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Ram Dass Here And Now

Ram Dass / Love Serve Remember

Ram Dass shares his heart-centered wisdom in each episode featuring excerpted lectures given throughout the last 40 years, with an introduction from Raghu Markus of Ram Dass' Love Serve Remember Foundation.

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#316
Yesterday · 51 min
Ep. 316 – The Living Edge of Truth
Take a deep journey with Ram Dass as he explores how we create our own universe, how meditation can lead us to the space between two thoughts, and how his work with dying people helped him get close to the living edge of truth. The Ram Dass community gathers regularly for meaningful discussions about the podcast. We invite you to join us and share your curiosities, insights, and wisdom. Sign up for the General Fellowship to receive event invitations directly in your inbox. Ram Dass Here & Now is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/ramdass and get on your way to being your best self. This episode of Here and Now comes from a lecture Ram Dass gave in Los Angeles, California, on June 1st, 1990. Check back soon for the conclusion of this talk. On his second night of lecturing in Los Angeles, Ram Dass is ready for showbiz. He begins by talking about a meditation retreat he attended in Burma and the different stages he went through as his practice of following the breath deepened. When we become quiet enough, we can begin to see how we create our own universe. As we progress further on the path, we begin to focus on the different parts of each thought that arises. Ram Dass explores how we can enter and hang out in the space between two thoughts. He talks about realizing he could be anything he wanted. What are the implications of creating our own reality? Could we turn a lecture hall into a living room? A prison into a monastery? Ram Dass shares his ambition to create places where people can get free. He speaks about his work with prisoners and dying people as a way to get close to the living edge of his truth. “When you wanna get free, you start to hang out where you’re frightened. Kabir says you go into the fire instead of into the water. Because the water is life-giving and the fire is life-consuming, and you keep consuming life into yourself until you’re free. So I looked at my fear, and the way I can look at my fear is hanging out with people that are dying. So I love it. I mean, it gets me really close to my living edge of truth each time." – Ram Dass See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
#315
October 20 · 57 min
Ep. 315 – Serving the Beloved
In this deep exploration of service, relationships, and roles, Ram Dass discusses how nothing brings more joy than serving the Beloved once we recognize that the Spirit is everywhere. The Ram Dass community gathers regularly for meaningful discussions about the podcast. We invite you to join us and share your curiosities, insights, and wisdom. Sign up for the General Fellowship to receive event invitations directly in your inbox. Ram Dass Here & Now is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/ramdass and get on your way to being your best self. This episode of Here and Now is from a talk Ram Dass gave during a retreat at the Omega Institute in Rhinebeck, New York, on June 20, 1986. Ram Dass talks about how every act between human beings has the capacity to help or liberate. He discusses Ramana Maharshi’s concept of “God, Guru, and Self” being the same thing, and how we can start to appreciate that God or the Spirit is everywhere. Ram Dass shares an insight into his relationship with his father as an example of the subtle ways we can help each other. He talks about how our attachment to our roles and identity can hinder us from serving others, but we can play our roles without getting lost in them. Ram Dass explores how every experience in life is an opportunity to awaken. He tells stories of connecting with people at the level of heart and soul as a way to play in our roles, rather than be trapped by them. When we get beyond our roles and recognize that God is everywhere, nothing brings us more joy than serving the Beloved. “If you’ve seen the Beloved, there’s nothing that brings you more joy than serving the Beloved. Is the Beloved a mother and a child in Africa? Is it a blind man in Nepal? Is it a homeless person in New York City? Are they ‘them’ or is that the family? Is it family? Is it the lover? Is it the Beloved? Is it Christ in the distressing disguises? Is it Maharajji in drag? Which one is it? You pick it. Is it your higher self coming to ask you, ‘Can you love me here too?’” – Ram Dass See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
#314
October 6 · 41 min
Ep. 314 – An Exercise in Spiritual Awakening
In this exploration of death and dying, Ram Dass tells stories about his guru, Maharaj-ji, shares his own experiences with people facing death, and offers his perspective on seeing dying as an exercise in spiritual awakening. Looking for more Maharaj-ji stories? Love Serve Remember’s free fall immersion, Gather Around the Fire: Stories of Ram Dass, Maharaj-ji, and a Legacy of Love, is happening right now. Please join us as we gather in community, listen to heart-opening stories, and bask in the spirit of loving awareness. Ram Dass Here & Now is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/ramdass and get on your way to being your best self. This episode of Here and Now is from a talk Ram Dass gave during a retreat on June 17, 1976. A note from the archivist: This recording contains a brief section of rough audio that we’ve tried our best to clean up. This is part of the fun of working with 50-year-old lectures! Ram Dass begins with