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When Bharata returned to Ayodhyā and learned the news, he was furious with his own mother. He rejected her and refused to see her. He declared, "From this day forward, I will not respect her as my mother." How could she commit such cruel acts? He repeatedly refused to become king. He insisted he would wait fourteen years until Rāma returned and asked him to accept the kingdom. He then went to search for Rāma. That is called true brotherhood. Today, a brother might kill another over a house or a little money. Rāma, Lakṣmaṇa, and Sītā had to cross the river Gaṅgā. There was no bridge then, so people made their living by ferrying others across in boats, receiving payment in money or food. A man stood there with his beautiful boat. Rāma, Lakṣmaṇa, and Sītā approached and asked, "Please, can you help us cross the river?" The ferryman asked, "Who are you?" They introduced themselves: "I am Rāma, son of King Daśaratha. This is my wife Sītā and my brother Lakṣmaṇa." He said, "No, I cannot help you, sorry." Rāma asked, "Why?" He replied, "I heard once that your holy feet touched a stone, and it turned into a woman. If you touch my boat and it becomes a lady, what will I do? This boat is my daily bread. No, I am sorry, you cannot touch my boat." Rāma said, "No, that will not happen." The boatman said, "Let me test this. I will first wash your feet and drink that water. If I change into something, then I will not have you board." He washed the holy feet of God in the water of the Gaṅgā, drank the water, and said, "Please, come onto my boat." They crossed the river, and he was very happy. Rāma had taken nothing from home. They wore the dress of monks; Lakṣmaṇa and Sītā also had nothing. Rāma felt very unhappy that he could give the boatman no payment. Sītā had one ring on her finger, a gift from Rāma. She wanted to take it off and give it to him, but he said, "No, no, please do not give it. I have one request, one wish. If you wish to repay me for helping you cross this worldly river, then please help me cross the ocean of māyā, the ocean of ignorance. Bring me to nirvāṇa, to mokṣa." Rāma blessed him and departed. People asked Rāma, "Why are you doing this? Why did you leave Ayodhyā?" Rāma replied, "I am most blessed; I have received so many things. I am the happiest person." They asked, "Why?" He said, "First, I am happy that the wish of my mother, Kaikeyī, is fulfilled. A child who cannot fulfill the wish of a parent leads an unsuccessful life. Second, I feel worthy as a human and as a son that I could help my father fulfill his promise. Third, I feel great that my brother becomes king. If someone asks, 'Who are you?' I will say, 'I am the brother of the king.' I will be joyful to see my brother as king. Fourth, I am blessed to have time to go to the forest, visit many āshrams, and have darśan of many holy saints, ṛṣis, swāmīs, and masters." Rāma said, "I think very few people have such luck in life." Rāma, Lakṣmaṇa, and Sītā stayed in a forest in South India, living in a beautiful hut. Rākṣasas were always present. One day, a Rākṣasa came to kill them, but when he felt Rāma's power, he was frightened. Upon seeing Sītā, he was filled with joy and fell in love, desiring her as a bride. This Rākṣasa was the brother of Rāvaṇa, but he could not succeed. He sent Rāvaṇa's sister to kidnap or kill Sītā, but she also failed. She tried to tempt Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa, wishing to marry Rāma. As a Rākṣasa, she had siddhis to change form. She became a beautiful lady and approached Rāma, saying, "How beautiful you are. I want to marry you." Rāma said, "No, thank you. I am already married." She felt offended. She returned the next day and the day after. Rāma finally said, "I told you I am married to Sītā. But Lakṣmaṇa is not married. If you wish to marry, you may approach him." She went to Lakṣmaṇa, who became angry. She then threatened, "I will kill Sītā." She attacked Sītā, transforming back into a Rākṣasa. Lakṣmaṇa had a sword; he took it and cut off her nose. Enraged, she went to her brother Rāvaṇa, the king of Śrī Laṅkā, a devil. She cried, "Brother, you are such a mighty king. How can your sister be so miserable and humiliated by such a person?" Rāvaṇa was angry. His second brother said, "But ask her why she went there. What was the reason for cutting her nose? Why did she go?" Rāvaṇa asked, "Yes, why did you go to their hut? What did you want there?" She did not dare say she wanted to marry Rāma. Instead, she said, "Brother, Rāma's wife is so beautiful. I wanted to kidnap her for you. I wished for you to have Sītā as your wife." Rāvaṇa, full of ego—the enemy of everyone—wanted to go there, but upon seeing the powerful Lakṣmaṇa and Rāma, he could do nothing. Rāvaṇa had an uncle, Mārīci, a rākṣasa with siddhis who