What makes us truly wise, noble, and richly deserving? Bhagawan lovingly reminds us today.
Rama and Ravana were equally proficient in 36 forms of knowledge. But sage Valmiki, the composer of the Ramayana, portrayed Ravana as a fool and Rama as a noble one because Ravana misused his knowledge, whereas Rama put his knowledge to proper use. That is why Valmiki described Rama as virtuous and noble. Ravana became the root cause of the death of his sons and brothers because he was unable to control his lust. Today, many people aspire to occupy positions of authority in the political field, though they do not deserve it. But Rama renounced the kingdom itself though, being the eldest son, He richly deserved to be the king. He made such a great sacrifice and went to the forest to uphold his father’s word. The Vedas clearly state, “Immortality can be attained only through sacrifice, neither wealth nor progeny nor good deeds can confer it”. In fact, tyaga (sacrifice) is true yoga. If you do not exhale the air that you inhale, your lungs will be affected. If you do not excrete the food you eat, you will have stomach disorders. Likewise, you should give money that you earn in charity with a spirit of sacrifice. There lies the bliss.
– Divine Discourse, Mar 12, 1999.
