Becoming Nobody: The Essential Ram Dass Collection
by
Ram Dass
4.49 · Rating details · 769 ratings · 82 reviews
As featured in the Ram Dass documentary film Becoming Nobody, five essential live teaching sessions on audio, presented here in their entirety
The game is not about becoming somebody, it’s about becoming nobody. —Ram Dass
If you’re a spiritual explorer of any age or tradition, chances are you’ve heard of Ram Dass. This singular luminary began his “somebody training” as Richard Alpert—the 1960’s Harvard-psychologist-turned-hippie who tripped with Timothy Leary, befriended beat poets and Tibetan lamas, found his lifelong guru in India, and wrote the perennial classic Be Here Now.
That’s the “somebody” part of his story. But for those who’ve experienced Ram Dass live as he shares his insights and personal journey on the way to becoming nobody—he has been for many the spark that ignited them to the liberating truth of who we really are.
This audio collection brings us five essential sessions, featured in the Ram Dass documentary film Becoming Nobody, presented here in their entirety. Each beautifully illuminates a core dimension of Ram Dass’s wisdom. Through teaching stories, true accounts, eye-opening revelations, and his one-of-a-kind sense of humor, this legendary teacher helps show us the way out of the prison of our self-identity—and into the joy of being at once “nobody” and the universal divine at play in the world. (less)
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Oct 10, 2019Christer Edwards rated it it was amazing
I still can't get enough of Ram Dass. (less)
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May 05, 2020Lisa Butterworth rated it really liked it
Shelves: brain-books, woo
I actually listened to this at single speed, as I was falling asleep each night. I recommend this approach in general, there is something very calming and centering about his voice and all this woo woo ideas, not in a boring way, just in a peaceful way. I don't know that I learned anything new (I read a lot of eastern spiritualism type books I guess), but I do appreciate the delivery. (less)
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Jan 23, 2020Mehrsa rated it it was amazing
I didn't know abut Ram Dass until I saw this book on audible. It's a really good series of talks and lectures about letting go of your manufactured identity and the stories we cling to about ourselves. (less)
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Mar 11, 2022Grayson Adelmann added it
for those that don’t know, ram dass is a buddhist/hindu american spiritual leader & modern yoga guru- a brilliant soul
I couldn’t possibly rate this. it’s too abstract, and largely way beyond my intellect. agree or disagree, ram dass hits with face melting strength spirituality nonetheless
all i can say for certain is that although I didn’t understand at least half of this book (it’s incredibly dense), I benefited from it enormously
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Jan 02, 2020Tommy rated it really liked it
A warm compilation of talks and teachings from Ram Dass, reminding us of why he was such a resonant and relevant spiritual voice. Not certain of the precise date of the talks, but I believe most of them were from the 1980's/90's. Considering how far back they date, the sound quality is quite good...and the lessons are eternally on point. He'll be missed, but he would've been the first to say, he hasn't gone anywhere. (less)
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Mar 18, 2020Haley rated it really liked it
I listened to him on audiobook and I enjoyed his laugh. I found him to be a bit all over the place at times, but it's fitting for a book on escaping the boundaries of life. I paused often to think about what he'd said. (less)
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Sep 17, 2020Regina rated it really liked it
I've heard about Ram Dass's teachings for quite awhile and finally chose this as my audiobook introduction to him. It's essentially a collection of talks from the Becoming Nobody film, so it plays out like more of a conversation than text. Some of his anecdotes appear more than once, but that's okay. I'm definitely open to his message of grace and will go back to his other works when I feel my "somebody" (ego) is getting too big. (less)
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Oct 18, 2019Sienna rated it really liked it
Recommended to Sienna by: Hoopla
Shelves: audio, grief-death, love-communication, read-2019
Lovely. I never had listened to Ram Dass. I found this collection quite enjoyable & maybe even a little enlightening. The way it ends is pure perfection. Never had I listened to an audio book that didn't end with promotion of the company. In this one, they let Ram Dass slip away on his last thought (slash brainworm). (less)
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Feb 02, 2020Laurie Summer rated it really liked it
I can see why Ram Dass and his teachings are so well known. I found the lessons in this book personally relevant as I process a variety of emotional and psychological experiences at this stage, and i suspect I will reread it at later points in my journey.
