Ram Dass explores living in times of great change, the cost of individuality to our compassionate hearts, and the importance of building and being part of the web of human caring.

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This episode of Here and Now is the conclusion of Ram Dass’ lecture in St. Louis, Missouri, on February 27th, 1992. Listen to Here and Now Ep. 297 for the first part of this talk.

• Ram Dass begins by laying out the societal changes taking place from his vantage point in the 90s, and how people get reactive and frightened by change. In order to hear our predicament, we must quiet down enough to be able to listen clearly.
• Ram Dass talks about the cost of individuality to our compassionate, human hearts. He explores how we can set boundaries and learn to say no without closing our hearts, and how we can take any situation and turn it into karma yoga.
• Ram Dass speaks to how we can honor individual differences without being trapped by them. Being caught in our separateness cuts us off from the community of fellow beings, but it is possible to build the web of human caring and be part of it. We can be at peace in the midst of great change.

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“To recognize fully that we have cut ourselves off from our spiritual lifeblood by cutting ourselves off from the community of fellow being, because our mind has caught us in our separateness, and therefore, reaching out to create community. Through helping, through loving, through sharing, through acknowledging family, through whatever. Build the network or the web of human caring and be part of it.” – Ram Dass

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Ram Dass explores how the process of karma yoga is about cultivating a spiritual perspective that allows us to see any situation on multiple planes simultaneously.

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This episode of Here and Now is from the first part of a Ram Dass lecture in St. Louis, Missouri, on February 27th, 1992. Check back soon for the conclusion of this talk.

• Ram Dass begins by talking about how the primary practice in his life is karma yoga, using the stuff of life as a route to liberation. The process of karma yoga is about cultivating a context, or a spiritual perspective, to see any situation on more than one plane simultaneously.
• Ram Dass discusses how fear is rooted in getting caught in one plane of reality and how we need to find a balance between separateness and unity. He explores some of the immense changes taking place in the 90s, including ecological destruction and economic disparity.
• We can either respond to the change and the chaos with fear, or we can respond to it as an opportunity to awaken. Ram Dass talks about the roller coaster ride that is living in the Kali Yuga, and how working with death and dying helps him respond to times of change with great appreciation.

The Ram Dass community gathers regularly to engage in meaningful discussions about the podcast. We invite you to join us and share your curiosities, insights, and wisdom. Sign up for the General Fellowship to receive event invitations directly in your inbox.

About Ram Dass:

Ram Dass’s spirit has been a guiding light for generations, carrying millions along on the journey. Ram Dass teaches that through the Bhakti practice of unconditional love, we can all connect with our true nature. Through these teachings, Ram Dass has shared a little piece of his guru, Maharaj-ji, with all who have listened to him. Learn more at ramdass.org.

“At that point, when you see that your next curriculum is honoring what is in your incarnation, so that you end up honoring it as relatively real. You do your dharma, you do your part, you play your part in it. And yet, at that same moment, there is absolute equanimity in you about it. What is required in the process of karma yoga is cultivating a context. And that's what’s called a spiritual perspective… It’s a context so that you see any situation on more than one plane simultaneously.” – Ram Dass

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