It is very pleasant and peaceful, Being Here Now, though it can slip through our fingers quite easily. Here one moment, and gone the next. Let us see what we can learn about Being Here Now :-)
Be Here Now, Hanumanji's Mischief in Lanka or the Warning of the Lord. Last time we were with mother Sita learning of her suffering, waiting for the Lord's arrival. Despite an offer for an early rescue by Sri Hanuman, Sita decides to wait for the Lord, both for the honor of the Lord and salvation of others suffering. Hanumanji leaves mother Sita with humility and reverence bowing and prostrating. He receives a blessing from her, then casually announces his hunger after the long journey. He says that he would like to partake in the delicious fruit of the garden in a whimsical manner that invites our curiosity into what the out come of his actions might be. Sri Hanuman finds a tree, takes a seat, and reaches for some fruit. Munching away the guards spot the hungry ape man, and begin an attempt to apprehend Hanumanji. This is met with fruit thrown at their heads and a defensive kick, after they attempt grabbing the feat of the ape demi god. This sends them scurrying away to their superior. Here comes the captain with the rest of the guard...and they are met with much the same result. This playful battle escalates to the point where Ravan himself learns of Hanumanji's mischief. His son volunteers to apprehend the hungry monkey god. Sri Hanuman eventually bows in reverence before Brahma's weapon, surrendering to capture. Hanumanji is paraded through the streets, demons on all side jeering at what they believe to be a foolish monkey. Eventually he is shown before Ravan's court. After an exchange of words that become a reciting of Dharmic teaching from Sastra (holy scripture) from Sri Hanuman, Ravan explodes in anger sentencing the son of the wind, Hanuman, to the humiliation of having his tail set on fire. As the demons wrap his tail in a linen cloth, Hanumanji begins to grow his tail longer and longer to the shock of all the wide eyed demons, especially the ones tasked with wrapping and setting his tail on fire. “Jai Sri Ram!” Sri Hanuman's vioce echos like thunder in the golden city of demons as he breaks free of his bonds and begins leaping from building to building. “Vikat roop dhari lanka jarava! You took an awesome form striking terror setting fire to Lanka!” (Hanuman Chalisa Verse 9) Lanka was burning as Hanumanji leaped away on his journey back to the Lord, to share the news of Sita.
Is this a mischievous deed, the deed of a trouble maker? Or is this a warning from the Lord? Did Hanumanji intend to harm the demons? Or did he only want to them to Be Here Now, to wake up to the Truth of their powerlessness before the Lord, and their own mischief? No words were uttered by Sri Hanuman during this event that were uninformed by Sastra. When asked why he was stealing fruit from the garden, he replied that he was under the impression that Lanka was a Land that honored thieves when king Ravan himself steals another man's wife for his own. This is a situation that really invites us to think about what we believe regarding Dharma, the right path of Truth. Does it change with the culture or is it eternal?
Practice in discerning between right knowledge and wrong knowledge. There are many situations that come up in life where we might feel conflicted. Is driving above the speed limit wrong when everyone is doing it and I am going to be late? Is taking this pen from the office really going to matter, they get tons? Is telling a little lie that bad if it makes the situation easier to deal with? What they do not know will not hurt them? I am just going to take this handy capped spot for 15 minutes, the chances of a handicapped person really needing it in this time frame are small, and I am in a hurry. If we find ourselves in a gray situation like this, we are invited to Be Here Now, to open our eyes and minds to the Truth. Are we really in such a hurry that we want to risk making the road a bit more dangerous? Are we really that in need of a pen that it is alright to develop the habit of steeling, and depriving someone that really is in need? My examples may not really make complete sense to you, dear friend. However, in all humility, I invite you to Be Here Now, look beyond shame, arrogance, and all that would cloud our vision of the Truth. We our encouraged to seek out our own gray areas in life, to learn why they bring unrest to our heart, and how we might triumph over them with the strength of the Lord. Jai Sri Ram! :-)
Thank you for Being Here Now with me my dear friend, my brother and sister in the Lord :-) You are invited to join me next week for Building the Impossible Bridge, Crossing the Vast Ocean.