The ego, and Divine Consciousness as told by the Ramayana.
HANUMAN & the ego
“People don’t know, every line of the Hanuman Chalisa is a mahamantra. “
– Sri Neem Karoli Baba
In the Ramayana, the exiled Lord Rama and his wife, Sita, take refuge in the forest. They are living happily as hermits when the demon king of Lanka, Ravana, discovers them and abducts Sita, beginning a great war.
As with all great parables, the surface level of the story is the children’s version, but hiding underneath there are layers of wisdom and divine bliss to be found….in this story:
Sita represents the mind, or individual consciousness.
Rama represents Ishvara, or universal consciousness.
Ravana is the ego-mind.
(And later, Hanuman enters to save the mind…)
The ego; A demon, with his ten heads and ten arms symbolizing the senses.
Individual Consciousness and Universal consciousness (Ishvara) should always be united. ( Sita and Rama should always be united), but Ravana, the demon, comes to separate them. Ravana, the ego, represents our obstacles to one-pointedness.
(Patanjali’s list of obstacles (Yoga Sutra 1:30–1:32) includes: carelessness, inability to withdraw from sense cravings, confused understanding, and mental distractions.)
Ravana represents these obstacles.
This is the story:
“The exiled Lord Rama and his wife, Sita, take refuge in the forest. They are living happily as hermits when the demon king of Lanka, Ravana, discovers them and abducts Sita, beginning a great war.
Aided by a demon disguised as an enchanting golden deer, Ravana lured Rama away from the hut. Suspicious — he knew there were demons in the forest — Rama refused at first to go after the deer. But Sita begged him, “It’s so sweet! You know I never ask for anything, but it would be such a darling pet for me here in exile.” “All right,” said Rama, “but be safe! Don’t cross this threshold until I return.” And he set off uneasily.
As soon as Rama was out of sight, Ravana appeared, standing shyly at the door in the shape of an aged holy beggar. Although Sita had been warned not to step one toe outside the door (which was protected by magical mantras), she was deceived by Ravana’s innocent appearance. She crossed the threshold and fell into his trap.
At first he tried to flatter Sita. He admitted that he was no ascetic, but a king, so smitten by her beauty, that he had resorted to this ruse in order to be near her. He swore his love and offered her a prominent place in his harem. Sita, horrified, rejected his advances. Then Ravana bared his fangs, assumed his own horrific ten-headed form, seized Sita in his ten arms, and hauled the screaming, struggling queen up into his vimana, his flying chariot, and zoomed away like an evil meteor streaking toward Lanka.
As they flew, Sita cried desperately to the trees, the birds, and the animals: “I am Sita, wife of Rama! Bear witness, brothers and sisters, children of my mother Earth! Tell Rama! Mark my trail!” And, one by one, she flung pieces of her jewelry over the edge of the vimana.”
“The Indian epics refer to these flying machines (vimanas), and unlike the classic horse-drawn chariots that carried warriors into battle, these multi-storied constructions flew of their own accord, like birds.
The most famous was the Pushpaka (“flowery”) vimana designed by the divine architect Vishvakarman for the god of wealth, Kubera, but co-opted by Ravana. Pushpaka is said to have been two stories high, not unlike Lufthansa’s super-modern A380 airbus. Its elegant exterior sheltered spacious, windowed rooms from which the occupants could view the scenery in comfort. It made a musical sound as it passed like a bright cloud through the sky. And its most special feature was this: no matter how many passengers it carried, there was always a vacant seat.”
The Vimana represents the flight our minds and ego’s take when we are seduce by all that glitters…..Not all “dreams: are perfect for us, and the true life path is always clear as long as we stay balanced in our minds, consciousness, mind, and ego.
What happens in the story?
Ravana can’t “get it on” with ShaktI, that is, unless Shakti agrees, which she of course doesn’t.
There is only ONE MAN for Sita, and it is RAMA. This causes Ravana’s head to explode in a thousand pieces.
THE EGO can’t GET IT ON. This means that you will never reach one pointedness, samadhi, enlightenment, BLISS, by letting the EGO take the lead, or take your individual mind into flights of fancy, or to inflate, (and fly off in a vimana). If the ego takes the lead, it will take over the individual consciousness, (INTELLECT / MIND / Nature) and the ego will grow so large that it forms a giant wall between your mind and your divine consciousness. In a nutshell.
