The true life!

Everyone works and lives for himself and are not happy inspite of having everything. They don't realize that even animals do that! That is no purpose of life! There is no sense in living that life. Life lead in such a fashion is listless, empty and heavy. 

But when you share yourself with others life begins to find its meaning. Few realize it and start living it. 

But the time you touch the heart of others is the moment you truly start living! Very few can achieve it and they in real sense have made their life worth existing!

Finally....

…contd…..

All this explanation, I’ve given as per Valmiki Ramayana. There are different versions in telugu, tamil, moslem, Bengali, nepali, jain, Buddhist and so. In Kerala, muslim community plays a dance-drama during their marriage as part of marriage ceremony in which Ramayan is played. This form of dance is called ‘mappillai pattu’. The story varies in some parts in these versions. These are later day versions and the interpretation is solely of the writer. Why is it so? Don’t we see films based on real life incidents but characters and few imaginary and fictional characters and situations included for the flow of the script. “Similar way, these writers felt that this is the way it would’ve happened. Even if I take and read Valmiki Ramayan, it doesn’t mean I understand it the way it was written! Why? Because I am no Sita or Rama to understand their stature. How can I fully grasp their import and question or justify their action? Then is reading these epics waste as I would never get their meaning in toto? No. read them and that’s why we don’t say ‘reading’ in Sanskrit, we say we did ‘parayanam’ thre is no word I know in English and nearest is reading though! So we don’t complete reading. We read it regularly through out our lives and as we live what we little understand and then read, we understand a little more and that way their meaning changes every time we read them. If it is not happening so, you are blindly looking at words and that is of no use. Stop then and there.

In short understand that you shouldn’t look at the person but at the Ideal and hold it as an example to live up to – however lofty you may feel about yourself yet your Ideal should always be the highest! And Lord Rama represents the higher Ideal by way of a person living as per ‘nyaya’ and dharma. and not everytime ‘nyaya’ (justice) can be right but it is still nyaya and should be lived up to and followed too!

A word

I hope you enjoyed reading explanation of this query as much as I enjoyed explaining it. If explanation was not up to the mark, if it didn’t clear your doubts and if your heart still holds Rama guilty of his acts, then the flaw entirely rests on my explanation only and not in the character of Rama and Sita. Question again as to what was not clear and I’ll try again. But a nobody like me justifying actions of Lord Rama looks like a small lamp trying to show the brilliance of Sun God. How stupid on the part of lamp to think that it can show the world the greatness of Sun! similar has been my effort in this area. It holds good when I talk about any incarnation. In my enthusiasm, I may vomit few examples and explanations but they don’t cover the grandeur of this characters and scriptures. What I feel does impede my writing which otherwise too is limited and crippled as I feel I can explain better in person than in writing. But even that explanation would fall short of the grandeur of these scriptures and ideals that I talk about. So forgive my short-comings and also my arrogance to take up the cause of writing about such topics!

And Vaibhav, explanation apart I did go on a personal ride of bliss just by writing, thinking and feeling all through so thanks for creating one such opportunity to me! What i received this song summarizes : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Luz758PAC04

And your query's answer is given in 9 days - as if it is Ramanavami - 9 days of Rama. This is the celebration one should work towards always and not do it only at physical level!

(And maybe you gave me a 3 mark question and I in my enthusiasm ended up writing a 16 mark answer!)

Jai siya ram!

concluded.....

What various incidents mean in Ramayana?

…contd…..

Golden Deer

Golden Deer – cause of suffering : Golden Deer is a form taken by Marichi – a rakshasa sent by Ravana. Ravana is the Lord of Golden Lanka with hundreds of concubines. He represents 5 geat weakenss like lust, greed , anger, power personified and Golden Lanka – the ultimate of enjoyment and abundance of material riches. It means and shows how people lose their dharma as they become lost in the run to accumulate the yellow metal – gold.

He has 10 heads doesn’t mean he has 10 physical heads. No – it is simply impossible to live like that. Imagine with one mouth, if we are driven by the lust for taste like crazy, how much more we would be physically glorifying enjoyment with 10 heads. 10 also represents our ten indriyas (sense organs which are considered 10 mouths through which we enjoy life). Even if you close mouth, through eyes and ears and other organs we live on. That’s what is Ravana.

Marichi is a rakshasa – a temptation sent by the epitome of vice to tempt Sita to want it. As long as soul is happy being with its lord it is safe, happy and peaceful. But knowing that golden deer doesn’t exist wanting it, Sita represents the soul wanting the things of this world sending her lord to get it – means we seek favours from God – the favours in the form of things of this world and send him away from ourselves. When he is gone, we are open to temptations by the Ravana – the temptations of the world and are held prisoner in Golden Lanka. The world is so beautiful with all the tinsel that it looks rich and full of prosperity when in actuality it is just greed and lust personified. But we are in the midst of abundance (gold) and yet suffering and that suffering is the consequence of our own stupidity.

Agni pariksha – If we want to go back to our husband – the Divine we need to prove our purity by giving ‘Agni Pariksha’. Understand it correctly here. We get tainted with karmic bondage or psychic impressions when we live in this world. And we need to put them in the fire – the fire of ‘Tapas’ – the severe penance. Penance and meditation is nothing but giving our ego related attitudes and the cause of all these desire as ‘ahuti’ (offering) in the fire. (clearly explained about different stages of sacrifice in reiki meet and explained about the final sacrifice where I even sacrifice the benefits and knowledge of sacrifice into the sacrificial fire). Then we come out of this fire as pure and can reclaim our |Divinity and that ‘self-realization’ or ‘moksham’ is nothing but ‘that vam asi’ That which is I am. It means I realize Brahman and become Him.

