Ep. 311 – Allowing Space for Individual Differences

Ram Dass talks about consciousness, allowing space for individual differences, and letting go of identification with the body and personality, and then taps into the heart of devotional yoga with some chanting to Krishna.

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This episode of Here and Now is the conclusion of a talk Ram Dass gave during a retreat at Roger Williams University in Bristol, Rhode Island, in June 1976. Be sure to check out the first part of this talk in Episode 310 – The Mainline Reality Trip.

• This portion of the talk begins with Ram Dass exploring consciousness, reality, and reincarnation. He talks about opening to the fourth chakra as a way of allowing space for individual differences.
• As we begin to awaken to being more than just our bodies and personalities, Ram Dass warns us that many people can get trapped in the “phony holy” stage, using himself as an example. “And ultimately,” he says, “you have to find your part to play in your body, in your personality, in your soul, and beyond all of it.”
• Ram Dass wraps things up by tapping into the heart of devotional yoga with some very sweet chanting to the baby form of Lord Krishna, Gopala.

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“So who you are, in effect, from where I’m sitting, are beings who have taken birth on this plane because you still have stuff in your first, second, and third chakras; there’s still energy that pours out of those chakras and defines reality. But, in addition, you have awakened, at least, to the fourth chakra. And some of you to the fifth chakra, so you actually want God. But to the fourth chakra, where you actually want to live in a compassionate universe, not just intellectual liberalism, but real compassion, of acceptance and allowing space for individual differences.” – Ram Dass

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