THE VISION, June 2025, Vol 92, Issue 9:
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Beloved Readers,
When we deeply contemplate Beloved Papa’s profound teaching that the individual is universal, a remarkable clarity dawns upon us. We realise that the sustenance of every one of us depends on the same fundamental elements: air, earth, water, fire, space and sunlight. These life-sustaining forces are universal; they serve all beings indiscriminately, never choosing their beneficiaries.
In the same way, the countless comforts and conveniences we enjoy — products of the collective effort of innumerable people — are accessible to everyone. No individual can exist in isolation. The Divine Power that animates every living being is one and the same. We all breathe the same air, tread the same earth and share equally the gifts that nature so generously bestows. The earth’s bounty is offered impartially to all.
Any differences we perceive between people on the material plane are, in fact, contrary to the natural order. The essential components and composition of our bodies, as well as the intrinsic qualities within us, are not fundamentally different or opposed. When we cultivate the pure vision of an enlightened mind, we no longer see rigid boundaries that separate one human from another, one community from the next, or one nation from another. In truth, we are all integral parts of a magnificent whole. Recognising this interconnectedness, we are inspired to live and act as members of a world community, a universal brotherhood.
— EDITOR
AS WE SCROLL DOWN...
- ‘The Individual Is The Universal’ — asserts Swami Ramdas. All lives and things are the forms of one Universal Self. God dwells in every being and thing, however small, in His entirety and perfection.
- ‘Bliss Is The Objective Of Plurality’ — explains Mother Krishnabai. To enjoy His own bliss, God created this universe and all the creatures in it.
- ‘Many In The One’ — states Swami Satchidananda, is the Substratum — the Purusha — on which all the names and forms in Prakriti are seen as separate entities; just like the leaves, buds, flowers and fruits appear to be separate, but are one in the tree.
- ‘Editor Answers’ — how the individual is the Universal. Just as the sense of ‘I’ pervades the entire body — despite its organs functioning separately — so too does the Divine pervade all of creation, even though each part appears distinct.
- ‘One Intelligence — The Cause’ — reveals Swami Vivekananda. Everything is present in its cause, in its fine form. At the beginning the Universal Intelligence remains involved, and in the end it gets evolved. Universal Intelligence is what we call God.
- ‘Words Of Beloved Papa Swami Ramdas’ — urge us to think, talk and act in terms of the Universal, which is possible only when God-thought rules your mind, when God-love fills your heart and God’s will governs your actions..
- ‘Everything Is God’ — affirms Swami Ramdas. Unless there is movement there cannot be any form or appearance. The particular grouping of vibrations, according to their subtle rhythm and densities, makes the objects appear in different forms and shapes. They have all emanated from one Cosmic Power — Shakti.
- ‘Universal Consciousness’ — has become everything — declares Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa. The Power of the Divine Mother is vibrant in everything. She has become everything.
- ‘Universality’ — is the keynote of the entire manifestation, enunciates Swami Chinmayanandaji. Despite apparent differences, every being and object is but a part of the one Divine Self. To serve others is truly to serve your own Self .
- ‘Dear Children’ — in the story ‘Rhythm Of Life’ we see that although all forms appear to be separate, the Life Force within all is the uniting factor in the grand symphony of life.
- ‘Epistles Of Swami Ramdas’ — makes us aware that the individual is not local and finite but universal and infinite. It is essential to dive deep within to experience the Truth, which is the source of all life and manifestation.
- ‘In Memoriam’
- ‘Anandashram News’:
- ‘Book In Focus’
- ‘Thought For The Month’
- ‘Download THE VISION’ in PDF format and the Audio Book.
THE INDIVIDUAL IS THE UNIVERSAL
By Swami Ramdas
All humanity is the expression of one universal Self, all lives and things are the forms of one Infinite Consciousness — nay, the entire world is the manifestation of God. As man begins to discover the Universal Spirit, of which he is a form, he begins automatically to see the Divine in all his fellow beings and creatures. Ultimately, the whole world appears before his transformed vision as the veritable embodiment of the Spirit. He sees on the face of every man the light of God. Truly, he sees things not as they appear to be, but as they really are. The goal of mankind is the realisation of this spiritual unity, on the basis of which alone peace can prevail.
