6/5/2016

LetRamabeYourIdeal|TheDivineLifeSociety
EMagazine | Yoga Course | Spiritual Calendar | Glossary | Contact Us | Site Map | FAQ

Home

About Us

Divine Life

Paths of Yoga

Yogasanas

Pranayama

Meditation

Our Store

What's New

Gallery

Sitesearch
RSS
BacktoMainNewsPageArticles,ArticlesbySwamiSivananda,Festivals,LatestNews,MustReads,SriRamaNavamiLetRamabeYour
Ideal

LetRamabeYourIdeal
PostedbyadminonMarch22,2015

bySwamiSivananda
SalutationstoLordRama,whoisanAvataraofVishnu,whoismeasureless,whoisofthenatureofPureConsciousnessBliss,whoistheconsort
ofSita,MasterofSriHanuman,andtheLordofthethreeworlds,whotookhisbirthathisownwillinordertoestablishrighteousness,destroythe
wickedandtoprotecthisdevotees.
RamaNavamiortheBirthdayofLordRamafallsonthe9thdayofthebrightfortnightofthemonthofChaitra(MarchApril).
Rama was Lord Hari Himself incarnate on earth for the destruction of Ravana. He was well accomplished, beautiful and endowed with royal
marks.Hisgloryandprowesswereunlimited.Hewaspeerlessonearth.Hewasfreefrommalice.Hewasgentleandtheprotectorofthepeople.
Healwaysaddressedthepeopleingentlewords.Heneverusedanyharshwordsevenwhensomebodyprovokedhim.Hehadhisswayoverthe
wholeworld.
LetSriRamabeyourideal.Idealsarerememberedandadoredforthepurposeofadoptingtheminourownlife.TheRamanavamicelebration,or
theVasantaNavaratri,everyyearisanopportuneperiodforustosaturateourselveswiththespiritofLordRama.Weloveandadoretheideals
becauseweexpresstherebyouryearningtounitewiththem.InourworshipofGod,itisimpliedthatweshouldbevirtuous,goodandperfect,
evenasGodis.Hencethewiseinstruction:OneshouldbecomedivineinordertobeabletoworshipGod.Onecannotbearealworshipperof
LordRamaunlessonemakesanhonestattempttogrowinthevirtuesthatLordRamarepresents.Ontheotherhand,worshipofLordRamais
itselfthesurestmeanstodevelopsuchdivinevirtues.
OnewhoapproachesSriRamawithloveandworshipfulnessbecomeswideinheart,pureinspirit,goodinnature,dispassionateinthought,word
anddeed.AtruedevoteeofLordRamaishisrepresentative,withhispowerandhisknowledge.
LordRamawastheprinceoftheIkshvakurace.Hewasvirtuousandofmanlystrength.HewastheLordofthemindandthesenses.Braveand
valiant,hewasyetgentleandmodest.Hewasasageincounsel,kindandsweetinspeech,mostcourteousandhandsomeinappearance.Ever
devoted to the good and prosperity of his kingdom and his subjects, he was a defender of the weak and the protector of Dharma. Deep and
unfathomedliketheocean,firmandsteadfastliketheHimalayanMountains,valiantlikeLordVishnu,hewasthejoyofKausalya.Thoughfierce
likefireonthebattlefield,hewascalmlikethecoolbreezeoftheMandarahills,patientlikeMotherEarthandrighteouslikeDharma,theLordof
Justicehimself.Inthepainsorgriefsofhispeople,hisheartswiftlysympathisedwiththesufferers,inthefestivesceneswhichheldtheminjoy,
he,likeafather,sharedtheirjoy.
HewasaPremaMurti,animageoflove.Hewasanidealson,anidealbrother,andanidealhusband,anidealfriendandanidealking.Hecanbe
takentoembodyallthehighestidealsofman.Heledanideallifeofhouseholdertoteachthetenetsofrighteousnesstohumanity.
ThenoblestlessonembodiedintheRamayanaisthesupremeimportanceofrighteousnessinthelifeofeveryhumanbeing.Righteousnessisthe
spiritualsparkoflife.Cultivationofrighteousnessistheprocessoftheunfoldmentofthelatentdivinityinman.Thegloriousincarnationofthe
SupremeBeing,asLordRama,hasexemplifiedthroughhisownlife,howtofollowthepathofrighteousness.Letmankindfollowinhisfootsteps
andpractisetheidealscherishedbyhim,foritisonlythusthattherecanbeeverlastingpeace,prosperityandwelfareinthisworld.
Noonebuttherighteouscanbetrulyhappy.Noonebuthewhohasthecorrectsenseofdutyandthewillforitsimplementationcanbesaidtolive
worthily.Onemustbeimbuedwithadefiniteconvictionaboutthesupremacyofmoralprinciples,ethicalvaluesandspiritualideals,whichshould
guideonesdaytodayactionsandserveaspowerfulmeansforthecultureofthehumanpersonality.Thatisthepurposeoflife.Thatisthewayto
Selfrealisation.ThatisthemessageandthemissionofLordRamaslifeonearth.
http://sivanandaonline.org/newsupdates/letramabeyourideal/