SHAKTI is divine feminine, but she is not “woman” as such. She is in men and women both, she represents life giving earthly dimensional sensorial existence. Without Shakti, (Sita) we have no life, we are just divine consciousness.
The western concept of mind is different from the Hindu concept of mind in the following way, and Patanjali gives three functions of the MIND:
The EGO, Ahamkara, literally means the I-maker. It is not like the ego in the west. The I-maker can be inflated, sure, just like in the west, but it also means “identification with”. This is a function that the west does not recognize, and the path to enlightenment inevitably leads through a doorway in the mind where the veil of illusion is lifted. This veil can only be lifted if we have understood the concept of the ego as the “I-maker”, the part of mind that says “I am this”.
Behind the veil, we see, through our third eye, that identifications of the earth plane are false. This aspect is important to understand, because the ego, Ravana, although he does have his place in the forest, can not come into the abode of Lord Rama; One pointedness. Ego has its place in our mind, but it can not enter divine consciousness, it stays behind as we enter samadhi.
Identification ceases.
Ravana (ego) exists but there is one palace where he (it) can not go. Ravana is also unable to enter into a willing love with Sita, she is not interested in anything but one pointed consciousness, awareness and Bliss. She got carried away, by a moment of letting the MIND take over. (the three functions of mind are: EGO, MIND, INTELLECT)
Once again:
“Sita represents mind, or individual consciousness; Rama represents Ishvara, or universal consciousness; and Ravana represents the obstacles to one pointedness, or the ego; with his ten heads and ten arms symbolizing the claims of the senses. “
Consciousness and Ishvara should always be united. When ego, or desire for sense objects, takes over, the mind gets separated from Ishvara and carried away in a fantasy, symbolized by VIMANA, the flying vehicle. Flying off in vimana means letting your thoughts and ego run rampant. “I will do this, I will have that, I will be rich, successful, envied…” There is always room for one more seat in Pushpaka, (Vimana) just as there is no end to uncontrolled thoughts. There is ALWAYS just one more useless thought waiting…
Can you recall a time when you were swept off your feet by a person, a train of thought, or a set of circumstances which appeared compelling but proved to be false and dangerous?
Has a “golden deer” or someone, or something, appeared in your life, too beautiful to be real but too attractive to ignore? Too enticing. Maybe your gut instinct said no, but it was quickly covered by lust or greed.
Do you ever catch yourself engaging in addictive thinking or behavior? Of course you do; we all do.
What helps “bring you back to earth”? Every faith system has their own eightfold path, or ten commandments, put in place, exclusively for this circumstance. We got carried away, right from wrong disappears, and suddenly we FEEL like wrong is right. If you followed the wrong path even once in your life, you know how it might have left a trail of destruction behind.
These concepts are not speaking judgment into your lifestyle, they are here to protect you from yourself, your own inner demon, an inflated ego.
How does the story end, and what is the way out of this conundrum:
Hanuman, the great monkey God of the Ramayana is a symbol of the mind that has become disciplined and filled with devotion.
Hanuman is the evolved state of our unruly monkey mind that constantly jumps from thought to thought. This mind is fully focused on the presence of the Divine Self, the Lord of Life within the heart.
Sita will never be with anyone but RAMA…However, it is not real Sita that was kidnapped by Ravana the demon, The real Sita has been switched out by a cursed goddess.
SIta is actually in subtle form and this other cursed goddess being, is the one who is actually kidnapped.
Meanwhile, Rama is forlorn and broken hearted, he doesn’t know where Sita is.
He meets Hanuman, the great monkey the ambassador of the king of monkeys in the woods. An alliance is made.
When Hanuman comes to the rescue here in the story, he is representing the value of physical practice (sitting in chant, meditation, yoga practice etc) as a vehicle for “rescuing” the distracted mind and restoring its unity with the spirit.
The monkeys, led by Hanuman, search for Sita, until only Lanka (land of demons, egoic mind) remains to look in.
Lord Hanuman jumps over the ocean and finds Sita.
After a fierce battle the negative forces of the ego are destroyed.
(Hanuman is also equal to Prana, the Son of the wind, and this is the life force, the pranic breath, the essential energy in the body.)
This life-force-energy called Prana, flows through 84000 channels or Nadis, without any block, and this free flowing energy is accomplished by by for example:
Chanting the Hanuman Chalisa.
Chanting changes fate.
Changes Karma.
Frees us of our negative Karma.
.
