In this Q&A session from 1992, Ram Dass answers questions about synchronicity, purification, fear, compassion, how his guru showed him the possibility of unconditional love, and more.
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Seeing Synchronicities
Ram Dass begins by taking on questions about whether the Richard Alpert from Harvard still exists within him, letting go, and synchronicity. He talks about how seeing synchronicities is about seeing the relationship among things, and opening to living on two planes simultaneously.
“What’s happening when you begin to see synchronicities is that you are no longer living on the plane of linear time, where you’re just seeing time going in one direction. And so, you’re seeing how it all works out, as well as what is happening, and the way it’s working out feeds back so that you feel, in the moment, the perfection of how it all is related to each other, and it keeps blowing your mind.” – Ram Dass
Krishna Das explores letting go in Pilgrim Heart Ep. 97
The Possibility of Unconditional Love (20:15)
Next up are questions about working with people who are suffering, trust, how to practice compassion with people who are hard to love, purification, and the guru. Ram Dass talks about working with the places where we get stuck, how purification should be based on love and not fear, and how his guru showed him the possibility of unconditional love.
“He showed me the possibility of unconditional love, because he didn’t care whether he lived or died. And that opened my heart in a certain way. And that started a process.” – Ram Dass
Mingyur Rinpoche talks about the essence of love and compassion in Mindrolling Ep. 407
Wise Beings and Big Bellies (29:30)
The Q&A session finishes with questions on dealing with fear based on current events, the relationship between the body and the spirit, and who Ram Dass considers to be his peers. Ram Dass talks about fear being a result of identification with that which is dying, why wise beings often have big bellies, and how we are all his peers.
“How do you respond, in a way, to all of the uncertainties and changing forces, and the potential that it may end up dying? That is, you may be babysitting the death of the culture of which you are a part. So, how do you be at your own death? Interesting. And the fear you’re having is because of your identification with that which is dying.” – Ram Dass
RamDev shares a dharma talk on having compassion for our fear in Healing at the Edge Ep. 46
