Speaking to issues of ecology, politics, and social action, Ram Dass shares stories of compassionate action and explores patterns of interdependency we can recognize in the world.

Want to participate in the discussion about this episode of Here and Now? Join us for the SoulPod Meet-Up on April 9th at 8 p.m. EDT. Subscribe to the General Fellowship Group for more information.

Today's podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp. Click to receive 10% off your first month with your own licensed professional therapist: betterhelp.com/ramdass

This episode is also brought to you by Magic Mind, a matcha-based energy shot infused with nootropics and adaptogens designed to crush procrastination, brain fog, & fatigue. Use the code RAMDASS at checkout to get up to 50% off your subscription: Magic Mind

This episode of Here and Now is from a 1992 talk in Edgartown, MA.

Ram Dass discusses our looming ecological crisis, politics, and living in the age of the Kali Yuga. There is change happening all around us. For Ram Dass, what?s interesting is where one stands in relation to change.How do we respond in an appropriate way to all the suffering in the world around us? Ram Dass shares classic stories of compassionate action and talks about the constant dialogue between the mind and the heart.Ram Dass explores how moving through different planes of reality can help us recognize the incredible patterns of interdependency in this world. By acknowledging that these other planes exist, we can find a way to be fully in the world and simultaneously not be trapped by it. In this way, we?re able to keep our hearts open in hell.

Take part in a 4-week Sliding-Scale Course - Reimagined: The Life & Teachings of Ram Dass. Beginning April 8th, click here to learn more!

?When you experience the plane of reality where everything is interdependent, it includes you, you?re part of it all. If you flip the dial and go to another plane of reality, you see that behind all of the forms, which are like cloud patterns, there?s only one of it. There?s one stuff. There?s one stuff that keeps going into these incredible patterns.? ? Ram Dass

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this Q&A session, Ram Dass talks about transcending dualism, the significance of clairvoyance, how reincarnation is part of our dreams within dreams within dreams, and more.

Today's podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp. Click to receive 10% off your first month with your own licensed professional therapist: betterhelp.com/ramdass

Want to be part of the discussion about this episode of Here and Now? Join us for the SoulPod Meet-Up on March 26th at 3 pm EDT. Subscribe to the General Fellowship Group for more information.

This episode is also brought to you by Magic Mind, a matcha-based energy shot infused with nootropics and adaptogens designed to crush procrastination, brain fog, & fatigue. Use the code RAMDASS at checkout to get up to 50% off your subscription: Magic Mind

This week?s episode of Here and Now is taken from a Q&A session in 1987. 

Ram Dass begins by answering questions about his Mala beads, his spiritual lineage, and psychedelics. He shares stories about giving his guru the ?yogi medicine.? Taking on a question about struggling with the polarities of positive and negative, light and dark, and good and evil, Ram Dass explores transcending dualism. He talks about how before he?d experienced transcendence, he had a lot of trouble with the idea of good and evil. What?s the significance of clairvoyance? Ram Dass talks about the very rigid set of rules we base on what our senses tell us, and how he loves sharing stories of miracles because they push everybody?s buttons.  Ram Dass answers questions about cultivating the Witness, why there is so much blind suffering, and connections that span multiple lifetimes. He talks about how reincarnation is as real as anything on this plane of awareness because it?s all just dreams within dreams within dreams.

?Everybody doesn?t have a guru or a physical plane guide, many people have inner guides that they experience as their inner voice, which could be their inner voice or it could be another being helping them. There are many levels of this game. Each person gets their ?karmuppance.? They get just what they need, just when they need 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.

In this classic talk from 1987, Ram Dass explores working with suffering, keeping our hearts open, finding the intuitive heart space, and being responsive rather than reactive. This episode is a continuation of the talk started in Here and Now Ep. 245 ? Taking Off Our Spacesuit.

Want to be part of the discussion about this episode of Here and Now? Join us for the SoulPod Meet-Up on March 12 at 8 pm EST. Subscribe to the General Fellowship Group for more information.

Today's podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp. Click to receive 10% off your first month with your own licensed professional therapist: betterhelp.com/ramdass

This episode is also brought to you by Magic Mind, a matcha-based energy shot infused with nootropics and adaptogens designed to crush procrastination, brain fog, & fatigue. Use the code RAMDASS at checkout to get up to 50% off your subscription: Magic Mind

In this week?s episode:

Using his stepmother?s death as an example, Ram Dass explores how pain and suffering can become a curriculum through which one awakens.Ram Dass discusses how he has begun to fall in love with everyone, and how his guru opened him up to the possibility of unconditional love. If we?re caught in our separateness, it?s hard to keep our hearts open.Ram Dass shares classic stories of how other beings, including a dolphin, have helped him escape the trap of his own mind and find the intuitive heart space. He talks about taking care of his aging father and learning how to just be present with him.Finally, Ram Dass explores the difference between being reactive and being responsive, reading a story from ?How Can I Help?? to illustrate his point. He talks about how, when we are quiet enough on the inside, we can begin to hear how to awaken through the journey of the spirit.

?As you quiet your mind just a little bit, you get so that you?re not automatically reacting to everything. You become what?s called responsive rather than reactive. In other words, something happens and there?s a moment when it?s just happening, you?re just with it. As your awareness expands to include more than your separate self, it?s as if you?re part of the gestalt of it all, and you experience the totality of it. And then, out of that quietness comes an act that is appropriate to that moment.? ? Ram Dass

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this essential talk from 1987, Ram Dass uses his life experience to guide us through the process of taking off our spacesuit of identity and embracing the curriculum our lives offer us.

Want to be part of the discussion about this episode of Here and Now? Join us for the SoulPod Meet-Up on February 27th at 3 pm EST.

Today's podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp. Click to receive 10% off your first month with your own licensed professional therapist: betterhelp.com/ramdass

This episode is also brought to you by Magic Mind, a matcha-based energy shot infused with nootropics and adaptogens designed to crush procrastination, brain fog, & fatigue. Use the code RAMDASS at checkout to get up to 50% off your subscription: Magic Mind

This episode of Here and Now is from a classic talk given in April 1987.

Using his journey as a guide for this talk, Ram Dass explores the spacesuits of ego and identity we wear in our lives. He tells us how ill-fitting this spacesuit felt for him, and the feeling of freedom he found when he was first able to take it off. Ram Dass describes how he began to chase the high of not wearing the spacesuit through the use of mind-altering chemicals and spiritual practices. Eventually, though, those things became a different kind of suit he was wearing. Through the advice of a wise friend, he realized he needed to take the curriculum that everyday life has to offer and not just live with his head in the clouds.Once the object of the game shifted from getting high to getting free, Ram Dass chose to stop pushing away all of the things that brought him down. Instead, he embraced the many forms of suffering in the world, working with prisoners, AIDS patients, and people going through the process of dying. To get free, we need to embrace it all, the good and the bad.

?As I took off the suit, I felt at home, I felt present. It felt extremely familiar to me, even though as an adult in society I didn?t remember having been in this space before. I was always constantly checking everybody to see if I was enough ?somebody? so that I would be allowed to exist.?

 ? Ram Dass

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this deeply meditative recording from 1976, Ram Dass talks about going beyond form and intellect and then is joined by Krishna Das to chant a love song between formless and form.

