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.
“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
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.
“I also want to say that reincarnation is a hype. Now that I’ve said that it’s all real, it is as real as this is. If you think this is real, then that’s real. Once you see this is more of the dream stuff, then that’s the dream stuff too. Because when you finally awaken back into the One, you realize that you never went anywhere and nothing happened anyway. The whole thing was just like a little dream your mind was playing. So it’s dreams within dreams within dreams.” – Ram Dass
I’ve been a Ram Dass fan since the 1960’s and have always loved the man. I have many of his old tape recordings that I still listen to at night. I tried listening to the podcast of his old talks. The ads I can understand, as you need to have money to run your business. The long and rambling explanations of the podcasts I find unbearable. Why do you feel it is necessary to describe, in any way, to give a precis of the talks of Ram Dass? He speaks by himself, for himself, for me. Absolutely no need, in my opinion, to have anyone expound on his words and concepts. I find it insulting and boring and annoying. Please consider stopping this practice. Thank you.
Hi Bonnie, thanks for the feedback. Everyone has their opinions and preferences, as we all know, and the beauty of podcasts is that you can fast forward to any time code you’d like, so simply feel free to skip the intros if you’d prefer that. Take care!