stories of his guru, Maharaj-ji, and how he held death very lightly. Ram Dass speaks about Maharaj-ji leaving his body, and how some devotees responded to the trauma of the loss of a guru. Drawing wisdom from his old friend Aldous Huxley and his book Island, Ram Dass explores how karma shapes the dying process. He talks about his own experiences with people who were facing death, and bringing dying more out into the open in our culture. Ram Dass shares a story about his mother’s death and the meaningful rose that appeared at her funeral, then imagines building a large center for people to come and leave their bodies. He says dying is really no different from chanting. It’s an exercise in spiritual awakening. “Everybody’s in the process of going to God, and dying’s merely one of the vehicles of doing it. Just as chanting is, and chanting is no bigger deal than dying is. These are all exercises for becoming more conscious. And I think that’s important in thinking about dying to put it into the perspective of spiritual work. Not to elevate it so much into dying, but to see it as an exercise in spiritual awakening.” – Ram Dass About Ram Dass: Ram Dass’s spirit has been a guiding light for generations, carrying millions along on the journey. Ram Dass teaches that through the Bhakti practice of unconditional love, we can all connect with our true nature. Through these teachings, Ram Dass has shared a piece of his guru, Maharaj-ji, with everyone who has listened. Learn more at ramdass.org. The Ram Dass community gathers regularly to engage in meaningful discussions about the podcast. We invite you to join us and share your curiosities, insights, and wisdom. Sign up for the General Fellowship to receive event invitations directly in your inbox. Listen to Ram Dass Here and Now ad-free on our Patreon. Anyone can sign up for a free 7-day trial, but the first 500 people to click this link can get a 3-month free trial membership: 3 Months of Ad-Free Ram Dass Podcast See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
#313
September 21 · 46 min
Ep. 313 – Touching the Sun
Gather around for some storytime with Ram Dass as he recounts his first journey to India, the long road that led to finding his guru, and how touching his guru’s feet was almost like touching the sun. Part of this episode is featured in Love Serve Remember’s free fall immersion, Gather Around the Fire: Stories of Ram Dass, Maharaj-ji, and a Legacy of Love. Please join us beginning Monday, September 28, for four weeks of storytelling, gathering in community, and basking in the spirit of loving awareness. Ram Dass Here & Now is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/ramdass and get on your way to being your best self. This episode of Here and Now is from a talk Ram Dass gave at the Esalen Institute on June 12, 1969. We pick up Ram Dass’s story in 1967, just as he’s realizing that the method of psychedelics will only take him so far on his journey. What does one do at that point? Well, one heads to the East. Ram Dass shares tales of his first trip around India, including a visit to a sacred cave and meeting as many “holy men” as possible. But he didn’t find anyone who “really knew” what was going on. Just as a sense of despair truly began to kick in, Ram Dass meets a young Westerner at a restaurant who might have a clue to the way forward. Tempting fate, Ram Dass decides to go on a pilgrimage with his new friend. This path leads to him meeting Neem Karoli Baba, a great Indian saint who blows away Ram Dass’s rational mind. With that, Ram Dass had found his guru, a being so full of love that touching his feet was just like touching the sun. The Ram Dass community gathers regularly to engage in meaningful discussions about the podcast. We invite you to join us and share your curiosities, insights, and wisdom. Sign up for the General Fellowship to receive event invitations directly in your inbox. Listen to Ram Dass Here and Now ad-free on our Patreon. Anyone can sign up for a free 7-day trial, but the first 500 people to click this link can get a 3-month free trial membership: 3 Months of Ad-Free Ram Dass Podcast “So we get into the Land Rover and we go to see Maharajji. And I’m just approaching him, I’m about five yards away. And he yells at me, ‘Got a question?’ Well, I take one look at him, and I don’t have any questions. I just wanna fall out and touch his feet. You dig that? I mean, the thought of touching his feet is too much. It’s like touching the sun. And I just feel all warm and loving. And who has questions? I mean, what a drag to have questions.” – Ram Dass See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
#312
September 8 · 52 min
Ep. 312 – Soul Perception
In this unique talk given in New York just weeks after the events of 9/11, Ram Dass speaks about his stroke, the fierce grace of suffering, and getting in touch with our soul perception. The Ram Dass community gathers regularly to engage in meaningful discussions about the podcast. We invite you to join us and share your curiosities, insights, and wisdom. Sign up for the General Fellowship to receive event invitations directly in your inbox. Ram Dass Here & Now is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/ramdass and get on your way to being your best self. A note from the archivist: Please be warned that this content may be upsetting for some listeners due to the nature of the events of 9/11 and some of the raw emotions expressed in this recording. Our intent with releasing this talk is not to open up old wounds and rehash the trauma of that day, but rather to share Ram Dass’s unique perspective on the nature of suffering and the grace that can come with it. – Noah Markus, Archivist, Love Serve Remember