Ramayan - the Eternal story! Amazing perspective by Aghori Vimalanand, drafted by Dr. Robert Svoboda

Ramayan is ram=atman (soul) + ayan =progress (journey) = Journey of the Soul

There are several characters in this mythology and they symbolize, as under:

Ram symbolizing Atma Shakti/ The Power of Soul; Bharat symbolizing Deh Shakti / The Power of Body; Lakshman symbolizing Manah Shakti / The Power of Will, Shatrughna symbolizing Karma Shakti / The Power of Action; Dashrath=10 Indriyas (Dash = Ten; Rath = Chariot…Mind is like a chariot with ten horses, which are our external & internal senses…eyes, nose, ears, tongue, skin, hands, legs, genitals, etc…i.e. 5 karmendriyas and 5 gyanendriyas,

Kaushalya=Satva Guna, Kaikeyi=Tamo Guna, Sumitra=Rajo Guna.

It is simple to understand that, Dashrath (the indriyas) under influence of Kaikeyi (tamo guna) disregards its duty towards Ram (the atma/soul) in order to offer undue favour towards Bharat (the body)…something that we all are doing ‘all the time.’

Poor Lord Rama has been sent in exile along with his wife Sita (who is the Kundalini Shakti)

Also, he faces his worst plight when Sita Mata is abducted by Ravana (the ego). The Ego (Ravana) is supported by various warriors who are extremely powerful. One among them is Ravana’s son…Megh-nad (literally means, The Sound of Clouds). It’s not difficult to understand that our ever agitating Mind is clouded with the commotion of “Thoughts”…which never ever allows us to seek rest into the deeper solitude of our Inner Self. Megh-nad (The Sound of Clouds/Thoughts) who is the son of Ravana (the Ego) is too powerful to overcome.

But no one has ever been able to stop the Power of the Soul (Ram). Ram seeks help from Lakshman (Laksh means Goal; Man means Mind…Focused or Concentrated Mind)

& Hanuman (who is son of the wind god). It’s through the Wind that Life Force (Pran Shakti) flows within us. The whole Monkey Army is nothing but, forces of the Life Force transmitting Air (Pran Vayu). Thus, with the help from Hanuman (Pran Shakti) and Lakshman (Concentrated Mind), Ram (Atma) defeats Ravan (Ego) in order to come in union with Sita (Kundalini Shakti).

What a beautiful story! Isn’t Ramayana after all, “Journey of the Soul”?

Now for the other side. Ravan = The Upright “I” (Ego), Vibhishan= The Humble “I” (Surrender). Who is Kumbhakarna? Let us understand. Kumbhakarna sleeps for 6 months and is awake for 6 months. 50% ignorant + 50% wise. It is the “I” of a commoner, like you and me. Wise enough to advise Ravana to withdraw from fighting with Lord Rama, yet ignorant enough to join the fight, lacking Vibhishan’s wisdom of Surrendering at Lord’s feet ‘at any cost’.

Here are three new characters: Manthara = Vices. Manthara accompanies Kaikeyi (Tamo Guna) from her paternal home, i.e., both have same origin. Gunas (Symbolized by 3 Ranis of King Dasharath) are always malleable by nature. Kaikeyi (Tamo Guna) while in the company of Manthara (Vices) acts differently, however, when Manthara (Vices) has been driven out by Shatrughna, she repents for her past actions.

Sugriva = Su means Good + Griva means Throat = A Throat that is energized/cleansed thru Yoga/Pranayam. Needless to say, Sugriva being the King of Vanaras supplies Hanuman (Pran) as well as the whole Vanar Sena (Pran Vayu) to assist Ram (The Atma) in his endeavors to free Sita (The Kundalini Shakti) from Ravan (The Ego). A sincere practitioner of Pranayam and Meditation can experience and comprehend this phenomenon in a relatively short span of time.

Shurpanakha, well, this is getting funnier. We all know that the very seed of the Ram & Ravan feud started with the incident of Shurpanakha’s nose getting slain by Lakshman. It is the very beginning of the tale that finally makes Ramayana – The Story. Esoterically, it refers to the ‘time’ when first of the endeavors of a this wandering soul to reach back to its kingdom starts – The Neophyte.

In Ramayana also, 13 years of exile had passed. Just after a year Rama will be throned back to his kingdom. So, the Ego (Ravana) has to play its final game in an attempt to not let it happen. Thus, the first move is taken by Ego’s Sister – Shurpanakha. Shall we explore the meaning? Shurpa-Nakha means Big/Large-Nails. And what do we do with our nails? No marks for guessing that, we scratch of course.

The moment this neophyte Sadhak sits for “Meditation” or “Jap Mala” and tries to Concentrate his/her Mind (An Ekagrachitta/Concentrated/Focussed Mind is Laksh-Man). There comes the marriage proposal from Shurpanakha. One feels scratchy and itchy here and there. So next time we feel scratchy while Meditating or Japa, lets not take the Surpanakha (Nails) to get married to Lakshman. Control…Observe…Get Over…lets slay her nose and drive her out!

