Sw ami RAM DAS

Anandashram Series No. 1?

WORLD IS GOD

**°- BOMBA V-7

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SWAM I RAMDAS

WORLD IS GOD

By

RAMDAS

(AUTHOR OF “in QUEST OF GOD ”, ETC.)

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AN AN DASH RAM P.O. Anandashram, Via Kanhangad

S. INDIA

First published: November 1955

[All Rights reserved]

Printed by V. D. Limaye at the India Printing Works, 9 Bake¬ house Lane, Fort, Bombay, and published by G. Balasubramaniam, Manager, “ Anandashram ”, P.O. Anandashram, Via Kanhangad,

S. Rly.

CONTENTS

PAGE

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The theme of Ramdas’ first book “ In Quest of God ” was the dawn of his new life and its unfold- ment during the first year of the great change that came over him. After some time, in continua¬ tion, he wrote the book “ In the Vision of God In the second book Ramdas has described practi¬ cally all he had experienced in the spiritual path before he reached the culminating point in his realization of the Eternal.

The present book is the outcome of the world tour on which he went about a year ago and from which he returned after five months. It chroni¬ cles Ramdas’ impressions formed in the course of this tour and the observations he made in the various places visited. In the course of his itinerary he met a variety of people in whom he saw none other than his beloved Ram. Ramdas’ love flowed out to them all alike. „ His vision, ever pure and glorious, saw the one Spirit per¬ vading everywhere, assuming all forms of life. In this tour lie saw the world, looking at it as one unit, as a revelation of God, as the global expression of the Divine.

All differences and distinctions which, through the eye of ignorance, one beholds in this variegated world-show, disappear in this exalted and comprehensive vision of the Divine. Verily, from the fullness of his experience, Ramdas can boldly declare that World is God. This does not

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WORLD IS GOD

mean that the other worlds — the innumerable planets, stars and other heavenly bodies forming the cosmos — are not God. The entire universe is God. The all-inclusive and transc^«drm vision and the spiritual realization from which it springs have already been described and stressed upon in his earlier books.

It must be understood that Ramdas’ spiritual perfection was achieved before he started on the tour. So this book has nothing new to present about his spiritual progress, evolution or the ultimate attainment as a result of this tour.

In this tour Ramdas beheld at close quarters the world as the embodiment of the Divine. It was not merely a mental contact he had, but a deep spiritual experience of oneness with the Divine Power that pervaded this world body — the Virat. The physical proximity, leading to the spiritual communion and fusion with all beings on the globe, was the foremost significant feature of this tour.

In the light of all that Ramdas felt and saw, which are recorded in these pages, the book can rightly bear the name ‘ World is God ’. In it two aspects of existence are described and stressed, one the Spirit which is infinite and eternal, and the other the world as the body of that Spirit, containing all beings and creatures within it. The title of this book stands for the essentially-to-be-reached milestone in the march of humanity towards the goal of world-union, goodwill and harmony.

The purpose on which Ramdas was sent by

WORLD IS COD

IX

God to travel round the world was to spread the message of Universal Love and Service. This great ideal can be practised by looking upon all mankind as the revelation of God. In this view earth is the centre of our thought. Earth is the theatre on which we play the game of life. It is the scene where we live and struggle to attain the supreme beatitude of life. It is the Karma Bhumi, the place where our physical body is shaped and born, on which it lives and acts, and into which it ultimately returns and dissolves. It is the Dharma Kshetra, the field in which we pre¬ pare ourselves for our ultimate destiny of libera¬ tion and realization. It is on the earth that we put into practice the loftiest principles by which we recognise our relationship with all beings. It is here that we train and fit ourselves, through self-control and discipline, for the final plunge into the infinite ocean of spiritual light, power and joy. Humanity is the heart of this world in which we live and move. Identity with humanity is identity with the universe, and vice versa.

