Festivals Have a Purpose: Inner Work

 We celebrate the New Year twice. On Jan 1st, along with the rest of the world and once again in Mar-Apr. Remember, India is famous for it’s diversity – languages, cuisine, culture, customs etc? We also celebrate umpteen festivals. New Year’s day is one such festival. Each state or region has it’s own New Year day, and is called by different names. Some fall on a fixed date, based on the solar calendar, while some are determined by the position of the moon, based on the lunar calendar.

Ugadi: New Year’s Day. This year, the New Year’s day, also referred to as Ugadi, was celebrated last week. The highlight of this day is the famous Ugadi pachadi or chutney. It’s a mixture of different ingredients: neem flowers, raw mango, tamarind, chilli, jaggery and salt. It is bitter, tangy, sour, spicy, sweet and salty.

The famous Ugadi pachadi. The chutney and it’s different flavors are symbolic of life and serve as a reminder that life brings different experiences (joy, sorrow, disgust, surprise, fear, anger) and one should learn to take them in one’s stride and face them with grace and equanimity. 

The chutney is simply delicious, to say the least. Hmmmm…and I wonder, how many of us would say the same thing about life?

Another festival, Sri Rama Navami. Sri Rama Navami, comes a week after Ugadi, and is widely celebrated in the country marking the birth of Lord Sri Rama, an incarnation of divinity, thousands and thousands of years ago.

Since I love food, I must not forget to mention the highlight of this day. Two items – one is panakam, a sweet drink prepared with jaggery and pepper, and the other is vadapappu, a salad made up of soaked moong lentils, raw mango, green chilli and coconut. Need I say anything more about how these two taste? Just heavenly…

(The items mentioned are just starters, to be eaten first thing in the morning. After a bath, of course. A head bath, first thing in the morning, is a “must” on all festival days. It cleanses any negative energies surrounding oneself, enables positive energies that accompany the sunrise to be received. Of course, it calms the mind, so the activities of the day can be conducted in peace and harmony.)

Festivals are fun. When we were kids, we would look forward to these two festivals. A double treat, in a week’s time – schools are closed, you get to eat amazing food, and you get to listen to wonderful stories. What more could one ask?

Festivals and stories go together. Yup, stories, tons of them. Every festival has it’s own set of stories. While today’s kids watch Superman, He-man, Spiderman, Pokemon, Harry Potter and the likes, we enjoyed the vast treasure of mythological stories.

Typically, the stories would be about the triumph of good over evil, and when you are a kid, nothing is more exciting and fascinating than listening to stories of bravery, heroism, wisdom, and high ideals.

Gods and goddesses, kings and queens, princes and princesses,  demons and devas, sages and saints, animals and birds, trees and plants, magic and magicians, wars and battles, celestial and magical weapons, supernatural forces and events etc…bet they could beat Harry Potter any day!

Wisdom for everyone. The beauty of these stories is that they have been woven with layers and layers of profound symbolism and universal wisdom. And hidden within these layers are the secrets of creation.  Note that the wisdom is timeless and ageless, simple yet profound, practical yet holistic, spiritual yet scientific…complete in all aspects! And to the true seeker, the wisdom is said to reveal itself layer by layer.

Ramayana, an epic poem. One such story is Ramayana, a Sanskrit epic poem, composed by Sage Valmiki, India’s aadi kavi or first poet.  Based on historical events, it narrates the ayana or journey/path of Lord Sri Rama. It demonstrates a life of dharma –  path of righteousness, truth and duty – right behavior in relationships, right discharge of one’s duties, righteous administration of people. Dharma is the way of life. (A brief version of the story is given at the end of this article for those of you who are reading about it for the first time.)

The ideal couple. Now, if you were to ask anyone in India to name someone who lived life with grace and equanimity and took life’s experiences in one’s stride, don’t be surprised if you heard the names of Lord Sri Rama and his wife, Devi Sita. Indians revere and worship them as the adarsh or ideal couple.

