THE VISION, February 2025, Vol. 92, Issue 5:
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Beloved Readers,
“In this world-play, there is one Power at work, there is one Consciousness that witnesses all its movements, one Intelligence that guides and controls all affairs; in fact, one spiritual radiance is flooding the entire earth. This power and radiance is God, and His will ever triumphs,” says Beloved Papa Swami Ramdas.
Beloved Papa advocates Nama chanting as a means to remember this Power — God. Although devotees sincerely chant the Divine Name to the extent possible and experience joy while chanting, the remembrance of the Power is often not maintained, which slows down the spiritual progress. Here comes the relevance of Beloved Papa’s exhortation that chanting should go side-by-side with concentrated meditation on the attributes of God, whose name is chanted. The attributes can be drawn from perceptible factors:
- God is within us in the form of Life Force and Consciousness.
- God is the pulsating factor that causes the heart to beat, blood to circulate, the digestion, breathing, etc. to go on…
- God is making us chant.
- God is providing all the requirements through Mother Nature and Society.
This month’s issue of THE VISION directs our attention to making Nama chanting effective.
— EDITOR
AS WE SCROLL DOWN...
- ‘Chanting For Remembrance’ — explains Beloved Papa Swami Ramdas, is the means to realise our oneness with God. Smaran — remembrance — of what? Remembrance of our Real Swarup, which is the entire universe. Just as it is natural to remember that which we love most, the intensity of our longing for oneness with God determines the speed of our spiritual progress. Thus, incessant and ceaseless Smaran is the only Sadhana.
- ‘Dwelling On The Attributes’ while chanting the Divine Name — says Pujya Mataji Krishnabai, can help attune the mind to God-thought. When we call someone dear to us by their name, doesn’t their face and form flash before the mind? Similarly, when we chant the Divine Name, we train ourselves to bring to mind the Divine attributes until they are permanently stamped in our mind.
- ‘Mind-Control By Nama Japa’ — highlights Swami Satchidananda, can be achieved by contemplating on God as the all-pervading Reality, as the entire manifestation, and as seated in everybody’s heart. The purpose of chanting the Mantra is to make the mind free from all other thoughts. Constant practice is key. Ultimately, the mind will be free from even the God-thought and become still.
- ‘Editor Answers’ — how to make chanting more effective either by getting stabilised in the faith that the Higher Power is making us chant, or through an introverted enquiry into the question, ‘Whose name are we chanting?’
- ‘Power Of Mantra’ — states Swami Ramdas, is such that it produces mental equilibrium and physical harmony. It tunes the entire being with the eternal music of the Divine. The efficacy of the Mantra lies not merely in its incessant repetition but also a constant attention to it. The equanimity derived through this awaken the sleeping Divine Consciousness bringing the soul in direct contact with the indwelling and all-pervading Reality.
- ‘Words To Inspire’ — from Sri Guru Granth Sahib extol the Divine Name as the unmatched power and essence of all Creation.
- ‘Dear Children’ — the story ‘Power of God’s Name!’ reveals a profound truth: the Divine Name, when chanted with unwavering faith and deep devotion, not only transforms us from within but also imbues everything we touch with its sacred vibrations. Such is the boundless power of the Divine Name.
- ‘Inspiring Luminaries’ — are the 'awakeners' who, through their grace, ignite the awareness of our Divine Nature and instil within us the strength to tread the spiritual path with courage, faith and conviction.
- ‘Epistles Of Swami Ramdas’ — reminds us that the object of Japa and meditation is to enable us to dedicate all our actions to God.
- ‘In Memoriam’
- ‘Anandashram News’:
- ‘Mouna Sadhana’ — helps in calming the mind. To give an impetus to our spiritual practices, day-long Mouna Sadhana sessions will be held every month, offering a means to cultivate inwardness amidst the daily activities.
- ‘Book In Focus’
- ‘Thought For The Month’
- ‘Download THE VISION’ in PDF format and the Audio Book.
CHANTING FOR REMEMBRANCE
By Swami Ramdas
The easiest way to reach or realise Ram is surely to repeat His most powerful name. Smaran is to remember what you have forgotten. You have forgotten that you are His Swarup. You are always He, but your ignorance has made you forget your Real Nature. Continuous and ceaseless Smaran of Ram is to remove your ignorance and make you realise ultimately that you are all He and He alone. There is none but He. To attain this, your mind must be spotlessly pure. Repetition of His great name is again the only means or Sadhana. Conceive a strong and intense love for Ram — the more intense your love for Him, the more continuous and unbroken your remembrance becomes; because it is your nature to remember that which you love most. Your intense desire to attain this goal, i.e., Ram, is Bhakti. The more intense your desire for reaching this goal, the more rapidly you advance towards it. Therefore, incessant, ceaseless remembrance — Smaran — is the only Sadhana. Smaran of what? Smaran of your Real Swarup — which is Ram — who is Sat-Chit-Anand. This Real Swarup is the entire universe. The universe is Brahman, Ram.