The world in which we live and the countless other worlds, in the midst of which ours is placed, have a common link, as all of them are pervaded by the one eternal and limitless Truth or God. The microcosm is the macrocosm. The individual is the universal. God dwells in every being and thing, however small, in His entirety and perfection.
It is rightly said, when we realise God within us and know that our body is His body, then the whole world or the universe is also known as His body. Conversely, when the whole universe is realised as God, we know we are also He.
BLISS — THE OBJECTIVE OF PLURALITY
Mother Krishnabai
Papa’s (God’s) real nature, real Swabhava, is Nirguna Nirvikara Swaroop. Such a Supreme Being who fills all space came in a human form in order to enjoy His own bliss. It is like enclosing the emptiness that is all around you within the confines of a small container. Take away the enclosure and what is left? Only emptiness again.
How can we, then, get over our body consciousness? By looking upon the whole universe as our own Self, realise that this perishable, transitory universe is our own Self and that we are ourselves part of Papa’s Eternal, Infinite Being. Every one of us is a part of Papa’s Being. In His Absolute aspect, there is only One. To enjoy His own bliss, Papa had to become two and, so, He created this universe and all the creatures in it. But, Papa gave it only to Man to enjoy the Supreme Bliss — no other creature enjoys this supreme blessing and boon. So, we are here to shed our ego-sense and attain Papa. We should shed the feeling that we are the doers. We are really nothing, everything happens by His will. We have only to accept this fact.”
MANY IN THE ONE
Swami Satchidananda
Everybody, every object is a combination of Purusha and Prakriti. Prakriti of names and forms is seen with naked eyes whereas Purusha, the substratum is Pure Consciousness, which we can only be conscious of. All the names and forms in Prakriti are not separate entities but ONE in Purusha. Prakriti could be compared to a huge tree — the body of Purusha — with innumerable branches, leaves, buds, flowers and fruits. The leaves, buds, flowers and fruits feel that they are individuals, nothing to do with one another or with the parent tree. They are born, live for sometime, and in due course fall off while the tree remains the same. But an onlooker, a man of knowledge, can see clearly that all the leaves, buds, flowers and fruits are of one tree only and therefore, they are all united in the tree and there is no individuality as claimed by each. But what each leaf and fruit says is also alright from their point of view which is based on ignorance and therefore the experience that they are all one — the universal vision — is only for the onlooker – Jnani. This shows that we should be able to stand apart like an onlooker and look at everything as a witness.
EDITOR ANSWERS
Devotee: Beloved Papa says: “The individual is Universal; the Microcosm is the Macrocosm.” Please explain.
Swamiji: Yes, the body-mind-intellect of an individual can be seen as a microcosm of the Universe. Just as the sense of ‘I’ pervades the entire body — despite its organs functioning separately — so too does the Divine pervade all of creation, even though each part appears distinct. Our bodies themselves are composed of the same five Universal Elements, reminding us of our intrinsic connection to the cosmos. Recognising this, moral and ethical values help us expand our perspective from self-centeredness to an appreciation of our unity with all creation. Thus, moving from ‘me’ to ‘we’ becomes a guiding principle for understanding how the individual reflects the universal.
It is through our individual experience that we come to realise this universality. For example, in Papa’s life, he lived within the confines of individuality until, by grace, he realised his oneness with the Cosmic Principle. This realisation allowed him to transcend personal limitations and identify with the Universal Reality, while still retaining his individuality. In this way, we can understand that the individual is indeed a reflection of the universal, and the Lord pervades all, yet is not limited by any single form.
ONE INTELLIGENCE — THE CAUSE
Swami Vivekananda
Every evolution is preceded by an involution. The whole of the tree is present in the seed, its cause. The whole of the human being is present in that one protoplasm. The whole of this universe is present in the cosmic fine universe. Everything is present in its cause, in its fine form. This evolution, or gradual unfolding of grosser and grosser forms, is true, but each case has been preceded by an involution…
Where it begins, there it ends. What is the end of this universe? Intelligence, is it not? The last to come in the order of creation, according to the evolutionists, was intelligence. That being so, it must be the cause, the beginning of Creation also. At the beginning that Intelligence remains involved, and in the end it gets evolved. The sum total of the intelligence displayed in the universe must therefore be the involved Universal Intelligence unfolding itself, and this Universal Intelligence is what we call God, from whom we come and to whom we return, as the scriptures say. Call it by any other name, you cannot deny that in the beginning there is that Infinite Cosmic Intelligence.
