24th Intenational Ramayan Conference
Mauritius August 8 – 10 2008

Synopsis of Sri Swamiji’s Lectures

Management  through Ramayana-Day 1

What is management?  Management is an organizational structure run by a right mission and right arrangement. Its success depends on its member’s ability to solve the problems of yesterday and face the dilemma of today. 

All the characters of Sri Ramcharitmanas were always unraveling the predicament of yesterday and resolving the difficulty of the present.  Bharat bhaiya, Lakshman bhaiya, Sri Hanumanji and Sita Ma are all prototypical exemplars of this steadfastness and determination. 

Sri Ram did everything with skillful management to be triumphant during his period of exile in the forest.  He knew how to employ human resources in order to accomplish his mission and demonstrated this by retaining the selfless services of the monkey and bears.

Shri Ram identified the star performers so he recognized the immense potentiality in personalities like Hanumanji and Angadji.  He identified the weakest among the lot to be Sugriv and yet attached importance to his unique quality of complete surrender.   At the very onset he was aware of his greatest challenges in Surpanakha, Ravan, Meghnath and Kumbakaran so he laid out an action plan outlining success strategies. 

With the help of his executive leaders he implemented his decisions as he did in the presence of Lakshman with the ocean God in Sundarkand and together with Hanumanji in choosing Vibhishan.  Sri Ram was a leader through questioning and consulting with his working members. He established a channel of communication by an exchange of ideas through dialogue, debates, discussion and following careful consideration of all views at hand he subsequently arrived at decisions.  He did not compel or coerce anyone with his decisions but made the bridge over enmity, differences and distances

His board of directors was highly capable, fertile and affluent with insightful experience. All these brain power came together to alleviate the darkness of society in the battlefield of Lanka so Shri Ram attributed victory over Lanka to all members of his collective team. However, in times of failure we it is just the reverse where he assumed responsibility.  In accomplishing his mission he exercised his Key Strengths:  skill, patience, project, planning and program

Management in Ramayana therefore describes the tools you will need for success and offers ideal blueprints for all executives, businessmen, industries and national leaders of any country to follow when undertaking any project for a successful and rewarding outcome 
 
Jai Shri Ram

Impact of Ramayan on the Indo-Caribbean Diaspora-Day 2

First of all, I would like to use a new terminology instead of Indian Diaspora because the words Indian Diaspora have some limitations. All types of devotees are attracted to the ambrosia of this Ramayan.  Ramayan is extremely popular and its prevalent message touches the hearts of Christians, Islamic, Jews, and capitalistic, communistic and socialistic societies. Ramayan Katha is extolled in Russia and China, Vietnam, Lanka and Thailand, California to Colombo, Moscow to Mauritius, Bali to Bombay, New York to New Delhi and the Caribbean to Calcutta. Instead of Indian Diaspora I would like to apply the words Ramayan Diaspora.  

Sri Ramcharitmanas of Sant Tulsidas forms an inextricable part of the larger spiritual, social and cultural fabric in the Caribbean and South American region.  That is in Trinidad & Tobago, Guyana, Republic of Suriname, Barbados, Jamaica, St. Maarten, Curacao, St Lucia to St Kitts, French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Venezuela, Brazil and so on. 

Every stage of daily life is governed by Ramayan as its sweet nectar and fragrance ignites spiritual inspiration and intellectual stimulation to people from all walks of life.   Swamiji gave many examples of the impact of Ramayan on the social and psychic structure of the people in the Ramayan Diaspora.   

One such instance is; Swamiji visited a devotee’s home.  The man was so excited to have Swamiji at his place.  He wanted to show the oldest Ramayan which was brought by his grandfather from India. The book was old and worn but kept in his puja room. The man went to the puja room but before he removed the Ramayan he did pranam, arti and offered flowers on it. Swamiji was touched by the great reverence paid by the devotee to this holy book.  The man was unable to read the pages of the sacred text because he was unable to understand Hindi but the seed of Sri Ram’s life was embedded in the very depths of the spiritual soil of his heart and soul.  After he brought the Ramayan for Swamiji he then showed him some dust he kept in a container. He explained that he had dust of mother India (Bharat Mata). Swamiji asked him from where he collected the d`ust.  He devotedly replied that he had collected it from the vegetable market. There a vendor was selling ginger that had originated from India.  He kept the soil, tied it and placed in a cloth.  Swamiji enquired from him why he cherished this dirt.  He said that he had seen in the Ramayan film that when Sri Ram had left for exile he went with the dirt of Ayodhya so he bought the pieces of ginger to collect some particles of that sanctified soil on which Sri Ram had walked.

Ramayan forms an integral part of Indo Caribbean life history. The Bristish Empire bound the Indian people by contract to travel to the Caribbean and organized for the sail. As the famous pichakaree song says “our jahaji brothers traversed from Calcutta to Caroni across the Kaalapani”.  After one month had passed in the ocean, they started to inquire who amongst the group brought the Ramayan along with him.  Almost everyone journeyed with the Ramayan like a passport. 