Ramdas travel in different countries of the world is also significant in another respect, that is, so far as his mission relating to mankind is con¬ cerned. The tour signifies the fulfilment of his life mission. He went out of India clothed with the authority from his Divine Master, to point out to the world the right way to world unity and peace. This unity and peace can be attained only when we realize that all human beings are child¬ ren of the same Divine Father and Mother, that

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WORLD IS COD

all humanity is the expression of one universal Self, that all lives and things are the forms of one infinite Consciousness — nay, that 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 realization of this spiritual unity on the basis of which alone peace can prevail.

If all human beings unite as one man by re¬ solving their unnatural differences and take their stand upon the basic reality, God, then by the power and grace which they unitedly release, they can effect a revolutionary change and thcrebv

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bring about a universal wave of peace-conscious¬ ness.

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 bv the one eternal and limitless Truth or God.

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The microcosm is the macrocosm. The indivi¬ dual is the universal. God dwells in every being and thing, however small, in His entirety and perfection.

It is rightly said, when we realize God within us and know that our body is His body, then the whole world or the universe is also known as His

WORLD IS GOD

XI

body. Conversely, when the whole universe is realized as God, we know we are also He.

God has made Rarndas into a ripe fruit on His huge tree of manifest life for presentation to the world as a gift. Under His guidance, care and grace, Rarndas’ life grew, budded, bloomed and fruitioned until at last it became ripe, sweet and fragrant. Surely all the glory for the pro¬ duction of such a fruit is His — Rarndas’ beloved Master’s.

Rarndas' life has no future, as it has transcended time and space. It has nothing new to achieve or attain. It is one with Cosmic Reality. Birth and death have nothing to do with it. Eternal stillness and eternal movement are its centre and circumference — the centre fixed in eternity and circumference encompassing infinity; boundless existence reduced to a point and a point expanded beyond all conceivable limitations.

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God took Rarndas into the world to see God in all beings and teach them thereby that they are forms of God, to grant them the vision to see the world as God. ^

Rarndas’ voice is the Voice of God. The cosmic sound is caught and made audible through God’s vibrant vehicle — Rarndas. The cosmic light is caught, focussed and made to shine in and through the transparent tabernacle — Rarndas. The cosmic joy is caught, condensed and revealed through the innocent child — Rarndas.

Thus Rarndas' life is resounding with the music of Eternity. Its sweet strain is never-

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WORLD IS GOD

ending. It is a divine symphony of sublime serenity, calmness and peace that is ineffable, harmonised with spontaneous activity embodying the spirit of Universal Love and Service. Waves and waves of Bliss rise from it to dance on the bosom of Satchidanand and lose themselves within itself. Its creation is destruction, its beginning its own end. A resonant Silence! That is Ramdas!

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Rani J. Lalita Devi

Hyderabad — India

Sagarlal Gupta Hyderabad — India

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CHAPTER I

GOD LEADS

The great thing has happened. For nearly five years the nebulous idea of Ram das’ world tour was in the air. Now and again there were talks and predictions about it. Two or three years ago Ramdas had a talk concerning it till late in the night with a friend, accompanied by lot of fun and laughter. It appeared the idea was slowly materialising. In the year 1954, God in a mysterious way decided upon sending Ramdas abroad.

To go on a world tour was not an easy matter. It was considered by everyone who heard of it to be a tremendous venture involving many problems. But, for God, nothing is difficult. When He wills, all things take place without any hitch or obstacle. As prompted by Him, in June 1954, Rani Lalita Devi of Hyderabad offered to finance the tour and resolved to go with Ramdas.

Preliminary arrangements were soon set on foot. Rani Lalita Devi got ready all kinds of warm clothing for use in the cold countries. In a month’s time everything necessary was done and we — Mother Krishnabai, Ramdas and Swami Satchidananda — started from the Ashram. Of course, there was a good deal of commotion pro¬ duced in the minds of not only the Ashram in-

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WORLD IS GOD

mates, but also friends who heard of it in all other parts of India.

Blessings of Saints

When the decision to go on tour was made, Ramdas sent letters of appeal to several saints of India for their blessings. The blessings came. They heartily responded to the appeal, appre¬ ciated the idea and wished that the tour should be crowned with success and that we should return with sound health. Really, the blessings of saints are the most powerful help. Ramdas is a servant and child of saints. He always looks to them for guidance, inspiration and grace. God says, “ When you honour saints I am pleased." Verily, God and saints are one.