The ideal man. Lord Sri Rama is revered as the epitome of virtue. He represents the ideal son, the ideal brother, the ideal husband, the ideal friend, the ideal enemy and the ideal king, and hence maryadapurushottam, the ideal man. Even today, countless people read Ramayana  and chant his name SriRama so they may imbibe his idealism, righteousness, sense of duty, equipoise and grace.

Lord Sri Rama demonstrates many great qualities. Volumes of commentaries and poetry have been composed in his name extolling his many virtues. In short, he is symbolic of the divine potential in each one of us.

What’s the real intent behind festivals? Food, stories, rituals, etc. are certainly an integral part of every festival. But there’s a deeper intent to why we celebrate so many festivals.

It’s a reminder and an opportunity for the being, lost in the activities of the world, to withdraw from the outer world and contemplate on his/her inner/divine self, to gauge how far he/she has come along on the path of self-realization, and to set intentions for further growth and experience. Too often, we forget the deeper purpose as we tend to the external duties and demands of a festival.

You could compare this to project milestones in the business world. Except that you are your own boss, manager and auditor and get to carve out your goals and pace your journey.

Recollecting Lessons from Ramayana

 Recollecting lessons from Ramayana. So, on the occasion of Sri Rama Navami, here’s recollecting some of Lord Sri Rama’s qualities and some lessons from Ramayana – these qualities are nothing new and we all know them. Books have been written and people have spoken on these qualities and principles for ages. These are relevant to all walks of life whether leadership, business, management, ethics, personnel development, sports, politics, spirituality etc.. These are universal and transcend the boundaries of nations, religions and cults.

“Be Impeccable With Your Word. Speak with integrity. Say only what you mean. Avoid using the word to speak against yourself or to gossip about others. Use the power of your word in the direction of truth and love.” ~Don Miguel Ruiz

#1 Manifest the power of speech. Lord Sri Rama is known for being mitabhashi or a person of few words and a mridubhashi, i.e a person who speaks in a soft, gentle, sweet, pleasant and graceful manner. As a result, whatever he spoke was as good as a promise, and he was known to defend his promises with his life (pran jaaye par vachan na jaaye). His word was  obeyed as law by those who followed him. When speech is pure, it has the power to manifest instantly, literally, an order to the universe. Herein lies a wonderful message for all of us.

Sound is the basis  of all creation. Human beings, of all species on this planet, are endowed with the power of speech and hence we are the only creatures vested with the power to co-create our lives. Words and thoughts are energy. What, when and how we utter and speak defines not only who we are but also charts the future course of our lives. It determines the energy we are radiating and therefore who and what we attract into our lives.

Observe your speech, the words you use and how you utter them, and it will give plenty of clues to your current situation in life. Wish to transform your life? Change your words and your thoughts! Judging others and self (e.g. prejudices, interpretations, assumptions and preconceived notions) – is a massive energy drainer. Channelize this energy in a positive way and see your life change.

“The key to winning is poise under stress.” ~Paul Brown

 #2 Maintain balance and equipoise. Unlike his brother Lakshmana, Lord Sri Rama never lost his temper, never acted in haste and was not easily ruffled. He was always and in all ways Captain Cool and Calm. Equanimity and nitya sattwa or eternal poise are his remarkable characteristics.

Three qualities define a person’s state of mind – rajas or dynamism/aggression/domination, tamas or inertia/apathy/lethargy, sattwa or poise/balance. We achieve a  state of nitya sattwa or eternal and absolute poise when we learn to balance and subsequently, transcend these three states.

 The first step is to live a life of balance. Here, balance applies to all areas of our life – speech, thoughts, actions, food, sleep, work, play, finances, etc. Too much of anything or too little of anything can upset the balance, create consequences and bind us in the cycle of karma.

 Revisit your life and your priorities. What areas of your life are balanced and what areas need some balance? Work on balancing one area of life, it will eventually lead you to the other areas and you will be surprised at the outcome.