DWELLING ON THE ATTRIBUTES
By Mataji Krishnabai
While chanting the Guru Mantra you should bring to mind Papa’s Divine attributes and keep telling your mind — ‘Papa, Thou art Eternal, Thou art Infinite, Thou art all-merciful’ and so on. Otherwise, mere chanting of Ram Nam by lips while the mind goes here and there is of no use. Either you recall to mind Papa’s various attributes or tell your mind that wherever it wanders, there stands Papa. That was the way Papa had taught me to do. It may not be easy in the beginning, but, by and by, you can attune your mind to the thought that you are taking the name of all-pervading, all-merciful, universal, infinite Papa. Now, when you call somebody dear to you by his name, the moment you utter his name (or even if you refer to someone dear to you), doesn’t that person’s face and form come before your mind? Here, when you take Papa’s Name, you should become accustomed to bringing Papa’s Divine attributes into your mind. Once you start doing it, this becomes easier and easier until, finally, Papa’s eternal form is permanently stamped in your mind. That is Sakshatkar.
MIND-CONTROL BY NAMA JAPA
By Swami Satchidananda
By chanting Ram Nam constantly with all love and devotion, the mind can be brought under control. While chanting, keep the mind contemplating on God as the all-pervading Reality, as the entire manifestation, and as seated in everybody’s heart. After a few minutes’ chanting, you can address God: “Oh Lord. You are the Absolute, all-pervading Existence, You have manifested as the entire universe i.e. every form in the universe is Yours, and You are seated in my heart. Please reveal Yourself in my heart.” Again go on chanting the Mantra, often remembering this prayer.
***
The purpose of chanting the Mantra is to make the mind free from all other thoughts. By constant practice, this is possible. Ultimately, the mind will be free from even the God-thought and become still.
When you are concentrating on the Ajna centre, the chanting of Ram Nam may stop by itself as the mind becomes still. After a little while, if the mind loses its stillness, you can chant Ram Nam again. This process may go on until the stillness is maintained for longer and longer periods.
EDITOR ANSWERS
Question: How can we make chanting of the Divine Name more effective?
Answer: There seem to be two methods to make chanting effective. One is to get stabilised in the faith that the Higher Power, through Form or Formless, is making us chant.
The second one could be to make an introverted inquiry and ask ourselves questions like: ‘Whose name are we chanting?’ Generally, to understand something new, we first try to objectify it. Proportionate to the commitment to the objective, we gradually progress and achieve what is to be achieved.
In the same way, our effort to make chanting effective also slips into this process of objectifying. However, it is found that it does not yield the desired result. To move towards this objective, to start with, our bodily functions like the pulse beat can be observed. Even if we want to stop it, we cannot. Then we recognise there is an unseen Power behind the pulse beat. As a next step, we can extend this approach to other functions as well, the blood circulation, digestion, etc. Similarly, it might become clear that this same Power is the one that enables us to chant as well. The outcome of this process might result in witnessing the chanting.
These could be some of the ways to make the chanting effective.
POWER OF MANTRA
By Swami Ramdas
Mantra is a combination of words that stand for the Supreme Reality. It is so set that by the utterance of it a rhythmic sound is produced, which has a marvellous effect on both the mental and physical systems. The sound of the Mantra produces mental equilibrium and physical harmony. It tunes the entire being with the eternal music of the Divine.
How does this sound uplift the soul to meet the Supreme? Sound is the first manifest principle that emanated from the Absolute Brahman and is, therefore, the cause of all creation. It is the primeval movement on the calm and silent bosom of the Infinite Brahman, which brought into being the universal phenomena of name and form. Again, sound is the quality of ether or Akasa, the subtlest of the elements, a near approach to the Transcendent Truth. When life is harmonised with the symphony of the sound that represents the Supreme Truth, it realises its identity with Truth by perfect absorption into it. The efficacy of the Mantra lies not merely in its incessant repetition but also a constant attention to it. The sound of the Mantra will then be found to have a most soothing effect on the mind. This equanimity will in its turn awaken the sleeping Divine Consciousness bringing the soul in direct contact with the indwelling and all-pervading Reality.
WORDS TO INSPIRE
“There is nothing in this world which can measure equal to the value of the Divine Name. The whole of movable and immovable Creation has emerged from the power of Naam. The whole Creation, including the elements of Nature, is held together by the power of Naam. All the universes stand projected and are held together by the power of Naam.”
