Narayanasramam

[Guest guest]

True Love by Swami Bhoomananda Tirtha

 

Dear souls, here in Sita's relationship towards Sri Rama, comes to you

the monumental example of supreme devotion, exclusive loyalty,

unflinching acceptance of the mind and heart towards what it looks to as the

life's ideal and resort. For a true lover, what if the beloved

falsifies himself or herself? What if a bad fate befalls him or her?

Love is your property, and the preserver or destroyer of it is none else than

yourself.

 

If you think that the loved, the object of love, has an ultimate

determining role, then indeed you have not understood what true love is. However

much an object may be desirable or lovable, unless you agree to foster love

towards it and you do foster, its lovability does not mean anything to you. It

is not lovability of a thing, but your lovingness towards it that becomes a

cause of delight. And, if you believe in reason, then culture your lovingness in

such a thorough way, to such an extent, that even if the loved falsifies itself,

knowingly or unknowingly, your love will prevail untarnished, giving you all the

delight, rejoicing and fulfillment that you want.

 

Here stands Sita telling us that Sri Rama, even after having abandoned

her in an obviously questionable manner, is still extremely beloved to

her heart. She is not satisfied with his company and adorning the role

of his queen. She still waits for the chance of becoming his wife again and

again. For that end she is prepared to undergo any extent of

difficulties, restraints and troubles. Nothing she finds an excess to

persist in her own unflinchingness and absoluteness.

 

Is this not idealism, dear men and women? If human life does not seek to know

this kind of lofty living and pursuits, I refuse to call it a human life at all.

At best it is an animal life with a human garb. The human must be 'humane' and

must have all the attendant qualities. If anyone is found to be lacking in any

qualities, it should be his constant endeavour to cultivate them, paying any

price for it.

 

We hear so much of quarrel, misunderstanding, maladjustment, and what

not? A lot of these will disappear and dissolve if only we have the

human preparedness to know what is the right course of living for us and then to

pursue the knowledge through our day-to-day actions and

thoughts.