 “The higher nature in man always seeks for something which transcends itself and yet is its deepest truth; which claims all its sacrifice, yet makes this sacrifice its own recompense. This is man’s dharma, man’s religion, and man’s self is the vessel” ~ Rabindranath Tagore

 #3 Follow dharma fearlessly. Lord Sri Rama demonstrated that one should follow dharma, the path of righteousness, truth and duty, implicitly and fearlessly, irrespective of whether others follow it or not. He followed dharma for the sake of dharma, neither to impress or please anyone, nor to flaunt his greatness and gather people around him.

 Living in today’s world, it’s certainly unimaginable that such people ever lived on the face of this planet. Was it easier then to follow a path of dharma than it is now? The times were certainly different. And life today is certainly challenging to say the least. Dharma or righteousness is certainly not a word in fashion.

 To do or not to do? To be or not to be?

To do/be – then what, how, when, why?

 Following a path of dharma doesn’t fetch big bucks nor does it provide instant gratification in the short run, nor does it bring name and fame. It is apparently confusing, frustrating and full of dilemmas.

 But if it’s your inner calling, and it’s important for you, then follow it fearlessly. Granted the path is not strewn with roses, but be assured, when you are determined to follow dharma, mighty forces of the universe come to your aid, show you the way and lead you all along. Gandhiji proved it once again with his non-violence movement in the last century.

“Leadership is practiced not so much in words as in attitude and in actions.” ~ Harold S. Geneen

 #4 Lead by example. This is, perhaps, one of the most endearing qualities of Lord Sri Rama that he led by example. He was neither a preacher nor a teacher. So, the need to “walk the talk” or “practice what you preach” never arose. He lived, breathed and walked the path of dharma and never talked or preached about it.

As a result, people in large numbers, including his family, friends, teachers, subjects, followed him of their own freewill. His wife, Devi Sita, and brother, Lakshmana, followed him to the forest of their own accord. Even the people of Ayodhya wished to follow him to the forest but he dissuaded them reminding them of their dharma. 

 Be a leader. Lead by example. Let others follow by choice. Do not attempt to preach, influence, control or force others. Every individual has a freewill and even the universe/god/life doesn’t interfere with that freewill. Honor others freewill.

“Detachment is a plant of slow growth; if you pluck the tender plant to look for the pods, you will be disappointed.” ~ Sri Sathya Sai Baba

 #5 Cultivate balanced detachment. Lord Sri Rama demonstrated detachment, and I must add, the right degree of detachment. Easier said than done, because it’s very easy to swing to extremes of attachment or detachment, like a pendulum.

He was a prince, heir to a vast kingdom, with all the riches and grandeur of the world at his feet. He left all that and went on exile to the forest, without even blinking an eye. His wife, Devi Sita, followed him willingly, leaving the comforts of the royal palace.

They accepted the exile with equanimity and grace. Even in the forests, they lived in contentment, joy and goodwill. They never harbored any bitterness or ill will (towards those who were responsible for their exile), never showed any frustration, nor did they spend their days in despair whining about their change in fates.

 They knew that whatever was happening was happening as per the will of the Divine and they followed the course of life, never attempting to swim against the tide. And ultimately, the exile did have a purpose and reason. Ravana, the demon, who was committing atrocities on humanity had to be killed. And, if not for the exile and Devi Sita’s abduction (by Ravana), that would never have happened.

Even when he became king, Lord Sri Rama demonstrated detachment. He performed his duties with equanimity and detachment, never being attached to the power, duties, pleasures, fame and name, or worldly possessions.

In this age, many believe that Lord Sri Rama and Devi Sita suffered undue hardships and difficulties during the exile. They argue that Lord Sri Rama ought to have fought for his rights instead of bowing meekly to the whims of Kaikeyi. What Lord Sri Rama and Devi Sita demonstrated was inner strength and bliss, and a state of mind that had transcended the illusion of the world and it’s transient pleasures.

