Ganesha: A Contemplative Reflection is not a book of mythology, nor a manual of belief.
It is a contemplative exploration of qualities of mind, using form as a skillful means.
Although Gaṇeśa arises from a Hindu symbolic vocabulary, this work approaches him neither devotionally nor doctrinally. Instead, the traditional thirty-two forms of Gaṇeśa are treated as expressions of inner qualities—capacities such as discernment, patience, humility, steadiness, and attentive presence. These qualities are paired and contemplated across sixteen short chapters, allowing insight to arise through relationship rather than analysis.
For readers grounded in Vajrayāna practice, this approach will feel familiar. Forms are not presented as ultimate realities, but as methods—gateways through which attention is refined and obstacles are met inwardly rather than opposed. The emphasis remains on contemplation, integration, and direct experience, not assertion or identity.
This book does not attempt to harmonize traditions or blur their differences. It simply rests in a shared understanding:
that wisdom is revealed through how we attend, not what we claim.
Structure of the Book
- Thirty-two traditional forms of Gaṇeśa
- Paired into sixteen contemplative themes
- Each chapter offered as a reflective inquiry rather than an explanation
- Designed to be read slowly, non-linearly, and returned to over time
Rather than presenting Gaṇeśa as a remover of external obstacles, the book turns attention inward—toward how obstruction, clarity, resistance, and openness are experienced within awareness itself.
Who This Book Is For
This book may resonate with:
- Practitioners drawn to form as skillful means
- Readers interested in cross-cultural contemplative symbolism
- Those who value reflection over doctrine, and inquiry over conclusion
- Anyone who senses that obstacles are not eliminated, but understood
No familiarity with Hinduism is required.
No adherence to any belief system is assumed.
Available Editions
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Kindle Edition – For quiet reading and personal contemplation.
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Paperback Edition – For those who prefer a physical text to return to slowly.
This book is offered not as teaching, transmission, or synthesis, but as an invitation:
to sit with form lightly, to contemplate qualities directly, and to allow meaning to emerge without force.