— Sri Guru Granth Sahib
DEAR CHILDREN
The Power Of God’s Name!
There was a woman saint who lived with her Guru serving him. Both were votaries of the Divine Name. She used to prepare cow-dung cakes, which are used as fuel in India. She would put them up in the sun for drying.
One day a neighbouring woman had also prepared similar cakes and spread them out nearby. When the cakes were dry, the woman saint and her neighbour went to collect them. The cakes had all got mixed up somehow. The neighbour wanted to take, besides her own cakes, the cakes of the saint also. Hearing of it, the Master, whom the woman saint was serving, said he could easily find out the cakes prepared by his disciple. He took each cake and placed it near his ear. In some of them, he heard the sound of God’s name. Those in which God’s name was being sung, were sorted out from the others — these belonged to his disciple. Thus, the dispute was settled.
As the woman saint was always repeating God’s name, even while preparing the cow-dung cakes, the cakes absorbed the Divine vibrations and her Master could hear God’s name in them!
Source: Stories As Told By Swami Ramdas
INSPIRING LUMINARIES
Saints are called ‘awakeners’ whose grace works on us like the sunlight on the lotus bud, which blossoms into a fragrant and beautiful flower. They awaken us to the consciousness of our Divine nature and infuse in us strength to walk on the path indicated by them.
This month we pay our reverential homage to Yogi Ramsuratkumar and Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.
t Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu:
t Yogi Ramsuratkumar:
EPISTLES OF SWAMI RAMDAS
Beloved Ram,
…The object of Japa and meditation is to enable you to dedicate all your actions to God. Even when you are not able to do the practice of Japa, etc., take it that all the work you are engaged in is being done by the power of God, by His will and for His sake. Now you will realise that there is no irregularity in whatever you do. God does not want us to be tied down to a rule of discipline, by making it indispensable at all times. True freedom is to enjoy the bliss of the Eternal in all the turns and changes of life…
IN MEMORIAM
“When we see the death of anybody, we realise how fleeting and bubble-like is this physical existence! Everything here passes away. Therefore it behoves us to turn our attention to the Real and Immortal.” — Swami Ramdas- Smt Suniti Hemmady (aged 96), an ardent devotee of the Ashram from Mumbai, was called by Beloved Papa on the 22nd of December 2024.
- Sri Govindrao Kurdekar (aged 79), another ardent devotee from Bangalore, was also called by Beloved Papa on the 24th of December 2024.
We pray for Beloved Papa’s blessings on the dear departed souls for eternal rest and peace at His lotus feet.
ANANDASHRAM NEWS
15500-CRORE NAMA JAPA YAGNA FOR WORLD PEACE:
The total Japa received in the fourth round of the 15500-Crore Nama Japa Yagna for World Peace in the month of December 2024 is 210 crores, chanted by 191243 devotees.
The grand total of the Japa done so far in this round now stands at 3930 crores.
***
PROGRAMMES IN DECEMBER 2024:
Beloved Papa blessed all with a feast of Satsang in the month of December 2024.
- Ram Nam and Satsang sessions from 5th to 11th of Dec 2024:
- Talks by Pujya Swami Padmanabhanandaji covered several Shlokas from the Srimad Bhagavatam, elucidating the profound truth that we do not exist independently but are integral parts of the Whole. The misconception of being separate individuals fosters negativities within us. Consequently, no matter what we achieve in life, a lingering sense of incompleteness often remains. The Shlokas drawn from episodes in the lives of Draupadi, Bhishmacharya, Kunti, Parikshit, and others provided invaluable guidance on overcoming internal negativities by aligning and directing our lives along a virtuous path. Additionally, Swamiji also highlighted through some Shlokas, the significance of Nama chanting and prayer in Sadhana.
- Talks by Pujya Swami Muktanandaji offered insights on enhancing the effectiveness of chanting, emphasised the significance of prayer in Sadhana, and provided a concise overview of Srimad Bhagavad Gita. He explained that observing Ekadashi is not merely about fasting; it is a spiritual practice aimed at turning the senses inwards.
- Bhajan Sandhya was organised on all days to make us aware that Bhajans purify our emotions and raise them to the feet of the Lord in utter dedication of our entire Being. Hence, along with Satsang, Bhajans were also organised during the programmes. Bhajans were rendered by Sri Satish and Smt Shailashree Kamath; friends from Kalavedi from Kanhangad South; Sri Umayalpuram Mali; Sri Rajendra, Smt Asha Shenoy and friends; Sri Harsha from Hyderabad; Sri Anil Nair; and Sri Vinay Shyam Raj.