Foundation This episode of Here and Now is from a talk given in Yonkers, New York, on September 29th, 2001. Ram Dass begins by talking about the trauma of his stroke, the toll it took on his body, and how it was spiritually disappointing at first. But he started to find grace in the stroke, including how it helped him see himself as a soul and get in tune with his soul perception. Ram Dass explores how we are three-plane beings: ego, soul, and the One. He talks about how his trauma helped push him into other planes of consciousness, and wonders whether the events of 9/11 could do the same for our culture. Ram Dass takes questions from the audience. He talks more about identifying with the soul plane, his guru's unconditional love, and the fierce grace of suffering. An audience member wraps things up with a raw, powerful statement on how she’s processing the events of September 11th. “Soul perception is sort of watching it all happen. So I began to be a watcher. I watched him, who had the stroke. I was watching the stroke melodrama. And I noticed that the stroke had pushed me, my consciousness, to the Witness. That’s pretty graceful.” – Ram Dass Listen to Ram Dass Here and Now ad-free on our Patreon. Anyone can sign up for a free 7-day trial, but the first 500 people to click this link can get a 3-month free trial membership: 3 Months of Ad-Free Ram Dass Podcast See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
#311
August 24 · 43 min
Ep. 311 – Allowing Space for Individual Differences
Ram Dass talks about consciousness, allowing space for individual differences, and letting go of identification with the body and personality, and then taps into the heart of devotional yoga with some chanting to Krishna. Join us online for free virtual access to the Ram Dass Summer Mountain Retreat — four days of live-streamed kirtan, dharma talks, meditations, and workshops streamed live on the Ram Dass Inner Academy. Featuring Krishna Das, Nina Rao, David Nichtern, Acharya Shunya, Raghu Markus, Sharon Salzberg, John Pattern, and Marisa Radha Weppner. Sign up here: Virtual Ram Dass Legacy Summer Mountain Retreat Ram Dass Here & Now is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/ramdass and get on your way to being your best self. This episode of Here and Now is the conclusion of a talk Ram Dass gave during a retreat at Roger Williams University in Bristol, Rhode Island, in June 1976. Be sure to check out the first part of this talk in Episode 310 – The Mainline Reality Trip. This portion of the talk begins with Ram Dass exploring consciousness, reality, and reincarnation. He talks about opening to the fourth chakra as a way of allowing space for individual differences. As we begin to awaken to being more than just our bodies and personalities, Ram Dass warns us that many people can get trapped in the “phony holy” stage, using himself as an example. “And ultimately,” he says, “you have to find your part to play in your body, in your personality, in your soul, and beyond all of it.” Ram Dass wraps things up by tapping into the heart of devotional yoga with some very sweet chanting to the baby form of Lord Krishna, Gopala. The Ram Dass community gathers regularly to engage in meaningful discussions about the podcast. We invite you to join us and share your curiosities, insights, and wisdom. Sign up for the General Fellowship to receive event invitations directly in your inbox. Listen to Ram Dass Here and Now ad-free on our Patreon. Anyone can sign up for a free 7-day trial, but the first 500 people to click this link can get a 3-month free trial membership: 3 Months of Ad-Free Ram Dass Podcast “So who you are, in effect, from where I’m sitting, are beings who have taken birth on this plane because you still have stuff in your first, second, and third chakras; there’s still energy that pours out of those chakras and defines reality. But, in addition, you have awakened, at least, to the fourth chakra. And some of you to the fifth chakra, so you actually want God. But to the fourth chakra, where you actually want to live in a compassionate universe, not just intellectual liberalism, but real compassion, of acceptance and allowing space for individual differences.” – Ram Dass See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
#310
August 12 · 46 min
Ep. 310 – The Mainline Reality Trip
Take a trip up and down the subway stairs with Ram Dass as he explores the seven chakras, why this moment in history is ripe for fourth chakra work, and how he escaped the mainline reality trip. Ram Dass Here & Now is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/ramdass and get on your way to being your best self. This episode is supported by Omega Institute. Like the Be Here Now Network, Omega believes that personal transformation can change the world—one heart at a time. Discover immersive retreats, workshops, and gatherings in New York's Hudson Valley. Learn more: eomega.org This episode of Here and Now is from a retreat at Roger Williams University in Bristol, Rhode Island, in June 1976. Check back soon for the conclusion of this talk. Ram Dass begins with a story of how a trip to the subway provided him with a useful metaphor for the spiritual path. He explores the seven chakras to help us understand who incarnates on this physical plane. Ram Dass digs into why primarily first, second, and third chakra people incarnate onto this plane. He talks about why the conditions that exist in society at this moment make it appropriate for beings with fourth chakra work to take birth. Ram Dass talks about escaping from the mainline reality trip and how the age of technology impacted people’s perception of reality. He touches on rebellion, revolution, evolution, and the state of the