Ganesha

FlowerFairy

Hello,
So from what I have read Buddhism doesn't have a God so can I also ask why is Ganesha recognised as someone of importance?
Sorry if its the wrong category.
I'm also quite new to this site and Buddhism and the teachings

Jeroen

Interesting... Wikipedia has an article on Ganesha and his appearance in world religions, among which Buddhism.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ganesha_in_world_religions

While Buddhism doesn't acknowledge an omnipotent, omniscient creator God, it does have a divine realm which houses god-beings, or at least this is my understanding. One can be reborn there if your karma is right.

FlowerFairy

Okay, well I shall try and find the link (found it:
http://www.hinduwebsite.com/buddhism/buddhaongod.asp ) because I also found that
Buddhist don't believe in Gods because everything is constantly changing.

Whilst yes, our energy would be reborn but we wouldn't as there is no are no souls.

Sorry if I am getting this wrong its hard to learn things when the internet has so much knowledge and contradicts its self (I kind of feel it does)

Thank you for replying!

karasti

Buddhism is pretty vast. In different cultures, it takes on different parts of those cultures. You will find more deity talk and ritual and practice in Tibetan Buddhism, for example, because of the influence of their Bon belief system. While in Theravada you are much less likely to encounter mention of any deities because they focus mostly strictly only on what Buddha actually taught.

Even in those cultures where deities exist, it is not meant to be looked at the same way as an Abrhamic God or Hindu Gods and Goddesses. In my experience anyways. It is more a way to focus on particular qualities and developing those qualities in yourself. Not so much deity worship.

FlowerFairy

That clears that up a lot! Thank you!

lobster

Here is some further info on deity practice, how it works and how it is different from thinking one is Micky Mouse (which chaos magicians may do but that is another issue)
http://studybuddhism.com/en/tibetan-buddhism/tantra/buddhist-tantra/buddhist-deity-or-mickey-mouse-what-s-the-difference

It is quite long but worth understanding:

In summary, deity-yoga is done within the very large framework of:

Wanting to get rid of our problems
Putting a safe direction in our lives as a way to overcome these problems
Following the principles of behavioral cause and effect as how we approach problems and their causes
Renouncing our ordinary deluded self-image, and using a pure one to be able to help others and keep our focus on enlightenment
Understanding that it’s not real but like an illusion, however it is valid since we can attain it in the future
Receiving authorization and empowerment to do the practice, based on having prepared for this with preliminary practices
Receiving guidance from a qualified spiritual master who has had successful experience in the practice
Being linked to a long lineage of people who’ve done the practice successfully and attained enlightenment through it, giving us confidence
Keeping the discipline of vowed commitments and various vows that we take in terms of our ethical behavior and interaction with others
Keeping our practice confidential and private, and being humble about it.
Generally speaking, delusional persons lack all of the above.

Jeffrey

In Buddhism Gods are mentioned even in Theravada. But Gods are not enlightened.

QuangKsanti

@FlowerFairy said:
Okay, well I shall try and find the link (found it:
http://www.hinduwebsite.com/buddhism/buddhaongod.asp ) because I also found that
Buddhist don't believe in Gods because everything is constantly changing.

You're thinking of a creator deity that started everything. Not the same notion as Buddhist gods or Hindu gods.

In my understanding the gods may exist but only in the minds of those that believe in them. Any that believe they started everything are even more deluded than the rest. Some of us can imagine being trapped within our own mind but could you imagine being a prisoner of someone else's mind?

Maybe when they are no longer believed in they could be reborn as a human type being capable of awakening.

Ganesha is one of my favorites but I don't take prisoners.