Often we have heard about several people serving as gurus. A guru is one who guides us to lead a better and pure life. The concept behind being a Guru through spirituality is what made Ram Dass become a Guru.
Who was Ram Dass?
Born Richard Alpert was a spiritual teacher in America. His spiritual knowledge and its effect on human life have changed his life and career.
In 1967 he traveled to India and became a disciple of Guru Neem Karoli Baba. Later he adopted the name Ram Dass which means the slave of Lord Ram. Afterward, he has served as a Dharma guru throughout his life.
His teachings
Throughout his life, he has teachings on spirituality and psychology. He has worked as a lecturer, professor, and advisor. He has always sent good messages through his books.
In one of his teachings on meditation for anxiety and relief, he said how meditation is essential for life. There are many reasons in life to get stressed. Meditation is necessary to get away from stress. If you are new to meditation, he has explained ways to get habituated to meditation. He has also mentioned the importance of meditation beads and how it helps to practice meditation. His instructions speaks about different reasons to meditate and fight with anxiety.
List of Books written by Ram Dass
- Identification and child-rearing.
- Doing your being.
- The miracle of love: stories about Neem Karoli Baba.
- The psychedelic experience.
- Be here now or remember. The only dance there is.
- Grist for the moll.
- The journey of awakening. How can I help?
- Stories and reflections on service.
- Compassion in action: setting out on the path of service.
- Still here: Embracing aging.
- changing and dying.
- Paths to God: Living the Bhagavad Gita.
- Be love now.
Apart from these books, he has also recorded several podcasts and documented some exciting films.
Podcasts
The recordings are-
- The psychedelic experience: A manual based on the Tibetan Book of the Dead.
- Here we all are
- Love serves to remember
- Cosmix
- RAM DASS
His narrations are powered enough to influence anyone to lead a beautiful life. His words always mention the importance of leading a Satvik life, the power of yoga, meditation. Leading a comfortable life is way better than a luxurious life. If you consider money as the only way to get comfortable, then you are missing a lot. There are so many elements on earth, nature, that can please you and give you a beautiful life. Regular yoga, a good diet is most important. Another essential aspect of life is the inner you. If you cannot keep your mind and soul pure, then nothing can please you completely. Ram Dass always mentioned the power of being together, love, humanity, and minimalist.
Films
He has also documented several films that showcase fantastic life stories that are inspiring.
- A change of heart
- Ecstatic States
- RAM DASS, Fierce Grace
- RAM DASS- Love serve remember
- Dying to Know: Ram Dass & Timothy Leary
- Ram Dass, Going Home
- Ram Dass, Becoming Nobody
Most of his films are in the audiovisual format of his book. To understand the essence of his books, you can always prefer to watch the movie along.
All his books, podcasts, and films shared stories about life’s reality and how we can make it better. Several new things can make our life better. Living simple is the best choice; that is what Dass wanted to share. All his life, he worked for humanity and also guided his disciples to adopt simple life.
A man of western culture fell in love with the spiritual attraction of satvik life. Regular meditation, yoga can bring noticeable changes in life. Ram Dass has always mentioned how he was grateful to choose a spiritual path to lead a life throughout his life. His teachings included easy and simple life and the process to guide an experience like that. One will get the best gift of life if they could follow the path shown by Ram Dass.
Reference
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ram_Dass