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Paths to God: Living the Bhagavad Gita Paperback – October 25, 2005
by Ram Dass (Author)
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World-renowned philosopher and spiritual teacher Ram Dass—author of the groundbreaking classic Be Here Now—presents the contemporary Western audience with a lively, accessible guide to the teachings of the Bhagavad Gita, the classic Hindu text that has been called the ultimate instruction manual for living a spiritual life.
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Editorial Reviews
Review
“Blessed brilliance and luminous heart wisdom—Ram Dass at his best. These lectures were joyous to attend and exquisite to read.” —Jack Kornfield, author of A Path with Heart
“With wisdom, humor, and great compassion, Paths to God illuminates the liberating power of the Gita—a rare gift in these unsettled times.” —Joseph Goldstein, author of One Dharma: The Emerging Western Buddhism
“Through offering a wide variety of approaches to spiritual happiness, Paths to God is one of the most inclusive and inviting books available to us.” —Sharon Salzberg, author of Faith: Trusting Your Own Deepest Experience
From the Back Cover
For centuries, readers have turned to the Bhagavad Gita for inspiration and guidance as they chart their own spiritual paths. As profound and powerful as this classic text has been for generations of seekers, integrating its lessons into the ordinary patterns of our lives can ultimately seem beyond our reach. Now, in a fascinating series of reflections, anecdotes, stories, and exercises, Ram Dass gives us a unique and accessible road map for experiencing divinity in everyday life. In the engaging, conversational style that has made his teachings so popular for decades, Ram Dass traces our journey of consciousness as it is reflected in one of Hinduism's most sacred texts. The Gita teaches a system of yogas, or "paths for coming to union with God."
In "Paths to God, Ram Dass brings the heart of that system to light for a Western audience and translates the Gita's principles into the manual for living the yoga of contemporary life.
While being a guide to the wisdom of the Bhagavad Gita, "Paths to God is also a template for expanding our definition of ourselves and allowing us to appreciate a new level of meaning in our lives.
"From the Hardcover edition.
About the Author
Ram Dass has served on the faculty at Stanford and Harvard Universities. In the 1960s, he traveled to India, where he met his guru. Since then, he has pursued a variety of spiritual practices, including guru kripa, devotional yoga, karma yoga, many forms of meditation, and Sufi and Jewish studies. Many of his books, including Be Here Now, are international bestsellers and classics of their kind.
Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
Chapter 1
Context and Conflict
Before we approach the Bhagavad Gita, we need to have a contextual framework for the way it fits into the Mahabharata, of which it's a part. The Mahabharata is one of the two great Indian epics (the Ramayana being the other). The Mahabharata is a huge book-a typical edition runs to nearly six thousand pages. It is said to be the longest literary work in the world; it is seven times the length of The Iliad and The Odyssey combined, and the only unabridged English edition runs to twelve volumes. It's thought to have been written somewhere between 500 and 200 b.c., and it covers a distant period of Indian history: tradition places the battle of Kurukshetra in 3102 b.c., although historians say it was probably more like 1400 b.c. when the events that inspired the Mahabharata took place.
At one level, the Mahabharata is an historical study of a kingdom; but at another level, it is an extraordinary symbological study of all human interactions, of all human emotions and motivations. It's like an incredible psychology book cast in the form of a drama, and it's written from a very conscious point of view, which means that although it can be read just for its romantic, melodramatic story line, it can also be read to uncover its deeper symbolism. And right in the middle of the Mahabharata, on the eve of the climactic battle between the kingdom's two warring families, comes the dialogue between Krishna and Arjuna that's called the Bhagavad Gita, or "the Song of God."
The story of the Mahabharata concerns the kingdom of Bharat, in northern India. The king of Bharat had two sons, Dhritarashtra and Pandu. Dhritarashtra was the elder brother, and ordinarily would have been next in line to inherit the throne after their father died; but he had been born blind, and the traditions of the time didn't allow for a blind king, so Pandu became the king instead, and ruled the kingdom.
Now, what it is that Dhritarashtra's blindness represents in the story is something that has been expounded upon with great relish by countless Hindu pundits over the centuries. Some say his blindness represents his attachment to his son, Duryodhana, which makes him blind to the dharma, blind to truth or to higher wisdom. Some say the blindness represents the nature of the human condition, which is blind because it lacks the higher intellect. The symbolism is very rich.
