According to the opinion of intellectuals, scientists, or mythologists, Rama was born in Treta Yuga, many, many millions of years ago. Some say that he was born 7,000 BCE, some say he has taken birth many times. Whatever may be said of him, one fact does not change – the inspiration he gives to everybody.
This is the beauty of the name Rama. Rama is the mantra of peace and Rama is the mantra of prana. Rama in psychological terms is the mantra for peace; through the ages it instils inner peace, yet at the same time it makes one awake in the outer dimension. There is an awakening towards the participation or involvement that each one of us has with our surroundings, nature, the cosmos and the divine.
Even the word Corona in Hindi may be an indication for you to chant Rama’s name. Ka means karo – to do; Ro means roma mein or the name of Rama in every pore of the body. Na means naam japa of the name of Rama. So the meaning of the word Corona is: repeat and chant the name of Rama in every pore of the body. That is the spiritual meaning of the word Corona. The material meaning of the word Corona signifies illness and death, yet the spiritual dimension of Corona makes you aware of the inner strength which you may not have been aware of before in your normal awareness, however now to draw on your inner strength, you have to connect with your inner self. Everybody in society has to connect with their inner self. If they ignore their inner self, psychological problems will develop more and more.
In India we never had psychology. Psychology is the product of the European culture. So many civilizations have come and gone, yet never had the subject of psychology, for people all connected with a lifestyle where there was no split in their thinking and action.
Today when there is a split in thinking and acting, then one has to wonder what type of psychology one is living, or what type of psychology that person is developing. The ancient civilizations, whether Celtic, Druidic, South American Shaman, Chinese, the Shintoism of Japan, or the Indian vedic traditions, all emphasized living in harmony with each other, with nature and the cosmic law. To remain connected to ritam and satyam, the cosmic law and the eternal truth – that was it.
This whole aspiration has been defined in the name Rama. Therefore, whether he was alive and took birth or did not take birth makes no difference to Indians, for they identify with the inspiration and the feeling that Rama invokes in each one of us.
Rama represents somebody who lived the perfect lifestyle, he was maryada purushottam, somebody who remains within the boundaries of sanyam, self-contained peace and harmony, all the time. Due to Corona the time is coming when we must again experience that self-contained contentment, wholeness, satisfaction and fulfilment. There have been many evolutions of the human civilization from stone age to industrial age to atomic age to space age to the Corona age. Maybe this is an indication now to stop looking for gratifications outside, to change our habits and thoughts and cultivate the best that we can for ourselves and for others. This is the actual meaning of the word and mantra Rama.
Ramnavmi, 21 April 2021, Ganga Darshan, Munger, India