Each day, we witness or experience love in countless ways. Love is demonstrated through small favors, gifts, and kisses and hugs. We express or hear “I love you” as we
Love at the Root Recently, Ram Dass’s beloved guru brother, Krishna Kumar (KK) Sah, passed away at his home in Nainital, India. The impact that KK had on Ram Dass,
Mindfulness as a Daily Habit… All of us can remember those first moments of clear presence and mindfulness when we realized there is a path to inner freedom. Once that
Ram Dass (born Richard Alpert; April 6, 1931 at Boston, MA) died peacefully at his home on December 22, 2019, on Maui. Memorial services in Maui and Taos, NM, will
When Ram Dass returned to the United States from India in August 1972 after being with his guru, Neem Karoli Baba (Maharaji), he appeared on a radio show and spoke
“Things are quiet here. Spring begins to overflow into the valley and crawls up the side of the mountain. The buzzards and hummingbirds have noticed, returning about an hour apart.
“Ever since I met her when she was a teenager at the Lama Foundation, Mirabai Starr has been absorbed in the teachings of the great mystic saints, especially the women.
In the East, holy beings are often referred to as ‘saints’. The term ‘saint’ (referring to holy beings) has different connotations in different cultures. In Catholic Church a saint is
We all know our humanity too well. That is why we put the focus on recognizing the part of us that isn’t stuck in the human-ness. Not to deny our
There have been many dark ages throughout history. As we now enter into a seismic shift within our government, and within our collective consciousness, we can’t help but empathize with
Ram Dass explores one of the most difficult teachings that he was given by Maharaj-ji. He discusses the curriculum of life that unfolds when we shift to an identity. Grounded
Ram Dass is joined by Larry Brilliant for a conversation about the miracle that was Maharajji and how we can bring the love and compassion that he radiated into the
The following excerpt is from a Ram Dass lecture that took place in 1973, before Neem Karoli Baba left his body. Talking about Neem Karoli Baba (Maharaji), I get speechless.
Why Were You Angry? “Forgiveness is the greatest weapon, because a saint so armed is unperturbable… he can give up anger immediately.” – Neem Karoli Baba. A young fellow once
An Umbrella of Protection In 1967 R.P. Vaish, a devotee of Baba’s, came to Kainchi to see Baba. He was being transferred to Delhi, and he told Baba that he
Winter Camp As I have said before, when I first met Babaji I was not at all interested in sadhus or saints. It was out of sheer grace that he
How Do I Know? Someone recently asked me what it was like to be around Maharaji. As a child, all I remember was that it was great fun. As I
The Master Gardener The words and apples and tea and silences and laughter were all washed in a continuous river of love that poured forth from Maharajji. The devotees who “knew”
I find that in this culture, every time I say I have a guru, I feel like I am holding up a red flag to people, because they say, “Well,
As Richard Alpert – the student – I was attracted to psychology. I wanted a way to understand how my mind worked and explore my human identity. The state of
In this interview, Ram Dass talks with Unity Magazine editor Katy Koontz about aging, living, dying, and who we really, really are. Katy Koontz: How are you feeling these days?
