Ram Navami explained by Gandhi and Shri Mataji (Responsibility or Asthma in the Right Heart Chakra)

Let’s Learn about King Shri Rama and Ram Navami as explained by Shri Mataji

Shri Mataji – the founder of Sahaja Yoga Meditation with a quote on Ram Navami from some of Her many lectures shared around the world, always free of charge and with much love for all humanity.

This article is dedicated to Ram Navami and its subtle significance through the teachings coming from Shri Mataji and Mahatma Gandhi. It is an essential compilation that offers a glimpse into the layers of subtle wisdom and understanding related even to our subtle system of energy centers known as chakras. Let’s dive into it!

About Ram Navami and Lord Rama (quotes from a 1982 talk offered in London, UK, by the founder of Sahaja Yoga)

“Today is Rama’s birthday. Now, his coming on this earth gave us the development of the right side. .. People had just started realizing that there is something higher and you have to worship that higher Self. .. Because first of all when human beings came on this earth they were frightened of all the animals who would invade them and all kinds of horrible Rakshasas (demons) and all those people, and negative forces would trouble them. In that state they needed to create a King, a Ruler, who was an Ideal King and who would rule according to the laws of Dharma. So He (Lord Rama) was the one in charge of that.”

Responsibility in the Heart Chakra comes with:

Tremendous Sincerity

” ..when you talk to others, when they come to you, then there has to be a kind of a tremendous sincerity. If you are doing things with that sincerity then people will know. When you talk to a person they should know that there’s sincerity, that your heart is there. For example, you may talk to that person very sweetly but your heart may not be there and the person might think, “Oh, he was just giving me a lecture.” But if you talk to someone with sincerity you say, “How could you do such a thing? Can’t you see yourself? Can’t you work it out? That’s what it is. You are here for that.”
Now in saying so, your Sincerity, which is coming from your heart is to be seen, and that’s what is Shri Rama’s character.

Note: Shri Rama is known as the legendary King Rama and is worshipped as a God by many Hindus that consider “Ramayana” as their sacred scripture. Shri Mataji is explaining to yogis that Shri Rama was in fact the incarnation of a divine principle that resides in all humans’ subtle energy centre known as the right aspect of the heart chakra, placed along the Solar energy channel.

Heart put into Action [Right Heart Chakra]

“That he [Shri Rama] was on the right side of the heart [chakra], which means the Heart put to Activity.

Do you understand that, where Kabira (a realized soul and beloved poet) has said, “I will make the compassion of my heart steady and put it into five elements.” *

Heart-Feeling [Left Heart Chakra] versus Heart put into Action [Right Heart Chakra]

“See in the same way when you are in the left heart [chakra], then that’s your ‘heart-felt’ thing. But the heartfelt thing, what’s the use?! There are many Sahaja Yogis who really feel that this world is horrible and something must be done, Sahaja Yoga must be brought in. But how many of you are really putting that into action, absolutely into action!?

Without that, your Shri Rama’s Tattwa [the divine principle/essence of Lord Rama] cannot be improved.

Shri Rama’s principle is only improved when you put all the things into action; that exactly Shri Rama did.

So in the ascent of man, when he came up to Shri Rama’s place [at the level of right Heart/Anahat chakra.

The advent of Shri Rama was not in the centre, but on the right hand side.

He moved aside so much, so that he forgot about his past! It’s never mentioned that He’s an incarnation. He never told His father. He never told his mother. He never told anybody that He was an incarnation. Of course it was evident that he was. His brother knew about it. Now he had two brothers. Very interesting. I mean he had other brothers also, but Bharat and Lakshmana show the two sides of a human being.

Keeping the Promises

“So another great quality of Shri Rama was that once a promise is given, it is to be kept. This is another quality that we have to have, that if you have promised anything you have to keep it. If you have said, “I will do this.”, you must do it. You should not find out excuses to avoid it. It’s an absolutely anti-God activity, to avoid doing things that you have promised. Your Deities (from within, that govern our energy centers) will never be happy. You must see that whatever you have promised you must do.”

What is Sankocha? (that is preventing Asthma!)