Source: Complete Works Of Swami Vivekananda
WORDS OF BELOVED PAPA SWAMI RAMDAS
Think, not in terms of the individual, but always in terms of the universal. Do everything for the sake of God. Then your ego-sense will vanish and you will realise you are the Universal Spirit — changeless, eternal, infinite.
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The expansion of the individual into the universal is possible only when God-thought rules your mind, when God-love fills your heart and God’s will governs your actions. Whenever you see anybody, you must see not only the external form but also the Indwelling Reality. This is the true vision. This alone can free you from the sense of diversity and make you realise the unity and oneness of all existence.
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Sri Hanumanji is the greatest devotee of Sri Rama. When he was once asked by Lord Rama as to who he was, he could boldly reply, “As body, I am Your humble servant, O Lord!, as an individual, I am a part of You, and as the Supreme Soul, I am Yourself!”
EVERYTHING IS GOD
Swami Ramdas
Manifestation itself is Shakti. The same Shakti creates, preserves and destroys. Shiva and Shakti are one. What appears motionless is also moving. Unless there is movement there cannot be any form or appearance. It is not possible for our naked eyes to see the vibrations which make the objects visible. The particular grouping of vibrations, according to their subtle rhythm and densities, makes the objects appear in different forms and shapes. They have all emanated from one Cosmic Power — Shakti. That Power is both visible and invisible, and in its pristine and inherent nature is indestructible though apparently kaleidoscopic and mutable.
The objects gradually disintegrate and disappear. But the Power that causes their appearance and disappearance is eternal. It is called Para-Prakriti — Universal Shakti or Mother… So, you come to the conclusion that there is nothing but God. Everything, seen as well as unseen, is God.
UNIVERSAL CONSCIOUSNESS
Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa
The Divine Mother revealed to me in the Kāli temple that it was She who had become everything. She showed me that everything was full of Consciousness. The Image was Consciousness, the altar was Consciousness, the water-vessels were Consciousness, the door-sill was Consciousness, the marble floor was Consciousness — all was Consciousness. I found everything inside the room soaked, as it were, in Bliss — the Bliss of Satchidananda. I saw a wicked man in front of the Kāli temple; but in him also I saw the Power of the Divine Mother vibrating… I clearly perceived that the Divine Mother Herself had become everything.
After realizing God, one sees that it is He who has become the universe, living beings, and the twenty-four cosmic principles. But what remains when God completely effaces the ego cannot be described in words. A man sees a thing in one way through reasoning and in an altogether different way when God Himself shows it to him.
Source: The Gospel Of Sri Ramakrishna
UNIVERSALITY
Swami Chinmayananda
To develop universal love — which is natural to everyone — you must begin with yourself, from the crown of your head to the tip of your toes. Even though the hand is not the leg, the leg is not the toe, the toe is not the finger, the finger is not the nose, and the nose is not the ear, each part is different in shape, name, and function. What the eyes can do, the ears cannot; what the nose can do, the tongue cannot. The hands perform functions the legs never can. Within me, so many different shapes, forms and purposes exist — and yet, am I not one single being? From the tip of the toes to the crown of the head, is it not still one ‘I’? How do we feel this oneness? Despite the distinctions — hand, leg, thumb, nose — we still say, “This is me.” I pervade every cell of my body.
Even in your body, accidents happen — your own finger may poke your eye, or you may bite your own tongue. Will you, even if you are the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, accuse your finger of aggression against your eye? Will you prosecute it for attacking a part that has always served it faithfully? No. Immediately, all the fingers rush together, gently rub the eye, and silently say, "I'm sorry, I never meant it. "The eye, though watering and red, silently forgives the finger. But if it were the finger of a stranger that hurt your eye, your sense of justice would cry out, "Punish him!"—because you see him as separate from yourself.
My friends, if you reflect deeply, you will find that the whole world is your body. Just as every cell within you is sacred, so too is every living being, every mineral, every part of the outer world. Nothing is separate from you. When the calf muscle itches, the hand rushes to scratch it. The hand doesn't bargain: "Leg, you scratch yourself, why should I? What will you give me in return?" No — it rushes with joy, because the comfort of the leg is the comfort of the whole body. In the same way, when sorrow is seen anywhere, we must run to alleviate it — not because “they” are others, but because they are our own Self.
