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368 of 380 found the following review helpful:
 The 'truth' in three words?Jul 11, 2000
I know it's a cliché, but this book changed my life. I read it in 1973 when I was an angst-ridden twenty-something searching for a spiritual direction. I bought the book because I recognised Dr Richard Alpert from his association with Dr Timothy Leary and was curious to hear his post acid-haze spin on spirituality. What I found in the pages of this book planted the seed of a philosophy which has grown in my own consciousness, becoming the foundation for a spiritual life. The first part of the book deals with Dr Alperts spiritual awakening through the grace of his guru and his subsequent metamorphosis into the disciple called Baba Ram Dass. It is an inspiring tale for those not afflicted by cynical preconceptions and it inspired in me the desire to seek out my own guru. The central portion of the book was perfect for the times, when people who had opened the gates of their perception with the aid of psychotropic substances, were looking for more natural means to help keep them open. Using the words and teachings of many different spiritual masters, from Jesus to Ramakrishna, the book uses psychedelic, cartoon-like images to get the message across. And the message is Be Here Now. When I first meditated on the meaning of this exhortation, ten thousand bells began to ring in my mind. Of course! The past is gone, an illusion which exerts all kinds of negative influences on the human psyche. The future is even more illusory, in that it is so transient. It could be years long, or it could be seconds - who knows? Life can only be truly experienced in the present - in the here and now - and if we are to find peace and spiritual freedom, we must first do away with our attachment to the past and the future. This is the central premise of the books teaching and it is a profoundly important teaching. We live so much of our lives in the past or the future, we forget to experience the joy of the moment and in the third part of the book entitled `Cook-book for a Sacred Life', Ram Dass offers the reader some practical techniques. Meditation, yoga, posture, mantra, recipes - there is everything here for the novice spiritual aspirant wishing to bring a sense of sacred-ness into all aspects of his or her daily life. As a young man seeking spiritual knowledge and a pathway towards salvation, the rituals, techniques and teachings expounded in this book brought a magic to each day and a kind of unseen connection with Ram Dass and his other readers. Be Here Now was a vital component of my spiritual awakening and I would like to address my words to any open-minded person looking to tread the rock-strewn road towards self-knowledge, compassion and spiritual illumination. Read this book now!
114 of 118 found the following review helpful:
 Introduction to Places Your Mind Needs to GoMar 07, 2002
I picked up this book about 8 years ago for the first time and as I was reading it I felt as if my mind was being [pulled] in the pages. I have bought it 3 separate times but always feel compelled to give it away to someone who I feel could benefit from the wisdom inside.
This book comes in 3 parts...the first part is an account of the author's pre "Ram Dass" life as a PhD and scholar....then to make a long story short, he did some psychedelic drugs, and discovered that he actually liked what was inside his mind and wanted to try to find a way to live in "the now" without the drug experience attached. His journey took him to finding a guru..interesting stuff but then to my favorite part of the book:
the middle....this is a brown paper rambling section full of rich artwork, roughly drawn cartoons, biblical and buddhist references, and what I found to be great truths....all about what it means to "be here now."
While some of it is overly simplistic, and some of it is gratuitous reference to organized religion, most of it is just an alternative way of thinking about yourself, your problems, lifestyle, and family issues. What I took away from this book was a renewed sense of self awareness and it even made me realize that different is not bad, its just different. I guess I was at the point in time in my life where I needed that insight into my own behaviors and thought processing capabilities. In any event, it OPENED MY EYES!!! It made me look at everything differently, and almost instantaneously changed my perception of the world and others in it.
The third part, which is called something like "cookbook for a sacred life" really gets into the practice of buddhism and meditation, which was not the route I chose to go with my life...but in any case, a great and interesting read for anyone interestied in gaining valuable insight into the mystery of their life and life in general.
30 of 35 found the following review helpful:
THE MOST AMAZING BOOKJan 16, 1999
AS A 16 YEAR OLD IN CANADA AND GROWING UP IN A VERY RELIGIOUS HOME, THIS WAS THE BOOK THAT HAS OPENED MY EYES. " THERE IS THE ANSWER.... AND IT WAS INSIDE ME ALL ALONG!!". I'M READING IT FOR THE 5TH THIME, BECAUSE ONCE, TWICE, FIFTY TIMES IS NEVER ENOUGH!! THIS BOOK JUST OPENS, OPENS, OPENS AGAIN YOUR SOUL, MIND AND BODY..... VERY CAPTIVATING, VERY TRUSTING..... VERY LOVELY. WORDS CAN'T EXPRESS MY LOVE FOR THIS BOOK.... AND FOR A TEENAGER (we get confused, we get upset, we need advice, and we need to know!) THIS BOOK IS THE ONE TO READ....THIS BOOK IS AMAZING.
16 of 18 found the following review helpful:
A basic tool book for the soul.Mar 02, 1999
By A Reader
"snailgate"
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.
13 of 15 found the following review helpful:
The Sea of ExistenceJan 12, 2001
By P. McGrath
"prmcgr"
Trying to describe the concepts expressed in this amazing book is akin to the proverbial five blind men each touching and then trying to describe an elephant. The concepts herein are hinduistic in nature but certainly linked to any and all "spiritual" expressions. The key to spiritual enlightenment is surrender - the surrender of desire, the surrender of ego attachments, the surrender of self - letting go of material attachments and becoming attuned with the "quiet voice" within all of us. The highlight of this book, without a doubt, is the amazing middle section which, through alternately hilarious and sublimely profound psychedelic illustrations and writings, describes the wretched state of being trapped in a materialistic and ego-centered world and, even more amazingly, guides those seeking enlightenment on the path to "moksha" - the state where one's ego - even the material world - are released. Words are useless when it comes to this undescribable place - referred to as the 'Sea of Existence'. The bizarre illustrations may be off-putting at first but I've never before or since read anything quite like "Be Here Now".
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