Here are a few lessons from Lord Ram that are applicable to this modern day as well:
- Do what is right, not what is easy.
- The purpose of life is the pursuit of evolution, not pleasure.
- Serve your parents, be patient with them, and forgive them if you think they’ve wronged you.
- Serve the ones in need and the ones who come to you for help.
- Practice meditation, sharpen your mental focus, and pray to the higher powers.
- Even when you lose all your hope, don’t give up on your journey to your goals.
- Keep your word, say only what you mean, and follow through with what you say.
- Anger is a human emotion: don’t demonise it, channelise it.
- Destroy the evil with a single-minded focus. Some of the modern-day evils are: cheap dopamine, promiscuity, greed, stress & anxiety, and addictions.
- Humility is a sign of greatness while arrogance is a strong predictor of downfall.
- Focus on your loved one’s intentions, not actions.*
*Explanation of the last point:
Shabri, a great ascetic, spent her whole life immersed in love and devotion for Lord Ram. She was foretold by her Guru, a great saint, that she will be blessed with a chance to see Lord Ram in person in her Ashram, which will lead to her enlightenment.
So strong was her faith in her Guru’s word, that for years she waited for Lord Ram to arrive at her humble abode, decorating it with flowers and picking the fruit from the jungle, every single day. She was often seen as a lunatic.
Immersed in pure devotion, she used to taste every fruit that she’d keep for Lord Ram, because she wanted to welcome him with only the sweetest ones. Her love was so pure and innocent, that it blinded her from the dry and cold logic of the material world: that ideally you’re not supposed to offer half-eaten food & leftovers to your guests.
Eventually, Lord Ram did come and see her, and blessed her in person. His appreciation for her simplicity, and innocence, and especially the sweetness of half-eaten fruit that she offered him became a powerful lesson for ages to come.
The lesson this episode spreads is, that when it comes to your loved ones, it is their underlying intention and love that matters, and not the external grandiosity (or the lack of it) in their actions to display it.