Pandu, the younger brother, the king, had two wives-Kunti and Madri-and he had five children by them. Of these five children (and these turn out to be the good guys, by the way-the Pandavas), Yuddhisthira was the eldest. Yuddhisthira was virtually the embodiment of dharma, although he did have one minor failing, which was that he gambled-he liked to play dice-and that, we will see, is what ultimately leads us to the predicament we find ourselves in at Kurukshetra. Bhima, Pandu's second son, was very strong and rather reckless. Arjuna, the third, was pure, noble, chivalrous, and heroic; he turns out to be our hero in the Gita. And there were two younger sons, twins by Madri.
Dhritarashtra-the elder, blind brother-had a hundred children, all by one wife. (I know a hundred children-but we're just going to have to allow for these strange things in the Mahabharata. We make room for them in the Old Testament, with 120-year-old men having scores of children. So let's just assume that things are different in different times.) Dhritarashtra's wife, Gandhari, was incredibly devoted to him. She was so devoted that since he couldn't see, she kept her own eyes bandaged throughout her entire married life, because she said that it would be unseemly for her to see when her husband was blind. That's devoted!
Well, a few years into his reign, Pandu accidentally killed a Brahmin. Killing a Brahmin, even by accident, is a very bad thing to do, so to atone for it, Pandu retired to the forest to do tapasya (penances), leaving the kingdom in the care of Dhritarashtra. After some years, while he was still away in the forest, Pandu died as the result of a curse, and Dhritarashtra just went on ruling Bharat.
As the children grew up, Duryodhana, Dhritarashtra's eldest son, grew more and more jealous of Yuddhisthira, the eldest son of Pandu. You can see that the laws of succession would be a little hazy in this situation, but it looked as though Yuddhisthira, as the eldest Pandu son, was going to be the one to inherit the kingdom whenever Dhritarashtra died-and Duryodhana wanted it for himself. He pulled every dirty trick in the books to try to get it; the Mahabharata devotes hundreds of pages to descriptions of all the ways Duryodhana went about scheming to get rid of the Pandavas, so he could take over the kingdom. Finally, Duryodhana held a huge celebration, and invited all the Pandavas to attend. He had a magnificent palace built to house them, but he had it made of some very flammable material, and during the night, when he expected all the Pandavas to be asleep inside, he set the building afire. Luckily, the Pandavas had been forewarned by a loyal servant, and so they-the five boys and their mother-had escaped through an underground passage and gone off into the jungle, into hiding.
Now, just to give you a little more of the flavor of this story: While they were in hiding, living in a cave in the jungle, the Pandava boys heard that there was to be a swayamvara, a husband-selecting ceremony, for Draupadi, the beautiful daughter of a very high king, to find a suitable mate for her. All the princes would be there, of course, because they all wanted to marry this rich, beautiful lady.
At the gathering, a number of tasks were set for the would-be suitors: stringing a magical bow, shooting a target by looking at its reflection in a pool of water, feats like that. All the princes tried, and all the princes failed. Then this poor young Brahmin priest came along, and he easily accomplished all the tasks, one after the other. That was Arjuna in drag, of course. So Arjuna won Draupadi's hand, and he and his brothers took her and headed back to their cave in the jungle.
As they approached the cave where they were living, the boys yelled out to Kunti, their mother, Come out, Ma! See what we have brought today!
Kunti was in the cave and couldn't see her sons, but she called out, Whatever it be, share it equally among all of you. That's a good thing for a mother to say to her five children-usually! But this time it meant that all five brothers ended up being the husbands of Draupadi-she had five husbands by the mother's "boon."
Well, after some years in hiding, the Pandavas made their way back to the kingdom of Bharat, and Dhritarashtra (who wasn't a bad guy, really-it was his son who was out of control) insisted that Duryodhana give them a piece of land to rule. Duryodhana, as you'd expect, picked out the worst piece of land in the kingdom to give to the Pandavas; it had nothing going for it. But in spite of that, Yuddhisthira and his brothers made a go of it, and created a very good kingdom, prosperous and well ruled. That just made Duryodhana more jealous than ever, of course; he grew insanely jealous, and all he could think about was plotting against the Pandavas.
Duryodhana remembered that Yuddhishthira, the oldest Pandava brother, really liked playing dice, so he challenged Yuddhisthira to a dice game, and got a crooked dice player to play opposite him. The two of them played out their dice game, and in the course of it Yuddhishthira lost everything: He lost his kingdom, he forfeited his brothers into servitude, he sold Draupadi down the river-everything he had, went.
