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RELATED LINKS
Who
is Ram Dass?
SAINTS, PROPHETS, and SPIRITUAL GUIDES:
Ram Dass
The Spiritual Teachings of Ram
Dass
BOOKSHELF:
Reviews of
Paths
to God:
Living the Bhagavad Gita
and
Still
Here:
Embracing Aging, Changing, and Dying
by Ram Dass
Do
Eastern spiritual practices have a place in the lives of Christians?
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We
are so accustomed to letting the movement of the clock run our
lives that we can find it difficult to detach ourselves and
be present to the moment. Try this practice from Ram Dass
and ask yourself, “How
can a timepiece actually help me be present here and now?”
At
this moment if you set the alarm and get up at 3:47
this morning and when the alarm rings and you get up and turn
it off and say “What
time is it?” You’d say, “Now.” “Where am I?” “Here!”
Then go back to sleep. Get up at 9:00 tomorrow.“Where am I?” “Here!” “What
time is it?” “Now.”
Try 4:32 three weeks from next Thursday. By God, it
is—there’s
no getting away from it—that’s the way it is. That’s
the eternal present.
You
finally figure out that it’s only the clock that’s
going around…it’s doing its things but
you—you’re
sitting here, right now, always.
—from Be
Here Now
by Ram Dass
Hanuman Foundation, 1978
p. 79-80
So much of our time is spent planning and sometimes worrying about the
future – what will happen, how will we deal with it,
what actions will we take in various situations? But the
truth is,
we are best prepared for what the furure brings
if
we are more atuned to each present moment. Read the words
from Ram Dass below and then think about this question: “When
have I made a right decision in a particular situation and
how did I arrive at that decision?”
Reflect
on the thought that if you are truly Here and Now—
(a)
it is ENOUGH, and
(b) you will have optimum power and understanding
to do the
best thing at the given moment.
Thus
when then (the future)
becomes Now—if you have learned this discipline—you
will then be in an ideal position to do the best thing.
So
you need not spend your time now worrying about then.
—from Be
Here Now
by Ram Dass
Hanuman Foundation, 1978
p. 90
To
purchase a copy of BE
HERE NOW, visit amazon.com. This link is
provided as a service to explorefaith visitors and registered users.
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