What do Hanuman’s stories have to offer us? A great deal! Read on…
Hanuman has many stories in the Ramayana, one of the ancient Indian texts of Hinduism.
I want to offer a few, brief, little stories that have been meaningful to me. To say they are brief in the context of Hanuman stories, is so true. If you’re in Journey to the Peak, our monthly gathering was all about the stories this month!
Normally we do not record the gathering sessions, but Patrick recited a few of the chapters of Hanuman’s story, and we decided to record. If you’re in Journey to the Peak, I highly recommend you to watch the recording! We might continue doing this in the future, bringing in the stories and going deeper. So, feel free to reach out if Journey to the Peak and sharing stories sounds interesting to you and you want to join!
It is my hope that you find something resonant and meaningful from Hanuman’s stories that you can attribute to your life and yourself. It is my hope that as you take in these stories that are only just the top layers, that you allow his stories to remind you of all that is good in you, your life, and in life in general.
Let’s begin with Hanuman as a little child…
Born to the God of wind, Vayu, and mother, Anjana, he was born with tremendous power because he was the source of Shiva himself, the Auspicious One(tons more to this story and why he was born a monkey!). Hanuman was born with the name Anjaneya, “son of Anjana”.
One morning, as he awoke very hungry, he mistaken the sun to be a very juicy fruit up in the sky, like a mango, and leaped at it. Flying faster and faster into the sky, Indra, The God who ruled over the kingdom of the gods and goddesses, struck down Hanuman and broke his jaw. Hence Hanuman’s name, “One with the broken jaw”.
Angry and upset, Vayu ceased all the air from flowing. The world was being suffocated of all prana and life force.
All the gods and goddesses came to Vayu and Anjana offering gifts to Hanuman if they would just bring the air and the winds back! And it was so, and the winds came back. And Indra had seen his mistake of thinking that Hanuman was being egotistical, but realized that it was just the innocence of childhood.
As I take the wisdom from this story into my heart, I feel many things. The overcoming of adversity and even injury, as Hanuman did. The innocence of a child seeking the sun, the ‘fruit’ and that life giving nourishment; and wondering what that experience might have done to Hanuman. I also see the deep support and love he has from his parents. Just like the Universe loves us.
Stories are gateways and mirrors to help us navigate life.
We can envision Hanuman’s challenges as our own. Hanuman’s joy where we can find joy in our life. Stories help us reflect on our own circumstances, Self, and where we might want to make change. Stories also become a source for inspiration, empowerment, and reminder of our own meaning and important place in all of life!
Can you see yourself as a young child again?
Can you remember a time when you overcame adversity?
Do you remember a time where you felt fully supported and taken care of?
Can you remember a time when you were so ‘hungry’ that you did everything in your power to go after your goal?
Can you remember being innocent and open to life?! Curious and excited to ‘taste’ new things?!
Perhaps one of the more well-known stories of Hanuman is that in his adult life.
Hanuman had become a devotee to Rama and Sita. I have read that Rama represents Dharma and that Sita represents Love (again, SO much more to the story here than what I can place in a relatively condensed blog!).
Sita had been kidnapped by Ravana, King of the Demons, and the monkey army that Hanuman was a part of gathered with the bears to go out and seek Sita in support of Rama. Rama and Sita’s love for each other was incomparable, so you can imagine Rama’s devastation.
Standing at the edge of the ocean, The bear God, Jambavan, spoke to Hanuman and reminded him of who he was. Reminding Hanuman that he was the son of the God of the wind, a great monkey, and that he had incredible powers and strengths! It seems that every time the bear spoke to Hanuman the chains of disbelief in himself, fear and doubt, all began to break!
As Hanuman began to remember who he was, he physically grew and grew and grew! He leapt over the ocean to go seek out Sita and to drop Rama’s ring in her lap to let her know she would be saved (of course not without trials and tribulations, but again, this blog would become pages and pages long! Google search Hanuman and the Medicine Mountain!!
When did you last fully embody your strengths?
Who was it last that reminded you of how incredible you are? (Email me, I will do it if no one has recently!)
How will you begin to acknowledge your own Self, your own power, and your own capabilities?!
What are you immensely devoted to?
How do/will you uphold love?
Are you willing to take the leap for love?
Meaning, are you willing to risk your personhood for that which is larger than you?
Can you leap with faith and release fear?
What’s holding you back from taking the leap right now?
I could go on, but I will let you sit with this story and these questions here.
But, before I go, one last story that ties to Hanuman’s childhood story.
A last story here that helped me “see the Light” in devotion to God/Universe…
There came a time in Hanuman’s adult life when he wanted and pleaded with the sun god, Surya, to teach him all that he knew. Hanuman’s mother told him that Surya was the one to learn from! Surya refused Hanuman. However, Hanuman was persistent. Eventually, impressed with Hanuman’s desire to learn, Surya taught him.
It is said that to thank Surya, Hanuman created the ‘Surya Namaskar’, sun salutation sequence of Asana(physical postures)
The beauty that I see in these stories…
What was so revelatory about revisiting some of Hanuman stories at this moment in my life, is the fact that Hanuman was always going after the sun. As a child, mistaking it as a mango fruit, and also as an adult, seeking the sun’s wisdom.
To me, the sun here represents all that is good. The sun represents love and God. The sun represents the universal and infinite Light. he beauty that I see in these stories is that Hanuman was always seeking the Light. He always had his heart and mind set on everything good. He wanted to learn practices in order to create good. He wanted to be Good and to know God/Universal Consciousness because he was so devoted to Source/God.
May you, dear reader, remember that YOU ARE this Light! As bright as the Sun, if not brighter!
Use the Hanuman sloka to remind yourself that you can overcome adversity, you are strong, you can leap with faith for everything good, and you got this!! Chant:
“Om Shree Hanumate Namaha” again and again!
All my love,
Shawna
Breathe and Believe.