LECTURES OF SWAMI RAM DAS:
A series of five volumes covering Swami Ramdas talks and discourses during his world tour of 1954, recorded by Swami Satchidananda. Available in English, Kannada and Telugu.
Swami Ramdas (1884-1963) is one of the rarest flowers of Indian spirituality. His picturesque and chequered earlier life, his enterprising and reckless later life of Nivritti and his sublime and joyous state afterwards, are all proofs positive of the declarations of the great scriptures like the Upanishads and the Gita.
After receiving initiation of the Ram mantra from his father, Vittal Rao (as he was known then), renounced the worldly life at the age of 38 and wandered as a mendicant Sadhu from far South to the Himalayas with God as his only refuge and guide. Having attained God-realization, Swami Ramdas (endearingly called by devotees as Papa) shared his universal vision with everyone around.
Beholding the Beloved in All
(Speech delivered on 15th August 1954 by Swami Ramdas at "Ivorine", the residence of Sri Nat venal G. Parikh, Bombay, on the eve of departure to Europe.)
It was thirty years ago that Ramdas was first taken up by God and made to do everything as He willed. From that time onwards, Ramdas has been going round India, propagating the message of love and peace to all people who come in contact with him. But now it is His will that Ramdas should go outside India and move about in the world so that he can meet more of His manifestations in order that he may see in them also the same Beloved One he sees here, and had been seeing all along during his tours in different parts of India.
Now, the object of his going to foreign countries, as willed by the Divine-Ramdas uses the word `foreign' as it is a common usage, but in fact there is nothing foreign to him as the whole world is his home-is to propagate the ideal of Universal Love and Service. Ramdas can spread this message only in one way; and that is by beholding his Beloved in all, so that his love may flow out and inundate the entire world, removing all man-made distinctions and enabling us all to stand united as one world family. It is one Truth that pervades everywhere and all humanity is the expression of that Truth. Ramdas is going abroad to show all how it is possible to achieve this exalted experience. Every one must realise that the Divine is within him.
The trouble today is due to the fact that the world has forgotten the Divine dwelling within every one of us-the Divine who is all-pervading. The Divine is called the Atman-the all-pervading Reality. Hence we must lay emphasis on that aspect of our life which is all-pervading. Then it is that we shall attain real inner freedom and peace and, thereby, real outer harmony in the world. People of the West as well as the East are now immersed in things superficial and they do not care to dive deep. It is ignorance on the surface and wisdom deep down. "Straws on the surface flow; for pearls you should dive below." That precious pearl is within you and the characteristic of that pearl is pure bliss and peace. The more we attune ourselves to the immortal and changeless Spirit within us, the more we become happy. We all know by experience that we do not get happiness by clinging to external things. The immortal Spirit which is all bliss and peace can alone grant us true freedom.
Ramdas is going abroad to preach this Truth. The authority for Ramdas to do so is God's will. He goes there not as a big Swami, but as a humble child. First, Ramdas will tell them that he sees them all as manifestations of his Beloved and he will mingle with them quite freely. All human beings in the world are forms of his Beloved. In that spirit Ramdas will move among them. They will understand that this child has come to them from the East fully surcharged with the message of the ancient Sages and saints in order to make all of them understand what India stands for, and then enliven their hearts with the consciousness of their immortal nature and make them love each other so that peace and harmony may prevail all over the world. There will be no room then for strife, disorder and war that bring devastation and disaster to humanity.
People say that another war is likely to break out, but Ramdas feels no such thing will happen. By the power of God, worked through His prepared instruments, the tide of war will be stemmed and ultimately the war mentality in the world will disappear. Everyone in the West is stricken with fear of an approaching war. A war of nerves is going on. This fear has seized them and they are trembling. But God's power is supreme and that power will work for changing this war mentality and bringing about a state of harmony and peace on earth.
Bearing this humble message Ramdas is going to visit the various countries in the West and the East, with the good wishes of you all. Before he finally decided to go abroad, he wrote to all the great saints of India and he has received their gracious blessings. What more does he want, now that he is fully armed with their benedictions and encouraging words? Ramdas is going like a child, as willed by his Divine Master.
**Contents and Sample Pages**
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