Story of Rama

Rama to be crowned

Dasaratha, the King of Ayodhya, decided to install his son Sri Rama as the Crown Prince. All the people whole-heartedly accepted it. The whole of Ayodhya went into rapturous joy. Singing and dancing, all were discussing about Rama becoming the King.

While the whole world was happy and celebrating, there was darkness in one chamber. It was Kaikeyi’s. She is the second wife of Dasaratha.

Kaikeyi Passes the Evil Message to Rama

Rama got the message that Dasaratha wanted to meet him. So he hurried to Kaikeyi’s Apartment. He sensed the tension in the silent chamber. Rama saw his father. Beside him Kaikeyi stood like an evil spirit.

Rama prostrated at the feet of Dasaratha. Then he moved towards Kaikeyi, who moved away from him like an insane person. The king did not speak a word. His eyes were shedding tears and remaining shut. He just said “Rama” in a broken voice and tears escaped from his eyes.

Rama was confused. He said to Kaikeyi, “Have I done anything to annoy my father? Or is he unwell? I should not ask this – did you both quarreled?”

Kaikeyi said, “There is nothing wrong with you. He wanted to tell you something but he dare not. Therefore, I will tell you. Long before, your father gave me two boons. Last night when I asked him to honour it, he was not ready.”

Rama wondered at the harshness of Kaikeyi. There was so much malice in her tone. She said “Rama, if you can fulfill your father’s promises. I will tell you what I asked him for”.

“Why do you ask me? I will do anything to keep my father’s word. I will honour it – whatever it may be”.

Kaikeyi said “I want Bharatha to be crowned, instead of you. You should spend fourteen years in the forest, dressed like a rishi”.

Rama Agrees to Honour His Father’s Words

Without a moment of hesitation, Rama said,” Yes definitely I will go to the forest. Why is there such a conflict over this? Please send messengers at once to bring Bharatha. I am happy to see Bharatha crowned.”

Kaikeyi said in a cold voice, “Leave that to me. When Bharatha comes, you need not be here. As long as you are here, your father will not crown Bharatha. The sooner you leave, the better it is.”

Dasaratha swooned. Rama sprang to him. Now Rama’s eyes were full and he said quietly, “Father, you have not understood me. You could have asked me yourself. I would have gone happily then. It pains me that you have doubted my love for you. I will go at once. I will not come back for 14 years. I just want to see my mother Kaushalya and convince her that this is not a tragedy but a divine order. For me, the god’s grace has unfolded in this manner.”

Then he touched Kaikeyi’s feet and quickly walked out of the room. Behind him, he heard his father break down calling “Rama” several times and sobbing like a child.

Lakshmana Gets Angry

Lakshmana who accompanied Rama became angry and hot tears came out of him like a river. Rama just put his hand around his shoulders and consoled him.

His face became more radiant. There was no sorrow and no disappointment on his face now. Determination and the will to do anything vibrated through him. He became more handsome.

Rama Consoles His Mother

Rama explained everything to his mother Kaushalya, who spent the whole night in prayer. Kaushalya broke down and said, “Rama when you were born, I thought Gods have blessed me.  I never enjoyed the love of your father.  I was neglected by him. Since then you are the light of my days.  I cannot live without seeing your face, Rama.”

Her frail figure shook with sobbing.  Her lip was uttering “Rama, Rama”.

Rama’s Mother Bless Him

Finally, she accepted for Rama’s departure and blessed him. “In all the fourteen years of your life in the forest, be sure that Dharma (the divine order) and Satyam (truth) will always be with you. You will always be surrounded and protected by them and the Divinity”.

Rama prostrated to her and left her. Lakshmana then shouted, “I will not allow this.  A king should think of what is good for the kingdom and not what suits his favorite wife.  I will just kill him as well as Kaikeyi.”

Rama remained silent. He let him vent his grief, knowing it was sorrow that was expressed as anger and threat.

Rama Explains Speaks About Total Acceptance

You know about Vairagya (determination). We sat at Guru’s feet and learnt. We should implement in life, what we learnt.  Love for me should not resort to violence.  Violence is never Dharma.

You have to help me by letting me go in peace. Anger and grief will make us stagnate.  When we just accept the Divine order, our life is taken care of by the divine. Divine order is the one, which makes our destiny.

It is not that Mother Kaikeyi is evil or that she hates me.  Only that Divine order uses her, even against Kaikeyi’s own nature.  Do you know she is the most wounded of all!

Calm yourself. When disappointment strikes you, think with your intellect and not with your burning emotional part.  What is next?

Accept everything that comes to you. When you accept, you will find innumerable ways to live and do things.  While resisting, all the life doors are closed.

Acceptance is nothing but surrendering.  Surrender! Surrendering alone can allow divine to work for you.  When divinity takes care of your life, you are the most fortunate.

How to attain Peace and Harmony

Whether you agree or disagree with me, just observe what happens around you. Whatever is happening right now is what you need at this moment, because every scene in the drama of life is preparation for the next scene.

I am loved (by all)

Naran

Suja (name changed) asked me at the end of the workshop “I Love Myself”, whether she can pay a visit to her paternal uncle’s place. She was invited for a housing ceremony. She had some apprehensions because, her visits to her uncle’s always created tension and disharmony.

I told her it’s alright to go. If she faces any problems she can always leave the function midway.

She finished the workshop and did all the mental exercises I asked the participants to do. At the end of the workshop, I told the participants to complete all the exercises that they didn’t do in the class, within a week from the day of the workshop.

Somehow, Suja felt that she should at least do one exercise on the same day of the workshop and the day before she attends the function on Sunday. She picked the first one in the workbook, under the affirmation” I AM LOVED”. Instead of doing the exercises, she simply chanted the affirmation for more than an hour.

On Sunday, she visited her uncle’s house along with her husband. During the function one of her relatives lost six thousand rupees. Somebody stole it from him. The servant who works for her uncle was suspected of taking the money, though it couldn’t be proved.

During this commotion, Suja silently chanted the Bach Flower Remedies, “ROCK WATER and CHESTNUTBUD” – a good combination when you lose something.  Within an hour, her uncle was able to get a confession from his servant, as well as the money that she stole.

Her uncle asked Suja what she was doing during the commotion as she was seemed to be in a trance the whole time. She replied that she was chanting the name of flower remedies. He was happy to hear this and his family, friends and relatives too. They openly complimented her for her selfless efforts. On hearing it, she got elated and felt loved.

I came to know the whole story through her husband who thought I am the reason for the appreciation she received from her relatives, who were always ill-treating her.

Explanation

She picked the one affirmation from the workbook, which was the need for the hour. And what made her to pick that? It was picked by that part of her mind that was activated because she did all the exercises sincerely. She is one of my students who religiously do whatever I tell them to do. Interestingly even though she was listening to the “I Love Myself” CD for more than a month, only after doing the exercises she was able to tap the resource that helped her to receive the love that she expecting from her uncle.

Lessons Learned

For some issues, you will find solution easily. Even for issues that are pending to be resolved for several years can be resolved easily by following a simple technique. However, some other issue mayn’t die down easily. You need to do a lot of work to resolve it. For the same reason, I want my fellow travelers in the healing path not to give up on their chronic problems and instead dig deeper to solve them.

Also note that there is no single technique that is applicable to everyone in the world. What works for one – say a Mudra technique to reduce heart palpitation, may not work for others. They may need Bach Flower Remedies as well Gem remedies. In addition, what works today may not work tomorrow.

Therefore, be open to various healing methods. Have Trust in the one divine power to find out what will work for you today. Surely Divine is waiting out there to help you out.

Good Luck