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AHYMSIN Full Moon Illuminations - April 2026

Hari Om Dear Visitor,

AHYMSIN Sangha Mantra for 2026-29

Vasudeva Mantra

Violence

~ Swami Rama

When for a moment I cast aside all rationalism and transport myself into the clear mountain air on the solitary rock, I spontaneously go into silence.

Solitude keeps me alive in a society that knows no laws of love and harmony.

Violence, violence, violence everywhere.

I do not understand the law that prompts mortal beings to injure each other.

How do they forget that all creatures are breathing one and the same breath?

Why are they ungrateful and why do they forget that all breathing beings are the children of one Father who is giving the life breath to all equally?

From where arises this violence Which is that power that instigates them to annihilate each other’s existence?

I return to my silence without any reply and with a simple conclusion that human beings have not yet really found out the art of living harmoniously.

The evil that forces one to commit such heinous crimes is because of himsa, the absence of love, consideration, kindness, and awareness that we all belong to One.

By killing others we are cutting the roots of the same tree whose limbs we are.

Ahimsa in the Bhagavad Gita

~ Swami Veda Bharati

A friend has written me asking the following question:

In the Patanjali sutras, he gives us the yama of ahimsa. In the Bhagavad Gita, Krishna tells Arjuna that he must fight and slaughter a lot of soldiers. While Krishna tells him that the atman cannot be harmed since it's eternal, immutable, etc., Arjuna still must harm a whole lot of people in battle. How do I reconcile these two things? If Patanjali is saying that we shouldn't harm anybody's atman, that doesn't really make sense since it cannot be harmed. So he must be talking about the body. If he's talking about the body this seems a direct contradiction to what Krishna is telling Arjuna. I've been struggling with this for awhile and can not make the two things come together.

Here is a brief reply.

Please see some of the verses of the Gita that extol ahimsa, for example verse 5 of chapter 10:

Ahimsaa samataa tuShTih…

Here, ahimsa is one of seven ‘states to be’ (bhaava) that arise from the Lord.

Then, the verse 2 of chapter 16:

Ahimsaa satyam a-krodhah…

Here ahimsa is one of the 26 aspects of divine wealth (daivee sampad) to which are born those who are endowed with such wealth. The complete list of 26 is in verses 1-3.

The question arises: is Bhagavad-gita (BhG) then contradicting itself. On one hand, the text extols ahimsa, and on the other hand, it enjoins Arjuna to indulge in the battle. Here, let us take other conditions placed on Arjuna by the Lord. We shall take only two verses, to avoid writing a whole book analyzing the philosophy of BhG.

Sukha-duhkhe same kRtvaa laabhaalaabhau jayaajayau
Tato yuddhaaya yijyasva naivam paapam avaapsyasi

Holding pleasure and pain as the same, similarly loss and gain, as well as victory and defeat --- then engage in the battle. Thus shall you not accrue sin. BhG. 2.38

Mayi sarvaaNi karmaaNi sanyasyaadhyaatma-chetasaa
Nir-aasheeer nir-mamo bhootvaa yudhyasva vigata-jvarah

Surrendering all your acts unto Me, with a mind dwelling in atman the self, free of expectations, free of a concept of ‘meum’ (mine), having freed yourself of all feverishness, then fight. BhG. 3.30

Your True Nature is Light

~ Swami Ritavan Bharati

Dear Beings of Light, our theme for the evening. And it will have two parts. First, a contemplation on illumination as the very birthright of your Being as the realization of becoming, and second, the experience of reuniting as dispelling the darkness of ignorance. On this pilgrimage from the self to the Self. And you will pass through the ignorance of causation and identification to again realize, awaken, and return to the pure light as the Consciousness—'That’ you are.

You had a most beautiful one this morning [referring to Rabindra’s session]. You might say a lullaby and song for your heart. The science of mantra is a living experience of enlightenment that awakens the consciousness darkened by ignorance.