We started from the Ashram on the 3rd August 1954, and reached Mangalore the same day. We were welcomed by Sri M. Shama Rao and his wife, a most devoted couple, at their home. They were overflowing in their devotion and hospitality to us. We spent about three hours blissfully with them. Here we had the darshan of Sri Rama Devi and Swami Siddha- kumar who came to see us. Many devotees came to wish us godspeed. The atmosphere in the house was filled with spiritual fervour.

We were to leave by plane for Bombay the same afternoon. But owing to cloudy weather and impending storm and rain, the plane that was to take us to Bombay did not land at the Manga¬ lore airport. We returned from the airport to the town and stopped at the house of another

GOD LEADS

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devotee, Sri Kanda Narasimha Chettiar, a disciple of Sri Anand Swarup Maharaj of Dayalbagh. He invited us to stay with him until we departed by the next day’s plane. This devotee and his wife too bathed us in their pure love and devotion.

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God Himself is His Devotee

Next day, we caught the plane which took us to Bombay. At that airport a large number of devotees were present to receive us. We stayed, as usual, with Sri Natverlal G. Parikh at “ Ivorine.” As on previous occasions, “ Ivorine ' became holy by the visits of hundreds of devotees throughout the day and part of the night.

Truly, God Himself is His devotee. When Ramdas found so many devotees coming to him, forgetting their worldly work and commitments to remain with him, almost losing consciousness of time and space, he could feel how great was the love which they bore for him. Considering his health and age, many expressed concern about his fitness for the great world tour which he had undertaken. This they did out of their pure kindness and affection for him. Some others satisfied themselves with saying that since Ram¬ das’ venture was prompted by God, he would get through the tour without any trouble. Mothers presented him with warm apparel and evinced also great anxiety about his welfare. We were joined here by Rani Lalita Devi and also by Sri Sagarlal Gupta who was to form one of the party.

Unlike on previous occasions, this time there

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WORLD IS GOD

were no Bhajan programmes at “ Ivorine ” except the one by Sri Dilip Kumar Roy who entertained and thrilled the assembled devotees one evening with his sweet devotional songs. Dilip Kumar Roy is a prominent disciple of Sri Aurobindo. He is a gifted singer. He is a pure, noble and illumined personality. Whenever there was an occasion for Ramdas to meet him, there used to be, on both sides, a feeling of supreme joy and ecstasy. Now he had come to see Ramdas from Poona with his daughter-disciple Indira Devi. Our friend Sri Gurdial Mallik also came to offer his felicitations.

Object of the World Tour

On the evening of the Sunday, previous to the date of our departure from Bombay, there was a large gathering of devotees at “ Ivorine.” Many among them spoke expressing their good wishes for our tour, praying at the same time for our safe return. Ramdas was deeply affected by their great love and care for us. When devotees wish well of you it is sure that you have come under divine grace itself. At the request of the devotees, Ramdas delivered his parting message to them. Therein he revealed the object of his world tour in the following words:

Now, the object of his going to foreign countries, as willed by the Divine — Ramdas uses the word ‘ foreign ’ as it is the common usage, but, in fact, there is nothing 4 foreign ’ to him as the whole world is his home — is to propagate the ideal of Universal Love and Service. Ramdas can propagate this ideal only in one way and

GOD LEADS

that is by beholding his Beloved in all beings so that his love may flow out and inundate the entire world, removing all man-made distinctions, and enable all people to stand united as one world-family, because it is one God that pervades everywhere and all humanity is the expression of Him. Ramdas is going there to show all how it is possible to achieve this exalted ex¬ perience. Everyone must realise that the Divine is within him.

God was seen at every step to remove the obstacles in the way. He eased all the difficult situations we had to face before departing from Bombay. Even those who doubt God’s interven¬ tion in the affairs of men come to believe in His solicitude when they actually see how He helps those who trust Him. It is unnecessary to go here into the details of the manner in which God interceded in this case. Wonderful indeed are His ways! That is all Ramdas need say here.

