THE VISION, May 2026, Vol 93, Issue 8:
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Beloved Readers,
The mission of Anandashram is to spread the glory of the Name of God. Any object that we love with all our heart gives us joy, by the mere thought of it. When we understand that the Name represents the Power behind all thoughts, words, and deeds, we see that even chanting is made possible by that very Power.
Beloved Papa says: “When Ramdas was chanting the Name, he used to be intoxicated with joy. His ears were drinking the nectar of the Name with all avidity. Any sound other than that of the name of God did not attract his ears.”
Despite our ignorance or neglect, this Divine Presence never leaves us — awakening love and gratitude within. With repeated reflection, chanting becomes joyful, even if only for brief moments at first. Saints assure us that this practice gradually brings stability and the realization that all happens by His will for the ultimate good.
Namotsav is inspired to help connect chanting with daily life, deepening this awareness.
This month’s issue of THE VISION carries articles highlighting the glory of the Name.
— EDITOR
AS WE SCROLL DOWN...
- ‘Wondrous Name’ — Swami Ramdas extols the Divine Name as a mystic sound embodying the very presence and power of God. By constant, loving repetition, the restless mind is stilled and inner energies are awakened, enabling mastery over oneself. As the mind becomes attuned to the melody of the Name, it unveils the indwelling Truth and opens the heart to an outpouring of Divine love, wisdom and peace, culminating in union with the Eternal.
- ‘Words of Pujya Mataji Krishnabai’ — reveals that instead of clinging to external supports, we must hold firmly to God within, and it is Ram Nam that enables this inner reliance. Though the seeker may falter at first, like a child learning to walk, steadfast remembrance of the Name brings strength and stability. By keeping Ram Nam constantly on the lips with firm faith, fear is dispelled, and one gains the unshakeable confidence of the Divine’s ever-present protection.
- ‘Words of Pujya Swami Satchidananda’ — informs us that Nama Japa can be integrated into every aspect of daily life, transforming even ordinary actions into worship when performed with the feeling of serving God in all. By combining constant chanting with loving service, life itself becomes a sacred offering. Such ceaseless remembrance, however, arises from intense aspiration, and it is this deep longing for God that enables the seeker to remain steadily anchored in Him.
- ‘Editor Answers’ — explains that Mantra chanting creates positive vibrations only when done with love, devotion and awareness of the Divine Presence it represents. Such mindful chanting lifts the mind into inner joy, gradually replacing self-centred tendencies with clarity, faith and optimism. This positivity radiates outward, bringing harmony to daily life and, over time, transforms living itself into continuous remembrance of the Divine.
- ‘The Gita Touch in Daily Life’ — through Shaiby’s inspiring service during the pandemic, illustrates the power of unwavering remembrance and determination. Anchored in the thought that God dwelt in each patient, she transformed her demanding duty into selfless worship. As the Gita teaches, one who remembers the Divine with single-pointed devotion is sustained and protected, showing that a mind rooted in a higher purpose can endure and rise above even the greatest challenges.
- ‘Begin in a Shrine, End in the Infinite’ — deepens the understanding that Nama chanting must lead to recognising the Nami — the Divine Reality — in all aspects of life. The shrine serves as a starting point, but true Sadhana unfolds in daily living, where every action is performed in His name and every experience reveals His presence. Through reflection and practice, the seeker learns to see the Divine as the Source, Doer and Witness in all, culminating in universal love, selfless service and the realisation of oneness with the Supreme. (Continued from the previous issue)
- ‘Namotsav in Hyderabad and Hanamkonda’ — highlights how these sacred gatherings deepen the practice of Nama chanting by linking it meaningfully with daily life. Moving beyond mechanical repetition, Namotsav helps devotees connect the Nama with the Nami — the indwelling Divine Presence — through real-life examples infused with devotion. As participants experienced, this integration brings calmness, unity, positivity and a lasting sense of inner peace, inspiring them to carry the remembrance of the Divine into every moment of life.
- ‘Epistles of Swami Ramdas’ — affirms that constant remembrance of the Divine Name enables even a householder to live as a Jivanmukta, free while in the world. By abiding in the awareness of God, the devotee lives, moves and acts in Him, experiencing an intimate oneness filled with love and bliss. In this realisation, all separation dissolves, and the seeker awakens to the truth that the entire universe is a wondrous manifestation of the Divine — all is He.
