In plain words
If you long to see that pilot, you must buy a ticket and sit in the aeroplane. Otherwise, what use is it to sit below and wonder who the pilot up there is?! People today all sit at the lower level and try to understand God, who is at the higher level. This is a great mistake. First of all you must inquire into yourselves; you must test yourselves; you must punish yourselves. Today everyone tries to punish others, but no one punishes himself.
The inner meaning of the worship of Gaṇapati
If we are always to live in happiness and joy, with no troubles arising, we must pray to Vighneśvara, who drives away every obstacle. Does that mean we must go to Vighneśvara's temple? No, no. “Deho devālaya prokto jīvodevassanātanaḥ”: Vināyaka is in the body itself. Our Buddhi itself is Vināyaka, our Vijñāna itself is Vināyaka, our intelligence itself is Vināyaka. When we use these in the right way, all our desires are fulfilled. The lord of the five senses is Gaṇapati. So the day you master your five senses, on that day you yourself are Gaṇapati. What is the inner meaning of installing Gaṇapati and worshipping Him for ten days? Each day we must curb one sense.
Students! Mastery of the senses is very easy. But because you do not know this, you suffer a great deal. First of all you must create a climate that helps the mastery of the senses. How? Suppose someone who hates you comes face to face with you. If you hate him too, then a big battle begins. Instead, greet him, “Hello, brother! How are you?” and see; his hatred is sure to die down. Once a rākṣasa came with a sword in his hand to kill the Buddha. The Buddha saw him, and with a smile, “Brother! Do you want to kill Me? I am ready,” He said, and bowed His head. The rākṣasa was amazed. At once he threw the sword down and fell at the Buddha's feet. So we must hate no one. We must move among all as friends. When someone has done some wrong, we must not try to punish him; we must look for the right way to set him right. Then a change is sure to come about in him.
Students! To celebrate Vināyaka Caturthī does not mean doing some outward pūjās. We need those too. But practice without inner feeling is of no use. Recognise the truth that divinity fills you and lies packed within you yourselves, and act on it. Your Buddhi itself is the form of Gaṇapati. Put it to good use. For that, go on doing the work that is dear to God. What is dear to God? Speaking little is dear to Him; hatred, envy and such evil feelings are not dear to Him. So first tread those down.