3 Points of Wisdom from Ram Dass

Ram Dass is a unique character in the world of spirituality.  He started out as a reserved, upper-middle class Jewish psychologist.  Long story short, he felt dissatisfied with his life and the shallowness of his profession after trying a few psychedelic drugs in the 60's, took a trip to India and embarked on a deep, turbulent (but ultimately blissful and beautiful) journey towards enlightenment.  I highly recommend his book, Be Here Now, which outlines his ideas and philosophical progression.  It's heavily Zen and Tao-influenced and is uniquely written and illustrated.  Enjoy these quotes.

"We're all just walking each other home." 

In being alive, we're naturally moving around a lot-- so much so that we often get lost.  We all feel the pangs of confusion, loneliness and gloom.  At times, we don't know where to go or what to do and the ego starts going haywire.  

     This is where people come in.  We can't live alone.  As much as insulation might temporarily heal feelings of insecurity, human interaction is a catalyst for finding your true self.  Remember this; be willing to accept the love and help of others without judgment.  And, more importantly, 'walk others home' whenever you can.

"The quieter you are, the more you can hear."

If you're standing above a small pond, and you want to catch a fish, you're supposed to take the path of least resistance and catch the fish as quickly as possible without disturbing the water.  You wouldn't jump into the pond and start splashing around; that would scare the hell out of the fish and would leave the water murky and rippling, preventing you from seeing into it.  Your mind is the same way. 

    The other side to this is the literal side:  when you talk too much, you can't listen.  In a conversation, I enjoy practicing acting as the recipient, because I really don't mind.  Most of the time, I find other peoples' enjoyment of talking about themselves and their opinions on things more interesting than if I tried to come up with small talk.  Instead, I listen intently, save my important thoughts for when they fit, and only speak what I think is truly valuable.  The less you say, the more your words mean.  The more you listen, the more you understand, and the more satisfied the person talking to you feels.  

“It is important to expect nothing, to take every experience, including the negative ones, as merely steps on the path, and to proceed.” 

I wrote yesterday about how the absurdity of life.  The point is to just keep it moving; don't worry about 'good' or 'bad' or any of that.  In existing wholly in the present, we have no worries.  It's a very carefully handed-down illusion that we have to always be working for the next thing or worrying about what's going to happen in a year or a week or in an hour.  In having no expectations, you set yourself up for a life of curiosity, wonderment and surprise.  Time will continue whether we like it or not; obsessing over it only detracts from experiences you could be having in the present moment.

Tweet