rāma bharoso rāma bala rāma nāma bisvāsa |
sumirata subha mangala kusala māngata tulasīdāsa ||
sumirata subha mangala kusala māngata tulasīdāsa ||
Goswami Tulsidas is such a famous poet, his works are so widely sung, honored, read and studied, that his works pique the interests of the full spectrum of philosophers, scholars and religionists. Some have their own ultimate conclusions about spirituality - their primary guiding force in life, that one wish which when fulfilled will ideally bring them peace of mind and tranquility - so they try to attach themselves to the famous Vaishnava poet, who is best known for his devotion to Rama. Others will try to cut him down, as he is the “top dog” when it comes to popularity and influence in bhakti literature. If his works can be discredited, or his doctrine shown to be invalid, then hopefully others will stop reading his books and singing his songs. But despite the external viewpoints, Tulsidas’ doctrine, his foremost desire, or underlying philosophy, remains quite simple and straightforward. In this very nice verse from his Dohavali, the poet makes his cherished wish perfectly clear, leaving no room for doubt as to his intentions or the primary influence to his devotional efforts.
Though there are different characteristics depending on specific desire, time and circumstance, there is one trait that trumps all others. At the heart of individuality is the spirit soul, the atma. Irrespective of body type, if life is present, there must be spirit. If there is an instance of life, there must be a soul residing within the living body form. Depending on the type of encasing assumed, different external characteristics result. For instance, tigers are prone towards eating other animals, while cows can survive on just eating grass. These features are specific to the outer covering and not related to the soul in any way.
Irrespective of the form assumed, the soul’s primary characteristic remains that of a lover of God. This is a law of spiritual science that transcends religious systems and dogmatic traditions. Just as the laws of gravity operate equally on all objects, even if people don’t believe in them, the properties of the soul remain intact even if not a single person is cognizant of them. The system of religion, or regulative practice, that recharges the soul’s most dominant characteristic, that makes the spiritual loving propensity take over the particular life form, thus becomes the highest dharma, or that occupational duty which cannot ever change in effectiveness.
For the human being to reach the point of reawakening their essential characteristic, some effort and conviction are required. At the time of birth identification is taken solely from the particular body accepted and the relationship it has to parents, friends and relatives. Just as it takes education to be able to read, write, and do arithmetic, it takes training under a bona fide spiritual guide to become familiar with the laws of spiritual science and then put them to good use.
“The steadily devoted soul attains unadulterated peace because he offers the result of all activities to Me; whereas a person who is not in union with the Divine, who is greedy for the fruits of his labor, becomes entangled.” (Lord Krishna,Bhagavad-gita, 5.12)
Another pathway towards attaining one’s dharma is jnana-yoga, wherein the individual learns about the different manifestations of matter and the properties of spirit. This discipline basically abstracts every type of activity. For instance, if we see one person playing baseball and another person playing soccer, we can abstract their activities into one category: playing sports. If we were to remove the nuance from every activity of the conditioned entities, we would learn that all material behavior is driven by an illusory energy known as maya. Maya is the agent that envelops the soul in delusion, keeping the foremost characteristic of the soul in a dormant state. The aim of jnana-yoga is to break through the illusion by understanding what is matter and what is spirit. As a result, the position of the Supreme Lord can be better understood.
Though there is another category of activity generally thrown into the mix, it is actually a combination of karma-yoga and jnana-yoga. Mystic meditation involves austerity and also concentration on the Absolute Truth. By remaining in particular sitting postures for long hours at a time and blocking out the influence of the senses, the soul coupled with the body can do many wonderful things. The ideal aim is still to break free of the conditioned mindset adopted at the time of birth.
One of the favorite activities of the bhaktas, or devotees, is kirtana, which means “to glorify”. Kirtana can be performed by singing and chanting and also by writing. Tulsidas especially loved to write poems and songs about his beloved Lord Rama. The Vedas reveal that the Supreme Absolute Truth, the person most of us refer to as God, is a divine entity with spiritual forms, including an original one. Depending on the exact Vaishnava tradition followed, the original form of Godhead is taken to be Vishnu, Krishna, or Rama. Despite which one is taken as original, Lord Rama is a celebrated form of Godhead, who is loved and adored by millions. Since the incarnation, or personal expansion, is non-different from the person it expanded from, it can be worshiped just the same. Tulsidas doesn’t look at anyone as God except Shri Rama, as that is the example set by Hanuman, one of Rama’s dearest friends who had the wonderful opportunity to take up service to the Lord directly in His company many thousands of years ago.