“The great Indian epics of Gods and demons are in fact the most sublime psychology of the higher Self. With the key to their true meaning these ancient blockbusters will reveal to us the great perennial wisdom taught by the highest sages.”
– Ram Dass.
Each God in Hinduism represents an aspect of our enlightened mind.
(Compare this to concepts of God, or the creation of ascended masters etc, this complex and evolved ancient spiritual tradition of Hinduism always hides something deeper, and even more divine wisdom. The more you learn the more aha moments you have.)
This is the process of the dynamics of SOUL, and ego, the process of DEVOTION and higher intelligence, the development of faith and removal of ignorance. In this story the aspects have come into form, the form of Gods and demons, and it is taught this way so we can understand ourselves.
This mind represented by HANUMAN, is fully focused on the presence of the Divine Self within the heart. The three minds, EGO, MIND and INTELLECT are under the control of DEVOTION. The mind can now find Bliss within one-pointedness.
This is a story of the heart of mankind. The doorway to our soul. The path to experiencing our own divinity.
When Rama asks Hanuman, “How do you look upon me?” the great monkey gives a three-part answer;
- When I believe I am the body, then I am your faithful servant.
- When I know I am the soul, I know myself to be a spark of your eternal Light.
- And when I have the vision of truth, you and I, my Lord, are one and the same.
With this answer, he shows us three states that we flow through in our spiritual quest.
It is not just a one way straight and then we are there, we flow in and out of these states, each state holding but a faint memory of the other two. The latter holds the one-pointedness of conscious awareness and Bliss. You and God are one and the same, in love, in unity, the veil drops, and you see the one consciousness that looks out of every pair of eyes is one and the same. Handyman is the vehicle that we use for the removal of the veil.
- When I believe I am the body, then I am your faithful servant:
Many times, most often, we identify with our person, the body — mind — ego and we think we are that. At those times we can realize that we are here to do God’s work, to serve that higher Self in us, and in everything. This is the foundation of Karma Yoga, the yoga of service. The service must be done FOR the divine, (not merely as an ego trap to make ourselves feel high and mighty)…Service for the divine, and the divine only, helps us stay out of this trap.
- When I know I am the soul, I know myself to be a spark of your eternal Light.
One level up and we realize we are not as separate from divine intelligence as we thought, that there is a higher knowing and presence working through us. We sense we are not separate from other beings and that our existence is an expression of the indescribable presence of God in us. This is where Bhakti and Raja Yoga open us further.
- And when I have the vision of truth, you and I, my Lord, are one and the same.
The most dramatic shift in our perception occurs when all veils lift and we have the vision of truth. Then we know that we are all that exists. We are the Source; we are One. Jnana Yoga aims at this direct perception.
What allows Hanuman to have this complete vision, this fullness of knowing oneness?
It is faith.
Hanuman is the manifestation of faith that gives us strength.
Strength which transforms our minds and memories, and leads us through samadhi to perfect wisdom and one-pointedness.
True faith is not belief, or “a belief system”. Belief is the same as “not knowing”, and faith is the same as knowing and trusting. Faith is not what we have been told in the west, nor is faith equal to “belief in someone else’s belief, therefore it has nothing to do with the faith of a church doctrine, for example, it is much more real than that. Faith is a personal experience of truth. Faith is based on the direct experience of Truth and therefore more solid than a rock.
Faith is rock-solid knowing.
“For those on the devotional path, faith is born out of love, and love grows our faith. We know we are onto something most real, most important.”
- Ram Dass
As our strength grows, it changes our subconscious imprints, (samskaras), and our “divine center” grows. Our memory evolves. (Smriti).
“Realizing the crucial importance of our spiritual practice, our commitment becomes increasingly stable and we approach a state of continuous remembrance of our Source”.
- Ram Dass
When we engage in spiritual practice, it does more than just cause a few moments of inner peace, it changes our whole brain and nervous system, it stills useless thoughts and gives us a higher perspective that allows us to let the thoughts pass by without falling for the seeming realness and importance of those thoughts. We are onto them now, and we let them go.
“Rather than falling for our stressful thoughts, we witness the mind and become less vulnerable to its distractions. Instead, we are able to surrender to the Divine at our core again and again. With that, we come to taste states of meditative absorption in the Divine presence within (samadhi) and our mind becomes settled and unperturbed.
