Letter # 104: "The Raven"

For many of us birds are a source of pleasure. Big Bird of the children’s show Sesame Street makes sure of an endearing bird-human relationship right from childhood. While Big Bird, who's like a turkey, represents fun and love, it is the Eagle, the first symbol of North America that symbolizes power and respect. However, for the First Nations it is a different bird, the Raven, that is supreme.

Wikipedia informs us of the role of this intelligent bird in the mythology in North American Siberian and Norse cultures. In North American cultures the raven is often called Grandfather Raven.
The common raven is not only easy to tame but also mischievous and is seen as a trickster - symbol of of evil and mystery. The raven's intelligence is believed to be similar to that of the wolf. The melanoid bird’s name comes from word German word Rabe "raven," which in turn is related to the Proti-Indo-European word *qer-, which means “imitative of harsh sounds”.
The raven plays a fine role in the Bible and the Koran.
Kings 17:4 states, “You (Elijah) will drink from the brook, and I have ordered the ravens to feed you there."
In the Holy Koran 5:3, man laments not being able to match the powers of a raven: “Then Allah sent a raven, who scratched the ground, to show him how to hide the shame of his brother. "Woe is me!" said he; "Was I not even able to be as this raven, and to hide the shame of my brother?" then he became full of regrets.”
The bird named Garuda is a hero of the Vedas. He is the carrier of Lord Krishna. In Chapter 10 of the Bhagavad Gita, in “The Opulence of the Absolute”, Lord Krishna states, “… among birds I am Garuḍa” [BG 10.30]
Yes, birds are a source of inspiration. A Chinese proverb reminds us the meaning of life is not in answers but in the living of it. “A bird does not sing because it has an answer. It sings because it has a song.”
Lest we forget, Guru Nanak reminds us of the Ultimate Source: “So kio busrai je jivan jia” which means “Why forget Him Who gives life to all beings?” [SS Asht 20 P203].

God Bless; Allah Hu Akbar; May The Forces Of The Universe Bring You Harmony; Hare Krishna; Radha-Swami; and Nanak Naam Chardi Kala Tere Bhane Sarbat Dha Bhalla.

I wish to express my gratitude for your comments, which inspire me to carry on writing. Please forgive my fallibilities in presenting this material. Also, feel free to send this message on to someone that you might think would like to receive it. If you do send it on, my only request of you is that you send it as it is, in its entirety, and to not alter or modify any of the text, references or authorship information. Thus you will help to give credit or liability to where they are properly due.
Jas Bhopal
Copyright© 2008
References: "The Holy Bible" Online version; "The Koran" as translated by SV Mir Ahmed Ali 2005 ISBN 0-9761870-0-0); "The Bhagavad Gita As it Is" as translated by Srila Prabhupada ISBN 0-89213-268-X; The Srimad Bhagavatum as translated by Srila Prabhupada ISBN0-89213-259-0; "I Am That. Talks With Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj” ISBN 0-89386-022-0; The Dhammapada ISBN-10:1-84483-344-5; The Sacred Sukhmani ISBN 81-7205-098-4; Wikipedia.