We are spiritual beings on a human journey meant to experience different facets of life. The world is a stage and we come here to play a role. When we get too attached to the stage, to the role, to the dress, etc. we forget that we are just an actor. We cross the boundaries set for our role and invite unnecessary hardships on to ourselves.

Practice balanced detachment. Enjoy and live life. Love and welcome love. Perform your duties without attachment to the results. Have no expectations from others. Take life’s experiences in your stride and learn to take them in one’s stride and face them with grace and equanimity. There’s a purpose and reason behind every experience and if we are too attached to our wants and wishes, we can miss the true purpose behind these events. Think but don’t get carried away by your thoughts, act but don’t get carried away by your actions.

“Success in any endeavor requires single-minded attention to detail and total concentration.”  ~ Willie Sutton

#6 Focus on your goal with single-mindedness. Lord Sri Rama was renowned for his skills in archery. It is said that he rarely missed his target, which means one arrow was sufficient to reach his target . Such was his prowess, focus, clarity and accuracy. Sages and rishis would seek his help to overcome demons that were harassing them because they believed in his success.

One comes across challenges, obstacles and limitations in life. It’s all part of the journey. These are nothing but distractions.  To reach one’s goals, one needs to stay focused and not be swayed by the many distractions. When you follow the other principles given here, you automatically free up huge amounts of energy that allow you to focus in this present moment.

Be clear on what you want. Channelize your energies in the right direction. Do not let fears from the past or worries about the future (these are the demons in our lives) drain your energies from the present moment. The present is all that there is. Be in the moment and stay focused.

“No heart that holds onto a right desire can tread the road of loss” ~Lord Krishna in Bhagavad Gita

#7 Hold on to the right desire. Why did Devi Sita desire a golden deer? Didn’t she know the consequences? What would have happened if she ignored the golden deer? The rest of the story would never have happened and Lord Sri Rama would not have killed the demon Ravana. Since the whole purpose of Lord Sri Rama taking a human birth was to bring an end to Ravana’s atrocities on the planet, this drama had to take place.

However, to the common man, it holds a message. In Ramayana, Devi Sita demonstrated that by desiring something that was not a necessity, she lets her lower self bind her. The lower self in each one of us is our personality, comprising of our emotions, thoughts, actions, and desires and when not channeled in the right direction towards a purpose of love and goodwill, the consequences bind us in the cycle of Karma.

Desire by itself is not wrong. Hold on to the right desire so that you are not bound by the consequences of your thoughts and actions in a cycle of karma. Also see @4 Sundarakanda

Symbolism in Ramayana, and it’s Significance

 “The intuitive mind is a sacred gift and the rational mind is a faithful servant. We have created a society that honors the servant and has forgotten the gift.” ~Albert Einstein

@1 The power of buddhi or intuition. Symbolically, Lord Sri Rama represents paramatma or the universal soul or universal consciousness, Lakshmana represents ahankara or the ego or localized consciousness, Bharatha represents Buddhi or intuition and Shatrughana represents Chit or mind. Thus, the four brothers together symbolize the human being.

 What’s the symbolism here? Lakshmana and Shatrughana are born twins, i.e. one’s ego and mind are born together. But Lakshmana always followed Lord Sri Rama and Shatrughana always followed Bharatha while Bharatha was ever devoted to Lord Sri Rama.

 Here’s the message for us – our ego should rise above individual and localized consciousness and orient towards universal consciousness, because when left to itself, it is prone to self-destruction.

The mind should always orient towards intuition because the intuition is forever oriented towards the source. If the mind is oriented towards intuition, then there is no conflict and confusion because the intuition is always oriented towards the universal soul or the universe.

Since the universe is the source of infinite wisdom and has the answer to every question and solution to every challenge, the above orientation ensures that even though we live in this world, we are not bound by the world and our own personal limitations.

The world is a challenging place and it’s easy to get lost in the wilderness of distractions. Instead, focus on the inner world. Reach into your depths and tune into your inner self, your higher self. Consult your intuition while thinking and let thinking precede your actions. Stay connected to the source, the infinite source of all wisdom.

