Sunday 14 April 2013

Litmus Test for Peace and Joy


Sita Ram
|| Aum Sri Ramakrishna Sharanam||

|| Aum Namo Narayanaya||

A clever and simple test that enables one to identify a substance as an acid or alkali can be the difference between a disfigured body and a healthy one. Swami Vivekananda has also enforced the principle of testing and experiencing rather than accepting something from others. Many false ideals and superstitions have been perpetuated through time because of this inability of humanity test ideas before accepting them.

The week tapered into an interesting programme for Ramayana Week celebrations which began on Thursday (attendance to which can become extremely challenging as the climate becomes conducive to Kumbhakarna’s favourite past time being sleep). But as the saying goes, ‘he who snoozes looses’ - it will become important for the true seeker to make an effort to attend classes on the Ramayana.

Unlike other religions who prescribe a single scripture for study, Hinduism has a scripture for every individual constitution and temperament. If you enjoy worshipping God by glorifying His form, you can do so by reading the wonderful Bhagavatam or Ramayana; and if you prefer to worship God as the formless, the Vedas are at your disposal. This is the accommodating nature of Hindu Dharma in taking you to that one truth that can be achieved through different paths, as explained by Sri Ramakrishna.

I have noted over the many years of attending Ramayana discourses that devotees melt into an emotional devotional bhav as they discuss the accounts of Sri Ramachandra’s life... and taking cognisance of His impeccable character and virtues, glorify Him as Mariyadha Purushotama. However, like a movie gone wrong... towards the end... many become disillusioned and annoyed at one particular incident where after the defeat of Ravana in an arduous battle, Lord Rama asks Mother Sita to prove Her chastity by placing Herself in fire.

I think before people start to criticise Lord Rama for this action and compare this to the improper treatment of woman, we need to understand that Puranas should not be looked at literally, but read with the intention of extracting the imbedded truths.

We are all familiar with the mythology of how Rama lived in Ayodhya after marrying Sita and just before He could be crowned King, He was banished to the forest for 14 years because of a promise His father made to His step-mum. Whilst in the forest, Sita was captured by Ravana. Accompanied by Hanuman and His allies, He defeated Ravana. Before returning to Ayodhya, Sita was asked to prove Her chastity in a fire. After emerging out of the fire pure, they returned to Ayodhya where they were crowned King and Queen and ruled the Kingdom. It is said during this time much prosperity, peace and joy reigned over the Kingdom and this period was aptly named Rama Rajya.

 

In order to understand the spiritual message of these events, I recall a discourse by Revered Swami Vimokshanandaji Maharaj where He adequately explained the concept of Ayodhya. Yodhya in Sanskrit means ‘pain’ and ‘suffering’ hence Ayodhya will be the opposite, He explained. We notice that Sri Rama’s woes started after His marriage to Sita (not that getting married is a bad thing always!!! Lol). The word Sita (she was found by her father while ploughing the field) in Sanskrit means ‘of the earth’. She is an allegory for the material world or materialism. Sri Rama represents the jiva who is search of mukthi. When one attaches oneself to materialism, then peace and joy (ayodhya) is replaced by misery (yodhya). Materialism will always bring to light its favourite friend -insatiable desires-, which is represented by the 10-headed-Ravana.

In the battle we read how difficult it was for Rama to kill Ravana as every time He shot his head, another grew in its place. A wonderful parable by Sri Ramakrishna amplifies the point:

Once a barber was taking rest under a tree and heard this voice who asked if he wanted 7 jars of gold. The thought of such increased his cupidity and at once replied with great delight “yes”. The voice instructed him to go home and he will find the gold. Upon his arrival he was surprised to find the jars as proclaimed by the voice but alas he saw only 6 full jars and the 7th was only filled half-way. This incensed him and he wanted to fill the 7th jar so he could have his 7 seven full jars of gold. He then melted as his gold ornaments into coins and tried to fill the jar, but alas it refused to fill up. He became miserable and eventually asked the king to double his salary and placed all that into the jar which still did not full up. His family was eventually starving whilst he begged door to door to try and fill the jars. One day the King came across him and was horrified to see his condition and told him that he noticed that when he was earning half what he did now he was more at peace and filled with joy. He then questioned if he has the 7 jars at home. The barber was surprised as to how the King knew of it. The King explained that he was also offered the jars but when he question if he could spend all 7 seven jars the voice disappeared. The barber having learnt his lesson returned the tree and asked the voice to take back the jars. The voice agreed and when he went home he found that the jars were gone together with all his wealth as well.

Once we kill desire it is important to remove our minds from worldliness and immerse it into spirituality and God. Hence, after the defeat of Ravana... Rama asks Sita to enter into the fire. The fire represents knowledge which burns ignorance caused by materialism (it is said that the real Sita was hidden long ago in the fire... so a duplicate Sita was captured by Ravana... and after the war, the duplicate Sita perished in the fire allowing the real Sita to emerge). The true Sita is Mother Luxmi Herself, who represents shakti, purity and divine energy. When the atman (jiva) once again unites with paramathman (divine energy), joy and peace return... which is represented by the return of Rama and Sita from Yodhya to Ayodhya to be crowned King and Queen.

For the spiritual aspirant, the materialism must be sacrificed into the fire of austerities like japa, meditation, prayer and seva activities that disconnect the self from lust, sense pleasure and greed... and replace that with peace, love, compassion and devotion... which will ensure that you live your life in Ayodhya under Rama Rajya.

May Sri Sita-Rama bless us with their grace so that we may never lured into the entrapments of material life, is my sincere prayer.

From Thursday to today, Hindus have been busy with New Year celebrations... here’s wishing all Telegu, Hindi and Tamil speaking readers respectively, a blessed New Year.   

With love and prayers always

Yogan

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