Today's podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp. Click to receive 10% off your first month with your own licensed professional therapist: betterhelp.com/ramdass

Want to be part of the discussion about this episode of Here and Now? Join us for the SoulPod Meet-Up on February 13th at 8 pm EST.

In this episode of Here and Now: 

In a highly meditative fashion, Ram Dass speaks about the spiritual journey and how it is a journey of the heart. The intellect, while an exquisitely powerful tool, cannot know ultimate truth.Ram Dass explores the forms we must use to get beyond the intellect, including meditative practices and chanting. He talks about the identities we create with our minds and how we were born into the illusion of separateness. But the way the dance works best is that we keep shifting forms and understand that all these forms will take us to that which has no form.Ram Dass is joined by Krishna Das to chant ?Jai Radha.? Ram Dass explains how it is like a love song between formless and form.

?This is like a love song between formless and form, between Father and Mother, between the cow herdsmen and the Gopi, between Radha and Govinda.? ? Ram Dass

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this essential talk, Ram Dass leans on the wisdom of the Tao Te Ching, Ramana Maharshi, and Groucho Marx to explore identity, change, and how incarnation is the blueprint for liberation.

Today's podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp. Click to receive 10% off your first month with your own licensed professional therapist: betterhelp.com/ramdass

Want to be a part of the discussion about this episode of Here and Now? Register now for the SoulPod Meet-Up on January 23rd at 3 pm EST.

This episode of Here and Now is taken from a workshop in Los Angeles in May of 1991.

Ram Dass dives into the concept of identity and how we?ve lost the balance between our identity as individuals and our identity as part of the unity of all things. We begin by being too attached to the somebody-ness that?s drilled into us from birth and then, as we awaken spiritually, we go in the other direction and cling too tightly to the unity. The ultimate goal is to be in the world, but not of the world.Offering the wisdom of Groucho Marx, Ram Dass talks about learning to play with reality and how part of what we?re awakening to is that there are many planes of reality. He references Ramana Maharshi and describes how the spiritual journey is ultimately about extricating yourself from your definitions of yourself. Part of the predicament of being so attached to these definitions of self is that all things change, including our bodies. Ram Dass addresses the very nature of change and reads from the Tao Te Ching to offer us a clue to the Way. Ultimately, as we awaken, we can begin to see how our unique incarnations are actually the blueprint for our liberation. There are no errors in this game.

?It?s too beautiful. It?s too beautiful that your incarnation turns out to be the blueprint for your liberation. Who would?ve expected that?? ? Ram Dass

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Ram Dass explores how we can have perspectives and models about the universe without being attached to them, as long as we cultivate the state of no mind and trust our intuitive validity.

Want to be part of the discussion about this episode of Here and Now? Join the Ram Dass Fellowship virtual meetup on January 9th at 5 pm PST. Sign up for the General Fellowship group here to receive more information.

Today's podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp. Click to receive 10% off your first month with your own licensed professional therapist: betterhelp.com/ramdass

This episode of Here and Now is taken from a Ram Dass talk at Colby College in April of 1970. In this talk:

Ram Dass explores how it?s healthy to have perspectives and models about the universe and how things are, but it?s crucial that we don?t become attached to or stuck in that perspective. Telling stories of his time in far-out places like India, Los Angeles, and heroin treatment centers, Ram Dass shares how it?s all perspective. Having a perspective is harmonious with the Tao, with the way of things, but we can?t get addicted to it and have it become our ?reality.? He talks about how things like school and television are designed to keep us stuck in our roles, models, and perspectives.Ultimately, we can learn to trust our intuitive validity and cultivate the Buddhist state of no mind, where we have finished with our models. We can know the difference between being wise and being knowledgeable.

?As long as you are attached to any model of the universe, to any level of definition of who you are or how it works, you are closed off from the rest of it. And the state of no mind, the Buddhist state of no mind, is where you have finished with models. You don?t even be enlightened, you don?t be anything, there?s just no mind.? ? Ram Dass

About Ram Dass:

Ram Dass? spirit has been a guiding light for generations, carrying along millions 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.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this radio interview from 1977, Ram Dass explores the power of psychedelics and the importance of a guru, plus he leads a guided meditation that connects us to a place of no place.

Want to be part of the discussion about this episode of Here and Now? Join the Ram Dass Fellowship virtual meetup on December 28th at 3 pm EST. Sign up for the General Fellowship group here to receive more information.

Today's podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp. Click to receive 10% off your first month with your own licensed professional therapist: betterhelp.com/ramdass

This episode of Here and Now is taken from an interview with Ram Dass at the local college radio station in Santa Cruz. The interview is from October of 1977, right after Ram Dass had taken part in a conference that featured Albert Hoffmann, Timothy Leary, Ralph Metzner, and other luminaries of the early psychedelics scene:

Ram Dass begins by sharing some of his personal history, especially as it pertains to the university audience and psychedelicsHe and the host discuss the profound experiences that can occur with psychedelics versus using them as a recreational vehicleThey explore the importance of having a guru on the spiritual path, but Ram Dass talks about how the process of awakening is ultimately a journey that must be taken aloneRam Dass leads a beautiful guided meditation that aims to connect us to a place of no place and help us see that the true guru lives within us

?Any thoughts which come to your mind, let them go, breathe them out along with the out-breath. Any feelings, sensations, memories, plans? This is only going to take five minutes, you can set aside five minutes out of your busy life just to connect with a place of no place. To get behind your melodrama. Just keep the focus in the middle of the chest. Breathing in; breathing out.? ? Ram Dass

----

In a world that often feels like it's teetering on the edge, it's not surprising that so many of us grapple with feelings of instability and overwhelm. 

On Tuesday, December 19th, join acclaimed Buddhist meditation teachers Sharon Salzberg and Ethan Nichtern for a free online conversation on staying grounded, available, and engaged, even when the world is on fire.

Sharon and Ethan will also discuss the upcoming Dharma Moon Yearlong Buddhist Studies program and offer their insights on how studying Buddhism can help us show up more fully for ourselves and others during these challenging times.

Visit dharmamoon.com/event for more info and to reserve your free spot!

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Ram Dass explores the art of how to bring the past into the present as we age, leads a powerful exercise centered around the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, and talks about working with grief.

Want to be part of the discussion about this episode of Here and Now? Join the Ram Dass Fellowship virtual meetup on December 19th. Sign up for the General Fellowship group here to receive more information.

Today's podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp. Click to receive 10% off your first month with your own licensed professional therapist: betterhelp.com/ramdass

This episode of Here and Now is from a recording of a study group on aging hosted by Ram Dass in 1995.

In the face of aging and death, part of the spiritual work we should consider doing is what Ram Dass calls the art of how to bring the past into the present. Using the example of his mother?s death, he shares the importance of processing events from our past with the perspective we hold in the present.

We can also bring the past into the present in a cultural and historical context. Ram Dass leads an exercise centered around the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, having us contemplate and recognize that we are part of a culture that has models of reality that would legitimize the dropping of that bomb.

Ram Dass explores the issue of grieving, especially as it relates to aging and loss. He reads a letter he had written to a family who lost their young daughter, and he talks about the importance of moving from the realm of ego to the realm of the soul.

