I got visited by a dead spiritual teacher

In the last mail, I told you about my mushroom trip in the woods - How I was able to surrender and to accept the feelings and thoughts that came up.

It was the experience that taught me that I’m okay. You’re okay. Everything is okay. It taught me the importance of having faith in life’s unfolding.

But that’s not the only thing that came up. During my trip I had a voice talking to me saying:

Ram Dass. Ram Dass. Ram Dass.

And I was like Ram Dass? The spiritual teacher? I’ve heard of him somewhere!

I didn’t think much of it but the next day I asked my best friend (who came with me on that trip): Have you heard of Ram Dass?

He responded: Yeah he is great. You should listen to him.

And so I did - the day after I started searching and found out, he has a podcast! (he’s been dead since 2019 but people are loading up his live-talks from the 70s - 90s). It’s called “Ram Dass Here and Now” in case somebody wants to have a listen.

In the last 2 months, I listened to 30+ of his episodes (each 1-hour length) and what he shares in these talks is just incredible.

He opened my eyes to reality. He opened my eyes to truth - he made me see that beneath everything is love, even amidst the most unbearable pain. Life is love. I’ve never had this feeling as strongly as when I listen to his talks.

Sounds crazy?

I promise this will all make more sense when you start listening to his podcast. But today I want to share with you some wisdom he shared in these talks. These teachings blew my mind and I hope they will do the same for you.

So here are 7 incredible teachings on Love from the legendary Ram Dass:

1. Everybody you meet is God in Drag

Ram Dass kept repeating this phrase over and over again. He emphasizes the importance of seeing God in EVERYONE.

Family, friends, enemies, politicians, prisoners, enemies - God is in all beings.

Since I started practicing seeing people like that it became much easier to be open and loving towards everybody I meet. Even toward the people I’m resenting.

So as an exercise:

Think of the person you resent the most.

Now send them love, happiness, and health - because how could I resent God?

2. We're all just walking each other home.

Another phrase he kept repeating. And what he meant was:

Separation is an illusion. By hurting others, you're hurting yourself.

We are all one soul collective walking each other to God (home).

Together, with love, acceptance, and non-judgment, we walk each other one step closer to this ultimate truth.

3. "Don't be silly, where could I go?"

The core of Ram Dass' teachings is to accept death. And by doing that you will see love in everything.

He talks about the great Indian Guru Ramana Maharshi who had the power to heal others.

Then the guru got cancer himself and his devotees were begging him to heal himself.

He refused and said: "Don't be silly, where could I go? I'm just dropping my body."

4. Love everybody, serve everybody, and remember God

Ram Dass went to India after he was fired from Havard because of his associations with Psychedelics.

There he came in contact with the Guru Karoli Baba Maharaj-ji. The love he felt for him was so intense he decided to stay in India and devote his life to following his lead.

His Guru wouldn't talk much. When somebody asked him: “How can I become enlightened?” Maharaj-ji said: “Love everybody, serve everybody, and remember God,” or “Feed people.”

When somebody asked: “How can I know God?” Maharaj-ji said, “God is in all forms. God is in everything.”

These simple teachings, to love, serve, and remember, became the guideposts for Ram Dass’ life.

5. "I don’t see any impurities"

Maharaj-ji (Ram Dass' Guru) read people's thoughts and knew their hearts.

Ram Dass said: "He knew everything about me, even my darkest and most shameful faults, and he still loved me unconditionally."

Then he continued saying: "In 1967 Maharaji told me to return to the US. I didn't feel ready and so I told him I didn't feel pure enough. So he looked me up and down, looked into my eyes, and said - I don't see any impurities."

Can you imagine? A being that knows every single part of you. The most shameful and low-level thoughts. And still loving you? That’s unconditional love.

6. Work on yourself for the benefit of all beings

Ram Dass kept emphasizing that the optimum you can do for others is to work on yourself.

Because getting to oneness means resolving your sense of separateness to where we’re all family.

Use every situation with other people as a vehicle to work on yourself.

See where you get stuck, where you push, where you grab, where you judge. Use your life experiences as your curriculum for liberation.

7. "Ram Dass, don’t you see it’s all perfect?"

Maharaj-ji kept saying to Ram Dass: “Don’t you see it’s all perfect?”

He taught him that the art of life is to stay wide open and be vulnerable, yet at the same time to sit with the mystery and the unbearable pain — to just be with it all.

Ram Dass said: "Live in the fullness of the moment with joy and suffering, witnessing it in all its perfection, and our hearts still go out to those who are suffering."

That is true acceptance and compassion.

Pretty incredible right? Which one is your favorite teaching? Let me know!

If you have any other questions regarding these teachings or want any recommendations on books, episodes, etc, reply to this email and I will send the list to those who are interested!

With love,

Heythem