After fourteen days’ stay in Bombay the time came for our flight from there to Rome. Although the plane was to leave at about midnight, a large number of friends came to the airpcrft to give us a hearty send-off. The scene at the airport be¬ fore the departure was a memorable one as it was most touching. Ramdas can well imagine how the hearts of all the assembled friends must have been deeply agitated over their separation from us and their anxiety for our safe return from the tour round the world. When your heart is transmuted by the alchemy of devotion into a pure expression of love, you are not a human being then, but an embodiment of God. For,

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WORLD IS GOD

God is love. We could feel, when the plane took off, making its huge buzzing sound, with what painful hearts all the friends at the airport were gazing at the plane that was to carry us thousands of miles to a continent far, far away. The plane rose and after a few minutes it was up in the air taking the five of us within its secure cabin.

CHAPTER II

ITALY

Rome— The Holy City

The night passed. In the morning we landed in Cairo. The place round about where we landed was a vast desert. The heat was great. We took some rest in the airport and then again emplaned and flew to Rome, the Holy City. We landed there and, as we came out of the airport, met Mrs. Jean Herbert, a slim, fair, young lady, her eyes filled with the light of devotion, waiting with humility to receive us. We got into the bus that was to take us to the city. On the way Ramdas asked Mrs. Herbert, 14 Your husband must be waiting for us in Geneva anxiously. Isn’t it so?”

Mrs. Herbert: 44 He is terribly so.”

Ramdas : 44 Perhaps you were more eager.

That is why he has sent you here in advance. He has seen us before, but you haven't.”

Mrs. Herbert: 44 You are right. I was very, very anxious to see you. Further my husband thought I might be of use to you here.”

44 Your Name Shall Be Prasanna ”

We reached the city and lodged in a hotel. When we had fairly settled down, Mrs. Herbert came to our room and sitting by the side of Ram¬ das asked him, 44 Papa, will you initiate me?”

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WORLD IS GOD

Ramdas : “ Yes, take this Mantra — Om Sri

Ram Jai Ram Jai Jai Ram/’

Ramdas made her repeat the Mantra three times.

Mrs. Herbert: “ I am filled with peace and

joy.”

Then she talked about various things and ex¬ pressed her concern to see that Ramdas’ stay was made most comfortable in her house at Geneva. After making herself acquainted with all the arrangements that she had to make at her home, she said, “ Papa, you must feel quite at home in our place and ask for anything that you might need.”

Ramdas : “ Ramdas already feels in his imagi¬

nation quite at home there. Ramdas wants you to give him some time, apart from all other pro¬ grammes, so that he might crack jokes with you all.”

Mrs. Herbert: “ Oh, that’s fine! You must never stop cracking jokes.”

Ramdas: ‘‘Sure, you’ll start liking Ramdas."

Mrs. Herbert: “ How do you know I have not already done that?”

Ramdas: “You will like him more.”

Mrs. Herbert: “That, of course, is right. I want you to give me a name.”

Ramdas: “Your name shall be ‘ Prasanna

Transitoriness of Earthly Power

In the evening we went round the city studded with ruins and monuments symbolising the glory and power of ancient Rome. Rome was a city

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ruled by great emperors like Julius Caesar and Marcus Aurelius. Ruins of the old imperial struc¬ tures like the stadium, museums, arches, columns, prisons and palaces revealed the ancient history of this world-renowned place. The vast Roman empire, as it is said, had risen to the height of a great civilization. But as everything of earthly pomp and circumstance is laid to the dust by time or fate, so this great empire too had fallen leaving behind as landmarks a few monuments that speak to the instability and transitory nature of all mundane achievements.

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Sr. Peter's Church

Next morning we went out with the object of paying a visit to St. Peter’s Church and the Vatican if possible. The sight of St. Peter’s Church produced a wonderful effect on us. The inside of the church has its own spiritual atmo¬ sphere and whoever enters it feels elevated and inspired. As we stepped into the church we beheld radiant figures, in white marjde, of Lord Jesus and Virgin Mary, and a painting of St. Peter holding in his hands the keys of heaven. There were also on the walls huge statues of departed Popes, who held spiritual sway for long years over the Roman Catholic world, and of noted Christian saints, besides many artistic signs and emblems. The architecture of the entire edifice was simply marvellous. All these inspiring sights lent sanctity to the place, leaving on the visitor an impression that cannot be easily effaced.