?There is a tendency that we do in our mind to romanticize our own existence. We become the center of ?As the World Turns,? we are the leading actor, we have been cast. We keep milking our history to justify our existence, to give our existence meaning. I want to suggest to you that there is a cost to that.? ? Ram Dass

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this recording from 1995, Ram Dass explores the nature of time, especially as it relates to aging, and shares how his guru helped him see that being in the present moment is all there is.

Today's podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp. Click to receive 10% off your first month with your own licensed professional therapist: betterhelp.com/ramdass

This episode of Here and Now is from a recording of a study group on aging hosted by Ram Dass in 1995.

Ram Dass begins his exploration of time and aging by looking at the nature of time from both the domain of the ego and the domain of the soulHe examines the perspectives on time we hold throughout our lives in this culture, from being fully in the moment as babies, reaching for the future as kids and young adults, thinking of time as money in middle age, and finally clinging to the past in our older yearsRam Dass reads from a book on aging that he?s in the middle of writing, sharing a tale of why time seems to work differently in India and how his guru helped him see that being in the present moment is all there isFinally, he talks about working on letting go of his personal history and the struggles he had with boxes of memorabilia he?d collected over the years

?And they talk about gaining awareness is like snatching the pearl of awareness from the dragon time. That?s one of the mystical ways of talking about what awakening and enlightenment are. It?s freeing your awareness from being entrapped within time. Not that you don?t use time, but you?re not used by 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.

Speaking to us from 1983, a time of widespread fear about nuclear war, Ram Dass explores how spiritual work equals social action, and yet, we can?t just wait until we are free to take action.

Want to be part of the discussion about this episode of Here and Now? Join the Ram Dass Fellowship virtual meetup on November 21st at 3 p.m. Eastern Time. Sign up for the General Fellowship group here to receive more information.

Today's podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp. Click to receive 10% off your first month with your own licensed professional therapist: betterhelp.com/ramdass

This episode of Here and Now, Ram Dass speaks about:

How spiritual work equals social actionThe two ways that the game of awakening is playing outHow Gandhi molded his social action movement, bringing together social action and spiritual workHow the path of social action and the spiritual journey comes down to karma yoga and using the stuff of our life to get free, but we can?t wait until we are free to take action

?And when we are strong enough to look at ourselves, then we will be strong enough to demand truth. But most of us do not have integrity in our own lives. We are all full of righteousness and good here, and right over here we have deception, we have hoarding, we have all kinds of stuff. And to me, in my life, that isn?t good enough, it stinks. I can?t have any room any longer for guilt and self-deprecation about it. I have to appreciate that?s my evolving humanity, but I see where the path of real social action comes. I see what Gandhi?s talking about when he says make yourself into zero and your power is invincible.? ? Ram Dass

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this wild Q&A session from 1976 that is teeming with frenetic energy from the audience, Ram Dass really just wants to talk about three things: God, sex, and dope.

Today's podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp. Click to receive 10% off your first month with your own licensed professional therapist: betterhelp.com/ramdass

Want to be part of the discussion about this episode of Here and Now? Join the Ram Dass Fellowship virtual meetup on November 7th, sign up for the General Fellowship group here to receive more information.

In this episode of Here and Now:

Dealing with a slightly wild audience, Ram Dass answers questions about how our actions can influence other people?s journey of awakening, what commitment truly is, and how to look at our predicament from different levels.But what Ram Dass really wants to talk about is three things: God, sex, and dope. He talks about moving beyond the desire for drugs, how people become attached to their sexual expression and what tantra truly is, and defines God to the best of his ability.Ram Dass ends the evening by singing, ?Rejoice in the Lord.? Again, I say, rejoice.

?Beyond all of the patterns of energy ? physical, astral, causal ? lies God, that which is beyond form. You aim for that, and in the course of it, if you are pure in your aim, you can do nothing which is adharmic, going against the dharma. And if you stay in the flow, in the Tao, in the dharma, then whatever needs to be for you and your fellow human being will be done, even though you may not understand what it is that?s happening to you. Your intellectual awareness of what is going on is not necessary for this journey. It can speed it up and help it, but it?s not necessary.? ? Ram Dass

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this Q&A session, Ram Dass answers questions about how to love without emotional attachment, the relationship between karma and grace, and how he defines responsibility.

Today's podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp. Click to receive 10% off your first month with your own licensed professional therapist: betterhelp.com/ramdass

In this recording from 1976, Ram Dass answers questions from a lively Los Angeles audience:

How to love without emotional attachment? Ram Dass explores the various levels of love, dealing with attachment, and working with the karma that exists in our life space.What is the relationship of karma and grace? Ram Dass talks about how he perceives grace and the ways it intersects with our karma.What?s his view on vegetarianism? And who is God? Somehow, those questions are connected.How does Ram Dass define responsibility? A responsible being lives in the Tao. 

?And what grace turns out to be is all the forces that exist in the universe that are free agents, that are available to support the process of your going back into the source. All the gurus, all the beings on astral planes, all of the elements, all of the forces in the universe.? ? Ram Dass

Discover the transformative practice of teaching mindfulness in a new FREE 30-page ebook by Senior Buddhist teacher and Emmy award-winning musician, David Nichtern. 

With its blend of humor, wisdom, and accessible approach, The Art of Teaching Mindfulness ebook is a must-read for anyone interested in sharing the life-changing practices of mindfulness with others.

Already downloaded by over 15k people, visit dharmamoon.com/ebook to get YOUR free copy of The Art of Teaching Mindfulness!

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this recording from 1976, Ram Dass explores the process of awakening and becoming enlightened. Featuring a musical interlude from Krishna Das and an introduction from Raghu Markus.

This episode is a continuation of the dharma talk from Here and Now Ep. 234 ? The Awakening of the Soul

Ram Dass' Love Serve Remember Foundation and the Alan Watts Organization invite you to open your mind, open your heart, and tap into the living truth of Alan Watts and Ram Dass. Click to learn more about this special 4-week Virtual Course: The Presence of the Way: The Dharma of Alan Watts and Ram Dass

Today's podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp. Click to receive 10% off your first month with your own licensed professional therapist: betterhelp.com/ramdass

In this episode:

Ram Dass, in a very meditative fashion, explores the place of the Mother in the lineage of devotional tantra, talking about taking each experience in your life and redefining it as a form of the MotherKrishna Das takes center stage to invoke the Mother through music, inviting the Goddess to come down and bless us allRam Dass gives a detailed breakdown of the process of awakening and becoming enlightened, from purification and opening the heart to quieting the mind and getting the energy to flow

Are you interested in contributing to the wildfire recovery efforts in Maui and in the most impacted areas of Canada? Check out these resources below to find out how you can help:

Hawaii Community FoundationCanadian Red Cross

?The only thing that I am involved in is the game of perfection. And because of that, when I work with people, or even this teaching, I see the game as a game of moving up and then bringing up the ground with you. It?s like an inverted ?T,? where you go up the center and then you pull the two bottom lines up with you. So that every new level of consciousness we get into, we then reassess the whole dance of life and keep it together on the physical plane.? ? Ram Dass

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this potent talk from 1976, Ram Dass explores the channels of perception of individual differences and how every experience in life is grist for the mill of the awakening of the soul.

Two cultural icons. Two unique perspectives... One understanding of the presence of the way.

