
Alpert headed to India where his guru renamed him Baba Ram Dass"servant of God." He was introduced to mindful breathing exercises, hatha yoga, and Eastern philosophy.

Fear turned into exaltation upon the realization that at his truest, he was just his inner-self: a luminous being that he could trust indefinitely and love infinitely.Īnd thus, a spiritual journey commenced. During a period of experimentation, Alpert peeled away each layer of his identity, disassociating from himself as a professor, a social cosmopolite, and lastly, as a physical being. And yet he couldnt escape the feeling that something was missing. By most societal standards, he had achieved great success. He published books, drove a Mercedes and regularly vacationed in the Caribbean. He held appointments in four departments at Harvard University. Just ten years earlier, he was known as Professor Richard Alpert. When Be Here Now was first published in 1971, it filled a deep spiritual emptiness, launched the ongoing mindfulness revolution, and established Ram Dass as perhaps the preeminent seeker of the twentieth century.

Beloved guru Ram Dass tells the story of his spiritual awakening and gives you the tools to take control of your life in this "counterculture bible" ( The New York Times) featuring powerful guidance on yoga, meditation, and finding your true self.
