Ep. 246 – How to Be Responsive, Not Reactive

Ep. 246 – How to Be Responsive, Not Reactive

Author: Ram Dass / Love Serve Remember March 6, 2024 Duration: 1:10:29

In this classic talk from 1987, Ram Dass explores working with suffering, keeping our hearts open, finding the intuitive heart space, and being responsive rather than reactive. This episode is a continuation of the talk started in Here and Now Ep. 245 – Taking Off Our Spacesuit.

Want to be part of the discussion about this episode of Here and Now? Join us for the SoulPod Meet-Up on March 12 at 8 pm EST. Subscribe to the General Fellowship Group for more information.

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

This episode is also brought to you by Magic Mind, a matcha-based energy shot infused with nootropics and adaptogens designed to crush procrastination, brain fog, & fatigue. Use the code RAMDASS at checkout to get up to 50% off your subscription: Magic Mind

In this week’s episode:

  • Using his stepmother’s death as an example, Ram Dass explores how pain and suffering can become a curriculum through which one awakens.
  • Ram Dass discusses how he has begun to fall in love with everyone, and how his guru opened him up to the possibility of unconditional love. If we’re caught in our separateness, it’s hard to keep our hearts open.
  • Ram Dass shares classic stories of how other beings, including a dolphin, have helped him escape the trap of his own mind and find the intuitive heart space. He talks about taking care of his aging father and learning how to just be present with him.
  • Finally, Ram Dass explores the difference between being reactive and being responsive, reading a story from ‘How Can I Help?’ to illustrate his point. He talks about how, when we are quiet enough on the inside, we can begin to hear how to awaken through the journey of the spirit.

“As you quiet your mind just a little bit, you get so that you’re not automatically reacting to everything. You become what’s called responsive rather than reactive. In other words, something happens and there’s a moment when it’s just happening, you’re just with it. As your awareness expands to include more than your separate self, it’s as if you’re part of the gestalt of it all, and you experience the totality of it. And then, out of that quietness comes an act that is appropriate to that moment.” – Ram Dass


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. 186 – The Chain of Reactivity [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 58:00
In this Q&A session from 1989, Ram Dass answers questions about addiction, greed, and lust, and talks about the chain of reactivity that fuels our deepest attachments.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and C…
Ep. 185 – Playing with Reality [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 49:42
In this episode of Here and Now, Ram Dass tells a series of stories about how his guru, Maharajji, was fond of playing with reality and adding a feeling of whimsy to the universe.This episode of Ram Dass’ Here & Now Podc…
Ep. 184 – Tools of Balance [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:04:10
In this episode of Here and Now, Ram Dass explores our obsession with personality, the possibilities of a compassionate society, and how we can all become tools of balance.This episode of Ram Dass’ Here & Now Podcast is…
Ep. 183 – Psychedelics: Understanding the Risks and Rewards [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 50:33
On this episode of Here and Now, Ram Dass breaks down the history of psychedelic use and helps us in understanding the risks and the rewards of these consciousness-altering chemicals.This episode of Ram Dass’ Here & Now…
Ep. 182 – Excerpts on Social Responsibility [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 53:42
In this dharma talk from 1969, Ram Dass explores social responsibility, protesting, and the money trip, plus he details the origins of Be Here Now and gets us drunk on the love of God.This podcast is brought to you by Ea…
Ep. 181 – Giving Space to the Universe [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 38:59
In this episode of Here and Now, Ram Dass explores love, letting go of our models, and giving space to the universe, plus leads a guided meditation and chants “We All Come From God.” Don’t miss Alan Watts – Being in the…
Ep. 180 – The Way of Harmony [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 54:21
In this vintage 1969 dharma talk, a ‘fresh from India’ Ram Dass relays how to live our ‘karmic trip’ in the Tao – the Way of Harmony – before sharing stories of the spiritual scene at his father’s farm.In this dharma tal…
Ep. 179 – Astral Planes, Time, Paradox, and Freedom [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 44:03
Mapping the physical, causal, and astral planes of existence, Ram Dass reconciles time within the paradox of ‘being here now,’ inviting us into the freedom of limitless awareness.Illuminating the interconnected nature of…
Ep. 178 – The Path of the Heart [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:15:35
Walking the path of the Heart, Ram Dass shares the hungry ghost pitfalls veiling the unity behind our separateness and invites us into the proverbial 'hot tub' of Maharajji's unconditional love.In this unique dharma talk…
Ep. 177 – Perspectives on Work and Money [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 50:45
In this recording from 1989, Ram Dass talks about looking through the veil of role and personality in the business world, and offers his unique perspectives on work and money.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/priva…