Duryodhana was ecstatic! He was so haughty about what he'd done that he had Draupadi brought in, planning to strip her naked in front of the court, to shame her. But when he went to pull off her sari, he found that no matter how many saris he pulled away, there was always one more underneath. He had piles of saris everywhere, but Draupadi was still clothed, because she was protected by the purity of the dharma. (And, of course, Krishna, whom the Pandavas had met while they were off in hiding, was helping secretly, on the side.)
When Dhritarashtra heard about the episode with Draupadi, he was so embarrassed by his son's behavior that he offered Draupadi three boons. She said, Well, for the first one, let my husbands go free, and for the second, give them back their weapons. And that's enough-I won't even need the third boon. They'll be able to take care of things from there."
Well, Dhritarashtra kept his promise and freed the Pandavas; but as soon as the brothers were free, Duryodhana sucked Yuddhisthira into another dice game. (Yuddhisthira just never seems to learn, does he?) In this dice game, the losers (who, of course, turned out to be Yuddhisthira and his four brothers) had to go off and live in the jungle for twelve years. And then, in the thirteenth year, it got even worse: They had to hide out for that whole year, because if they were found by Duryodhana during the thirteenth year, they'd have to do still another twelve years in the jungle. But if they made it through all that, Duryodhana promised that at the end of their exile they'd get their kingdom back.
So back they went to the jungle. They did their twelve years, and in the thirteenth year, in order to hide out, they became servants to a king in a neighboring kingdom. Duryodhana tried everything to find them, but he couldn't. At the end of the thirteenth year, they came back to Bharat and presented themselves before Duryodhana and said, "OK, we did it. Now we want our kingdom."
Duryodhana said, Tough. I'm keeping it. He said, I wouldn't even give you enough land to carry on the tip of a needle.
Now that is the background to the situation in which we find ourselves at the time when the events in the Bhagavad Gita are about to take place. That is, Duryodhana has finally pushed the Pandavas too far, and they have no choice now but to fight. Injustice has taken over their kingdom. Arjuna and his brothers have been cheated and lied to; truth has been trampled on. The dharma has to reassert itself-the good guys have to make a statement. War is their only recourse.
At this point in the story, an interesting event takes place: Arjuna and Duryodhana both go to Krishna, who happens to be God in an avataric form, and they both ask him for his help. In a kind of Solomon-like decision, Krishna says to them, "OK, here are your options: One of you can have all of my weapons and all of my armies...and the other one can have me, but without any armies or weapons." Arjuna immediately says, "Well, I want you-forget about the armies." His mind was turned toward God, and so he said, "All I want is God on my side."
Well, Duryodhana was very pleased with that! He, being the worldly, adharmic fellow, said, "That's perfect! I'm very happy. I get all the arms and all the might." So now the bad guys have this huge army, while the good guys have a much smaller force. And Krishna, although he's God, is only the charioteer for Arjuna-he's not even carrying a bow.
At this point, let me introduce you to a little more of Krishna's story, so we can see how he came to this moment on the battlefield. Krishna was the child of Vasudev and Devaki, and Devaki had a very mean brother named Kamsa. Kamsa was so mean that he put his own father in jail, just in order to take over the kingdom.
But mean though he was, Kamsa had a soft spot in his heart for his sister Devaki. So when she married Vasudev, Kamsa threw a big celebration for her, with a great feast, and afterward announced that he would drive the chariot himself to take the couple to their new home. While they were on their way there, however, a great voice suddenly spoke from the sky and said to Kamsa, "Beware! The eighth child of this couple will kill you."
Well, that, of course, freaked the brother completely! He was about to kill Devaki and Vasudev right on the spot, but they begged for their lives, and he finally relented. He said, OK, I won't kill you. But you'll have to agree to live in jail for the rest of your lives, and to give me all your children as soon as they're born.
What could they do? They agreed.
So Devaki and Vasudev were imprisoned, and their first seven children were taken away the minute they were born. The first six were killed by Kamsa; the seventh has a complicated story of his own, which we won't go into here.