- ‘In Memoriam’
- ‘Anandashram News’:
- ‘Thought For The Month’
- ‘Download THE VISION’ in PDF format.
WONDROUS NAME
By Swami Ramdas
There is no word in the human tongue which wields such a marvellous power, that mysteriously works for absolute good, as the Name which stands for God. The Name of the Lord is the very expression of God as a mystic sound. To attune the mind to the sweet melody of the Name is to harmonise your life with the Life Eternal…
It is rightly said that a king can extend his empire to the ends of the earth, but it is extremely hard to conquer and subdue the mind. This mastery is possible only when the invincible Divine Energy latent in the heart of the human being is awakened and is set to work in place of the weak individual will and initiative. The Divine Name, in reaching this ideal, proves an invaluable and irresistible means.
Constant utterance of the Name arrests the restless nature of the mind and, developing a high state of concentration, conserves all the physical and mental energies for removing the veil from the indwelling Truth who is infinite power, light, peace and joy. In a word, the Name is an unfailing key that unlocks the gates of the heart permitting an outflow of immortal love, wisdom and power. Thereafter, the soul is merged in the universal effulgence of an eternal and all-blissful Existence.
WORDS OF PUJYA MATAJI KRISHNABAI
Ram Nam Makes Us Cling To God
Our tendency is to cling to some tangible object. Here, we should not cling to any external object or person. We should cling only to Papa (God) who is in us. Like a child taking its first steps and tottering in its attempt, in the beginning we may ‘totter’ and feel weak in the legs as we tread the path to Papa (God). But, if we firmly cling to Papa (God) we can gain added strength, and then, learn to walk on our own. It is Ram Nam that makes us cling to Papa as our Guru.
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Make Your Faith Strong And Firm
Have Ram Nam on your lips constantly. Then, no fear dare approach you. Have faith in Papa and in His Name. Fear denotes lack of faith in Papa. It only means that your Ram Nam has not been enough to bolster your faith and make it strong and firm. If you have Ram Nam firmly on your lips, you can be fully confident of Papa’s protection on you always, never be afraid.
WORDS OF PUJYA SWAMI SATCHIDANANDA
Nama Japa In Daily Life
You can do the Japa while sitting, walking or travelling. You can also keep chanting the Name when you are doing physical work. When you are serving old or sick people, you can conveniently keep chanting the Name with all love and devotion and also look upon those you serve as different forms of God Himself. Service done with this attitude becomes worship. God’s work means any work that you do with the feeling that it is God whom you are serving.
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God-Remembrance
The condition for God-realisation is intense aspiration to realise Him. Only those who are fired with such an intense aspiration can chant God’s Name constantly and maintain ceaseless remembrance. All the saints who have realised God had done such intense Sadhana. Even as householders, they could devote all their time for God-remembrance and thus showed the world that even for householders it was possible to remember God constantly.
EDITOR ANSWERS
Question: We have heard that Mantra chanting creates positive vibrations within us; how does that help in daily life?
Answer: Mantra chanting indeed awakens positive vibrations — but only when done with love, devotion, and thoughtful awareness of the ideal behind the Name. That ideal is the Divine Presence within us and in all creation as pure Existence and Awareness.
When the mind rests in this understanding, chanting lifts the chanter into a state of inner joy. Even a brief taste of this joy leaves a deep and lasting impression.
Gradually, self-centred thoughts lose their hold, giving way to clarity, steady faith, and an optimistic outlook in all actions. This is how it helps in daily life.
The positivity born of such chanting is not confined within — it radiates outward, bringing strength, harmony, and joy to both the chanter and those around.
In time, this practice transforms life itself into a continuous remembrance of the Divine.
THE GITA TOUCH IN DAILY LIFE
Chapter 8, Shloka 14 — Determination
During the peak of the pandemic, one nurse, Shaiby, was assigned to a critical ward where fear and exhaustion weighed heavily on everyone. Her colleagues often broke down or requested transfers, but Shaiby stayed on, day after day.
Her strength came not only from duty but from a deep inner resolve. Before each shift, she prayed, “Let me be an instrument to serve Him through these patients.” This anchored her mind. Despite long hours, little rest, and risk of infection, she remained focused. When families could not visit, she comforted patients, read their messages, and cared for them with tenderness. Many recovered, calling her “Amma.”
