Picture: Surrounded by Saints–Swami Satchidananda and Swami Chidananda of Divine Life Society–Anandashram January 1999
Papa says chanting Ram Nam is sweet, like candy in the mouth. In fact no words can describe the Bliss felt when chanting God’s holy Name. You may say that God has no name that can be spoken with the human tongue, and it is also true that every name is His name. However, there are certain names of God— in all languages—that have been surcharged through sacred repetition that has lifted up saints into the highest Consciousness; like a trail that has been blazed through the wilderness by thousands of years and thousands of feet that wear even sharp stones to smoothness. Ram Nam auspiciously qualifies as one of the most ancient and well used of such incantations.
It is God-experience alone that is the true Name of God: seeing the sacred Light, hearing the soaring AUM or AMEN, feeling the uplifting currents in the spine and brain, and expanding into infinite Spirit. Like a symphony orchestra, God can be the power of a violent storm or the sweetest touch of a spring breeze upon soft petals; God-experience encompasses all experience, and is far far beyond ordinary perception.
When I was a truck driver I drove mile after mile chanting the holy Name of Ram Nam. God lifted me up; my eyes partially closed leaving only enough consciousness in the world to operate the truck. Sometimes He completely closed my eyes and took me up into pure Spirit with a rush of Bliss and Power in the spine; then, of course, I had to pull over and park on the side of the road!
It took time and many many experiences but gradually the blockages were removed, so that now there is only the pure flow up the spine, the Name of God as AUM resounds all around, God’s thoughts flows through my own, His Love animates my heart, and His life-force walks and talks through this form. Far from creating ego this experience makes me absolutely know that of myself I am nothing; truly nothing. It is He, it is He, it is all He! Where is there room for ego when that is the case?
Oh what a love-affair God has created. He makes us journey far away from Him in consciousness. Then, He draws us back to Himself; creating magnetism when the time is right that we cannot, and do not want to resist. In this moment it is He who writes these words, and it is He who reads them, and it is He who charges them with His uplifting power to draw those He has chosen to Himself. What a wonderful play He has enacted!
When there is nothing but He, what is there to fear? If He wants a certain thing to happen, nothing can stop it. If He wants something not to happen, nothing can make it so. Our trying to go it alone is His trial in ignorance; our surrender to Him is His movement in time and space that purifies creation. Our part is to witness what He does within and all about us.
It may be that these words make no sense to you, and that is His will. It may be that you feel He is speaking these very words directly to, and through you, and that is His will as well. Many times I hear or see the words of a great Master, such as Mother, Master or Papa and I feel that the words spoken are my very own; for He makes me feel that kind of intimacy with these wonderful human expressions of Himself.
Now, He tells me, it is time to wake up; it is time for you to wake up! To feel God weaving Himself through every experience you have in life and to know that it is He alone who exists; One without a second. Why should you suffer separation for one moment longer? There is no reason. He is calling you with His divine magnetism, for it is He, it is He, it is all He; there is nothing else. So, be that! It can all start with chanting His holy Name: Om Sri Ram Jai Ram Jai Jai Ram; victory to God, victory to the Light.