When the time came for the eighth birth, Kamsa was especially wary. He put extra guards on duty at the prison, and he locked Vasudev and Devaki in chains. But as the time of the birth approached, the guards began to feel very sleepy, and they all dozed off. And then the baby was born. As he came out of the womb, the baby (who, of course, was Krishna) said, "Take me to Gokul, to Nanda's house, and there you will find a girl-child. Substitute me for that baby girl."
Vasudev said, "How can I take you to Gokul? The doors are locked, and I'm in chains." At that point, Vasudev's chains dropped away and the prison door flew open. Well, Vasudev felt that was a pretty clear message, so he took baby Krishna to Gokul and brought the baby girl back in his place. The guards woke up and saw the baby, and went to tell Kamsa. The wicked brother came to the cell, and thinking that the little girl was his sister's child, he grabbed the baby by her feet, planning to throw her to the floor. But as he touched her feet, she flew out of his hands and up into the sky. As she was going, she called back, "I would have killed you, but you touched my feet; and even though you did that intending to kill me, I will treat it as though you were honoring me and let you go this time." Then she disappeared up into heaven.
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Product details
ASIN : 1400054036
Publisher : Harmony; Reprint edition (October 25, 2005)
Language : English
Paperback : 352 pages
ISBN-10 : 9781400054039
ISBN-13 : 978-1400054039
Item Weight : 10 ounces
Dimensions : 5.16 x 0.91 x 7.97 inches
Best Sellers Rank: #52,120 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
#14 in Bhagavad Gita (Books)
#64 in Religion & Philosophy (Books)
#116 in Yoga (Books)
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4.8 out of 5 stars 362 ratings
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Ram Dass
Ram Dass, formerly Dr. Richard Alpert, became a multigenerational spiritual teacher and cultural icon spanning from the 1960s through his peaceful passing at his home on December 22, 2019. His zeitgeist shifting book Be Here Now sparked a watershed of Eastern spiritual traditions and practices to become accessible to a Western audience. After a life-altering stroke, Ram Dass spent the remainder of his life on Maui, continuing to write books, share teachings, and hold retreats. His many books include Walking Each Other Home, Polishing the Mirror, Be Love Now, Paths to God, Still Here, and The Only Dance There Is. Ram Dass devoted his life to service, founding the Love Serve Remember Foundation, the Hanuman Foundation, and co-founding the Seva Foundation, Lama Foundation, and the Neem Karoli Baba Ashram in Taos, New Mexico. For talks, podcasts, or more information, visit ramdass.org.
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Marian Marroquín-Sempé
5.0 out of 5 stars Blew my mindReviewed in the United States on February 23, 2021
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I really didn’t expect this book to impact me the way it did, but here I am, taking the time to let others who are considering buying this book to READ IT. When I came across this book, I was looking for a commentary on the Gita, a life-changing book for me, that I read last year. So I bought this book, expecting it to clarify and further deepen my understanding of the teachings of the Gita. What I got was that and much more. It really isn’t a commentary but the base of a course taught by Ram Dass at Naropa during the 70’s that takes the key aspects of the Gita and teaches them in a way you can use in your everyday life. If the Gita has impacted your life and want to further deepen the way you can work with it everyday, GET THIS BOOK.
16 people found this helpful
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Saavik
5.0 out of 5 stars Insightful and worth the readReviewed in the United States on July 5, 2021
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Great addition to Ram Dass the collection.
I attempted to read the Bhagvad Gita few times but never fully grasped the allegorical references. It was kind of like reading Melville's Moby Dick without Cliff notes.
After I read Paths to God, I finally understood the inner battle Arjuna faced. Ram Dass might be on a different plane but he still can bring enlightenment to us on this plane of existence.
Thank you, Ram Dass. Thank you to all who collaborated to piece this book together. Love everyone and don't lie
6 people found this helpful
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jessica dukes
5.0 out of 5 stars Must read!Reviewed in the United States on March 20, 2021
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I’ve read mannnyyy spiritual books and this one is the best! He uses the gita as prompts then applies it to real life. He touches on almost every point of his philosophy so its great book to learn more about his teachings.
7 people found this helpful
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Pippen
5.0 out of 5 stars Enlightening, uplifting & mind blowingReviewed in the United States on October 14, 2021
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They say the right teacher or teaching appears,when the student is ready. This book is a must have for all conscious students of life. It is beautifully written & full of key insights to contemplate on the path of awakening.
