By Ben
“I am loving awareness” is the mantra that changed my life (not kidding). I first heard it on an audio track (East Forest x Ram Dass) at a friends business and my meditations were never the same again. Running this mantra in to my heart and understanding the power and simplicity of that phrase changed the way I viewed life. So thank you Baba Ram Dass. As soon as I heard it I was looking to see where I could download it and put it in a playlist I use for meditation and psychedelic journeys. A few months on and it isn’t very often a week goes by I don’t listen to it at some point.
Baba Ram Dass
The Psychedelic Grandfather
Ram Dass’ first encounter with psychedelics shaped his life and was the springboard for his spirituality, psilocybin mushrooms specifically. Something I can relate to. Many of his best quotes and greatest lessons have come from his journeys with psychedelics. His many hundreds of trips and countless hours of study and worship with his Guru Neeb Karori Baba shaped the culture of spirituality and exploration of the mind. Exploration that we reap the benefits of today.
Ram Dass, previously known as Richard Alpert, along with Timothy Leary conducted research at Harvard University on the therapeutic effects of psychedelics. Ahead of its time, and although not illegal, it saw them both dismissed from Harvard in 1963. From there he travelled to India where he met Neeb Karori Baba and the rest is history as they say, depending on your perception of time obviously.
Much of what I have learnt about the essence of existence (which still amounts to nothing and I embrace that) was founded by Ram Dass.
“We are all just walking each other home” – Ram Dass
Baba Ram Dass
The New and the Old
My awakening happened in my mid 30’s so I’m still new to exploring my spirituality and all the lessons to come. Still, his name seemed to be mentioned as common as the word ‘spirituality’ itself, they seemed intertwined somehow. This fact alone is one of the greatest tributes to Ram Dass. I am grateful for such a teacher and although I never met him I’m not sure that subtracts from his lessons he has taught me. That is one of the best things about spirituality I have found; the connection between those that have awakened doesn’t require a physical meeting.
Baba Ram Dass – Best Quotes
“Treat everyone you meet like God in drag”.
“Unconditional love really exists in each of us. It is part of our deep inner being. It is not so much an active emotion as a state of being. It’s not ‘I love you’ for this or that reason, not ‘I love you if you love me.’ It’s love for no reason, love without an object”.
“I’m not interested in being a ‘lover.’ I’m interested in only being love.”
“Your problem is you are too busy holding on to your unworthiness.”
It is important to expect nothing, to take every experience, including the negative ones, as merely steps on the path, and to proceed”.
“We have to get out of our minds, our thinking minds”.
“I am loving awareness”
Thank you Baba
The above art work by Alex Grey says it all. It shows the progression of a life and indeed of all life. Every time I look at it it seems to prompt a new way of thinking about something. Have a look and think.
Im summary my tribute to Ram Dass and his greatest lessons is that he helped set me on a path and in to a state of awaken, a state of realisations. Realiser was born shortly after this.
““The game is not about becoming somebody, it’s about becoming nobody.”“
Realiser
Realiser was born from a dream to be in a realised state, a state of awaken. To be able to see the most obvious things having missed them for so many years. Subsequently I wanted to create something to serve as an example of how it could be. If only we might spend the time loving that we spend hating. Above all spending the time to be kind to others for no reason. You get the idea. I will travel around doing what I can and would love for you to join me. Follow my path here…
