeologists, Sanskrit scholars, brahma chrs, brahmachris, house wives, husbands and children, experts in all elds of knowledge about Hin dut-vas elephant-faced Lord, to be worshiped rst before start-ing any quest. This book is lovingly dedicated to my satguru, the venerable sage of Sri Lanka, Satguru Yogaswami, whose ashram in Colom buthurai rested across the road from the Varasitthi Vinay agar Temple in the northern Tamil domain. May Loving Ga ea bring to you a deeper, subtler appreciation of Hinduismthe venerable Santana Dharma.

v

Dedication

Samarpaam

@

IT WAS NOT SO LONG AGO THAT SEEKERS RE -QUESTED THAT WE PUBLISH MORE ABOUT THIS MYSTICAL GOD, MOST BELOVED OF THEM ALL. So we did. Now, into your hands we present a lovable Lov-ing Gaea. Why did we choose that name of all names? Because everyone, young and old, thin and hefty (especially the latter) loves Gaea. Of course, He loves us all very, very much. He is the God of unfailing laws, such as gravity, retribution and karmic responses. In matters of less grav-ity, He is the lover of all things sweet. He is also the Prince of Culture and Patron of the Arts. Everyone loves music, art, drama and the dance. He, in His joyous ponderous-ness is the Remover of Obstacles, and that is just what He did for usremoved the obstacles we faced in publishing Loving Ga ea, and in producing this second edition, and those you faced in nding it. Many months of research and effort went into this gem. Help was given by mahadpatis, chr yas, swms, pandits, Gaeologists, Sanskrit scholars, brahma chrs, brahmachris, house wives, husbands and children, experts in all elds of knowledge about Hin dut-vas elephant-faced Lord, to be worshiped rst before start-ing any quest. This book is lovingly dedicated to my satguru, the venerable sage of Sri Lanka, Satguru Yogaswami, whose ashram in Colom buthurai rested across the road from the Varasitthi Vinay agar Temple in the northern Tamil domain. May Loving Ga ea bring to you a deeper, subtler appreciation of Hinduismthe venerable Santana Dharma.

v

CONTENTS vii

Contents

Vishayasch

DedicationSamarpaam . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . v Preface, The Milk MiracleKshra Chamatkra . . . xi Authors IntroductionGranthakra Bhmik . xxxiii

chapter - adhyya . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . page1 The Nature of Gaear Gaeasya Svabhva . . . 12 Letters from Lord Gaear Gaeasya Patri . . 193 Gaeas Five Powersr Gaeasya Pachaaktaya 274 In Science and BeyondVijne Paratacha . . . . . . 435 Forms of GaeaGaapate Svarpi . . . . . . . . . 53

The 32 Forms of Gaea. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58Gaea Iconography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91

6 Sacred SymbolsPuyalakshani . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97

CONTENTS vii

Contents

Vishayasch

DedicationSamarpaam . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . v Preface, The Milk MiracleKshra Chamatkra . . . xi Authors IntroductionGranthakra Bhmik . xxxiii

chapter - adhyya . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . page1 The Nature of Gaear Gaeasya Svabhva . . . 12 Letters from Lord Gaear Gaeasya Patri . . 193 Gaeas Five Powersr Gaeasya Pachaaktaya 274 In Science and BeyondVijne Paratacha . . . . . . 435 Forms of GaeaGaapate Svarpi . . . . . . . . . 53

The 32 Forms of Gaea. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58Gaea Iconography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91

6 Sacred SymbolsPuyalakshani . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97

viii

chapter - adhyya . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . page

CONTENTS ix

chapter - adhyya . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . page

7 Symbol of AuspiciousnessSwastikam . . . . . . . . . 1258 The Primal SoundGaea Praavtmaka . . . . 137

A Graphic Collection of Thirty-six Aums . . . 1479 Master of the WordBihaspati . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15510 Mantra RecitationGaapati Japa . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161

A Special Collection of Gaea Mantras . . . . . 17111 Prayers to Lord GaeaGaapati Prrthan . . . 179

Prayers of Invocation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183Prayers of Supplication . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185Praise, Adoration and Thankfulness . . . . . . . . 187Daily Prayers for Children . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189r Gaea Upanishad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191Mah Gaea Pacharatna Stotram . . . . . . . . 193Gaea Invocation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198Food-Blessing Chant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199Prayer for Offering Incense . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200Peace Invocation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201

12 Gaea Home LiturgyGaapati Pj. . . . . . . . . . 203The Sanctity of the Home Shrine . . . . . . . . . . 206Instructions for Pj . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 210Gaea Pj . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 227

13 Around the WorldParibhuvanam. . . . . . . . . . . . . 261Visions of Lord Gaea . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 270The Favorite God of Mahrshra . . . . . . . . . 277

14 Questions and AnswersPranottar . . . . . . . . . . . 28915 Sacred FestivalsPuyotsav . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 297

Gaea Chaturth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 299Gaea Visarjana. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 301Vinyaka Vratam and Mrkali Pillaiyar . . . . . 307Pacha Gaapati . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 308

16 Sweet OfferingsMishnna Naivedyam . . . . . . . . 31717 Saint Auvaiyr MSdhv Auvaiyr M . . . . . . . . 325

Vinyaka Ahaval . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 329Saint Auvaiyars Approach to Vinyaka . . . . . 333

18 In Praise of PillaiyarPillaiyar Stuti. . . . . . . . . . . 34319 Singing to GaeaGaea Bhajanam . . . . . . . . . . 357

Singing to the Gods, an Inspired Talk. . . . . . . 361A Collection of Hymns to Lord Gaea . . . . . 375

20 Gaea PuzzlesGaapati Prahelik . . . . . . . . . . 38721 Hinduism: the Greatest Religion in the World Hindudharma Mahattamo Vivadharma . . . . 40322 How to Become a Hindu Hind Katham Bhyate. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 421

ConclusionNirvhaam . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 435Sanskrit PronunciationUcchraa Vykhy . . . . . . . . 436Glossaryabdval . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 437IndexAnukramaik. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 511Supplementary ReadingGranthavidy . . . . . . . . . . . . 527Internet Resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 531ColophonAntyavachanam . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 533

LOVING GAEA

viii

chapter - adhyya . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . page

CONTENTS ix

chapter - adhyya . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . page

7 Symbol of AuspiciousnessSwastikam . . . . . . . . . 1258 The Primal SoundGaea Praavtmaka . . . . 137

A Graphic Collection of Thirty-six Aums . . . 1479 Master of the WordBihaspati . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15510 Mantra RecitationGaapati Japa . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161

A Special Collection of Gaea Mantras . . . . . 17111 Prayers to Lord GaeaGaapati Prrthan . . . 179

Prayers of Invocation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183Prayers of Supplication . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185Praise, Adoration and Thankfulness . . . . . . . . 187Daily Prayers for Children . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189r Gaea Upanishad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191Mah Gaea Pacharatna Stotram . . . . . . . . 193Gaea Invocation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198Food-Blessing Chant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199Prayer for Offering Incense . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200Peace Invocation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201

12 Gaea Home LiturgyGaapati Pj. . . . . . . . . . 203The Sanctity of the Home Shrine . . . . . . . . . . 206Instructions for Pj . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 210Gaea Pj . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 227

