Sri Ramakrishna Parable About Satva, Rajas, And Lamas Gunas

October 6, 2009

Once, a man was going through a forest, when three robbers fell upon him and robbed him of all his possessions. One of the robbers said, " What's the use of keeping this man alive? " So saying, he was about to kill him with his sword, when the second robber interrupted him, saying: 'Oh, no! What is the use of killing him? Tie his hand and foot and leave him here. " The robbers bound his hands and feet and went away. After a while the third robber returned and said to the man: " Ah, I am sorry. Are you hurt? I will release you from your bonds. " After setting the man free, the thief said: " Come with me. I will take you to the public high way. " After a long time they reached the road. At this the man said: " Sir, you have been very good to me. Come with me to my house. " " Oh,no! " the robber replied. " I can't go there. The police will know it. "

This world itself is the forest. The three robbers prowling here are Satva, rajas, and lamas. It is they that rob a man of the Knowledge of Truth. Tamas wants to destroy him.Rajas binds him to the world.

But Satva rescues him from the clutches of rajas and tamas. Under the protection of Satva, man is rescued from anger, passion and other evil effects of tamas.Further, Satva loosens the bonds of the world. But Satva also is a robber. It cannot give man the ultimate Knowledge of Truth, though it shows him the road leading to the Supreme Abode of God.Setting him on the path, Satva tells him: " Look yonder. There is your home. " Even Satva is far away from the knowledge of Brahman.

Source: Tales and Parables of Sri Ramakrishna

-- Om Namo Bhagavate Sri Ramanaya

Prasanth JalasutramLove And Love Alone

October 6, 2009

Namaste,

Thank you for the story. This parable is absolutely brilliant.

I just want to point out one thing in the story. When the first robber (tamas) wanted to kill, the second robber (rajas) interrupted him and executed his preference instead. However, the third robber (sattwa) could help only when the other two were away. This is very apt.

When one has both rajas and tamas, rajas is capable of overriding tamas. However, sattwa will flourish only when tamas and rajas are suppressed mostly. Sattwa will be passive when one also has considerable amounts of rajas or tamas.

One with a lot of tamas can increase rajas temporarily and make some progress. As a simple example, laziness in the matter of spiritual progress (i.e. tamas) can be replaced with doing several rituals and reading books passionately (rajas). It is difficult to transition from tamas to sattwa straight away. As one engages in rituals, reading books and contemplation, slowly the passion (rajas) is replaced by steadiness and equanimity (sattwa). When sattwa becomes predominant in one's personality and rajas and tamas become negligible, one starts to make tremendous progress. But, until that happens, rajas is useful to have!

Best regards,NarasimhaDo a Short Homam Yourself: http://www.VedicAstrologer.org/homamDo Pitri Tarpanas Yourself: http://www.VedicAstrologer.org/tarpanaSpirituality: Free Jyotish lessons (MP3): http://vedicastro.home.comcast.netFree Jyotish software (Windows): http://www.VedicAstrologer.orgJyotish writings: JyotishWritingsSri Jagannath Centre (SJC) website: http://www.SriJagannath.org

-

Prasanth Jalasutram

Tuesday, October 06, 2009 3:09 AM

Sri Ramakrishna Parable About Satva, Rajas, And Lamas Gunas

Once, a man was going through a forest, when three robbers fell upon him and robbed him of all his possessions. One of the robbers said, "What's the use of keeping this man alive?" So saying, he was about to kill him with his sword, when the second robber interrupted him, saying: 'Oh, no! What is the use of killing him? Tie his hand and foot and leave him here." The robbers bound his hands and feet and went away. After a while the third robber returned and said to the man: "Ah, I am sorry. Are you hurt? I will release you from your bonds." After setting the man free, the thief said: "Come with me. I will take you to the public high way." After a long time they reached the road. At this the man said: "Sir, you have been very good to me. Come with me to my house.Oh,no!" the robber replied. "I can't go there. The police will know it."This world itself is the forest. The three robbers prowling here are Satva, rajas, and lamas. It is they that rob a man of the Knowledge of Truth. Tamas wants to destroy him.Rajas binds him to the world.But Satva rescues him from the clutches of rajas and tamas. Under the protection of Satva, man is rescued from anger, passion and other evil effects of tamas.Further, Satva loosens the bonds of the world. But Satva also is a robber. It cannot give man the ultimate Knowledge of Truth, though it shows him the road leading to the Supreme Abode of God.Setting him on the path, Satva tells him: "Look yonder. There is your home." Even Satva is far away from the knowledge of Brahman.Source: Tales and Parables of Sri Ramakrishna--

October 7, 2009

Namaste,

nice explanation! you inspired me to look in to the story further and i was

thinking about the same during my Chandi Paath.