For some years in California, a young man came to my lectures in a bed, brought in a bed. He was a quadriplegic. He could not speak. He was about
Ram Dass gathers with Sharon Salzberg and Krishna Das to talk about the love of the Guru. Krishna Das and Ram Dass share their experiences with Neem Karoli Baba and
Durante el verano de 1973 me estaba quedando en la granja de mi padre en New Hampshire, y fue allí donde llego el telegrama en Septiembre. Mi padre y mi
Ram Dass gives a moving talk on the Guru’s grace and the story of how he received a true secret teaching from his own Guru. Recorded in June 1973, Ram
My path is the path of Guru Kripa, which means ‘grace of the guru’. It seems like a sort of strange path in the West, but my path involves my
Awaken Fully First of all, we have to understand that we are humans who are awakening to an awarenesses of soul, if you want to use that term. We’re awakening
Ram Dass and Raghu Markus have a conversation around social action and keeping our quietness and love. Ram Dass talks about balancing ourselves, social responsibility, why he puts President Trump
Meditation is basic spiritual practice for quieting the mind and getting in touch with our deeper Self, the spirit. Meditation provides a deeper appreciation of the interrelatedness of all things
Maharajji said to me, “Love everyone, serve everyone, and remember God.” …and I have been trying to do what he told me. So, on this one trip I took the Greyhound
I have met people who seem to be happy with very little, and I’ve met people who seem very unhappy with an awful lot. I was teaching a fellow to
Ram Dass tells the story of Maharaji arranging the reunion of a barber and his son by appearing in two places at one time “More profound than miracles is the
Dale Borglum is the founder and Executive Director of A Living/Dying Project. He is a pioneer in the conscious dying movement and has worked directly with thousands of people with
“The heart of a saint is like butter, but it’s not, because it melts for the sufferings of others, not only its own…” – Maharajji We have been through thousands
< On this special Here and Now podcast, we feature our new book ‘Love Everyone’, stories of the Westerners who heard about Neem Karoli Baba through Ram Dass and went
Using dualism to step into non-dualism, through the Heart, is the essence of the Bhakti path. Ram Dass explains his personal journey in attempting to be an instrument of the
Krishna Das talks about taking Maharajji for a drive to the Ganga in his VW bus. Order “Love Everyone – The Transcendent Wisdom of Neem Karoli Baba told through the
Sita tells a story of meeting Neem Karoli Baba without even realizing it, and how that interaction transformed the rest of her life. Order “Love Everyone – The Transcendent Wisdom
The way we use the term ‘guru’ in the west (since we don’t understand it very well) is like a sort of ‘super teacher’. There are a lot of people that
How can we cultivate surrender? How can we develop a relationship to the Guru? In this 20 minute video, Ram Dass describes his relationship to his Guru, Maharaji, as a
In this episode, Members of Ram Dass’ Satsang Mirabai Bush, Raghu Markus and Danny Goleman hang out and talk about Danny’s new book with HH Dalai Lama – A Force
A husband and wife tell the following story: Husband: I was working in Calcutta in the smallpox program. It was one of those times when I was having a tiny
On one occasion, KK invited me to join him and his cousin ML in an evening drive out to Kainchi to deliver some lamps and supplies that had been purchased
In this excerpt from Miracle of Love: Stories about Neem Karoli Baba, Ram Dass discusses what surrender is really about. Ram Dass shares how to not get stuck in righteousness and move
“Christ was lost in love.” – Neem Karoli Baba Prayer, sitting with a picture of a holy being, singing to the Beloved – all of these are devotional meditative practices,
The variations in Maharaji’s use of the word “jao” were infinite – from a bellow (sometimes preceded by “Ap [you]!”) for the recalcitrant to a tender, “Jao, Ma…” as he
My wife had met Maharaji and had come to get me in America to bring me back to meet him. When we first went to see Maharaji I was put
“Patience is a priceless possession. Exert yourself always to nourish it.” – Sri Ram Thakur India has been blessed with the incarnations of many powerful and mystic saints and religious
Download the eBook Here: iBooks for Mac Amazon Kindle Nook “In 1967 I met Neem Karoli Baba, a meeting which changed the course of my life. In the depth of
Once I found myself becoming very angry while at Maharaji’s temple. Most of the anger was directed against my fellow Western devotees. Although there were perhaps some justifiable reasons for
If there is one day in a life that was the end of one thing and the beginning of another thing that was the day I met Ram Dass… Before
Regarding the question of whether you need a guru: there are stages in your development where you need a guru. However, you’ve got to understand what a guru is. A
One day in 1968 Maharaji sent word that a group of nine of us would go for a ride in the Land Rover. After one stop at an apple orchard,
When the flower blooms, the bees come uninvited. —RAMAKRISHNA We came to Maharajji’s feet, impelled by our yearning for the living spirit and drawn by his light. We came from Europe
Not everyone who met Maharajji was “opened” or “awakened” at the initial visit. Many came, enjoyed a pleasant visit, and left apparently unaffected. They seemed to have “no business” with
If I am in my soul, when I look at others, I see their souls. I still see the individual differences – men and women, rich and poor, attractive and
What was to be Maharajji’s final day at Kainchi was spent in darshan, kirtan, and prayers. Both Indian and Western devotees were gathered. Maharajji was asking after everyone at the temple
“Meditation is good, one can attain a pure mind by one-pointedness and detachment. Meditate upon one point and you will know God.” – Maharaji Maharaji would sometimes say, “What do
I was carrying a burden of doubt when I returned to India to see Maharaj-ji in 1970. In America there was a boy who had been my student who had
God Plays the Lila In my youth I had taken a vow not to get married, from the day my aunt, who had raised me, died. My family tried to
During the summer of 1973 I was staying at my father’s farm in New Hampshire, and was there in September when the telegram arrived. My father and my stepmother, looking
The minute you know that there is somebody who knows it all, you are free. Because all your secrets become absurd, because somebody knows everything about you and they say,
Ram Dass reflects on conscientiously dosing Maharaji with LSD In 1967 when I first came to India, I brought with me a supply of LSD, hoping to find someone who
Dentro de mí hay un mantra continuo que me recuerda quién soy. Es ese lugar dentro ’ ese hueco en la pared donde la llama de la vela nunca titila.
