How do Ramayana characters mean spiritually?

…contd….

When Ramayana is read as a story of Vishnu’s Incarnation, we realize the love of the lord towards His creation. How, to protect His devotees He takes the form of a human being to redeem the Mother Earth of the atrocities of demon King Ravana. If he can be so humble after being the most powerful, then why you and I let arrogance come into us with little wealth, know-how or power? He is living His words and all that He gave as rule for the people to follow. He himself followed to set an example for all of us. If this is not love then what is?

He graced so many by his presence by living among them as a normal human being as per their prayers. It takes so many millions of births for any soul to see Him – even then it is not guaranteed. So, he contained himself in a human form so that the blessed few can have a glimpse of him as a result of their punya (good deeds).

If these reasons don’t interest you, forget it. Read Ramayana as a spiritual book – not as a religious book. When it is ‘Adhyathmic Ramayana’ (spiritual Ramayana), then the meaning totally changes. Then Rama doesn’t represent a human form or an Incarnation of Vishnu. Rama represents the ‘Ultimate Man’ that is the ‘Brahman’ – ‘the Ultimate ‘ of the Universe. And Sita represents the ‘individual soul’ and hence longs to be with her husband – the ultimate. All the souls are feminine (and that’s why all sufi songs and poems are written as a woman longing for her beloved. Saint though a man (physically) when spiritually awakened realizes he is a female longing to be with her beloved that is the Ultimate – the Brahman).

 Sita going back into earth

The birth of Sita – Sita is born of earth and goes back into the earth at the end. It means that the soul when takes birth has to come through earth and that means all the 5 elements in toto and in the end we get ‘vileen’ (absorbed) into the earth only.

 Rama and Sita happy in forest ....

Her cause of Happiness – she was happy in her in-law’s house and equally so in forest as long as she was with her husband. Both in riches and in poverty she experienced love, bliss and contentment. Like-wise as long as the soul is joined in Brahman, or in yog (union) with Brahman, it is peaceful, blissful and complete. External and material possessions don’t have an impact on the state of mind. It’s the ‘Union’ ‘yog’ that determines whether we are happy or otherwise. It means as long as we are in contact with our beloved 'the Divine' we can be happy inspite of circumstances.

…contd…..