2 people found this helpful
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Very complexReviewed in the United States on August 22, 2018
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It was not what I expected but I thoroughly enjoyed it. I thought it would be a more literal interpretation of the Bhagavad Gita. If you like Ram Dass, you'll probably like this.
10 people found this helpful
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James
5.0 out of 5 stars Life changingReviewed in the United States on November 22, 2018
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I have this as a digital copy and an audio book, it helps put my spirit back inline when it gets to bleak. Great book very enlightening
11 people found this helpful
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Mona Barnes
5.0 out of 5 stars Buy nowReviewed in the United States on January 24, 2022
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This book is great. Goes in understandable detail about how you can use the Gita to grow on your spiritual journey. If your inquiring about Buddhism and Hinduism and it’s overall universal applications than this is a good book for you. I have enjoyed the pictures of Ram Dass along with photographs of some original work he has done. Less traditional style that helps put some spice in your life.
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Julie Rose
5.0 out of 5 stars Five StarsReviewed in the United States on March 22, 2017
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Now that I'm retired its wonderful to have a curriculum for spiritual work.
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Infinity Drive
5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic bookReviewed in the United Kingdom on November 21, 2010
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I highly recommend this book. It took me ages to read this book, not because it is a very long book, but because what was in it made me often stop reading and pondering philosophical the concepts the author was putting forth. It made me do lots of pondering between paragraphs and the like (and for this reason I easily lost my place). I was in hospital at the time and found it be a great spiritual support in a very negative environment.
Certainly, what is presented here is a spiritual classic - the author goes through many topics, in particular I found his explanations of reincarnation and karma to be very insightful and gave me new perspective on these ideas.
The book also has some charming and fascinating ancedotes about Ram Dass life with Baba and his adventures in meditation - I found the story about his meditations with the Zen masters Koan very entertaining.
A book writetn with great wisdom and humility from a modern spiritual master. If you are just a little bit interested in these topics - I'd highly recommend this book.
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Neophyte
5.0 out of 5 stars The path less ravelledReviewed in the United Kingdom on May 1, 2014
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I found this to be an honest and clear book on paths to God, primarily from within the bhakti yoga path but very inclusive of others. I was particularly moved by Ram Dass's recognition that he needed to surrender to a guru, that this was the right path for him, a Western academic of some standing. It also gave me the freedom to recognise that this is not my path, and the confidence to explore my own. I also found the chapter on karma very enlightening. I was for the first time able to personally penetrate what this meant in my own life. To be read with the heart open.
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Beata D
5.0 out of 5 stars excellentReviewed in the United Kingdom on July 25, 2018
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If you are serious about spiritual life you must read / listen to cd
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Liz in Looe
5.0 out of 5 stars A Yoga must read!Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 20, 2012
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I have owned this book for a couple of weeks now and am on my third read. Ram Dass makes the Gita so accessible and has some excellent pointers for enabling Westerners to live the Gita in daily life. I was lucky enough to be able to read this whilst travelling to a course on the Gita, and having the two together was just incredible. Thank you so much Ram Dass!!
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cathmclean
5.0 out of 5 stars Paths to God: Living the Bhagavad GitaReviewed in the United Kingdom on December 26, 2012
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I found Ram Dass's writing to be an really enjoyable, enlightening and educational read. I would recommend to anyone who has an interest in understanding the Bhagavad Gita or is studying yoga.
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Paths to God: Living the Bhagavad Gita
by
4.43 · Rating details · 992 ratings · 71 reviews
For centuries, readers have turned to the Bhagavad Gita for inspiration and guidance as they chart their own spiritual paths. As profound and powerful as this classic text has been for generations of seekers, integrating its lessons into the ordinary patterns of our lives can ultimately seem beyond our reach. Now, in a fascinating series of reflections, anecdotes, stories, and exercises, Ram Dass gives us a unique and accessible road map for experiencing divinity in everyday life. In the engaging, conversational style that has made his teachings so popular for decades, Ram Dass traces our journey of consciousness as it is reflected in one of Hinduism's most sacred texts. The Gita teaches a system of yogas, or "paths for coming to union with God."
In Paths to God, Ram Dass brings the heart of that system to light for a Western audience and translates the Gita's principles into the manual for living the yoga of contemporary life.
While being a guide to the wisdom of the Bhagavad Gita, Paths to God is also a template for expanding our definition of ourselves and allowing us to appreciate a new level of meaning in our lives.
