The One With The Angry Passenger

“The man who reads and recites this narration of the Ramayana will be blessed with a long duration of life and after death will be welcomed and respectfully received in the heavenly region, along with sons, grandsons, and relatives.” (Valmiki Ramayana, Bala Kand, 1.99)

Download as podcast episode (right click and save)

एतदाख्यानमायुष्यं पठन्रामायणं नर:
सपुत्रपौत्रस्सगण: प्रेत्य स्वर्गे महीयते

etadākhyānamāyuṣyaṃ paṭhanrāmāyaṇaṃ nara:
saputrapautrassagaṇa: pretya svarge mahīyate

You would much rather drive. At least that way there are no strict deadlines to follow. You can get up and leave practically whenever you want. The length of the journey is indeed longer, but at least you are in control. You don’t have the stress of checking in, checking out, removing your shoes, placing bags in a line, and being treated like a suspect. You don’t have to be crammed into a tight space with strangers, many of whom haven’t showered in days, it seems. But no, this trip involves a direct flight, from an airport not far away, but something happens which makes you rethink the best way to protect the consciousness in the longer journey that is life.

In an objective analysis, this airport is superior to the one only a few hours away. There is less traffic, it seems, as there is further distance from the theme parks. The signs are clearly marked. There is no difficulty finding where to go. The place is clean, has plenty of options for food and beverage, and the staff is generally friendly. Everything is going well on this particular visit, which is for returning back home, until the point of security screening. For starters, a person working there scolds you for attempting to remove laptops and tablet devices from your carry-on bag. Apparently, everything has to stay where it is. That is strange since the departure airport had a different procedure, and that experience was only a few weeks prior.

The next issue is that the line is taking forever. People who have already placed their bags on the conveyor belt are waiting. Another attendant scolds the people behind, telling them to get to the front of the line, to start placing their bags. How does that make sense? The people behind are essentially cutting the line to the front. They are being instructed to do so. Moreover, why isn’t the conveyor belt moving? Why are the bags just sitting there?

You and your family make it to the other side. Your bag is still way in the back. You wait there for a while. It seems other people are waiting in the same way. One of the men is obviously frustrated. He complains that he is about to miss his flight. No one is helping him. In that frustration, he begins to utter obscenities. They are obvious and audible. Your child happens to hear them and start laughing. They understand that a big person has said a bad word.

In this case, you are unsure of what to do. Should you say something? In truth, you tend to agree with the person who is frustrated. If you were about to miss your flight because of this needless delay in screening baggage, you might behave in a similar manner. In addition, you want to avoid causing a scene. You have watched too many viral videos recently of brawls breaking out at airports. You would rather avoid becoming “internet famous”, as they say.

This incident makes you reflect on the larger problem of risking exposure to unwanted scenes throughout the life experience itself. If you are in charge of dependents, how do you keep them safe? How do you maintain their innocence? Is it even possible anymore? His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, in the line of instruction descending from Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, offers the four regulative principles. These are no meat-eating, no gambling, no intoxication, and no illicit sex. If a person is of the world today, in living within it, in attending school or going to an office, how are they going to abide by any of these prohibitions? The targeted behaviors seem to be the four pillars upon which modern material living stands. How is it possible to avoid anarthas, which are behaviors considered unprofitable? How is there to be any advancement of the purification of the consciousness?

We can take the recommendation from someone like Narada Muni, who reveals a boon to be received through hearing from a single work. It is about a single man, who appeared in a single place, who had a single objective in His role as a kshatriya. This man was the eldest son of King Dasharatha, and there was attention to dharma from beginning to end. The journey did not go smoothly. There were ups and downs. There were tragedies and triumphs. There were highs and lows. There were good times and moments of sadness.

The historical narrative is still so valuable that a person who simply hears it can receive great rewards. This is because Shri Rama is the ideal man. We may not find many role models in the society of today, but the standard is still there. So is the kindness, the love, and the path towards transcendence.

रामेति प्रथितो लोके गुणवान्सत्यवान्शुचिः
विशालाक्षो महाबाहुस्सर्वभूतहिते रतः

rāmeti prathito loke guṇavānsatyavānśuciḥ
viśālākṣo mahābāhussarvabhūtahite rataḥ

“My husband Rama is famous throughout the world. He is pure, truthful, and very gentle. He is mighty-armed, has wide eyes, and is always busy working for the welfare of all living beings [sarva-bhuta-hite-ratah].” (Sita Devi speaking to Ravana, Valmiki Ramayana, Aranya Kand, 47.11)

Everything is through Rama, who wishes well to all living beings. He speaks sweet words and never forgets the devotion offered to Him. He is like the bright sun to dissipate the darkness. The more we hear about Him, the more protected we will be.

सत्यवादी मधुरवाग्देवो वाचस्पतिर्यथा
रूपवान्सुभग श्रीमान् कन्दर्प इव मूर्तिमान्

satyavādī madhuravāgdevo vācaspatiryathā
rūpavānsubhaga śrīmān kandarpa iva mūrtimān

“He speaks the truth, has a sweetness of voice like the Lord of speech, possesses a handsome form, is highly fortunate, is resplendent in everything, and is like Cupid incarnate.” (Hanuman speaking to Sita Devi, Valmiki Ramayana, Sundara Kand, 34.30)

In Closing:

Vision from sound to see,
The more protected to be.

In this time treacherous and dark,
Bad association from the start.

Anger, chaos, and despair,
At repeated tragedy to stare.

But Rama giving hope and light,
Building future eternal and bright.