Ram Dass

Explore the life of Ram Dass (born Richard Alpert, April 6, 1931 – December 22, 2019): psychologist-turned-spiritual teacher, author of Be Here Now, founder of social service projects, and a voice of love, presence, and transformation.

Introduction

Ram Dass stands out as a figure who bridged Western psychology, psychedelic exploration, and Eastern spiritual traditions. Born Richard Alpert in 1931, he began his career as a psychologist and Harvard professor. But after profound personal transformation—especially a journey to India—he re-emerged as Ram Dass (meaning “servant of God”) and became a guide for generations of seekers. His teachings on presence, compassion, the sacredness of everyday life, and the path of self-inquiry continue to resonate deeply today.

Early Life and Family

Born in Boston, Massachusetts, on April 6, 1931, Richard Alpert grew up in a Jewish family.

He married and had relationships, and later in life discovered he had a son, born decades earlier, confirmed by DNA testing.

Education, Psychology, and Early Career

Alpert had strong academic credentials. He earned a B.A. from Tufts University, an M.A. from Wesleyan University, and ultimately a Ph.D. in Psychology from Stanford University.

He then joined the faculty at Harvard University and worked alongside prominent psychologists and thinkers. Timothy Leary in scientific research into altered states of consciousness, including the effects of psychedelics such as LSD and psilocybin.

However, the controversial nature of these experiments, especially as cultural attitudes shifted, led to Alpert and Leary’s dismissal from Harvard in 1963.

Spiritual Search and Transformation

After leaving Harvard, Alpert’s quest deepened. In 1967 he traveled to India, where he met Neem Karoli Baba (often called Maharaj-ji), who became his guru. Ram Dass (loosely translated as “servant of God”).

Under Maharaj-ji’s guidance, Ram Dass immersed himself in devotional practices, yoga, meditation, silence, and selfless service. His teaching emphasized that the same spiritual awakening accessible through psychedelics could be accessed more sustainably through disciplined inner work, devotion, and presence.

Career as Spiritual Teacher & Social Advocate

Writing & Teachings

In 1971, Ram Dass published Be Here Now, a landmark book blending spiritual memoir, teachings, and visual art. It became enormously influential, especially in the West’s embrace of Eastern spirituality. Grist for the Mill, How Can I Help?, Polishing the Mirror, Walking Each Other Home, and others.

He traveled widely, led retreats and workshops, and taught on topics such as love, death, presence, integration of spiritual practice in daily life, conscious aging, and dying.

Foundations and Service Projects

Ram Dass believed spiritual growth should translate into compassionate action. He founded the Hanuman Foundation, through which he supported projects like the Prison-Ashram Project (now Human Kindness Foundation). Seva Foundation, focused on public health initiatives (including restoring sight in impoverished regions) in India and elsewhere.

He also helped initiate the Dying Project, aiding people to face death with consciousness and grace.

Later Years & Death

In February 1997, Ram Dass suffered a stroke that left him with partial paralysis and expressive aphasia (difficulty in speech). He interpreted the stroke—and the challenges it posed—as “fierce grace,” a spiritual lesson in surrender and vulnerability.

A second stroke during a trip to India in 2004 further affected his health. He relocated to Maui, Hawaii, and spent his final decades giving talks, retreats, and teaching via webcasts.

On December 22, 2019, Ram Dass passed away in Maui at age 88. Many considered his death to be a transition rather than an end—a passage consistent with his teachings on life and impermanence.

Personality, Philosophy & Teaching Style

Ram Dass was humble, playful, deeply compassionate, and tender in his approach. His teachings were not dogmatic; he drew from Hindu bhakti (devotion), karma yoga (selfless action), Buddhist insight, Christian mysticism, and Sufi traditions.

He emphasized presence over belief, heart over intellect, and service over separation. Rather than promulgating a rigid system, he invited seekers to meet themselves in the sacredness of each moment.

His life after stroke—teaching through silence, adapting, receiving care—became itself a profound lesson in embodiment, surrender, and continued spiritual growth.

Famous Quotes of Ram Dass

Here are some of his enduring lines that continue to guide and inspire:

• “We’re all just walking each other home.”

• “The quieter you become, the more you can hear.”

• “It is important to expect nothing, to take every experience, including the negative ones, as merely steps on the path, and to proceed.”

• “If you want to help others, you must do it from your own center—not from your wounds, not to heal yourself, but as an offering.”

• “When you are causing suffering to others, you are causing suffering to yourself.”

• “The heart surrenders everything to the moment. The mind judges and holds back.”

• “The ego is frightened by death, because ego fears it won’t survive. But you, as awareness, are beyond death.”

• “Let’s trade in all our judging for appreciating.”

• “Knowledge all by itself, without deep wisdom, ends up becoming despair.”

• “The game is not about becoming somebody, it's about becoming nobody.”

These quotations reflect his core teaching: life is here, now, and each moment is a doorway to deeper awareness.

Lessons from Ram Dass

1. Spirituality is not escape—it’s engagement.
   Ram Dass insisted that awakening must inform how we live: in relationships, service, aging, and death—not as “dropping out” but dropping in.

2. Suffering is a teacher.
   He often said suffering reveals attachments, inviting us to grow in compassion, awareness, and surrender.

3. The journey is paradoxical.
   His path taught that you don’t become someone; you become nobody. The dissolving of self-concepts opens to true freedom.

4. Service and love are inseparable.
   Inner awakening is incomplete without outer action; our spiritual growth is reflected in how we help others.

5. Speak less, listen more.
   His life after stroke—where speech was limited—highlighted the power of presence, silence, and listening as spiritual practice.

6. Life and death are sacred teachers.
   Ram Dass faced aging and mortality with curiosity, dignity, and acceptance. He taught that preparing for dying is a practice for living.

Conclusion

Ram Dass’s life is a rare example of bold transformation: from psychologist, counterculture explorer, to a gentle spiritual guide rooted in love, presence, and service. He showed that inner work and outer action can blend, that suffering can wake us, and that true teaching emerges in humble being. His words—simple yet profound—continue to ripple outward, reminding us to be here now, to serve, to open, to love.