Beauty is Bliss

"Once upon a time, Sita who was separated from her husband and feeling despondent was in Ashoka Vana. Ravana had decorated the Ashoka Vana beautifully. With the silly belief that if he pleases Sita she would consent and submit, he decorated the Ashoka Vana in many exquisite ways.

But Sita was not deluded to be interested in such trivial, worldly, transient pleasures and beauties. All these are merely demonic feelings. No beauty whatsoever allured her. But, one day, a small monkey, sitting on the tree in Ashoka Vana, started rendering the story of Rama:

Rama, Rama, Rama Sita..
Rama! Born in the Solar dynasty, the One who married Sita
and removed the curse of Ahalya and the One who protects His devotees.
Rama, Rama, Rama Sita..

She heard it and wondered, “Who is this, singing our story in Lanka?” She raised her head and looked up. What beauty does a monkey have? It looks quite ugly. But this monkey looked so beautiful to Sita. Does the beauty lie in the monkey? No, no, no. The beauty for her lies in the chanting of Rama’s name. When she heard the name she was fond of, she was in bliss. Then she said, “Beauty is bliss, and bliss is the nectar of life”. So, the beauty that does not confer bliss is useless.  Sita declared, “Rama nama is my bliss and this bliss is beauty for me.” In this manner, the relationship between Anda-Ananda or Beauty and Bliss is expounded in the Ramayana.

So, what made Sita and Rama experience bliss? The welfare of the people gave them bliss. When people followed the path of Sathya and Dharma (Truth and Righteousness), that gave them bliss. They did not expect anything monetary from people. They did not desire for any benefits in return. They always looked after them by giving, giving and giving. This is not only common in those days, but it is also applicable to present times. All Avatars till date are doing the same."

~ Sri Sathya Sai Baba
(Summer Course, May 29, 1996)