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| By Gemini AI |
Life is tough. Even the divine incarnations on the
earth have had it tough. Rama and Jesus, for example, both endured much, both
had to go through a lot of pain and suffering. If gods can’t have it any easy,
how can we, ordinary mortals, expect anything better?
We need to say a big ‘yes’ to life in
spite of all those pains and sufferings. How does the Ramayana help us do that?
Acceptance of Suffering as Part of
Dharma
Rama accepts his exile with resignation in a spirit of
renunciation. He accepts it with grace though it means loss of his kingdom, his
kingship, potential separation from his loving wife, and fights with rakshasas
and other evil forces. At every step, he upholds dharma. We understand that
suffering has a place in the cosmic order and there is no escape from it. We
have to say a big yes to life in spite of all that suffering.
Transformative Power of Trials
Exile, abduction of spouse, dreadful war – these are
not mere setbacks; they become catalysts for inner growth. Sita’s resilience,
Lakshmana’s loyalty, and Hanuman’s devotion – all these evolve out of the
chaotic adharma in the universe of the epic. The Ramayana teaches us that our
soul evolves because of suffering, not in spite of it. “Pain and sorrow, far
from being absolute evils, are in fact birth pangs of spirit,” as Christian
mystic Teilhard de Chardin said.
Faith in the Restoration of Order
Even in the darkest moments, the epic
never loses sight of dharma and the eventual return to order. There will be
problems in life. Evil is a necessary part of human existence. But the Ramayana
affirms that justice and goodness will prevail in the end.
This is a matter of faith, of the
kind that Hanuman possessed. An absolute trust in the divine. Personally, I am
incapable of such faith. That is because my worldview is more rational than
spiritual. The truth is I have longed for the kind of faith that has created
sages and saints. I guess such faith is an aspect of one’s DNA or genes. If
faith and reason are the two ends of a continuum, I stand very far from faith’s
end. Whenever I have tried to move towards that end, there is an invisible
force pulling me back – towards reason.
While Hanuman was moved by Rama to
ultimate surrender of the self, Sugriva and Tara lived their lives pursuing
their own personal goals which had nothing to do with Rama or the divine. Both
were aware of the divine nature of Rama.
Compassion in the Face of Conflicts
Rama experiences immense pain. His wife is abducted. He wages a terrifying war to rescue her from the fortress of evil. Then he has to face allegations against her purity. Sending one’s wife to a fire test, not once but twice, is certainly an unbearable agony. Despite all that, Rama never gives up his compassion. The respect he gives to the dead, even if they were his enemies, is striking. Even Ravana is given respectful last rites in spite of Vibhishana’s insistence that one who had violated the dharma did not deserve such honour. “Now that Ravana is dead, he is no longer your enemy. Perform his funeral as befitting your elder brother.” That’s what he tells Vibhishana. That’s a loud assertion of – saying ‘yes’ to – life’s goodness.
Responsibility
In the end, saying ‘yes’ to life means accepting life
with responsibility. Life is full of uncertainties. There is the uncertainty of
oneself and the uncertainty of the world. We are constantly faced with the
choice between chaos and cosmos, between absurdity and intelligibility, between
dharma and adharma. The Ramayana teaches us that we have the responsibility to
choose the good over the evil. On our choices is suspended the very harmony of
the cosmos.
This post is part of an
A-Z series that is concluding tomorrow.
Tomorrow: The Zenith of Governance
Previous Posts in this series:
That can be hard sometimes, though.
ReplyDeleteNo doubt
DeleteLife is a Navigation of Choices, informed with their share of Ambiguities. Wisdom is having Compassion, as our Compass. Not a matter of neat Binaries, in Black and White. This was the tussle between the Pharisees and Jesus, Pope Francis and the Roman Curia. The same tussle will be churned over in. the Conclave, just round the corner.
ReplyDeleteYes, this is an eternal problem, one which has no final answer.
DeleteLet's hope that a Francis II will continue...
Interesting. Thanks for sharing. Would love to read the Ramayana!
ReplyDeleteGlad
DeleteHari Om
ReplyDeleteI woud argue that faith and reason are not mutually exclusive... depending, of course, on where the faith is being placed. That itself is a part of the cycle of life, which most definitely is worth embracing, moving forward regardless of what it throws at us. You are bringing this series to a satsifying end, my friend! YAM xx
I learnt much from this exercise and you played a role too in the process.
DeleteThe way you highlighted Rama's acceptance of exile and his unwavering commitment to dharma reminded me that suffering can be a catalyst for personal growth.
ReplyDeleteI was particularly moved by your discussion on compassion, especially Rama's respectful treatment of Ravana after his death. It serves as a powerful reminder that empathy should extend even to those who oppose us. Your candid admission about struggling with faith, yet striving to find meaning through reason, struck a chord with me. It's comforting to know that one can seek purpose without unwavering belief.
This whole exercise in April has been a wonderful learning experience for me. You played a significant role in it too.
DeleteThis entire post kind of has assimilated the whole of Ramayana in it ! Choosing good over evil is not always easy but is very much necessary !
ReplyDeleteI think there is no other way of maintaining the dharmic order in the human world.
Delete