Every nook and corner of this great church is permeated with divine light and peace. Verily,

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WORLD IS GOD

you feel Christ’s presence in this holy place of worship in which the followers of Christ meet. Ramdas, for one, was enraptured with all that he saw and felt there. It was not the external beauty and excellence that so much attracted Ramdas and kept him under their spell as the holy figures that seemed to be alive, as if about to descend from their pedestals, surrounded by a spiritual aura that worked like magic on him. He walked and walked along the winding aisles and under the arches gradually traversing the vast interior of the church and gazing at the wonders before his eyes until he returned to the main doorway again.

Ramdas saw here the much venerated statue of St. Peter in black marble. The followers of this saint are used to lay their heads at the feet of this statue and touch them with their hands. By such constant rubbing, the feet got worn out in course of time, and have had to be replaced by newly made ones many times during the last 400 years. He saw also many chapels where mass was held by the presiding priests, and devoted Chris¬ tians on bended knees bowed and prayed before the shrine of Christ. Such scenes show how the human heart everywhere longs for the solace of communion with God; how the agitated and dis¬ tressed soul finds peace when in all humility it offers itself at the altar of the Divine Maker. Altogether, the hour spent inside this church, built in the name of Jesus Christ’s foremost dis¬ ciple St. Peter, will ever remain fresh in Ramdas’ memory.

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ITALY 11

In the evening we wandered over many places in Rome and came upon two significant sights.

One was the statue of Marcus Aurelius on horse¬ back and the other the prison in which St. John was incarcerated.

Marcus Aurelius

Marcus Aurelius was the great philosopher-king of Rome. His life may be compared to that of King Janaka who reigned in Mithila — an ancient kingdom in India. His book of meditations shows to what sublime heights of spirituality he had reached. Ramdas had the joy of reading this inspiring book several years ago, from which he gives here an apt quotation as evidence of the Emperor’s spiritual eminence:

All parts of the universe are interwoven and tied to¬ gether with a sacred bond. And no one thing is foreign or unrelated to another. This general connection gives unity and ornament to the world. For, the world, take it altogether, is but one. There is but one sort of matter to make it of; one God that pefvades it; and one law to guide it, the common reason of all rational beings; and one truth; if, indeed, beings of the same kind, and endued with the same reason, have one and the same perfection.

Why Saints Suffer

At the barred gate of a huge building, which was a prison, we were told by our guide, Pra- sanna, how St. John was pursued from place to place, subjected to the most cruel atrocities, and at last captured in Rome and put into this prison,

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WORLD IS GOD

inside which also he had to undergo horrible tortures. Martyrs are those who have suffered torments for the sake of Truth or God. Strange are the ways of the Divine! His most beloved devotees, to whom He reveals Himself in all His glory in their hearts, are made to pass through great tribulations and ordeals both before and after they are accepted by Him. Before they realize Him these sufferings are for their self¬ purification, and after their realization the supreme sacrifice and sufferings they undergo are for the uplift and redemption of mankind.

Letter to the Pope

Ramdas wanted, even before he landed in Rome, to avail himself of the opportunity to pay his respects to His Holiness the Pope. On reach¬ ing Rome we came to know that he was too ill to afford us an audience. So the idea was dropped. However, before leaving Rome, Ramdas wrote a letter to the Pope praying for his blessings for the success of our mission. Here is the letter:

Rome, 19th August, 1954.

Your Holiness,

We — Mother Krishnabai, Ramdas, Swami Satchida- nanda, Rani Lalita Devi and Sagarlal Gupta — have come here from India and we so much wished to have an audience with you during our stay here. Our stay being brief — we are leaving for Geneva by tomorrow's plane — we regret very much we will not be able to see and pay our respects to you as we hear you are not keeping good health.

ITALY

13

Our humble mission during our world tour — we have planned to visit many countries in Europe, America and the Far East — is to carry to the hearts of all people the message of the Spirit, to talk to them about the glory of God. We earnestly pray that you may shower on us your blessings for the success, of our mission.