Ram Dass' Love Serve Remember Foundation and the Alan Watts Organization invite you to open your mind, open your heart, and tap into the living truth of Alan Watts and Ram Dass. Learn more about this special 4-week Virtual Course:"The Presence of the Way: The Dharma of Alan Watts and Ram Dass"

Today's podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp. Click to receive 10% off your first month with your own licensed professional therapist: betterhelp.com/ramdass

Straight from 1976 at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, Ram Dass explores:

The journey of awakening and the predicament of how we perceive ourselves and othersThe different channels of perception of individual differences, from the physical level to the astral planes and beyondHow everything in our lives, including all the joy and all the suffering, can be used for the awakening of the soulsHow a truly conscious being experiences all the different channels of perception simultaneously

Are you interested in contributing to the wildfire recovery efforts in Maui and in the most impacted areas of Canada? Check out these resources below to find out how you can help:

Hawaii Community FoundationCanadian Red Cross

?But what we are meeting as are these entities, or souls, or essences, that are passing through a set of experiences. And we are sharing consciousness as to the nature of these experiences and what their significance is to us as souls. And from that point of view, everything in your life is grist for the mill of the awakening of your soul out of its attachments to either the body or the personality or the astrological identity.? ? Ram Dass

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this radio interview from 1985, Ram Dass touches on identity, the purpose of meditation on the path to enlightenment, working with death as a path to spiritual growth, and much more.

Today's podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp. Click to receive 10% off your first month with your own licensed professional therapist: betterhelp.com/ramdass

In this 1985 interview from ?The Questline? radio show, Ram Dass explores:

Not clinging to identity and how to deal with shifts in consciousnessThe role and purpose of meditation on the path to enlightenmentAstral planes, psychedelic drugs, and the spiritual heartWorking with death and dying, and why he found the 1980s to be a much more optimum time for spiritual growth than the 1960sDifferent levels of awakening, and walking the path of service

Are you interested in contributing to the wildfire recovery efforts in Maui and in the most impacted areas of Canada? Check out these resources below to find out how you can help:

Hawaii Community FoundationCanadian Red Cross

?In a way, I?m finding it much more interesting to remain spiritually conscious in the 80s? Like we?re much closer to facing in the daily news the issue of our potential death. And that is a major cultural vehicle for awakening. The confrontation with death is one of the ? as Castaneda says, keeping death on your left shoulder ? it is the vehicle that helps you awaken the most. And that?s what we?re confronted with much more now. So it seems like the optimum time for spiritual growth to me.? ? Ram Dass

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this radio interview from 1985, Ram Dass discusses the journey of awakening, how reincarnation is within the dance of forms, dysfunctional societal myths, and much more.

Today's podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp. Click to receive 10% off your first month with your own licensed professional therapist: betterhelp.com/ramdass

In this 1985 interview from ?The Questline? radio show, Ram Dass explores:

Enlightenment and the journey of awakeningAttachment to emptinessHow reincarnation is within the dance of formsMerging the Western lifestyle with the path of Eastern traditionsUsing psychedelic drugs and the rise of cocaine use in the 1980sThe dying societal myth that more is better and will make us happyFear and suffering

Are you interested in contributing to the wildfire recovery efforts in Maui and in the most impacted areas of Canada? Check out these resources below to find out how you can help:

Hawaii Community FoundationCanadian Red Cross

?Reincarnation is within the dance of forms? Some systems focus on reincarnation to help relieve you of your exclusive identification with this incarnation.? ? Ram Dass

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Ram Dass answers a wide range of questions on topics such as free will, working with fear, and falling in love ? plus, he leads a Metta meditation to help us tap into the universe of compassion.

Today's podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp. Click to receive 10% off your first month with your own licensed professional therapist: betterhelp.com/ramdass

In this Q&A session from 1992, Ram Dass explores:

Conscious dying, free will, and the grieving processCommunication after death, relaxing about enlightenment, and working with fearDeveloping faith, feeling vulnerable while falling in love, and why we can?t afford to armor our heartsThe practice of Metta meditation and how it can help us tap into the universe of compassion

This podcast is also sponsored by Pengwee's Breath, a tender-hearted story of a young penguin who learns that his own breath gives him the power to calm his fears. Enjoy the book on its own or with a companion Teaching Guide for parents and teachers that can be downloaded for free from the author's website.

Get your copy today: Pengwee's Breath

?And as this practice deepens and you recognize that you are one of the beings in that circle, as well as the heart that is sending light forth, you enter more and more deeply into the universe of compassion. And in that universe, the heart is freed to love as it must love.? ? Ram Dass

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Ram Dass explores how to find the balance between emptiness and compassion in the face of immense suffering and tap into the truth of your deepest being to hear your unique dharma.

This episode is a continuation of the talk from Here and Now Ep. 229 ? The Sword of Discrimination

Today's podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp. Click to receive 10% off your first month with your own licensed professional therapist: betterhelp.com/ramdass

This podcast is also sponsored by Apollo Neuro. Developed by neuroscientists and physicians, the Apollo? wearable uses touch therapy to rebalance your nervous system and support your circadian rhythm, allowing you to sleep better, focus more efficiently, and even meditate with ease.

Get $40 off your purchase today using code BEHERENOW and tap into a calmer, better rested, more focused version of you.

In this powerful talk from 1992, Ram Dass explores:

Boundaries and the nature of loveBelief systems and faithHow his work with death and dying has prepared him for dealing with a dying culture and the looming ecological disasterHis work with the Seva Foundation and the power of communityTapping into the truth of your deepest being to hear your unique dharmaFinding the balance between emptiness and compassion in the face of immense suffering

?If you and I are to be instruments of the healing of the world, it is that we are quiet enough to hear our dharma, our way, and that we live our way as a statement. As Gandhi said, ?My life is my message.? We live our lives in such a way that the way you are in the supermarket, the way you are with your loved ones, the way you are when you?re facing pain, it is all part of the deepest wisdom statement you are able to make. It is the truth of your deepest being. For that, you have to listen inward very quietly as your offering to all beings.? ? Ram Dass

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Ram Dass explores how his work with death and dying keeps him at his own leading edge of consciousness and talks about why compassion is truly the sword of discrimination.

Today's podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp. Click to receive 10% off your first month with your own licensed professional therapist: betterhelp.com/ramdass

This podcast is also brought to you by Magic Mind. Magic Mind contains a magical combination of 13 active ingredients, scientifically designed to improve energy, focus, and mood while decreasing stress ? all things that, combined, improve your productivity. For 50% off your subscription to Magic Mind, visit  magicmind.co/ramdass

In this powerful talk from 1992, Ram Dass explores:

Working with death and dying as a spiritual practice, and how it helps keep him at his own leading edge of consciousnessHow the process of learning to live simultaneously on more than one plane of consciousness is the path to dealing with death, dying, and suffering in a more spacious mannerHow two levels of love ? conscious love and relational love ? come into play when dealing with death, and why compassion is truly the sword of discriminationHow we can honor diversity by sharing our pain together and grieving our way into unity

?It?s taken me a long time to learn the way in which compassion is not fuzzy-wuzzy stuff, compassion is the sword of discrimination.? ? Ram Dass

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Raghu Markus returns to Here and Now to present this bonus excerpt from a talk titled ?Behind the Clinging,? which features Ram Dass discussing how to deal with neuroses, fear, and family.