So, a little background to this beautiful and experiential meditation. You'll find it in Swami Veda's book Kundalini: Stilled, or Stirred. Kundalini, the beautiful light of consciousness, and when ‘stilled’, an intensification in its subtlety. For this reason, “When I left the sun,” the narrative by Swami Veda, will be your meditation for the evening. It becomes a contemplation that naturally leads you inward, pulling and guiding you through the pilgrimage that eventually returns you to the source of light, the source of hiraynagarbha, the womb that births the sacred word, the living word, the word that is carried through transmission in our lineage. In the same manner that St. John has said in the Gospel, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, the Word was God.” A living lineage by way of understanding these subtle principles of mantra,‘man’, to think, and ‘tra’, to protect, to hold, to share and nourish. As you learned this morning about the nourishing aspect of the mantra, nourishment for the soul, nourishment for the heart, the nourishment for your personality to beautify your relationships.

Swami Veda's pre-sanyasa name was ‘Usharbudh Arya’. ‘Usha’ is another name for the dawn. He is a holder of the dawn and was known as Pandit Usharbudh in his early years. During this time, he created one series of poems called ‘Hymns to the Mystic Light’. With this background, you can better understand the principle of mantra as word. Mantra is the vibration of consciousness that carries feeling that you recognize as your own being. A feeling that carries an identity of your self. Mantra has that illuminating quality that awakens of an internal light of being. Swami Veda would recall that when Swami Rama passed the diksha to him through that sacredness of the lineage, it felt like 10,000 suns radiating immense light. This is called the solar initiation. The lineage, through initiation, passes these principles of consciousness that awaken and draw us out of the darkness of misidentification and ignorance.

‘Light’ has been the greatest subject of adoration throughout human history, and addressed in the Rig Veda, the most ancient of the ancient scriptures of revelation. The lights shining in the skies must have attracted the attention of the Vedic sages, and thus they began to sing what was revealed through that revelation. And the coming of the light of dawn, after the darkness of night, gave them hope. And thus they referred to ‘Usha’, the dawn, when looking to recognize their own spiritual light. They knew that a subtler light of consciousness lay hidden in the shadows of perception. For those attending to the outer world, there were layers of light waiting to be discovered deep within the human soul. It is called ‘Jyoti’. We have just sung of that - tamaso mā jyotirgamaya. So Jyoti, the light of wisdom and truth, becomes manifest in the ideals of the spiritual life, and this became the ambition of those Vedic sages. The Vedic rishi realized the source of light, and the process of awakening, and the purification of the darkness of ignorance. In that state of awakening, the voice of God spoke to the ancient sage and enjoined him to guard the oath of light through non-harming, kindness and compassion. And they received mantras, as the oath of light. They received the revealed word to guard the path of light which wisdom had opened.

The Thief in the House:
Using Disturbance to Strengthen Your Meditation

~ Randall Krause (Mokshadeva)

Recently, I received a disturbing message from a man I know — someone whose personality is chronically enraged, and who makes threats.

When, not long after reading his messages, I sat to meditate, I found my mind circling: Might he come and try to hurt me? What do I need to protect myself?

I watched those thoughts for a few minutes, and felt their effect on my body: my body was tense, my hands were cold, my breathing rate was increased.

So I decided this was a great opportunity for practice.

I brought my attention to my mantra, and almost immediately, it returned to those worries. Again, I returned my attention to the mantra, and this time, I also felt the smooth flow of my breath at my nostrils. Again, in a few moments, I was back in the worries, but this time, not as quickly.

This repeated a few more times.

Then I became aware of the feeling in my heart generated by the mantra. That felt good and more strongly attracted my attention. I found it easier to keep my mind stable there.

Over some time, I was able to keep my awareness on my mantra, breath and that warm feeling in my heart, and the worries slipped into the background of my awareness.

By the end of the meditation, the worries had lost their power and I felt calm.

In this way, we can use situations that upset us to strengthen our practice. It’s not necessarily pleasant. It takes some gentle effort. But here’s an important thought: these unpleasant situations are going to happen. Everyone faces difficult situations. We can simply suffer them, or we can use them for practice. If we use them for practice, at least we’re getting some benefit out of them. We’re turning lemons into lemonade.

