Storytelling Week 3: The Technical Instrument for the Measurement of Existence),

(The River Sarayu)

It had been so long, and when he looked in the mirror his face no longer looked like him and it came to pass that King Rama took it upon himself to remove himself from his throne and enter the Institute. Within the Institute laid a piece of the river of Sarayu, like a choppy lake surrounded by plain, serene white walls and flooring interrupted only by a sleek silver terminal that rested just on the artificial bank of the river. Rama approached the terminal slowly and with reverence and with a single touch the terminal, known by the acronym T.I.M.E (Technical Instrument for the Measurement of Existence), came to life displaying all the events of Rama’s existence on Earth. It contained all of Rama’s eleven thousand years beginning with his birth and ending here at this very place in time.

His Brother Lakshmana had already entered the River of Sarayu and it was he that Rama wished to follow after. It was heard that the institute had rained flowers down from the heavens, an unusual event for such an esteemed place.

Within the T.I.M.E. machine Rama selected the names of those who would follow him to the heavens including: Sugriva and any monkey or bear who wished to follow him. He left a message for Hanuman that said, “You shall live forever until the stories of me fade.”

He left messages also for Jambavan, about how long he should live, and to Vibhishana, giving advice and good counsel on how he should govern his people. He also left messages for others of less importance to pass on his goodwill and wisdom he had earned throughout his eleven thousand years.

When he had finished with all the things he had left to do he pressed “done” on the terminal and his life’s information disappeared and the terminal lowered into the ground as if it had never been there in the first place. From across the plain white room a door appeared from the smooth surface and from it came a figure robed in white, he went by the name of Brahma. Brahma called out to Rama, “ Hail, Oh Vishnu! You and those you have chosen shall now enter the Sarayu, you will take whatever form you wish and go into the beyond where neither thought or speech is known to any except Maya..”

Brahma led the way to the waters edge and flowers, just as for Lakshmana, rained down from the ceiling and a great wind blew through the room and Rama felt the joy of those who he had chosen and he stepped into the waters of the Sarayu knowing he was not alone and that in heaven he would return to himself as part of the god Vishnu.

Author's Note: The origin of my story is from the scene in the Ramayana that tells of Rama's Death.  I took the story of Rama's death and I reinvisioned it in a post modern, futuristic setting where the Sarayu is no longer an entire river but only a piece of it is left and in order to enter the waters a person must review their life as a whole.  In this case Rama had to review eleven thousand years of life through the terminal/time machine, after which he could allow others to enter with him led by Brahma.

Bibliography:
"Rama Departs" , by Donald A. Mackenzie, from Indian Myth and Legend (1913). Web Source: PDE Ramayana