We greet you with all our heart in the name of Lord Jesus and the Holy Mother Virgin Mary.

We pray God that you may soon be restored to sound health.

A copy of our itinerary is enclosed herewith so that you may follow us with your prayerful thoughts.

Ever your Self,

Ramdas

To His Holiness The Pope Pius XII.

Difficulty of Language

During our stay in Rome we bad to face the difficulty of language. None of our party knew the Italian language. Mrs. Herbert was extreme¬ ly helpful as she played very well the part of an interpreter for us. On one occasion, when she was not with us, we rang for the hotel attendant as we wanted some milk. When the attendant came, our friend Sagarlal tried to make him understand our need. But the language in which Sagarlal spoke could not help. He made signs, but signs also failed to convey to the atten¬ dant what we wanted. Sagarlal was undaunted, and being resourceful and witty, he raised both his hands half way and, closing his fists, moved them up and down alternatively to show to the attendant that he wanted milk which is got by milking the cow in the manner he gestured.

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WORLD IS GOD

Even this most suggestive attempt failed. The attendant was, with eager and wide open eyes, witnessing the graphic performance of Sagar- lal. Unable to comprehend what this acting really signified, he bent down slightly and with his upraised hands made signs by moving them outwards in three repeated gestures to make us know that he did not at all grasp what Sagarlal was striving to tell him, and disappeared. The picture of the face, the bent figure, the action of the hands and the sudden vanishing trick of the attendant set us roaring with laughter.

When we were walking on the footpaths wit¬ nessing the sights of Rome, we noticed groups of Italians standing on the opposite side of the road and curiously gazing at us. Our complexion and dress were evidently the cause of the attraction. Mother and Rani Lalita Devi wore Indian sarees, Ramdas was dressed in a long coat reaching up to the ankles, Satchidananda in an orange coloured dhoti, shirt and upper cloth, and Sagarlal in his usual European dress, none of us having any headwear. The party should have looked strange to the western eyes.

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CHAPTER III

SWITZERLAND

Geneva

After two days’ stay in Rome we flew to Geneva. At the Geneva airport our friend Mr. Jean Herbert was eagerly awaiting our arrival. He evinced unfeigned joy on seeing us. He took us by car in drizzling rain to his swTeet abode, about three miles from the. city, situated in charming natural environments. It w7as a quiet spot, aw^ay from the din and bustle of the city. The sur¬ rounding scenery of green gardens, parks, hills and landscapes was most enchanting. In such a fascinating setting stood the nice wTooden cottage in which Jean Herbert and his wrife lived. We were led into the house and made quite comfort¬ able.

Our fortnight’s stay at this beautiful place w^as most memorable. The days passed as minutes because of the love and devotion which the blessed couple poured on us and the kindness shown by the visitors who daily thronged the library in the house. Groups after groups of earnest spiritual aspirants used to pour in to listen to Ramdas’ talks and answers to their questions. The visitors belonged to various schools of spiritual thought and discipline. There were Sufis, social workers, disciples of Indian Yogis, pious Christians and

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WORLD IS GOD

other ardent seekers of Truth. All of them sat together in the library with complete harmony of thought and feeling. For the time, all distinc¬ tions based upon social and religious scruples dis¬ solved in an atmosphere of perfect unity and peace.

God was the one theme of all the talks — God who is the omnipresent Spirit, of whom all are the embodiments. From Ramdas’ heart flowed out spontaneously unending streams of his God- given love on the listeners. It was only with reluctance that they would get up and go out when the time came to close the meetings. There were daily three meetings. In the evenings, at the end of the meetings, we used invariably to have silent meditation for about half an hour. We sat still, squatting on the floor, in a dim light, our minds attuned to the Divine — the all- pervading infinite Consciousness. The calmness and serenity that prevailed at the time was wonderful. Everybody was bathed in a sea of peace, light and joy.

