Ganapati
The Lord of Yogic Purification

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I am Ganapati, lord of hosts
I open the gateway to Mahashiva
I come into being in many forms

I speak as Yoga Ganapati, lord of purification
I make clear the way to the Lord of Kailash
I purify the seeker of all attachments
I take them and offer them into the small fire, the sadhu's fire
To prepare the seeker for the great fire of the rishis
Where individual identity goes to die

I am not the god of magic,
Maya Ganapati or Jadu Ganapati
I will not give siddhis or favors
Nor am I the children's god, the elephant buffoon, the clown
The screen upon which untrained psychotherapists cast their theories
The god who gives sweetness and gifts, but suffers

I am the ascetic's god
I sweep up the ashes of failed dreams
I cause the yogi to shed his old self like a snakeskin
And I prepare the cleansed soul for takeoff into the spiritual realms

I come to the sincere and the striving
And those who have forgotten their natural talents
I come in statues, in dreams, and in intuitions
I say that now is the time for meditation
Liberation is eternal but you are not
It is best to get started before death interferes

My form is neither human nor elephant
I am a light shining within a great crystal
I am not the son of Shiva but his emanation
I am the guardian of the door, and guide to the lost

I give blessings to help travelers
Whether on earth or in spirit
I am a magnifying glass for spiritual inclinations
Yet I reflect desires in miniature
I am clear, forceful, direct
These are the qualities I look for in seekers
I have no patience for secrecy, misdirection, or mystery
The games enjoyed by gods which make devotees suffer

Gods seek out disciples who are like them
Those who love Shiva are wild, passionate, sacrificial
Those who love Krishna are playful, flirtatious, desirous
Those who love the goddess have power and fear, and must balance them

We who are gods are both great and small
Pervading the universe, living in tiny statues
Like the force of a snowstorm, we blow in our winds
The hords of snowflakes who are our devotees
Those who seek love dance in the blasts
those who seek wisdom look to the goal of liberation

I have many forms, for the many goals and needs of life
I call upon those who are wise, sure, and one-pointed
To follow my lead
I am Yoga Ganapati, burning away fear and sorrow
The priest of Mahashiva
Who will burn the offerings of the past.

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