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Mar 10, 2021Ehsan Gazar rated it really liked it
I mean this book advances you to think of your course once more, what you are doing and what you are endeavouring to do.
Nobodyness, seems like a genuine term to give you a more beneficial perspective in life
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Mar 29, 2022Les rated it really liked it
Met me or helped me meet me where I'm at; definitely will relisten to different chapters on an ongoing basis and hold in conversation with other works. Life is forever much more difficult and much more easy than one thinks, assumes or even manages to learn. (less)
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Jan 29, 2021Anthony Thompson rated it it was amazing
Quite the Soul. Thoroughly enjoyable. Recommended to All.
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Jan 17, 2022Alex Hummel rated it it was amazing
Great collection of lectures.
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Jan 17, 2022Ryan Howarth rated it it was amazing
Life changing.
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Apr 03, 2022Lucas Braga rated it it was amazing
Religious concepts mixed with Psychology. Some parts are a bit too mystic for my liking but the overall content is excellent.
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Mar 16, 2020Evan rated it it was amazing
Shelves: mindfulness, 2020, audiobooks
There's just something about Ram Dass that appeals; warm, smiling, witty. Yes, there's no shortage of heady, chewy, quasi-spiritual, New Agey, mind trip material here; but his talks also have a centered, relatable, I'm-also-a-normal-guy-with-struggles-and-issues quality and a good dose of self-deprecating humor that helps bring the point home in a very, or as much as possible, digestible way. (less)
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Apr 07, 2020Kinsley rated it liked it
Shelves: non-fiction, adult
A calming quiet read about heavy deep subjects. I find Ram Dass to be soothing, welcoming and steady. It's just a light touch on what he truly teaches and it's a good first pass. I will listen again, I'm sure. (less)
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Sep 30, 2019Laura rated it it was amazing
An important read or listen. 🙏
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Sep 06, 2020J. rated it really liked it
I love the teachings on fear, anger and separation, vs love and unity. Are you more committed to being one or to being right?
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Jul 17, 2020Brian Wilcox rated it it was amazing
Ram Dass was, as here, an excellent communicator. I appreciated how he applied his psychological training to the path of awakening, as well his humanness he confessed and urged the listener to embrace in herself or himself, in self-compassion.
I find it refreshing and truth-telling when a spiritual guide admits she or he, like the rest of us, participate in the suffering, including neurosis, that befalls us simply by taking on a human body amid a world of other suffering beings.
Foremost, Ram Dass here communicates being in Love, not as an egoic, sentimental, personal relationship, but truly in Love, when one sees oneself as a face of the Beloved. One of the highlights here for me was how he speaks of another being the stimulus for the love within us to awaken, rather than our seeing the other as the source of love, so seeking to possess the other. When we see the other as the means of such awakening, we feel no need to own the other, knowing the love is within us and not found in the other as other than us. (less)
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Jun 10, 2021El rated it liked it
Before anything else, this 3 star review is only because I read "polishing the mirror" first. Polishing The Mirror seems to include all of this book and more. If you haven't read "polishing the mirror" first, you may read this book differently.
That being said, there is a wealth of good spiritual experience and practice here that anyone of any faith would benefit from. I will contrast this to Polishing The Mirror by noting that the author seems more proud or content in his spiritual awareness or wisdom in many of these teachings. It is tangible when reading his latter work which seems to come from a deep place of humility, perhaps from his own physical hardship or the wisdom and humility that comes from aging. That being said, approaching this from a Protestant Christian tradition it was a healthy challenge to metabolize this read. There is so much to be learned in other traditions and people like Ram Dass are a gateway to connecting with those different traditions and perhaps even finding the genuine connections amidst us all. (less)
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Mar 03, 2021Alessio added it
How many dimensions do we live in? No matter if you live in an euclidean space plus time or in its tangent isotropic hyperspace you can benefit from knowing more reading key or maybe letting go of some that you use very often.
Some possible answers to the first question:
1 body? (be?)
2 + neurosis? (+ have?)
3 + xyz? (+ where?)
