Swami Ramdas (1884-1963) was a philosopher, philanthropist, and pilgrim. Giving up worldly possessions at a young age, he became a wandering monk. The inspirational story of his travels throughout India and his message of Universal Love has been presented in several different books and he is regarded by many as a spiritual master.
| Swami Ramdas | |
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Swami Ramdas |
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| Born | 1884 Kerala, India |
| Died | 1963 |
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Vittal Rao was born in Kerala, India in 1884 to Sri Balakrishna Rao and Smt. Lalita Bai. He worked as a spinning master in a cotton mill and in 1908 he married. He experienced difficulties, both in his financial pursuits and domestic life, and seeking relief from his circumstances, he began to chant "Ram" – a name of God. Soon after, his father gave to him a holy mantra to repeat, the Ram Mantra - 'Sri Ram jai Ram jai jai Ram'. Through inner guidance he started adding the 'Om' to each repetition - 'Om Sri Ram Jai Ram Jai Jai Ram' and he found the benefit at least threefold.
He quickly became detached from materialistic pleasures and left on a pilgrimage, taking on the name Ramdas, and living on charity (though he never accepted money). His practice was to view the world as forms of Ram – and thus to see everything that might befall him as the will of Ram. His mantra practice also gradually became a round-the-clock practice.
In 1922 he encountered the sage, Ramana Maharshi, and received his grace. As a result of this, he went into his first retreat, living for 21 days in solitude in a cave in Arunachala. Upon leaving this cave he was filled with the realization that, “All was Rama, nothing but Rama”[1] Some time later an absorption experience near Mangalore fully erased his personal identity, so that only Oneness prevailed.
After continuing to live on the roads for many years, his devotees established Anandashram for him in Kanhangad, Kerala in 1931. The ashram worked to improve the living conditions of the local people, and continues to this day to share Swami Ramdas’ vision of Universal Love and Service.
A list of Ramdas' well known disciples includes Mataji Krishnabai, Swami Satchidananda, Swami Mudrananda and Yogi Ramsuratkumar.
He died in 1963.
| “ | People do not know what the Name of God can do. Those who repeat it constantly alone know its power. It can purify our mind completely... The Name can take us to the summit of spiritual experience. | ” |
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—Swami Ramdas[2] |
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| “ | Place yourself as an instrument in the hands of God who does his own work in his own way. | ” |
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—Swami Ramdas[3] |
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| “ | Just as a flower gives out its fragrance to whomsoever approaches or uses it, so love from within us radiates towards everybody and manifests as spontaneous service. | ” |
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—Swami Ramdas[4] |
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World Wisdom, 2005
Motilal Banarsidass, India, 1999
Blue Dove Press, 1994
Blue Dove Press, 1995