The Untold Story of Sita: An Empowering Tale for Our Time

Email

Whatsapp

Facebook

Pinterest

Twitter

Copy link

The Untold Story of Sita replaces the traditional narrative of Sita's life as told in the Ramayana with Sita as she truly is an incarnation of the great Devi Narayani. Sita comes to Earth to join Sri Ram in setting the foundation for a new civilization at a time when humans are becoming separate from the natural world. She seeks to embed a great love for the forests and rivers, plant and animal life in the hearts and minds of the people, and to share the high spiritual accomplishments of the great women rishis and sages, many of whom you meet along Sita's journey. This is a story of a woman's wisdom, courage and strength, her love for the manifest and unmanifest worlds, and her selfless sacrifices for the welfare of all. So step into Sita's time and see what life was like during a spiritually more advanced age, when there was an understanding of Dharma, not just as duty but as an alignment with the higher forces of love that make possible the preservation of our world.

DENA MERRIAM began working in the inter-faith movement in the late 1990s when she served as Vice Chair of the Millennium World Peace Summit of Religious and Spiritual Leaders held at the United Nations in New York in the year 2000. She subsequently convened a meeting of women religious and spiritual leaders at the Palais des Nations in Geneva and from that gathering founded the Global Peace Initiative of Women (GPIW) in 2002, an organization chaired by a multi-faith group of women spiritual leaders. In 2008, Ms. Merriam was one of the founding members of the Contemplative Alliance, which later became a program of GPIW. The purpose of the Alliance is to bring together meditation teachers and practitioners in a collective effort to uplift and transform society, while caring for and honoring our Mother Earth. For over 40 years, Dena Merriam has been a student of Paramahansa Yogananda and a practitioner of Kriya Yoga meditation. She is also a long time student of the great texts of the Vedic tradition. Ms. Merriam received her master's degree from Columbia University and has served on numerous boards. She is currently the Chair of the International Advisory Council of the Auroville Foundation in India. In 2014 she received the Niwano Peace Prize for her interfaith peace efforts and holds an Honorary Doctorate in Peace Studies from Mahachulalongkornvajravidyadara University (MCU) in Thailand. She is the author of My Journey Through Time, The Untold Story of Sita, When the Bright Moon Rises, Rukmini and the Turning of Time and To Dance with Dakinis.

It is somewhere between dark and daylight-at the hour when the mind is stillest, when dreams submerge into the ocean of mind but before one becomes aware of the outer world; before the stars retreat and the sun sends the harbingers of its ascent; before the birds begin to stir but after the night creatures have gone to rest. It is at that time that the inner world lights up our vision and we can see things we normally do not see and hear what our human ears cannot usually hear.

It was during such a time that the inner world opened to me and I saw a great light, unlike anything the human eye can perceive. This light shone over a most beautiful world, where there were many couples enjoying each other's presence, reveling in love and tenderness. A great love pervaded the whole scene and my heart filled to overflowing with joy. The love others were experiencing was also my love. I thought, "This is Shri Ram and Mata (Mother) Sita's love. It was to awaken this love that they came, this love that belong to all as it flows freely through everyone and everything."

At first there was just love, and then I saw the light assume a beautiful greenish color and became aware of the formless presence of Shri Ram, pervading all. As I wondered at the intensity and immensity of the love I felt, I heard the words: "This is the love Shri Ram brought to earth. He awakened a new quality of love." I understood that he and Mata Sita came to unlock the love that is encoded in all creation, so humanity could advance in its evolution and fulfil its potential. The voice I heard from deep within was neither masculine nor feminine.