Triple Play

Triple Play

||Sri Ramakrishna Sharanam||

Aum Namo Narayanaya

There are occasions that present an opportunity for us to reflect and sometimes question the rationale behind many things that happen. Friday was one such occasion, being the new year of the Telegu and Hindi community. The wonderful accompaniment of unpacking the philosophy of the Ramayan in the midst of this introspection gives us an alternate view on the events that compile our life.

In projecting the spotlight on the landscape of the past, present undulating waves of happiness and sorrows can been seen making up this very confusing portrait of our so called existence. Why can we not maintain the state of happiness throughout our lives? Who is behind the brush of this portrait? In moments of grief and pain we find it so easy to lay blame on God – “this is your entire fault and I hate you for this.” These are some of the emotions that frustrate us and make us so despondent of life.

Upon reading the Ramayan, many people are pleasantly surprised and like me driven to tears to read how even Lord Rama had to undergo so much of pain and anxiety on account of His relationships with various people. It is quite apparent from studying the Ramayan that everybody is prone to suffer from this alternating happiness and sorrow.

The cause of which is the ignorance of this manifested creation to the ‘Triple play’. To many who are in the ICT sector, the term refers to the convergence of voice, video and data over a single medium allowing users to utilise all applications at the same time. There is a force in the universe that governs every manifested particle and every manifested particle is subjected to its law.

I refer to the process of Srishti, Stithi, Vinashanam - the process of creation, sustenance and dissolution - which is constantly taking place at the same time, all the time. In essence this means that nothing that is manifest is forever. That which came into your life yesterday, can be here today but will be gone tomorrow. There are no guarantees in life irrespective of promises made.

In the absence of knowledge of this triple play, we desire for certain things in life with the thought of clinging to it for eternal joy and happiness. Resulting from this desire, attachment arises. In the Ramayana Sage Valmiki beautifully illustrates how through desire how an entire chain of events lead to the suffering of so many people destroying even an entire kingdom.

I think we have answered both our questions thus far. The reason we cannot maintain eternal happiness is because we attach ourselves to the world which is not permanent (subject to triple play). The hand behind the brush is none other than the self. We have the ability to make the portrait of our existence a joyful experience.

Extracting incidents from the Ramayan, we come across three incidents of desire that lay the foundations through which the plot unfolds. The first being that of Queen Keikei to install her son Bharat as the King of Ayodhya over Rama, leading to His father having to banish Him to the forest for fourteen years. This is followed by the desire of Suparnakha to take Rama as her husband, thus infuriating Lakshmana provoking him to cut off her nose. And lastly, we find in the pursuit of his sisters revenge, Ravana having a desire to make Sita one of his consorts. All three incidents are triggered by desire of self pleasure; and although bringing some sort of instant pleasure at the time, undoubtedly returns to draw all of them into pits of unending misery.



Shree Rama -
 The King of Ayodhya



The Ramayana through the most poetic language of its authors explains to humanity that when the mind which is rooted in desire it cannot enjoy the finest pleasures of the world. We clearly see that in the fourteen years that Shree Rama was not in Ayodha the kingdom was thrown into darkness and grief with a continuous flow of tears. In Lanka - Ravana, despite living in a Golden Palace with riches innumerable, could not have even a decent sleep without the thought of being slayed.

Revered Maharaj Swami Vimokshananda in one of His discourses explained that yodhya in Sanskrit means pain, sorrow and suffering. When we root our lives in desire for sense pleasure and material enrichment the divine leaves like how Rama left for fourteen years. That beautiful bustling kingdom of colour and joy is turned into yodhya a place of perpetual mourning and unhappiness (the kingdom also refers to your life).

In the absence of desire, the mind is freed from all bondage; the divine returns; and yodhya becomes ayodhya - a kingdom flourishing with joy, happiness and prosperity. This joy and happiness celebrated today across the globe as the festival of Deepavali. By lighting the lamp of knowledge, we remove the darkness of desire and attachment and welcome the reign of Rama Rajya - the term used to describe the wonderful period of prosperity and happiness under the rule of Lord Rama.

There is no one on this earth if questioned, will deny that they want a life of prosperity and happiness and the only way to do this is to install Shree Ram on the throne of your life. The prerequisite for such a coronation is simply to clear your mind and heart of all desire and attachment; base your life on righteousness and have one pointed devotion to God.

In concluding I believe none can put this subject in final perspective than Sri Ramakrishna when He said the following:

Divine Master
Shri Ramakrishna

Mother, here is Thy knowledge and here is Thy ignorance. Take them both, and give me only pure love. Here is Thy holiness and here is Thy unholiness. Take them both, Mother, and give me pure love. Here is Thy good and here is Thy evil. Take them both, Mother, and give me pure love. Here is Thy righteousness and here is Thy righteousness. Take them both, Mother, and give me pure love.

I mentioned all these, but I could not say: "Mother, here is Thy truth and here is Thy falsehood. Take them both." I gave up everything at Her feet but could not bring myself to give up truth.

The truth that Sri Ramakrishna speaks of is God - for it is God alone that is real, and immersing yourself in God alone will help you divert to a path exempt from alternating sorrow and happiness to one of constant eternal happiness.

May our lives become Ayodhya under Rama’s rule is my sincere prayer.

With love and prayers always,

Yogan