13 Around the WorldParibhuvanam. . . . . . . . . . . . . 261Visions of Lord Gaea . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 270The Favorite God of Mahrshra . . . . . . . . . 277

14 Questions and AnswersPranottar . . . . . . . . . . . 28915 Sacred FestivalsPuyotsav . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 297

Gaea Chaturth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 299Gaea Visarjana. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 301Vinyaka Vratam and Mrkali Pillaiyar . . . . . 307Pacha Gaapati . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 308

16 Sweet OfferingsMishnna Naivedyam . . . . . . . . 31717 Saint Auvaiyr MSdhv Auvaiyr M . . . . . . . . 325

Vinyaka Ahaval . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 329Saint Auvaiyars Approach to Vinyaka . . . . . 333

18 In Praise of PillaiyarPillaiyar Stuti. . . . . . . . . . . 34319 Singing to GaeaGaea Bhajanam . . . . . . . . . . 357

Singing to the Gods, an Inspired Talk. . . . . . . 361A Collection of Hymns to Lord Gaea . . . . . 375

20 Gaea PuzzlesGaapati Prahelik . . . . . . . . . . 38721 Hinduism: the Greatest Religion in the World Hindudharma Mahattamo Vivadharma . . . . 40322 How to Become a Hindu Hind Katham Bhyate. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 421

ConclusionNirvhaam . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 435Sanskrit PronunciationUcchraa Vykhy . . . . . . . . 436Glossaryabdval . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 437IndexAnukramaik. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 511Supplementary ReadingGranthavidy . . . . . . . . . . . . 527Internet Resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 531ColophonAntyavachanam . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 533

LOVING GAEA

On September 21, 1995, just days after I had com pleted the nal editing of Loving Gaea, something quite wonderful happened. Lord Gaea began sipping milk, rst in India, then in nearly every country where Hindus reside, as devotees rushed to temples and shrines to offer milk to the elephant-faced God. It was a great spiritual experience for us in Hawaii, where we publish the international monthly news journal, HINDUISM TODAY, to receive the many

phone calls and fax messages with positive, uplifting testimony as to His drinking milk in so many places. As perhaps the most tting pref-ace to this benevolent Lords 800-page book, we are pleased to present the story of the milk miraclekshra chamatkra from HINDUISM

IT ALL BEGAN ON SEPTEMBER 21 WHEN AN OTH-ERWISE ORDINARY MAN IN NEW DELHI DREAMT THAT GAEA, THE ELEPHANT-HEADED GOD OF Wisdom, craved a little milk. Upon awakening, he rushed in the dark before dawn to the nearest temple, where a skeptical priest allowed him to proffer a spoonful of milk to the small stone image. Both watched in astonishment as it disappeared, magi-cally consumed by the God. What followed is unprecedented in modern Hindu history. Within hours, news spread like a brush re across India that Gaea was accepting milk offerings. Tens of millions of people of all ages flocked to the temples. The un-worldly happening brought worldly New Delhi to a standstill, and its vast stocks of milk, more than a million liters, sold out within hours. Just as suddenly as it started in India, it stopped,

PREFACE: THE MILK MIRACLE xi

Its a Miracle! Rejoice MillionsAs Lord Gaea Receives MilkThe Supernatural Event of this Century Is Experienced Simultaneously Worldwide

TODAY, November, 1995.

On September 21, 1995, just days after I had com pleted the nal editing of Loving Gaea, something quite wonderful happened. Lord Gaea began sipping milk, rst in India, then in nearly every country where Hindus reside, as devotees rushed to temples and shrines to offer milk to the elephant-faced God. It was a great spiritual experience for us in Hawaii, where we publish the international monthly news journal, HINDUISM TODAY, to receive the many

phone calls and fax messages with positive, uplifting testimony as to His drinking milk in so many places. As perhaps the most tting pref-ace to this benevolent Lords 800-page book, we are pleased to present the story of the milk miraclekshra chamatkra from HINDUISM

IT ALL BEGAN ON SEPTEMBER 21 WHEN AN OTH-ERWISE ORDINARY MAN IN NEW DELHI DREAMT THAT GAEA, THE ELEPHANT-HEADED GOD OF Wisdom, craved a little milk. Upon awakening, he rushed in the dark before dawn to the nearest temple, where a skeptical priest allowed him to proffer a spoonful of milk to the small stone image. Both watched in astonishment as it disappeared, magi-cally consumed by the God. What followed is unprecedented in modern Hindu history. Within hours, news spread like a brush re across India that Gaea was accepting milk offerings. Tens of millions of people of all ages flocked to the temples. The un-worldly happening brought worldly New Delhi to a standstill, and its vast stocks of milk, more than a million liters, sold out within hours. Just as suddenly as it started in India, it stopped,

PREFACE: THE MILK MIRACLE xi

Its a Miracle! Rejoice MillionsAs Lord Gaea Receives MilkThe Supernatural Event of this Century Is Experienced Simultaneously Worldwide

TODAY, November, 1995.

can the scientists explain the copper snake absorbing the milk I offered with a spoon kept at a good distance away from it? Scientic or not, gallons of milk were disappearing with hardly a trace. A leading barrister in Ma laysia was dumbfounded when he watched a metal Gaea attached to an automobile dashboard absorb six teaspoons of milk. In Nepal King Biren-dra himself made offerings to the God. Deities in Ken ya and other countries took gallons of milk while sitting in shallow metal trays with no drains.

The worldwide press coverage has been nearly as amazing as the miracle itself. Of course, the event dominated the news in India for days. But once it started outside India, local and leading national papers, such as the New York Times and Wash-ington Post in America, and the Financial Times in UK, picked up the story. The international wire services, Reuters and As-sociated Press, carried a dozen articles a day on what had now been named the Milk Miracle. Many in India are unaware of how warmly the Western press embraced the miracle. In many countries reporters came to the temples and personally offered milk. Of course, they too would put forward a scientic expla-nation in their report, but many, otherwise detached, Western journalists shared their own joyful experience as a fact.

Ironically, the reporting inside India was a completely dif-ferent matter. The English-language press in India, with its Marxist-leaning political slant, has never been a friend of Hin-duism. Headlines heralded the attitude: People go Ber serk at Milk Miracle; Scientists Dismiss it as Mass Hysteria, and Milk-Drinking Deities Unleash Mass Hysteria, Scientists Ridi-cule Miracle Theory. Not every Indian paper was so negative: Tunku Varadarajan of The Times expressed his concern that Modern Hindus are often all too apologetic about the appar-ent angularities in the beliefs of their countrymen. In this, sec-ular Indians are in danger of denying the very logic which has allowed India to be secular in the rst place. If that tolerance is

in just 24 hours. But it was just beginning elsewhere, as Hindus in India called

their relatives in other parts of the world. Soon our HINDUISM TODAY ofces were flooded with reports from around the world. Everywhere the story was the same. A teaspoonful of milk offered by touching it to Gaeas trunk, tusk or mouth would disappear in a few seconds to a few minutesnot always, but with unprec-edented frequency. Reu ters news service quoted Anila Premji, I held the spoon out level, and it just disappeared. To me it was just a miracle. It gave me a sense of feeling that there is a God, a sense of Spirit on this Earth. Not only Gaea, but iva, Prvat, Nandi and the Nga, ivas snake, took milk.

