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Terrorism and Transcendence - Some thoughts
By Caru Das

With heavy hearts and deepest sympathies for the victims and families of Tuesdayąs attack, the organizers of Saturdayąs Festival of India in Spanish Fork, Utah, will proceed as planned. The festival is not a frivolous or superficial event for recreation only.

The classic battle between Rama and Ravana (re-enacted annually at this festival) was a struggle between good and the kind of aggressive evil, which caused such terror and destruction.

As described thousands of years ago in the epic Ramayana,, Ravana stole others wives, murdered the innocent, and threatened the pillars of genteel society. From the island fortress of Sri Lanka, Ravanaąs cohorts would sally forth to harass and destroy.

Ravana was the emblem of lust anger and greed. His twisted ambition led him to kidnap the wife of Rama, an incarnation of God, who was goodness personified.

Finally, Rama, with the aid of a monkey army, crossed the ocean, besieged and leveled Ravana’s protective walls, annihilated his followers, and killed the demon himself with an arrow like a thunderbolt.

We hope no less a fate will come to those terrorists who killed thousands of unsuspecting citizens last Tuesday, Sept. 11th. Should the secular authorities fail, the Lord says, “Vengeance is Mine.”

In the last scene of the Ramayana pageant, everybody assists Rama in destroying the 20' high effigy of Ravana. We try to not only eliminate the external Ravana, but to banish whatever there is of Ravana in our own hearts.

© CHAKRA 29-Nov-2003