Sunday 22 May 2016

CLASH OF CIVILIZATION

The Ramayana shows us an artificial Lanka, a natural Kishkinda and a cultural Ayodhya and many other civilizations in between.
Lanka was very organized with man made systems and resources stolen from everywhere.
Within Lanka was the dictatorial Ravana. He while breaking all the laws himself expected complete subordination from his subjects.
This subordination was driven by fear and laws were imposed by brutal force. Hence there was an unnatural orderliness.
In Kishkindha Vali was powerful but not as brutal as Ravana. The vanaras  had the same habit as their king Vali. The subjects of kishkindha were  powerful and sensual but not brutal . Of course with the exception of Hanumana and Jambhavanta. They were untouched by such culture.
Ayodhya was a land of culture, the citizens and the royalty were responsible for each other.
Rules here were followed by inspiration not by imposition.
The legal system was in existence but it was more of a moral system which was self inspired. 
None of the people wanted Sri Rama to go to the forest, but he chose to go respecting his father's promise to Kaikeyi.
Sri Rama did not want Sita to go the forest, but she insisted on going with him. Laxmana was not even asked to go to the forest and he  had no moral or legal obligation to go to the forest.. On the contrary Laxmana convinced Sri Rama by quoting  what Sri Rama  had said at the time of his own coronation that Laxmana would enjoy the prosperity with Sri Rama and now Laxmana chose the path  to go along with Sri Ram as Sri Rama's grace. 
Bharata was legally the future king, but he tried his best to bring back Sri Rama and when he failed he chose to install the wooden shoes of Sri Rama on the throne and performed similar austerities as Sri Rama was performing in the forest.
He chose this out of his own free will.
We can settle wherever we want to.
In the legal system of Lanka, the Vanara system of Kishkindha with a free life and legal binding and  less moral binding or we can chose to live in Ayodhya with self inspired rules. What  do we want?

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