SHRI RAMCHANDRAJI

:: CULTURE, LIFESTYLE & SPIRITUALITY ::

Remembering Shri Rama
Earlier this month, on the 6th April, was the festival of 'Ram Navmi', which celebrates one of the most important events in our history, the birth of Lord Rama. Rama Navmi is not as hugely celebrated as the other great festival of which Rama is the central figure; Diwali. Nevertheless Ram Navmi is still an important date in the Hindu spiritual calendar and always guarantees to have temples packed.

Only a few figures in the course of history have had an epic fame enduring for many thousands of years. Of these perhaps the best known is Rama, whose fame has endured to the present day, sustained by millions of devotees across the world. Rama lived at a very ancient period; long before Christ, Buddha, Moses or Krishna.

Rama's life is set forth in a great epic poem called the Ramayana, filled with magic and spirituality as well as high and mighty ethics, morals and ideals. It remains one of the most endearing and inspiring epics in world literature. It includes such extraordinary characters such as great yogis with occult powers, powerful demons and magical animals like Rama's great monkey companion, Hanuman. Yet Rama also appears as an historical figure in one of the great dynasties of ancient India, the solar dynasty of Kosala, and is included among the detailed genealogies of ancient Hindu kings. There are at least 60 kings recorded between Rama and the time of the Buddha (c. 500 BCE).

In Hindu thought, Rama is the seventh avatar (incarnation) of Lord Vishnu, the aspect of the Divine or Pure Consciousness that protects and preserves the universe. Rama was known for his fearlessness, compassion, courage and wisdom. He is called upon as the form of God who saves us from difficulties and danger. Rama as a name means "he who gives light, joy and peace". Rama is called Bhagavan Rama or Lord Rama to show respect for his divinity. The name of Rama is one of the most important Sanskrit names for God, perhaps second only to Om in frequency of use. Like Om it is called Taraka, the mantra of deliverance, taking us beyond the ocean of birth and death.

Rama's fame in ancient times was even greater than it is today. He is mentioned in Buddhist literature as an enlightened individual, and the name of Rama is one of the main Sikh names for God. Rama and his worship go far beyond India. The kings of Thailand to the present day are named Rama, and their capital city, Ayuttha is named after Rama's own capital Ayodhya. The story of Rama is commonly told in Indochina and is performed regularly in Indonesia, where a large statue of Rama can be found in the capital city Jakarta, representing the older Hindu tradition of the country that many people still follow. Smaller indigenous communities in the Philippines, Malaysia, and Borneo are devotees of Rama. The walls of temples from Pakistan to Ankor Wat in Indochina portray scenes from the life of Rama. Indeed the story of Rama is the most popular and enduring story of South Asia. Rama is the greatest cultural hero of the region, combining the strength of Hercules with the compassion of Buddha. To the West, the name Rama occurs as a name of God in ancient Persian literature, the Zend Avesta of the Zoroastrians, as well as in artefacts as far as in Syria and Egypt. This suggests that the story of Rama may have been known over a far greater region in ancient times.

Ancient Rama mandir in Indonesia

The story of Ram reflects the spiritual view of life found in Yoga and Vedanta, the practice and philosophy of Self-realisation. According to the Hindu view, God is the Infinite Bliss and Wisdom that dwells within our hearts to which we must eventually return, whatever we may do and however far we may stray. Rama is an incarnation of joy, compassion and strength. Devotion to him counsels us to return to our true Self-Nature. It's message is not doom and gloom or threats of punishment, but that we contain within ourselves an ocean of delight and awareness that transcends all time, space and causation which we can access to fulfil our inner destiny (God-realisation) and overcome the bonds of karma. Rama himself abides within us as the Divine Will that is master of everything, which we can manifest through surrender of our thoughts and actions to God.

Many great teachers of modern India have been devotees of Rama, including Mahatma Gandhi, who died with the name of Rama on his lips. Perhaps most notable among recent teachers is Neem Karoli Baba, who was considered to be a manifestation of Rama's companion, Hanuman. Another great Rama devotee of modern India was Papa Ramdas of South India. A number of westerners are now devotees of Rama, through the influence of such teachers. Quite recently the national television network of India produced a television series based on the Ramayana, that mesmerised the country. All business and government activity and even the trains stopped during the telecast because no one wanted to miss it. No ancient epic, not even Homer's Iliad or Odyssey has remained as popular through the course of time. The story of Rama appears as old as civilisation itself and has a fresh appeal for every generation.