“And this is another quality of Shri Rama, is ‘Sankocha’ ( ). There’s no word for it in the English language because you have formality, which is a very insipid word to describe Sankocha. There is no integration between your heart and formality. But if you can think of a formality of the heart then what do you call that? .. You see, this kind of arrogance and rudeness comes to us because we have no Sankocha… So you see, that Sankocha, that understanding comes, if you love someone and understand them. Now, you have to love all the seekers of the world. They have done wrong. They have done all kinds of ego-trips. They have made all kinds of mistakes but, your Mother loves them and you have to love them. If they are to be corrected I’ll do that. You just don’t do that way that they feel hurt. Put a Sankocha. While talking to each other educate yourself, train yourself to say things which are sweet and nice.

So we have a Sahaja Yoga tradition in which when we speak to each other we have that Sankocha within us of Shri Rama.

How can we get Asthma?! Let’s take a look into our Right Heart Chakra

“And if you do not have that Sankocha you get the Right Heart [blockage at the subtle level of the corresponding chakra] and that right heart is a very dangerous thing in a country like England where the climate is so bad, because it gives you a horrible thing like asthma. I’m not frightening you, but it’s true.

You get asthma if your right heart [chakra] is caught up.

Not necessarily that asthma comes from right heart only.

It can also come from centre heart (blockage).

But if you get right heart [chakra blocked] you definitely get asthma. So the attitude you see, like towards your father. I’ve heard people talking to their fathers also in such a funny way. You can’t talk to your father like that. They talk to me also very rudely, I’ve seen, Sahaja Yogis, shockingly even sometimes, on a very mundane level or you can say in a very ‘unprotocolish’ way. You get this due to the right heart problem.

More about Sankocha and its Sahaj Culture that comes from Shri Rama

“So this Sankocha one has to learn..

You see, that ‘we love each other’ doesn’t mean that we go on aggressing other’s privacies.

To what extent we love each other doesn’t mean that we go on in a way that we try to transgress all the beauties and all the privacies of another person. Say, someone walks into the bedroom directly, it’s not the way a Sahaja Yogi should do. I need not tell you, but you must knock if you have to, and knock at a time when you need it. All the time to knock or to hang onto someone all the time is not proper.

The Sankocha is a complete cultural style. So we have a cultural tradition which we have to learn from Shri Rama. He’s known for his Sankocha, he knows every time how to say things. We have to have this very much engrained within us.

The children are to be educated in that way, and once they are educated in that way they will learn the Sankocha. And that will give them a proper understanding of social life.”

Sankocha as Thanksgiving

“Like if you see this light is here. If you put your finger to it, it might burn. Then you may remove your finger. But if you are with another person and if you try to take liberties with that person then a day may come when that person may misbehave or harm you or do something to you. Still you will not realize that it is because you have no Sankocha that it has happened. So this Sankocha has to be worked out very beautifully in every way.

In Thanks-giving, in accepting somebody’s gratitude, in expressing your love to another person in a way THAT is a Sankocha.

Maryadas or Discretion of the Heart

Shri Rama is known for his boundaries. He doesn’t cross the limit.

The other day I told you about food, that you don’t cross the boundaries of food.. like being compassionate to the bugs and to the mosquitoes. You see in the same way in everything Discretion of the Heart should be there.
There’s no word for discretion of the heart in the English language which is Maryada, Discretion of the heart, is to understand.”

Advices for the relationship we have with our own father Father, Husband or Wife 

“For example, that if you are rude to your father what do you gain? You gain nothing. But if you are humble you might gain, alright? Even if he’s a bad man, because what happens in reaction? Psychologically, supposing you are the son of a father who is doing something wrong and you are obedient to him, he will always have a fear that he will lose you if you follow him in your ideas. So by that humility you will raise him. If you are humble, if your behaviour towards your parents is like Shri Rama’s, there’s nothing to lose. You don’t compromise in your principles or anything. That’s only possible if you know that maryada from heart – “how far to go”.

What is the need to be rude to your father? No need, at all. At any cost. What is the need? Or to your husband or to your wife? Why say anything harsh to anyone? What is the need? What are you going to gain out of it?

By saying anything harsh I have not seen that people have improved.

Only when a guru is harsh or when a mother and father are harsh to the children it helps.

