For 14 years, the great Indian avatar-saint Rama, his wife Sita and brother Lakshmana, were banished from their kingdom to live in the forest. For most of us this would feel like a punishment, especially for such a sincere and benevolent prince. For Rama, however, it was an idyllic time of self- reflection, purification and family bonding. By accepting his divine responsibility (his dharma) without grievance to those that banished him, he was acting as a saint would. As Papa Ramdas expressed it, he saw the world as God. With such perception, even brutality and isolation transform into blessings of gentleness and love.
Rama also understood that seeing the world as God does not mean passively accepting a situation that calls for action. When his beloved Sita was kidnapped by the demon Ravana, he did not sit idly by, but placed his own life in danger to save her. When our will becomes one with God’s will, we instantly know when it is right to accept a situation and when it is right to fight to change a situation.
What makes the story of Rama so accessible though, is that he still feels great pain and heartbreak at the events around him. He is not numb to the human condition, nor does he suppress his emotions. There is no shame in what we feel and think, but we become saints by acting in accordance with our dharma rather than reacting to the many storms that rage within and around us.