In this talk from 1970, Ram Dass talks about the role of the holy person and what it means to share darshan from both the perspective of the devotee and the guru.
Show Notes
Stop Talking, Stop Thinking, Just Be (Opening) – Ram Dass examines our journey of awakening as understood by dual and non-dual philosophies.
“How can we use this gathering as an exercise in order to help ourselves on the way? Because there is nothing else to do anyway but become enlightened.”
Tripping on Holy Men (22:40) – The role of the holy person, who gives glimpses of the Divine to others like the Sadhus of India, is quite a trip. Ram Dass shares his unique perspective of having been on both sides of the darshan experience and discusses the quality of surrender they both demand.
“When it first happened in India that somebody touched my feet, I got very uncomfortable because I felt like an over-aged hippie dilettante or whatever else you might call me, but I did not feel like a holy man.”
Further explore the rule of the guru with Ram Dass on Ep. 53 of the Here and Now Podcast.
Burning Away Desires (44:45) – Ram Dass shares the exercise he learned from Chinese Buddhist monks that allows one to focus by letting go of everything but the breath.
“When you are still addicted to your rational mind, the game is to bring it down to one point. Hold that one point and then watch everything else do its dance – all the feelings, all the body sensation, all the thoughts going by like so much hamburger.”
