I'm sure this has been discussed, but it looks like this forum is a little slow, so what the heck What do you guys think of this book? I read it for the first time a few months ago, and although I will heed Ram Dass' warning and say that the book did not change my life, because I had to be in the correct mental state before reading it to get anything out of it, but I will say that it has helped me tremendously on my spiritual journey. It really spoke to me, for so many reasons... his path from egomaniac to psychonaut to spiritual seeker mirrors my own, as I'm sure it does for many of you. I love how simple he makes it... I've read a lot of books that make Buddhism/enlightenment (whatever you want to call it) seem tricky, but Ram Dass makes it clear that the greatest secret of life is no secret, it is in fact right before our eyes... just love, just be, just be here now baby. I found the stories of Maharaji's psychic powers and his acid trip to be pretty intriguing, although I'm still not sure what to think about the psychic stuff. I have a scientific mind, but I don't think Ram Dass would lie, so it's a tough call! All in all, one of the most important books I've ever read, but that's just me. Anyone else a fan?
I've been a Ram Dass fan since the late 1960's, but didn't get around to reading Be Here Now until late 70's...great piece of work, as are his other books. IMO he was the greatest American-born pioneer in popularizing Indian and East Asian spiritual culture in the west. Neem Karoli Baba's acid trip is a vintage piece of hippie folklore...I first heard the story around 1970 and it was confirmed when I read Be Here Now. Ram Dass is now in his late 70's and in poor health, lives in Hawaii and doesn't travel and speak anymore that I know of...I regret that I never went to hear him lecture.
It all goes back to the two birds on the wire, one of which decided to fly away. How many birds were left? Two. The one decided to fly, but hadn't really made a move. That's a little how I am toward the spiritual life that Ram Dass advocates. I like my vices and I'm not about to give them up. I enjoy eating meat, drinking alcohol, and indulging in carnal (sexual) pursuits. That's not exactly an ascetic life. But I do respect those who are disciplined enough to follow that path. If the other person considers me to be a divine being in some respect, he's not nearly as likely to run me off the road, cheat me or otherwise get out of line. As for Ram Dass's experience with Maharaji's reading his mind concerning his mother's death, his story is either true or false. If true, it speaks volumes about psychic realities. I had my dog in a kennel while I visited California. On the day I returned home, the kennel owner said that the dog, which had been acting out in various ways, perked up and started smiling in the way dogs do, though I had not phoned or visited the kennel at that time.
Once upon a time, about fifty years ago, in a far off land, there lived a wise man. His name was Richard Alpert. He was a Senior Fellow in Psychology at the Harvard School of Medicine, sitting on academic administrative boards in an era when they didn't hand out doctorates for managing volleyball programs. He had academic honours, publications, responsibilities, even college groupies available at a word. He did pioneering research in the effects of psychedelic drugs on humans, along with Dr Timothy Leary of Harvard. And he felt that this was hollow, that it wasn't enough. So he visited Nepal and India, and eventually decided to get in touch with an Indian teacher or guru... * * * Like just about anything else, you can order Be Here Now (Lama Foundation, San Cristobal, New Mexico, 1971) through the Internet if you have a credit card, I'm sure. Better second-hand stores and some first-hand retail booksellers might have it. The first thing you will note is the graphics, which are quite variable and include things like text that spirals inward. Then there is the autobiography, Richard Alpert's journey from Harvard professor to born-again seeker and founder of the Lama Foundation. Finally there is the message itself, a very spiritual one, a cookbook about how to come to grips with living on a spirtual path. This is not a nice-to-read. It is a must-read.
Well said! As for the ascetic lifestyle thing, I see where you're coming from. I think it's mostly about HOW you do things, not what you do. There is a big difference between a person who enjoys drinking and a person for whom drinking is life. It's all about attachment, in my opinion. If I feel like I NEED something, whether it's a chemical substance or sex or whatever, to be happy, then that's when I draw the line. I have a very addictive personality, and it's difficult for me to handle things like drinking or eating rich foods without going overboard, so I have found a more ascetic lifestyle suits my personality best and keeps me from getting out of control. I was recently reading about Bhagavan Das' autobiography, and evidentally he lived quite the hedonistic life, even after his travels to India and spiritual "awakening." I found that a little disappointing, but it all depends on the individual. We all have to do what's right for us, and no one else can really know what that is.
\ I had to scratch my head and google Bhagavan Das...you're referring to the same guy who introduced Richard Alpert to Neem Karoli Baba. There was a Bhagavan Das of some ill-repute in the post-Prabhupada ISKCON, a guru who fell from his position and apparently made off with a few million $$. I had them confused. Along the same theme, another very good book was The Guru and His Disciple, by Christopher Isherwood. Isherwood was one of the first disciples in America of Swami Prabhavananda, who in the 1930's was a pioneering representative of the Ramakrishna Mission begun by Swami Vivekananda. Isherwood, an English-born writer, received intense spiritual training and initiation from Prabhavananda, and apparently had meaningful experiences in transcendental consciousness. However, after a year or so of a monastic lifestyle he resumed a life of promiscuous homosexuality and heavy drinking. This continued until Isherwood's death in the 1970's, but he remained close to his guru throughout; as a Sanskrit scholar he was a valuable assistant in translation work and as a co-author. An interesting story, well written, but I finished it feeling like Isherwood had wasted what was given to him...but, as you observed, we can't say what's right for anyone else.
I didn't see any reference to Neem Karoli Baba in Ram Dass's book. He refers to the guru as Maharaji, a generic term that might translate as 'Reverend'. He also tries to protect Maharaji's privacy by keeping his name and location secret. "This is clearly not a western scene, and in fact, I was specifically told when returning to the United States that I was not to mention Maharaji's name or where he was or anything. The few people that have slipped by this net and figured out from clues in my speech and their knowledge of India where he was and have gone to see him, were thrown out immediately... very summarily dismissed, which is very strange." (Be Here Now, section on Bhagwan Dass, pages are unnumbered)
It's been nearly 30 years since I read Be Here Now, and that's a detail that slipped my mind...I do remember vaguely that Ram Dass was secretive about his guru at first. Neem Karoli Baba's name was widely known by the time I read BHN in 1978.
A fun book. One I read while tripping a couple times when I was a kid. Maybe set my foot towards the path to Being Here Now. Because that's now my path. The path of Dzogchen, the Great Completeness is the path of Beherenowness, but then so is all of Buddhism, no?
