Ravana in Hindu mythology is a projection of evil. It comes from the epic Ramayana where the Positive is Rama the God, resembling a truthful fearless life and the Negative is Ravana the evil. Ravana’s resembling is always portrayed as a ten-headed King, where his nine heads relate to all the emotions of ANGER, PRIDE, JEALOUSY, HAPPINESS, SADNESS, FEAR, SELFISHNESS, PASSION, and AMBITION. The projection of these nine emotions is showcased as miseries, the devil generating from the core of a theatric thoughtful mind. The tenth head is projected as freedom from these emotions that is SURRENDER. There is a long story but we don't need to go into that. Here I am naming Ravana, as a name for all the emotional fear; fear that never allows one to enjoy freedom. For that first, one needs to let its mind to understand and accept “I am Ravana” (means the creator of my emotions in fear). This very acceptance of fear gives the thirst to take a leap to go beyond. There is a small story, which I need to relate why I chose Ravana. At the Osho resort, where I have worked and used to visit frequently earlier, an Indian friend a few years back asked me if Nirmal is my Sannyas name (When Osho was in body he used to give Sannyas and Sannyas names to his disciples, and till date this process is being followed by his followers, but I have never taken Sannyas. I have always been a rebel). When this Indian friend asked me, I said no and told him it is my legal name that my mother has given me, and I admire her for the joy she took in giving me this name and respect her for all the pain and struggle that she has taken to bring and raise me in this beautiful world. I did have a thought on my friends question that night, and the next day I just told this friend that from now my name is Ravana, he got scared hearing this, as in Hindu philosophy it is not auspicious and a bad omen, to give yourself a name of evil as most of them don’t even know what Ramayana really relates to. He asked me why Ravana, and I just said nowadays I am noticing my miseries, from my emotions and by you calling me Ravana it will remind me to be aware to notice. Most of, even I can say all friends still don’t understand why I did give myself a name Ravana, were one day a learned friend from the Osho resort even suggested, if I change my name all my sufferings will go, it is laughable. It is so funny everybody has given themselves an identity like name, nationality, religion, etc. as a subjective, where they want to identify their purity from these subjects to others. But now I am shunya it means zero. You can call me any name, from any country or religion, for me now name and everything else is just an identity for others. I have already given up my identification.
Why Beyond Ravana ?
My journey and search to know my inner self and my existence started in the year 2009. I come from a very affluent Jain family and the positive side of my childhood was that I was never forced into religion. Now I see this as the most important aspect of my freedom. During my so-called material and achievement growth, I tried my hands in many different businesses, where I was successful but every time I would keep on changing my business; as I was not enjoying my freedom to live and breathe. So finally at the end of 2008, I sold my restaurant business, and my search to know “Who Am I” started. I visited many masters, started reading and hearing many masters, but at that time I did not understand the difference between an intellectual and an enlightened master. In my journey, I came across two beautiful enlightened masters OSHO and J KRISHNAMURTHY and I am very thankful to them for sharing their guidance, from which I could develop my own realization to my freedom. I experienced my freedom to enjoy silence a few years back. It so happened during my search early one morning; I was sitting in a garden and suddenly heard a baby’s cry. I wondered where is it coming from, and saw a cat sitting on a tree making this cry, a cat’s cry is just like a child’s cry. I could see to understand that as he is held up on the tree, in his fear is making this outcry. I started watching and suddenly he saw me watching him, and that made him stop. I could sense that his ego has made him stop. This confrontation between us, of watching each other, went on for a few minutes. Ultimately he made an attempt to come down. With every step, he would look at me, and again take the next step. The moment he came down he glanced at me and gave me a broad smile of fulfillment to his victory. In this victory, I saw the creation of his fear and ego, and in that, I realized the creation of my own fear and ego, this provided the inner honesty to my mind, which gave it the ability to be centered to become watchful. In this realization, I felt a sudden calmness and total silence within me. It is not that this realization of mine was sudden. I was aware to notice my emotional miseries for some time, but knowing that I am the creator was not there. This experience with the cat gave me the sudden opportunity to become watchful to witness all my thoughts of emotions, which provided me that sparkle of illumination to my new realization beyond fear to surrender to everything that is happening around me. It was a new beginning to my life.​
My Journey