Portrait of a Himalayan Master

Swami Rama

[You may want to watch this brief documentary on the life and works of Gurudeva Swami Rama by clicking on the image below.]

The Human Being Is on a Pilgrimage

~ Swami Rama

“The human being is on a pilgrimage. His goal is the eternal abode, where he finds perfect happiness, peace, and bliss. The ignorant ones who consider this earth their permanent abode are deluded. Every moment of life until one reaches his eternal is precious. Therefore one should remember the Lord in every moment. That practice is called ajapa japa. Those who remember the name of the Lord in every breath of their lives are the fortunate few. When a student learns to remember the name of God in silence with a one-pointed mind and strengthens that habit, he can continue practicing anywhere and everywhere he goes. Thus ajapa japa leads one to constant awareness of the Self, which helps him during the period of departure.” –

Perennial Psychology of the Bhagavad Gita

Swami Rama writes further about ajapa japa in Choosing a Path:

“In the path of bhakti one of the easiest practices is to remember God’s name – a mantra or a word – constantly. Ajapa japa, remembering God’s name constantly, becomes a part of life and makes one aware of the Lord all the time. Constant remembrance makes a deep groove in the unconscious mind, for the unconscious mind is actually the seat of habit formation. Once the habit is formed, then it becomes part of individual life. Ajapa japa is that state of remembering God’s name in which a devotee does all his duties, yet remembers God all the time, even during sleep. It is an effortless way of remembering God, but a constant and long practice of japa is necessary. Those who have formed a habit of ajapa japa enjoy inner silence without any effort. They do their duties and remember the Lord’s name all the time.”

Tat Twam Asi: That Thou Art

Swami Veda Bharati

[You may want to watch this inspiring film portrait on the life of our beloved Swami Veda Bharati by clicking on the image below.]

Lectures at the 2013 Sangha Gathering
– Lecture #1

~ Swami Veda Bharati

Whatever I have spoken has come from that tradition that flows through my master and to a very, very small degree flows through me, which is not at all mine. And why do I do this? Because I wish for you to connect with that interior resource and that interior source – that interior resource and the interior source from which you can draw from the fountain of wisdom and become the guides to the big, wide, ever-fighting, quarrelsome world.

I always beseech you, and I beseech you again: Be ambitious! Be ambitious – ambitious enough to know thyself in this life. There can be no greater ambition than that. To be ambitious; then, to lead this striving, struggling, suffering world to centuries of wisdom and peace. People ask what kind of future can we expect in the coming centuries, as though the yogis were some kind of a super astrologer who can tell you which nations will be threatening, rattling what bombs three hundred years from now. That is not what we are here for. We are here to give the future centuries a direction – for you to be ambitious enough to be the kind of person who can give that direction by your mind, your words, your acts, your thoughts, your choices. Cease to live in these depressions! Cease to live in this darkness of anger! I have composed some messages for just this Sangha gathering: Sadhana in applied Spirituality.

People ask, “What is the meaning of my mantra?” People should ask, “How do I apply the meaning of my mantra to my social life, to my family life, to my emotions in life?” Our mantra initiators, of whom we have nineteen in number, also need to guide you on how to apply the meaning of your mantra to your society, your family, your relationships, based on – nothing new here that I’m saying – your choice of emotions. Your choice. You are here to learn that art.

While you are here, if you do nothing else, become mindful of your thoughts. Become mindful of your thoughts. Learn to detect your thoughts. Learn to observe your thoughts. Practice that.

What was I thinking two seconds ago?
Why was I thinking that?
Was it something creative?
Was it something loving?
Was it something critical of others?

The one person or society or country or people or present situations in which I find myself, of which I was critical seconds ago in my mind, could I have been appreciative instead? I have made these suggestions and I would like you to read these and that is why I have called it Sadhana in Applied Spirituality.

What is AHYMSIN Sangha?

~ Shi Hong

As we all know, AHYMSIN was envisaged and founded by our beloved Swami Veda as a spiritual family. He emphasized this many times. It is a family not an institution or an organization. So, it is a spiritual family to learn, practice, and spread the teachings of the sages of the Himalayas as interpreted by Gurudeva Swami Rama. It is a lineage, a tradition as Swami Veda summed up beautifully in his guru prayer.

हिरण्यगर्भादारब्धां शेषव्यासादिमध्यमाम्।
स्वामिश्रीरामपादान्तां वन्दे गुरुपरम्पराम्॥

hiraṇyagarbhād-ārabdhāṁ śeṣa-vyāsādi-madhyamām,
svāmiśrīrāma- pādāntāṁ vande guru paramparām.

So, it started in Hiranyagarbha, pass on to Patanjali, Vyasa and the other masters and down to Swami Rama. Therefore, we pay our respect to the guru lineage, guru parampara.

That explains the lineage that we’re holding, I think very, very succinctly and beautifully. And what about the teachings of the sages of the Himalayas? For me personally, I am very, very inspired by Swami Rama’s writing in his book, Living with the Himalayan Masters, in which he said freedom from fear is the first message from the sages. Let us think, freedom from fears. We have a lot of those in the past three years. Fears. And we will continue to have them. So, the first message is freedom from fears, and the second message from the Himalayan stages is to be aware of the reality within. The reality within, guru or mantras, the Lord, for the one who can realize the reality within, there shall be no fear at all. So, that is to me a very, very powerful summary of the teachings that we are pursuing here.

