Ep. 286 – The Pull of God Versus the Pull of Humanity

Ep. 286 – The Pull of God Versus the Pull of Humanity

Author: Ram Dass / Love Serve Remember September 10, 2025 Duration: 29:34
In this often fierce talk from Ram Dass, he reflects on the pull of God versus the pull of humanity and how we can find the balance between keeping one eye on God and one eye on the world.  The Ram Dass community gathers regularly to engage in meaningful discussions about the podcast. We invite you to join us and share your curiosities, insights, and wisdom. Sign up for the General Fellowship to receive event invitations directly in your inbox.Ram Dass Here & Now is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/ramdass and get on your way to being your best self.This episode of Here and Now comes from a talk Ram Dass gave in Florida in 1975. Ram Dass describes how, through practice, we can come to a point where we have a choice between fully merging back into God or returning into form. “That moment,” he says, “You have choice. Choice to give up the form, go into the formless. Or, choice to play in the formless, but come back into the form.”Why would we come back into form? Ram Dass talks about seeing the perfection of the universe, including all of the suffering, but also playing your part as an instrument of the Dharma. “You are a statement that will enlighten those who are ready to be enlightened. That is your only function, it’s the only reason you’re on Earth.”Ram Dass explores how true service arises not from the desire to help, but the desire to find freedom for ourselves and others. He talks about how the spiritual path requires balancing the pull of God and the pull of humanity; to recognize the perfection of the cosmic dance and the reality of human suffering. You can support this podcast, listen to episodes AD-FREE, and receive regular guided meditations from Ram Dass & Friends on our Patreon. Sign up for a free 7-day trial: patreon.com/RamDassPodcast“You get so fascinated with God, with enlightenment, with the wisdom of the ages. And in your zeal to do that, it’s very easy to forget. To forget humanity. To forget politics. To forget human concerns. To overlook the daily stuff around you.” – 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: 50

Ram Dass Here And Now
Podcast Episodes
Ep. 313 – Touching the Sun [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 46:20
Gather around for some storytime with Ram Dass as he recounts his first journey to India, the long road that led to finding his guru, and how touching his guru’s feet was almost like touching the sun. Part of this episod…
Ep. 312 – Soul Perception [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 52:03
In this unique talk given in New York just weeks after the events of 9/11, Ram Dass speaks about his stroke, the fierce grace of suffering, and getting in touch with our soul perception. The Ram Dass community gathers re…
Ep. 311 – Allowing Space for Individual Differences [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 43:59
Ram Dass talks about consciousness, allowing space for individual differences, and letting go of identification with the body and personality, and then taps into the heart of devotional yoga with some chanting to Krishna…
Ep. 310 – The Mainline Reality Trip [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 46:44
Take a trip up and down the subway stairs with Ram Dass as he explores the seven chakras, why this moment in history is ripe for fourth chakra work, and how he escaped the mainline reality trip.Ram Dass Here & Now is bro…
Ep. 309 – Playing Your Part [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 51:15
Ram Dass explores playing your part on all of the stages that life presents, then answers questions about the significance of dreams, preventing detachment from turning into laziness, dealing with burnout in institutiona…
Ep. 308 – You Are Love [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 37:06
In this exploration of relationships and awakening from the illusion of separateness, Ram Dass talks about looking behind the veil of individual differences and coming to a place where you are love itself.Ram Dass Here &…
Ep. 307 – Being in Other Planes of Reality [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 42:35
You can help us celebrate 10 years of Be Here Now Network and support the next chapter of Ram Dass Here and Now by donating to our 10th anniversary fundraiser. Exciting news! Dollar-for-dollar gift matching has been exte…
Ep. 306 – Our Place in the Dance [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 56:14
Listen to the original Here and Now radio show! Ram Dass takes to the airwaves in 1996 to try his hand at a medium he hopes will bring us together and help us hear our place in the dance.Help us celebrate 10 years of Be…
Ep. 305 – Using A Relationship to Awaken [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 57:10
In the conclusion of this classic talk, Ram Dass explores giving up our rushes, working with death, not judging the trip, using a relationship to awaken, and much more.Help us celebrate 10 years of Be Here Now Network an…
Ep. 304 – The Wisdom of the Universe [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 49:02
In this 1980 talk, Ram Dass explores how we aren’t who we think we are and leads a meditative experience to help us quiet down enough to become statements of the universe's wisdom. The Ram Dass community gathers regularl…