4 + time? (+ when?)
5 + jokes? (+ self jokes?)
6 + awareness? (+ too complex for one word question or words -> just be after coming here?)
7 + awareness of awareness? (+ much much easier when u recognize 6)
8 + string theory preface? (+ no need to know everything)
9 + the zero string? (+ no need to change unaware)
10 + all the strings? (+ union of everything)
11 Buddha (+ into itself)
infinite -> only Buddha with unbearable compassion. (+ come back to 5 and repeat).
(less)
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May 01, 2020Josie rated it really liked it
Shelves: audio-books
Certain aspects were a little "woo-woo"y' for me personally, and I found myself zoning out during certain parts for a moment or two. Considering I've never heard of Ram Dass, am not particularly spiritual and tend to not listen to these types of talks I walked away with a lot to think about. I am definitely happy with my choice to listen, and I 100% see myself listening to this again in a year or so as a refresher. I was most impressed by the last two sections/chapters as they really provoked a perspective shift in me.
He's funny and has an incredibly soothing voice, (he also laughs like Seth Rogan a bit), which naturally makes this engaging. Even if you have no intention of opening up spiritually or becoming enlightened it's still a great listen and I recommend this to anyone! (less)
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Feb 08, 2021Colin Schindler rated it liked it
I’m a big fan of Sam Harris and after reading his books and listening to his philosophy on awareness and consciousness I’ve come to realize that there is a lot of wisdom to be gained here. This is my first Ram Dass book and while there are bits here and there that I liked, most of Ram’s stuff comes off as too new-age and feel good for my taste. Plus having to listen to that self-satisfied snicker after he says something ironic or clever, ugh..., it leaves a bad taste in my mouth. In the end I’m glad I know what Ram has to offer but I won’t be reading into him any further. (less)
flagLike · comment · see review
Sep 07, 2020Rebecca Kaminski rated it liked it
3.5 stars. I'd be interested to read more of his books. This book/lecture collection has some really great points and insights. Worth reading. But, at times, I was turned off by some of the connections to christianity, which I felt were irrelevant. I guess he was trying to be accessible to a broader audience. I'd have to read more of his teachings to fully understand his approach and belief system before I'd judge. (less)
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Nov 27, 2021Liz rated it really liked it
Shelves: read-audio
I’ve wanted to read this author for so long. It’s quite bothersome that Ian recommended this book. It made everything feel two-sided and patronizing. Great things conceptually that I’ve already been working through so a bit redundant but very true. Also listening to it through his ears, what freedom to fuck people over if this is your belief system. (Who cares if you make other people suffer it’s their problem anyways)
flagLike · comment · see review
Apr 06, 2020Alex rated it it was amazing
Shelves: favorites, spiritual
Woah. I don’t think it was chance I stumbled upon this. Ram’s teachings include ways to deal with suffering, fear and death (all especially relevant during this Coronavirus pandemic). Listening to him has made life a little easier for me. I plan to further explore his teachings and possibly re-listen to this in the future.
flagLike · comment · see review
Oct 09, 2020Amy rated it liked it
I got through most of this book, enough to feel like I got some good information from it, and I'm ready to move on. I have to laugh a little bit at the many people who have become very spiritual by taking drugs! I think there's definitely some good advice here, in letting go of worldly attachments and just connecting with our creator. Separation of what we are and who we are. (less)
flagLike · comment · see review
May 14, 2020Karim rated it it was amazing
An amazing expedition into the realms of the human condition, exploring the notions of love, death, suffering, pleasure and everything else you need to know about. Also, ram dass' style is very simple and funny and not as pretentious or patronizing as some spiritual leaders. (less)
flagLike · comment · see review
Apr 27, 2021Alex A. rated it it was amazing
One of the few authors I crave to re-listen over and over again, that very second audible is hoping for me to have enjoyed the program - re-listen as many times as needed to have my inner voice replaced by his.
flagLike · comment · see review
flagLike · comment · see review
Mar 03, 2021Alessio added it
How many dimensions do we live in? No matter if you live in an euclidean space plus time or in its tangent isotropic hyperspace you can benefit from knowing more reading key or maybe letting go of some that you use very often.
