Beloved guru Ram Dass tells the story of his spiritual awakening and
gives you the tools to take control of your life in this "counterculture
bible" (The New York Times) featuring powerful guidance on yoga,
meditation, and finding your true self.
When Be Here Now was first published in 1971, it filled a deep
spiritual emptiness, launched the ongoing mindfulness revolution, and
established Ram Dass as perhaps the preeminent seeker of the twentieth
century.
Just ten years earlier, he was known as Professor Richard Alpert. He
held appointments in four departments at Harvard University. He
published books, drove a Mercedes and regularly vacationed in the
Caribbean. By most societal standards, he had achieved great success. .
. . And yet he couldn't escape the feeling that something was missing.
Psilocybin and LSD changed that. During a period of experimentation,
Alpert peeled away each layer of his identity, disassociating from
himself as a professor, a social cosmopolite, and lastly, as a physical
being. Fear turned into exaltation upon the realization that at his
truest, he was just his inner-self: a luminous being that he could trust
indefinitely and love infinitely.
And thus, a spiritual journey commenced. Alpert headed to India where
his guru renamed him Baba Ram Dass--"servant of God." He was introduced
to mindful breathing exercises, hatha yoga, and Eastern philosophy. If
he found himself reminiscing or planning, he was reminded to "Be Here
Now." He started upon the path of enlightenment, and has been journeying
along it ever since.
Be Here Now is a vehicle for sharing the true message, and a guide to
self-determination.
