Calls to mind the idea of Pascal’s wager. What if the folks in this article are the only ones who have the right god in mind?
Ram Ramapati Bank in this popular pilgrim city is a bank all right, but it doesn’t deal in money. All that an account holder has to do is scribble Lord Ram’s name 125,000 times on paper and keep it as a ‘deposit’ with the bank, in the hope that his or her prayers will be answered. Its ‘clientele’ is spread over the US, Canada, the West Indies and, of course, across India.
“After the sacred scribble is deposited by a particular account holder, we carry out a series of rituals that are aimed to bring prosperity and good luck to his life,” Sumit Mehrotra, grandson of the Ram Ramapati Bank’s founder, told IANS on telephone.
People wanting Ram’s assistance in their lives have eight months and ten days to write his name that many times and once that’s done, their “debt” is repaid. But,
“There are other conditions such as the scribbling had to be done after taking a bath. Account holders are also required to shun non-vegetarian food, onion and garlic during the entire period of writing Lord Ram’s name,”
stated Mehrotra, in case it sounded too good to be true. Several people who’ve done this tedious ritual claim their prayers have been answered but the article doesn’t go into much detail about the types of prayers people would try to have fulfilled this way. Most of them are probably pedestrian things that would have occurred anyway, but, this way they feel like Ram personally had something to do with it. It’s a better “feel good” effect than if, say, random chance or ambition was behind it.
Well, at least it isn’t costing them any money. Whatever funding the “bank” needs to keep operating is provided by the family that’s run it for the past 84 years. Not a bad arrangement.
It’s suggested here that he was once a real person, later deified. His exploits on Earth were recorded in a Sanskrit poem called Ramayana (The Romance of Rama) by Valmiki and became very popular. Rama is known in Hinduism as the 7th incarnation of Lord Vishnu and by all the looks of things, one sweet fella.
Shri Rama was a paragon of virtues. Rama was not only kind and affectionate but generous and considerate of feelings for all around him. Lord Rama had a marvelous physique and captivating manners. Shri Ram had a magnanimous personality. He was extremely noble, generous, chivalrous and fearless. He was very simple and absolutely free from flamboyance.
Lord Rama is considered as a son unequalled in the world, and resembled Dasaratha in each and every aspect of good qualities. He never spoke a lie throughout his life. He always offered respect to the scholars and the elders, people loved him and he adored the people. His body was transcendental and outstanding. He was eloquent, attractive and adjustable to circumstances. He knew the heart of each and every human being on the earth (being omniscient). He had all the conceivable qualities of a king’s son and was dear to the people as their own hearts.
Small wonder he’s the focus for all these prayer requests.
One Minion's Opinion 