could change form. Rāvaṇa went to him and said, "Uncle, help me." "With what?" "Help me kidnap Sītā." "Why are you doing this?" "Because I want to marry Sītā. Either you help me, or I kill you." Rākṣasas have no love; they kill each other. Humans who kill each other are like rākṣasas. "What should I do?" "Change yourself into a beautiful golden deer and go near the hut where Rāma and Sītā are sitting. When she sees it, she will wish to have it. As soon as Rāma comes to catch you, dematerialize and reappear a kilometer away. He will run after you; disappear again and reappear farther away. Lead Rāma several kilometers away. I will do the rest." "Okay." He transformed into a golden deer and appeared near Sītā's hut. Sītā was sitting there, making a flower mālā for Rāma. She saw the deer, ran into the hut, and said to Rāma, "Lord, my Lord, come out. Look, have you seen such a deer? I want to have it." Rāma said, "My dear, this deer is not for you." She insisted, "No, I want it. As my husband, your duty is to fulfill my wish." He knew what would happen, but she was adamant. This is called triyāhaṭha. There are four kinds of haṭha: rājahaṭha, balahaṭha, yogahaṭha, and triyāhaṭha. Rāma called Lakṣmaṇa and said, "Lakṣmaṇa, do not leave Sītā alone. I am going because she wants this deer, and I must catch it." He told Sītā, "Please do not leave the area of the āshram, and do not go against Lakṣmaṇa's will. You must stay here." Rāma told Lakṣmaṇa, "You must protect Sītā. There are many māyās and rākṣasas here. They may call you in my name, saying, 'Lakṣmaṇa, come help me,' but I am not that one. You should not go. Stay here. I will never call you for help." The deer led Rāma several kilometers away. At that time, Rāvaṇa hid in the bushes and began to call, "I am your brother Rāma. Please come and help me. Sītā, send Lakṣmaṇa. He should come help me. Lakṣmaṇa, quickly come help me." Sītā heard the voice and said, "Lakṣmaṇa, you must go help your brother." He replied, "No, my brother is never in danger. He will never call me." Sītā became angry. "Lakṣmaṇa, I tell you to go." He said, "No, mother. Now I know what you want. You think if Rāma dies, you want to have me as your husband?" Lakṣmaṇa was very sad. For fourteen years, he had taken a saṅkalpa not to sleep, guarding Rāma day and night. He told Sītā, "Okay, with my bow I will draw a circle around the entire āshram. Please do not go outside this circle." He imbued the circle with such power that no one could enter; anyone who tried would be humiliated and burned, like Dracula seeing the sun. Lakṣmaṇa left, running toward the voice. Rāvaṇa then changed his form, becoming a very old holy man, a ṛṣi with a long white beard and hair. He approached Sītā's hut and said, "Please give me something to eat." Sītā thought he was a holy man. She took a basket of fruits—there was nothing else. He tried to enter but noticed Lakṣmaṇa's line, the Lakṣmaṇarekha. He could not enter; an electric power pushed him back, and it burned him when he tried to come near. Sītā stood inside the line, offering the fruits. He said, "I will not take it like this. I am not a beggar or your slave. If you wish to give, I am your guest, a holy man. Come out of the line, or I will go hungry and disappointed." Sītā thought, "This old man looks about 165 years old. He surely has no bad intention." He went and sat under a tree about forty meters away. She took the basket and went near him. In a second, he changed form, took her in his arms, and went to his aeroplane. In the Rāmāyaṇa time, approximately 10,000 years ago, they had aeroplanes called puṣpaka vimāna. Puṣpa means flower; it looked like beautiful flowers and could fly. He took her in the open aeroplane. Sītā fought and screamed but could do nothing. While flying, she tore her cloth and dropped it, hoping someone searching for her would find it. At that time, a great Garuḍa, an eagle, saw Rāvaṇa taking Sītā. He tried to fight Rāvaṇa, but Rāvaṇa killed him. Rāvaṇa took her to Śrī Laṅkā. When Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa returned, the hut was empty. Sītā was gone. Rāma was sad; Lakṣmaṇa was very sad and angry, running everywhere, calling "Sītā, Sītā." They searched, and Garuḍa told them, "A man named Rāvaṇa took her in that direction." They flew that way. Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa searched the entire forest but could not find her. They met Vālī and Sugrīva, mighty monkey kings. Rāma gave them a boon. God Rāma was introduced by Hanumānjī. Hanumān then received the duty from Vālī to search for Sītā, find her wherever she was, and not return otherwise they would all be killed. These were great beings who looked like monkeys but were not literally monkeys. They searched everywhere—deserts, forests, mountains, caves, rivers—but could not find Sītā. They decided to go to the ocean and commit suicide. Sitting near the ocean, a very old eagle told them of a country called Śrī Laṅkā, whose king was the devil Rāvaṇa, and that he had taken Sītā there. But how to go? It was a great distance, thousands of kilometers with no bridge. They all said only Hanumānjī could help. Hanumānjī inhaled, gained power, and jumped from India to Śrī Laṅkā. Śrī Laṅkā had a large palace court; no one could enter. Hanumānjī took a sūkṣma śarīra, becoming very small, and entered through the door. He did many things there. He found Sītā sitting in a park under an Aśoka tree. Every day, Rāvaṇa forced her to accept him as her husband, offering to make her the first queen and give her a palace, but she refused. She was punished, made to sit under the tree in rain and cold. He sent Rākṣasa ladies to frighten and force her, using psychological tactics to turn her love from Rāma to himself, but she did not accept. She said, "It is better to die. My beloved is only Rāma." Hanumānjī saw Sītā and wondered how to introduce himself, as she was confused and would trust no one. He climbed the tree under which she sat. Rāma had given Hanumān a ring, saying, "When you find Sītā, give her this ring from me." She would recognize it. Hanumān kept the ring in his mouth. Sitting on the tree, he dropped the ring. It fell into her lap and gleamed. "It is my beloved's ring! But how did it come?" Looking up, Hanumānjī came down with folded hands and said, "Mother Sītā, my prostrations to your holy lotus feet. I am Hanumān, a messenger of Rāma." She said, "My son, today you have made me so happy. Whatever you ask, I will give you. What is your wish? To become a king?" He said, "Mother, my wish is only one: that you bless me with devotion to thy holy feet." Nothing else. She asked, "Please take me. Where is Rāma?" He replied, "Mother, excuse me. Rāma did not tell me to bring Sītā back; he only told me to find where you are. I will go and give him the message." Hanumānjī burned half of Laṅkā, confronted Rāvaṇa to see his power, and then returned to Rāma with the message. God Rāma asked that they do something and respectfully requested Rāvaṇa to return Sītā. They gathered an army of monkeys and bears from the forest and came to the ocean shore, wondering how to cross with the whole army. Hanumānjī had an idea. He took a big rock, wrote the name Rāma on it, and threw it into the water. The stone floated; it did not sink. Hanumānjī told the whole army to bring stones, write Rāma's name on them, and throw them into the water. All the stones stood together, forming a bridge. One day, Rāma thought, "I should also work; I am sitting here while others labor." God Rāma took a stone and threw it into the water. What happened? The stone sank. But Rāvaṇa, full of ego, hate, and anger, said, "What does Rāma think? He is nothing. I can kill him like a little bird." A great battle ensued between devils and devas—daivī śakti and āsurī śakti. But satyaṁ eva jayate; truth always wins. Spirituality always wins. When light comes, darkness must disappear. Finally, Rāvaṇa was killed, and Sītā was brought back. Rāma took all his armies in the aeroplane that had belonged to Rāvaṇa, the Puṣpaka Vimāna. Its specialty was that with one's saṅkalpa, one's wish, it could expand from a one-seater to accommodate thousands. They flew back to India. Rāma had promised his brother Bharata, who had pleaded with him to return, that he would come back after exactly fourteen years. He had told his mother the same. Now the days had passed, and Rāma was returning to Ayodhyā on that very day. When the message arrived in the evening that Rāma would come tomorrow, the entire city was overjoyed and began to decorate. They put lights everywhere—oil lamps on trees and streets. In South India, there is a tree called the light tree, a large structure of iron or metal with many oil lamps and wicks, looking like a beautiful tree of light. They decorated trees, streets, and houses, singing and making maṇḍalas because God Rāma was coming. The next morning, they distributed sweets and presents to everyone, especially children. In the evening, they went from house to house, giving presents and sweets in happiness, chanting, "God Rāma is coming back." Because they put oil lamps deep, with flames and lights, this festival became Dīpāvalī. It is the happiness of God's return, the return of joy and victory, the death of the Rākṣasas, the happiness of the mother, brother, wife, husband, and all the people celebrating. Approximately 10,000 years ago, in the Rāmāyaṇa time, this tree was decorated as a tree of light. This tradition has also been adopted as the Christmas tree. The tradition of the Christmas tree comes from the story of Lord Rāma. Tomorrow is Dīvālī, and we celebrate it today. I wish you a happy Dīvālī and the blessings of God Rāma and all divines.