Life Lessons from Hanuman ji

Reflection Questions: How did Hanuman ji Acquire Divine Qualities? What Life Lessons Can We Learn from Hanuman ji? How can we Apply these Life Lessons to Enhance Spiritual Growth?

Whenever people think of Hanuman ji, they visualize a personality who is totally selfless in his devotion to Lord Ram. He displays superhuman physical strength, is courageous beyond words, and uses his sharp intellect to outwit his opponents. However, he is also very humble, simple-hearted, steadfast, and a proud servant of Lord Ram. Many saints have described Hanuman ji as a divine personality whose life and leelas exemplify what it means to be a true and profitable servant of God. Many scriptures that teach the tatvagyan on attachment to the divine realm alone, mention Hanuman ji’s mindset toward all living beings. In his commentary on the Bhagavad Gita, Swamiji says: Enlightened Saints see the world as the energy of God, and utilize whatever comes their way in the service of God. They also see all human beings as parts of God and harbor a divine attitude toward everyone. Click here to read more.

How did Hanuman ji Acquire Divine Qualities? One morning, when little Hanuman ji was very hungry and could not find his mother, or anything to eat, he stepped out of his house in a state of mild distress. He noticed the beautiful, red-colored sun rising gloriously in the morning sky. Thinking it to be a delicious fruit, Hanuman ji tried to grab it repeatedly. The celestial god Indra, experiencing concern about Devlok, hurled his Vajra (the name of Indra's weapon) at Hanuman ji, striking him on the jaw and knocking him unconscious. When Vayu devata (i.e., celestial god) noticed this unwarranted attack on his son, he withdrew all the air from the earth, making life excruciatingly painful for all living creatures. All the celestial gods begged Vayudev for forgiveness. When Lord Shiv came and resuscitated him, in an expression of regret, Indra gave Hanuman ji a boon that his body would be stronger than his own Vajra. Similarly, other devatas also conferred boons where Hanuman ji became invincible from harm caused by fire, water, air, or any element of nature, as well as all kinds of weapons. He was also endowed with the ability to change his form at will, travel anywhere at any time, enjoy good health, and above all, become immortal. This is why Hanuman ji is referred to as chiranjeevi. Click here to read more. What Life Lessons Can We Learn from Hanuman?  All of Hanuman ji’s divine qualities and character strengths have been beautifully described by saints in various scriptures, mantras, devotional hymns, and commentaries. While Rishi Valmiki wrote the original Ramayan in Sanskrit, the epic was popularized through the Hindi version, "Ramcharitmanas" written by Goswami Tulsidas. These scriptures illustrate the virtues and unique characteristics of Hanuman ji’s unparalleled execution of sevas for Lord Ram. Additionally, Tulsidas ji’s Hanuman Chalisa also expounds on his divine qualities and virtues. Click here to read more. How can we Apply these Life Lessons to Enhance Spiritual Growth?  Hanuman ji possesses innumerable divine qualities and character strengths. He is a divine personality endowed with infinite virtues. Yet, as material souls, we can learn lessons on ways to deal with obstacles in life in a calm manner through repeated and deliberate practice to overcome challenges successfully. We can apply the life lessons from Hanuman ji life and leelas to figure out where and how we can grow from within.  Here are some points for reflection and self-assessment. Click here to read more.

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