Children love stories. I have decided to narrate the stories of Ram to my kids, Sriram and Anjana. Sriram is not interested in Ramayana and wants to hear new stories. Sriram exclaimed, "Papa, I want to hear some new story. I have already heard Ramayan so many times". There is difference between normal story and the story of Ram. With normal stories, we get bored and we don't want to hear them again. But the story of Ram becomes more sweeter as we hear it more. How can I explain this to the child? I told Sriram, "When you will hear the story of Ram many times, then Lord Ram will appear in your heart. You need to hear these stories and then, meditate on them within your heart." Sriram understood and agreed to listen. He loves Ram and he knows that he needs to bring Ram within his heart.
We started with the story of birth of Ram. It is so amazing that Ram, whose each pore contain infinite universes, resided in the belly of Kaushalya. Out of His love for His devotees, the protector of devotees, who is beyond maya and the three gunas, took human form. I narrated the story of birth of Ram. Sriram and Anjana heard it with great bhakti. Sriram went and brought his bead bag and started doing jap. Gosvami Tulsidas says that those who hear the story of birth of Ram everyday, they are sure to attain Vaikuntha. Sriram was excited. He said, "Papa, I will hear the story of Ram everyday".
Sriram was filled with devotion and now wanted to participate in Ram's lilas. Sriram said, "I wish I was there when Ram was born." I assured him that if he continued thinking about Ram, he could participate in lilas of Kalki-avatar. I said, "Sriram you could be friend of Kalki avatar. Anjana, you could be friend of mother of Kalki avatar". Anjana's face became bright and she smiled beautifully imagining herself with Kalki avatar. But now Sriram wished to live for 400,000 years to be with Kalki. I explained to him that he is not this body but he is soul and the soul never dies. I said, "Sriram, your goal is to be with Kalki avatar. So, you can give up this body and take another body and be with Kalki. So be clear in what you desire. Your desire should be to see Kalki avatar." Now, another questioned arised. Sriram said, "What if I go back to Vaikuntha? Then, I won't be able to attend Kalki's lilas". I said, "Kalki avatar will come from Vaikuntha. You can always come back from Vaikuntha with Him." He immediately agreed.
Sriram said, "I want to go back to Vaikuntha with this body". Now, I had to go back to basics again. I explained him again that he is not this body and this body is just like dress for the soul. I gave many examples and still, Sriram wanted to go to Vaikuntha with his body. I was puzzled. Sriram knows very clearly that he is not body and then, why he wanted to go Vaikuntha with his body. I started questioning him. Sriram said, "I don't want to be like circle in Vaikuntha". Now, I understood his problem. He does not want to be formless in Vaikuntha. I immediately replied remembering Vishnu dutas in the story of Ajamila, "You will get the new body which is most beautiful when you go to Vaikuntha. That body is like Ram." Sriram became very happy and said, "Then I don't need to go to Vaikuntha with this body." But again came another big question, "Has anyone gone to Vaikuntha?". I became quiet. I don't want to lie to Sriram. I kept on wondering if I know for fact a person who went to Vaikuntha. There were so many thoughts going in my mind and so many names. Some time went by and I was still in my thoughts looking for a person who has gone to Vaikuntha. Sriram replied back, "I know. Tulsidas went to Vaikuntha. Dasarath went to Vaikuntha". Now, all his questions were answered and he went to sleep hopefully thinking about Ram.
The worship is saguna form makes so sense. It is difficult to comprehend formless or in Sriram's word "circle".
Let those who meditate on Brahman as unborn, the one without the second, the one who is beyond the mind and senses and the one who can only be perceived by experience, preach and believe like that. We, for our part, ever chant the glories of Your (Ram's) visible (sagun) form. O All merciful, and All effulgent Lord, O mine of noble virtues, this is the boon we ask of You: may we love Your lotus feet, casting off all aberrations of thought, word and deed. - (Prayer of Vedas to Ram during coronation ceremony of Ram. Ram Charit Manas Uttarkand 12.6)
We started with the story of birth of Ram. It is so amazing that Ram, whose each pore contain infinite universes, resided in the belly of Kaushalya. Out of His love for His devotees, the protector of devotees, who is beyond maya and the three gunas, took human form. I narrated the story of birth of Ram. Sriram and Anjana heard it with great bhakti. Sriram went and brought his bead bag and started doing jap. Gosvami Tulsidas says that those who hear the story of birth of Ram everyday, they are sure to attain Vaikuntha. Sriram was excited. He said, "Papa, I will hear the story of Ram everyday".
Sriram was filled with devotion and now wanted to participate in Ram's lilas. Sriram said, "I wish I was there when Ram was born." I assured him that if he continued thinking about Ram, he could participate in lilas of Kalki-avatar. I said, "Sriram you could be friend of Kalki avatar. Anjana, you could be friend of mother of Kalki avatar". Anjana's face became bright and she smiled beautifully imagining herself with Kalki avatar. But now Sriram wished to live for 400,000 years to be with Kalki. I explained to him that he is not this body but he is soul and the soul never dies. I said, "Sriram, your goal is to be with Kalki avatar. So, you can give up this body and take another body and be with Kalki. So be clear in what you desire. Your desire should be to see Kalki avatar." Now, another questioned arised. Sriram said, "What if I go back to Vaikuntha? Then, I won't be able to attend Kalki's lilas". I said, "Kalki avatar will come from Vaikuntha. You can always come back from Vaikuntha with Him." He immediately agreed.
Sriram said, "I want to go back to Vaikuntha with this body". Now, I had to go back to basics again. I explained him again that he is not this body and this body is just like dress for the soul. I gave many examples and still, Sriram wanted to go to Vaikuntha with his body. I was puzzled. Sriram knows very clearly that he is not body and then, why he wanted to go Vaikuntha with his body. I started questioning him. Sriram said, "I don't want to be like circle in Vaikuntha". Now, I understood his problem. He does not want to be formless in Vaikuntha. I immediately replied remembering Vishnu dutas in the story of Ajamila, "You will get the new body which is most beautiful when you go to Vaikuntha. That body is like Ram." Sriram became very happy and said, "Then I don't need to go to Vaikuntha with this body." But again came another big question, "Has anyone gone to Vaikuntha?". I became quiet. I don't want to lie to Sriram. I kept on wondering if I know for fact a person who went to Vaikuntha. There were so many thoughts going in my mind and so many names. Some time went by and I was still in my thoughts looking for a person who has gone to Vaikuntha. Sriram replied back, "I know. Tulsidas went to Vaikuntha. Dasarath went to Vaikuntha". Now, all his questions were answered and he went to sleep hopefully thinking about Ram.
The worship is saguna form makes so sense. It is difficult to comprehend formless or in Sriram's word "circle".
Let those who meditate on Brahman as unborn, the one without the second, the one who is beyond the mind and senses and the one who can only be perceived by experience, preach and believe like that. We, for our part, ever chant the glories of Your (Ram's) visible (sagun) form. O All merciful, and All effulgent Lord, O mine of noble virtues, this is the boon we ask of You: may we love Your lotus feet, casting off all aberrations of thought, word and deed. - (Prayer of Vedas to Ram during coronation ceremony of Ram. Ram Charit Manas Uttarkand 12.6)
1 comment:
hari OM Gaurav,
Indeed you have some wonderful childern that take part in listening to the leelas of Lord. This is how devinity is inculcated into a human being, one step at a time. The samskaras formed at this age remains with us for ever. May the Blessings of Shri Rama be with the Mittal
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