Ram Dass relays some of the teachings around renunciation, shakti, violence and truthfulness that he received in his many months of study while in India.
Click here to read the transcription of this podcast.
Show Notes
This is It (Opening) – Still residing in India, Raghu and another Canadian go to share darshan with Maharaj-ji, who gave him a feeling of being home for the first time and showed him unconditional love.
“Suddenly the doors to Maharaj-ji’s room burst open and to my astonishment, I realized that I know him. I knew him because whatever I felt from Ram Dass, he was the source. It was beyond what my experience could categorize – but mostly it was the feeling of being home for the first time.” – Raghu Markus
Renunciation of Desire (2:55) – Meanwhile, Ram Dass continues his spiritual evolution and learns the meaning of “renunciation of desire” and explores different vehicles to get to and maintain a place of pure oneness.
“The whole matter of enlightenment that is required is what is called renunciation. When you think of the word renunciation, many of you probably think in terms of people living off in the woods with no possessions. That’s an external manifestation of renunciation – renunciation here means not the renunciation of action but of a desire.” – Ram Dass
Snakes Know Heart (15:00) – Ram Dass talks about doing harm to other beings and the way violence relates to our spiritual journey. He talks about how this philosophy relates to our diet and the environment we create in our bodies.
“The way my teacher started to instruct me on this was by writing on his slate, ‘Snakes know heart.’ Meaning that when you are pure of heart, when you don’t mean harm to anything, you don’t have to worry about snakes because they are appreciative of where you are at. They won’t do you in unless they feel a threat from you.” – Ram Dass
Telling the Truth (19:10) – One of the key lessons that we need to learn as Westerners are those around the importance of truthfulness. Ram Dass explores why we face this difficulty in dealing with truth and practices for changing our relationship to the truth and honest expression.
“Truthfulness is the most profound quality for Westerners to understand because it is the one they struggle with the most. When the heart is totally open and truthful, there is no risk or vulnerability at all.” – Ram Dass
Excellent thoughts….My father was the devotee of maharaj ji and Haidakhan Baba, he has visited several time to Ashram in Ranikhet and Haidakhan. Is there any number where I can speak to respected Ram Dass
Ram Ram Sita Ram Sankat Mochan Jai Hanuman…
Ambrish,
You can write to Ram Dass at [email protected].
Thanks for listening!
These podcasts are so comforting, as much from the sound and tenor of Ram Dass’ voice as from the Truth being told. When I was 19 (1972) Be Here Now saved my life — literally. I had the tremendous gift of seeing Ram Dass speak in Lawrence, Kansas a few years later and these podcasts take me right back to that energy, that voice, that love, and that place where I first felt like I was home. I moved from Washington DC to Boulder, Colorado in 2003 because of Ram Dass. I only realized that in 2010, when Naropa University was celebrating their 35th anniversary, and it struck me that I had read a short announcement in the Lawrence, Kansas newspaper in 1975 about how Ram Dass was spending the summer in Boulder giving workshops and darshan at a new place called Naropa Institute. When I read that, I remember thinking to myself “If Ram Dass is going to be there all summer, Boulder must be a really good place.” That thought resonated for more than 25 years and led my family here, where my spiritual life was rekindled. I finally made it to India in 2009, as a devotee of Sri Bhagavan, and now serve as a Oneness Trainer with the Oneness University. Ram Dass remains a touchstone for my journey and I will be forever grateful for our connection. Thanks so much for bringing these lectures back in such an accessible form. Love always,
Dan Leftwich
free escucha all interes thing thankyou
To Dan Leftwich:
I knew you in Lawrence at that time. Delighted to encounter you on this website.
Tashi delek,
Beth Jorgensen