Ep. 296 – The Delight of Simplicity feat. Daniel Goleman

Ep. 296 – The Delight of Simplicity feat. Daniel Goleman

Author: Ram Dass / Love Serve Remember January 26, 2026 Duration: 38:36
In this 1970s interview, Ram Dass sits down with psychologist Daniel Goleman to discuss why people aren’t happier, the power of meditation, and the delight of simplicity.    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 podcast is also sponsored by Magic Mind. Visit https://www.magicmind.com/ramdasshere to get 20% off of your order! This episode of Here and Now is a conversation between Ram Dass and Daniel Goleman.  Daniel begins by asking Ram Dass to help us understand why people aren’t happier. Ram Dass discusses the suffering that arises from clinging to sense experiences, our strong attachment to our identities, and awakening to the realization that there is no absolute reality.Daniel asks, practically speaking, how a person can begin to change. Ram Dass explores how real change comes from within, not from external circumstances. We can embrace the delight of simplicity and learn how to quiet our minds.Ram Dass provides an example of the power of meditation. He and Daniel discuss entering the space behind thought and how the intellect is a terrific servant but a terrible master. Ultimately, it’s better to be identified with our being, rather than our knowing or doing. 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. About Daniel Goleman: Daniel is an internationally known psychologist and author. His New York Times bestselling book, Emotional Intelligence, was named one of the 25 “Most Influential Business Management Books” by TIME Magazine. Daniel is also a board member of the Mind & Life Institute, an organization that fosters dialogues and research collaborations among contemplative practitioners and scientists. Daniel has organized a series of intensive conversations between the Dalai Lama and scientists, and further merged Dharma and science, coauthoring Altered Traits: Science Reveals How Meditation Changes Your Mind, Brain, and Body. Learn more about Daniel’s work at danielgoleman.info About Ram Dass: Ram Dass’s spirit has been a guiding light for generations, carrying millions along on the journey. Ram Dass teaches that through the Bhakti practice of unconditional love, we can all connect with our true nature. Through these teachings, Ram Dass has shared a little piece of his guru, Maharaj-ji, with all who have listened to him. Learn more at ramdass.org. “But we don’t yet appreciate the delight that comes from simplicity. Some of our poets, people like Whitman and all, have described it, but we’ve never really bought it yet. We really don’t understand that in that simplicity lies a space in which one can plumb one’s own depths of being and appreciate that who you are is an entity that has taken birth, that is passing through a series of experiences, all of which are useful in order to awaken to one’s deeper self.” – 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: 100

Ram Dass Here And Now
Podcast Episodes
Ep. 272 – Tuning Up & Tuning In [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 50:17
In this unique talk from 1970, Ram Dass explores the confluence of dualism and nondualism, how the One and the many exist simultaneously, and why all of life is about tuning up. This episode of Here and Now is the first…
Ep. 271 – Intuitive Rightness [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 54:19
Ram Dass shares stories of social action and explores how we can plug into our sense of intuitive rightness so that our every act is in the way of things and in tune with the universe. This episode of Here and Now is fro…
Ep. 270 – Ram Dass and Stephen Levine: Transforming Negative Energy [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 46:26
Ram Dass and Stephen Levine take questions from the audience and talk about dealing with fear, appreciating your own unique incarnation, transforming negative energy, and more. This episode of Here and Now is the final p…
Ep. 269 – Ram Dass and Stephen Levine: An Opportunity to Grow [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 45:34
Ram Dass and Stephen Levine explore how all the experiences in our lives, including the process of dying, can be an opportunity to grow and awaken out of the illusion of separateness. This episode of Here and Now is part…
Ep. 268 – Ram Dass and Stephen Levine: The Heart of Healing [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 43:09
In this talk from the 1980s, Ram Dass and Stephen Levine come together to explore the heart of healing and encourage us to look with clarity and compassion at the issues of pain and death. Ram Dass Here & Now is brought…
Ep. 267 – The Mystical Nature of Golf [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 59:04
In this unique recording from 1995, Ram Dass talks to the Shivas Irons Society about the mystical nature of golf and how he’s using the game as a practice to become more conscious. Today's show is sponsored by Magic Mind…
Ep. 266 – Ram Dass and Timothy Leary: Scenarios and Myths [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:00:19
At this rowdy Q&A session from their 20-year reunion event at Harvard, Ram Dass and Timothy Leary answer questions and banter about the scenarios and myths surrounding our lives. Ram Dass Here & Now is brought to you by…
Ep. 265 – Ram Dass and Timothy Leary: No Signposts [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 40:35
In this talk from their 20-year reunion at Harvard, Timothy Leary reflects on the journey he and Ram Dass shared as they explored the boundaries of consciousness with no signposts to guide them. Ram Dass Here & Now is br…
Ep. 264 – Ram Dass and Timothy Leary: The Explorer’s Club [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 35:43
In this talk from his 20-year reunion with Timothy Leary at Harvard University in 1983, Ram Dass shares some reflections about psychedelics and being part of the old Explorer’s Club. Ram Dass Here & Now is brought to you…
Ep. 263 – When Worlds Collide [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 54:33
Ram Dass leads a guided meditation centered on compassion and then conducts a fast-paced Q&A session on topics such as world peace, reincarnation, and dealing with teenagers. Ram Dass Here & Now is brought to you by Bett…