This milk miracle may go down in history as the most important event shared by Hindus this century, if not in the last millennium. It has brought about an instantaneous religious revival among nearly one billion people. No other religion has ever done that before! It is as if every Hindu who had, say, ten pounds of devotion, suddenly has twenty.

Miracles witnessed by many people happen from time to time in Hinduism as in other faiths, but theyre rare. As a young boy, the tenth-century saint, Nambi Anbar Nambi, in-spired Lord Gaea to actually eat the offerings placed before Him. Saint Janevara of Mahrshra became famous 600 years ago for having a water buffalo recite the Vedas before a group of arrogant priests.

Naturally there are skeptics10% of Hindus, according to our very unscientic poll, all of whom moved swiftly to dis-tance themselves from the phenomenon. Capillary action, coupled with mass hysteria, is the correct explanation, con-cluded many scientists within a few hours. Aparna Chattopad-hyay of New Delhi replied to these scoffers in a letter to the Hindustan Times: I am a senior scientist of the Indian Agri-culture Research Institute, New Delhi. I found my offerings of milk in a temple being mysteriously drunk by the Deities. How

PREFACE: THE MILK MIRACLE xxiiiLOVING GAEAxxii

can the scientists explain the copper snake absorbing the milk I offered with a spoon kept at a good distance away from it? Scientic or not, gallons of milk were disappearing with hardly a trace. A leading barrister in Ma laysia was dumbfounded when he watched a metal Gaea attached to an automobile dashboard absorb six teaspoons of milk. In Nepal King Biren-dra himself made offerings to the God. Deities in Ken ya and other countries took gallons of milk while sitting in shallow metal trays with no drains.

The worldwide press coverage has been nearly as amazing as the miracle itself. Of course, the event dominated the news in India for days. But once it started outside India, local and leading national papers, such as the New York Times and Wash-ington Post in America, and the Financial Times in UK, picked up the story. The international wire services, Reuters and As-sociated Press, carried a dozen articles a day on what had now been named the Milk Miracle. Many in India are unaware of how warmly the Western press embraced the miracle. In many countries reporters came to the temples and personally offered milk. Of course, they too would put forward a scientic expla-nation in their report, but many, otherwise detached, Western journalists shared their own joyful experience as a fact.

Ironically, the reporting inside India was a completely dif-ferent matter. The English-language press in India, with its Marxist-leaning political slant, has never been a friend of Hin-duism. Headlines heralded the attitude: People go Ber serk at Milk Miracle; Scientists Dismiss it as Mass Hysteria, and Milk-Drinking Deities Unleash Mass Hysteria, Scientists Ridi-cule Miracle Theory. Not every Indian paper was so negative: Tunku Varadarajan of The Times expressed his concern that Modern Hindus are often all too apologetic about the appar-ent angularities in the beliefs of their countrymen. In this, sec-ular Indians are in danger of denying the very logic which has allowed India to be secular in the rst place. If that tolerance is

in just 24 hours. But it was just beginning elsewhere, as Hindus in India called

their relatives in other parts of the world. Soon our HINDUISM TODAY ofces were flooded with reports from around the world. Everywhere the story was the same. A teaspoonful of milk offered by touching it to Gaeas trunk, tusk or mouth would disappear in a few seconds to a few minutesnot always, but with unprec-edented frequency. Reu ters news service quoted Anila Premji, I held the spoon out level, and it just disappeared. To me it was just a miracle. It gave me a sense of feeling that there is a God, a sense of Spirit on this Earth. Not only Gaea, but iva, Prvat, Nandi and the Nga, ivas snake, took milk.

This milk miracle may go down in history as the most important event shared by Hindus this century, if not in the last millennium. It has brought about an instantaneous religious revival among nearly one billion people. No other religion has ever done that before! It is as if every Hindu who had, say, ten pounds of devotion, suddenly has twenty.

Miracles witnessed by many people happen from time to time in Hinduism as in other faiths, but theyre rare. As a young boy, the tenth-century saint, Nambi Anbar Nambi, in-spired Lord Gaea to actually eat the offerings placed before Him. Saint Janevara of Mahrshra became famous 600 years ago for having a water buffalo recite the Vedas before a group of arrogant priests.

Naturally there are skeptics10% of Hindus, according to our very unscientic poll, all of whom moved swiftly to dis-tance themselves from the phenomenon. Capillary action, coupled with mass hysteria, is the correct explanation, con-cluded many scientists within a few hours. Aparna Chattopad-hyay of New Delhi replied to these scoffers in a letter to the Hindustan Times: I am a senior scientist of the Indian Agri-culture Research Institute, New Delhi. I found my offerings of milk in a temple being mysteriously drunk by the Deities. How

PREFACE: THE MILK MIRACLE xxiiiLOVING GAEAxxii

told me, Somebody came and knocked on my door at 4:30 in the morning. He called, Gaea is having milk! Gaea is hav-ing milk! The man was gone when I answered the door. Life in Delhi was almost at a standstill. The markets were deserted. Banks and ofcial institutions had very thin attendance. In the last few days I have spoken to about 100 people. Ninety percent of them told me that they had experienced it, and the milk had really been accepted by the Deity.

Rajiv Malik, New Delhi, Journalist

NEW YORK: Even in cynical, hard-edged New York the miracle was happening. The milk was actually disappearing. Manisha Lund, a young college student, went to the Hindu temple in Queens and says it was a virtual stampede. When she offered milk to Lord Gaea, It was sucked up like some-one was drinking it with a straw. Gaea seemed to be in a whimsical mood: sometimes He refused the spoonfuls offered by devotees and slurped up that given by nonbelievers. At the Hindu temple in Flushing, a young African-American woman who is not a Hindu but loves Hindu philosophy wondered aloud whether iva would accept her offering. She extended her spoon and before the eyes of many worshipers, the milk disappeared into ivas mouth. Tales of faith and joy were re-peated in many homes and ofces where devotees offered milk to idols of stone, brass and silver. Young people seemed to have better luck, and delighted in the miracle: Pummy Singh, 14, called Indra, her mother, at work and gave her the exciting news: Gaea had taken the milk three times from her and her friends. Such was the frenzy that it was hard to gain entrance into the crowded temples, even at 2:00 in the morning.

Lavina Melwani, New York, Journalist

now under strain, the blame lies in part with those who would regard as dangers any celebrations of the countrys underlying Hindu identity.

Hinduism has its own science to apply to this miracle, that of the interpretation of portentsunusual or supernatural events. Portents are the specic domain of astrologers to in-terpret. The milk miracle, under this analysis, is not the end in itself, but rather signals a future event of great import. r K.N. Rao, one of Indias most noted astrologers, explained that the involvement of Gaea means that harm will come to the commanders of armies. The acceptance of milk, how ever, is an auspicious sign. Therefore the nal result will be a greater good. The portent will take effect in eight months, just about the time of an eclipse in April, 1996.

H.H. r Tiruchi Mahswmgal of Bangalore said inci-dents of Deities accepting offerings occur every 100 years, usu-ally eight or nine days after Gaea Chaturth. Swmj believes it is a very good omen, as do other swms, astrologers and pan-dits we have contacted.

