Ep. 236 – The Relationship Between Karma and Grace

Ep. 236 – The Relationship Between Karma and Grace

Author: Ram Dass / Love Serve Remember October 9, 2023 Duration: 43:41

In this Q&A session, Ram Dass answers questions about how to love without emotional attachment, the relationship between karma and grace, and how he defines responsibility.

Today's podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp. Click to receive 10% off your first month with your own licensed professional therapist: betterhelp.com/ramdass

In this recording from 1976, Ram Dass answers questions from a lively Los Angeles audience:

  • How to love without emotional attachment? Ram Dass explores the various levels of love, dealing with attachment, and working with the karma that exists in our life space.
  • What is the relationship of karma and grace? Ram Dass talks about how he perceives grace and the ways it intersects with our karma.
  • What’s his view on vegetarianism? And who is God? Somehow, those questions are connected.
  • How does Ram Dass define responsibility? A responsible being lives in the Tao. 

“And what grace turns out to be is all the forces that exist in the universe that are free agents, that are available to support the process of your going back into the source. All the gurus, all the beings on astral planes, all of the elements, all of the forces in the universe.” – Ram Dass

Discover the transformative practice of teaching mindfulness in a new FREE 30-page ebook by Senior Buddhist teacher and Emmy award-winning musician, David Nichtern

With its blend of humor, wisdom, and accessible approach, The Art of Teaching Mindfulness ebook is a must-read for anyone interested in sharing the life-changing practices of mindfulness with others.

Already downloaded by over 15k people, visit dharmamoon.com/ebook to get YOUR free copy of The Art of Teaching Mindfulness!


See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.


The voice of Ram Dass carries a unique and enduring warmth, a blend of profound spiritual insight and grounded, often humorous, humanity. Ram Dass Here And Now is a curated archive of this wisdom, drawing from a rich tapestry of lectures recorded over four decades. Each episode is a focused journey into themes of consciousness, love, service, and the intricate paths of awakening, all filtered through Ram Dass's distinctive heart-centered perspective. The podcast is presented by the Love Serve Remember Foundation, with longtime friend and director Raghu Markus providing contextual introductions that connect these timeless talks to our contemporary moment. Listeners will find themselves immersed in conversations that weave together Eastern philosophy, particularly from the Hindu and Bhakti traditions, with practical Western psychology, exploring how spiritual principles manifest in everyday life, relationships, and societal challenges. It’s less a formal lecture and more an intimate, meandering dialogue with a wise elder, offering reflections that feel both ancient and immediately relevant. This isn't about dogma, but about the shared, often messy, human experience of seeking meaning and connection. To spend time with this podcast is to encounter a gentle guide, one who points persistently toward the present moment, toward compassion, and toward the recognition of our shared essence.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 307

Ram Dass Here And Now
Podcast Episodes
Ep. 231 – The Universe of Compassion [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 47:12
Ram Dass answers a wide range of questions on topics such as free will, working with fear, and falling in love – plus, he leads a Metta meditation to help us tap into the universe of compassion.Today's podcast is sponsor…
Ep. 230 – The Truth of Your Deepest Being [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 55:08
Ram Dass explores how to find the balance between emptiness and compassion in the face of immense suffering and tap into the truth of your deepest being to hear your unique dharma.This episode is a continuation of the ta…
Ep. 229 – The Sword of Discrimination [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 45:40
Ram Dass explores how his work with death and dying keeps him at his own leading edge of consciousness and talks about why compassion is truly the sword of discrimination.Today's podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp. Click…
Behind The Clinging - Bonus Podcast [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 34:48
Raghu Markus returns to Here and Now to present this bonus excerpt from a talk titled “Behind the Clinging,” which features Ram Dass discussing how to deal with neuroses, fear, and family.Today's podcast is sponsored by…
Ep. 228 – You Can’t Have An Us and Them [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 42:49
In this episode of the Here and Now Podcast, Ram Dass talks about practice in daily life and answers questions about polarization and fundamentalism, integrating psychodynamic and spiritual techniques, dealing with addic…
Ep. 227 – Awareness Without Identification [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 45:18
In this Q&A session from 1993, Ram Dass explores an array of topics, including psychedelics as a method, assisted suicide, dealing with suffering, and awareness without identification.Today's podcast is sponsored by Bett…
Ep. 226 – Escaping the Prison of Separateness [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 54:04
In this potent recording from 1994, Ram Dass talks about the nature of suffering and how we can escape the prison of separateness created by our cultural infatuation with individualism.Today's podcast is sponsored by Bet…
Ep. 225 – The Story of Hanuman and the Ramayana, Part 2 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 50:09
In this epic conclusion to the story of the Ramayana, Ram Dass recounts the heroic actions of Hanuman as he helps Ram rescue Sita and defeat the demon king, Ravana. Before you begin this episode, be sure to listen to Her…
Soul View - Bonus Episode [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 25:02
In this bonus episode, Ram Dass explores methods available for seeing through our conditioning and navigating life on more than one plane of awareness. Raghu Markus returns to share a special excerpt from Ram Dass around…
Ep. 224 – The Story of Hanuman and the Ramayana, Part 1 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 44:02
Settle in for a treat as Ram Dass shares the first part of the story of the Ramayana, which features the monkey god, Hanuman, as he serves lord Ram on the journey to defeat Ravana.Want to be part of the discussion about…