It is always an honour and delight for the disciples and seekers on the path of Truth to celebrate the birth centenary of luminous beings whose lives and teachings have touched and transformed countless souls—leading them from the darkness of ignorance to the light of Truth.

As we celebrate and commemorate the centenary of our Gurudeva HH Swami Rama’s earthly presence, we bow in loving reverence. Gurudeva reminded us that life is both fleeting and precious—and that we must not waste time. He showed us the way to translate all desires of life into a singular desire: to seek the Atman, the one eternal witness, and to discover the mystery of this life.

In this Centennial Year, our current spiritual guide and Ashram Pramukha, Swami Ritavan Bharati, lovingly called upon all initiates of the Himalayan Tradition and all disciples of the Lineage to renew their sankalpa—to live in the world yet remain above it, to live skilfully and selflessly, while holding dear the teachings of Gurudeva.

The Birth Centenary Celebration is not merely a moment of remembrance of Gurudeva Swami Rama. It is a loving reminder for reconnection and rededication towards the teachings of the Himalayan Tradition in order to transform our lives. As we know, the mission of the Himalayan Tradition, as carried forward by Swami Rama, is to awaken the divine flame within every human being, enabling each one of us to realize our true Self.

Within my limited understanding, Swami Rama is that living flame of pure consciousness. He has written:

“The word guru is a compound of two words, gu and ru. Gu means darkness and ru means light. That which dispels the darkness of ignorance is called guru. The energy and action of removing darkness are guru. Guru is not a person; it is a force driven by grace.” (Sacred Journey, p. 82)

To me, Gurudeva Swami Rama is that being of light, a living flame. When we celebrate his birth centenary, we are really celebrating that living flame and dedicating our lives to rekindle the light of the sacred teachings within ourselves. The Guru represents the highest wisdom, the truth, the light, and the love. We must allow that divine flame to ignite within us. The light is always there. The question is—am I willing to receive? Am I willing to be transformed?

gurur brahmā gurur viṣṇur gurur devo maheśvaraḥ,
guruḥ sākṣāt paraṁ brahma tasmai śrī-gurave namaḥ

In our prayer and worship to the Guru, we say: Guru Brahma—the Guru is the Creator; Guru Vishnu—the Guru is the Sustainer; Guru Maheshvara—the Guru is the Destroyer. So, when we surrender ourselves at the feet of the Master—to be recreated, to sustain what has been created, and to allow complete destruction of my ego. Are we ready? Do we truly want this?

Only worshipping the Guru is not enough. If I am thirsty and hold a cup of water, yet I continue to only worship the water without drinking it, my thirst will remain unquenched. The water has the potential to quench my thirst, but unless I drink it, nothing changes. In the same way, we can go on worshipping the Guru outwardly, but unless we allow the Guru to enter our hearts, transformation will not occur.

Through mantra initiation, one drop of the Guru’s mind-field is implanted into our own. The Guru has planted one drop of nectar, one drop of that light of love within us.

On Gurudeva Swami Rama’s birth centenary, the greatest tribute we can offer him is to recommit to our sadhana—to approach the path with the same sincerity, courage, and dedication that he exemplified as both a disciple and a Guru (even though he never claimed to be one).

Now is the time for us to go forth and ignite the flame of light and love in ourselves and others.

May our lives become the living echo of Gurudeva’s words—LOVE, SERVE, REMEMBER.