The sage Vyasa tells us that the awareness that we are constantly loved by the Divine, is the greatest force that allows us to surrender spontaneously to the inner Source. We realize what we have been seeking is what we are. The joy of that realization frees us from temptations and distractions and we embrace the fullness of our true nature. Our attachment to a God outside us melts away and, held in the embrace of our spiritual family (Satsang), we discover the true inner presence of guru and Self.
Focused on the Divine presence within we realize we are the giver and receiver of love — the lover and the beloved — in one. This is the blossoming of perfect wisdom (prajna), the clear perception of the enlightened state. We discover we are all that exists. We are one appearing as many and able to give ourselves fully to love because we realize there is no possibility to be hurt in this inner union.
As we are filled from inside, we shed the need for love, for attention and acknowledgment from outside and therefore we are able to share ourselves with great abundance. We have become infinitely rich. Happiness is not something we seek. It is what we are. It is our timeless and indestructible essence.
This inner wealth of love wants to share itself because that is its nature. It is the nature of Hanuman, the faith that moves mountains, that heals and serves God in all things. The mind fully focused on the Divine knows itself and is free of all fear.
with love,”
- Ram Dass
What Qualities does Lord Hanuman Represent?
According to legend, reciting the Hanuman Chalisa daily bestows positivity, inner strength, and purification. Lord Hanuman is a highly revered and powerful deity, known for his ingenuity in overcoming challenges posed by malevolent forces, protecting the weak and innocent.
Here are some of the inspiring qualities depicted in the Hanuman Chalisa that beckon us to follow this ardent devotee of Lord Rama:
1. Humility, Purity, and Strength:
The opening lines of the Chalisa emphasize the purification of the mind by submitting oneself to Lord Rama, the seventh avatar of Maha Vishnu. Despite his immense power, Hanuman’s complete dedication and humble devotion at the feet of his Lord display rare humility.
2. Rare Combination of Bravery and Wisdom:
Hanuman’s wisdom and bravery are praised throughout the Universe. His courageous deeds and verses glorifying his accomplishments are celebrated by his devotees.
3. Complete Surrender to Divine Consciousness:
Hanuman’s unwavering devotion and complete surrender to Divine Consciousness, symbolized by Lord Rama, exemplify the depth of his spiritual connection and selflessness. As a loyal messenger and devoted ally, Hanuman’s actions resonate with the essence of pure consciousness, reflecting his profound understanding of the divine nature within and around him. This quality inspires us to cultivate a sense of surrender and reverence towards the higher spiritual truth, embracing the path of selfless service and inner awakening.
4. Always at Service:
When Laxmana, Lord Rama’s brother, was in dire need, Hanuman spared no effort to fetch the lifesaving Sanjivani Buti from a distant hilly area. His unwavering dedication to fulfill his duties inspires us to persevere in our tasks.
5. Incomparable Dynamism of Hanuman:
Hanuman’s multifaceted personality and mastery of various arts, from writing poems to playing musical instruments, exemplify his versatility and adaptability.
6. Be a Friend in Need:
Hanuman played a pivotal role in facilitating the alliance between Sugreeva and Lord Rama, demonstrating the importance of supporting friends and promoting goodwill.
7. Be a Good Guide and a Listener:
Hanuman’s advice to Vibhishan, Ravana’s brother, illustrates his role as a wise listener and guide, always eager to help others find solutions.
8. Unlimited Powers:
Hanuman’s incredible powers, including swallowing the sun and crossing the vast sea, teach us to shoulder great responsibilities with determination.
9. Makes Impossible Possible:
With Hanuman’s support, fear becomes obsolete, as he is capable of turning the most impossible tasks into realities.
10. Purity of Soul:
Hanuman’s limitless reach extends to those who call him with pure intentions, reflecting his compassionate nature and selfless attitude towards the destitute.
11. Dedicated Devotion for Achieving Moksha:
Chanting the Hanuman Chalisa with dedication and devotion leads to liberation from the cycle of life and death, exemplifying Hanuman’s compassionate heart and desire to ease others’ sorrows.
12. Pray Regularly and Get Blessings from Hanuman:
Regular recitation of the Hanuman Chalisa brings blessings, happiness, and freedom from fear, providing a spiritual connection with Lord Hanuman.
Incorporating the virtues of humility and strength, Lord Hanuman serves as an inspiring symbol for us to emulate in our lives. His unwavering devotion, valor, and willingness to aid the needy impart valuable life lessons that resonate across time and space. Regular recitation and reflection on the Hanuman Chalisa allow us to draw closer to the divine and embark on a path of spiritual growth.