Today's podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp. Click to receive 10% off your first month with your own licensed professional therapist: betterhelp.com/ramdass

In this portion of his talk about going ?Behind the Clinging,? Ram Dass explores:

Dealing with depression and sadness, and making friends with all of your neuroses instead of trying to get rid of themComing to the edge of fear and embracing it in a soft way without pushing against itDealing with family members who really know how to push your buttons and using those experiences as a way to grow

?Is there a way of extricating the awareness? Not by trying to be happy where you were sad, which is feeding the whole reality of that polarity, but just pulling the awareness back. So I would say if you came to me and said, ?I?m feeling this deep, deep feeling of unworthiness and loneliness and sadness and I?ve always felt it. What should I do?? I would say, ?Go back and sit down and follow your breath.?? ? Ram Dass

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode of the Here and Now Podcast, Ram Dass talks about practice in daily life and answers questions about polarization and fundamentalism, integrating psychodynamic and spiritual techniques, dealing with addiction, and more.

Today's podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp. Click to receive 10% off your first month with your own licensed professional therapist: betterhelp.com/ramdass

This podcast is also brought to you by Magic Mind. Magic Mind contains a magical combination of 13 active ingredients, scientifically designed to improve energy, focus, and mood while decreasing stress ? all things that, combined, improve your productivity. For 50% off your subscription to Magic Mind, visit magicmind.co/ramdass

In this episode of Here and Now:

Ram Dass talks about letting methods of practice such as mantras and kirtan permeate your daily lifeRam Dass gives a detailed response to a question about the rise of fundamentalism in the world, exploring polarization and why you can?t have an ?us? and ?them?Ram Dass takes on more questions about integrating psychodynamic and spiritual techniques, the importance of rituals, and dealing with addiction

?And I said I?m not going to get discouraged because I can see that a centrist position, this is a hard one, a centrist position? That at this point in the way the world game is a falling, either everybody goes or nobody goes. You can?t polarize it again. You can?t have an ?us? and ?them.? It?s got to keep embracing people, embracing people. And I saw that would demand much more centrism than I was used to or wanted from a Democratic president and so on.? ? Ram Dass

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this Q&A session from 1993, Ram Dass explores an array of topics, including psychedelics as a method, assisted suicide, dealing with suffering, and awareness without identification.

Today's podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp. Click to receive 10% off your first month with your own licensed professional therapist: betterhelp.com/ramdass

In this episode, Ram Dass answers questions about:

- Psychedelics as a method

- Assisted suicide

- Emptiness and form

- Dealing with suffering

- The relationship between the One and the many

- Liberation and service

- Awareness without identification and attachment

- The concept of criticism

- Pushing against form and separateness

This podcast is also sponsored by Apollo Neuro. Developed by neuroscientists and physicians, the Apollo? wearable uses touch therapy to rebalance your nervous system and support your circadian rhythm, allowing you to sleep better, focus more efficiently, and even meditate with ease.

Get $40 off your purchase today using code BEHERENOW and tap into a calmer, better rested, more focused version of you.

?The term attachment has to do with where the awareness is, what it?s identified with. Like, at this moment, your heart is beating, but you?re not beating your heart; your awareness isn?t connected with your heart beating, it?s just going on. And as your awareness draws back, and you find a way to start to remain in awareness without identification, then the phenomena of the universe continue to happen, but the awareness is no longer identified with the act. It?s what the Gita calls breaking the identification with being the actor. It doesn?t mean that the actions aren?t happening.? ? Ram Dass

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this potent recording from 1994, Ram Dass talks about the nature of suffering and how we can escape the prison of separateness created by our cultural infatuation with individualism.

Today's podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp. Click to receive 10% off your first month with your own licensed professional therapist: betterhelp.com/ramdass

In this episode, Ram Dass explores:

The nature of suffering and how we create more suffering even as we try to address itHis own journey of somebody-ness and becoming a separate entityThe connection between emptiness and compassion when it comes to dealing with sufferingThe predicament of the personality and how individualism became a cultural infatuation in the Western worldHow we can ultimately escape from the prison of separateness

This podcast is also brought to you by Magic Mind. Magic Mind contains a magical combination of 13 active ingredients, scientifically designed to improve energy, focus, and mood while decreasing stress ? all things that, combined, improve your productivity. For 50% off your subscription to Magic Mind, visit magicmind.co/ramdass

?The exercises are to cultivate awareness that is not trapped by the identification with experiences. The exercise is, to the extent that you are dancing in form, to play the most fun game, that is, dancing with the beloved.? ? Ram Dass

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this epic conclusion to the story of the Ramayana, Ram Dass recounts the heroic actions of Hanuman as he helps Ram rescue Sita and defeat the demon king, Ravana. 

Before you begin this episode, be sure to listen to Here and Now Ep. 224: The Story of Hanuman and the Ramayana, Part 1

Want to be part of the discussion about this episode of Here and Now? Join the Ram Dass Fellowship virtual meetup on May 16th at 8 pm EDT, sign up for the General Fellowship group here to receive more information.

Today's podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp. Click to receive 10% off your first month with your own licensed professional therapist: betterhelp.com/ramdass

In this episode of Here and Now:

We continue the story of the Ramayana with Hanuman landing in Sri Lanka, where he lets Sita know that Ram is coming for her and gives Ravana more than he bargained forWe learn how Hanuman returns to Ram, and then a great bridge to Sri Lanka is built for Ram?s army of monkeys and bears to confront Ravana and his demons in a final battleWe hear the epic conclusion of the story, and Ram Dass offers us Ravana?s perspective on why he needed to be killed by Ram in order to complete his yogaRam Dass shares the story of how he had a Hanuman statue built and shipped to the Hanuman Temple in Taos, New Mexico

?Now think of Sita as the devotee. Hanuman is the messenger from God that comes to the devotee to reassure the devotee that God has not forgotten. In other words, Hanuman is the grace. Can you hear that? So now she?s tasted the grace, like many of you have tasted grace, and then Hanuman says, ?I?ve got to leave you.? Imagine how that must feel. It?s like coming down. I just want you to feel 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.

In this bonus episode, Ram Dass explores methods available for seeing through our conditioning and navigating life on more than one plane of awareness. Raghu Markus returns to share a special excerpt from Ram Dass around dealing with suffering and the traps of the ego by seeing with a "Soul View". 

Ram Dass discusses:

The way we get caught when experiencing sufferingLearning to be with suffering, instead of running from itSoul View and what it means to live on two planes of awareness

This teaching is part of a 4-week long Yoga of Heartfulness online course featuring teachings from Ram Dass and friends. Learn more about this 10 hour course: Ram Dass' Yoga of Heartfulness

"So at that point, I turned my efforts around and I looked at life - and realized that I had to embrace my humanity into my being to be free." 

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Settle in for a treat as Ram Dass shares the first part of the story of the Ramayana, which features the monkey god, Hanuman, as he serves lord Ram on the journey to defeat Ravana.

Want to be part of the discussion about this episode of Here and Now? Join the Ram Dass Fellowship virtual meetup on May 2nd at 3pm EDT, sign up for the General Fellowship group here to receive more information.

