Together with the Mahabharata, the Ramayana is the Opus Magnum of Indian philosophy. Written by the ancient scribe, Valmiki, the Ramayana teaches us lessons on many levels, both moral and spiritual.
Essentially, Lord Rama is the epitome of the ‘Ideal Man” that upholds spiritual values that guide us towards enlightenment so that we can know everything and become eternal.
The principle teachings are rooted in the moral lessons of dharma. But a deeper insight explains how we sometimes have to sacrifice materialistic and sense pleasures in order to grow spiritually.
In order to reach Moksha – liberation of the mind – we must forfeit life’s guilty pleasures. Material desires and the need for gratification only lead to suffering and keep us welded to the illusion that the world around us is the only place we can be.
But Rama’s 14 years in exile rejects the idea that the material world is all there is. The hero accepts the commands of his father to leave a life of comfort and live a destitute life in the middle of the forest. Even when his wife Sita is snatched by the evil King, Ravana, Lord Rama never loses hope and does not wilt in his loss.
Stay true to yourself
Although we all have desires, ambitions and emotional needs to be recognised, most of these feelings come from the unconscious mind and are faulty mental programs we develop as children. In adulthood, we have to free ourselves from unconscious programming and follow our true path.
This is why the dharmic lessons in the Ramayana are so important. Rama sums up the purpose of dharma when he says:
“You do not know dharma, or worldly affairs, or the laws governing enjoyment, nor the people’s behavior in different conditions and circumstances: and yet you blame me. The whole earth belongs to the kings descended from Manu and therefore my forefather Iksvaku. The present ruler in the dynasty of Iksvaju is my noble brother Bharata. He is the supreme monarch of the whole earth: and I derive my mandate from him, to ensure that all the subjects of that noble emperor observe the laws of virtue.”
Even though Rama has been asked to relinquish his reign of Ayodhya, he does not feel any hate or distaste to his father or his half-brother, Bharata who has taken his position as King.
Bharata is a reflection of Rama. He represents the shadow self – the side of our nature that we often see in others. Bharata defends Rama whilst he is away, and upon his return, hands Lord Rama the kingdom that is rightfully his. Bharata knows his duty. It is the right thing to do and he has been prepared for this moment ever since he accepted the crown.
Here, neither Lord Rama and Bharata are interested in power, wealth and recognition. They both make sacrifices and give up everything they could have. Their desire for greater spiritual needs outweighs the passion for materials desires that never last.
The historical Buddha, Gautama Siddhartha must have been inspired by the same lessons that inspired the Ramayana. The Buddha said that all suffering comes from material and sense desires, but these physical needs hamper spiritual growth and restrict us from reaching moksha.
The power of forgiveness
The opposing forces of sacrifice, purity and virtue are reflected in the actions of King Ravana. Overcome by lust and intoxicated with Sita’s grace and beauty, Ravana represents greed, hostility and deceit. Here we have a character that only as a heart for his own interests and contempt for others.
However, the ‘Demon King’ Ravana is only deceiving himself. When Lord Rama mounts a rescue mission with the help of Hanuman, King Ravana is subsequently defeated by his own anger, treachery and thirst for vengeance.
On moral grounds, acts of malevolence always lead to our downfall as well. But we also deceive ourselves spiritually through thoughts of lust, greed, anger and vengeance as we disturb the flow of energy and cause ourselves to become agitated and unsettled.
Lord Rama on the other hand is the personification of a calm and collected man – the ideal state of being. Even when Lord Rama realises his wife has been abducted, he does not fly into a rage and vow for vengeance.
Lord Rama actually breaks the mould of Indian dogma at the time. He asks for help from the people he finds in the forests including the monkey warrior, Hanuman and his army, characters that represent the lower castes of Indian society.
Let’s not forget that the Ramayana was written sometime around 500BCE when the class system was ingrained in society. In many ways, we witness the same issues today. But Rama is prepared to treat everyone as equals despite his noble background.
Here we see Sri Rama representing the laws of the Universe – they do not discriminate against any living creature regardless of age, sex, or status. Karmic laws will determine the judgement of everyone and everything in relation to your dharma.
Love and compassion
Because our unconscious mind is programmed to believe, view and think in certain ways, the world is an illusion. What we actually experience is a perception based on subconscious programming. Therefore, when you, and others, make a mistake, try to understand that we act in certain ways because we think it’s the best thing to do in that moment.
Oftentimes, when we act instinctively, our actions are driven by our emotions. This is why is it so important to be consciously aware of our thoughts and actions, remain calm and collected so we can follow our dharma. Dharma comes from within and when you consciously aware of that, you always know how to act.
But we also have to remember that syncing with our internal dharma is not easy when driven by unconscious programming that feeds our emotions. Therefore, love and compassion for our fellow man is the greatest lesson told in the Ramayana.
Even though King Ravana wanted to steal Sita from Rama, the hero of the story forgives his oppressor, just as he obeyed his father’s command to leave Ayodhya and live in the wilderness.