People from far and near came for interviews with Ramdas as they were all keenly intent on knowing from him the truth about the realization of God. After the meetings were over, some members of the group would particularly like to contact Ramdas individually in his sitting room. There they displayed their great faith in and love for him. They made offerings of fruits, sweets and flowers, as also books treating on religion. They often handed to him letters written in simple, sweet and loving words. Ramdas found

Swami Ramdas and Mother Krlshnabai

alighting at Geneva airport

Meeting at Jean Herbert’s Library Geneva

Swami Ramdas with

Abbot Dom Barras at the

Broc Monastery Switzerland

SWITZERLAND

17

them all to be true seekers filled with pure emotions and fired with an ardent aspiration for God.

Ramdas had gone to various parts of India and met thousands of people who cherished great love and regard for him. Here in Switzerland, a place far away from India, in the continent of Europe, Ramdas found in the people he met the same feeling of love and friendliness for him. At the meetings, on one or two occasions, Ramdas made the congregation sing the Ram-mantra. All the members joined the chorus heartily and enjoyed the bliss resulting therefrom.

A Vision of Christ

During the talks, one evening, a few young men came in with a Roman Catholic priest. They took their seats along with others in the hall. When the talks were over at 8 p.m., these young men wanted to meet Ramdas privately in his room. But the priest who came with them was in a hurry to go away, being noCvery much inclined to talk with Ramdas. However, per¬ suaded by the young men, he also came in. Ramdas greeted him with all love and offered him a chair. Others sat on the floor.

Jean Herbert, who sat near Ramdas, then said : “ The Father says he has nothing special to ask you, but these young men wish that you should tell them about the vision you had of Jesus Christ.”

Ramdas then gave a graphic description of the

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WORLD IS GOD

vision he had of Jesus in the Himalayas. He said :

From his school days Ramdas had received inspiration from Christ because he was taught Bible in the school. From that time he has enter¬ tained a very high admiration for Jesus. His teachings cast a spell, as it were, on him. He had high veneration also for other incarnations such as Krishna, Rama, Buddha and great saints. When the new life came to Ramdas he felt that he was mysteriously influenced by Christ, Krishna and Buddha. He used to read their teachings and derive invaluable help from them. God in his inscrutable wTay granted him the visions of Krishna, Buddha and Christ. These three great teachers held out before him that absolute purity in thought, word and deed was essential for know¬ ing and realizing God. They guided and inspired him, when he took refuge in them.

Now Ramdas shall describe briefly the vision he had of Christ in a cave on the Himalayas. He was on fast for five days, taking only wrater of the Ganges river, keeping vigil day and night think¬ ing of God. In this cave no light w*as kept at night. One midnight, he suddenly found the cave flooded writh a strange light. Ramdas wras sitting with his eyes closed. The strong, power¬ ful light struck his eyes and he opened them. He beheld before him sitting, a radiant figure. Intuitionally he felt it was Jesus. He wras dressed in a long robe of chocolate colour, his locks of hair were falling loose on his shoulders and his face showed the utmost sweetness and

SWITZERLAND

19

serenity, glowing with a divine radiance. What arrested Ramdas’ attention was his eyes that sparkled like stars. Seeing these eyes Ramdas was transfixed and went into ecstasies. He can¬ not describe the joy he felt at that time. The figure before him spoke a few words, but he could not make out the language. This vision lasted, maybe, for a few seconds. The result was that, till the following morning, Ramdas was lost in a sea of rapture. When Ramdas is describing this vision he sees it mentally even now, because it was so vivid and real.

The Father was deeply moved when he listened to this account. He now appeared to be very happy for having come and heard Ramdas. He also asked him a few questions.

Unity of all Religions

For Ramdas all religions are equally great. His love for all the divine teachers or spiritual masters is alike. For instance, when a true Christian comes to Ramdas, he encourages him to be devoted faithfully to Christ so tliat through Christ he can attain salvation. Verily, all the great Saviours of the world are seeking to guide humanity to the same goal — God, who is the Lord of all nations and peoples of the world. Ramdas’ visit to the western countries was not intended to stress differences among the followers of various religions, but to emphasize by his talks, behaviour and movements the underlying unity in them all. So the followers of all religions found in Ramdas a kindred spirit, as though he belonged to their