Nowhere else it helps in common relationships like brothers and sisters. It does not. In higher and lower relationships the lower persons have to bear the harshness of the elders if they want to improve. There’s nothing, after all they’re not going to throttle you. Supposing even if they say something bad to you it doesn’t matter.
Alright? And one has to remember what Christ has said, that you have to turn the other cheek. So use the heart’s discretion about how far to go with a person. In the effect of it you’ll be a very, very powerful person, in your family, in Sahaja Yoga, anywhere.”

Importance of placing “Maryadas” in our life

“So the education of Shri Rama as I told you was that he could kill a demon with one arrow…But you have to be powerful people and the power of a person increases by putting maryadas. Supposing you have wheat and just spread it, it will spread all over. The birds will come and eat it up. But if you put it in a sack it will have a weight, it will have a size, it will rise in height and it is useful. It will have respect. But the thing which is spread all over, which has no maryada will never be respected. Nothing works out without maryadas. Even the light keeps to a maryada. You have to keep your maryadas.

That is part of our training. Say there’s an airplane and it is not bound by any maryadas, it is not bound. When it goes up in the air it will be all finished. All our ideas of freedom are to be bound by maryadas. If the freedom has no maryada it is abandonment. It is nonsense. It is not going to help.

Growing and Becoming Good Rulers of ourselves through Love, not Mind

“So we have to create out of Sahaja Yogis great politicians 🙂 , we must have a full idea of how to be rulers like Shri Rama.
We have to move very far with ourselves, training ourselves, educating ourselves, getting rid of our egos and understanding that we have to grow. It’s a very big task, it’s a great task and sometimes you might think, “How can Mother expect us to do it?” But I think that you are the people who are chosen for it and you have to get to it and work it out. So we have to train up ourselves to be first good rulers of ourselves and the rulers of others. First we must learn to rule ourselves. You see, here in this body only you learn how to rule yourself.  Comfort; if you get fond of comfort, make your body work it out that there’s no comfort needed. If your body indulges into too much eating or anything, make your body learn that it’s not good to indulge into it. If you speak too much, talk too much, if you are rude, just say that, ‘I’m not going to say a word from morning till evening’..  (better) Talk about how the transformation, the blossom time has come. This you have to do, plus you have to learn how to rule yourself and then how to rule others – through your Heart and NOT through your mind.”

“You have to rule through your hearts by learning all the qualities of the heart which I have just told you.”

“I think you’d better read some of the prophets. You will also start talking like them. You read Kabir, Khalil Gibran, all these people. What is Blake? He was a prophet too. You can talk like him. Why not? He talked through his Spirit, isn’t it? Pure intelligence. Then you become Shri Rama if you can do that.
So today’s a great day. I’m happy that you all could come. And it has worked out so well that I was going to come here and talk about Shri Rama, and wish you all that you follow Him up. Respect yourself and it’s your responsibility to be good. To be like that. Work it out that way.

May God bless you all!”

(all quotes above are from Shri Mataji’s lecture on Lord Rama in 1982, London)

Mahatma Gandhi about Lord Rama and Ramanam (Rama’s name) as well about Ramarajya (Rama’s social /ruling system)

“Whether Rama of my imagination ever lived or not on this earth, the ancient ideal of Ramarajya [Kindom of Rama] is undoubtedly one of true democracy…”

“In the Ramarajya the meanest citizen could be sure of swift justice without an elaborate and costly procedure. Even the dog is described by the poet to have received justice under Ramarajya.”

And from an articol from Navajivan, 14-4-1929 translated from Gujarati:

I often advise such people to read the Gita and the Ramayana again and again… No one who studies the Ramayana and such other works, placing his faith in the experience of those who have conquered their passions, can remain unmoved… One in whose heart Rama dwells permanently, can never be assailed by passions. The truth is that Ramanama ultimately sinks into the heart of one who recites it with true devotion. When this happens, it become an impregnable fortress. Impurity can be combated not by brooding over it, but by contemplating purity. With good intentions we often go in for contrary remedies. We contemplate impurity when we brood: where did it come from? This is to be compared with violent remedies, the true remedy being non-co-operation. When impurity invades us, there is no need to bid it quit. We must contemplate purity as if impurity did not exist. There is a trace of fear in bidding it quit. Courage lies in not even thinking of it. One should develop the faith that impurity will not even touch one. This method is proved by experience.”

