Gajalakshmi Paramasivam

28 July  2020

Ramayanam – Mythology or Legend?

[Indians are supposed to accept without compelling scientific proof the existence of Jesus or Mohammed, but a Ram or a Krishna cannot break the glass ceiling of mythology] First Post article “As Sri Lanka researches ‘Ravan’s aviation routes’, India’s seculars keep mocking Ram”

An uncle of mine whom I am very fond of shocked me once by claiming that Ravana was a great hero and that it was Seetha who went after Ravana. I could not believe my ears. But because I knew that uncle well I realised that he was influence by oldies within the diaspora to whom LTTE leader was the parallel of Ravana. Now the Sinhalese Government also seems to be glorifying Ravana.  The above medium in turn is accrediting the Sri Lankan government’s promotion of Ravana.

Recently, a leading member of the Tamil Diaspora wrote about intellectual progress:

 [Had we remained inert, then even today we may be living with bottle lamp or burning firewood. ]

My response was :

[Or we can set out to start a war by ‘possessing’ the past as if it were a commodity and make a living out of it. – We  Lankans as well as Chinese did that. Now, you need belief to identify with that. Intellectual Reasoning is lagging behind because the ‘intellect’ seems to stop working once there are no apparent benefits but only the EXPERIENCE. Not many want the experience without money and/or status. ]

I believe as per my own experience of war in Sri Lanka that rebels tried to make a commodity of heritage. One who sees heritage through money value would not identify with the experience of its original makers and v.v. Heritage when invoked at current values – would awaken its equal and opposite partner – the costs and sacrifices that went into that heritage – also at current values. That is then no longer heritage but a white elephant.

Dutugemunu  - the Sinhala king and Ellalan the Tamil king were both made ‘white elephants’ respectively by the two sides to the armed war in Lanka. Likewise the Silk Road by the current Chinese government. Hence my above mentioned response. Every true belief when manifested would eliminate the effect of false claims.

As per the above mentioned article:

[Irony had a hearty laugh last week, skipping across the chain of shoals that links India with Sri Lanka. Embracing Ramayan, the epic that binds the two nations, the Civil Aviation Authority of Lanka issued an advertisement inviting documents and literature for a research on ‘King Ravana and the ancient domination of aerial routes now lost’.

It is believed that Ravan travelled widely in his Pushpak Viman, and the aviation routes could tell us more about Lanka’s geopolitical reach and influence.]

Given that the written Constitution of Sri Lanka is the basic structure of governance – and given that it requires Buddhism to be upheld as the foremost pathway of belief Ravana’s pathways to success would in effect be in breach of the Sri Lankan values as per the constitution. Ravana was a Hindu. Hence when manifested at the same time – the two would oppose each other.

As per the author of the above article:

[Sri Lanka tourism promotes an elaborate Ramayan trail stretching from Munneswaram to Trincomalee, Ella to Colombo. The nation’s first satellite launched last year is named ‘Ravana-1’.

Contrast this with India, where a masjid stood on Lord Ram’s birthplace for centuries and despite overwhelming evidence presented in court, ‘seculars’ stayed in denial. Any proposal to enhance the philosophical understanding of Ramayan, or studying Ram’s journey and alliances, or building tourism circuits based on the epic is mocked and met with disdain and protests.]

One who believes would not demote the investment to business level and v.v. Belief is harder to prove to others but is exponentially powerful and protects the believer. The more we seek to show others the weaker our belief. The weaker our belief the heavier our relativity – confirming strong attachment to the physical. India is less dependent on other countries than Sri Lanka due to this very reason.

The secular pathway is also a religious pathway. Hence the following responses from me to a medical doctor:

 [In Aryan concept no temples, no gods, no deities, no prayers.]

In Medicine also – there are areas where there is no hospital , no doctors no external medications. Remote communities including in Sri Lanka live that way. Likewise, ascetics. The latter are the parallels of Aryans and former are the parallels of indigenous folks.

[Now even Tamil god Murugan they have made it as theirs]

Tamil Philosophy is personified through Murugan. But once our work  reaches Philosophical level – it is of Universal value. If we are ‘possessive’ of our discovery – then we demote our own work to private level.

The grass tends to seem greener from the other side. The author needs to come over to Lanka and have the experience as a Lankan before declaring which one is better than the other. The discovery would confirm that they are different and Equal. To an observer and common to an insider. The experience of the insider is the god within.