Ep. 251 – Resting in ‘I Am’

Ep. 251 – Resting in ‘I Am’

Author: Ram Dass / Love Serve Remember May 13, 2024 Duration: 32:20

In this classic talk, Ram Dass explores resting in ‘I am,’ a place where we can see the perfection of all things, including suffering, and how we can balance that place with an open heart.

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This episode is a continuation of the talk from Here and Now Ep. 250 – Eat It Like It Is, which was given in Austin, Texas, in the early 1990s.

  • Continuing to take his cue from Swami Ram Tirth’s words, “I am without form, without limit,” Ram Dass dives into the notion of “I am” and talks about how resting in that place makes the world look different than if we are busy being somebody doing something. From this place, we can see the perfection of it all, even with the suffering inherent in form. 
  • The predicament is that we are not just the “I am,” we are also human beings with bodies and personalities and human hearts that cannot bear the suffering around us. Ram Dass talks about finding a balance between these two places and keeping our hearts open to the unbearable. 
  • Ram Dass explores all the demands to respond to the suffering of the world and how it’s easy to get tired of being “should upon.” Ultimately, we can rely on our intuitive heart-minds to know what is the right action to take for ourselves. The quieter we get and the less attached we are to our roles, the more we will gravitate towards the things that relieve the suffering of all sentient beings.

Want to participate in the discussion about this episode of Here and Now? Join us for the SoulPod Meet-Up on May 21st at 3 p.m. EDT.

“If you were resting in your ‘I am,’ you would look and you would see only the perfection of it all. And you would see that what we did in the ’60s is what created Ronald Reagan in the ’80s. You would see the way polarities work; you’d see the way forces polarize… You’d just see it as law unfolding right before you.” – Ram Dass


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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. 26 – Suffering Part Two [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 36:26
Raghu reveals an interesting confession about an LSD experience he had involving the death of his ego and the birth of a very specific concern. Ram Dass discusses the art of dying and suffering. Suffering only happens to…
Ep. 25 – Suffering Part One [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 36:55
Ram Dass offers his reflections on suffering, including how we can come to see the way in which suffering is grace, and how the clinging of mind creates suffering.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and Calif…
Ep. 24 – Rama Rama [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 52:43
In this recording from 1969, Ram Dass talks about watching the drama unfold, the pure light of the guru, and sings the beautiful Rama Rama.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at…
Ep. 23 – Shiva’s Dance of Life [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 38:45
In this dharma talk Ram Dass discusses Shiva’s dance of life, reflecting on methods for centering ourselves, serving others, and tending to the part of us that isolates ourselves from the world.”See Privacy Policy at htt…
Ep. 22 – How May I Serve You? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 44:07
On this episode of Here and Now, Ram Dass talks about what service really means, moving beyond ego and time, and why his mantra is the question, “How may I serve you?”See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and C…
Ep. 21 – Energy [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 34:36
In this dharma talk from 1969, Ram Dass shares on the concept of energy. Using the examples of Hanuman and Maharajji, he explains that through surrender, renunciation, and service, that you can get it all, but only when…
Ep. 20 – Embracing it All [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 44:13
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Ep. 19 – Karma Yogi [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 36:51
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Ep. 18 – Indian Stories [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 48:54
Ram Dass shares some of his Indian stories about his guru, Maharajji, that are meant to help us stretch our consciousness and investigate how the laws of the universe truly work.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/pr…
Ep. 17 – Yoga of Relationships [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 50:28
Ram Dass talks about cultivating loving truth in intimate relationships, and how the yoga of relationships is perhaps the hardest yoga to practice. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy N…