mystical experience in America. The Ram Dass community gathers regularly to engage in meaningful discussions about the podcast. We invite you to join us and share your curiosities, insights, and wisdom. Sign up for the General Fellowship to receive event invitations directly in your inbox. Listen to Ram Dass Here and Now ad-free on our Patreon. Anyone can sign up for a free 7-day trial, but the first 500 people to click this link can get a 3-month free trial membership: 3 Months of Ad-Free Ram Dass Podcast “My experience was primarily that I was on the mainline of reality, and that there were all these kind of weird trips on either side, but that I, as a super scientist, rational mind, power, control, house full of antiques, my airplane, my motorcycle, gratification, more and more sex, more better food, more power, more intellect, I was doing the mainline reality trip. And I was hired to tell everybody else what reality was, okay, that’s what a Harvard professor does. And there was no doubt in my mind at all that that’s what reality was, alright, until I took psilocybin.” – Ram Dass See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
#309
July 27 · 51 min
Ep. 309 – Playing Your Part
Ram Dass explores playing your part on all of the stages that life presents, then answers questions about the significance of dreams, preventing detachment from turning into laziness, dealing with burnout in institutional structures, and more. Ram Dass Here & Now is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/ramdass and get on your way to being your best self. This episode is supported by Omega Institute. Like the Be Here Now Network, Omega believes that personal transformation can change the world—one heart at a time. Discover immersive retreats, workshops, and gatherings in New York's Hudson Valley. Learn more: eomega.org This episode of Here and Now is from a retreat at the Omega Institute in Rhinebeck, New York, on June 21st, 1986. Ram Dass begins with an exploration of how we all have unique, but equally important, parts to play on all of the different stages that life has to offer. The quieter we get, the more we can hear the appropriateness of the parts we play. Ram Dass transitions to question and answer time, responding to inquiries about the significance of dreams, the tension between inner work and our outer lives, and how we can prevent detachment from turning into laziness. Ram Dass wraps things up by answering questions about dealing with the pain of family and friends who don’t want to join us on the spiritual path, bringing spiritual truths into spaces that don’t traditionally allow them, and facing burnout in institutional structures such as government. The Ram Dass community gathers regularly to engage in meaningful discussions about the podcast. We invite you to join us and share your curiosities, insights, and wisdom. Sign up for the General Fellowship to receive event invitations directly in your inbox. Listen to Ram Dass Here and Now ad-free on our Patreon. Anyone can sign up for a free 7-day trial, but the first 500 people to click this link can get a 3-month free trial membership: 3 Months of Ad-Free Ram Dass Podcast “And each time you let go of your somebody-ness, you can hear more clearly your everybody-ness, or your part in the everybody-ness of it all. More and more, you just want to play your part; it’s nothing special. It’s just nothing special anymore.” – Ram Dass See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
#308
July 13 · 37 min
Ep. 308 – You Are Love
In this exploration of relationships and awakening from the illusion of separateness, Ram Dass talks about looking behind the veil of individual differences and coming to a place where you are love itself. Ram Dass Here & Now is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/ramdass and get on your way to being your best self. This episode is supported by Omega Institute. Like the Be Here Now Network, Omega believes that personal transformation can change the world—one heart at a time. Discover immersive retreats, workshops, and gatherings in New York's Hudson Valley. Learn more: eomega.org This episode of Here and Now is the conclusion of a talk Ram Dass gave at the LA Whole Life Expo on February 18, 1989. Don’t miss the first part of this talk in Episode 307 – Being in Other Planes of Reality. Ram Dass explores how settling into other planes of reality helps us deal with the immense suffering on this plane of reality. He talks about awakening out of the illusion of separateness and seeing your life as a curriculum. This includes seeing your relationships as part of the curriculum for coming to God. Ram Dass dives into the subject of relationships and how everyone is God in drag. Ultimately, you only meet God. Sharing some classic stories, Ram Dass talks about how relationships are a way to delight in the play of form. He explores moving away from the deprivation model of love into a place where, ultimately, you are love itself. The Ram Dass community gathers regularly to engage in meaningful discussions about the podcast. We invite you to join us and share your curiosities, insights, and wisdom. Sign up for the General Fellowship to receive event invitations directly in your inbox. “And you shift gears; you no longer try to collect love. You just are in love with everybody. ‘In love’ is the last stop on the train of dualism before you enter into Nibbana, where you become love, and you are no longer experiencing the experience of loving. You are love. And that is inevitable and irrevocable.” – Ram Dass See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
#307
June 29 · 42 min
Ep. 307 – Being in Other Planes of Reality
