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Sitaram · Site Admin Joined: 14 Sep 2005 Posts: 1079

Gandhi's favorite scripture was the Ramayan (the journey of Ram or
Ramacharitamanasa; "The Holy Lake of the Acts of Ram"). That scripture
is sort of the Hindu Gospels. Ram resembles Jesus in many ways. Jesus
was called, by the early Greek theologians, THE-ANTHROPOS (theos +
anthropos) or "god-man". The Hindu idea is that, in every age, God will
come down (avatar means "one who has come down) and take human
form to defend justice and fight against evil. But for Hindus, when this
happens, it always happens as a divine couple. Sita is the consort or
queen of Ram (or Rama). So Sitaram refers to the divine couple, which
together, constitute the avataric incarnation.

There is a variant name, Ramasita.

In Guyana, which is 38 per cent Hindu, people will greet one another by
saying "Sitaram" instead of Hello, if they are very religious. In India,
mothers will say to their daughters, "Be Sita".

If you watch the DVD movie of "Gandhi", you will notice that a beautiful
haunting melody plays at the very end, as the credits roll by. This melody
was Gandhi's favorite hymn (bhajan).

Ragupati Raghava Raja Ram, patite bhavane, Sita-Ram.

Raja means King, Ragupati Raghava refers to his lineage and people,
whom he rules. Patite bhavane means "he who lifts up those who are
down-fallen, down-trodden".

It is interesting to note that the spiritual mentor of Martin Luther King was
a minister by the name of Howard Thurman. Howard Thurman and his
wife traveled to India and stayed with Gandhi in his ashram for several
weeks. Gandhi inquired of the regarding life in America for people of
color. Gandhi instructed Rev. Thurman in satyagraha, the methods of
passive resistance and protest. Rev. Thurman in turn instructed Martin
Luther King, and thus, passive resistance became an important part of the
Civil Rights Movement. On the final day of their visit, before they
departed, Gandhi asked them to sing for him that hymn "Were you their
when they crucified my Lord?"

http://www.oremus.org/hymnal/w/w203.html

Ram was the Ishta Deva or personal form of the Deity for Gandhi. When
Gandhi was shot, his final words were Rama Rama.

Gandhi said "Nonviolence is the highest form of righteousness" or in his
terminology "Ahimsa is the highest form of Dharma".

I should mention that Rev. Howard Turman preached a mystical theology
which taught that one might, through the voluntary acceptance of
suffering, work a benefit for the world. Other ministers of his day thought
his beliefs impractical. It is only today that the teachings of Rev.
Thurman are being re-examined and viewed in a different light by
Protestant thinkers.

All these many things are interconnected.

A reporter once asked Gandhi what message he desired to give to future
generations. Gandhi appeared startled and answered "My LIFE is my
message."

Gandhi said "We must ourselves become that very change which we
desire to see in the world."

Thank you for asking regarding my name.

Best regards,

Sitaram

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