Ram Dass

[Why Syzygy]

An earlier thread in another forum piqued my interest in Ram Dass.

I watched this:
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=2540710401213738527

and ordered this:
http://www.ramdass.org/Cosmix/tabid/487/Default.aspx

I am highly intrigued. Has anyone read his books or anything?

[stellanoir]

1. "Be Here Now" is a total classic

and transformed me at a very young and tender age.

I also had a close, though fleeting female acquaintance who had worked on his prison project with him who moved me greatly.

Thanks for the reminder.

Enjoy.

[Why Syzygy]

3. Thanks, Stella.

That helps. Perhaps he influenced your view towards duality?

[stellanoir]

7. I'd say upon some reflection that book gave me an outer affirmation

about how I always felt about what some refer to as multidimentionality.

I've felt for innumerable lifetimes that events occur due to a confluence of at least five factors. That's probably contributed in a big way to my curious career choice as an astro chick.

Intractable duality and the 'blame game" and unconscious shadow projection has always made me cringe.

I'm vaguely remembering from the days of being a hippie wannabe (I was too young to qualify) but I know from reading that they used to call it "grokking" (ie: getting the bigger picture.)

His influence totally reinforced that for sure.

Thanks again for the reminder.

[ricochetastroman]

9. Well... you gonna keep us guessing?

What are the 5 factors?

lol

[stellanoir]

10. Bullwinkle & Rocky, Peabody and his pet boy Sherman, and Captain

Wrongway Peach Fuzz of course. Then there is always Boris and Natasha to consider.

Yikes

Then again , , , fire, earth, air, water, and ether may have a modicum of influence as well.

Who knows. . . ?

[ricochetastroman]

11. and

I'm featuring Jay Ward this month who was a Virgo

Jup opp Uranus, tsquare to Mars in Sag

Moon on border of Sag/Capr

musta been Sag

[hermetic]

2. Me, too

"Be Here Now" Gosh, that was long ago, though, and at a time I was reading so many similar things. The good old days, don't you know.

Anyways, I'm listening to your second link there. Don't know how long it will play but I do like it. Let us/me know what you think of it once you've heard the whole thing.

p.s. Glad you survived your "tornado" there. Yikes.

:hug:

[Why Syzygy]

4. Cool!

Giving it a google, it looks as though the google video clip I posted might be part of the video made with that title.
I don't know if I ever read it. Maybe if I start saving now, I can make his annual retreat in December 2010 :D

Thanks for the huggie :hug: Apparently, there is still a small portion of the pumpkin plant in good shape at the south side having been shielded. The rest of it is in tatters. The large squash was knocked over but still seems to be rooted. In fact I found a really nice zuke yesterday! I think we lost at least half the peaches. I feel terribly for the local farmers. They must be decimated.

ps. The story on the pumpkin plant, briefly ... I suggested a vegie garden, without knowing what kind of 'planter' he is. Everything went in all at once and in a very small area. Since he and our son are planning a 'pumpkin contest', I suggested organic pumpkin. Well, that thing got five times as big as anything else. The leaves are easily 10 inches diameter. Of course it took over everything else and even threatened the peach trees! After I found my radishes pulled out and thrown in the yard, I questioned him, which started a big row whereupon he angrily stated that the ONLY thing he cared about was the pumpkin! I went hands off at that point. We've had a few tomatoes (which I don't eat) and potatoes, a few green beans. Looks like the squash will come in. The sunflowers are gorgeous. Fortunately he was good humored about the pumpkin, now in shreds. :*

[Why Syzygy]

17. It still hasn't arrived!

I contacted them last week. They are all volunteers, and it had been overlooked, so it was shipped. But still don't have it this week, so they supposedly mailed another. :shrug: It's worth waiting for.

[MagickMuffin]

5. I know of him through his LSD experiments he conducted with Timothy Leary,

back when it was still legal.

PBS aired a documentary Fierce Grace (2001), I think it was part of the Independent Lens series. Unfortunately, the Dallas studio refused to air it, I called the station to complain about them not airing it and spoke with the program director, she promised that they would air it in the future, I continued to check the weekly schedule and they never did air it.


Here's the link to the movies he's appeared in.

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0202057/

[ricochetastroman]

6. I've followed his books very closely

since the early 70's

thanks for this

[ricochetastroman]

8. Two of his greatest are:

"A Grist for the Mill" and "The Only Dance There Is"

awesome stuff.

[omega minimo]

12. I met him. He is the real deal.

:grouphug:

[Why Syzygy]

13. I'm glad you said that ..

in one of the reviews at amazon, the reviewer wrote that he had been to a few retreats. He really tore into the staff, saying they were arrogant, etc. It sounded as though it could have been sour grapes over what was imagined to be a personal slight. That's what I was hoping.

[omega minimo]

14. Maybe they were arrogant.

:think:

Given all the health problems he's had, perhaps his patience and energy to deal with such things is limited. Helpful staff might facilitate smoother sailing, if that is the case.

I was "staff" when I met him at a wedding very long ago. It was crowded and hectic, he was seated, surrounded by friends. To the crowd, this 'staff" was a tray on legs. When I offered a tray to him, he *saw* me and was very gracious. It was striking.

That's how I know. :hi: Plus something else I will share, but not cast pearls before our lurking swine.

[Why Syzygy]

16. Something else ..

are you going to PM something else?

[ricochetastroman]

18. Me too

same opinion
pure Aries, lots of Pisces/Neptune

[omega minimo]

15. another connection for you is Wayne Dyer

who credits and honors him frequently as a teacher. Dyer may have some links on his site. He has encouraged people to help Ram Dass if they can in his illness.