You can help us celebrate 10 years of Be Here Now Network and support the next chapter of Ram Dass Here and Now by donating to our 10th anniversary fundraiser. Exciting news! Dollar-for-dollar gift matching has been extended to match the first $60k in donations through June 30. Learn more and give here: BHNN 10th Birthday Fundraiser With his classic combination of heart and humor, Ram Dass guides us through an exploration of being on other planes of reality and getting comfortable with having nowhere to stand. Ram Dass Here & Now is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/ramdass and get on your way to being your best self. This episode of Here and Now is from the first part of a talk Ram Dass gave at the LA Whole Life Expo on February 18, 1989. Check back soon for the conclusion of this lecture. Ram Dass begins with the story of having a kidney stone, and the delight he felt in watching his consciousness flicker. Thus begins an exploration of consciousness and being on other planes of reality. With some classic stories and his unique humor, Ram Dass talks about what happens when we awaken and start to recognize these other planes. As we get more comfortable in these other planes of reality, it can be easy to lose our ground on this plane. In the end, we can’t push away this plane because it doesn’t feel as good as others. Ram Dass shares how he saw it wasn’t about getting high, it was about getting free and being comfortable with having nowhere to stand. We must embrace our humanity along with our divinity. The Ram Dass community gathers regularly to engage in meaningful discussions about the podcast. We invite you to join us and share your curiosities, insights, and wisdom. Sign up for the General Fellowship to receive event invitations directly in your inbox. About Ram Dass: Ram Dass’s spirit has been a guiding light for generations, carrying millions along on the journey. Ram Dass teaches that through the Bhakti practice of unconditional love, we can all connect with our true nature. Through these teachings, Ram Dass has shared a little piece of his guru, Maharaj-ji, with all who have listened to him. Learn more at ramdass.org. “You’ve had this as your basecamp. You go into these other planes, and then you come back, and you go in, and you come back, and you go in. And you start to get comfortable being in other planes of reality and functioning here.” – Ram Dass See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
#306
June 15 · 56 min
Ep. 306 – Our Place in the Dance
Listen to the original Here and Now radio show! Ram Dass takes to the airwaves in 1996 to try his hand at a medium he hopes will bring us together and help us hear our place in the dance. Help us celebrate 10 years of Be Here Now Network and support the next chapter of Ram Dass Here and Now. Gifts are matched dollar for dollar through June 30. Learn more and give at https://beherenownetwork.com/10years. Ram Dass Here & Now is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/ramdass and get on your way to being your best self. To help celebrate BHNN’s 10th Anniversary, we present this recording of the original Here and Now radio show from December 8, 1996. On a quiet Sunday morning, Ram Dass takes to the airwaves on KSRO in Northern California to hang out with people in a compassionate way. He talks about doing this show as a way to help us hear our place in the dance and become free. Ram Dass opens up the phone lines to take some calls. He answers questions about keeping our hearts open in the presence of suffering, the fleeting nature of life, polarization, and conscious dying. The calls continue to roll in. Ram Dass talks about setting aside judgment, living in hard-hearted times, passing values on to the next generation, right livelihood, and Timothy Leary’s death. He ends the show by answering a question about what advice he would give to children. The Ram Dass community gathers regularly to engage in meaningful discussions about the podcast. We invite you to join us and share your curiosities, insights, and wisdom. Sign up for the General Fellowship to receive event invitations directly in your inbox. “ I see this as a way in which we can figure out together how to live our lives consciously, with awareness, so that we can have our hearts open to one another, to one another as a species, one another across species, to the Earth itself—in fact, to the entire cosmos—so that we can hear our place in the dance. Our place in the dance.” – Ram Dass See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
#305
June 3 · 57 min
Ep. 305 – Using A Relationship to Awaken
In the conclusion of this classic talk, Ram Dass explores giving up our rushes, working with death, not judging the trip, using a relationship to awaken, and much more. Help us celebrate 10 years of Be Here Now Network and support the next chapter of Ram Dass Here and Now. Gifts are matched dollar for dollar through June 30. Give here: BHNN 10th Birthday Fundraiser Ram Dass Here & Now is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/ramdass and get on your way to being your best self. This episode of Here and Now is from a retreat at the Embassy Auditorium in Los Angeles in 1980. Don’t miss the first part of this talk: Ep. 304 – The Wisdom of the Universe. Ram Dass begins by talking about how hard it can be to give up the rushes of life; it’s painful when the melodrama isn’t captivating anymore. He dives into his work with death and dying, reading “A Letter to Rachel.” Ram Dass transitions into an exploration of using a relationship to awaken. He says that when we want to become who we truly are badly enough, there’s no way not to use everything in our lives as a vehicle for awakening, including our relationships. As the talk draws to a close, Ram Dass reminds us that the basic social institution is the human heart. He tells us not to underestimate the power of giving ourselves the space to deepen our beings. The Ram Dass community gathers regularly to engage in meaningful discussions about the podcast. We invite you to join us and share your curiosities, insights, and wisdom. Sign up for the General Fellowship to receive event invitations directly in your inbox. “If you are using a relationship to awaken, everything that your partner does is what they do, and that’s part of the humanness of the situation. And don’t deny the humanness. And don’t get lost in it.” – Ram Dass See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
