Devotion to God and the Gods of Hinduism is known as Bhakti. It is an entire
realm of knowledge and practice unto itself, ranging from the childlike wonder of the
unknown and the mysterious to the deep reverence which comes with understanding of
esoteric interworkings of the three worlds. Hinduism views existence as composed of three
worlds. The First World is the physical universe; the Second World is
the subtle astral or mental plane of existence in which the devas, angels and spirits
live; and the Third World is the spiritual universe of the Mahadevas,
"great shining beings," our Hindu Gods. Hinduism is the harmonious working
together of these three worlds.
The most prevalent expression of worship for
the Hindu comes as devotion to God and the Gods. In the Hindu pantheon there are said to
be three hundred and thirty-three million Gods. Hindus believe in one Supreme Being. The
plurality of Gods are perceived as divine creations of that one Being. So, Hinduism has
one supreme God, but it has an extensive hierarchy of Gods. Many people look at the Gods
as mere symbols, representations of forces or mind strata, or as various Personifications
generated as a projection o of man's mind onto an impersonal pure Beingness. Many Hindus
have been told over and over that the Gods are not really beings, but merely symbols of
spiritual matters, and unfortunately many have accepted this erroneous notion about the
Gods. In reality, the Mahadevas are individual soul beings, and down through the
ages ordinary men and women, great saints and sages, prophets and mystics in all cultures
have inwardly seen, heard, and been profoundly influenced by these super conscious
inner
plane beings. Lord Ganesha is such a being. He can think just as we can think. He can see
and understand and make decisions - so vast in their implications and complexity that we
could never comprehend them with our human faculties and understanding.
"Great indeed are the Gods who have sprung
out of Brahman."
-Atharva Veda
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