But moksham, does it stop everything?

No. Even if we have realized as long as we are in this world and operating through this body, we need to reap the effects of karma and that can come as ‘slander’ (here washerman doing that for Sita). Jesus was crucified, Paramahamsa called Madman, Meera characterless and even AdiShankaracharya had to face the brick-bats of his enemies. These people were purity personified and yet the world and people being what they were treated them badly because they could see only their own limitations and intentions in these people. How can you expect a man who is blind from birth to know that a rainbow with seven colours exist? He would call a person who says so a liar, a cheat. A thief would be suspicious of everyone he meets. You see what you are! How can a person who himself is full of fear, ingratitude and irresponsible give credit to others? How can he praise others? How can he not envy others?

Washerman was called Rajak. His name represents ‘Rajo guna’ and hence can’t see (sattva) Sita’s sattva guna and thereby calls her names. Even when the cause of our temptation or cause of our karma - ravana is dead, the washerman's character and his act says that we are driven by our nature. Even names of every character explaines their character and guna in these epics – Ramayana and Mahabharata.

…contd…..

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…..

What Ramayana teaches us?

…contd…..

Disliking wife for her lack of beauty, wealth, health or her inability to do chores and using Rama’s example and divorcing her saying “for my family’s name and prestige/ marrying again to beget children (here read it as sons) for the sake of family etc” doesn’t come under this category. I often see people quoting this episode to justify their nefarious intentions. Quoting right examples for wrong purpose and intention can’t make it right. Fine some people may buy it but the fact would be they are wrong.

Again don’t think he’s like our politicians ready to stoop to any levels and compromise anything and everything just to hold on to their posts and chair. If he had attachment for the throne, he would not have gone to forest in the first place and that too when all his subjects pleaded and so did his brother Bharata. But because, Bharata took a promise that he had to return as per his father’s wish and so was Kaikeyi’s wish he did it. And for this personal benefit, he couldn’t let go off his responsibility like an emotional fool as a commoner.

This is as per socio-political scenario of that time. How to understand it spiritually? Please refer to post dt. Tuesday, January 8, 2013, Wednesday, October 30, 2013, Monday, October 13, 2014, Thursday, October 31, 2013, Saturday, November 2, 2013.

Further to that post, let’s understand the entire episode (this I’ve explained in few of my classes and Madhumita, I remember you asking about this explanation once and I gave only partial explanation then. I am giving more of that day’s explanation now)

Ramayana when seen as a story of a human being gives you various situations similar to what we face in our lives and as to how to face that situation and how to arrive at a decision which is based on ‘Dharma’ always. It also shows us that if a man without compromising on Dharma if takes decision in his life however painful they are for him, he can raise to Godhood by his karma. To lead a life of activities and responsibilities is everybody’s need and compulsion, but to use that as an excuse to outgrow one’s limitations and rise to higher possibilities is the lesson that we can learn from Ramayana. Rama teaches how to convert a limitation into a strength and something that would transform us. Through, every character Ramayana teaches us the Law of Karma and Law of Universe by showing us the cause and effect in that characters life. Just by following these examples we can check our attitude and decisions in life to avoid suffering cause by wrong decisions.

…contd….

Why Rama sent Sita to the forest?

…contd….

Next issue is why even after this “Agnipariksha’ Rama sends Sita away after hearing words of a drunkard?”

Here it is no where written that Rama doubts Sita. Similarly, his balance is not shaken by his words. But he’s shaken because as per “Raja Dharma” he has to let go off Sita especially when pregnant and he can’t imagine living without her. That pain of separation shakes him. His trust on her is not shaken.

 Sita being left in forest

As per Valmiki Ramayan, it was dhobi couple whose talk forces Rama to banish Sita. This dhobi couple were two rakshases who were his subjects and great followers of Ravana. Even villain is hero in someone’s eyes. That doesn’t make that villain right or good. I often hear people say “you know my Guru is so great, he has so many followers and has branches in so many countries”. If only number guaranteed greatness then so many fanatic groups would be “great people”. So many raids in ashrams wouldn’t be necessary and fruitful if they were really great. So, as ever I repeat please be careful in being part of any organization. Be open to follow their principles – they are usually universal – like serve all, love  all, do charity, do meditation etc but in following an organization be very careful.

Next coming to our dhobhi couple, they had hatred towards Rama and Sita and believed them to be the cause of death of Ravana – their dear Lord. They took upon themselves to avenge their lord’s death and make life unbrearable to Rama and Sita. And in that course of action, they enacted a skit when they see ‘spies of Rama’ near their hut where husband says “how dare you spend night outside and come home and expect me to accept you? I am not a fool like Rama who accepted Sita even after she was with Ravana whole year”.

This is conveyed to Rama and he sees this as displeasure in his subjects and as per his dharma it was his duty to remove the cause of displeasure from his subjects. Since, he couldn’t do anything to remove this displeasure he sacrificed Sita and left her in forest.

The entire act is not personal. If given a chance he wouldn’t want to be separated from his love Sita even for a day. But his Ideal and duty called him to live upto them and he had to sacrifice his personal desire and opinion to his Ideal and duty.

…contd…..