Then,  Mahatma Gandhi, addressing a prayer meeting in New Delhi on 25 May, 1946, said:

“Rama Nama should come from the heart. ..To install Rama Nama in the heart requires infinite patience… But the effort is worthwhile. Rama Nama cannot come from the heart unless one has cultivated the virtues of truth, honesty and purity within and without.”

Other quotes from Mahatma Gandhi about Shri Rama’s importance for him:

“I recognize Truth by the name of Rama. In the darkest hour of my trial, that one name has saved me and is still saving me. It may be the association of childhood, it may be the fascination that Tulsidas has wrought on me. But the potent fact is there, and as I write these lines, my memory revives the scenes of my childhood, when I used daily to visit the Ramji Mandir adjacent to my ancestral home. My Rama then resided there. He saved me from many fears and sins. It was no superstition for me. The custodian of the idol may have been a bad man. I know nothing against him. Misdeeds might have gone on in the temple. Again I know nothing of them. Therefore, they would not affect me. What was and is true of me is true of millions of Hindus. (* 18-3-1933, p6)

.. always worshipped God as Rama. But I know that if, beginning with Omkar, one goes through the entire gamut of God’s names current in all climes, all countries and languages, the result is the same. He and His law are one. To observe His law is, therefore, the best form of worship. (*, 24-3-1946, p56)

I laugh within myself when someone objects that Rama or the chanting of Ramanama is for the Hindus only, how can Muslims therefore take part in it? Is there one God for the Muslims and another for the Hindus, Paris or Christians?”

No, there is only one omnipotent and omnipresent God. He is named variously and we remember Him by the name which is most familiar to us.

“My Rama, the Rama of our prayers is not the historical Rama, the son Dasharatha, the King of Ayodhya. He is the eternal, the unborn, the one without a second. Him alone I worship. His aid alone I see, and so should you. He belongs equally to all. I, therefore, see no reason why a Muslim or anybody should object to taking His name. But he is in no way bound to recognize God as Ramanama. He may utter to himself Allah or Khuda so as not to mar the harmony of the sound. (*, 28-4-1946, p111)

To me…Rama, described as the Lord of Sita, son of Dasharatha, is the all-powerful essence whose name, inscribed in the heart, removes all suffering–mental, moral and physical. “(*, 2-6-1946, p158)

Mere lip recitation of Ramanama has nothing to do with cure.

“That law is that a perfect mind is responsible for perfect health of he body. A perfect mind comes from a perfect heart, not the heart known by a doctor’s stethoscope but the heart which is the seat of God. It is claimed that realization of God in the heart makes it impossible for an impure or an idle thought to cross the mind. Disease is impossible where there is purity of thought. Such a state may be difficult to attain. But the first step in the ascent to health is taken with its recognition. The next is taken when the corresponding attempt is made. This radical alteration in one’s life is naturally accompanied by the observance of all other nature’s laws hitherto discovered by man. One cannot play with them and claim to have a pure heart. It can be said with justice that possession of a pure heart should do equally well without Ramanama. Only, I know no other way of attaining purity. And it is the way trodden by the seas of old all over the world. They were men of God, not suppositious men or charlatans.” (*, 9-6-1946, p171)

“Spiritual force is like any other force at the service of man. Apart from the fact that it has been used for physical ailments for ages, with more or less success, it would be intrinsically wrong not to use it, if it can be successfully used for the cure of physical ailments. For, man is both matter and spirit, each acting on and affecting the other. If you get rid of malaria by taking quinine, without thinking of the millions who do not get it, why should you refuse to use the remedy which is within you, because millions will not use it through their ignorance? May you not be clean and well because millions of others will not be so, ignorantly or, may be even cussedly? If you will not be clean out of false notions of philanthropy, you will deny yourself the duty of serving the very millions by remaining dirty and ill. Surely refusal to be spiritually well or clean is worse than the refusal to be physically clean and well. ” (*, 1-9-1946, p286)

“To repeat ‘Ramanama’ and to follow the way of (demon) Ravana in actual practice is worse than useless.

