Be Here Now

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Time and place for everything - Rated
A fantastic book.
A few words of warning though:
Even though the messege is still true, I found the book a bit old fashioned. FAR OUT!
Not to mention the layout, though unique, is very annoying and makes the reading uncomfortable.

It's good - but it was the other times also...! - Rated
As an admirer of Ram Dass I was disappointed to open my mail order copy of "Be Here Now" to discover I had heard most of it before - on his "Experiments In Truth" tape collection - and I had read much of his Indian exploits in "The Only Dance There Is". This is not the fault of Amazon, who only retail the book, and it is probably not the fault of Ram Dass, who only speaks the words and leaves it to his acolytes to transcribe, edit and market. But the latter have a responsibility to uphold his good name and I feel short-changed by paying three times for the same knowledge. Yes, the final section of "Be Here Now" is worth having, but the large dollop of hippie-type drawings and slogans in between are a bit of an embarrassment to all concerned. If you don't have any Ram Dass tapes or books, this is a good introduction to his fine work, but such publications should carry a warning that they have already been pubished in other formats. After all, very few of us are psychics...! Melanie

About the beautiful cosmic reality behind the everyday. - Rated
At first glance this book appears to be off the wall, maybe psychotic maybe a hippy trip...designed to lead people out of the workplace and into the poppyfields. I read it while sufferring clinical depression. I thought first part, Ram Dass' biography was unbelievable and the middle part describing the inner journey to God/enlightenment was over the top nonsense. But I liked the cookbook...the very clear "how to" suggestions for spiritual life. Since then I've got out of the asylum (!) and back to work, always gaining strength from mantra meditation...even some joy from it. The crazier sections of this book...I now see them as descriptions of very real spiritual processes which are I hope nascent in my own spirit. What I got from it is that spiritual growth is not a flight of imagination..its a process of grounding oneself in the real...becoming more aware of the here and now until you are ready and open enough to feel the eternity and joy of the spirit in the present moment. The book is very compassionate and I think truthful. I reckon it would be helpful for anyone with an open mind.

my bible - Rated
I'm not religious, but Dass spouts a lot of good common-sense knowledge. Don't let the ethereal, self-helpish, flaky aspect turn you off. Just read what he writes, let it all in, and you'll realize how wise and right he is. I also highly recommend Dass's The Only Dance There Is as a companion volume. I love the groovy drawings and psychedelic poetry, too, baby!!

A basic tool book for the soul. - Rated
I have never read this book. I go to it when ever I find myself at some kind of personal impasse, depressed, or stymied any kind of activity in life. I go to the middle section, sometimes near the front, sometimes near the middle, and begin reading. I have NEVER gone to the end. At some point I discover I have the motivation, insight, understanding, or emotional "up" to get on with my life. I put down the book and do it.

My own religious background is evangelical Christian. This book has a strong Hindu background and the fatalism of the Hindu religion usually repells me. But this book is different. The first and third sections are good basic guides on what an honest "good" person owes themself and society, and how to work off this debt in an efficient manner. When I first read it, I was struck by the obviousness of the observation that if you want to play good tennis, you go out and seek to play with tennis players who are better than you; if you want to improve your spiritual life, hang out with spiritually better people.

And cook books are useless if you never get out in the kitchen and cook.