Saturday, January 5, 2013

Human Love is Limited - Divine Love is Unlimited

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"The love for a human being is limited. The Love for the Divine is Unlimited; it never finishes.

"In every sinner there is a Saint and in every Saint there is a sinner."


- Premavatar Swami Vishwananda

A Life-Story by Swamini Vishwalakshmianandama:

The epic story of the life of the Great Avatar Ram, the Ramayana, was written by Valmiki. He was the first to write in the style of Indian Slokas, or verses, in his great work, the Ramayana. Later, among the many Hindu scriptures, the Mahabharata, the Puranas, and other works were composed in this 'verse' style.

Valmiki is a Hindu sage who lived approximately at the beginning of the first millennium B.C. He was born into a Brahmin family (Priests) of the family of the Great Sage, Bhrigu. His dharma, or fate some might say, however, took him into a family of robbers who raised him. This family stole and killed for their livelihood. His pre-birth dharma eventually brought Valmiki into the presence of The Seven Sages and the Great Sage Narada. Through the repetition of the name of Ram, Ramanama, Valmiki attained the supreme state of 'maharshi', or Great Sage.

There is a saying: "In every sinner there is a Saint, and in every Saint there is a sinner." So it is with Valmiki. When I was about nine years old, the poem, "The Highwayman" was my favorite poem. It is a ill-fated love poem where a Highwayman and a beautiful young Inn-Keepers daughter die, due to circumstances created  by people who disapproved of their love connection and the Highwayman's life style. Much later in life, it was revealed that it was not the love poem aspect that attracted me the most, but rather 'The Highwayman" hero that was attempting to awaken my atma or soul memory of Valmiki who was a robber, or Highwayman, who became a Saint.

A few lines follow that sent shivers over my whole body each time our fourth grade teacher allowed me to choose what she would read after recess (time for play outside after lunch in the American school system). At that time I did not know that these "shivers" were Shakti energy or the Holy Spirit Christ told His disciples He would send after His crucifixion and did send to them at Pentecost and to everyone born thereafter. And, I did not know that what sent the Shakti at nine years old while hearing this poem was that my atma, my soul then residing in a nine-year-old body actually had lived in the liftetime of Rama and knew the epic story Valmiki wrote as the Ramayana.

This poem, The Highwayman, was a reminder from my higher frequency self, the big 'I' to my little 'I' sitting in a school room listing to a poem of a robber which connected me at a soul or atmic level, to Valmiki who was a robber turned Saint, like the Highwayman who sacrificed his life for the love of the Inn Keeper's daughter did a kind of 'saintly action' through his choice of death. It was not to the human love aspect, which is limited, that my atma, at nine years old, was bringing to my attention, but rather, to the Divine Love within the Highwayman and inn-keeper's daughter that was revealed when they, in essence, died for the love of the other.

The Highwayman
by Alfred Noyes

Verse I

The wind was a torrent of darkness among the gusty trees
The moon was a ghostly galleon tossed upon cloudy seas,
The road was a ribbon of moonlight over the purple moor.
And the Highwayman came riding --
Riding--riding--
The Highwayman came riding up to the old inn-door. . . .

From Valmiki's Ramayana
Translated by Swami Rama

(These verses are from the "Ayodhya Kanda")

Verse 24

Kaushalya's tears were the libation (Ram's mother)
Offered with great lamentation
She did yearn to follow him (Ram)
And in the forest live with them (Ram, Lakshman, Sita)
To leave one's consort is a sin
So Ram did counsel her within.
Resigned that Ram would leave this place,
Kaushalya did with blessings grace
Her son, in hopes that she would see
Raghav  [or Raghu] come back happily.

Verse 25

All the blessings did she shower
At Prince Raghav's [or Raghu''s] parting hour.
Through the tears they said good-bye;
On Providence they would rely.

Verse 26

Ram turned his steps to meet his wife [Sita]
And tell her of his altered life
The grief within he could not hide,
Through valiantly Prince Raghav tried.
He told her of the boons received
And how Kakutsha deeply grieved.
And counseled her in gentle ways
To virtuously pass the days
Impeccable in her behavior,
She would stay within their favor.
Practicing austerity,
Her life would then find charity.

Verse 27

Wounded by his spoken word
Sita wondered how she heard
Such words unworthy of a prince
Adept in sword and mace and lance
She would never stay behind
And leave her lord alone to find
His way through unknown foreign land,
The one who held her wedded hand.
Her devotion was eternal
And her love for Ram was vernal.
She would dwell at Raghav's feet
Only there would be her seat.

Verse 28

Ram portrayed the forest danger,
Forest life could her endanger
Stoic would their life become,
To treachery they could succumb.
He told her of the forest bear
And how on fruits and roots they'd fare,
And how they'd fast for many days,
And they would live by austere ways.
She should then remain at home
While in the forest he would roam.

[Then, as the story goes: Ram, Lakshmana and Sita wander the length and breadth of India for 14 years of Ram's exile. Ram lives his entire life in perfect Dharma, Love and Compassion. During the 14 years of exile, He performs many miracles, healing many people and liberating many  who have been waiting Vishnu's incarnation on Earth as the Avatar Ram.

Ram eventually kills the demon King of Lanka, Ravana, a part of his mission to Earth in this incarnation. Then Ram returns to Ayodhya as the rightful King and continues to rule for thousands of years.

THEN:

From the Uttara Kanda:

Verse 109

At the dawn King Raghav rose,
His life on Earth he now would close.
The rishis, devas, followed hm,
Women, choldren all of them,
His brothers and his brother's wives,
Chose with him to end their lives
The titans, banars, every beast
Did go with him as did the least.
No one in the town remained,
Raghav had their lives sustained.
Silently King Raghav strode
Barefoot on that dusty road,
But all were full of happiness,
With Ram they felt delightful bliss.

Verse 110

The sandy shores of Saryu came
And Brahma, like a brilliant flame,
Addressed Lord Vishnu there on Earth
Who as a man had taken birth
Ram's abode with Him did wait,
Eternally at heaven's gate
All the brothers then did go
To heaven with their hearts aglow,
And all the devas called their name,
Proclaiming their eternal fame.
Every banar, beast and man,
Titan, to the river ran.
Instantly they were absolved,
Surya had their sins dissolved.
All of them to heaven went.
Even animals were sent.
Their pristine forms they did regain.
These devas that on Earth did reign.

Valmiki 
wrote this epic tale,
And Brahmadeva does it hail.
To purify and sanctify,
So it does one glorify
Longevity, prosperity,
Attends on one with verity.
For he who does recite this tale
Adversity cannot prevail
Glory to that ageless One
Resplendent like the peerless sun.
[This is Ram / Vishnu, whose family name 
Is Raghu or Raghav of the Sun Dynasty. Ram previously had
left his twin sons to rule India. Lava ruled North India
and Kush ruled South India].

Note: Swami Rama's Ramayana may be obtained at:
The Himalayan International Institute
of Yoga Science and Philosophy of the U.S.A.
Honesdale, Pennsylvania, USA 

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