Some possible answers to the first question:
1 body? (be?)
2 + neurosis? (+ have?)
3 + xyz? (+ where?)
4 + time? (+ when?)
5 + jokes? (+ self jokes?)
6 + awareness? (+ too complex for one word question or words -> just be after coming here?)
7 + awareness of awareness? (+ much much easier when u recognize 6)
8 + string theory preface? (+ no need to know everything)
9 + the zero string? (+ no need to change unaware)
10 + all the strings? (+ union of everything)
11 Buddha (+ into itself)
infinite -> only Buddha with unbearable compassion. (+ come back to 5 and repeat).
(less)
flagLike · comment · see review
May 01, 2020Josie rated it really liked it
Shelves: audio-books
Certain aspects were a little "woo-woo"y' for me personally, and I found myself zoning out during certain parts for a moment or two. Considering I've never heard of Ram Dass, am not particularly spiritual and tend to not listen to these types of talks I walked away with a lot to think about. I am definitely happy with my choice to listen, and I 100% see myself listening to this again in a year or so as a refresher. I was most impressed by the last two sections/chapters as they really provoked a perspective shift in me.
He's funny and has an incredibly soothing voice, (he also laughs like Seth Rogan a bit), which naturally makes this engaging. Even if you have no intention of opening up spiritually or becoming enlightened it's still a great listen and I recommend this to anyone! (less)
flagLike · comment · see review
Feb 08, 2021Colin Schindler rated it liked it
I’m a big fan of Sam Harris and after reading his books and listening to his philosophy on awareness and consciousness I’ve come to realize that there is a lot of wisdom to be gained here. This is my first Ram Dass book and while there are bits here and there that I liked, most of Ram’s stuff comes off as too new-age and feel good for my taste. Plus having to listen to that self-satisfied snicker after he says something ironic or clever, ugh..., it leaves a bad taste in my mouth. In the end I’m glad I know what Ram has to offer but I won’t be reading into him any further. (less)
flagLike · comment · see review
Sep 07, 2020Rebecca Kaminski rated it liked it
3.5 stars. I'd be interested to read more of his books. This book/lecture collection has some really great points and insights. Worth reading. But, at times, I was turned off by some of the connections to christianity, which I felt were irrelevant. I guess he was trying to be accessible to a broader audience. I'd have to read more of his teachings to fully understand his approach and belief system before I'd judge. (less)
flagLike · comment · see review
Nov 27, 2021Liz rated it really liked it
Shelves: read-audio
I’ve wanted to read this author for so long. It’s quite bothersome that Ian recommended this book. It made everything feel two-sided and patronizing. Great things conceptually that I’ve already been working through so a bit redundant but very true. Also listening to it through his ears, what freedom to fuck people over if this is your belief system. (Who cares if you make other people suffer it’s their problem anyways)
flagLike · comment · see review
Apr 06, 2020Alex rated it it was amazing
Shelves: favorites, spiritual
Woah. I don’t think it was chance I stumbled upon this. Ram’s teachings include ways to deal with suffering, fear and death (all especially relevant during this Coronavirus pandemic). Listening to him has made life a little easier for me. I plan to further explore his teachings and possibly re-listen to this in the future.
flagLike · comment · see review
Oct 09, 2020Amy rated it liked it
I got through most of this book, enough to feel like I got some good information from it, and I'm ready to move on. I have to laugh a little bit at the many people who have become very spiritual by taking drugs! I think there's definitely some good advice here, in letting go of worldly attachments and just connecting with our creator. Separation of what we are and who we are. (less)
flagLike · comment · see review
May 14, 2020Karim rated it it was amazing
An amazing expedition into the realms of the human condition, exploring the notions of love, death, suffering, pleasure and everything else you need to know about. Also, ram dass' style is very simple and funny and not as pretentious or patronizing as some spiritual leaders. (less)
flagLike · comment · see review
Apr 27, 2021Alex A. rated it it was amazing
One of the few authors I crave to re-listen over and over again, that very second audible is hoping for me to have enjoyed the program - re-listen as many times as needed to have my inner voice replaced by his.
flagLike · comment · see review