@2 Srirama mantra. According to ancient scriptures (whether Indian, Christian, Egyptian, Greek or Jewish), sound (along with color and number) is the basis of all creation.

The universe is, supposedly, comprised of seven planes (physical, emotional, mental, causal, intuitional or buddhic, soul or atmic, universal soul or paramatmic), each plane further comprising of seven planes, and thus, forty-nine planes in total. It is said that a seed sound or bija akshara is responsible for the creation of each subplane. Thus, forty-nine letters form the forty nine sub-planes. These forty nine letters form the forty-nine alphabets of the ancient language Sanskrit.

A human being is a microcosmos and hence has all the seven planes and forty-nine subplanes within the body. The seven chakras or energy centers in the body correspond to the seven planes. These are situated in the subtle body along the spinal chord – from the tip of the spine to the crown of the head in an ascending order. The three lower planes (physical, emotional, mental) form the lower self, the next three planes form the higher self.

Mantras are sound formulae coined by ancient seers, adept in the science of sound. Uttering these mantras consciously and correctly, have impact on the mind. These are commonly perceived as glorifying and appeasing different gods and goddesses, when in reality, they embody various cosmic principles. Uttering them activates/invokes these cosmic principles in us, which lay dormant otherwise, thanks to lifetimes of non-use and inappropriate use (like a muscle in our body that’s never used becomes weak).

SriRaMa is thus one such mantra. RA/R is the seed sound of the cosmic fire*, MA/M for nature or mula prakriti and SRI is the resulting splendor of the two, the universe – together they define the cosmos completely. Since, man is a microcosmos, chanting of this mantra helps one to burn the impurities of the three lower planes, purifies the mind, thus paving the way for the realization of the divine/macrocosmos in us.

*Native Americans refer to the Sun God as RHA. To the ancient Egyptians,  Amun-RA is the God of Fire. According to Greek mythology, God RA is the symbol of Light, of immortality and eternity.

@3 Sri Rama Koti. From ancient most times, Indians have believed in uttering and writing this mantra 1,00,00,000 times, also called as Ramakoti. The seven zeroes represent the seven planes (10^7) and the 1 before it represents the Absolute beyond the seven planes of creation.

The reason it is 10^7 and not 10×7? Well, one’s potential increases exponentially as one moves up the planes…something worth considering:)

@4 Desires, Lord Hanuman and Sundarakanda. In Ramayana, it’s symbolically shown that Devi Sita was abducted by Ravana (our lower self) and held captive on an island surrounded by waters (of our desires and emotions). The three brothers, Ravana, Kumbhakarna and Vibheeshana symbolize the three qualities of rajas or aggression/dynamism, tamas or inertia, and sattwa or poise respectively. These three qualities define our personality.

Devi Sita’s innermost desire to be united with her husband is symbolic of our very own thirst to realize our true selves. Our earnest desire to be re-united with the Source brings a guru or teacher into our lives, who helps us channelize our desires, emotions and thoughts in the right direction, so we may uplift ourselves and realize our higher self. 

In Ramayana, Lord Hanuman symbolizes the teacher. When he reached the island in search of Devi Sita, and set fire to Ravana’s palace, it is symbolic of the teacher purifying the unwanted emotions, desires and thoughts in the student. Lord Hanuman also symbolizes pure devotion to the source – i.e. complete orientation of lower self towards the higher self, also implying one who has conquered the mind or man.

Later, following his lead, the monkey army led by Lord Sri Rama, built a bridge across the waters. This symbolizes the orientation of the lower self towards the higher self enabling the descent of divine energy into us and freeing us from our limitations.

Sundarakanda, the part that describes Lord Hanuman’s exploits in Lanka, is the most popularly read part of Ramayana – since it symbolic of the inner work we need to do on ourselves to be released from the cycles of Karma and unleash our divine potential. (There are six parts in Valmiki’s Ramayana, the six parts corresponding to the lower six chakras in us.)

