Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

The White Hindu

Home
Hindu
Meet a Guru: Ram Das

Meet a Guru: Ram Das

Last updated on: December 23, 2019 at 11:31 am by Ambaa Choate

Meet a Guru: Ram Das 2019-12-23T11:31:31-05:00 Ambaa Choate

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Baba Ram Dass in San Francisco, in 1970. Credit: Robert Altman/Michael Ochs Archives

Ram Das is an American Hindu (born in the Boston area, just like me!) who I think is most famous for the book Be Here Now. He’s not necessarily a guru, per se, but he has taught and explained the ideas given to him by his guru and has a foundation and a following.

Wikipedia quotes him as saying, “I help people as a way to work on myself, and I work on myself to help people…”

Background

Ram Das’s name was originally Richard Alpert and he was born to a Jewish family in Massachusetts in 1931. He was given his Hindu name by his guru, Neem Karoli Baba. Before traveling to India and meeting the guru, Ram Das was exploring psychedelic drugs in his quest to understand life. He was a prominent figure in the counter-culture revolution that was the 1960s and 70s in America.

Teaching

From the blog at RamDas.org:

The most important aspect of love is not in giving or the receiving: it’s in the being. When I need love from others, or need to give love to others, I’m caught in an unstable situation. Being in love, rather than giving or taking love, is the only thing that provides stability. Being in love means seeing the Beloved all around me.

My Experience

I think learning more about Ram Das is important for me because he is a non-Indian Hindu like me. In particular I found this quote very meaningful…

At 60 years of age, Ram Dass began exploring Judaism seriously for the first time. “My belief is that I wasn’t born into Judaism by accident, and so I needed to find ways to honor that,” he says. “From a Hindu perspective, you are born as what you need to deal with, and if you just try and push it away, whatever it is, it’s got you.” –Wikipedia

For me, I was born into a form of Hindu philosophy that wasn’t tied to tradition and history in the same way that Indian Hinduism is. I think that allowed me the freedom to see what elements of Hindu belief are the most important. If I had been born into an Indian family, I think I may have become distracted by ritual and not explored the meaning behind it. What I was given instead in this birth was the opportunity to see the meaning without the ritual and then to find and enjoy the ritual as a way to enhance those truths.

Learn More

RamDas.org

Wikipedia

Hindu Guru Saint and Swami Profile

** I am not endorsing any of the teachers highlighted in this feature*

converted to hinduism

converting to hinduism

hinduism as a religion

Previous Post

June 10, 2013

Day In the Life of the White Hindu

Next Post

June 12, 2013 Three Lessons to Learn from Bridezillas

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Book Club Hindu Holiday How Am I Being a Hindu This Week? Inside the Life Meet a God Meet a Guru Movie Club Philosophy Corner Resources Scripture Uncategorized Wild Card

Select a Month February 2020 September 2019 May 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

What island was John on when he wrote Revelation?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Patmos Crete Malta Cyprus