1/3

6/5/2016

LetRamabeYourIdeal|TheDivineLifeSociety

Toadevotee,SriRamaisnotsimplyagoodandgreatperson,butGodHimself.RamaisnotmerelythesonofKingDasarathaofAyodhya,butis
alsotheOmnipresent,OmniscientandOmnipotentGod,Self,AtmanorBrahman.ThedestructionofthetenheadedRavanaistheannihilationof
themindorthetensenses.WorshipofLordRamaistheworshipoftheViratPurusha(AllpervadingGodhead)Himself.
DevotiontoGodisnotasimpleemotion.ItisresultofintenseVairagya(dispassion)andSattvicBhavana(purityofheartandinnerattitude).You
shouldpossessthegoodqualitiesthatareextolledintheRamayanaandexemplifiedinthelifeofLordRama.Otherwise,emotionmayriseupin
youtemporarilytoakindofecstasy,butyoucannotexperiencedivineconsciousnessthereby.Devotionisafruitwhichripensgraduallythrough
theprocessofselfrestraintandvirtue.TherecanbenoSadhanaforGodrealisationwithoutintenseVairagya(dispassion).Onlyafterdetachment
fromtheworldofthings,isitpossibletohavetheattainmentofGod.Rememberthis.
Devotionhasabsolutelynothingtodowithage,caste,creed,position,rankorsex.Generally,theworldlymindedpeoplesay:Wewillpractise
Dhyana,devotion,etc.,whenweretirefromservice.Thisisaseriousmistake.HowcanyoudospiritualSadhanaaftersqueezingallyourenergy
inservice?HowcanyoupractisethestrictmeansofYogicdisciplineinoldage?Isthereanycertaintyoflife?Thespiritualseedsofdevotionmust
besowninyourheartwhenyouareyoung,whenyourheartistenderanduntainted.Thenonlyitwillstrikeadeeproot,blossomandbearfruit
whenyoubecomeold,whenyouretirefromservice.ThenonlyyouwillnotbeafraidofYama,thegodofDeath.Youwillmeethimwithasmile.
Ishalltellyouthemeansofattainingthefinalreleasefromthegreatcycleofbirthsanddeaths.DevotiontoLordRamaisagreatpurifierofthe
heart.Fromdevotionarisesknowledge.FromknowledgecomestherealisationofthepureSelf.Knowingthisperfectly,onegoestotheSupreme
AbodeandmergesintheSupremeSelf.
WithoutdevelopingdevotiontoRama,whoistheSupremeSelf,wholivesintheheartsofallbeings,whoisallBliss,whoissecondless,howcan
mancrosstheoceanofworldlylifewhichhassorrow,painandmiseryforitswaves?
Dothou,therefore,worshipLordRama,whoisVishnuandtheConsortofSita,whoisLakshmi.Abandonallfoolishnessandenmity.Dothou
serveRama.
LordRamaisfondofthosewhosurrenderthemselvesuntohim.HehasgiventhispromiseintheRamayana:Toanyonewhooncetakesshelter
underMeandsolicitsIamThine,Igivefearlessnessfromallbeings.ThisisMyvow.
Evenagreatsinnerwhoisfullofevilqualities,whoisfondofotherpeopleswealth,ifhealwaysremembersSriRama,heisfreedfromallkinds
offaultsthatpertaintothiscourseofworldlylife.Heattainspurityandgoestothepure,supremeabodeoftheLord.
TheNameofLordRamaisthegreatestpurifieroftheheart.Itwillwipeawayallthesinsfromyourheart.Notonlythis,itwillwipeoutallyour
sinfultendencies,too.ThenameofRamaissweeterthanthesweetestobject.Itisthehavenofpeace.Itistheverylifeofpuresouls.Itisthe
