India needs to be Indebted to Ram Dass (alias Richard Alpert)
Ram Dass researched on the traditions, religions and philosophies of India. Through his foundations he is teaching to change the attitude of the prisoners and clarifying the doubts of spiritual seekers with the knowledge he learned from his guru and from the researches. His way of scientific presentation in the books and tapes makes Indian traditions interesting. One of the famous personalities inspired by Ram Dass was Steve Jobs.
Early life:
Richard Alpert was born in 1931 in Boston, USA. He studied psychology specializing in human motivation and personality development. In 1961 while he was working in Harvard University, he co-authored two books which were the observations from the research on human consciousness. This controversial nature of research resulted to dismissal of Richard Alpert from Harvard in 1963.
Spiritual practice and research:
He continued the research with sponsorship from a private foundation. In the year 1967 he traveled along with Bhagavan Das to India and met Neem Karoli Baba (Maharajji). He studied yoga and meditation from him. At that time the name Ram Dass (God’s Servant) was given to hime by Neem Karoli Baba. He was focused on guru kripa, devotional yoga practices. He also studied meditation, Mahayana of Tibetan, and Zen Buddhism, karma yoga, Sufi and Jewish philosophies.
Social service:
He returned to the United States in 1969. With the inspiration of Neem Karoli Baba, in the year 1974, Ram Dass created a non-profit foundation named Hanuman Foundation which is to develop the spirituality in prisoners. He merged a wide variety of spiritual traditions and practices learned from India.
Books authored by Ram Dass
- Be Here Now (1971) – About spirituality, yoga and meditation. Sold nearly 2 million copies. Inspired many people in US along with Steve Jobs
- The psychedelic experience – A Manual Based on the Tibetan Book of the Dead. Spiritual enlightenment with the help of psychedelics.
- Journey of Awakening: A Meditator’s Guidebook (1978) – Different ways of meditation and instructions for the practitioners.
- Miracle of Love (1978) – Stories about Neem Karoli Baba
- Still Here: Embracing Aging, Changing and Dying (2000) – About the spirituality relating to age.
- Paths to God: Living The Bhagavad Gita (2004) – lively accessible guide for Bhagavad Gita, instruction manual for living a spiritual life.
- Polishing the Mirror: How to Live from Your Spiritual Heart (with Rameshwar Das) (2013) – Teachings and instructions of spiritual practices.