Later, when asked how she endured, she said, “I held on to one thought — God is in each patient.” This story reflects the teaching of this Shloka:
अनन्यचेताः सततं यो मां स्मरति नित्यशः।
तस्याहं सुलभ: पार्थ नित्ययुक्तस्य योगिन:॥
“For one who always thinks of Me with exclusive devotion,
I am the saviour, and I protect what is dear to him.”
Shaiby’s unwavering remembrance shielded her and gave her extraordinary strength. Her life proves that when the mind clings to a higher purpose or to the Divine, we are carried safely through trials.
BEGIN IN A SHRINE, END IN THE INFINITE
(Contd. from previous issue…)
Beloved Papa Swami Ramdas reminded us that the world itself is our Guru, offering endless opportunities for self-growth through observation and experience. While we admire this truth intellectually, we often fail to live it. Spiritual growth truly begins only when these teachings become part of daily life.
The pointers shared in the previous issue and subsequently in this issue, aim at enabling us to move from merely chanting the Nama to recognising the Nami — the Divine Reality — in the entire manifestation. Beloved Papa said that we must behold Divinity in every aspect of this world-Lila. Yet we often confine spirituality to temples, Ashrams, scriptures, and rituals, treating daily life as separate. Namotsav, being conducted in various places, seeks to dissolve this division by helping us recognise the Divine first in the positive aspects of life and gradually in all. The shrine, then, becomes a training ground. The real practice begins when we step out and learn to live every action — eating, working, speaking, thinking — in His name and for His sake, recognising the same Divine Presence everywhere:
15. Nami is always with us: Space is ever-present; shadow follows us in light.
Space and light stand for the Nami, ever-present regardless of our awareness.
16. The Nami within does everything: Appliances run on electricity; heartbeats sustain life.
Electricity and heartbeats stand for the Nami, the Inner Force behind all functions.
17. Nothing is ours; everything belongs to the Nami: A library book isn’t ours; a hotel room isn’t owned by us.
Book and room stand for borrowed possessions, reminding us everything belongs to the Nami.
18. Harmonise outer activities with God-remembrance: Breath supports all action; Nature nourishes every seed.
Breath and Nature stand for the Nami, sustaining all and guiding right living.
19. Remove the veil that hides the Nami’s presence: Fog obstructs visibility; dust blurs clarity.
Fog and dust stand for ignorance that hides the Nami from our awareness.
20. Nothing is irrelevant or insignificant: Small parts sustain a machine; simple letters create meaning.
Parts and letters stand for the Nami’s presence even in the smallest aspects.
21. Each of us reveals the Nami uniquely: No two creations are alike; each ingredient adds its uniqueness to the dish.
Variety stands for the Nami expressing in diverse and unique ways.
22. He is everywhere; do not limit Him: Salt when added, pervades water completely; gravity acts everywhere.
Salt and gravity stand for the Nami, all-pervading and not confined.
23. Nami, the silent Witness of all thoughts: Sky appears to move with clouds; mirror reflects changing images.
Sky and mirror stand for the Nami, ever unchanged while thoughts and experiences come and go.
24. Nami is the silent Presence behind the mind: Ocean depths remain still beneath waves; sound rests in space.
Depth and space stand for the Nami, the quiet background enabling all activity.
25. Offer your heart to the Nami with gratitude: Child offers a flower to the mother; lamp is lit in gratitude for Light given.
Mother and Light stand for the Nami, the Giver of all, to whom all offerings truly belong.
26. Trust the guidance of the Nami in all situations: Traveller trusts a compass; patient trusts a doctor.
Compass and doctor stand for the Nami, the unseen Wisdom guiding our journey.
27. Perform every action as an offering to the Nami: Flower offered becomes sacred; river flows towards the ocean.
Offering and river stand for surrender to the Nami, transforming actions into worship.
28. Let remembrance of the Nami guide every step of life: Lamp illumines the path; compass keeps direction.
Lamp and compass stand for the Nami, the inner guide leading us steadily onward.
Practice — From Hearing to Living
Reading or hearing these points is not enough. True transformation requires Manana (reflection) and Abhyasa (applying them in daily life).