#304
May 19 · 49 min
Ep. 304 – The Wisdom of the Universe
In this 1980 talk, Ram Dass explores how we aren’t who we think we are and leads a meditative experience to help us quiet down enough to become statements of the universe's wisdom. The Ram Dass community gathers regularly to engage in meaningful discussions about the podcast. We invite you to join us and share your curiosities, insights, and wisdom. Sign up for the General Fellowship to receive event invitations directly in your inbox. Ram Dass Here & Now is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/ramdass and get on your way to being your best self. This episode of Here and Now is from a retreat at the Embassy Auditorium in Los Angeles in 1980. Check back soon for the second half of this talk. In the City of Angels, Ram Dass wonders what he might say to a gathering of angels. He talks about how we aren’t who we think we are and accepting our humanity in order to fully awaken. Ram Dass reads a story to help us understand how we can listen clearly to another human being. He explores how our desires color everything we see, and how we can break identification with them. Ram Dass talks about how the guru is like a pure mirror that lets us see who we truly are. He leads a meditative experience to help us quiet down enough to become statements of the wisdom of the universe. About Ram Dass: Ram Dass’s spirit has been a guiding light for generations, carrying millions along on the journey. Ram Dass teaches that through the Bhakti practice of unconditional love, we can all connect with our true nature. Through these teachings, Ram Dass has shared a little piece of his guru, Maharaj-ji, with all who have listened to him. Learn more at ramdass.org. “If everything in your life had come out the way you expected it to, your life wouldn’t be nearly as interesting as it’s turned out to be, would it?” – Ram Dass See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
#303
May 4 · 52 min
Ep. 303 – The Wheels of Birth and Death
Ram Dass explores how understanding the wheels of birth and death helps us appreciate the preciousness of our incarnation. The Ram Dass community gathers regularly to engage in meaningful discussions about the podcast. We invite you to join us and share your curiosities, insights, and wisdom. Sign up for the General Fellowship to receive event invitations directly in your inbox. Ram Dass Here & Now is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/ramdass and get on your way to being your best self. This episode of Here and Now is from a retreat in Chappell Hill, Texas, in September of 1980. As an introduction to this talk on death, Ram Dass reads from William Buck’s version of the Ramayana. He begins to share what he has learned about death through a combination of his life experiences, study, and his guru. Ram Dass talks about the process of dying and advises us that the best preparation for death is to live in the moment. He says that if we know someone who has died, we can still talk with them and help guide them through any confusion they might have. Understanding the wheels of birth and death allows us to appreciate the preciousness of our incarnation. Ram Dass shares stories of his work with dying people and how it’s the highest thing he does in life. He says that death is just another moment of a continuous dance of illusion. About Ram Dass: Ram Dass’s spirit has been a guiding light for generations, carrying millions along on the journey. Ram Dass teaches that through the Bhakti practice of unconditional love, we can all connect with our true nature. Through these teachings, Ram Dass has shared a little piece of his guru, Maharaj-ji, with all who have listened to him. Learn more at ramdass.org. “The most exciting adventure of life is dying. You might as well enjoy it.” – Ram Dass See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
#302
April 20 · 34 min
Ep. 302 – The Sweetness of Service
In this exploration of the practice of karma yoga, Ram Dass talks about the sweetness of service and how the mystery of the universe is in the precise action of the moment. Ram Dass Here & Now is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/ramdass and get on your way to being your best self. This episode of Here and Now is from a retreat at the Lama Foundation in July of 1986. After priming us with a quote from the poet Kabir, Ram Dass explores the bhakti component of the yoga of service. It is the practice of seeing the Beloved everywhere. He talks about allowing time in our lives to process what’s going on and come back to center. Ram Dass continues to speak about the nature of karma yoga, saying the mystery of the universe is in the precise action of the moment. He talks about burnout and knowing our limits, and advises us to read about Hanuman. Using the example of caring for his aging father, Ram Dass shows us the sweetness of service. Service can be a vehicle for us to lighten, loosen, let go, open, allow, and appreciate. Love Serve Remember Foundation’s new course, Many Paths, One Mountain: