In the story of the Ramayana, Sita follows her husband into exile. Up until that point their life was going fine. Princess marries the handsome prince and all in the kingdom are happy. Then boom – one person, one incident, turns their whole life upside down. An old promise has Rama banished to the forest for 13 years. He had to walk out the door with nothing but the clothes on his back. His wife Sita would not be left behind and walked the forest path with him.
Sita and Rama are divine, but they play the part of ordinary souls going through unexpected difficulties in life. In their story they show us what to do. Don’t look back, don’t try to change the outcome or figure out why. Don’t try to fight it. Keep moving forward with grace, faith, trust and acceptance. A Muslim friend of mine speaks of her multiple sclerosis – “it is written” is what she learned as a child. She says that gives her great peace.
We all have to walk into the forest at some point in our life, sometimes multiple forests. It could be a debilitating illness, a loss of a loved one, or a terrible accident. It can be any number of things that will banish us from our regular life and force change upon us. Change we never asked for, never wanted, never needed. Or it could be an everyday forest – maybe people that don’t make us feel good or family relationships that are bitter. Forests, forests, everywhere.
Knowing (and living) three things can help us through life’s inevitable difficulties. This material word means struggle and suffering. Dukalayam it is called in Sanskrit – ‘the place which sells suffering’. Knowing that means you know what you are dealing with. No surprises then when pain comes close to home, or walking straight through your front door.
Secondly, as a spark of the divine, we don’t suffer. It’s the false ego, the false identity with body, family, country, and world that brings the pain. We must take time everyday to remind ourselves that we are not the body. Maya, the Sanskrit word for the material energy, means ‘that which is not’. It’s a temporary stage for our eternal self. It does not last.
Thirdly, we must know love, divine love. All that remains at the end is pure love – how much we have or don’t have it. Everyday we must source love, connect with love, give love, and receive love. In general, we are love-starved. We are afraid to love for so many reasons and don’t trust it when it is offered to us. There is an abundance of Krishna’s love. We must receive it and give it to others generously.
As Mother Sita walked into the dark and dangerous forest, so must we. As she survived, so will we – if we walk with transcendental knowledge, awareness, and love. Then, no matter what karmic destiny is in store for us in this world, our journey through it will take us home to the spiritual world. And that’s a journey worth taking.
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