Paperback, 352 pages
Published October 25th 2005 by Harmony (first published 2004)
| Review of | ISBN 9781400054039 | |
| Rating | ||
| Shelves | to-read ( 1351st ) | |
| Format | Paperback edit | |
| Status | April 1, 2022 – Shelved as: to-read April 1, 2022 – Shelved | |
| Review | Write a review | |
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This book was incredible. Ram Dass walks you through the Gita without it being a book report. He supplements every chapter with excercises and further readings so you don't just read it, you feel it. The book is also inclusive of most religions. He quotes the Bible to explain attachment in a western light and enriches the meaning with his personal experience and texts from the Vedas.
This book is not a beginners book though. He relies on the reader to have a fundemental understanding of Arjuna and his tribulations. Without having read the story and having a grasp on eastern thought and core values as expressed by Jesus one would be left searching for explainations or facts to back up statements the author treats as truthes.
The book requires that the reader have some kind of relationship with God but it does not have to be any particular persuastion. Ram Dass would assure you that when you are ready, you will be reading this book! (less)
This book is not a beginners book though. He relies on the reader to have a fundemental understanding of Arjuna and his tribulations. Without having read the story and having a grasp on eastern thought and core values as expressed by Jesus one would be left searching for explainations or facts to back up statements the author treats as truthes.
The book requires that the reader have some kind of relationship with God but it does not have to be any particular persuastion. Ram Dass would assure you that when you are ready, you will be reading this book! (less)
Jun 05, 2009Grant added it
I like Ram Dass. He has a sweetness and approachability to his writting that makes my heart float with his company. He makes me a better person, humble, kind, loving, caring, present, filled with curiosity, God, and love for man.
I skimmed this book. It made me want to read the Gita.
I really like what he says about Hatha Yoga and its ability to change a persons perspective towards their body, especially in relation to consumption.
I skimmed this book. It made me want to read the Gita.
I really like what he says about Hatha Yoga and its ability to change a persons perspective towards their body, especially in relation to consumption.
Jun 27, 2012Tracy rated it it was amazing
I absolutely loved this book. An easy read. It presented the Gita in such a easy and natural read. I am very familure with the ideas in this book, and it just solidified them for me. I think its a great book for beginners, and those who have been on the spiritual path for awhile. I really like Ram Dass. The book kind of made me want to take drugs though...lol.
Jan 19, 2018Joe rated it it was amazing
The perfect companion to my favorite holy text. The Bhagavad Gita offers something for everyone, but it can be a little obtuse for those not educated in Hindu and Advaita Vedanta philosophy. Enter Ram Dass: spiritual leader, honest as a dog, and an excellent writer who captures concepts in a way sure to bring understanding to both beginners and experts alike. His chapters on karma and reincarnation are both standouts, but the whole book offers so much it's hard to pick favorites. From the suggested exercises to the extended references, Ram Dass nails it, through and through. (less)
Sep 23, 2014Denise rated it it was amazing
Ram Dass is my number one upaguru. His style and wit speak to my heart like no other. I've found the Bhagavad Gita difficult to understand and apply but RD has a way of making such things more clear. I've learned so much from him but his books are worth reading for his excellent story telling alone. He's a character and beautifully meshuga. (less)
THIS BOOK IS STRAIGHT FIRE. LOved it. Essential for your spiritual journey
Nov 11, 2020Leo Walsh rated it really liked it
A solid spiritual classic. Sure, it's dated, suffering from Ram Dass's 60's acidhead syndrome, like Timothy Leary worship and seeing all mystical spiritual practice, from Vedic to Buddhist to shamanic, originating in psychedelics. That's spurious.
And I find it hard to accept what Dass says about wealthy "gurus" driving around in Bentleys and eating from golden bowls: that they're so evolved that they're looking "beyond this world." Sure, some may, but in my experience, those people are often cons. They're the Billy Grahams of the New Age movement, holding splashy tent revivals and not doing the real, lived-in, day-to-day work that a pastor must do to help their parishioners live a good life in an often cold, cruel world.
And I also object to his white-washing of the traditional hindu caste system, a repressive social order writ large and given "religious" justification.
However...
The book offers a solid look at basic, non-technical practice of an honest-to-God Vedic religious outlook. This is not New Age Hinduism Lite, but the real deal. It forces the reader to examine their life through the Vedic holy book THE BHAGAVADGITA, which argues for radical engagement in the world.
