Ganesha Meets Jesus

Ganesha Meets Jesus

This morning at Centennial Park in Nashville, a melting pot of international flavor created fragrance from India to Egypt, filling the park with sounds of tabla and Indian chanting pirouetting through the sound system to meet many welcome ears. I felt as if I was in New York City for a few minutes. The blending of religions and lifestyles felt like a much-needed balm to my heart.

Accepting cultural and religious differences often lead closed minds to open to other lifestyles and beliefs. No person at this function tried to get anyone to convert to a different way of believing. Each simply offered a taste of what the native countries offered. This made the booths and entertainment more palatable and more intriguing than ever.

In Nashville we have one of the most beautiful Hindu temples in the US. When I first drove past, I wondered how such extravagance arrived without me knowing it. I became very intrigued and visited the temple. When I arrived, a gentle woman described the traditions and customs that I should expect while in the temple. She also made it very clear that this was not a museum, but a sacred temple used by people daily for prayer and spiritual growth—that I was to honor that or I would not be welcome. She wasn’t mean, but was clear. I appreciated that.

To tell you the truth, I was a bit surprised at the statues as I walked around the inside. In my mind, I imagined classic representations as the nature of the outside of the building. But instead, the statues were ornate with bold colors, much like the colors of saris lining a rather narrow hallway. No chair or benches were present. Pillows lined the floor in the main area.  

The friend who accompanied me understood a great deal about the tradition of the Hindi culture. He shared with me many stories about the origins of the beliefs. Each statue had a name and a purpose. This culture boldly embraces the idea of giving offerings and prayers to idol representations of their spiritual entities, whom they honor and treat as deities. Much of the culture influenced Buddhism, which I didn’t know. I realized quickly that I didn’t necessarily have to believe any of what this religion offered to actually appreciate its intricacies and lovely tradition.

I grew up Catholic, so statues of the Virgin Mary and every saint available lined neighbors’ yards and the small church we gathered at on Sundays. When I drove home last month, I visited St. Philemenas to find the doors closed and the hallways vacant. In fact, two of the three Catholic churches closed in Beaver Falls, leaving only one in the vicinity.

I was surprised to feel sad. I didn’t have fond memories of my small church. In fact, the main priest was very mean, and the nice one ended up in jail for pedophilia. The nuns were so angry that one slammed my sister’s fingers in her desk when she got caught chewing gum. My brother actually had his mouth washed out with soap for swearing—real soap. Yes, that is not just a saying.

Yet, here I stood with a tear my eye and feeling off kilter. Something had passed—and it saddened me. I realized in that moment that what felt like tradition suddenly had disappeared. In my mind it was a metaphor for how authenticity had been replacing representations of almost everything in my life. Instead of statues, I go inside to find God and myself. Instead of going to a priest, I go inside to find my spiritual way.

Today I inhaled a bit of the smoke let off by the incineration of my past, like burning incense on an altar. I smelled familiar fragrances that met me with peaceful blessings.

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Bo Sebastian is a Hypnotherapist and Life & Health Coach, available for private sessions to QUIT SMOKING, Lose Weight, New Lap-Band Hypnosis for Weight Loss, CHANGE YOUR MIND, CHANGE YOUR LIFE! at 615-400-2334 or www.bosebastian.com. Please feel free to comment and/or sign up to receive your blog sent to you directly or stream with an RSS Feed.

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