Practices for Living with Awareness and Heart, is running now. Join us to explore a variety of spiritual practices, including karma yoga and service. About Ram Dass: Ram Dass’s spirit has been a guiding light for generations, carrying millions along on the journey. Ram Dass teaches that through the Bhakti practice of unconditional love, we can all connect with our true nature. Through these teachings, Ram Dass has shared a little piece of his guru, Maharaj-ji, with all who have listened to him. The Ram Dass community gathers regularly to engage in meaningful discussions about the podcast. We invite you to join us and share your curiosities, insights, and wisdom. Sign up for the General Fellowship to receive event invitations directly in your inbox. “It gets to be so sweet to meet people through service that finally all you can express is your appreciation to them for allowing you to serve them.” – Ram Dass See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
#301
April 6 · 48 min
Ep. 301 – The Process of Listening and Tuning
Ram Dass explores the process of listening and tuning that takes place on the spiritual journey as we find the practices that align with our unique karmic predicaments. The Ram Dass community gathers regularly to engage in meaningful discussions about the podcast. We invite you to join us and share your curiosities, insights, and wisdom. Sign up for the General Fellowship to receive event invitations directly in your inbox. Ram Dass Here & Now is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/ramdass and get on your way to being your best self. This episode of Here and Now is from a workshop at the Lama Foundation in July of 1982. Outside in the mountains of New Mexico, Ram Dass speaks about the process of listening and tuning to hear the unique predicament of our spiritual journey. The quieter we get, the more we can hear which spiritual practice is the right one for us in the moment. Ram Dass talks about appreciating how all methods are traps. There is an excitement and joy in finding a method that’s harmonious with our being, and a sadness when that method self-ejects. He focuses on the practice of karma yoga and his own pattern of going out into the world, and then retreating for a period of time. To listen and tune, we must be willing to let go of our models. There must be a quietness of mind. To illustrate this point, Ram Dass reads a story about the Dalai Lama’s personal physician, Yeshi Dhonden. He closes the talk by saying, “All of these methods are, indeed, methods of purification, methods to prepare you as an instrument to hear so that your actions are in harmony with the way of things.” Dig even deeper into the world of spiritual practices with Love Serve Remember Foundation’s new course, Many Paths, One Mountain: Practices for Living with Awareness and Heart. Join us for 10 days of meditation, mindfulness, chanting, and devotion beginning on Monday, April 13. “You can’t grab. You can only listen and tune, and listen and tune, and listen and tune. And in the process of listening and tuning, you keep hearing many, many guides and instructions.” – Ram Dass See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
#300
March 25 · 51 min
Ep. 300 – Subtle is the Path of Love
Take flight with Ram Dass as he shares stories about love, power, and the very subtle teachings of his guru, Maharaj-ji. Ram Dass Here & Now is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/ramdass and get on your way to being your best self. This episode of Here and Now is from the summer of 1979. Ram Dass begins with a series of brief stories about his guru, Maharaj-ji, and the very subtle ways he transmitted his teachings. Listen for the little levels at play within each story. Ram Dass asks, “Whose karma is it to have intervention by a guru?” He talks about the guru’s grace, the problem with writing a book about Maharaj-ji, and learning to trust the heart. Ram Dass shares more stories from his time in India, including one about a mantra that enabled him to fly on another plane of reality. But Maharaj-ji’s basic teaching was not about power; it was about love and listening to the heart. The Ram Dass community gathers regularly to engage in meaningful discussions about the podcast. We invite you to join us and share your curiosities, insights, and wisdom. Sign up for the General Fellowship to receive event invitations directly in your inbox. “And yet, for all the power things that Maharaj-ji did, the basic teaching was not power. The basic teaching was love. There was a quality in which you were bathed in presence, in which all you could feel was love. That’s all there was.” – Ram Dass See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
#299
March 9 · 50 min
Ep. 299 – Listening for Your Unique Manifestation
Ram Dass answers questions about spirituality and money, being indecisive, ego trips, listening for your unique manifestation in life, and more. Ram Dass Here & Now is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/ramdass and get on your way to being your best self. This episode of Here and Now comes from a Q&A session with the “unique manifestation” group at a retreat in 1989. The first question is about whether it’s possible to grow spiritually and be financially prosperous. Ram Dass talks about playing with our desires and our attachments to worldly things. Next up are questions around listening for your unique manifestation in life, how to tell if you’re on an ego trip, and finding your next stage of purpose. Ram Dass tells a story about his “Eight-Fold Bath of the Upper Middle Way”. The next question is about whether being indecisive can be part of your unique manifestation. We end by revisiting the first question about spirituality and money. In this society, we’re all up to our eyeballs in desire systems. The Ram Dass community gathers regularly to engage in meaningful discussions about the podcast. We invite you to join us and share your curiosities, insights, and wisdom. Sign up for the General Fellowship to receive event invitations directly in your inbox. “You have to be ready to know that what you hear at one moment about unique manifestation is gonna constantly be changing and changing and changing. And you’ve gotta be listening afresh all the time. You’re listening for a unique manifestation, meaning that form of expression that will be… it’s the confluence between your karma and your dharma.” – Ram Dass See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