Testimony of the Milk Miracle Worldwide

INDIA: It was around 7:30am that my father came back from his morning walk and told me, Rajiv, go to the temple. A great miracle is taking place. Lord Gaea is having milk. This is happening all over Delhi. I and my wife rushed to the Deepali temple which is next to our house. There were hundreds in a long queue waiting to offer milk. Inside the eight-by-ten-foot sanctum a dozen people at a time were offering milk in spoons to the small Gaea. My wife offered milk twice. I could clearly see the milk disappearing in a few seconds. Many temple priests said they had dreams of Gaea asking for milk, which they then offered in the early morning. The Deepali temple priest

PREFACE: THE MILK MIRACLE xxvLOVING GAEAxxiv

told me, Somebody came and knocked on my door at 4:30 in the morning. He called, Gaea is having milk! Gaea is hav-ing milk! The man was gone when I answered the door. Life in Delhi was almost at a standstill. The markets were deserted. Banks and ofcial institutions had very thin attendance. In the last few days I have spoken to about 100 people. Ninety percent of them told me that they had experienced it, and the milk had really been accepted by the Deity.

Rajiv Malik, New Delhi, Journalist

NEW YORK: Even in cynical, hard-edged New York the miracle was happening. The milk was actually disappearing. Manisha Lund, a young college student, went to the Hindu temple in Queens and says it was a virtual stampede. When she offered milk to Lord Gaea, It was sucked up like some-one was drinking it with a straw. Gaea seemed to be in a whimsical mood: sometimes He refused the spoonfuls offered by devotees and slurped up that given by nonbelievers. At the Hindu temple in Flushing, a young African-American woman who is not a Hindu but loves Hindu philosophy wondered aloud whether iva would accept her offering. She extended her spoon and before the eyes of many worshipers, the milk disappeared into ivas mouth. Tales of faith and joy were re-peated in many homes and ofces where devotees offered milk to idols of stone, brass and silver. Young people seemed to have better luck, and delighted in the miracle: Pummy Singh, 14, called Indra, her mother, at work and gave her the exciting news: Gaea had taken the milk three times from her and her friends. Such was the frenzy that it was hard to gain entrance into the crowded temples, even at 2:00 in the morning.

Lavina Melwani, New York, Journalist

now under strain, the blame lies in part with those who would regard as dangers any celebrations of the countrys underlying Hindu identity.

Hinduism has its own science to apply to this miracle, that of the interpretation of portentsunusual or supernatural events. Portents are the specic domain of astrologers to in-terpret. The milk miracle, under this analysis, is not the end in itself, but rather signals a future event of great import. r K.N. Rao, one of Indias most noted astrologers, explained that the involvement of Gaea means that harm will come to the commanders of armies. The acceptance of milk, how ever, is an auspicious sign. Therefore the nal result will be a greater good. The portent will take effect in eight months, just about the time of an eclipse in April, 1996.

H.H. r Tiruchi Mahswmgal of Bangalore said inci-dents of Deities accepting offerings occur every 100 years, usu-ally eight or nine days after Gaea Chaturth. Swmj believes it is a very good omen, as do other swms, astrologers and pan-dits we have contacted.

Testimony of the Milk Miracle Worldwide

INDIA: It was around 7:30am that my father came back from his morning walk and told me, Rajiv, go to the temple. A great miracle is taking place. Lord Gaea is having milk. This is happening all over Delhi. I and my wife rushed to the Deepali temple which is next to our house. There were hundreds in a long queue waiting to offer milk. Inside the eight-by-ten-foot sanctum a dozen people at a time were offering milk in spoons to the small Gaea. My wife offered milk twice. I could clearly see the milk disappearing in a few seconds. Many temple priests said they had dreams of Gaea asking for milk, which they then offered in the early morning. The Deepali temple priest

PREFACE: THE MILK MIRACLE xxvLOVING GAEAxxiv

of devotees and dripping spoons, Gaeas garments became wet on the same side as his trunk, but this didnt begin to ac-count for the volume of milk offered. I was forced to conclude that we were all witnessing something that we could not logi-cally explain.

Aran Veylan, Edmonton, Barrister

MAURITIUS: Today, September 25th, Ive given milk to Gaea. It is happening at a temple called Tulsi Sham Tem-ple in Beau Bassin. I rushed there, leaving all my jobs behind. I took some milk and brought it close to the trunk without spilling any. The milk was absorbed very quickly. This is some-thing great which is happening all around the world and mak-ing us better and better Hindus.

Parmesh Pallanee, Petite Rivire, Computer Systems Advisor

KENYA: It all started with a phone call from India to a rela-tive in Nai robi that Lord Gaapatis marble statue was drink-

LOS ANGELES: One of the devotees received a phone call from India about the miracle, recalls Bharat Shastri, priest of the Hindu temple in Norwalk. By evening he had received 600 phone calls. There was a general air of skepticism here and at other temples in Los Angeles. Only a few devotees had their milk offerings taken by Gaea at Norwalk. Nothing extraordi-nary happened at the r Venkateshwara Temple in Calabasas, where milk was offered only by the priests. At the Chats worth temple, the miracle seemed to have happened big time. On Thursday morning, temple president Dinesh Lakhanpal of-fered milk. It disappeared. Then I offered more, and that too disappeared, said Ravi Sharan, vice president of the temple. CNN and local TV channels came and the miracle reportedly happened for them. One reporter, Sharon Tae of Channel 5, was so excited she hugged me with tears in her eyes, said Sharan.

Archana Dongre, Los Angeles, Journalist

CANADA: The phenomenon began following the 7:30pm pj Friday and continued unabated until about 11:45pm Sunday, the 24th, at the Edmonton Gaea temple. The atmosphere around the Gaea mrti was scintillating. Devotees ap-proached, bowed and offered their prayers and a spoonful of milk. They ran the gamut from sari-clad pious elderly ladies supported on either side to gum-chewing teens in black leather jackets. I simply cant explain what happened to the milk. It would visibly wick up from the spoon to the surface of the stone of the trunk. Spoonful after spoonful was absorbed, sometimes as quickly as one could count to three, usually in 20 seconds. At the conser vative rate of two teaspoons per minute for 51.5 hours (milk was offered continuously), some 7.7 gal-lons of milk were taken up. I could see no signicant amount of milk around the Gaea mrti. Of course, with the number

This devotee is one of thousands to offer milk to Lord Gaea at a temple in Edmonton. Unlike in India, the phenomenon continued here for days.

xxviiLOVING GAEA PREFACE: THE MILK MIRACLExxvi

of devotees and dripping spoons, Gaeas garments became wet on the same side as his trunk, but this didnt begin to ac-count for the volume of milk offered. I was forced to conclude that we were all witnessing something that we could not logi-cally explain.

Aran Veylan, Edmonton, Barrister

MAURITIUS: Today, September 25th, Ive given milk to Gaea. It is happening at a temple called Tulsi Sham Tem-ple in Beau Bassin. I rushed there, leaving all my jobs behind. I took some milk and brought it close to the trunk without spilling any. The milk was absorbed very quickly. This is some-thing great which is happening all around the world and mak-ing us better and better Hindus.

