Swami Tejomayananda
Mind over matter
Once a lady remarked to me that her husband was highly “temperamental”. That remark got me thinking as the word “temperamental” highlighted all the maladies affecting humanity — 50 per cent “temper” and 50 per cent “mental!” Though all human problems are caused by the mind, we don’t pay enough attention to it. Even if someone wants to educate us about the mind, we ignore it saying, “Never mind!”
An epic and its appeal
Last time(The inner Ramayan, November 2) we considered some of the characters of the Ramayan in their symbolic dimension. We saw what the symbolism was behind Ram and Sita. Let us here look at some other characters and their significance.
The inner Ramayana
Why does one study the Ramayana? Will it be of any help in our daily lives? This is what we will be talking about today.
Walk the path of dharma
We continue to study the vision of Ramayana, as expressed in the musings of Shri Rama in Kishkindha Kanda. It is the rainy season and the mountain slopes are verdant.
Vijayee bhava!
The purpose of human life is to know the truth and not for bhoga, or enjoyment, alone. Knowledge of the truth gives us real victory in life. But what is this victory?
The maya of happiness
Last time we considered some of the insights of Lord Rama on the monsoon season and what they have to teach. Today let’s explore the same theme further.
Torrential waters fall on mountains with force, but the mountains withstand them unmoved, just as saints endure harsh words of the wicked.
It is said that the physical wounds caused by weapons can be healed, but the wounds left by scathing words don’t heal so easily. We have to learn to endure and remain unaffected like the mountains. It is easy to ignore harsh words spoken by people with whom we have nothing much to do, but when someone close to us uses harsh words we get hurt.
Humbled by knowledge
What we see depends on our vision of life. Looking at the moon, a scientist will want to know more about it. He/she will want to know whether or not there is water on moon and try to find out if life is possible on moon. But a poet’s response will be entirely different. A person who thinks only about food will compare the full moon to a papad!
Dancing with the blue God
With flute in hand, skin the colour of a fresh water-laden cloud, dressed in yellow silk, lips red like the Bimba fruit, a face as charming as the full moon and eyes like lotus — I know not what Truth there is beyond Krishna.
Sri Krishna’s very name evokes memories of the blue boy of Vrindavan, crowned with peacock feathers and adorned with a garland.
Rama & the vision of life
All of us have read or at least know about the Ramayana. But do we understand its vision? Even those who were present at that time and watched the events unfold would get deluded by the spell of maya (illusion). They could gain clarity only by listening to the story of Rama again. Like Parvati, who saw Rama lamenting Sita’s absence and wondered how He could be the Lord if He also cried and felt sad like ordinary mortals.
Guru will find shishya
One day, a lay man asked my guru, Swami Chinmayananda, “Swamiji, everything you teach is in the books. Then why do I need a guru?” In his usual humorous way, he replied: “Why don’t you ask the book this question?