>After a while the third robber returned and said to the man: " Ah, I >am sorry.

Are you hurt?

This also means that, no matter how badly a person is robbed by Rajas and Tamas,

Sooner or later (ultimately) Satwa will come back to him, free him from the

bondage of Rajas and Tamas and show him the path of liberation from the world of

Maya.

so moral of the story is do not loose the hurt even if you (i) are the biggest

sinner in the world. just cry to HER untiringly and satwa will come running!!!

Best Regards,

Utpal

, " Narasimha P.V.R. Rao " <pvr wrote:

>

> Namaste,

>

> Thank you for the story. This parable is absolutely brilliant.

>

> I just want to point out one thing in the story. When the first robber (tamas)

wanted to kill, the second robber (rajas) interrupted him and executed his

preference instead. However, the third robber (sattwa) could help only when the

other two were away. This is very apt.

>

> When one has both rajas and tamas, rajas is capable of overriding tamas.

However, sattwa will flourish only when tamas and rajas are suppressed mostly.

Sattwa will be passive when one also has considerable amounts of rajas or tamas.

>

> One with a lot of tamas can increase rajas temporarily and make some progress.

As a simple example, laziness in the matter of spiritual progress (i.e. tamas)

can be replaced with doing several rituals and reading books passionately

(rajas). It is difficult to transition from tamas to sattwa straight away. As

one engages in rituals, reading books and contemplation, slowly the passion

(rajas) is replaced by steadiness and equanimity (sattwa). When sattwa becomes

predominant in one's personality and rajas and tamas become negligible, one

starts to make tremendous progress. But, until that happens, rajas is useful to

have!

>

> Best regards,

> Narasimha

>

> Do a Short Homam Yourself: http://www.VedicAstrologer.org/homam

> Do Pitri Tarpanas Yourself: http://www.VedicAstrologer.org/tarpana

> Spirituality:

> Free Jyotish lessons (MP3): http://vedicastro.home.comcast.net

> Free Jyotish software (Windows): http://www.VedicAstrologer.org

> Jyotish writings: JyotishWritings

> Sri Jagannath Centre (SJC) website: http://www.SriJagannath.org

>

> -

> Prasanth Jalasutram

> Tuesday, October 06, 2009 3:09 AM

> Sri Ramakrishna Parable About Satva, Rajas, And

Lamas Gunas

>

> Once, a man was going through a forest, when three robbers fell upon him and

robbed him of all his possessions. One of the robbers said, " What's the use of

keeping this man alive? " So saying, he was about to kill him with his sword,

when the second robber interrupted him, saying: 'Oh, no! What is the use of

killing him? Tie his hand and foot and leave him here. " The robbers bound his

hands and feet and went away. After a while the third robber returned and said

to the man: " Ah, I am sorry. Are you hurt? I will release you from your bonds. "

After setting the man free, the thief said: " Come with me. I will take you to

the public high way. " After a long time they reached the road. At this the man

said: " Sir, you have been very good to me. Come with me to my house. " " Oh,no! "

the robber replied. " I can't go there. The police will know it. "

>

> This world itself is the forest. The three robbers prowling here are Satva,

rajas, and lamas. It is they that rob a man of the Knowledge of Truth. Tamas

wants to destroy him.Rajas binds him to the world.

>

> But Satva rescues him from the clutches of rajas and tamas. Under the

protection of Satva, man is rescued from anger, passion and other evil effects

of tamas.

>

> Further, Satva loosens the bonds of the world. But Satva also is a robber.

It cannot give man the ultimate Knowledge of Truth, though it shows him the road

leading to the Supreme Abode of God.Setting him on the path, Satva tells him:

" Look yonder. There is your home. " Even Satva is far away from the knowledge of

Brahman.

>

> Source: Tales and Parables of Sri Ramakrishna

> --

>

October 7, 2009

Namaste,

nice explanation! you inspired me to look in to the story further and i was

thinking about the same during my Chandi Paath.

>After a while the third robber returned and said to the man: " Ah, I >am sorry.

Are you hurt?

This also means that, no matter how badly a person is robbed by Rajas and Tamas,

Sooner or later (ultimately) Satwa will come back to him, free him from the

bondage of Rajas and Tamas and show him the path of liberation from the world of

Maya.

so moral of the story is - " do not loose the heart even if you (i) are the

biggest sinner in the world. just cry to HER untiringly and satwa will come

running " !!!