Parmesh Pallanee, Petite Rivire, Computer Systems Advisor

KENYA: It all started with a phone call from India to a rela-tive in Nai robi that Lord Gaapatis marble statue was drink-

LOS ANGELES: One of the devotees received a phone call from India about the miracle, recalls Bharat Shastri, priest of the Hindu temple in Norwalk. By evening he had received 600 phone calls. There was a general air of skepticism here and at other temples in Los Angeles. Only a few devotees had their milk offerings taken by Gaea at Norwalk. Nothing extraordi-nary happened at the r Venkateshwara Temple in Calabasas, where milk was offered only by the priests. At the Chats worth temple, the miracle seemed to have happened big time. On Thursday morning, temple president Dinesh Lakhanpal of-fered milk. It disappeared. Then I offered more, and that too disappeared, said Ravi Sharan, vice president of the temple. CNN and local TV channels came and the miracle reportedly happened for them. One reporter, Sharon Tae of Channel 5, was so excited she hugged me with tears in her eyes, said Sharan.

Archana Dongre, Los Angeles, Journalist

CANADA: The phenomenon began following the 7:30pm pj Friday and continued unabated until about 11:45pm Sunday, the 24th, at the Edmonton Gaea temple. The atmosphere around the Gaea mrti was scintillating. Devotees ap-proached, bowed and offered their prayers and a spoonful of milk. They ran the gamut from sari-clad pious elderly ladies supported on either side to gum-chewing teens in black leather jackets. I simply cant explain what happened to the milk. It would visibly wick up from the spoon to the surface of the stone of the trunk. Spoonful after spoonful was absorbed, sometimes as quickly as one could count to three, usually in 20 seconds. At the conser vative rate of two teaspoons per minute for 51.5 hours (milk was offered continuously), some 7.7 gal-lons of milk were taken up. I could see no signicant amount of milk around the Gaea mrti. Of course, with the number

This devotee is one of thousands to offer milk to Lord Gaea at a temple in Edmonton. Unlike in India, the phenomenon continued here for days.

xxviiLOVING GAEA PREFACE: THE MILK MIRACLExxvi

My Luckiest Day

By Colonel P. C. Bhardwaj

It has taken many, many births for millions of us to witness and participate in such a miracle. I was one of the many lucky ones whom God gave the opportunity to feed Him. This miracle was needed to instill faith in people that the tem-ple images do have powers, and to worship them is one path to reach Him. I am an engineer of long standing. The theory that capillary action caused the suction of hundreds of pints of milk by Deities of stone and metal as small as twelve by six inches is not possible. Most of the Deities are carved of solid stone or cast of metal. Lord Gaeas trunk takes a bend and makes a twist at the tip. Its tip only has a small hole; the rest is solid mass. This tip is not capable of holding even one spoon of milk. In some of the mrtis, the trunk falls straight and the tip does not have a hole. It sucked hundred of pints of milk in a few hours. No milk was seen flowing out of the body, and no mist was formed around the mrtis. What shall we call it, other than Godly miracle?

We Are So Close To God

By Jay Dubashi, a columnist for New DelhisOrganiser, in which this article rst appeared

It was a small boy who rst alerted me as to what was hap-pening. Come, come, he said, Gae-j is drinking milk. We went to the nearby temple together, he and I, and the crowd was thick. A small girl, not more than three or four, was raising a spoon to the lips of Gae-j, and as we watched in awe the milk disappeared. What did I tell you? said the small boy. There was nothing to argue. A miracle is a miracle. Even if it was not a miracle, it is still a miracle in the eyes of those who

ing milk. Pandit Narinder Kumar str, head priest of Shree Sna tan Dharma Temple, recounts the experience with great emotion. According to him, an unlimited amount of milk was consumed by the two Deities in the temple. People from dif-ferent religions and nationalities came and made the offer-ing. Many nonbelievers came to test. When the offering was accepted, it changed peoples thinking. The miracle had a spe-cial effect on the younger generation. Panditji believes a new generation of staunch Hindus has been born as a result. lt is extraordinary that the miracle occurred even on African soil, and it is equally remarkable that many African non-Hindus visited the temple and have become devotees. I stood inside the temple door for three hours and saw crowds coming and going. The atmosphere was charged and volatile, but peaceful. The people were mesmerized and were not prepared to leave the hall even after having made the offering.

In the private temple of Jyotin Arvind Bhai Pa tel in Nai-robi, the miracle began in their temple at 4:30pm on Thursday and continued till 9:30am on Sunday. He and Minal tried with a spoonful of milk, which disappeared. The spoon was kept under the trunk of r Gaea and the milk was sucked up. Minal recalls hearing the sucking sound. In four days, 15,000 people be longing to all castes and nationalitiesHindus, Sikhs, Africans and Europeansmade offerings. As the result of the personal experience of one non-Hindu, the Patels have been offered free land to build a iva temple in a shopping complex.

Prabha Prabhakar Bhardwaj

xxviii LOVING GAEA PREFACE: THE MILK MIRACLE xxix

My Luckiest Day

By Colonel P. C. Bhardwaj

It has taken many, many births for millions of us to witness and participate in such a miracle. I was one of the many lucky ones whom God gave the opportunity to feed Him. This miracle was needed to instill faith in people that the tem-ple images do have powers, and to worship them is one path to reach Him. I am an engineer of long standing. The theory that capillary action caused the suction of hundreds of pints of milk by Deities of stone and metal as small as twelve by six inches is not possible. Most of the Deities are carved of solid stone or cast of metal. Lord Gaeas trunk takes a bend and makes a twist at the tip. Its tip only has a small hole; the rest is solid mass. This tip is not capable of holding even one spoon of milk. In some of the mrtis, the trunk falls straight and the tip does not have a hole. It sucked hundred of pints of milk in a few hours. No milk was seen flowing out of the body, and no mist was formed around the mrtis. What shall we call it, other than Godly miracle?

We Are So Close To God

By Jay Dubashi, a columnist for New DelhisOrganiser, in which this article rst appeared

It was a small boy who rst alerted me as to what was hap-pening. Come, come, he said, Gae-j is drinking milk. We went to the nearby temple together, he and I, and the crowd was thick. A small girl, not more than three or four, was raising a spoon to the lips of Gae-j, and as we watched in awe the milk disappeared. What did I tell you? said the small boy. There was nothing to argue. A miracle is a miracle. Even if it was not a miracle, it is still a miracle in the eyes of those who

ing milk. Pandit Narinder Kumar str, head priest of Shree Sna tan Dharma Temple, recounts the experience with great emotion. According to him, an unlimited amount of milk was consumed by the two Deities in the temple. People from dif-ferent religions and nationalities came and made the offer-ing. Many nonbelievers came to test. When the offering was accepted, it changed peoples thinking. The miracle had a spe-cial effect on the younger generation. Panditji believes a new generation of staunch Hindus has been born as a result. lt is extraordinary that the miracle occurred even on African soil, and it is equally remarkable that many African non-Hindus visited the temple and have become devotees. I stood inside the temple door for three hours and saw crowds coming and going. The atmosphere was charged and volatile, but peaceful. The people were mesmerized and were not prepared to leave the hall even after having made the offering.