Today's podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp. Click to receive 10% off your first month with your own licensed professional therapist: betterhelp.com/ramdass

In this episode:

Ram Dass introduces the story of the Ramayana and sets up the villain, the 10-headed demon, RavanaRam Dass describes how Brahma took birth as Ram in order to defeat Ravana He shares how Ram grew up a noble prince, but was ultimately banished from his kingdom and sent to live in the forest with his wife, Sita, and his brother, LaxmanRam Dass talks about Ravana?s obsession with Sita and how he kidnaps her away from RamHe introduces the great monkey god, Hanuman, who is eager to serve RamRam Dass reads to us about Hanuman?s quest to find Sita and his leap of faith across an ocean ? the greatest leap ever taken

Stay tuned for the conclusion of this epic story, premiering May 8th 2023!

?And he?s very dedicated. Hanuman has come to Earth just to serve Ram. Hanuman is so devoted to Ram that he is like your breath is to your body. He is known as the breath of Ram. He lives so close that he is an example of the way in which, when you?ve totally dedicated yourself to God, you have all the powers to serve, to do everything you need to do, as you will see in a minute.? ? Ram Dass

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this recording from 1982, Ram Dass answers a wide range of questions, including how we can find freedom from fear, plus leads a meditation on how to tune into our intuition.

Want to be part of the discussion about this episode of Here and Now? Join the Ram Dass Fellowship virtual meetup on April 18th at 8pm EDT, sign up for the General Fellowship group here to receive more information.

Today's podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp. Click to receive 10% off your first month with your own licensed professional therapist: betterhelp.com/ramdass

In this episode, Ram Dass answers questions about:

What it?s like to be on stageDetachment and compassionThe individuality of the soulThe issue of rebirthFreedom from fearHow to tune into one?s intuition and follow one?s heart

?Fear comes out of your identification with your separateness. As long you are separate, you are identified with that which is in time and space. And that which is in time and space is changing. You are identified with something which is changing all the time, and that has inherent within it fear. So inherent within your identification with separateness is fear. The freedom from fear comes from the identification with that in you which is not the separate forms, which is not stuff, but lies behind stuff. And the minute you identify with that, you are no longer afraid.? ? Ram Dass

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Raghu Markus is back to introduce us to something exciting happening on Youtube - Ram Dass Lofi Radio!

Listen to classic talks from Ram Dass, set to soothing lo-fi tracks - always live, 24/7, on the Ram Dass Youtube Channel: youtube.com/@BabaRamDassChannel

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this Q&A session from 1982, Ram Dass answers questions about astral melodramas, therapy, the dance of sexual energy, the story of Hanuman, and more.

Want to be part of the discussion about this episode of Here and Now? Join the Ram Dass Fellowship virtual meetup on April 4th at 3pm EDT, sign up for the General Fellowship group here to receive more information.

Today's podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp. Click to receive 10% off your first month with your own licensed professional therapist: betterhelp.com/ramdass

In this episode, Ram Dass explores:

Astral melodramas, such as predictions from Nostradamus and conspiracy theories involving the Illuminati, and why he doesn?t put much stock in themHis recent experiences with therapy and why he thinks it can be helpfulDesire systems, relationships, and the dance of sexual energyDeath and working with people who are dying

?So, finally, sexuality that comes out of a deeper part of your being, that?s what?s called tantra. Because then the sexual energies keep liberating and moving energy and opening up and tuning you to greater and greater energies, and bringing you deeper into the Oneness. The One involves its dance of the two, and through this process of magnetism and the two, it keeps liberating energy back into the One. So it?s the dance of two to One to two to One to two to One, and that?s this dance of sexual energy.? ? Ram Dass

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this recording from the 1980s, Ram Dass explores the concept of merging with God, leads a visualization meditation for opening the heart, and talks about bringing spirit into form.

Want to be part of the discussion about this episode of Here and Now? Join the Ram Dass Fellowship virtual meetup on March 21st at 8pm EST, sign up for the General Fellowship group here to receive more information.

Today's podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp. Click to receive 10% off your first month with your own licensed professional therapist: betterhelp.com/ramdass

In this episode of Here and Now:

Ram Dass answers a question about how we merge with God, using Anandamayi Ma as the perfect example of love for GodRam Dass leads a guided visualization meditation that serves as a technique for opening the heart and is part of Bhakti yogaRam Dass talks about accepting our responsibility as a spiritual entity for enlightening the world and how we are all conversion vehicles for bringing spirit into form

?If there?s a great sadness in you, just let it go. Breathe it out, you don?t need it. If there?s anger, if you?ve been hurt, if you have pain. Don?t demand that it go away, you might breathe it out and you?ll still feel sadness, it may be such a deep reservoir of sadness. But just what you can let go of, let go of. And then fill with this very fine healing mist.? ? Ram Dass

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Ram Dass talks about what it means to hear our dharma and our part in the dance and why we need to listen to our hearts to hear which spiritual method is the right one for us.

Today's podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp. Click to receive 10% off your first month with your own licensed professional therapist: betterhelp.com/ramdass

Want to be part of the discussion about this episode of Here and Now? Join the Ram Dass Fellowship virtual meetup on March 7th at 3pm EST, sign up for the General Fellowship group here to receive more information.

In this episode, Ram Dass explores:

The intensity of the melodrama of life, and why the game only gets interesting when we have total involvement with no attachmentHearing our dharma in order to hear our part in the game; even Ravana and Richard Nixon were just playing their partsThe impact that coming into contact with so many different teachers and methods had on his spiritual developmentSpiritual transformation and issues of faithListening to the heart to hear which spiritual method is the right one for your personal journey

?To look at the universe and see all of the forces ? the heavy ones, the light ones, the destructive ones, the creative ones ? to find what your part is in it. And if your part is that of the Bodhisattva, that of reducing the suffering of all human beings, and that?s all your work is, you just do it and do it and do it until there is no you in there, there is merely this instrument for the relieving of suffering of all beings. And that is one of the parts of the dance, of which another and equally important [part] of the dance is that which creates all the suffering in the universe. That?s what?s so far out about 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.

In this powerful recording from 1974, Ram Dass talks about dealing with the death of his guru, working with the concept of dharma, and connecting to our inner wisdom and intuition.

Want to be part of the discussion about this episode of Here and Now? Join the Ram Dass Fellowship virtual meetup on February 21st at 8pm EST, sign up for the General Fellowship group here to receive more information.

Today's podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp. Click to receive 10% off your first month with your own licensed professional therapist: betterhelp.com/ramdass

In this episode of Here and Now:

Ram Dass talks about receiving the news of the death of his guru, Maharajji, and how he reacted to itHe tells stories of Maharajji, reflecting on the complex nature of his guru and the feelings he experienced while in his presenceRam Dass explores working with the concept of dharmaHe talks about the importance of trusting our hearts and connecting to our inner wisdom and intuition, or the guru within

Help others improve their mental and emotional well-being, reduce stress, improve focus, increase self-awareness and self-regulation ? all while deepening your own practice and understanding.

Join Buddhist teacher David Nichtern and special guest Professor Robert Thurman for a free online program on Tuesday, February 14th at 6:00pm ET. Visit dharmamoon.com/beherenow for more info and to reserve your spot for the free info session!