This universal vision is what Vedanta teaches: seeing Rama — meaning the One Reality — everywhere. Once you see this, the sense of plurality disappears. Distinctions at national, communal or individual levels are wiped out into one Divine Presence. With this unfoldment in yourself, you realise that the world is preserved by this unity. If we stop creating divisions and selfishness, the world will reorganise itself. Learn to serve others selflessly — because in doing so, you serve your own Self.
DEAR CHILDREN
Rhythm Of Life
In a small village, there lived a wise musician who played the flute so beautifully that people would come from far and wide to listen. One day, a curious young boy asked him, “Master, how can just one instrument create such harmony?”
The musician smiled and said, “It’s not just the notes I play, but the silence between them that brings out the melody. And even more than that —It is the breath that flows through the flute, which gives life to every note. Without the breath, the flute is silent wood.”
He continued, “Imagine all living beings as different flutes — some long, some short, some made of bamboo, some of metal. The music they play may differ, but it is the same breath of Life flowing through all of them. That breath is the One, the Self.”
The boy sat silently, absorbing the wisdom. From that day, he began to see people not as different and separate, but as diverse expressions of the same inner Life — just like notes in a grand symphony.
EPISTLES OF SWAMI RAMDAS
Beloved Ram,
…True Bhakti can securely raise its structure only on the basis of Advaita realisation. You cannot be a devotee in the highest sense of the term, unless you have realised your perfect oneness with God in all His aspects. A drop can realise the ocean provided it permits itself to be merged in it. The individual “I” — an existence presumed to be separate from the Universal Life and Spirit — must go entirely. Thereafter, the personality that is attained by the individual is not local and finite but universal and infinite. The duality of God and His devotee is assumed by the one indefinable Truth, for the sake of Lila. Perception and experience alone can grant us the full comprehension and realisation of Truth. The proper thing to do is, to go within and explore the uttermost depths of your being and know, what and who you are, in reality. Swimming on the surface holding on to external props, without aspiring to dive deep down into the bottom can give us only a hazy and imperfect vision of Truth, which is the source of all life and manifestation. This source is for ever and always the Supreme One.
IN MEMORIAM
- Sri Ajit Kalle (aged 82), an ardent devotee of the Ashram from Mumbai, was called by Beloved Papa on the 10th of May 2025.
- Sri Srikrishnaji R Udipi (aged 88), another ardent devotee of the Ashram from Mumbai, was also called by Beloved Papa on the 16th of May 2025.
Srikrishnaji was an integral part of Beloved Papa’s spiritual family, having been closely associated with Pujya Papa and Pujya Mataji since his early childhood. An evolved soul, he radiated devotion through every aspect of his being. For a few decades, he also served Anandashram as a dedicated Trustee, offering selfless service with grace and sincerity.
We pray for Beloved Papa’s unbounded 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 April 2025 is 210 crores, chanted by 182426 devotees. The grand total of the Japa done so far in this round now stands at 4770 crores.
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MOUNA SADHANA IN ANANDASHRAM:
A day-long Mouna Sadhana is scheduled on the 8th of June 2025. Devotees interested in participating may kindly inform through WhatsApp (+91-9037466744) or by email (pms.anandashram@gmail.com).
MAHASAMADHI DAY OF SWAMI SHUDDHANANDA:
The 2nd of June reminds us of the Mahasamadhi Day of our dear and revered Swami Shuddhanandaji.
He is fondly remembered for his inspiring personality, beaming smile, humility, childlike nature and ready-to-serve attitude. Swami Shuddhanandaji’s life portrays how one can blend harmoniously devotional practice and loving Seva. By remembering him, let us try to emulate the message he gave us through his actions.
BOOK IN FOCUS
‘POEMS’
The mystical experiences of Swami Ramdas find expression in vivid, simple and rapturous words in his poems. His direct experiences of the Divine — both: personal and the impersonal, the immanent and the transcendent, the static and the dynamic — and of the subtle inexpressible union-in-separateness of the human soul with God — are woven into the warp and woof of his poems. They open a window on shining vistas of the Reality.
Available in English.
THOUGHT FOR THE MONTH
“Life is the expression of the Atman; though seemingly two, they are one. Life has manifested itself as the multitudinous forms that comprise the universe. It is the one Universal Life, Power or Shakti that controls, guides and actuates all movements and activities in all beings, creatures and things.”
— 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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