When we use a tool, handle some object or perform any action, we should consciously remember the Divine Presence pervading it. The culmination of this practice is Universal Love and Service based on the vision of Divinity in all. Awareness grounded in the fact that: everything is Divine; every action is worship; and every interaction is with the Divine.
A profound realisation will gradually unfold as described by Hanumanji to Sri Ramji:
- As body – I am Your servant;
- As individual (body-mind-intellect) – I am a part of You;
- As Spirit – I am one with You.
Chanting the Divine Name (Nama) is not merely a ritual. It is a means to recognise the Divine within, perceive the Divine in the world and realise the oneness of all existence.
NAMOTSAV IN HYDERABAD AND HANAMKONDA
As willed by Beloved Papa, Namotsav was held in Hyderabad on 5 April 2026 and in Hanamkonda on 7 April 2026.
Namotsav is a sacred gathering dedicated to the remembrance of the Divine Name. Though many of us practise Ram Nam individually and collectively, chanting can at times become mechanical, offering only temporary joy without truly connecting us with the indwelling Divine Presence.
Many feel that spiritual life is separate from daily life, and chanting therefore appears disconnected from everyday routines. Namotsav seeks to break this barrier by weaving real-life examples into every session alongside the chanting. Beloved Papa reminds us: “In the class-room, hospital, office, marketplace, factory and field, as well as in temple, church and mosque, we should tune ourselves with this Spirit.” This Spirit is the Nami.
To deepen this experience, chanting must be supported by connecting it with the activities of daily life. At the same time, care is taken that the examples do not, even subtly, dilute the all-loving nature of the Lord. The spirit of Bhakti must remain central; without it, the exercise can become dry. Though the examples and the Nami may appear distinct, they are in truth one. The all-merciful Lord — Love Absolute — has not only created us but lovingly provides everything required for our lives. His grace flows through the objects and situations around us, which we draw upon as examples.
During each half-an-hour session, one guideline was shared, followed by chanting to imprint the essence of the guideline within ourselves.
Some of the feedback received from the devotees is shared below:
- Namotsav gives a sense of belonging. Because we don’t bring anything when we come, we leave with everything.
- We felt like one family.
- Chanting makes the mind calm and improves concentration.
- The Nam chanting removes negative thoughts and brings positivity and peace.
- This programme reminds us to bring Nama into daily life and not limit it to the event.
- Each of us is unique in our own way. We should accept everyone and avoid discrimination.
- It takes us to the ocean waves of God, giving within us a flow of positive energy.
- The Nama chanting creates positive energy and helps the mind to focus.
- This experience will remain with us for long.
- It was a wonderful experience which helped us reconnect with God.
- The chanting helped us to stay in the present and feel inner peace.
- This Satsang inspired us to continue chanting every day.
- We should carry this remembrance into tomorrow and everyday life.
- The sound vibration and chanting helped us go within.
- Today we experienced real peace.
EPISTLES OF SWAMI RAMDAS
Beloved Ram,
…Saint Tukaram of Maharashtra says: “Blessed is the Samsari who keeps the holy Ram Nam on his tongue always; for, living in the world, he is a Jivanmukta.” Truly, by remembering Him we ever dwell in Him — we act, move and have our being in Him. In eternal oneness, Ram and His devotee enjoy staunch fellowship. They disport themselves in a veritable ocean of Prem and Anand — sometimes losing themselves in each other and at other times playing with each other a game of love and joy. Oh! What a wonderful manifestation of God this Universe is! Ram is all. You are all He. Ramdas and He are one…
IN MEMORIAM
Smt Savithri (aged 87), an ardent devotee of the Ashram from Chennai and the mother Sri Srinivasan, was called by Beloved Papa on the 30th of March 2026. We pray for Beloved Papa’s blessings on the departed soul 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 March 2026 is 210 crores, chanted by 180209 devotees. The grand total of the Japa done so far in this round now stands at 7090 crores.
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NAMOTSAV IN ANANDASHRAM:
THOUGHT FOR THE MONTH
“Contact with the Name is contact with God,
because Name and God are not different.
Name is God and God is Name.”
— Swami Ramdas
DOWNLOAD THE VISION
Devotees can download the PDF version of this issue of THE VISION by clicking on the relevant links.
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