Story: The Hermit's Destiny

I opened my eyes to a beautiful day. My little hut might not be impressive to many, but it is my home, and I will never regret the decisions I’ve made that brought me here. Something felt different about today, but I didn’t think anything of it and got up from my cot to grab clothes that were drying outside. The sun didn’t shine as bright as it usually did and the birds that sang every morning sang a sadder tune. I thought nothing of it and continued on with my daily routine.

I walked over to the river that ran beside my hut and freshened up for the day ahead. A hermit's life was one full of peace and meditation. Not much happened day to day and my primary duty was to teach the children of the nearby village. As I was drying off, I had the sudden urge to meditate because I had a feeling destiny was about to catch up to me, so I chose a quiet spot under a nearby tree. I don’t know how long I sat under that tree but when I felt I had spent enough time, I walked back over to my hut for some breakfast.

As I continued on throughout the morning, I didn’t understand my feelings from earlier but decided not to think anything of it. I checked to make sure I had all my teaching supplies and headed out to the village. When I opened the door, I noticed the sudden shift in the atmosphere. The day had gotten brighter and there was a sweet scent in the air

“Why not take the longer way?” I thought to myself. The longer way wound through the forest and, given the great weather, it would be a shame to not appreciate the beauty of nature. I remember the first time I walked through this forest, the solitude of nature was what convinced me to become a hermit and devote myself to this religious discipline. I was so confident about my path then, and again today, I got the same feeling deep in my soul as I continued to let my feet lead me along the path. The quiet of the forest and the sound of my footsteps were interrupted by sounds of someone sobbing.

“How strange,” I thought. In all the decades I had lived here, I had never known another person to take this way. I assumed I was the only one knew about this path in the forest. I decided to follow the sound, and came across a beautiful woman I had ever met. As a hermit, I had given up all fleshly desires but even gods would recognize this woman as gorgeous. She quickly looked up in fear when she heard me walking towards her.

When she straightened and moved her arms away, I noticed she was pregnant. From the look of it, I guessed she was due any day, but why was she here in the forest then?

“Do not worry. I won’t hurt you. I’m a hermit that lives down the river,” I said.

“I’m sorry to bother you, sir. I was abandoned here by my husband who thinks I have been unfaithful to him. I have never been with anyone else, but he wouldn’t believe me. Now I’m left here with no one to help me or the sons in my womb,” she said with great sadness in her voice.

I reassured her that I would be able to help. I gently helped her stand and supported her arm as we walked to the village. I knew this was the day I met destiny and my purpose. I was to help this woman and her sons.

The hermit teaching Sita's sons

Author's Note: When Rama and Sita come back to their kingdom, they are able to resume their lives. However, although Rama was convinced of Sita's purity, the rest of the kingdom was not. So in his kingly duty of putting his kingdom first, he banished his beloved and pregnant wife into the forest. When she was left there for dead, some holy men found her and helped her through her pregnancy. One hermit in particular stood by the single mother and her twin boys. He taught the boys how to be great men and showed them how to sing praises to Rama.
I always thought this part of Rama and Sita's story was so sad. Since this is my third time experiencing this story, I noticed little details I had missed before. One of the big things that caught my attention was the hermit that helped her. I started to think hwo great it was that he just so happened to be there to help her. It was as if he was meant to be there for her. I wanted to follow through with that idea. I imagine the hours leading up to the moment he saw her was just another day to a normal person, but I think he knew he was about to do something great.

Bibliography: Sita Sings the Blues

Reading: Twenty Jātaka Tales Part A

Twenty Jātaka Tales

These are my favorite stories I had the opertunity to read this week. They are all from the Twenty Jataka Tales

The Monkey Bridge
This is the tale of a human king and a monkey king. The Monkey King's kindom was on a treasure tree that has the best fruit. The human king was jealous of the monkeys and wanted to attack them to steal their fruit. However, in the midst of chaos, the Monkey King showed great nobility and his leadership qualities impressed the human king. In the end, the Monkey King sacrificed himself for his kingdom and the humans honored the Monkey King's life.

The Guilty Dogs
Once, in the middle of the night, there was a group of dog that went and set fire to the palace chariots. When the King heard about this, he ordered every dog to be killed. However, a cheif informed him that the guilty ones were the palace dogs and the innocent should be punished for th evil deeds of few.

Banyan
There once was a king that loved hunting Deer. When he came across two Deer kings, he granted them their lives. When the two went back to their herd, they saw that the herd had either died or been injured. The kings decided to start sacrificing their members one by one so that less deaths would occur. One day when a young mother was suppose to go die, the King of the Banyan Deer took her place. When the king saw how the Banyan Deer King would sacrifice himself, he was impressed and promised never to hunt the Deer again.

The Fairy and the Hare
Once there were four furry friends that promised to give whatever food they found to the poor. The jackal, a water-weasel and the monkey found some food and when an old traveler came by, all of them offered their foods. However, when the man came to the hare, the hare had nothing to offer, so he offered himself. However, the old man was actually a fairy in disguise, so when the hare jumped in the flames, it did not burn him.

The Master's Test
Once there was a master that wanted pupils to go steal because the master was poor and weak. One of the two pupils was ready to follow through, but the other hesitated. The master had meant this to be a test of character and the one that refused to follow through passed.


Bibliography: Twenty Jaraka Tales by Noor Inayat (Khan)