@5 Ravana and his death. Ravana has ten heads – the ten heads symbolize the ten vices that bind the personality. There are many other interpretations regarding the number ten.

In a fierce battle, Lord Sri Rama kills Ravana. The death of Ravana symbolizes the transcendence of our higher self over our lower self or the personality. The being (symbolized by Devi Sita) is thus liberated and reunited with the universal soul laying the foundation for the kingdom of dharma or rama rajya in the body. Lord Sri Rama crowns Vibheeshana as the king of Lanka before returning to Ayodhya – i.e. the lower self is restored to a state of balance and poise.

The battle lasts for ten days. Why ten? Nine layers seperate the being from the Source:

Divine nature (mulaprakriti)

Three qualities of rajas, tamas and sattwa (trimurti)

Five elements of space, air, fire, water and earth (panchabhoothas)

The absolute is the tenth one beyond these nine. Thus, the ten day battle signifies the kundalini shakti or Devi Sita being released from muladhara or Lanka, crossing the nine layers and being reunited with the source.

Story of Ramayana – a brief version

Here is a brief version of the story of Ramayana. For a detailed version, please refer to wikipedia. For those of you new to Sanskrit/Indian names, beware of the tongue twisters:)

King Dasaratha of Ayodhya has three wives, Kaushalya, Kaikeyi and Sumitra. He is childless for a long time. Desiring a heir, he conducts a fire ritual. Consequently, the three queens give birth to four sons, Kaushalya to Sri Rama, Kaikeyi to Bharatha, Sumithra to twins Lakshmana and Shatrughana. Sri Rama and Lakshmana are inseparable and so are Bharatha and Shatrughana. Lakshmana follows Sri Rama everywhere with the latter making sure he does, Shatrughana follows Bharatha everywhere, while Bharatha looks up to Sri Rama all the time.

Sri Rama wins the hand of Devi Sita in her swayamvar (In those days, a princess chose the husband from an assembly of eligible kings and princes, especially invited for that purpose.)

King Dasaratha wishes to make Sri Rama as crown prince of Ayodhya. Kaikeyi, instigated by her maid and roused by jealousy, claims two boons that Dasaratha had granted her long ago. One, that Bharatha should be made crown prince, and two, that Sri Rama be banished to exile in the forest for fourteen years. Sri Rama leaves for the forest accompanied by his wife Devi Sita and brother Lakshmana.

Bharatha, who is away at that time, returns and learns of the events. He refuses the throne and follows Sri Rama to the forest in order to persuade him to come back and take his rightful place. Sri Rama, a stickler to righteousness and duty, refuses to return before the period of exile. Bharatha returns back to Ayodhya with Sri Rama’s sandals, places them on the throne and rules as Sri Rama’s regent.

Sri Rama, Devi Sita and Lakshmana spend years roaming the forests, meeting sages and saints and living a life of meditation, peace and serenity. One day, a golden deer captivates Devi Sita. She requests that Sri Rama bring the deer to her. The deer is a ploy by Ravana to abduct Devi Sita, in his bid to seek revenge. He succeeds in abducting her and holds her prisoner on his island.

Ravana is demon king of Lanka, an island surrounded with water. He has two brothers, Kumbhakarna and Vibheeshana. Kumbhakarna is in a state of perpetual slumber. Even though Vibheeshana is a half demon, he follows the path of righteousness, and boldly protests the wrong deeds of his brother.

In their search for Devi Sita, Sri Rama and Lakshmana come across the Vanaras. Sugriva is their king and Lord Hanuman is his minister. With the help of the Vanara army, Sri Rama and Lakshmana reach Lanka. Ravana rejects all peace overtures. He is finally killed in a battle lasting ten days. Vibheeshana is crowned king of Lanka. Sri Rama, accompanied by his wife and brother, return to their kingdom, and is crowned king of Ayodhya.

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