In this dharma talk from the late 1960’s Ram Dass, just coming back from recent psychedelic explorations, shares his insights on embracing it all, non-attachment, and his namesake of service, Hanuman.
Turn Off Your Mind, Float Downstream
During an overnight psychedelic inner-exploration in the Taos, NM desert in which his energy channels were staunchly blocked, solace only came when Ram Dass was finally able to say, “Yes, and this too. I will embrace this. I will become one with the stars.” It was this acceptance that opened him to greater planes, and helped him through to the morning light. It was in this light, that Ram Dass was able to embrace his own family tradition of Judaism. He could now see it as part of a heritage, and something that he was inexorably involved with.
“Turn off your mind, float downstream. Embrace the ten-thousand horrible visions and the ten-thousand beautiful visions. Embrace life. Go through it. Embrace it all. Be one with it all.” – Ram Dass
The Misunderstanding of Non-Attachment (29:46)
Ram Dass touches on the concept of getting free of attachment to life, and how the common misunderstanding is interpreting it somehow as a way of avoiding life. It is in fact the opposite; though, as the journey is one of totally embracing life, but doing it with complete non-attachment.
“Everything you’re doing in life is part of an extraordinarily beautiful divine dance. And in a way, its only by embracing the ten-thousand horrible visions and the ten-thousand beautiful visions, that you go through the doorway of nature to go beyond nature while at the same time being fully in it.” – Ram Dass
The Sect of Servants (32:10)
Ram Dass explains his namesake. “Dass” means “servant,” and “Ram” is an incarnation of God, so he was given the name Servant of God, represented as the deity Hanuman in the Hindu tradition. Hanuman is known from the Indian epic, the Ramayana, as a monkey who wants nothing more than to purely serve God. Touching on insights from the Ramayana, Ram Dass shares that Hanuman was so close to Ram, that he became the breath of Ram.
“The relation of my Guru (Maharajji) to Ram is of perfect service. He is the servant of Ram. My Guru is a reincarnation of Hanuman, and as a perfect servant of Ram, he is totally selfless.” – Ram Dass
I have listened to many recordings, videos and sites such as this one and read many,if not all, of Ram Dass books. It all began in 1968 with his record and book Be Here Now. It was an evolutionary lurch for me and it was concurrent that those were days when I did psychedelics. Since that time, I have followed my own spiritual path and I do understand and accept the concepts of surrender, servant and master. Namaste!
Ram Dass talking about STP reminded me of a trip I took when I saw a humming bird fly in super slow motion, each motion of the wing took what seemed like hours and hours… I couldn’t deal with this experience because it was so different then how I usually experience time and space… or the meaning of it or the message of it… but like when ram dass said. “And this too…” that was the meaning of the trip, embracing it like any other experience.
I have sincerely been enjoying these podcasts. Raghu I find your introductions insightful, meaningful, and heartfelt WAY TO GO, you channel His Grace too! I would love to heart the recording of the lecture Ram Dass gave while on STP. I know this comment is being left on an older podcast, but I’m hoping it will be seen. I would love to hear a podcast that is themed on Maharaji’s Living Presence after mahasamdhi.