“It is sheer hypocrisy.”

“One may deceive oneself or the world, but one cannot deceive oneself or the world, but one cannot deceive the Almighty.”

(*, 23-6-1946, p186)

(Source for the above quotes from Gandhi – the book “Mind of Mahatma Gandhi” and other articles)

Hope you have enjoyed the beauty and truth coming from the sahaj wisdom about the Heart Chakra with its specific Right and Left aspects,  We all, even the sahaja yogis need reminders about the essential role and influence of this subtle energy centre in so many aspects of our personal and social life. Sahaja Yoga reveals and  proves with details exactly what Mahatma Gandhi had realized intuitively: that Lord Rama is a Role Model that is enlightening us from within, as God’s presence in our Right Heart Chakra. Today, we celebrate his birthday as the festival of Ram Navami.

This article is dedicated to this auspicious occasion as an exercise of Sincere Introspection – another important technique used in Sahaja Yoga Meditation for our spiritual growth – and Reflection.

Enjoy an Article about Socrates and Lord Rama

Excerpt from Sahaja Yoga – Yuvadrishti Newsletter – old issue: Lord Shri Rama was born on the ninth day of the month of Chaitra, hence we celebrate his birthday as a “Navami”. Indian mathematicians and philosophers see nine as a magical number. Planets in our solar system are also nine, as are the main forms of goddess durga and the nine ways of bhakti – devotion.
More then his divine powers, his glorious heritage or his incredible prowess was his unblemished, untarnished, irreproachable character. His popularity, bravery, courage in face of all
adversities, kindness, sense of justice, obedience, intelligence, limitless patience, boundless compassion and steadfast following of duty / “dharma” have endeared him to countless generations of Hindus and non-Hindus alike.  His wish to do good for the people, even at personal suffering, endeared him to the people more than elaborate speeches or ceremonies. Such is the glory of his memory that even now people invoke “RamaRajya” as an ideal, utopian system. It gave a democratic monarchy to the people. A system in which even the most humble may voice their opinion and be
noticed. In Rama Rajya there were no criminals or oppressors and no one was ever oppressed. Every one had equal rights, justice was available to all. Taxes were not excessive and every one had work to occupy them. Rama had assured his people peace and plenty because as a King he served his people rather than be served by them. Where a ruler has all of the above characteristics, people can still enjoy Rama Rajya. It is the ideal of self-less service which has made Rama one of the greatest idols / heroes of all time. People
celebrate Rama – Navami (Shri Rama’s birth) by dancing and singing auspicious songs. Let us celebrate Rama – Navami by following his ideal standards. By following these in his life, Rama has shown that it is possible to aspire for greatness and “ideal life”.

This Post Has 21 Comments

  1. Bernadette Gratz ( Vimala )

    thank you so much for posting Shri Ram Pujaspeech! We need it so much in this world ! lots of love from Vienna
    vimala

  2. Sitou

    I am blessed to read this,this morning
    Many thanks

  3. ene garva

    Thanks from Romania!
    The whole world needs more Sankocha.

  4. Rabi

    Thank you you made me go into meditation today with Ram Navami article. It has so much to speak on Lord Rama and so much to give as knowledge from Incarnations , Gurus, Great souls and Mother on Lord Rama on this day

  5. Shivangi

    Very very nice collection of talks and articles. Loved reading it. Happy Ram Navami.

  6. adrian

    “Transformation… blossom time has come…

    “Growing and becoming good rulers of ourselves first… through Love”

    These two quotations from the article resonate for me.

    We/I/us/you often think that the most important aspect of giving, sharing and caring is about the other… service to the other. Yet in these quotes it is clear that it begins with…

    The giving, sharing and caring of the self… and that has not to do with anything materialistic, or accomplishment for Ego sake.

    It has do do with understanding how to nourish self through the SELF… and then to expand that beyond the self to the other.

    So there is the joy of expanding into one self and to further expand oneself to the other.

    That is the good will… the righteousness… the responsibility… through heart centred consciousness.

    Love.

    1. adrian

      My thought about seeing these quotes again is about redemption and revelation.

      Redemption I feel is about our ability to forgive others… and especially ourselves.

