Why and how should festivals like Vinayaka Chaturthi be celebrated as occasions for spiritual transformation? Bhagawan explains so we may celebrate this festival today in the right spirit.

The Lord's family is an ideal one, maintaining harmony and peace in spite of the antagonistic elements present amongst them. The vehicle of Shiva (the bull), Parvati (the lion), Ganesha (the mouse) and Subrahmanya (the peacock) are, in their natural state, inimical to each other. But living in the presence of the Lord, they shed their enmity and live at peace. Harmony in the Divine family shows that where there is divinity, there is peace and amity. Hatred and jealousy arise when the Omnipresence of the Divine is forgotten or ignored. Holy days like Vinayaka Chaturthi should be celebrated only to remind ourselves of such sacred truths and to sanctify our minds and lives accordingly. They should not be treated as holidays for feasting and merry-making. Ganapati should be worshipped so that all the Ganas (spirits) become friendly and helpful to us. Tyagaraja sang that if he has the daivanugraham (Lord's grace), all the grahas (planets) will be in his grasp. We must purify our hearts so that the Lord may shower His grace on us.