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. 252 – An Imaginary Playmate [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 39:49
In this Q&A session, Ram Dass talks about dealing with disturbances in meditation, letting go of identifications, seeing the guru as an imaginary playmate, being too formless, and more. This episode is brought to you by…
Ep. 251 – Resting in ‘I Am’ [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

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. This episode is brought to you…
Ep. 250 – Eat It Like It Is [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 30:14
Who are you? What are you doing here? In this classic talk about identity and attachment, Ram Dass asks where you could possibly stand in a world filled with pain and suffering to ‘eat it like it is?’ This episode is bro…
Ep. 249 – Balance and Tension [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 59:34
In this exploration of suffering, death, and love, Ram Dass talks about resting in change and handling the balance and tension of inhabiting multiple planes of reality simultaneously. Want to participate in the discussio…
Ep. 248 – Patterns of Interdependency [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 59:00
Speaking to issues of ecology, politics, and social action, Ram Dass shares stories of compassionate action and explores patterns of interdependency we can recognize in the world. Want to participate in the discussion ab…
Ep. 247 – Dreams Within Dreams Within Dreams [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 47:08
In this Q&A session, Ram Dass talks about transcending dualism, the significance of clairvoyance, how reincarnation is part of our dreams within dreams within dreams, and more. Today's podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp.…
Ep. 246 – How to Be Responsive, Not Reactive [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

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…
Ep. 245 – Taking Off Our Spacesuit [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 59:31
In this essential talk from 1987, Ram Dass uses his life experience to guide us through the process of taking off our spacesuit of identity and embracing the curriculum our lives offer us. Want to be part of the discussi…
Ep. 244 – A Love Song Between Form & Formless [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 40:22
In this deeply meditative recording from 1976, Ram Dass talks about going beyond form and intellect and then is joined by Krishna Das to chant a love song between formless and form. Today's podcast is sponsored by Better…
Ep. 243 – The Blueprint for Liberation [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 54:48
In this essential talk, Ram Dass leans on the wisdom of the Tao Te Ching, Ramana Maharshi, and Groucho Marx to explore identity, change, and how incarnation is the blueprint for liberation. Today's podcast is sponsored b…