Travis sent this description to me, and with his permission I am posting it here. I know you will find it as inspiring and delightful as I do.
To: Yogacharya David Hickenbottom and Carla Ma.
Thank you so much for the thoughtful letter you sent us at Anandashram.
It was very blissful. Ram has prompted me to dedicate (power went out, hold on, ok, moved blinds to let in more light in) a day to God in the form of the Guru, you!
That day was the 13th and started with a midnight alarm to wake up, Kriya, Ram Nam and meditation till 2:30 or so to start the day off. Ram has directed me to take no food or drink other than water and to stay in silence for the day.
Now the question arises whether one can be in silence whilst belting our Ram Nam at the top of one’s lungs! But Ram says yes. The alarm again at 4:45 wakes me up and I proceed out into the ashram grounds and sit outside the Satsang Hall and count Ram Nam on a newly minted necklace of mala beads Ram has so generously provided me.
(Lights back on, thank you Ram!) About 25 minutes provides enough time to count through three cycles of Ram Nam (power out again, Ram’s will!), then five minutes or so to get to the mandir for chanting Ram Nam. Since the mandir doesn’t open till 6 a.m. I go to the Bhajan Hall and chant Ram Nam till 6 a.m. then over to the mandir of Papa Ramdas’ to begin chanting of Ram Nam, to Ram. After each half hour of Ram Nam I walk to Swami Satchidananda’s room to quietly count mala beads (lights are back on!) for Ram and his Ram Nam Vault.
This is how Ram’s day goes until 12:00 to 12:15; there is a shortened Ram Nam chanting due to lunch. Afterward a swami I am quite fond of, that is often leading Ram Nam with cymbals, asks me, “How much chanting do you prefer?” Rather than giving me two options to choose from however, he instead ends his inquiry there. My best answer would have to be that I prefer the amount of chanting that Ram directs me to do, over the amount of chanting that I want to do. However I am in silence and indicate such. (Power out again, now I feel Ram is playing tricks on me with the lights going on and off!)
The swami then tells me that he leaves this afternoon, I pronam and bow to God in this wonderful man then leave (15 minutes ahead of schedule due to early closing of Mandir for lunch) to count mala-beads before the start of 1:00 post-lunch Ram Nam. About one third of the way to Swami Satchidananda’s room I am prompted by Ram to write the swami a letter (lights back on) in lieu of being in silence.
The 15 minute early release provided by Ram allows me just enough time to walk to my room, write a short goodbye and return to Swami Satchidananda’s room to count my routine of three cycles of mala-bead Ram Nam before the next Mandir chanting session. Upon walking to count mala-Rams I think that perhaps I should count them by the entrance and exit of the dining hall as so not to miss the departing swami. Ram tells me that I should instead go count mala-beads in Swami Satchidananda’s room.
It is Ram’s will whether or not this letter is delivered. Three cycles completed I walk to the 1:00 Mandir and who do I see walking up the way, none other than the departing swami. I hand him his goodbye from Ram and continue to the Mandir without missing a step! Oh Ram, you are Great!
At 1:00 Mandir everyone must still be eating and there is only one elderly man in the corner barely muttering Ram Nam with the cymbals. He hands them to me and bows; I bow and graciously accept my first assignment with the cymbals, Ram leading the Ram Nam, not I.
Now this man is either slightly mentally challenged or has a malfunctioning larynx because after the first verse of Ram Nam his report back is barely audible. After the second cycle of this one way Ram Nam, Ram decides my chanting should be continuous and gives me a beautiful melodious Ram Nam to chant continuously for Him. This continues the entire half hour, just me and Ram in this quiet man’s form.
2:00 chanting has more people (Ram in disguise) but again I am there a full ten minutes before anyone shows up and the women inside the mandir motions for me to relieve them of the cymbals and begin the next half hour of Ram Nam. Ram has me sing again His melodious Ram Nam and the procession soon perfects the pitch and the chanting proceeds until the elderly swami, with the four pointed cane, that usually leads the Ram Nam shows up and I hand him over the reins and he plays the cymbals for the remainder of the half hour. Thank you for sending me your swami, Ram, for (I am not worthy) Ram is the doer.
3:30 is satsang so the 4:00 Ram Nam is missed. Ram says that is ok. After the 6:00 ending of mandir Ram Nam my feet are somewhat sore and the body is somewhat tired, all is for Ram though and I feel progress is being made in Rams’ sadhana.
Back in Swami Satchidananda’s room there are a number of people meditating so I pull out a chair and sit in the Satsang Hall to count mala-Rams. Tonight the hall is accommodating a large flock of mosquitos who are fiercely guarding the place. One cycle of Ram Nam is completed before I move on to find shanti [peace] elsewhere.
Returning to Ram’s room (#5 of Swami Ramdas Block) I tally up my Ram Nams; up until that point 33, a good number. Swami Muktananda is celebrating a birthday sometime soon I hear and Ram told me to give him these Ram Nams for the vault. I am now up to 36.
That evening while winding down I get a buzz at the door. Who could it be other than Ram! My first visitor, how exciting! I open the door and Ram is there in the form of a lovely elderly neighbor. This beautiful lady has come to bring me Prasad that I had missed receiving. Ram, how wonderfully kind you are to me, what more can I do to repay you than dedicate my entire life to bringing Your Kingdom to earth as it is in Heaven.
In the morning I will break my fast with this mini-banana that has been blessed by You, Ram. I then fall asleep, tired from a long day of dedication to God and Guru who are one and the same. Ram kindly prompts me up at 11:30 p.m. and I perform Kriya by Ram’s will to end the day.
All my love forever: Travis AUM