In his glorification, Tulsidas touches on many subjects, as one of the byproducts of practicing bhakti properly is that you gain full knowledge of other systems of religion. Any occupational duty that is not rooted in love for God will be based on a personal desire of the practicing individual. Yet even the conditioned souls, those who are not aware of their true dharma, have their wishes granted by the forces of nature, which are instituted by the Supreme Lord. This means that our current body was shaped based on the reactions of our past work, which was driven by our desires.
Just based off the time and effort he expended in writing and spreading the glories of Rama, Tulsidas was deserving of whatever he wanted. The poet was well aware of this, as every species gets the type of body that is commensurate with their actions. In the above referenced verse from the Dohavali, Tulsidas makes his desires well known, leaving no room for interpretation or misunderstanding. Those claiming that the poet was an impersonalist focused on studying Brahman are discredited by this verse, as are those who try to portray Tulsidas as anything but a pure lover of God. Through these three requests, the poet not only reveals his most confidential desires, but he also shows us the power of the holy name and the person it addresses.
Tulsidas asks not for eternal fame, wealth, a permanent home in the spiritual sky, freedom from the pangs of material existence, or even supreme knowledge. He asks to have reliance on the Lord. Depending on the dharma adopted, different people or objects will be relied upon. For instance, the athlete relies on the food he eats, the exercise machines he uses to train, and the person training him. The politician relies most on the votes of the public, for without popular support he cannot maintain his identity as a sitting political officeholder. The wife relies on the husband, the husband on the employer, the employer on the consumer, the consumer on the government, and so on. Everyone is relying on someone, as service is the spark of every activity. In spite of this reliance accepted in so many different ventures, Tulsidas asks to only hold on to Shri Rama as his giver of life.
“But ignorant and faithless persons who doubt the revealed scriptures do not attain God consciousness. For the doubting soul there is happiness neither in this world nor in the next.” (Lord Krishna, Bg. 4.40)
The poet also asks to have full faith in the name of Rama. Having faith in someone means that you trust them to deliver what they promise. Since Rama will be his reliance and his strength, Tulsidas wants that he have firm faith in his surrendering to God. Full surrender actually cannot happen without faith, for if we have doubts, the level of satisfaction received and the benedictions provided by the bhakti process will be checked. Indeed, the level of the resulting satisfaction is linearly related to the degree of surrender accepted by the devotee. Having faith in Rama’s name is also a very nice gesture on the worshiper’s part, as it shows that the promises made by the Lord and the prescriptions presented by both Him and His followers are accepted without reservation.
Though he didn’t need to add this part, Tulsidas mentions just why anyone would want the three things he has asked for. Remembering the name of Rama brings all auspiciousness, well-being and fortunes. Those who regularly recite the holy names of the Lord, such as those found in the sacred maha-mantra, “Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare”, are never losers. How can someone who is in contact with the Supreme Soul, the person to whom the individual soul is naturally attached, ever be bereft of anything? The poor man is he who has no knowledge of the holy name and the benefits it brings to those who recite it.
In Closing:
For three simple things are all he is asking,
Tulsidas the poet, Rama he is beseeching,
To have faith in the Lord’s holy name and in Rama trust,
Have strength in Rama, who makes even the weak robust.
Poet so popular that his influence so strong,
That others present theories of him that are wrong.
His real take on life is given for all to see,
Divine love is real business, of bhakti he is trustee.
Paths towards salvation Vedas do give many,
But bhakti is complete, equal it does not have any.
Follow full faith in Rama’s name, in it have no doubt,
From reciting it, Rama’s qualities in mind do sprout.
The holy name brings fortune and auspiciousness,
Well-being too, relief from constant sadness.
To bhakti principles give full compliance,
And in Rama’s holy name have full reliance.
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