This story has a lot to teach but the most important teaching is how Ram wins by fulfilling his duties without worrying about the consequences or benefits - "Karmyogi". It also shows Ravan who is an arrogant scholarly king who is defeated in the end. We all have elements of both the characters in us. Goal is to be like Ram. Keeping Ram's story in our heart and mind guides our daily life and we will never be destroyed due to false pride like Ravan did.

1. Story of Diwali
Author: Shashi Bhutada
Date: Oct 28, 2012
Happy Diwali to us all!
Here's a story I want to share with you all ...
Note:
Valmiki wrote the story of
Ramayana. He used to be
roadside robber before he had a
transformation.
After the transformation he
witnessed a hunter killing a bird
and the wailing of the bird just
moved him so much that he
uttered his first poetry.
It is said he wrote it while Ram
was still alive and appears in the
story.

2. Life of Young Prince
• The whole kingdom of
Ayodhya is in joy and
festivities. Their beloved
prince, Ram, is to become a
king today. King Dashratha had
four sons Ram being the
eldest. Dashratha was once
saved in a battlefield by a
young princess with whom he
marries and grants her 3
wishes. She was Ram's step
mother. She had plans for her
own son, Bharat, to become
the king of Ayodhya.

3. Young Prince in Exile
• So she asks the king to banish
Ram to the forest for 14 years.
Dashratha is heartbroken for Ram
and suggests Ram to rebel. But
Ram wants to fulfill his father's
promise and wants to keep the
king's word . He fulfills his duty
smilingly without disappointment.
So starts the hero's journey into
the forest into the unknown filled
with adventure. Ram is also
accompanied by his wife, Sita, and
younger brother, Laxman.

4. Chasing Desires
• One day Sita sees a golden deer
and wants the deer as pet. Ram
explains that the deer looks
unreal and not worth chasing,
yet Sita insists. Ram asks
Laxman to look after Sita while
he goes to get the deer. Ram is
gone for few hours and has not
returned yet. This worries Sita
and she asks Laxman to go look
for Ram. Laxman reluctantly
agrees to go. (Lesson: Chasing
unreal golden deer is not wise!)

5. Tragedy Strikes
• Sita is left alone in her hut. There
comes a monk at her doorsteps
asking for some food. As Sita
offers some food, the monk turns
into the King Ravana. Ravana was
a great scholar and ruler of
Lanka. Ravana was said to have
ten heads - meaning as powerful
as ten scholars. Ravana had fell in
love with Sita and wanted her as
his wife. So he kidnaps her away.
(Lesson: Do not covet thy
neighbor's wife!)

6. First clue
• Ram comes back but Sita is
gone. Both brothers look for
her desperately but in vain.
In their search they meet
Jatayu, a vulture, who tried
to rescue Sita but got his
wings cut. Ram learns about
the abduction. (Lesson:
Vultures are not always
vultures!)

7. More help arrives
• Ram is traveling through the forest
heartbroken and sad for Sita. One
day he meets Hanuman, a monkey.
Hanuman learns about Sita. He vows
to help Ram get her back. Hanuman
introduces Ram to Sugriv, a monkey
king who had lost his kingdom to his
older brother Vali. Ram fights Vali,
helps Sugriv get his kingdom back
and in return Sugriv offers his own
army to get Sita back. (Lesson: You
will find when you are not looking!)

8. Resolution
• Ram along with the monkey
army head south to Lanka to
get Sita back. They fight an
epic battle with Ravan. Ravan
uses all his smarts (his ten
heads) but he is defeated in
the end. Ram meets Sita
after 12 long months.

9. Demons
• The defeat of Ravan is
celebrated as the festival
"Dussehra", the defeat of ten-
headed Ravan. This is
understood as defeat of ten
vices - intellect that causes
anger, pride, jealousy,
happiness, sadness, fear,
selfishness, passion, and
ambition. (Lesson: Unwise
Intellect hurts!)

10. Follow your path
• The story has a lot to teach but the most
important teaching is how Ram wins by
fulfilling his duties without worrying
about the consequences or benefits -
"Karmyogi". It also shows Ravan who is
an arrogant scholarly king who is
defeated in the end. We all have
elements of both the characters in us.
Goal is to be like Ram. Keeping Ram's
story in our heart and mind guides our
daily life and we will never be destroyed
due to false pride like Ravan did.

11. Light at the end of tunnel
• The 14 yrs are coming to an
end. Ram, Laxman and Sita
are about to return to
Ayodhya. The night they
return is a night of new-
moon. It was pitch dark but
the whole kingdom was
waiting for this occasion. To
welcome Ram, their beloved
king, the kingdom is lit with
decorated oil lamps "Diwa".
And that is celebrated as
"Diwali". That’s the story.

12. Diwali
• To this day every year Indians celebrate the
day of "Diwali" by lighting oil lamps, and
decorating houses and streets to welcome
Ram. India follows Moon-based or lunar
calendar (currently 2068) and Diwali falls on
the night of a new-moon in November and
doesn't always coincide the same date on the
Gregorian calendar we all follow. In India it's
the time of festivities. We share the joy by
sharing sweets with friends and light
firecrackers. We forget the past and start
fresh. It's our New Year Celebration as well.

13. Face self
• Final lesson: Ram's adventure is
necessary else he would not have
encountered Ravan and other
adventures that taught him
important life skills. We all have to
take the journey many times into
the dark unknown, sometimes
literally but mostly symbolically.
Unknown darkness is where lie our
monsters (pride, anger, fear, etc
which happen without our
awareness) and facing them leads
us to our kingdom of light.

14. Happy Diwali
• So here's wishing us all a very Happy
Prosperous Diwali!