|| OM Śrī Gaṇeśāya Namaḥ ||
|| OM Śrī Hanumate Namaḥ ||
Maryādā Purūśottama Rāma is the name that vibrates in the heart of every Hindu, and probably every Indian. Recalling the name immediately fills one with the bhāva to stand for dharma, the righteousness. Rāma also represents alertness and most importantly Parampuruśa, the supreme Godhead who can grant us moksha. Rāma can be seen without Sita, Lakshmaṇa or even Hanumāna, but Rāma cannot be imagined without his bow. Rāma is shown as always holding his bow in an alert position and not resting on his shoulders. Even as a child, we image him holding Bow and Arrow.
His bow represents alertness or better ‘awareness’. Rāma is constantly aware. Aware of what? From absolute standpoint or top most point of view, Śrī Rāma is aware of his own true nature, infact he is the Real Self, the consciousness itself or Brahman. From Dual perspective, Śrī Rāma, as a person, is aware of everything that is not ‘Self’. Rāma is aware of mind, body and intellect or antaḥkaraṇa which represents four functions – mana , buddhi, chitta and ahaṁkāra (mind, intellect, recitation power or memory and ego). He is also aware of panch kosha. In brief, Śrī Rāma is aware of all that is anātmāṇ or that which is ‘not Self’. By being constantly aware or by being a witness, one experiences detachment. This detachment helps one understand that it is the mind that is the cause of bondage and moksha. It is both friend and foe. Detachment is the solution of most of the problems practically faced by sādhakas. Only by being detached one can understand the vrittis – the tendencies of mind, thoughts and emotions. Detachment makes one experience how emotions and external objects pull the mind outward and keep the mind trapped in the body consciousness. Detachment makes one understand that bonding is bondage.
Unless and until one is detached, one never knows that one was attached. Laymen does not know what is attachment and how one gets attached to an object or person. Rāma represents this consciousness which helps us detach and is at it's core it is our very own Self. One must always stay alert that no negativity enters into our mind and try to avoid it as much as possible. We all face situation in life when we get angry or feel frustration growing within us. We, the laymen, always look towards an ideal whom we can depend upon and can walk the path prescribed by him. We need direction and clarity. Rāma is one such ideal. He is also Īśvara and Parabrahman. So Rāma, who is always vigilant, always aware, and always detached is the one who can lead us beyond our bondage. It is ‘our bondage’ as our mind has created it. It is also known as Jīva sṛṣṭi – samsāra (world) created by jīva. Īśvara sṛṣṭi like mountain, river, sea, stars, etc does not hinder spiritual progress, so there is no special effort needed to detach from it. What attaches one is one’s own mind. It is the mind that makes one object, person or place valuable and selectively gives importance to one over other.
Rāma represents ‘supreme consciousness’ or ‘Brahman’. The birth of Rāma signifies the birth of our ability to be a witness. It is an important milestone in spirituality. This is achieved by few sādhakas after many years of sadhana and by the grace of guru and Īśvara. By the grace of Rāma, one can achieve this separation of oneself i.e. ‘I’ with the body, mind and intellect and be a witness of all of them. By being detached and being rooted or surrendered to supreme consciousness, which is Rāma, one can achieve the fruit of detachment by the grace of Rāma.
Rāma, who is also an Īśvara, is an object of worship. He is also destination. He is also the one who shows us to stay detached and has showed us how to live an ideal life. So Rāma is the path too.
Detachment arises due to abhyāsa and vairagya. Rāma not only represents ‘awareness’ or ‘being witness’ or just ‘Īśvara’, being an avatāra, he has shown us the way to live i.e. what should be the mental conditioning when passing through a bad phase. Rāma has taught us to stay in ‘maryādā’, which means ‘to never cross the moral and ethical boundary’. From spiritual standpoint, 'maryādā’ would mean to not let ‘mind’ get swayed away by thoughts and emotions. ‘Maryādā’ means to control mind and never let it slip. The quality of ‘maryādā’ helps one not to react impulsively and this control is possible by being a witness. Rāma, who is the very embodiment of 'maryādā' is the guru, the path and the destination. He is everything. By surrendering and walking the path shown by Bhagavāna Rāma, with abhyāsa and vairagya, one can attain the state of sākshi bhāva (being a witness) and one can surrender to him. So vairāgya and Īśvarapridhāna (facing or focusing towards Īśvara) – both important qualifies needed for Self Realisation and Īśvara darshana can be attained by the grace of Rāma.
On 5th August 2020, there will be a stone laying ceremony at Ayodhyā. A + yuddha = Ayodhyā. ‘yuddhə means ‘war’. ‘Ayodhyā’ means means a place where there is no war. Our thoughts itself are disturbance and the internal struggle which is a kind of silent war and the art of attacking oneself without attacking (by being a witness) leads one to the place where Śrī Rāma lives – Ayodhyā. So Ayodhyā is where Rāma is. There is no difference between the two. It is eternal peace where there is no sorrow, no duality, no fear, eternal and is full of bliss. Sat-chit-ānanda Brahman is indeed Rāma.
On the auspicious occasion of Bhūmi Pūjana, which indicates the beginning of construction of Temple, where the prāṇa pratiṣṭhā (consecration) of the first brick of Rāma Mandira at the birth place of Bhagavāna Śrī Rāma is done, let us pray that Bhagavān Rāma or the qualities of Rāma enter into our heart. May we all walk on the path taught by Rāma, may we always be surrendered to Rāma and be the witness of anātmān and may we all attain Rāma who is Supreme Brahman and stay merged in Sat-Chit-Ānanda Rāma, the supreme consciousness.
|| Śrī Rāmaparabrahmāpaṇamastu ||
|| Jai Śrī Rāma || || Jai Jai Śrī Rāma || || Jai Sīyā Rāma ||
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