Still Here, by Ram Dass

[rachelmanija]

It took me 124 pages to become so annoyed that I decided to live-blog this book. Given that it is written by a hippie named Richard Alpert who changed his name to Ram Dass after becoming the follower of a guru named Maharajji, my annoyance was quite predictable

Comments

[jinian]

This is what comes of mind-body duality: people who don't understand that BRAIN DAMAGE causes BEHAVIORAL CHANGES. Sheesh.

[asakiyume]

It's one thing to counsel people to look for moments of hope and happiness in their lives, even if they're in a generally bad situation. It's a totally different thing to counsel people to see a situation which they think is bad as actually being good. The first is healthy and reasonable. The second is denying people their honest feelings, and telling them they're wrong to feel the way they feel.

You said it! I heartily agree.

[jeremytblack]

Thank you so much for writing this! Because his name, Dass, see, reminds me of the song Dazz by Brick, which I hadn't listened to in a long time and just love! So something valuable has finally come from Ram Dass as I'm listening to the song right now!

I recommend that you listen to it while you're reading his next book. The lyrics are about as wise as anything he's written: "Dazz, dazz, disco jazz."

It has helped me accept many things.

[rachelmanija]

When I read his next book, I will definitely put it on. In fact, every time he writes Soul, Ego, or God, I will mentally substitute "Dazz, dazz, disco jazz."

They no longer had two incarnated bodies to share, so she had to find the dazz, dazz, disco jazz connection.

I like it better already!

[mllelaurel]

Forgiveness is not necessary to mental health or peace of mind. If it comes naturally, it can be very healing. But the recognition that some wrongs are unforgivable, and that victims don't need to forgive perpetrators, can also be very healing.

This. Just. This.

I second your 'Barf!'

[sartorias]

That guy surfacing again? I thought he vanished with polyester bell bottoms.

[rachelmanija]

Alas, no, he appears to have resurfaced. This is the negative, or as we say in Antioch, the Shadow side of going to a hippie liberal school that does cool stuff like arrange for you to spend 10 days in a Zen temple in Kyoto: they make you read books by Ram Dass!

Taka, the temple's vice-abbot, said that if we started believing that any one system, whether it be Zen or Buddhism or meditation, had all the answers, we were in danger of joining a cult.

[torrilin]

Hrm, Catholicism as a cult. I like that :D

And yeah, that seems very wise to me.

[lady_ganesh]

Wise words there, Taka.