Filiments of Love from the Time of Rama

Vishwamitra looks as Rama breaks the bow,
winning the hand of Sita in marriage
Recorded in the "Ramayana"

Once there was a young man in the land of India, who was born into the household of the royal family in the time of Ram. He incarnated into a family who were servants in the palace of the Great Avatar Ram. At birth, this young man was named Aditi, meaning "freedom." He grew into a young adult under the guidance of Ram and, for his parents and likewise, he, as he matured, were blessed to be servants in the palace of Rama.

One day the Great Ram came to Aditi, who was then about 18 years of age. Ram picked up a peacock feather lying on the balcony, which the young boy was cleaning as Ram happened upon him. Ram twirled the feather in his hands as he talked casually with the young man. Ram asked Aditi, "Are you happy in your life here?" The young man, his fearful awe of being face to face with Ram miraculously disappearing and melting into the love he always felt for Ram, replied: "I am happy to be near you, My Lord."

Ram placed the peacock feather and his hand on the crown of the young man and said: "Blessed be those who surrender all to the Guru. I am with you always. I bless you to go now to my Guru, Vishwamitra, and therefore your Paramguru, and he will teach you all you need to know to be enlightened in this very life. With a loving smile, Ram handed the feather to Aditi and departed.

The young man finished his task of cleaning the balcony of the Great Ram wondering at his good fortune in receiving the ultimate gift of the Guru -- enlightenment. He thought: "The filaments of love are connected to the Supreme Being, Rama, and to the Formless God and all His creation. I am happy being near my Guru, my Lord, and I will obey his command.

The peacock feather, Aditi carefully preserved all his life, for it held the blessing and the Divine Energy of Rama, his Guru. Aditi became an enlightened, spiritual teacher with the blessing of Rama, under the tutelage of Rama's Guru, his Paramguru, Vishwamitra.


And So It Is today in your time, as well, my friends. Trust your Guru to dispel the darkness and take you to the Light!

-Mahavatar Babaji

Swami Vishwananda: It is very important to be near a teacher. Our light is very dim in itself. But the more we move closer to the teacher who has greater light, what happens? Our light also gets brighter and brighter. That is why I always say that the teacher is the bridge that leads you to your true Self, your Divine Self. As long as we have not reached there, it is better to be near that light.

If you take the name of any deity, take the name of Rama, take Krishna, they all have a Guru, they all have a teacher to guide them, they are the embodiment of the Divine fully. They could have said it's okay we don't need one, and that's that, yet they show that in life one needs the blessing of a Guru and the way to receive it is through satsang, through gathering. In general why do people go to a master and receive what the master is giving? You see, it is because the master carries the amrit, the nectar, even when you don't perceive it with the mind, but you do receive it , through satsang, through our talk you are receiving something and what you are receiving is contributing to your advancement. What you are receiving, even you receive it without knowing, is the amrit. . .So being in the now is the greatest gift, being in the present moment is the greatest gift. Enjoy the nectar, enjoy the sweetness. -Swami Vishwananda

Note: In the Ramayana, Vishwamitra is the Guru of Rama, prince of Ayodhya and the seventh Avatara of Vishnu. Vishwamitra gives Ram and his three brothers the knowledge of the Devastras or celestial weaponry [bala and adi bala], trains them in advanced spiritual traditions and guides them to kill powerful demons such as Tataka, Maricha and Subahu. Vishwamitra also leads Ram to the syayamyara ceremony for princess Sita, who becomes the wife of Rama.