Embraced by the Grace of my Guru

~ Sarita Singh

About a year ago, I felt an inner calling to India, my second home. The Guru works in mysterious ways, and little did I know what was to come. With no advance preparations, I followed this call.

From the days of the Gurukulam to returning 17 years later, I find myself once again walking those familiar halls, embracing the rhythms of each day and surrendering to what unfolds.

This time, I arrive with a different awareness. My time at Gurukulam quietly prepared me for this moment, though I did not fully realize how ready I was to receive the Guru’s teachings more deeply. The steady cultivation of discipline through mind-body awareness, integrated into each day’s schedule, has kept me grounded and centered. The wisdom, ever flowing through devoted teachers, has not only strengthened my faith but gently reassured me that I am exactly where I am meant to be.

To be welcomed again by familiar faces—still warm, still caring—felt like returning to the heart of something sacred. My spiritual home holds an abundance of love, a presence that naturally draws me inward into reflection, stillness, and transformation.

Global Meditation Reminder

Full Moon Meditation
on 1 May 2026

New Moon Meditation
on 16 May 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

Full Moon New Moon

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

Dates	Name of the Retreat	Teacher
12 – 17 April 2026	Meditation and its Practice	Adhikari Bhoi and others
10 – 15 May 2026	Meditation and its Practice	Adhikari Bhoi and others
14 – 26 June 2026	International Yoga Day Special: Yoga Meditation Retreat	Adhikari Bhoi and others
12 – 17 July 2026	Guru Disciple Relationship	Rabindra Sahu
14 July 2026	Swami Veda Bharati’s Mahasamadhi Day Celebrations	Swami Ritavan Bharati
21 – 29 July 2026	Guru Purnima Retreat	Swami Ritavan Bharati
29 July 2026	Guru Purnima Celebrations	Swami Ritavan Bharati
29 July 2026 onwards	84-Days Intensive Sadhana Retreat	Rabindra Sahu and others
29 July – 20 October 2026	Swami Rama Dhyana Gurukulam: One-Year Residential Program in the Himalayan Yoga Meditation Tradition	Swami Ritavan Bharati and all Faculty
13 – 16 August 2026	Himalayan Yoga Meditation Weekend Retreat	Adhikari Bhoi and others
11 - 19 October 2026	Navaratri Retreat - Cultivating the Divine Feminine	Rabindra Sahu
8 - 21 November 2026	Himalayan Yoga Tradition – Teacher Training Program: Level One & Two Retreat	TTP Faculty
23 - 27 November 2026	Himalayan Yoga Tradition – Teacher Training Program: 200-HR Certification	TTP Faculty
29 November - 4 December 2026	Meditation & Its Practice Retreat	Adhikari Bhoi and others
24 January - 13 February 2027	21-Days Mauni Amavasya Retreat	Swami Ritavan Bharati and Adhikari Bhoi
7 - 15 April 2027	Navaratri Retreat - Cultivating the Divine Feminine	Rabindra Sahu
2 - 6 May 2027	Meditation & Its Practice Retreat	Adhikari Bhoi and others
6 - 11 June 2027	Meditation & Its Practice Retreat	Adhikari Bhoi and others
20 - 23 June 2027	What is Yoga? International Yoga Day Retreat	Adhikari Bhoi and others
6 - 11 June 2027	Meditation & Its Practice Retreat	Adhikari Bhoi and others
11 – 16 July 2027	Guru Disciple Relationship	Rabindra Sahu
14 July 2027	Swami Veda Bharati’s Mahasamadhi Day Celebrations	Swami Ritavan Bharati
10 - 18 July 2027	Guru Purnima Retreat	Swami Ritavan Bharati
18 July 2027	Guru Purnima Celebrations	Swami Ritavan Bharati
18 July 2027 onwards	Swami Rama Dhyana Gurukulam: One-Year Residential Program in the Himalayan Yoga Meditation Tradition	Swami Ritavan Bharati and all Faculty
18 July - 26 August 2027	40-Days Intensive Sadhana Retreat	Rabindra Sahu and others
30 September - 8 October 2027	Navaratri Retreat - Cultivating the Divine Feminine	Rabindra Sahu

More Events

Upcoming Global Events

AHYMSIN Korea Silence Retreat 2026
with Swami Ritavan Bharati and Rabindra Sahu

2025 marked a meaningful milestone: the 100th birth anniversary of Swami Rama. Practitioners have been deepening their sadhana-through trainings in India and steady personal practice in daily life.

