Religious festivals give us spiritual strength
Like all religious festivals, Ram Naumi carries a lot of positive universal messages of love, peace and tolerance. Minister for Education Heritage and Arts Mahendra Reddy addressed the celebrations at Fiji Brahma Kumaris Rajyog Meditation Centre, Samabula, this afternoon. He spoke on the values and principles espoused by Ram Naumi.
Ram Naumi is one of the most auspicious Hindu festivals celebrated by Hindus worldwide. It is observed as the birthday of the Great Lord Rama, son of King Dasharath. Many followers on this day do fasting to give thanks and appreciation to Lord Rama and seek his forgiveness and blessings. Lord Rama symbolises courage, commitment and virtue. He came to earth to destroy evil forces. He was the embodiment of a perfect man with qualities that are relevant and needed in our modern society. Those qualities are similar to those that are taught by other religions.
He lived divine principles which empowered him to overcome the temptation of the flesh so to speak. Those principles transcend all aspects of life, big and small. Obedience to parents is one of them. One of the challenges facing many families today is rebellious children who think they know better and end up in pain and misery. These religious festivals remind all of us of our individual responsibilities not only as parents but as children. Under the law, children become legally independent when they turn 18. Before that they are still under the jurisdiction of their parents or legal guardians.
Peer pressure, pop culture from the sleazy entertainment world often lure many of our young people into a false sense of freedom and happiness. Loyalty and compassion are strong points that emanate from Lord Rama’s life. We need to love our brothers and sisters and remain loyal to them. When they are in trouble, we are the first ones to go in and help and care for them. As husbands and wives, we must be loyal to our spouses during good and bad times – Fidelity in marriage is number one priority.
Last but not least Lord Rama sacrificed everything for his people. Sometimes we are too concerned and worried about our own situation that we forget about others.
We need to be thinking about people who are not as fortunate as us and desperately needing help.
We can reach out and help, even if it means making some sacrifices.
We need to recognise that we are all different and we should respect others’ differences.
We need to be tolerant and respect our diversity of cultures, religions and economic backgrounds. This diversity enriches our lives and makes us a model community locally and internationally.
One of our strengths as a nation is our diversity. When we come together in unity we unleash a great power of good.
Our other strength is our belief that there is a God that loves each and everyone of us irrespective of our ethnicity, culture or religious background.
That we are all children of God.
This belief has been the saving grace during the political turmoil that rocked this country since 1987.
Nurturing this spiritual strength is crucial as we face our second general election and beyond.
Ram Naumi and other religious festivals have helped us to maintain that perspective.