- Likhita Japa Yagna: On the joyous occasion of Pujya Swami Muktanandaji’s 80th Star birthday, devotees enthusiastically undertook the Sankalpa of completing 80 lakhs of Likhita Japa by the first week of December 2024. Remarkably, the Likhita Japa received more than doubled the original figure.The Likhita Japa books were offered at the holy feet of Beloved Papa during the Flower Offering session on the 11th of December 2024.
- Mouna Sadhana on the 15th of Dec 2024: An earnest effort was made to internalise the mind and catch a glimpse of the essence of our True Being.
- Year-end Retreat 2024: In keeping with the yearly tradition of combining Beloved Papa’s Sannyas Day with a few days of Satsang and Ram Nam, the Year-end Retreat was held from the 27th to the 31st of December 2024.
- Talks by Pujya Swami Chidanandaji of FOWAI (Flame Of ‘Who Am I’) were on integrating spirituality into daily life. His insights focused on cultivating harmony in every aspect of life — at home, in the workplace, within social circles, with Nature, and most importantly, with the mind.
- Talks by Pujya Swami Muktanandaji highlighted the significance of Beloved Papa’s Sannyas and the essence of In Search of ‘Papa.’ He emphasised that our spiritual quest should deepen our understanding of the true concept of God, serving as a foundation to progress further on the path.
- Bhajans and Kirtans: Music identified with the Divine will take us to the inner recesses of our mind. To nurture this experience, Beloved Papa arranged soul-stirring Bhajans by Pujya Swami Sivashankaranandaji of Adi Shankara Ashram, Johannesburg, South Africa, and Yogamitra Dr AV Subramanian, a.k.a, Sri Ramakrishnadas, the Founder of Bhakti Yoga Peetham in Bengaluru.
- Bhajan Sandhya rendering the words of saints strung together in a harmonious rhythm raise our level of consciousness and enable us to glimpse the bliss of the Eternal. Hence, Bhajans were again arranged on all evening from the 27th to the 31st of December 2024. These sessions were rendered by Sri Ranga Pai and party from Mangalore; Pujya Swami Pon Kamarajji and party; friends from Kalavedi in Kanhangad South; Smt Vasantha Mukund and Sri Vishnu Bhat.
The month-long festivities concluded with ushering in the New Year — 2025 — with Ram Nam. The devotees joyously participated in all the programmes.
36TH MAHASAMADHI DAY OF PUJYA MATAJI KRISHNABAI:
The 36th Mahasamadhi Day of Pujya Mataji Krishnabai will be observed on the 4th of February 2025.
Pujya Mataji was the personification of Universal Love and Service as well as Guru-Seva. May this day be instrumental in reminding us to live up to these ideals.
MOUNA SADHANA
Beloved Papa often emphasised the importance of embarking on an inward journey as part of Sadhana. He said: “Mouna helps in calming the mind. When you talk too much, the mind is in a whirl. External Mouna gives you internal Mouna or stillness of the mind. The purpose of Mouna is this. It is not mere mechanical control of speech.”
In line with his profound teachings, day-long Mouna Sadhana sessions were organised almost every month since Guru Purnima in July 2024. Going forward, it is proposed to hold these sessions on the second Sunday of every month.
As most of us remain engaged in various activities throughout the day, opportunities for inward journey are few and far between. Therefore, the need to strive to cultivate inwardness amidst our daily routines. The day-long session is designed to include the following practices:
- Silent Meditation for concentrating on vocal chanting, mental chanting, breathing, observing the Power that activates the functions of the body.
- Walking Meditation for concentrating on the footsteps, listening to the sounds of nature, such as rustling leaves, the wind and chirping birds, etc.
- Seva Meditation for trying to maintain an inwardness while engaging in daily activities.
- Likhita Japa for concentrating on writing Ram Nam while mentally chanting it.
- Traditional Meditation.
- Prayer Meditation for having a dialogue with Him and offering heartfelt prayers to Him, who is seated within us.
The next Mouna Sadhana is scheduled on the 9th of February 2025. Devotees who would like to participate are requested to kindly send an email to pms.anandashram@gmail.com or a WhatsApp message to +91-9037466744.
BOOK IN FOCUS
‘Letters Of Swami Ramdas (Vols. 1 & 2)’
A collection of letters by Swami Ramdas, offering profound spiritual insights through his thoughtful responses to questions posed by devotees; this book serves as a valuable source of inspiration and guidance, addressing both spiritual and practical aspects of life.
Available in English and Tamil.
THOUGHT FOR THE MONTH
“Chanting Ram Nam develops into Smaran or remembrance of God. We feel His presence with us when remembrance becomes intense. This consciousness of His presence develops into an awareness of the Self who is not separate from us. This is called Jnana.”
— Swami Ramdas
DOWNLOAD THE VISION
Devotees can download the PDF version or the audio book this issue of THE VISION by clicking on the relevant links.
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