Sacred Odyssey: Seeking Freedom with Ram Dass

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A 1990 return visit with the spiritual pilgrim whose personal journey for more than four decades has served as a reflective mirror for so many. He speaks about where he is now in his life, how methods are traps, overcoming fear in the midst of change, spiritual potential, the true source of change, facing adversity, the challenge of doing good, the possibility of compassion, and a great deal more. Ram Dass shares himself deeply and profoundly. This is a remarkably prescient dialogue, which will surprise and delight you. Ram Dass first went to India in 1967. He was still Dr. Richard Alpert, an already eminent Harvard psychologist and psychedelic pioneer with Dr.Timothy Leary. He had continued his psychedelic research until that fateful Eastern trip in 1967, when he traveled to India. In India, he met his guru, Neem Karoli Baba, affectionately known as Maharajji, who gave Ram Dass his name, which means "servant of God." (hosted by Michael Toms)

Bio

Richard Alpert, Ph.D. (1931-2019) was a prominent Harvard psychologist and psychedelic pioneer with Dr. Timothy Leary. He continued his psychedelic research until he first went to India in 1967. There he met his guru, Neem Karoli Baba, affectionately known as Maharajji, who gave Ram Dass his name, which means “servant of God.” He then became a pivotal influence on a culture that has reverberated with the words “Be Here Now” ever since. Ram Dass’ spirit has been a guiding light for three generations, carrying along millions on the journey. He has pursued a panoramic array of spiritual methods and practices from potent ancient wisdom traditions, including bhakti or devotional yoga focused on the Hindu deity Hanuman; Buddhist meditation in the Theravadin, Mahayana Tibetan, and Zen Buddhist schools, and Sufi and Jewish mystical studies. Perhaps most significantly, his practice of karma yoga or spiritual service has been his path.

In 1974, Ram Dass created the Hanuman Foundation, a non-profit foundation meant to embody the spirit of service inspired by his Guru. The Hanuman Foundation developed the Prison-Ashram Project, directed by Bo and Sita Lozoff, which helped prison inmates grow spiritually during their incarceration and the Dying Project, conceived with Stephen Levine, which helped many bring awareness and compassion to the encounter with death. The Prison-Ashram Project, now called the Human Kindness Foundation, continues under Sita Lozoff in North Carolina and the Living/Dying Project, now a separate non-profit headed by Dale Borglum in the Bay Area, provides support for transforming the encounter with life-threatening illness into an opportunity for spiritual awakening.

Ram Dass suffered a stroke in 1997 that once again changed his life. It curtailed his travel but he continued to teach through his website, podcasts, and annual retreats on Maui.

Ram Dass is the author of many books including: 

• The Only Dance There Is (Anchor/ Doubleday 1974)
• Be Here Now  (Harmony 1978)
• Grist For The Mill: Awakening to Oneness (with Stephen Levine, Harper Collins 2014)
• How Can I Help? (with Paul Gorman, Knopf 1985)
• Miracle of Love: Stories of Neem Karoli Baba (Hanuman Foundation 1995)
• Compassion in Action: Setting Out on the Path of Service (with Mirabai Bush, Harmony 1995)
• Still Here: Embracing Aging, Changing and Dying (Riverhead Books 2001)
• One-Liners: A Mini-Manual for a Spiritual Life (Bell Tower Press 2002)
• Polishing the Mirror: How to Live from Your Spiritual Heart (Sounds True 2014)
• Changing Lenses: Essential Teaching Stories from Ram Dass (Love Serve Remember Foundation 2018) 

To learn more about the work of Ram Dass go to www.ramdass.org.

Topics Explored in This Dialogue

• Why methods are traps
• Why change is a treat
• Where does the center of change reside
• How do you honor the deepest truth you know
• What is the worst mistake