A firm believer in the value of education, Swami Rama provided countless scholarships to needy, deserving students. He established a charitable trust from which many students received scholarships toward college studies and Swamiji built and upgraded to degree level a science college near Lansdowne in the Himalayas. He also founded a library for Garhwal University in Lansdowne Degree College. In addition, he founded two eye clinics.
On October 20, 1991 a devastating earthquake struck the foothills of the Himalayan including the Uttarkashi and Chamoli districts, which were the worst hit regions. Hundreds of people were killed, tens of thousands of homes leveled, and major landslides were triggered. Initially there was strong government help for the victims. Tragically, however, those efforts were soon stalled by red tape and politics. The death toll continued to rise and hundreds of thousands of people were without food, water, medical care, clothing, or shelter from the bitter cold.
Swamiji actively organized the relief effort, knocking on every door possible to ensure adequate relief and rehabilitation for the earthquake victims. As a result of Swamiji’ s efforts, the Central Government provided firm support to bring relief to the victims.
In recognition of his selfless service in India and the United States, as well as around the world, Swamiji received numerous awards and honors. In 1977, he was honored with the Martin Buber Award for his service to humanity; in 1982 he received the Gandhi Community Award. In 1988, the Shiromani Award was bestowed on him for his service to humanity. He was a member of the International Platform Association, the International Writers association of Oxford, England, and the Poetry Society of India. He had also been honored by the Poetry Society of Chicago. He received the Jawaharlal Nehru Award from the NRI Institute inLondon. In 1990 he received an honorary DDW degree (Doctor of Divine Wisdom) from New Seminary.
Swami Rama was also included in Who’s Who of Contemporary Authors and Writers, Who’s Who of Men of Achievement, and Who’s Who of International Intellectuals. Due to his excellent contributions to the spiritual literature of Sikhism, he was awarded Saropa from the Guru Nanak Foundation in New Delhi.
Each of the many facets of the unique personality of Swami Rama represents only one aspect of a magnificent diamond, whose brilliance humbly reflects the divinity shining within. To describe him as a yogi, scientist, philosopher, humanitarian and mystic poet provides merely a glimpse of the totality of the remarkable individual known as Swami Rama. Having reached the heights of spiritual enlightenment, he also strove with seemingly endless energy to attain perfection in his actions in the external world. His life embodies the human potential to “live in the world, and yet remain above.”