Hanuman is not just some magical being in a fairy tale you read to your kids.  Hanuman is actually someone who is still worshipped in today's Indian society.  Now, some prophets state that Hanuman has been sighted throughout the previous centuries with his latest encounter being somewhere in the 20^th century.  These sightings are easily believed by many due to the fact that Hanuman was granted immortality and has never been killed in battle. In the end of the Ramayana, Hanuman is alive and well when Rama left the realm of mortal men.  This is a very powerful aspect of the belief in Hanuman.  He is one of the few gods that walked the Earth and is still being praised.

 

To this day, there are fighters all over India and Southeast Asia that pray to Hanuman for strength. Fighters who admire Hanuman for his strength are not his only believers.  In the Ramayana, Hanuman is depicted as the protector over Sugriva, Sita, and even Rama. All of his actions in this epic were performed selflessly.  He did nothing short of protecting the people he loved, no matter the cost.  So, as one travels the dangerous roads of the mountains in India, he or she would not be surprised to see statues of Hanuman along the way.  The statues are there to remind travelers that Hanuman is always watching over them and protecting them on their journey.

 

Even though Hanuman spends a large majority of his time granting strength to fighters across the continent of Asia and protecting travelers in winding hills of the country; he still has plenty of time to keep the land around his temple free of evil.  His temples are scattered across Southeast Asia to remind the people that live there that they are able to thrive in peace and tranquility. You might think that he may be found in only his own temples; however, you would be wrong if you made that assumption. To this day, Hanuman is still completely devoted to Rama.  In several temples of Vishnu, Hanuman can be spotted in at least one picture as if he never left Vishnu's side.

 

I have chosen my first four stories in addition to how I plan to tell them all.  I am going to begin with a modern day Hanuman going around to four different groups of people.  These groups all share a common conflict today that Hanuman has faced and overcame during "his time".  He will start out by educating a group of youths about devotion, commitment, and respect by telling them about how he found out what those words during his own youth.  He will then visit the next age group consisting of young adults who are leaving high school or have been attending college.  This group normally consists of people whose ambition is waning to continue and strengthen their commitment.  Sometimes this same group has a problem with making a new commitment.  So, Hanuman tells them of his story where he kept his devotion to Sugriva until he met Rama and his heart had changed from being completely devoted to Sugriva to to being completely devoted to Rama.  He had served Sugriva as a friend and will always remain his friend but his new devotion lies elsewhere.

 

After his speech to the young adults, his next speech will be to that of the whole nation of America in its time of war.  Hanuman has been a soldier many of times in battle and knows what its like to face inevitable confrontations and confrontations against unknown enemies.  He has faced an army that everyone said could not be beat at Lanka, but his belief in Rama kept him strong.  Not only did it keep him strong, but the strength it provided Hanuman kept his army strong, much like how America must stay strong for it's army.  He will finally leave off with speaking to a quiet group of elderly people, who might have lost their devotion completely, or forgot what it was.  Now Hanuman has never done this, but he knows that if he had ever lost his belief in Rama; the Hanuman we all know would not be alive and well like he is today.  Sometimes it is ok to pour your heart and soul out to show your devotion.  These are all the keys of Hanuman's story of being a complete Devotee.  How he learned what devotion was, his continued devotion to those he loved, and his continued devotion to them even after death.

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