In the private temple of Jyotin Arvind Bhai Pa tel in Nai-robi, the miracle began in their temple at 4:30pm on Thursday and continued till 9:30am on Sunday. He and Minal tried with a spoonful of milk, which disappeared. The spoon was kept under the trunk of r Gaea and the milk was sucked up. Minal recalls hearing the sucking sound. In four days, 15,000 people be longing to all castes and nationalitiesHindus, Sikhs, Africans and Europeansmade offerings. As the result of the personal experience of one non-Hindu, the Patels have been offered free land to build a iva temple in a shopping complex.

Prabha Prabhakar Bhardwaj

xxviii LOVING GAEA PREFACE: THE MILK MIRACLE xxix

all the way, but overtaken by grief at the impending departure. After a brief pj on the bank of the river, the idol was slowly let into the swirling waters as we all wept, including my uncle, a grown man who actually ran the district. Our Gods do not ask for votes or for money. All they want is your love and affec-tion, for that is the only bond between a Hindu and his God, like the bond between a father and son, or between brothers.

In no other religion is there such a deep and lasting bond between Gods and men as there is among Hindus. For we are, after all, descended from the Gods, and from the mountains and rivers where They stand guard and watch our holy land. And, if once in a while, they come down and sip a little milk from our spoons, why should it be a miracle? Its the most nat-ural thing in the world.

see it. There are too many things in this world which cannot be explained by the simple theories of physics or chemistry, for the theories themselves are changing with the times.

But it is not milk that interests me. The miracle was seen not just in India, but almost all over the world, wherever Hin-dus congregate. And it did not take days, not even hours, prob-ably a few minutes to spread. It shows how close the Hindu community is when it comes to things that affect its identity, even closer than the Internet. There were throngs of Hindus in temples in London and Leicester, New Jersey and Chicago, Denmark, Canada, Bang kok and Singapore. And the whole thing was breathtakingly spontaneous.

It also revealed how close Hindus are, not only to each other but also to their Gods. This is something nobody but a Hindu understands. To us, the Gods are not external to us, but very much a part of our being. The relationship is affectionate and intimate, as between members of a family. There is noth-ing in the world as close-knit as a Hindu family, and the Gods are as much a part of this family as anyone else.

When I grew up as a boy in Goa, we had, of course, temples and mahas, but what we liked best was the time when Gae-j came home for the Gaea Visarjana festival. We used to have made a serious-looking idol as bets a family of teachers and ofcials, but somehow we never thought of Gae-j as a seri-ous person. How can anybody be serious if He chooses a small mouse to carry His plump weight? But we never asked such questions. It was enough that He was in our house for a few days, and we treated Him like a king. He wore the nest silks and ate the nest food. He was bathed in enough milk and honey to wash a grown elephant and his family. We kept Him in the house only for a day or so, and then it was time to take Him to the river for immersion. That was the hardest time for all of us, particularly for my uncle, whose job it was to prepare Him for immersion. We children went to the river, shouting

xxx PREFACE: THE MILK MIRACLE xxxiLOVING GAEA

all the way, but overtaken by grief at the impending departure. After a brief pj on the bank of the river, the idol was slowly let into the swirling waters as we all wept, including my uncle, a grown man who actually ran the district. Our Gods do not ask for votes or for money. All they want is your love and affec-tion, for that is the only bond between a Hindu and his God, like the bond between a father and son, or between brothers.

In no other religion is there such a deep and lasting bond between Gods and men as there is among Hindus. For we are, after all, descended from the Gods, and from the mountains and rivers where They stand guard and watch our holy land. And, if once in a while, they come down and sip a little milk from our spoons, why should it be a miracle? Its the most nat-ural thing in the world.

see it. There are too many things in this world which cannot be explained by the simple theories of physics or chemistry, for the theories themselves are changing with the times.

But it is not milk that interests me. The miracle was seen not just in India, but almost all over the world, wherever Hin-dus congregate. And it did not take days, not even hours, prob-ably a few minutes to spread. It shows how close the Hindu community is when it comes to things that affect its identity, even closer than the Internet. There were throngs of Hindus in temples in London and Leicester, New Jersey and Chicago, Denmark, Canada, Bang kok and Singapore. And the whole thing was breathtakingly spontaneous.

It also revealed how close Hindus are, not only to each other but also to their Gods. This is something nobody but a Hindu understands. To us, the Gods are not external to us, but very much a part of our being. The relationship is affectionate and intimate, as between members of a family. There is noth-ing in the world as close-knit as a Hindu family, and the Gods are as much a part of this family as anyone else.

When I grew up as a boy in Goa, we had, of course, temples and mahas, but what we liked best was the time when Gae-j came home for the Gaea Visarjana festival. We used to have made a serious-looking idol as bets a family of teachers and ofcials, but somehow we never thought of Gae-j as a seri-ous person. How can anybody be serious if He chooses a small mouse to carry His plump weight? But we never asked such questions. It was enough that He was in our house for a few days, and we treated Him like a king. He wore the nest silks and ate the nest food. He was bathed in enough milk and honey to wash a grown elephant and his family. We kept Him in the house only for a day or so, and then it was time to take Him to the river for immersion. That was the hardest time for all of us, particularly for my uncle, whose job it was to prepare Him for immersion. We children went to the river, shouting

xxx PREFACE: THE MILK MIRACLE xxxiLOVING GAEA

Authors Introduction

Granthakra Bhmik

LORD GAEA HAS BEEN PRAYED TO, WOR SHIP ED AND ADORED IN ONE FORM OR ANOTHER SINCE TIME BEGAN; AND TIME ITSELF BEGAN with His creation. He, above all others, is the God, the great Mahdeva, to be invoked before every act and espe cially worshiped and prayed to when changes occur in our lives as we move from the old established patterns into new ones. Lord Gaea is always there to steady our minds and open the proper doors as we evolve and progress. He never, ever fails. He is always there for us when we need Him.

Hindus around the world pray to Gaea for help and guidance as He leads us out of an agricultural age through the technological and information eras and on into the new age of space. Many are still on the farms; others are in the ofces and in the factories; while still others land on the moon and orbit through space. With a mind more in-tricate than the most complicated computers in the world all hooked together, but as simple as an on-and-off switch, Gaea knows all aspects of these transitions, in unfailing continuity, from one era to another. He is totally aware, at every point in time, of the mother in her home, the farmer in his eld, the astronaut orbiting this planet, the corporate worker at his desk and the factory technician performing his tasks.

For thousands of years in the villages of Vedic India, Lord Gaea has been, and is today in towns and cities in many countries, a powerful and immediate presence in ev-eryones lives. He was and is the one prayed to when starting

AUTHORS INTRODUCTION xxxiii

Authors Introduction

Granthakra Bhmik

LORD GAEA HAS BEEN PRAYED TO, WOR SHIP ED AND ADORED IN ONE FORM OR ANOTHER SINCE TIME BEGAN; AND TIME ITSELF BEGAN with His creation. He, above all others, is the God, the great Mahdeva, to be invoked before every act and espe cially worshiped and prayed to when changes occur in our lives as we move from the old established patterns into new ones. Lord Gaea is always there to steady our minds and open the proper doors as we evolve and progress. He never, ever fails. He is always there for us when we need Him.

