Be Here Now (book)
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| Author | Ram Dass |
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| Subject | Spirituality, yoga |
| Publisher |
Lama Foundation, San Cristobal, New Mexico |
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Publication date
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1971 |
| ISBN | |
| OCLC | 141386598 |
Be Here Now, or Remember, Be Here Now, is a 1971 book on spirituality, yoga and meditation by the Western-born yogi and spiritual teacher Ram Dass (born Richard Alpert). The title comes from a statement his guide, Bhagavan Das, made during Ram Dass's journeys in India. The cover features a mandala incorporating the title, a chair, radial lines, and the word "remember" repeated four times.
The book is divided into four sections:
The first section is a short autobiography, describing Alpert's successes as a psychologist, his research with Timothy Leary into psychedelics at Harvard, and his subsequent anxiety when this research does not resolve his spiritual questions. He then describes his first journey to India and his initiation into a Guru-chela relationship with Neem Karoli Baba, and spiritual renaming as "Baba Ram Dass", or "servant of god". Ram Dass closes the first section of the book with this passage:
Now, though I am a beginner on the path, I have returned to the West for a time to work out karma or unfulfilled commitment. Part of this commitment is to share what I have learned with those of you who are on a similar journey. One can share a message through telling "our-story" as I have just done, or through the teaching methods of yoga, or singing, or making love. Each of us finds his unique vehicle for sharing with others his bit of wisdom. For me, this story is but a vehicle for sharing with you the true message ... the living faith in what is possible. --OM--
The second section, the largest, is a free-form collection of metaphysical, spiritual, and religious aphorisms, accompanied by illustrations.
The third section is a manual for starting on a yogic or spiritual path, and includes various techniques for yoga, pranayama, and meditation, as well as quotations from respected teachers of many religions and spiritual traditions.
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