#298
February 23 · 40 min
Ep. 298 – The Web of Human Caring
Ram Dass explores living in times of great change, the cost of individuality to our compassionate hearts, and the importance of building and being part of the web of human caring. Ram Dass Here & Now is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/ramdass and get on your way to being your best self. This episode of Here and Now is the conclusion of Ram Dass’ lecture in St. Louis, Missouri, on February 27th, 1992. Listen to Here and Now Ep. 297 for the first part of this talk. Ram Dass begins by laying out the societal changes taking place from his vantage point in the 90s, and how people get reactive and frightened by change. In order to hear our predicament, we must quiet down enough to be able to listen clearly. Ram Dass talks about the cost of individuality to our compassionate, human hearts. He explores how we can set boundaries and learn to say no without closing our hearts, and how we can take any situation and turn it into karma yoga. Ram Dass speaks to how we can honor individual differences without being trapped by them. Being caught in our separateness cuts us off from the community of fellow beings, but it is possible to build the web of human caring and be part of it. We can be at peace in the midst of great change. The Ram Dass community gathers regularly to engage in meaningful discussions about the podcast. We invite you to join us and share your curiosities, insights, and wisdom. Sign up for the General Fellowship to receive event invitations directly in your inbox. “To recognize fully that we have cut ourselves off from our spiritual lifeblood by cutting ourselves off from the community of fellow being, because our mind has caught us in our separateness, and therefore, reaching out to create community. Through helping, through loving, through sharing, through acknowledging family, through whatever. Build the network or the web of human caring and be part of it.” – Ram Dass See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
#297
February 9 · 38 min
Ep. 297 – Cultivating a Spiritual Perspective
Ram Dass explores how the process of karma yoga is about cultivating a spiritual perspective that allows us to see any situation on multiple planes simultaneously. Ram Dass Here & Now is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/ramdass and get on your way to being your best self. This episode is also brought to you by Strawberry Moons Media. Strawberry Moons Media is a collection of new YouTube channels that blends dharma-focused education and entertainment for all ages. Be sure to check out and subscribe to Strawberry Moons Media on YouTube. You can also visit their website at strawberrymoonsmedia.com. This episode of Here and Now is from the first part of a Ram Dass lecture in St. Louis, Missouri, on February 27th, 1992. Check back soon for the conclusion of this talk. Ram Dass begins by talking about how the primary practice in his life is karma yoga, using the stuff of life as a route to liberation. The process of karma yoga is about cultivating a context, or a spiritual perspective, to see any situation on more than one plane simultaneously. Ram Dass discusses how fear is rooted in getting caught in one plane of reality and how we need to find a balance between separateness and unity. He explores some of the immense changes taking place in the 90s, including ecological destruction and economic disparity. We can either respond to the change and the chaos with fear, or we can respond to it as an opportunity to awaken. Ram Dass talks about the roller coaster ride that is living in the Kali Yuga, and how working with death and dying helps him respond to times of change with great appreciation. The Ram Dass community gathers regularly to engage in meaningful discussions about the podcast. We invite you to join us and share your curiosities, insights, and wisdom. Sign up for the General Fellowship to receive event invitations directly in your inbox. About Ram Dass: Ram Dass’s spirit has been a guiding light for generations, carrying millions along on the journey. Ram Dass teaches that through the Bhakti practice of unconditional love, we can all connect with our true nature. Through these teachings, Ram Dass has shared a little piece of his guru, Maharaj-ji, with all who have listened to him. Learn more at ramdass.org. “At that point, when you see that your next curriculum is honoring what is in your incarnation, so that you end up honoring it as relatively real. You do your dharma, you do your part, you play your part in it. And yet, at that same moment, there is absolute equanimity in you about it. What is required in the process of karma yoga is cultivating a context. And that's what’s called a spiritual perspective… It’s a context so that you see any situation on more than one plane simultaneously.” – Ram Dass See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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