Hindus around the world pray to Gaea for help and guidance as He leads us out of an agricultural age through the technological and information eras and on into the new age of space. Many are still on the farms; others are in the ofces and in the factories; while still others land on the moon and orbit through space. With a mind more in-tricate than the most complicated computers in the world all hooked together, but as simple as an on-and-off switch, Gaea knows all aspects of these transitions, in unfailing continuity, from one era to another. He is totally aware, at every point in time, of the mother in her home, the farmer in his eld, the astronaut orbiting this planet, the corporate worker at his desk and the factory technician performing his tasks.

For thousands of years in the villages of Vedic India, Lord Gaea has been, and is today in towns and cities in many countries, a powerful and immediate presence in ev-eryones lives. He was and is the one prayed to when starting

AUTHORS INTRODUCTION xxxiii

benevolent God is the prem ise of the book that you hold in your hand. Believe it, for it is true.

Worship of Lord Gaea is immediate. One has but to think of His form to contact His ever-present mind. Close your eyes for a second, visualize His large elephant head and experience the direct communication that has imme-diately begun. This is similar to punching in a code at a per-sonal computer terminal which gives immediate access to the entire network of computers, large and small. On this remarkable and universal Innernet, obscure and necessary infor mation and answers to every question are now avail-able as needed through the direct link with Lord Gaea. Wherever we are, whatever we are doing, we can use the computer terminal of our own brain and code in the divine image of Lord Gaea and gain complete access to His vast computer-like mind. Gaeas mind has been programmed by the history of experience over eons of time and naturally encompasses the intricacies of the universe and the cycles of life in all their ramications and simplicities. Our great God Gaea sits contentedly upon the m l dhra chakra. This chakra controls the forces of memory within every creature. Worship of Him strengthens your memory, builds charac-ter and brings knowledge from the within. It also protects you from the lower forces which reside in the little-known chakras below the ml dhra. These darker chakras gov-ern fear, anger, jealousy and the confused thinking centered around self-preservation.

The rst chakra below the mldhra governs the state of mind of fear and lust. The chakra below that governs raging anger, which comes from despair or from threats to ones self-will and can make people angry even with God. The third chakra below the mldhra governs retaliatory jealousy, pride and arrogance, which are associated with feel-ings of inadequacy, inferiority and helplessness. At this level the only safe sdhana is seva, karma yoga, service selflessly, a

a business or an enterprise of any kind. Today factory work-ers approach a small shrine dedicated to Him before com-mencing their daily work, so that nothing might go wrong. Businessmen beg His help in adjusting the stock market to their advantage, and farmers, of course, chant His 108 names while planting their seeds, rice, other crops, or trees. When no rain comes, images of our loving Lord are seen through-out Bhrat land submerged in water up to His neck, so that His great mind may become impressed with the peoples crying needs. When grandma is sick or the crops are not com-ing in on time, when the children are growing up wrongly by adopting alien ways, Hindus diligently pray to our loving God for help in restructuring their lives. He is the supreme Lord of Dharma, and we pray to Him for guidance in the direction of our lives.

In fact, in my early years of experience in Sri Lanka ve decades ago, and in recent years as well, aivite pandits ex-plained that they consider Lord Gaea with all their hearts to be the one Supreme Deity, because it is through their worship of Him that they reach the holy feet of our Supreme God iva, thus avoiding His Rudra aspect. They explain, in their wisdom, that they begin their worship by entering Ga-eas great, benevolent Being of ever-pervasive love, and then through Him, the Son, they safely reach the Father.

However, in modern times in the Kali Yuga (which com-menced about the time mothers began relinquishing their str dharma and, Ga ea admonishes, it is the pure mothers of the world who will herald the next Sat Yuga), there are a great many liberal Hindus and/or Western-influenced Hin-dus who dont think of Gaea as a real being. To them He is a symbol, a superstition, a way of explaining philosophy to children and the uneducated. But this has not been my expe-rience of our loving Lord. I have seen Him with my own eye. He has come to me in visions several times and convinced my lower mind of His reality. The living, loving reality of our

xxxiv AUTHORS INTRODUCTION xxxvLOVING GAEA

benevolent God is the prem ise of the book that you hold in your hand. Believe it, for it is true.

Worship of Lord Gaea is immediate. One has but to think of His form to contact His ever-present mind. Close your eyes for a second, visualize His large elephant head and experience the direct communication that has imme-diately begun. This is similar to punching in a code at a per-sonal computer terminal which gives immediate access to the entire network of computers, large and small. On this remarkable and universal Innernet, obscure and necessary infor mation and answers to every question are now avail-able as needed through the direct link with Lord Gaea. Wherever we are, whatever we are doing, we can use the computer terminal of our own brain and code in the divine image of Lord Gaea and gain complete access to His vast computer-like mind. Gaeas mind has been programmed by the history of experience over eons of time and naturally encompasses the intricacies of the universe and the cycles of life in all their ramications and simplicities. Our great God Gaea sits contentedly upon the m l dhra chakra. This chakra controls the forces of memory within every creature. Worship of Him strengthens your memory, builds charac-ter and brings knowledge from the within. It also protects you from the lower forces which reside in the little-known chakras below the ml dhra. These darker chakras gov-ern fear, anger, jealousy and the confused thinking centered around self-preservation.

The rst chakra below the mldhra governs the state of mind of fear and lust. The chakra below that governs raging anger, which comes from despair or from threats to ones self-will and can make people angry even with God. The third chakra below the mldhra governs retaliatory jealousy, pride and arrogance, which are associated with feel-ings of inadequacy, inferiority and helplessness. At this level the only safe sdhana is seva, karma yoga, service selflessly, a

a business or an enterprise of any kind. Today factory work-ers approach a small shrine dedicated to Him before com-mencing their daily work, so that nothing might go wrong. Businessmen beg His help in adjusting the stock market to their advantage, and farmers, of course, chant His 108 names while planting their seeds, rice, other crops, or trees. When no rain comes, images of our loving Lord are seen through-out Bhrat land submerged in water up to His neck, so that His great mind may become impressed with the peoples crying needs. When grandma is sick or the crops are not com-ing in on time, when the children are growing up wrongly by adopting alien ways, Hindus diligently pray to our loving God for help in restructuring their lives. He is the supreme Lord of Dharma, and we pray to Him for guidance in the direction of our lives.

In fact, in my early years of experience in Sri Lanka ve decades ago, and in recent years as well, aivite pandits ex-plained that they consider Lord Gaea with all their hearts to be the one Supreme Deity, because it is through their worship of Him that they reach the holy feet of our Supreme God iva, thus avoiding His Rudra aspect. They explain, in their wisdom, that they begin their worship by entering Ga-eas great, benevolent Being of ever-pervasive love, and then through Him, the Son, they safely reach the Father.

However, in modern times in the Kali Yuga (which com-menced about the time mothers began relinquishing their str dharma and, Ga ea admonishes, it is the pure mothers of the world who will herald the next Sat Yuga), there are a great many liberal Hindus and/or Western-influenced Hin-dus who dont think of Gaea as a real being. To them He is a symbol, a superstition, a way of explaining philosophy to children and the uneducated. But this has not been my expe-rience of our loving Lord. I have seen Him with my own eye. He has come to me in visions several times and convinced my lower mind of His reality. The living, loving reality of our

xxxiv AUTHORS INTRODUCTION xxxvLOVING GAEA

Gaeas eyes. Train yourself to see Him within your own mind with your eyes closed. This is the key. Hold His form steady in your mind through the power of visualization. Now you can talk to Him. Pronounce the words mentally into His ear. He is listening, though He will never speak back but take into His vast mind your prayer and slowly work it out. You must simply speak all of your questions and your problems into His right ear. When you are nished, open your eyes. Go on with your day and go on with your life. Wherever you are, remember this simple way of making contact with Lord Gaea and as a good seeker exercise this psychic power, this siddhi.