What's more, I've always had the sense that Ram Dass believes what he writes. This is not throw away schlock, like THE SECRET. At the time he wrote this, Dass had spent decades living as a yogi, a mendicant monk, ensconced in Vedic teachings and absorbing the spirit of the Hindu deities. Which makes most of his insights at least thought-provoking. And Dass is a harvard-educated social scientist, so his adopted life intrigues.
Four stars. It could be five, but the rah-rah for the caste system leaves me cold. It smacks of southerners mythologizing plantation owners as "benevolent overseers" of their slaves instead of the often cruel slave owners they really were. They did, after all, profit off of the misery of people they owned and felt superior to. (less)
And I find it hard to accept what Dass says about wealthy "gurus" driving around in Bentleys and eating from golden bowls: that they're so evolved that they're looking "beyond this world." Sure, some may, but in my experience, those people are often cons. They're the Billy Grahams of the New Age movement, holding splashy tent revivals and not doing the real, lived-in, day-to-day work that a pastor must do to help their parishioners live a good life in an often cold, cruel world.
And I also object to his white-washing of the traditional hindu caste system, a repressive social order writ large and given "religious" justification.
However...
The book offers a solid look at basic, non-technical practice of an honest-to-God Vedic religious outlook. This is not New Age Hinduism Lite, but the real deal. It forces the reader to examine their life through the Vedic holy book THE BHAGAVADGITA, which argues for radical engagement in the world.
What's more, I've always had the sense that Ram Dass believes what he writes. This is not throw away schlock, like THE SECRET. At the time he wrote this, Dass had spent decades living as a yogi, a mendicant monk, ensconced in Vedic teachings and absorbing the spirit of the Hindu deities. Which makes most of his insights at least thought-provoking. And Dass is a harvard-educated social scientist, so his adopted life intrigues.
Four stars. It could be five, but the rah-rah for the caste system leaves me cold. It smacks of southerners mythologizing plantation owners as "benevolent overseers" of their slaves instead of the often cruel slave owners they really were. They did, after all, profit off of the misery of people they owned and felt superior to. (less)
Sep 18, 2021Ben rated it it was amazing
I read this as I read through my first two readings of The Bhagavad Gita. Soon to do my third reading of the Gita while practicing the exercises at the end. Much like in the book Remember: Be Here Now, this work starts off with the explanations of what it's all about, and it has all it's exercises in the back. When this was compiled, it was done so as a university course. I would recommend that, at the end of each section of this book which you read, take some time to go over the stuff at the end and incorporate it into your readings and practices. There's no one to grade you but yourself, no way to fail. If anything, this book gives one great wisdom into their study of the Gita. Highly recommended for those looking to better understand Indian philosophy or deepen their spirit. (less)
Nov 19, 2019Bruce Geils rated it it was amazing
This book arrived perfectly on time.
Nov 18, 2009Nikki rated it really liked it
Despite the fact that the author is a total hippy, I really enjoyed this book. I appreciated the perspective of a Westerner converting to Hinduism...I found it very interesting seeing the differences in how Westerners/Easterners think. I learned a lot about the various practices involved in leading an 'enlightened' life. And I enjoyed his interpretation of the Gita. He included quotes from all the great religious leaders (Christ, Buddha, etc), which I appreciated.
