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The Ramayana: A Myth to Live By 
March 29, 2007 |
| Vedic Astrology Diary Archives |
By Vaughn
Paul Manley, M.A.
Myths get a bad rap these days. When we want to say that something
is a lie or misleading we call it a "myth." Do a google
search for the phrase "The Myth of" and find a long
list, not of myths, but of misconceptions.
This is rather unfortunate when you consider that myths are
really great stories that have stood the test of time. They've
lasted in the cultures of the world because they teach valuable
lessons that are still applicable to our lives.
Recently I watched the Power of Myth series by the
renowned mythologist Joseph Campbell. In it he discusses the
importance of finding myths that we can live by. When a culture
is devoid of its myths, its people, especially its youth, lack
vision and purpose. Consequently, crime and corruption increases.
In India, myths have survived, and continue to guide people's
lives. Perhaps the most popular is the Ramayana, also
known as the Ramacharitmanas in the Hindi version of
Tulsidas, the story of the life of Sri Rama.
When I first went to India in 1992, I went to Rishikesh on the
banks of the Ganges River in north India. There I found a blind
sadhu chanting the Ramayana which he apparently had memorized.
Everyday he was in the same spot chanting, near the Rishikesh
bridge. In 2000, when I returned he was still there chanting
at the same spot as if no time had passed at all.
Blind sadhu chanting the Ramayana in 1992, and 2000.
The Ramayana is popular because it teaches how to live in harmony
with dharma or righteousness through the impeccable example
of Sri Rama's life. Each character represents aspects of our
own nature, and the story is a metaphor of the soul's evolution.
For instance, Ram represents pure consciousness, Sita
represents our inner peace, Hanuman represents devotion
etc. When we lose our inner Peace (Sita) to the demon Ravana,
which represents the ego, we need the help of devotion
(Hanuman). It's our devotion to an ideal that reunites our inner
peace to our consciousness. When the ego (Ravana) is
destroyed his brother discrimination (Vibhishana) rules
over the kindgdom of the ego, which is how it should be. I find
these metaphors very useful as lessons to live by.
Watch
a video of a sadhu chanting the ramayana in Allahabad
Copyright 2007. Vaughn Paul
Manley. All Rights Reserved. |
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