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A Lama Foundation Book. Describes one man's transformation upon his acceptance of the principles of Yoga and gives a modern restatement of the importance of the spiritual side of man's nature. Illustrated.
Paperback: 416 pages
Publisher: Lama Foundation (October 12, 1978)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0517543052
ISBN-13: 978-0517543054
Product Dimensions: 8 x 1 x 8 inches
Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (631 customer reviews)
Best Sellers Rank: #1,297 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #2 in Books > Religion & Spirituality > Hinduism #9 in Books > Religion & Spirituality > Occult & Paranormal #15 in Books > Health, Fitness & Dieting > Alternative Medicine > Meditation
I know it's a cliché, but this book changed my life. I read it in 1973 when I was an angst-ridden twenty-something searching for a spiritual direction. I bought the book because I recognised Dr Richard Alpert from his association with Dr Timothy Leary and was curious to hear his post acid-haze spin on spirituality. What I found in the pages of this book planted the seed of a philosophy which has grown in my own consciousness, becoming the foundation for a spiritual life. The first part of the book deals with Dr Alperts spiritual awakening through the grace of his guru and his subsequent metamorphosis into the disciple called Baba Ram Dass. It is an inspiring tale for those not afflicted by cynical preconceptions and it inspired in me the desire to seek out my own guru. The central portion of the book was perfect for the times, when people who had opened the gates of their perception with the aid of psychotropic substances, were looking for more natural means to help keep them open. Using the words and teachings of many different spiritual masters, from Jesus to Ramakrishna, the book uses psychedelic, cartoon-like images to get the message across. And the message is Be Here Now. When I first meditated on the meaning of this exhortation, ten thousand bells began to ring in my mind. Of course! The past is gone, an illusion which exerts all kinds of negative influences on the human psyche. The future is even more illusory, in that it is so transient. It could be years long, or it could be seconds - who knows? Life can only be truly experienced in the present - in the here and now - and if we are to find peace and spiritual freedom, we must first do away with our attachment to the past and the future. This is the central premise of the books teaching and it is a profoundly important teaching. We live so much of our lives in the past or the future, we forget to experience the joy of the moment and in the third part of the book entitled `Cook-book for a Sacred Life', Ram Dass offers the reader some practical techniques. Meditation, yoga, posture, mantra, recipes - there is everything here for the novice spiritual aspirant wishing to bring a sense of sacred-ness into all aspects of his or her daily life. As a young man seeking spiritual knowledge and a pathway towards salvation, the rituals, techniques and teachings expounded in this book brought a magic to each day and a kind of unseen connection with Ram Dass and his other readers. Be Here Now was a vital component of my spiritual awakening and I would like to address my words to any open-minded person looking to tread the rock-strewn road towards self-knowledge, compassion and spiritual illumination. Read this book now!
I picked up this book about 8 years ago for the first time and as I was reading it I felt as if my mind was being [pulled] in the pages. I have bought it 3 separate times but always feel compelled to give it away to someone who I feel could benefit from the wisdom inside.This book comes in 3 parts...the first part is an account of the author's pre "Ram Dass" life as a PhD and scholar....then to make a long story short, he did some psychedelic drugs, and discovered that he actually liked what was inside his mind and wanted to try to find a way to live in "the now" without the drug experience attached. His journey took him to finding a guru..interesting stuff but then to my favorite part of the book:the middle....this is a brown paper rambling section full of rich artwork, roughly drawn cartoons, biblical and buddhist references, and what I found to be great truths....all about what it means to "be here now."While some of it is overly simplistic, and some of it is gratuitous reference to organized religion, most of it is just an alternative way of thinking about yourself, your problems, lifestyle, and family issues. What I took away from this book was a renewed sense of self awareness and it even made me realize that different is not bad, its just different. I guess I was at the point in time in my life where I needed that insight into my own behaviors and thought processing capabilities. In any event, it OPENED MY EYES!!! It made me look at everything differently, and almost instantaneously changed my perception of the world and others in it.The third part, which is called something like "cookbook for a sacred life" really gets into the practice of buddhism and meditation, which was not the route I chose to go with my life...but in any case, a great and interesting read for anyone interestied in gaining valuable insight into the mystery of their life and life in general.
This book was given to me by a coworker who couldn't make heads or tails of it and told me to keep it. I opened it to the first 'brown paper sack' page and started reading and tears came to my eyes and I realized that I was holding something very sacred. I only comprehended about 10% of what was said but I knew in my heart that here were answers to questions I had not even thought about.... yet... Unifying the messages from many traditions, he addresses our lives and minds with knowledge and wisdom like I had never heard before... I had grown up in the Bible belt and thought I knew everything I needed to know about God, good, evil, Jesus, and then I read this and realized that I really knew nothing at all... now 36 years later I am a Buddhapalian (practicing buddhist and Episcopalian) with many years of study in both traditions and as I read it for the umpteenth time I still smile at some new gem that comes out of the page at me and nod my head.... No matter where you are on your spiritual journey, pick this book up and read it... and over time I am sure you will agree that it is an immense sacred gift to us all...
I bought this classic book when it was first published in the early '70s. The price was $3.33. Then I had the pleasure to actually meet Ram Dass in person and have him sign my copy. He wrote, "Here we are in love, Ram Dass." I wrote all about this experience and much more in my inspirational memoir, Still Singing, Somehow. "Be Here Now" is still a must read for anybody on the spiritual path, even though it was written long ago; it's message is timeless and fun to read, in the cartoon form drawings that make up 90% of the masterpiece. I've always respected Ram Dass very highly. He can speak to anyone, on any level, quite well. We all need to take his advice and develop a daily spiritual practice to remember who we really are- Here, Now!
Be Here Now is unlike any other book out there. The messages that Ram Dass has are delivered as an art form. Each page is unique with carefully crafted words of wisdom. I absolutely love this book and recommend it to anyone who is spiritually searching.
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