I learned to ignore his discussi ...more
I learned to ignore his discussi ...more
Oct 09, 2018Countp rated it it was amazing
Simply superb! Ram Dass’ exquisite take on the main themes of the Bhagavad Gita is a must read for anyone interested in different approaches to achieve spiritual freedom. The various aspects and techniques of karma yoga (action), bhakti yoga (devotion), jnana yoga (wisdom), sacrifice and mantra, renunciation & purification are discussed in a poetic, humourous and captivating way. At the end of the book are many extra articles explaining the ins and outs of different types of meditation practices and simple exercises to apply these to your own life. I have thouroughly enjoyed reading this book from the first to the last page and will often be returning to the wisdom contained in it. (less)
Funny enough, I read this book while home over Christmas. I had tried reading this book months before but I couldn't get into it. Once the right time for me to delve into the ideas however, I became more and more interested in the teachings of the Bhagavad Gita, and learning more about the true source of yoga and not just our westernized versions of the practice. I also appreciated Mr. Daas' honesty and candor and immediately recommended and lent my copy to a friend interested in eastern philosophy (less)
Apr 10, 2013Rose Fuller rated it it was amazing
This book is awesome! Ram Dass is a great writer, he's lead an interesting life, travelling to India and living without money. The book covers different types of yoga, including Bhakti yoga the devotional service to God. Ram talks about his Jewish background, his family, the death of his mother. Buddhism is covered in detail with regards to his experience of the death of his mother and a close friend, with whom he was with while she was dying. The book covers the authors drug experiences on LSD and his temporary lapse of vegetarianism. I will read Rams other books for certain. (less)
Aug 23, 2018Jessica M rated it really liked it
This is a great companion to the Gita, and has some thoughtful 'homework' readings and exercises at the back of the book. If you are a fan of Ram Dass, you will love it for being full of his anecdotes in his gently comical style. If you are looking for something a little more scholarly and less personal (although that is the point of this book--how to bring the teachings of the Gita into your personal life), you might do better with a different commentary. And of course you should already have read the Bhagavad Gita a couple times before reading this one. (less)
Jun 06, 2014Marguerite Bradley rated it really liked it
Great read wonderful insight crossing over to the Eastern religions and meeting with the western. Turns out that if you seek it you will find. Open ur heart and mind. Author is funny down to earth hippie that opened his mind with Timothy Leary in the 70s by magic mushrooms and studied eastern religion to find the answers about God. Crosses both east and west cultures bringing full circle to the one the supreme being and to find it within.
Jul 07, 2014Julie rated it it was amazing
A great book. I enjoyed Ram Dass's writing style. He incorporates the Bhagavad Gita into real life situations by using his own life as examples. He does go off on some explanations and seems to get carried away in his stories, but his stories are wonderful, thoughtful and lived. And it is through his living them and in the sharing of them that are able to learn and apply his wisdom in our own life. (less)
Jan 12, 2019Nate rated it it was amazing
Wisdom is the path from knowing to being. We can know knowledge, but only be wise. Understanding is the function of many centers, as opposed to knowing, which occurs in only one center. Intuitive wisdom is a non-conceptual appreciation for something by becoming one with it. Intuition is driven by an understanding of the interconnectedness of everything that is being. Bodies, hearts and minds - an organ for each type of yoga.
Nov 12, 2010Malcolm rated it really liked it
Fascinating book where Ram Dass tries to explain his views of reality, God-ness, and the relationship between western understanding and eastern ideas. I always find his books quite interesting. This book also includes a compendium at the end with a full program for meditation and spritual awakening.
Visit my writing website www.authorsden.com/malcolmwatts (less)
Visit my writing website www.authorsden.com/malcolmwatts (less)
This is the closest work we have to a commentary by Ram Dass on the Bhagavad Gita. It is based on an extensive course taught in America in the 1970s. There is also over 12 Hours of excellent audio available free on youtube.
I have placed a link to the first session below.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JYa81H...
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I have placed a link to the first session below.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JYa81H...
(less)
Feb 05, 2017Charles rated it really liked it
Ram Dass really knows how to spellbind in his oral raps that then get transcribed. Be advised, however, that this book is not really focused on the Bhagavad-Gita, at least not in a systematic way. But despite its lack of scholarly rigor, or perhaps thanks to that lack, the book is extremely readable, with chapters on Karma Yoga and Jnana Yoga that are remarkable.
This is based off of a course that Ram Dass taught at Naropa University.
It was good, but never inspired me to write any quotations or notes. Still an interesting read. It doesn't so much address the Gita as it talks about concepts that are found within. At the end there is section suggesting many forms of spiritual practice, and I took some mental notes from there that I found helpful. (less)
It was good, but never inspired me to write any quotations or notes. Still an interesting read. It doesn't so much address the Gita as it talks about concepts that are found within. At the end there is section suggesting many forms of spiritual practice, and I took some mental notes from there that I found helpful. (less)
So much love for Ram Dass. This book was such a beautiful read. I really took time to read it slowly and think about the different teachings. I learned so much and It has affected my life in such a divine way. Very eye opening. Ram Dass has such a loving way of teaching and it was really easy for me to understand. I love this🙏
Nov 09, 2014Samuel Lewis rated it it was amazing
Ram Dass is the most amazing teacher. His work speaks directly to me and this book serves as an amazing way to connect with his teachings. I found it incredibly valuable that it contains a syllabus for the class!