      And Revelation is about our sense that what is TRUE will be revealed through our ability to “Believe”… once realized.

      As simple as… “Believing that you allready ARE”… and through that alone can…

      experience… “heaven on earth”.

      Happy Easter

    2. adrian

      “The blossom and its transformation”…
      It began as its own seed…
      In the earth and with water and light…
      Thus began its realization…
      To expand into itself…
      Only to realize itself again as the seed…
      It started with itself…
      And transformed into more than its original self…
      To share with others in its own beauty…
      That is the giving of itself…
      And for its self, by itself…
      Quite remarkable Life is…
      Enjoy yourself.

      1. Adrian/Arie

        Remembering

        reminding myself…
        Just the appropriate amount…

        Of water…
        Not too much/and not too little…

        Balance…
        Perhaps a little less…
        Is a little more.

        Perhaps a bit more…
        Is a little less.

        Sincerity is like water…
        It will lead to a bloom or not…
        Listen to your sensitivity…
        Understand your patience…
        Therein lies your Truth.

        Gratefully

    3. adrian

      Do we take Responsibility for the way we Listen and Speak?
      Are we Seeing the Simplicity of the Seed?
      Enjoy the expansion.

  7. Rajendra Tosawar

    All vertue of Lord Shri are to be imbibed.
    Thanks a lot for sharing with us.

  8. Chandra

    Now we (me and Anjali) know why it is called “Ramnavmi.”

    It is on the 9th day of Chaitra Maasa(Month) Rama was born.

  9. Colleen

    Thank you Ioana for posting this today. It really resonated with me, thank you.

    With love,
    Colleen

    “A perfect mind comes from a perfect heart”
    A pure mind comes from a pure heart, and a pure heart comes from a pure mind.

    I am now meditating on this.
    Thank you Rama for showing us this!!

    *I love everything, I love everyone, I love myself, I love my past.* I interchange the word *love* and *forgive*, we need to love what we need to forgive to truly forgive and to truly love.

  10. Thava Govender

    Loved reading the experts today. Happy Ram Navami from South Africa

  11. Ashish

    Happy Ram Navami. I tell you one thing that you missing something because today is Sai Baba birthday too but thank you sooooooo much for sharing.

  12. Sahaj

    Shri Rama was a benevolent king; if that benevolence is perceived in all of our hearts then the day when Ramrajya(rule of benevolence)is not that far. As Mahatma Gandhi said “revolution has to begin within”.

  13. Sunaina

    I am very happy to read this. Thanks Ioana.

  14. Sachin

    A very beautiful article, pleasure to read, Shri Rama is one of the renowned godly charchater, full of qualities obedient son, loyal husband, caring brother, helpfull and kind king, very polite to teachers, and leader for the ones those who needed him, grew up reading “Ram Charita Manas” and watching Ramayana, Ramleela is still the play that will be staged depicting Lord Rama life in Northern India before Dussehra (home coming of Lord Rama of 14 years of exile), Shri Rama just teaches you how to be a perfect as a person.
    Still people India say “Jai Ram ji ki’ or “Ram Ram g”as a greeting while meeting someone, its just so wonderful reminding someone of good thing.

    Same Mahatma Gandhi an awesome personality and person with a weapon of “Peace” and “Rama” in heart, leader of mass, most simplest human being.

    This article really well depicted everything, and very well explained Heart/ Anahat Chakra, Kudos to Loana for beautiful article.

    “Jai Shri Rama”

  15. Jolanta

    I enjoyed reading this informative article, and I find identifying sincere introspection as one of the Sahaja Yoga Meditation techniques not only a great connection to Shri Rama’s ideals, but also a very practical way of explaining what Sahaja Yoga is, and how it can help everyone improve themselves and others.

  16. Niti

    Beautiful description of Shri Ram in this article,very well explained the true meaning of Shri Rama his all the qualities as a son,father king in this article is truly amazing.i like all the explanations about having Maryadas which is boundary of ethics, divine disarmament showed by Maryada purushottam Ram during in his incarnation.Mahatma Gandhijis feeling for Shri Ram and about Ram Rajya really touched my heart.Thanks Ioana for this article.

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