?And every now and then, my mind would float away to, ?Far out, Maharajji died.? And I?d experience him saying to me, ?Just attend to your business. Cut out all that melodramatic crap. Just do your thing.? I was looking to get into a little self-pity place, you know, ?Oh, God, Maharajji!?? ? Ram Dass

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this recording from 1985, Ram Dass leads a meditation on the qualities of awareness, answers questions from the audience, and leads a rousing round of Jubilate Deo. 

In this episode of Here and Now:

Ram Dass begins with a guided meditation focusing on the qualities of awareness, which include spaciousness, equanimity, and loveRam Dass answers questions from the audience on a variety of topics, including reconciling suffering and grace, the crossroads of spirituality and politics, the process of learning to love yourself, assisted suicide, homophobia, and encountering sadness during meditationRam Dass ends by leading the audience in singing ?Jubilate Deo? in a six-part round

Today's podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp. Click to receive 10% off your first month with your own licensed professional therapist: betterhelp.com/ramdass

Want to be part of the discussion about this episode of Here and Now? Join the Ram Dass Fellowship virtual meetup on February 7th at 8pm EST, sign up for the General Fellowship group here to receive more information.

?May each of us become such clear and pure instruments of light, of love, of presence, of clarity, of equanimity, that the light of spirit pours through our every cell and everybody we meet is touched by living spirit, no matter how we meet them, in whatever role in life. Then, where we are, everywhere we look we will see flowers blooming. It?s what the sun sees when it looks down from above. What grace. What incredible grace.? ? Ram Dass

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this moving and humorous talk about using the stuff of life to get free, Ram Dass shares how we can celebrate spirit through service by merging our divinity with our humanity.

This episode of Here and Now is a continuation of the talk started in Episode 216 ? From Psychedelics to Service

Today's podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp. Click to receive 10% off your first month with your own licensed professional therapist: betterhelp.com/ramdass

In this episode, Ram Dass talks about:

Moving home to care for his elderly father and how that became a method for himGetting called away from a meditation retreat to help out his cancer-stricken stepmotherLarry Brilliant and the founding of the Seva FoundationHow the Seva Foundation put service into action on a very large scaleThe difference between the Sanskrit words Dharma and SevaThe paradox of suffering

NEW Meditation Series: Pause, Breathe, Be Here Now with Ram Dass, Sharon Salzberg, Jack Kornfield, Tara Brach, Joseph Goldstein, John Lockley, Ram Dev, Trudy Goodman, Lama Tsultrim Allione?FREE January 16 to 25. Sit in true peace, love, and tranquility. Join thousands of people around the world for this collective meditation experience: onecommune.com/ramdass

Want to be part of the discussion about this episode of Here and Now? Join the Ram Dass Fellowship virtual meetup, sign up for the General Fellowship group here to receive more information.

?So you end up understanding that you serve in order to work on yourself, and you work on yourself in order to be a better instrument of service. And you can feel the circle work, you can just feel that circle work.? ? Ram Dass

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Raghu Markus returns to lead us into the new year with a talk from Ram Dass that reminds us of our interconnectedness and the need to keep our hearts turned toward the spirit of generosity.

Today's podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp. Click to receive 10% off your first month with your own licensed professional therapist: betterhelp.com/ramdass

Do you want to share what you learned from the most recent episode of the Here and Now podcast with a like-minded community? Join the Ram Dass Fellowship virtual meetup on January 3rd at 8 pm EST. Sign up for the General Fellowship group to receive more information.

"You and I came out of an undifferentiated identity with all things, then we learned we were separate.

But you have had many experiences in your life, one way or another, where you have felt that kind of connection with all things. Maybe it is lying under the stars. Maybe it occurred in church. Maybe it occurred whenever you transcended your separateness. It could have occurred in a traumatic experience. It could have occurred when you lost someone you loved. It could have occurred chemically. It could have occurred through meditation or a thousand ways it could occur.

You see the predicament is, once you have experienced that connection with all things - and that is part of your humanity too - then you don't know what to do with that. So you end up denying it to go back into your separateness. You live with this predicament, this tension that is created by the statement, 'We are all one, but it's my television set." - Ram Dass

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Ram Dass explores how his psychedelic awakening and quest to always stay high started him on a path to take the curriculum of being human and use service as a means to get free.

Today's podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp. Click to receive 10% off your first month with your own licensed professional therapist: betterhelp.com/ramdass

Want to be part of the discussion about this episode of Here and Now? Join the Ram Dass Fellowship virtual meetup on January 3rd at 8 pm EST. Sign up for the General Fellowship group to receive more information.

?You have to work with your attractions as well as your aversions. Many of you are good at working with attractions; you get a little weak on the aversions...Don?t rush, it?s all right. There?s lots of time, and we?re human and it?s not an error.? ? Ram Dass

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This episode is the second of a two-part extended release of Here and Now's first episode.

In this mind-bending and perspective-altering conclusion to one of his most famous early talks, Ram Dass explores some of the different methods available to us on this spiritual journey.

Today's podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp. Click to receive 10% off your first month with your own licensed professional therapist: betterhelp.com/ramdass

?The final place one gets to is that one has a dial that is completely flexible and you can bring in all levels at all times and you see how it is at every level all the time. Because what in fact is going on is you are living at a certain vibrational rate, and that?s what makes it all seem real to you. And you change that vibrational rate just a tiny bit and all of this is gone and something else is 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.

This episode is the first of a two-part extended release of Here and Now's first episode.

In part one of this classic talk from 1969, Ram Dass shares the experiences of his journey to that point in time, from Harvard professor to psychedelic explorer to finding his guru in India.

Today's podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp. Click to receive 10% off your first month with your own licensed professional therapist: betterhelp.com/ramdass

?I now knew what it was that I was reaching for; I understood the possibility, but I didn?t know how to get there.? ? Ram Dass

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

David Silver joins Raghu to discuss ?Brilliant Disguise,? the new documentary exploring K.C. Tewari and his relationship to Maharaj-ji. In this special bonus episode of the Here and Now Podcast, Raghu and David share teachings from Ram Dass that further explore the film?s themes of grace, devotion and love.

Brilliant Disguise tells the unique story of a group of inspired Western spiritual seekers from the 60s, who in meeting the great American teacher, Ram Dass, followed him to India to meet his Guru, Neem Karoli Baba, familiarly known as Maharaji. Two days before he left his body, Maharaji instructed K.C. Tewari to take care of the Westerners, which he did resolutely until the day he died in 1997.K.C. Tewari?in the guise of a headmaster of a boys school in the foothills of the Himalayas?was secretly a High Yogi, frequently able to go into altered states of trance, known as Samadhi, at any moment.

Featuring Krishna Das, Jai Uttal, Raghu Markus, Radha Baum, and others?including K.C?s two sons, as well as rare archival interviews with K.C. himself?Brilliant Disguise is set in the stunning backdrop of India and is adorned with spectacular and moving footage from the 1989 Maha Kumbha Mela ? the largest spiritual gathering in the world, attended by K.C. and the group of Westerners featured throughout this colorful biopic.

This film is the story of a man who represents the intrinsic potential in all human beings to live in direct contact with the Divine Presence. K.C. chose to live within the humble disguise of a husband and school teacher. The brilliance is K.C.?s ability at a moment?s notice to go beyond himself into sublime states of consciousness.

