PARABLES OF RAMA - Hindu Online

Parables of Rama47. True Imitation(Imitating Majnun)There was a man who was reading a love poem, abeautiful poem, which described the love of Lailaand Majnun. He admired the hero of the poem,Majnun, so much that he attempted to becomeMajnun. In order to become Majnun, he took apicture which somebody told him was the picture ofthe heroine of the poem he had been reading. Hetook up that picture, hugged it, shed tears over it,placed it on his heart, and never parted with it. Butyou know, artificial love cannot exist long. Here isartificial love. Natural love cannot be imitated andhe was trying to imitate love.There came up to him a man, and told him,"Brother, what are you doing? That is not the way tobecome Majnun. If you want to become Majnun,you need not take up his lady love; you ought tohave the real internal love of Majnun. You do notwant the same object of love; you require the sameintensity of love. You may have your own object oflove, you may choose your own heroine, you maychoose your own lady love, but you ought to have142