During the months I was in yogi training at Maharaj-ji’s little temple in the hills, I got really high. It felt like light was pouring out of my head. At one point
Babaji was known as a great saint — a highly realized soul with all the spiritual powers. Writing about Baba, Swami Vijayananda, a disciple of Anandamayi Ma, called him “a
“When you are with someone you love very much, you can talk and it is pleasant, but the reality is not in the conversation. It is simply in being together.
The following is an excerpt from Ram Dass’ new book, “Polishing the Mirror” – which is out now. Also available on Audiobook. Listen to samples here. Leer el extracto en Español. Inside of me
On the morning of September 8, Maharajji called for me and we talked privately for three-quarters of an hour on various subjects. After that I saw him again at four
One day when we Westerners had been sent to the rear of the temple grounds, as was usual during the day, I decided (for sentimental reasons) to go upstairs in
Being in the presence of dying people keeps me close to the edge of my own awakening. Love touches time and turns it to dust. Love is beyond the reach
Years back I’d heard a tale of horror, which happened to a young French girl traveling through India. She’d been fascinated by Aghori sadhus, who have a reputation for being
What I experienced at that time of meeting Maharaji, in fact, within those first few minutes of meeting him was the experience of surrender which was no surrender. In other
A guru is somebody who is a pure mirror, so pure that when you meet that being you immediately see where you are caught. Ram Dass talks about the mirror
Ram Dass tells stories of his experiences in India that expanded his consciousness and allowed him to see the true potential of human beings. The miraculous events that happened with
Where do you feel that saints or realized beings fit into the evolution of consciousness, and what part do they play in the scheme of things, both inside the body
The following is an excerpt from a Ram Dass lecture from Listening Heart, Relationships, & Appreciating the Beloved from the Summer of 1989. It is his response to a question from an
On this episode of the Here and Now Podcast, Ram Dass examines our perception of identity and asks us to look beyond the veil of illusion between our true selves
On this episode of the Here and Now Podcast, Ram Dass teaches the Buddha’s Four Noble Truths and shares the lessons he was taught about overcoming desire while in India. Click
Ram Dass talks about the trials he experienced before traveling to India after he was fired from Harvard and describes his journey to the East to find his Guru. We
One morning, Babaji began talking about pujas and prayers and going on pilgrimages. “Prayer and worship should be done by everyone, every day, as the highest obligatory duty to God; visiting
reprinted courtesy of Times of India, Oct 14, 2011, 12.00AM IST by Ram Dass We were sitting in the courtyard of the little temple in the Himalayan foothills, around Maharaj-ji,
Question: How can we maintain our own integrity or identity in a relationship, especially a close one, without compromising the integrity of others? Ram Dass: Which you do you want
You look and you see another person, and you recognize them, and you feel like they are us. Every level below that, you see them as ‘them’ or I see
Read Part 1 I could see that my guru had this power, this peace, this wisdom, this love, but it was hard for me to see it in myself. My
When I first came back to America from India in 1967 I didn’t really talk much about the guru because it seemed so inappropriate for the west. For one thing,
I Am Loving Awareness View the GAIAM Life Article HERE “I have a practice in which I say to myself, I am loving awareness.” To begin, I focus my attention in
Guided Meditation with Ram Dass Bring your awareness to your breath. Just notice the breath. Either notice it going in and out of your nose or notice in rising and
People ask, “Do you believe that there is continuity after death?” And I say, “I don’t believe it. It just…