Desire & the state of happiness

It is desire that prompts all beings to action. Desire when analyzed shows that there is either a memory of past experienceof pleasure or a vivid imagination of possible pleasure and that tjere is present prompting to secure that pleasure, coupled with a present inability to grasp it immediately. This simultaneous consciousness of conceived pleasure and the present absence of the same alongwith the present inability to enjoy it cannot but give rise to a state of mental disturbance of a painful character. Desire by itself therefore cannot be a state of happiness.

Wise message from Hanuman

‘There is great joy in satisfying oneself,’ said Hanuman. ‘But there is greater joy when we satisfy ourselves by satisfying others. Still greater joy when we do not need satisfaction. And even more joy, when despite not needing satisfaction, we provide satisfaction to others.

One story behind Sita's birth...not sure if it is true

King of Lanka, Raavan habitually stored the blood of all sages that he killed, in a pot. He believed that drinking this blood in future would make him consume all the yogic supreme powers of all the sages.

 

Meanwhile, sage Gritsamada stored all the milk from Darbha grass inside a pot, purifying it with Mantras, so that with his strict penance he could get Goddess Laxmi as his daughter. One day, Ravana killed Gritsamada and mixed the entire sacred milk with the blood of sages. This act enraged Mandodari, and she decided to drink the pot’s content in order to commit suicide.

 

Instead of dying, Mandodari gets impregnated with the incarnation of Goddess Laxmi, due to Gritsamada’s milk and supreme powers of all sages. She hurriedly buries her daughter in faraway barren land, where the baby was discovered by King of Mithila. However, this is one of the most controversial stories of the Hindu mythology. There is no text that supports the same and the origin of this theory is totally unknown.

Goals or The journey to them or A drive to accept & overcome Challenges!!

Goals should be well thought about and shortlisted. They have to be time bound. When such goals are accomplished they give real inner satisfaction. Journey to these goals will test you thoroughly; the better of you will be seen while you are working out through these challenges; This journey will bring you some experience to cherish in memory & learning; Working consistently to improve the better of you is quite some hobby to have. While the results may awe the on lookers, it is the drive to accept challenges and get past them that will drive an individual to perform miracles. Ah, thanks to the human mind for being addictive to anything that it is trained for. Choice of training is left to individuals. Enhancing self to accept bigger challenges could ensure overall progress in life.

Diwali - my perspective

Diwali - is the moment depicted in the picture below. It marks
- a moment where the previous generation residing in heavenly worlds is very proud of the karma of current generation as they not only held their heads high but are one step ahead in comparison to theirs
- a milestone which fulfills the purpose of your life
- a moment which beautifully shows the friends who have been with you in hard times
- a moment which depicts new heights of sibling love
- a moment of celebration for returning to your place & people after fulfilling the purpose of your life

Shiva's slaying of Ganpati & its Spiritual meaning

Came across this article in one of Sri Sri's blogs which is eventually an extract from Ganpati Upanishad:

The stories in the Puranas contain many incredible and hard-to-believe occurences. But they should not be interpreted as a nursery rhyme. Their language is Shakespearean and laden with great depth and meaning. We need to interpret these stories with a very refined state of mind.

The story goes that Parvati created a boy out of dirt from her body and appointed him to guard the doorstep. The first question that comes is how could Parvati, the Goddess Herself, have so much dirt? Parvati symbolizes the triguna - sattva, rajas and tamas. The entire creation is made up of trigunas. The dosha or imperfections that originate out of the triguna is an obstruction for the functioning of Prakriti. That was the boy that Parvati created to stand guard at the door. 

Shiva is Shuddha Chaitanya, pure consciousness. Like the sun does not recognize darkness and cuts through it, Shiva does not recognize dosha and slays the impurity. But Prakriti cannot stay without impurity. So Shiva replaces the dosha with the head of an elephant, which symbolizes knowledge. Through knowledge, all the doshas or obstructions of Prakriti can be taken care of. This is the spiritual and metaphysical meaning of Ganpati being slain. So worshipping Ganpati as the remover of obstacles and the giver of gyana, knowledge is the most amazing depiction of the nature of consciousness. 

Going a step further, even this difference between Prakriti and Purusha is done away with. That is why, the Ganpati Upanishad says,

ajam nirvikalpam niraakaaram-ekam

niraanandam aanandam advaita poornam

param nirgunam nirvishesham nireeham

para brahma roopam ganesham bhajema

Ganesha is the only One unborn unmanifest Reality. He is nirvikalpa and advaita - the formless, undivided One. This is the play and display of consciousness within itself. 

While Ganpati is certainly the nirakara Parabrahman, he is invoked and worshipped in the mud idol for a period of time for the joy of the devotees. Then the Ganpati is asked to merge back into our heart and the idol is immersed in water. This ritual is observed for the sake of devotees, not for the sake of Ganpati. He who is without form is invoked in a form and then his spirit is invoked back into one's heart as the idol is immersed.