On this episode of Here & Now, Ram Dass asks us to honor our incarnation and live on this plane as if “we” are all “us.”
Ram Dass talks about integrating a sense of oneness into all planes of consciousness, challenges us to honor our incarnation and explores Eastern systems of practice through the lens of science.
Show Notes
“We” are all “Us” (Opening) – Ram Dass begins by addressing the many planes of consciousness that we traverse through spiritual practice. He discusses the interrelatedness of all things and moving from a place of separateness to a place of oneness on this plane of consciousness.
“I am dealing with the fact that someone is blind in India for want of an operation that costs five dollars, and that I am going to use my next five dollars to go to the movies. If it was my father I wouldn’t because he is part of my phenomenological self.
Somehow that person in India is ‘them’ when I am here on this plane, but when I am ‘one’ it is ‘us.’ The interesting question is, how do you live on this plane as if ‘we’ are all ‘us?’”
Honor our Incarnation (22:00) – Ram Dass shares a moment of realization that he was neglecting to honor his current incarnation. He discusses the need to honor our incarnation by fully participating in life without identifying with our ego or becoming attached to the results of our actions.
“I began to see that it was possible to have your cake and eat it too. That you can use the ego without necessarily identifying with it, and that you could remain in the spaciousness that surrounds without being dissociative and pushing away. What I was beginning to notice is that I was pushing away the physical plane and I had to go back into it.”
Systems for Changing Consciousness (27:00) – We explore some of the systems of changing consciousness found in other cultures and the importance of understanding these systems through a scientific lens. He reads a story about Yeshi Dhonden, the Dalai Lama’s personal physician, whose medical practice is a testament to what is possible when we combine Western medicine and Eastern healing.
Nagging Doubts (39:40) – Ram Dass ends on a question about experiencing self-doubt about his beliefs. He shares why his understanding of truth is beyond ordinary belief and leaves not room for self-doubt.
Find more wisdom from Ram Dass on the importance of honoring our incarnation on this episode of Here and Now.
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