Rama Naama

Embodiments of Divine Love!
A mud pot filled with nectar is more valuable than a golden vessel filled with poison. This human body made of mud, filled with Divine qualities and attributes is much more sacred and nobler than a vessel studded with precious stones and diamonds. Human birth is the rarest and the noblest. Human life is sacred and is meant to be lived nobly.

There is a message meant for humanity from Hanuman's heartfelt prayer offered to Rama. "Rama, with the feeling of body as I ( body consciousness ) I am Thy servant. With the feeling that I am the individual soul, I am your reflection. With the feeling that I am Atman, I and your are one."

Once upon a time Hanuman met Vibhisana. Vibhisana conveyed his anguish to Hanuman. "Hanuman, how fortunate you are. I am constantly thinking of Rama, but I have failed in getting Rama's darshan. From the moment I wake up, throughout the day, till I go to bed I chant Rama's name incessantly. But I have not been able to see Rama." Hanuman replied, "Vibhisana, you are merely uttering Rama's name by mouth. But you do not participate in his work and mission. It is not sufficient if you chant Lord's name. But you should contribute in his work. It is ten months since Sita has come to Lanka. Have you made any efforts to free Sita? Rama's name can be compared to current and participation in His service is compared to a bulb. Name is the current; service is the bulb. You can attain Divinity only when you combine chanting of Lord's name with participation in His service."

Hanuman explained yet another point to Vibhisana. "Vibhisana, you must have heard a few incidents in the story of Rama. One such incident is about a demon called Kabandha. (Kabandha had his head in his stomach, unlike man with his head on shoulders. Kabandha's hands were very broad). It was Kabandha's nature to collect food even from large distances and partake it." Today every man is like Kabandha. Man is using all his intellect, capacities, capabilities, and skills only to eke out a livelihood. He doesn't make any efforts to serve his fellow human beings and solve the problems of society.

Whatever penance one may do, whatever pilgrimages one may undertake, whatever scriptures one studies and japa one carries out, it is of no use at all. To cross the ocean of this life, the only way is to serve the noble souls. There is no austerity greater than service. And therefore every man has to undertake to serve his fellow beings and reduce their sufferings.

It is not sufficient if one writes Rama's name mechanically. You should think of the Lord's name in your heart; you have to utter it by mouth and write it by hand. This is the purity of the trikaranas (three instruments), accomplished by chanting Lord's name. With purity every action would be success. If there is a discord between thought, word and deed, it will have evil effects. But today humanity is not conducting itself in harmony with this. Today people are writing Lord's name crores of times without following the code of trikarana Suddhi. Vyasa wrote 18 epics, each one of them is quite voluminous. Where is time to go through such huge literature? Therefore Vyasa said that one essence of all the epics could be put in two sentences namely "Help ever; Hurt never." If we realize this truth we would have understood all the 18 Puranas.

Hands are given to serve man. Charity is the ornament for hands. Truth is the ornament of the neck. Noble words are the ornament for the ears. This is the purpose for which the human limbs are given. Of all the limbs, tongue occupies a position of supreme importance. Jayadeva describes the uniqueness of the tongue in these words: "O Tongue which knows the tastes, which is sacred, full of sacrifice, which knows honor and respect, I am submitting a prayer to you: Chant the name of Govinda, Damodara, and Madhava."

You should realize how tongue conducts itself with a sense of honor and respect. It speaks a number of things. But it never steps out of its home. Is there anyone who can talk keeping the tongue out of his mouth? This is how one has to take care of one's honor and self respect. If you look at the sacrificing nature of the tongue, you can see that whenever tongue is given tasty food it immediately passes it on to digestive system, asking it to supply its essence to the entire body. If it is unsavory or poisonous food, the tongue spits it out. For tongue, peace is natural and inherent. It conducts itself very tactfully in the midst of sharp teeth, without getting hurt by them.

This lesson is conveyed by Hanuman to Vibhisana. Vibhisana told Hanuman that He is in midst of demonic people who would not allow him to be part of peace if he chanted the name of Rama and participated in the service of Rama. Demons are very wicked, unscrupulous, powerful and harmful. Can a noble, sacred and pious Vibhisana live in their midst? He said "Hanuman, I am living like a tongue in the midst of teeth". Hanuman was amused at this and remarked, "Vibhisana, you should know that it is the teeth which fall off first and not the tongue". Similarly it is the demons who would be extinct first and not you and in fact you are helping such harmful demons by your silence. The tongue in the midst of sharp teeth is if service to them as it cleans the food morsels between he teeth without getting harmed. Such is the sacredness of tongue and it must be used properly.

We are using such a sacred tongue for unsacred purposes. You may not be able to oblige always, but speak obligingly. Use the tongue for speaking truth, for speaking sweet things. We should not tell the harsh truth, which hurts others. On the other hand, you should not even tell sweet lies. So when you are speaking truth, speak sweetly and softly. Observe silence instead of telling hurting truth or sweet lie.

Today's man doesn't like truth. They love untruth. It is like discarding the offer of curds served at the doorstep, but running to distant places seeking harmful intoxicants. We should speak truth even at the cost of our own life. After all, life is impermanent, body is full of mucus and dirt which would pass off one day or the other. Better to live like a swan for three days than live like a crow for several years.

Human life is full of diseases. Hunger is a disease, and food is its medicine. Thirst is a disease, water is the medicine. Desires are diseases, satisfying the desires is the medicine. Treat body as a temple. With that reverence should we use our body then? Our thought, word, food, conduct, and everything must be sacred.

In the olden days, even animals became divine by following the path of devotion. Bull, by turning its vision towards Shiva, became an object of adoration. Hanuman, a monkey, is worshipped because of his single minded devotion towards Rama. Hanuman filled every hair on the body with name of Rama. He firmly believed wherever Rama's name was sung His form of Rama. Lion became the chariot of Devi and rat the chariot of Ganesha. Rat known for its weakness for smell and darkness is worshipped as it took refuge as Ganesha's vehicle. Poisonous snake which is the ornament of Lord Shiva, are offered obeisance. So long as a person is near God, he gets all respect; whatever he does is liked. But, the moment one distances oneself from the Lord, one loses all respect.

Today man is facing all problems because he violates the laws of nature. Unlike an animal, man is bestowed with discrimination. Animals observe their own code. Even animals observe reason and season, but not today's man. Therefore he is facing all the problems today. Without discipline and following rules and regulations, one comes to ruin. To save oneself from the problems and diseases, one has to follow the path of Yoga. To be one with God is Yoga. Even sorrow becomes Yoga with God. Today man resorts to Yoga to hurt others. But Arjuna followed the path of righteousness and nearness to God. We have to live life by keeping God and righteousness as the basis. All the sacred scriptures declare the efficacy of chanting the name of Rama. All names of God are sweet. Everything about God is sweet. All His actions are full of sweetness. We should perform all actions as an offering to God. Whatever position you occupy, whatever work you do, do it as an offering to God, realizing that God is functional through inert body. Such an action is true japa and meditation.

Rama is the name given to Atma. This name is given to the son of Dasharata also. Rama means Atma. Rama means the one that delights. It is the heart which delights and therefore Rama is the name given to heart. With constant remembrance of God one can achieve anything. But one should remember God with love. Love is, therefore, all important.