Starting today and in the days to come, you will notice how He answers questions and solves problems for you through the course of your daily life. You will notice how He influences events and decisions slowly and subtly, in unseen ways. Situations will change for you, unexpected doors will open, and accustomed ones will close as you are propelled through His grace toward your inevitable glorious future. Read and reread the above formula for immediate access to Lord Gaea until it is rmly implanted in your subconscious memory patterns, and then begin to make contact with Him often through each day wherever you are and whatever you are doing. Yes! Lord Gaea is immediate, and you have immediate access to Him. Wherever you are, remember this and as a seeker on the path through lifes experiences exer-cise this siddhi. It is your right to do so.

All the major religions of the world, including Hindu-ism, have established institutions and societies to research, remodel and remold their spiritual community to be of ser-vice to their people in the fast-moving technological age. In almost every country, the various sects of Hinduism have now created temples and institutions to bring their mem-bers closer to their religion, to make it applicable to their daily modern life. Hindus have realized that those who left

discipline that, when done well, results in a change of char-acter. People who live in the consciousness of this chakra often deny the existence of God and are conten tiously com-bative with one another. The fourth chakra down governs prolonged confusion and instinctive will fulness, the desire to get rather than to give. Those in this region of mind cele-brate the primacy of materialistic advancement over every-thing else. Hatred arises here as unwholesome vsans build one upon another. The fth chakra below the ml dhra is the home of the instinctive minds cruel selshness. People in the consciousness of this chakra are capable of actions without conscience. They see to their own well-being at all costs and think only of I, me and mine. The sixth chakra down is the realm of absence of conscience, which brings about theft, fraud and other dishonest dealings. People in this state of mind believe the world owes them a living and they can simply take whatever they please from whom ever they please. The seventh and last chakra below the ml dhra governs malice, also without conscience, expressed through revenge, torture for the joy of it, murder for the sake of mur-der, the destruction of others property, mind, emotion or physical body. Hatred abides here. Reason seldom reaches those who live in this state of mind.

Men and women of wisdom will work diligently to close off these lower chakras and the negative karmas they can unleash. By worship of Lord Gaea, seated upon the ml-dhra chakra, you can slowly seal off these lower states of mind and keep awareness lifted above the animal instincts.

Wherever His devotees arein the home, the factories, the ofces, the hospitals, the marketplace, orbiting in space or tilling the soil on the farmLord Gaea is ever there. Intimate access is acquired by simply loving Gaea and holding His robust image in your mind. Carefully visualize the large head and ears, His long trunk, massive body, big belly and the objects He holds in His many hands. Look into

xxxvi AUTHORS INTRODUCTION LOVING GAEA xxxvii

Gaeas eyes. Train yourself to see Him within your own mind with your eyes closed. This is the key. Hold His form steady in your mind through the power of visualization. Now you can talk to Him. Pronounce the words mentally into His ear. He is listening, though He will never speak back but take into His vast mind your prayer and slowly work it out. You must simply speak all of your questions and your problems into His right ear. When you are nished, open your eyes. Go on with your day and go on with your life. Wherever you are, remember this simple way of making contact with Lord Gaea and as a good seeker exercise this psychic power, this siddhi.

Starting today and in the days to come, you will notice how He answers questions and solves problems for you through the course of your daily life. You will notice how He influences events and decisions slowly and subtly, in unseen ways. Situations will change for you, unexpected doors will open, and accustomed ones will close as you are propelled through His grace toward your inevitable glorious future. Read and reread the above formula for immediate access to Lord Gaea until it is rmly implanted in your subconscious memory patterns, and then begin to make contact with Him often through each day wherever you are and whatever you are doing. Yes! Lord Gaea is immediate, and you have immediate access to Him. Wherever you are, remember this and as a seeker on the path through lifes experiences exer-cise this siddhi. It is your right to do so.

All the major religions of the world, including Hindu-ism, have established institutions and societies to research, remodel and remold their spiritual community to be of ser-vice to their people in the fast-moving technological age. In almost every country, the various sects of Hinduism have now created temples and institutions to bring their mem-bers closer to their religion, to make it applicable to their daily modern life. Hindus have realized that those who left

discipline that, when done well, results in a change of char-acter. People who live in the consciousness of this chakra often deny the existence of God and are conten tiously com-bative with one another. The fourth chakra down governs prolonged confusion and instinctive will fulness, the desire to get rather than to give. Those in this region of mind cele-brate the primacy of materialistic advancement over every-thing else. Hatred arises here as unwholesome vsans build one upon another. The fth chakra below the ml dhra is the home of the instinctive minds cruel selshness. People in the consciousness of this chakra are capable of actions without conscience. They see to their own well-being at all costs and think only of I, me and mine. The sixth chakra down is the realm of absence of conscience, which brings about theft, fraud and other dishonest dealings. People in this state of mind believe the world owes them a living and they can simply take whatever they please from whom ever they please. The seventh and last chakra below the ml dhra governs malice, also without conscience, expressed through revenge, torture for the joy of it, murder for the sake of mur-der, the destruction of others property, mind, emotion or physical body. Hatred abides here. Reason seldom reaches those who live in this state of mind.

Men and women of wisdom will work diligently to close off these lower chakras and the negative karmas they can unleash. By worship of Lord Gaea, seated upon the ml-dhra chakra, you can slowly seal off these lower states of mind and keep awareness lifted above the animal instincts.

Wherever His devotees arein the home, the factories, the ofces, the hospitals, the marketplace, orbiting in space or tilling the soil on the farmLord Gaea is ever there. Intimate access is acquired by simply loving Gaea and holding His robust image in your mind. Carefully visualize the large head and ears, His long trunk, massive body, big belly and the objects He holds in His many hands. Look into

xxxvi AUTHORS INTRODUCTION LOVING GAEA xxxvii

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days, the stewards of the famous South India Sanmarga Ikya Sangam (who admin ister 27 schools and colleges, and now also this outstanding temple dedicated to Lord Gaeas brother, Murugan) requested us to create for them a multi-lingual course of lessons for children in English, Tamil, Hindi, Malay, French and Creole. The sangams request inspired me and my fteen aiva sannysins in Hawaii to create the aivite Hindu Religion childrens course of seven grades. Vali dated with great joy by swms, pandits, women saints and scholars worldwide, it teaches culture, moral val-ues, temple worship, the Vedic outlook on life and more.

Yes, we must teach the worlds Hindu youth the great-ness of their Hinduism. We must teach them that they need not leave their ancestral faith to enter into science, politics or any kind of intellectual pursuit. We must teach them to seek the able assistance of Lord Gaea in all things. He is the rst Isha Devat, the chosen God, of all Hindus, re-gardless of their sectarian position. Worship of Lord Gaea leads the devotee most naturally to the other great Gods.

Love and blessings to you from this and inner worlds,

the farms and village guilds, the paddy elds and orchards are moving into the factories and the ofces as