Ram Dass on Conscious Aging

Recorded at the Conscious Aging conference sponsored by the Omega Institute in 1992 on the nature of change and facing death with Ram Dass. This conscious aging conference was the first of its kind on aging. Ram Dass had just turned sixty.

In other cultures besides America, there are different feelings about aging. In India, one of his friends said, “Ram Dass, you are looking so old and gray.” Ram Dass at first took that as criticism, but in India it was meant as a compliment. Other cultures revere their old people as part of the families. The old and the young are wise fools together. In America we have an “aging problem.” In many cultures, aging was built in a natural way. Ram Dass moved from a typewriter to a computer, telling himself that “old dogs can learn new tricks.” The zeal for independence has left us out of balance, so that we are not a part of the community. Most of us are living in urban areas where we are exposed mostly to the projections of the human mind. We are rarely in nature enough to be a part of the cycles of birth, death, and aging. It is a horrible beauty in nature that we have shielded ourselves from, but we are afraid to look at aging and death…

Conscious Aging & Beyond

Conscious aging is a collection of unforgettable learning sessions developed by Ram Dass. In addition to the subject of conscious aging, Ram Dass has cultivated teachings on love, compassion, sacrifice and beyond. His focus on conscious aging brings into focus an issue that everyone can relate to- the fear of aging and death. Ram Dass emphasizes that the idea that when you lose your fear of death, you have the ability to gain a love for life. His spiritual discussion is an important one and a lesson that people of all ages can relate to. This masterwork will speak to anyone who takes the time to listen or read it. Many will find an inherent sense of peace in these important learning sessions and will be able to understand that one’s final years of life can be just as creative and fulfilling as the early years.