Be Here Now

“I felt as if I were in a sound-proof room. Not enough was happening that mattered—that was real.”

Dass’s reference to a “sound-proof room” underscores his sense of isolation from authentic human experience. By contrasting what “mattered” with the hollow rituals of academia, he foreshadows his pivot toward spiritual exploration and highlights his yearning for deeper connections.

“When I could finally focus on the question, I realized that although everything by which I knew myself, even my body and this life itself, was gone, still I was fully aware!”

Here, Dass captures the paradox of losing all external identities yet discovering an unshakeable core of consciousness. By highlighting his awareness in the absence of familiar markers, he underscores the chapter’s central revelation: true selfhood exists beyond achievements or physical form.

“And after 2 or 300 times of this, [I] began to feel an extraordinary kind of depression set in—a very gentle depression that whatever I knew still wasn’t enough!”

By acknowledging that repeated psychedelic experiences left him unfulfilled, Dass highlights the fleeting nature of altered states. This realization foreshadows his turn toward more enduring spiritual practices and demonstrates his belief that real transformation cannot rely solely on chemical catalysts.

“Everybody, parents, colleagues, public, saw it as a horrible thing; I thought inside ‘I must really be crazy, now—because craziness is where everybody agrees about something—except you!’ And yet I felt saner than I had ever felt, so I knew this was a new kind of craziness or perhaps a new kind of saneness.”

Dass highlights the tension between societal consensus and personal conviction. By framing his dismissal from Harvard as both “crazy” and liberating, he shows how rejecting external norms can lead to deeper self-awareness.

“He was the first person I couldn’t seduce into being interested in all this. He just didn’t care.”

Ram Dass’s observation underscores how Bhagwan Dass refuses to engage with ego-based narratives of past achievements. By demonstrating this indifference, Bhagwan Dass offers a direct, present-centered approach that catalyzes Ram Dass’s deeper spiritual shift.

“If a pickpocket meets a saint, he sees only his pockets.”

This succinct adage, shared by Hari Dass Baba, illustrates how one’s motivation shapes perception. By casting a mundane encounter in spiritual terms, Dass underscores that one’s inner state dictates what one recognizes in the world.

“As soon as you give it all up you can have it all.”

Dass encapsulates the paradox of spiritual surrender, highlighting that once people relinquish egoic clinging, genuine abundance flows in. It illustrates The Importance of Ego Dissolution and Devotion, showing how releasing personal agendas opens space for deeper fulfillment.

“Surrender means you no longer die. It’s as simple as that.”

By linking surrender to transcending the usual fears of mortality, Dass foregrounds the book’s central premise: individuals’ true essence is timeless. In relinquishing the “I,” one steps into a realm unhindered by life-and-death dualities.

“You don’t seem to understand: You Are In Prison. If you are to get out of prison the first thing you must realize is: You Are In Prison.”

This quotation, attributed to Gurdjieff, stresses how spiritual awakening requires recognizing the constraints of egoic and societal conditioning. Dass uses it to emphasize that only by seeing one’s imprisonment can genuine liberation become possible.

“I can do nothing for you but work on myself. You can do nothing for me but work on yourself!”

By underscoring that true assistance involves self-transformation, Dass illuminates the interconnectedness of consciousness. As each person focuses inwardly, collective growth naturally unfolds.

“You Are The Guru. That’s what’s so far out. You are your own guru.”

Dass points to the ultimate teacher residing within each individual. Rather than seeking truth externally, he encourages recognizing one’s own divine consciousness as the source of guidance.

“You Are It…It’s really just another cop-out to be searching for the guru. He’s your fingernail.”

Here, Dass expands on the notion that divinity pervades every aspect of one’s being. By likening the guru to something as immediate as a fingernail, he underscores that spiritual discovery lies in recognizing one’s innate completeness.

“You gotta die to be born…Only when you have been born again do you enter the Kingdom of heaven.”

Dass links the concept of ego death to biblical imagery of rebirth. This demonstrates Blending Eastern and Western Spiritual Traditions to Access Universal Truths. In particular, Dass shows that the transcendence of the old self is key to accessing the “Kingdom” of enlightened awareness.

“You can’t teach a hunter it is wrong to kill.”

Hari Dass Baba’s statement conveys that transformation only arises when a person is inwardly prepared to hear the lesson. Much like a hunter cannot understand it is wrong to kill, this quote shows that without that internal readiness, truth cannot take root.

“‘A teacher points the way. A guru is the Way.’”

Dass underscores that while teachers can share knowledge, a true guru embodies realization itself. Accepting the guru as “the Way” requires a fundamental shift from purely intellectual grasping to a total heart connection.

“‘If a man gives way to all his desires…he will then create a fire which will gradually transform his inner world into a single whole.’”

Here, the Russian philosopher P.D. Ouspensky underscores that a conscious struggle with desire can generate the internal “heat” necessary for transformation. By engaging in measured austerities, the seeker exposes and refines hidden attachments, catalyzing lasting spiritual growth. This alignment with Ouspensky’s emphasis on disciplined introspection parallels Dass’s vision of using deliberate practice to kindle and sustain the fire of inner alchemy.

“We are what we eat.”

Dass echoes an old adage to stress how dietary choices shape physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being. By framing food intake as a vibrational act, he shows that each meal can be an avenue for divine alignment.

“Certainly a half hour a day is not too long to spend on this exercise.”

Dass recommends dedicating even a brief, consistent period each day to reading sacred texts. This disciplined habit helps reshape mental patterns and orient the seeker’s outlook toward enlightenment.

“If in your head you undertake hatha yoga as a form of exercise or body building, you will end up with just what you reached for…a more beautiful body.”

Dass warns that asanas can remain superficial if treated merely as fitness routines. By embracing them as expressions of devotion and mindfulness, practitioners unlock deeper transformation, ensuring they remain tethered to pursuing The Importance of Ego Dissolution and Devotion.

“To break identification with your own thoughts is to achieve inner freedom.”

Dass pinpoints the mind’s ceaseless chatter as the core impediment to liberation. Using mantras helps to unify attention, allowing one to detach from swirling mental narratives. This shows the importance of Centering Mindfulness to Live in the Eternal Present.

“Keep converting every relationship into one of compassion…making the profane sacred.”

Dass guides seekers to channel lower-chakra drives into compassionate interactions, elevating everyday relationships. By consciously reframing ego-based impulses, one purifies energy and discerns the sacredness underlying all human engagements.

“When you calm your breath, there is simultaneous calming of the mind.”

Dass highlights the link between breath and thought, emphasizing that controlling one influences the other. Focusing on structured breathing sets the stage for deeper peace and spiritual insight. This underscores Centering Mindfulness to Live in the Eternal Present.

“Every time you live out an act in terms of the lower chakras, you strengthen the hold of that chakra.”

Dass underscores that indulging purely egoistic drives entrenches one’s lower-chakra fixations. Transmuting sexual energy becomes a pivotal practice for aligning with unity and spiritual ascent, ensuring one embodies The Importance of Ego Dissolution and Devotion.