Tulsidas' Vision for Our World

TULSIDAS' VISION FOR OUR WORLD

In his popular version of the Ramayana, which tells the life story of Rama, Sant Tulsidas writes of an ideal community in which “there is no premature death or suffering of any kind; everyone enjoys beauty and health. No one is poor, sorrowful or in want; no one is ignorant.” This community is also free from violence and nature flourishes. “The trees in the forests,” writes Tulasidas, “bloom and bear fruit throughout the year; the elephant and lion live together as friends; birds and beasts of every kind are no longer hostile and live in harmony with one another.” This metaphoric communal paradise makes the overcoming of suffering and violence its ideal. This aspiration for universal literacy, healthcare, and the end of poverty, articulates fundamental aims to which all Hindus can commit themselves. Its requires our readiness to working with our fellow human beings for their attainment. Tulsidas' vision comes with a challenge to inquire into the sources of human suffering and violence and to formulate policies and actions that aim to overcome these. Working for the overcoming of suffering and for human flourishing should be at the heart of what it means to be human and Hindu.

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