A passenger took his copy of Ramayan from his bag and all the voyagers gathered with folded arms and listened peacefully on the sailing ship. They started to reminisce about India and described their departure from the motherland as the ending of Balkand. As the paat continued and they entered in Ayodhyakand one man said our life in India is now finished and now we too are going in exile like Sri Ram. 

They arrived in the respective countries and commenced work in the forest, in construction of roads, canals and houses; tirelessly laboring in sugar cane fields and rice farming they deemed it to be Aranyakand.

At night they all gathered together from different villages to meet each other, discuss problems and recall memories of India.  In the pulsating rhythm of jaal Ramayan they felt they were in Kishkindhakand. 

After five years, the message from India, England and Holland arrived that abolishment of the indentured time had come. They realized this was Sri Hanumanji’s message of Sundarkand.  They felt that someone was thinking and searching for them. The indentured labourers did pranam to all freedom fighters of countries who were against freedom from indenture.

The British rulers started to whip them, though they were free from slavery the workers were still under the English leadership.  At this period of cruelty life was connected to Lanka kand of Ramayan. No holiday was received in times of sickness and no money paid following absence from work.  However, after prolonged fighting, the colonial administration terminated and the jahaji brothers and sisters (brothers and sisters who came on the journey called themselves jahaji bhai) were granted independence.  This experience was likened to Uttarkand.

Life was governed by the katha and message of Ramayan even after departure from the motherland (janma bhoomi) because Sri Ram katha coursed through every drop of blood that flowed through their bodies which gave them the vitality and sustenance to tolerate and endure the difficult period of this time of trial and tribulation. Today the Indo-Caribbean brothers and sisters have made remarkable contributions to the social, cultural and economic infrastructure wherever they have settled.  The Ramayan gave them new courage to face all challenges in turmoil and agony in a new land and in the chapter of Caribbean life. 

As in the Ramayan Diaspora, Sri Ram katha presents an ongoing opportunity for the growth of a deeper understanding and appreciation of the ideal life. 

Jai Shri Ram

Relationship of Ramayan to other holy books – Day 3

Ramayan comprises of two words; Ram and Ayan.  Ram means Brahma (Supreme Being).  Ayan means house, home, place or palace.  Ramayan means a place or house of Sri Ram.  Sant Tulsidas presented three aspects of Ramayan. 

1. Sri Ramcharitmanas is Ramayan because Sri Ram’s story, history and biography are written in each and every page of this holy book. 

2. The human body is a complete Ramayan because Sri Ram is present in this body.  Ramayan has seven kands (chapters) and the human body comprises of seven chakras (divine centers).

Uttarkand answers all types of questions. At the place of Sahastradhar chakra, all answers of life and this cosmos are descending into the minds and hearts of human beings.

The whole universe is a Ramayan.  In the statement of the Upanishads, the sky comprises of seven (7) layers:

• Om Bhuvah,
• Om Bhurvah,
• Om Swaha,
• Om Maha,
• Om Janah,
• Om Tapah
• Om Satyam. 

These seven layers of the sky are the seven chapters of Ramayan. Likewise Mother earth has seven layers. They are:

• Tal
• Atal
• Vital
• Sutal
• Talatal
• Rasatal
• Mahatal

These seven elements represent the seven chapters of kands of Ramayan. Thus, the entire cosmos is a Ramayan. 

Ramayana An Encyclopedia of Human Wisdom

Sri Ramcharitmanas is an animated book on human life expressing how to live on and how to live for.  All the characters of the Ramayan exist in the human body. Therefore, Sri Ramcharitmanas is not only a book of history, mythology, theology and philosophy but it is a living commentary for human life to achieve divinity. 

• People commonly use the word “book” in English but in Sanskrit and Hindi, book is translated as Pustak, Pothi, Granth, Saahitya and Shastra.
• Pustak means to place in the forehead.  In other words, accumulate knowledge and put it in the brain.
• Pothi translates into drink it again and again; due to this we are reciting the Ramayan happily everyday. 
• Granth deciphers knot and complexity, doubts and suspicion, falsehood.  The Ramayan is able to open the knot and remove the doubts as demonstrated by Maharishi Yagnavalk, Kakbushundhi.  Bhagwan Shankar also removed all doubts of Bharadwaj, Garunji and Mother Parvati. 
• Sahitya – Sa means see, Hit translates goodness. It means Ramayan is conferring goodness in our life.
• Shastra – denotes governance of life.  Shash and shashan connotes governance.  This divine shastra is explaining the do and not to do of life.  That is the denotation of Shastra.
• Vangmaya - refers to the storehouse of wisdom (Goddess Saraswati). Thus Ramayan is a manisha (fruit of the wisdom of all scholars of the global community).
• In another aspect, Sri Ramayan is a complete encyclopedia of human wisdom, human culture and human life.     

Swamiji said that due to this brothers and sisters, scholars of various cities of America are discussing the knowledge of Sri Ramcharitmanas from different viewpoints of various scholars.  He expressed thanks to all members and the audience on that day and special Pranam to Sri Lallan Prasad Vyasji of India and Dr. Ramlall of Guyana and New York who are always giving guidance in his life.

Jai Shri Ram