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. 232 – The Dance of Forms [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 41:45
In this radio interview from 1985, Ram Dass discusses the journey of awakening, how reincarnation is within the dance of forms, dysfunctional societal myths, and much more. Today's podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp. Cli…
Ep. 231 – The Universe of Compassion [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 47:12
Ram Dass answers a wide range of questions on topics such as free will, working with fear, and falling in love – plus, he leads a Metta meditation to help us tap into the universe of compassion. Today's podcast is sponso…
Ep. 230 – The Truth of Your Deepest Being [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 55:08
Ram Dass explores how to find the balance between emptiness and compassion in the face of immense suffering and tap into the truth of your deepest being to hear your unique dharma. This episode is a continuation of the t…
Ep. 229 – The Sword of Discrimination [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 45:40
Ram Dass explores how his work with death and dying keeps him at his own leading edge of consciousness and talks about why compassion is truly the sword of discrimination. Today's podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp. Clic…
Behind The Clinging - Bonus Podcast [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 34:48
Raghu Markus returns to Here and Now to present this bonus excerpt from a talk titled “Behind the Clinging,” which features Ram Dass discussing how to deal with neuroses, fear, and family. Today's podcast is sponsored by…
Ep. 228 – You Can’t Have An Us and Them [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 42:49
In this episode of the Here and Now Podcast, Ram Dass talks about practice in daily life and answers questions about polarization and fundamentalism, integrating psychodynamic and spiritual techniques, dealing with addic…
Ep. 227 – Awareness Without Identification [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 45:18
In this Q&A session from 1993, Ram Dass explores an array of topics, including psychedelics as a method, assisted suicide, dealing with suffering, and awareness without identification. Today's podcast is sponsored by Bet…
Ep. 226 – Escaping the Prison of Separateness [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 54:04
In this potent recording from 1994, Ram Dass talks about the nature of suffering and how we can escape the prison of separateness created by our cultural infatuation with individualism. Today's podcast is sponsored by Be…
Ep. 225 – The Story of Hanuman and the Ramayana, Part 2 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 50:09
In this epic conclusion to the story of the Ramayana, Ram Dass recounts the heroic actions of Hanuman as he helps Ram rescue Sita and defeat the demon king, Ravana. Before you begin this episode, be sure to listen to Her…
Soul View - Bonus Episode [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 25:02
In this bonus episode, Ram Dass explores methods available for seeing through our conditioning and navigating life on more than one plane of awareness. Raghu Markus returns to share a special excerpt from Ram Dass around…