In 2026, the AHYMSIN Sangha Gathering will offer new practice guidance for the coming three years (including mantra practice) shared by Swami Ritavanji in that living stream of practice. AHYMSIN Korea warmly invites you to a structured Silence Retreat at a serene Korean Buddhist temple in Busan, guided by Swami Ritavanji and visiting teachers of the Himalayan Tradition.

Busan Retreat: Friday, May 8, 3:00 PM – Thursday, May 14, 12:30 PM
Seoul Workshop: Saturday, May 16, 10:00 AM – Sunday, May 17, 6:00 PM

A Day of Celebration in Italy – 16 May 2026

This year marks two important milestones for the Himalayan Yoga Institute of Florence: 35 years since the Foundation of the Institute, strongly wanted by Swami Rama, and 20 years of the Italian Teacher Training Programme, highly requested by Swami Veda.

On this auspicious occasion, we joyfully invite all friends, members and practitioners of the Himalayan Tradition (from Italy and beyond!) to join us in celebrating this special moment.

We look forward to seeing you on Saturday, May 16th, at Villa Vrindavana, a magical place full of energy on the hills of Florence, to spend a day of celebration, sharing, and joy together.

Reservation required.

For more information, kindly write to: segreteria@himalayanyogainstitute.it

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

2026 Family Yoga Summer Camp in Greece

When: August 4 - 12, 2026

Where: SCOUT CENTER AGIOS ANDREAS, 27 Poseidonos Avenue, Nea Makri, Municipality of Marathon, Attica, Greece

The 4th Family Yoga Summer Camp is coming! - Daily yoga, family beach time, arts and crafts workshops, interactions with senior teachers, sightseeing in Greece are among the activities we offer to all, adults, teens and children! Three vegetarian/ Mediterranean meals per day are catered so that families can use their time for maximum play and be together.

Extended Letter: Press Here
Register here (benefit from the early bird price until April 30th): Press Here

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-Americas SANGHA GATHERING

2026 HYMC ANNUAL RETREAT
Ahymsin-Americas and HYMC are bringing India to you!
MANTRA SADHANA REVEALED
Mantra Practices and the Himalayan Tradition
with: Swami Ritavan Bharati

September 16 – 20th (including silence retreat + weekend study)
September 18th – 20th (weekend study)

Step into the rhythm of ashram living during this immersive and transformative retreat. Rooted in practice, presence, and community, this experience invites you to slow down, turn inward, and reconnect.

More information about the program can be found at Himalayan Yoga & Meditation Centre

For registration, you are very welcome to contact: hymicenter@yahoo.com

Meditation Training in the Himalayan Yoga Tradition in Switzerland
with John Sellinger and Maria Miguel Ribeiro

When: 22-25 October 2026

Where: Hotel Balance, Les Granges (Valais) https://hotel-balance.ch/home/

Deepen your practice and understanding of meditation as a process and as a state of consciousness. This training offers you an experiential approach to meditation, helping you understand the key principles and conditions that allow meditation to unfold naturally. By the end of the training, you will have the tools and confidence to guide yourself gently and systematically into a meditative state—anytime, anywhere.

WHO IS THIS FOR:
This retreat is offered to all who wish to deepen their yoga meditation practice. Yoga adepts will be able to deepen their practice of conscious movement, systematic relaxation, breath awareness and mantra meditation.

For more information, kindly visit the event page at - https://www.yoga.ch/fr/events/meditation-training-learning-how-to-self-guide-meditation-in-the-himalayan-yoga-tradition-hyt/

More Events