purifierofallpurifyingagencies.Itquenchestheconsumingfireofworldlydesires.ItawakenstheknowledgeofGod.Itbathestheaspirantinthe
oceanofdivinebliss.GlorytoSriRamaandhisName.
Therefore,recitehisName,singhisgloryandservehislotusfeet.EnthroneinyourheartLordRamaofdarkhue,whoseimageisreflectedinthe
heartofLordSiva.BlessedisthepioussoulwhodrinksuninterruptedlythenectarofSriRamasNamewhichhasbeenchurnedoutoftheocean
oftheVedas,whichremovestheimpuritiesofKaliYugaortheironage,whichlivesconstantlyonthelipsofLordSiva,whichisasovereign
remedyorunfailingspecifictocurethediseaseofworldlyexistenceandisthelifeofMotherJanaki.
Rama Nama burns ignorance, passion and sin. With knowledge or without knowledge, correctly or incorrectly, when the word Rama is
pronounced,itshowersarainofgoodonthedevotee.SriRamaisBrahmanwhotakesoneacrossSamsara.RamaisoneinwhomtheYogissport:
theSelfwithin.RamaNamaistheessenceofSahasranama.This(RamaNama)isequaltotheLordsthousandnames,orrepetitionoftheMantra
athousandtimes.Icallthisastheantigossiptonic.Whenyoufindyouhavewastedyourtimeingossip,repeathisNameseveraltimes.Youcan
makeupforthetimelost,andthemindwillslowlybeweanedfromthegossiphabit.
OntheRamaNavamidaytakearesolvethatyouwillrepeatRamaNamawitheverybreathandthatyouwillendeavourtoleadarighteouslife.
RamaNavamiisoneofthemostimportantfestivalsoftheVaishnavasectoftheHindus(thosewhoadoreVishnuorHismanifestations).But,
evenSaivites(thosewhoadoreLordSiva)alsocelebratetheoccasion.Somekeepstrictfastonthisday.
Timeisfleeting.Knowthevalueoftime.Timeismostprecious.Utiliseeverysecondprofitably.Abandonallidlegossiping.Forgetthepast.Live
every moment of your life for the realisation of the ideal and goal. Unfold all latent faculties. Grow, evolve and become a superhuman or a
dynamicYogi.Strugglehardandreachthegoaloflife.
MayyouallattainthefinalbeatitudeoflifethroughintensedevotiontowardsLordRama!Mayyouliveimmersedintheecstasyofdivinelove!
MaySriRama,whoiseffulgentlikeamillionsuns,whoisadoredbythegodsanddevotees,protectyouall!MaytheblessingsofLordRamabe
uponyouall!

NewsCategories
SelectCategory

SriMahaSivaratri2015

http://sivanandaonline.org/newsupdates/letramabeyourideal/

2/3

6/5/2016

LetRamabeYourIdeal|TheDivineLifeSociety

RecentArticles
GurudevsSannyasaDikshaCelebrationJune1st2016
SannyasaDikshaAnniversaryPhotosVideo
SriSankaracharyaJayanti
StampReleasingPhotosVideos
SriAdiSankaracharyaJayantiPhotos
SignificanceofRamnavami
AbhangasChanting
83rdBasicYogaCourse
94thBirthAnniversary
VedicChanting

RandomPhotosfromGallery

Home

About Us

Divine Life

Pranayama

Meditation

Paths of Yoga

Yogasanas

Store

Whats New

Gallery

copyright 2011 the divine life society. All rights reserved.

http://sivanandaonline.org/newsupdates/letramabeyourideal/

Tweet

3/3