In the book Ramayana there are many challenges that the characters face. These challenges have themes of Hinduism worked into them. One challenge that related greatly to Hinduism was when Rama had to move into the forest because he was banished for fourteen years to the forest. Rama's wife Sita had to decide whether to move to the forest with Rama or stay back. This challenge had three main themes of Hinduism worked into it; they are the maya, samsara, and dharma.
             The first idea of Hinduism that I saw worked into the challenge of Rama and Sita were banished was the maya. The maya is the material world. It was worked into the Ramayana when they went into the forest. It was considered that when you went to live in the forest you would leave the maya, or the material world. You would leave behind everything that you had and just be one with nature or the "real world/Brahman". This point is demonstrated when Atri's wife says the reason why she has no envy she says (Ramayana p.61) "Atri's wife was named Anasuya, 'one without envy', for in her heart there was no anger. Frail and white-haired after a long life of simplicity and self-denial, she gathered Sita in her arms." She is saying that she has no envy because there is nothing to be envious of. There is no such thing as real things so she did not need them, and she denied herself of them.
             Another piece of Hinduism that was worked into the Ramayana was the idea of the Brahman and atman. This was the idea of a universal spirit that everyone was part of. Sita speaks of being bound permanently to her husband. She is referring to being bound by the Brahman/atman, because everyone is part of it together, she says (Ramayana p. 44)"We are bound together forever. In the scriptures it is said that a woman stays bound to her husband even in the next life." She also refers to another Hindu idea of samsara and seeing each other in the n...