In the Buddhist tradition, we always pay our respect our homage to three jewels, three gems, the three most valuable things which are a Buddha, the teacher, the Dharma, teachings, and the Sangha, the community, the family. So, here in AHYMSIN, we have all three, we have the teachers, the gurus, we have the teachings, the messages from the sages, and we have us all, the community, the Sangha, we are the Sangha. You are the Sangha. I am Sangha. We are all members. So that is what AHYMSIN is all about. And I just very briefly share my thoughts with everyone today. Namaste. Thank you.

AHYMSIN Sangha Gathering 2026 Begins

~ A First Glimpse of the Guru Puja

Introduction to the Mahashivaratri
and the Shiva principle

~ Rabindra Sahu

[You may want to watch this video of Rabindra Sahu speaking on the festival of Mahashivaratri and the Shiva Principle by clicking on the image below. This is a video recording of a class held at Swami Rama Sadhaka Grama on 15 February 2026, the day of the Mahashivaratri.]

Determination: Empowering Your Practice

~ Randall Krause (Mokshadeva)

There is a Sanskrit word, sankalpa. The word can be translated as follows:
sam (सम्) – together, completely, fully
kalpa (कल्प) – idea, plan, rule, or arrangement

An interpretive translation is a resolve in which the whole mind is aligned toward a goal.

A sankalpa is more than a simple goal. It has determination behind it.

That determination is essential on the path of yoga and, really, on the path of life itself, because it produces the power—the shakti—necessary to reach the goal. Swami Rama says simply: without it, you won’t reach the goal. That’s not meant to be dramatic. It’s just the way things work.

People often think of sankalpa as a vow, and that’s true. But a vow doesn’t magically make something happen. You have to be determined. You must choose and put energy into it. It’s one thing to say, “I will do this,” but we can say that all day long, and nothing will happen if we don’t mean it.

Swami Rama says you have to say: “I will do this. I can do this. I have to do it.”

There are many times when determination is essential.

Take the simple example of cutting down on foods you love that aren’t good for you, like junk foods. Without determination, forget it. It’s not easy to cut down on what we eat. With determination, you can do it.

Similarly, meditating every day takes determination because many things will come up. Some days you won’t want to do it. This is where determination is necessary.

Determination has a profound effect on the mind. We think we’re just setting a goal, but the mind reacts to that. Swami Veda once told me that once you decide, your mind changes.

Global Meditation Reminder

Full Moon Meditation
on 3 March 2026

New Moon Meditation
on 18 March 2026

You are invited to sit in meditation for an hour wherever you are, in your home or with friends. Total beginners and longtime practitioners, non-initiates and initiates are welcome. If you cannot sit for the entire hour, sit as long as you are able; as Swami Veda has said, “Let the quietness of the mind continue even after you rise...”

Global Meditations Schedule

Long Term Programs in 2026 at
Swami Rama Sadhaka Grama

We received an overwhelming to our events and activities this year, along with multiple requests to continue to our long term programs including the 84-Days Intensive Sadhana Retreat and the One-year Residential Program: Swami Rama Dhyana Gurukulam. We will be offering both these programs in 2026 as well, starting on the auspicious day of the Guru Purnima, 29th July 2026.

84-Days Intensive Sadhana Retreat

One-year Residential Program: Swami Rama Dhyana Gurukulam

Swami Rama Sadhaka Grama
Invites You

~ Upcoming Events

Upcoming Global Events

Meditation and Silence Retreat with John Sellinger and Michael Kissener

When: 11-17 May 2026

Where: Schweibenalp, Centre of Unity, Brienz

In our daily lives, we are constantly mentally occupied with sensory impressions, information, developments, and various activities.

This retreat offers the opportunity to completely withdraw from the hustle and bustle of everyday life for a few days, to turn our attention inward, and to explore our own inner dimensions. We can learn to understand ourselves better and find access to the transformative and healing power of silence.

Silence inspires
Silence is creative
In silence we find peace
As soon as the restlessness of the mind ceases, we perceive the sound of silence.

For more information, kindly visit the event page at - https://schweibenalp.ch/detail/?seminarId=%204566d826-3213-4cdf-b41c-478b611b0e64

You may also read more about the event at - https://www.ahymsin.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Embracing-Silence-Retreat-in-Switzerland.pdf

Registration by: 28th of February 2026

Contact us: ahymsinch@gmail.com (Lea and Anna)

Follow us on Facebook or Instagram.

Dutch Retreats in 2026

The Himalayan Yoga Meditation Netherlands Society (HYMNS) will be offering several programs and satsangs, both in Dutch and English, throughout 2026.

This will include -

Reading Circle on Zoom with Louise Molenkamp van Loon

Weekend Retreat with Swami Ma Tripurashakti Bharati and Uta Bisseswar from 8 - 10 May, 2026 (https://yoga-hymns.nl/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/weekend-mei-2026.pdf)

Himalayan Yoga Weekend Retreat with Uta Bisseswar and Riemke de Groot from 19 - 21 June, 2026

Silence Retreat with Swami Ma Tripurashakti Bharati, Pierre Lefebvre (Pandit Priyadarshan) and Uta Bisseswar, with assistance from Sonia, Shailendra and Riemke from 4 - 11 September, 2026
(https://yoga-hymns-nederland.email-provider.eu/download/sfzzvkxfq7/EdBYeWqaeG?file=silence++registration+2026.doc&l=%7B%7Blist_id%7D%7D)

More information about all Dutch programs can be found at https://yoga-hymns.nl/jaarprogramma-2026/

For registration, you are very welcome to contact: info@yoga-hymns.nl or visit – www.yoga-hymns.nl

AHYMSIN

Contact Us

AHYMSIN, Swami Rama Sadhaka Grama
Virpur Khurd, Virbhadra Road, P.O. Pashulok Rishikesh 249203, India

Swami Rama Sadhaka Grama