Watch Brilliant Disguise Here

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Continuing his conversation with Mirabai Bush and Sharon Salzberg from our previous episode, Ram Dass explores the path from suffering to grace and talks about the lessons he learned from his stroke.

This recording was made at the 2012 Open Your Heart in Paradise retreat in Maui. Check out the first half of this conversation: Bhakti and The Path of Love

Today's podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp. Click to receive 10% off your first month with your own licensed professional therapist: betterhelp.com/ramdass

Want to be part of the discussion about this episode of Here and Now? Join the Ram Dass Fellowship virtual meetup on November 22nd at 8 pm EST. Sign up for the General Fellowship group to receive more information.

?I remember the moment I got there. I was in the hospital, but all of the people around me were like, ?Oh, terrible, terrible stroke, terrible.? I looked up at Maharajji and he was smiling and smiling, in a picture. And I said to him, ?You always gave me grace in my life. What happened to you? I was stroked. Did you go out for lunch or something?? And the positive radiations continue to come from him. So that was fierce grace.? ? Ram Dass

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

From the 2012 Open Your Heart in Paradise retreat in Maui, Ram Dass is joined by Mirabai Bush and Sharon Salzberg for a freeform jam session dedicated to the path of love.

Today's podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp. Click to receive 10% off your first month with your own licensed professional therapist: betterhelp.com/ramdass

"I was meditating on loving everything. I looked at the wall, and I loved the wall. Well, I said, ?It?s God?s manifestation. I love it for that reason. People created it. It?s made of cells? each one has God in it.? But I couldn?t rationalize it, I just loved it. I love it. Just this, just this.? ? Ram Dass

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this dharma talk from the 1980s, Ram Dass talks about hearing what our part in the dance is, opening to form to find the emptiness, and tapping into the higher connections of our intuitive minds.

Today's podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp. Click to receive 10% off your first month with your own licensed professional therapist: betterhelp.com/ramdass

This episode is also sponsored by Pengwee?s Breath by Debbie Nutley, an award-winning children?s picture book designed for 4-7 year-olds. A great tool for teaching mindfulness to children.

Order your copy today: Pengwee's Breath

Want to be part of the discussion about this episode of Here and Now? Join the Ram Dass Fellowship virtual meetup on October 25th at 8 pm EDT. Sign up for the General Fellowship group to receive more information.

?But first, if you?re going to hear the message, the unique message of your incarnation, the unique message of your manifestation, the unique message in which you will find the emptiness, the form in which you will find the emptiness, you must open to the form. You must allow the form.? ? Ram Dass

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In the Q&A session from the 1990s, Ram Dass takes on questions about eating animals and inner work, psychedelics, burnout in service, and dealing with the death of a child.

Today's podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp. Click to receive 10% off your first month with your own licensed professional therapist: betterhelp.com/ramdass

Want to be part of the discussion about this episode of Here and Now? Join the Ram Dass Fellowship virtual meetup on October 11th at 3 pm EDT. Sign up for the General Fellowship group to receive more information. 

?There?s a part of the love that (exists) that is invulnerable to the winds of change, of coming and going. And it?s very hard when you?re missing the form so much to hear that other reality that exists between the two of you. And yet, that?s there.? ? Ram Dass

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this talk from 1987, Ram Dass explores the cusp between form and formless, how he learned to love all the faces of the Beloved, and how our work on ourselves is a vehicle to liberation.

Today's podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp. Click to receive 10% off your first month with your own licensed professional therapist: betterhelp.com/ramdass

Want to be part of the discussion about this episode of Here and Now? Join the Ram Dass Fellowship virtual meetup on September 27th at 8 pm EDT.  Sign up for the General Fellowship group to receive more information. 

?Just what?s on your plate, that?s your vehicle to liberation. If you?re turning away from anything, it?s got you. As you cultivate the emptiness and start to feel safe in the formless, you will be able to dive more deeply into the form. Most people are afraid of the form that are on the spiritual journey, for fear they?ll get lost in it. When you really want truth and want freedom, you need have no fear. You?ll go under for a moment, but you?ll come up.? ? Ram Dass

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this Q&A session from 1990, Ram Dass responds to questions about suicide, immortality, abortion, how to deal with evil, population growth, and how to play the game impeccably.

Today's podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp. Click to receive 10% off your first month with your own licensed professional therapist: betterhelp.com/ramdass

Want to be part of the discussion about this episode of Here and Now? Join the Ram Dass Fellowship virtual meetup on September 13th at 3 pm EDT.  Sign up for the General Fellowship group to receive more information.

?I do this because I do this. You?re here because you?re here. What happens is what happens. That?s where impeccability lies.? ? Ram Dass

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this dharma talk from the 1990s, Ram Dass explores the nature of the spiritual journey, getting free with the practice of karma yoga, and formulas for liberation.

Today's podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp. Click to receive 10% off your first month with your own licensed professional therapist: betterhelp.com/ramdass

Want to be part of the discussion about this episode of Here and Now? Join the Ram Dass Fellowship virtual meetup on August 30th at 8 pm EDT.  Sign up for the General Fellowship group to receive more information.

Production Note: In this episode, it is stated that this is part one of a two-part episode. This episode actually contains both parts one and two combined.

----

Learn more about how you can support Be Here Now Network shows like Ram Dass' Here and Now podcast through our 6th-Anniversary Fundraiser Drive - win tickets to the Ram Dass Legacy retreat in Maui, shop limited edition BHNNxBrunofsky merch and more: https://beherenownetwork.com/fundraiser

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this dharma talk from the 1990s, Ram Dass speaks about shifting contexts to shift consciousness, cultivating the Witness to curb our reactivity and entering the state known as choiceless awareness.

Today's podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp. Click to receive 10% off your first month with your own licensed professional therapist: betterhelp.com/ramdass

Want to be part of the discussion about this episode of Here and Now? Join the Ram Dass Fellowship virtual meetup on August 16th at 3 pm EDT.  Sign up for the General Fellowship group to receive more information.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this Q&A session from 1987, Ram Dass answers questions about meditation, service, and his relationship with his guru, plus he talks about the way we help each other get free.

Today's podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp. Click to receive 10% off your first month with your own licensed professional therapist: betterhelp.com/ramdass

Want to be part of the discussion about this episode of Here and Now? Join the Ram Dass Fellowship virtual meetup on August 2nd at 8 pm EDT.  Sign up for the General Fellowship group to receive more information.

"So, this part is where we do that and we just keep reaching for the truth together because that?s really the highest thing we can offer each other, that?s the way we help each other get free.? ? Ram Dass

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this recording from 1991, Ram Dass explores the components of meditation and how the thinking mind keeps trapping awareness, plus leads a guided meditation focused on the breath.

Today's podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp. Click to receive 10% off your first month with your own licensed professional therapist: betterhelp.com/ramdass

Want to join the discussion about this episode of Here and Now? Join the Ram Dass Fellowship virtual meetup on July 19 at 8 pm EDT.  Sign up for the General Fellowship group to receive more information.

?There are a number of components to meditation. As you begin to understand more clearly the way in which the mind, the thinking mind, keeps trapping the awareness, more and more you yearn to draw your awareness back from thought. Because the thoughts are like a river of thoughts coming forth and each one saying, ?Think me, think me, I?m real.?? ? Ram Dass

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.