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Be Here Now (book)
Encyclopedia
Be Here Now is a seminal 1971 book on spirituality
, yoga
and meditation
by the Western born yogi and spiritual teacher Ram Dass
. The title comes from a statement his guide, Bhagavan Das, made during Ram Dass's journeys in India. The cover features a Mandala
incorporating the title, a chair, radial lines, and the word "remember".
into psychedelics at Harvard, and his subsequent anxiety when this research does not resolve his spiritual questions. He then describes his first journey to India and his initiation into a Guru
/Chela
relationship with Neem Karoli Baba
, and spiritual renaming as Baba Ram Dass, or "servant of god". Ram Dass closes the first section of the book with this passage:
, spiritual and religious aphorisms accompanied by illustrations.
, pranayama
, and meditation, as well as quotations from respected teachers of many religions and spiritual traditions.
. In 1977, the Lama Foundation gave the copyright and half the proceeds from the book to the Hanuman Foundation in support of its spiritual and humanitarian projects.
, by a person himself not born a Hindu. For its influence on the Hippie
movement and subsequent spiritual movements, it has been described as a "countercultural bible". In addition to introducing its title phrase into common use, the book has influenced numerous other writers and yoga practitioners, including Wayne Dyer
and Michael Crichton
.
The book was referred to in a study on daydream
ing by Matthew Killingsworth, a doctoral candidate in psychology at Harvard University
, which suggested that "[people] thinking about something other than what they’re doing [...] doesn’t take them to a happy place".
Spirituality
Spirituality can refer to an ultimate or an alleged immaterial reality; an inner path enabling a person to discover the essence of his/her being; or the “deepest values and meanings by which people live.” Spiritual practices, including meditation, prayer and contemplation, are intended to develop...
, yoga
Yoga
Yoga is a physical, mental, and spiritual discipline, originating in ancient India. The goal of yoga, or of the person practicing yoga, is the attainment of a state of perfect spiritual insight and tranquility while meditating on Supersoul...
and meditation
Meditation
Meditation is any form of a family of practices in which practitioners train their minds or self-induce a mode of consciousness to realize some benefit....
by the Western born yogi and spiritual teacher Ram Dass
Ram Dass
Ram Dass is an American contemporary spiritual teacher and the author of the seminal 1971 book Be Here Now. He is known for his personal and professional associations with Timothy Leary at Harvard University in the early 1960s, for his travels to India and his relationship with the Hindu guru Neem...
. The title comes from a statement his guide, Bhagavan Das, made during Ram Dass's journeys in India. The cover features a Mandala
Mandala
Maṇḍala is a Sanskrit word that means "circle". In the Buddhist and Hindu religious traditions their sacred art often takes a mandala form. The basic form of most Hindu and Buddhist mandalas is a square with four gates containing a circle with a center point...
incorporating the title, a chair, radial lines, and the word "remember".
Summary of the book
The book is divided into four sections:- "Journey: The Transformation: Dr. Richard Alpert, PhD. into Baba Ram Dass"
- "From BinduBinduBindu is a Sanskrit term meaning "point" or "dot". The feminine case ending is bindi which denotes a small ornamental, devotional and/or mystical dot that is cosmetically applied or affixed to the forehead in Hinduism....
to OjasOjasOjas is a Sanskrit word which literally means "vigor". According to the principles of Ayurveda, it is the essential energy of the body which can be equated with the "fluid of life"...
: The Core Book" - "Cookbook for a Sacred Life: A Manual for Conscious Being"
- "Painted Cakes: Books"
First section
The first section is a short biography of his life, describing his successes as a psychologist, his research with Timothy LearyTimothy Leary
Timothy Francis Leary was an American psychologist and writer, known for his advocacy of psychedelic drugs. During a time when drugs like LSD and psilocybin were legal, Leary conducted experiments at Harvard University under the Harvard Psilocybin Project, resulting in the Concord Prison...
into psychedelics at Harvard, and his subsequent anxiety when this research does not resolve his spiritual questions. He then describes his first journey to India and his initiation into a Guru
Guru
A guru is one who is regarded as having great knowledge, wisdom, and authority in a certain area, and who uses it to guide others . Other forms of manifestation of this principle can include parents, school teachers, non-human objects and even one's own intellectual discipline, if the...
/Chela
Chela
Chela has two main meanings. One derivation comes from Hindi from Sanskrit , meaning "slave" or "servant". In English, the word means a religious student or disciple...
relationship with Neem Karoli Baba
Neem Karoli Baba
Shri Neem Karoli Baba or Shri Neeb Karori Baba , also known to followers as Maharaj-ji, was a Hindu guru and devotee of the Hindu deity Hanuman...
, and spiritual renaming as Baba Ram Dass, or "servant of god". Ram Dass closes the first section of the book with this passage:
Second section
The second section, the largest, is a free-form collection of metaphysicalMetaphysics
Metaphysics is a branch of philosophy concerned with explaining the fundamental nature of being and the world, although the term is not easily defined. Traditionally, metaphysics attempts to answer two basic questions in the broadest possible terms:...
, spiritual and religious aphorisms accompanied by illustrations.
Third section
The third section is a manual for starting on a yogic or spiritual path, and includes various techniques for yogaYoga
Yoga is a physical, mental, and spiritual discipline, originating in ancient India. The goal of yoga, or of the person practicing yoga, is the attainment of a state of perfect spiritual insight and tranquility while meditating on Supersoul...
, pranayama
Pranayama
Pranayama is a Sanskrit word meaning "extension of the prana or breath" or more accurately, "extension of the life force". The word is composed of two Sanskrit words, Prāna, life force, or vital energy, particularly, the breath, and "āyāma", to extend, draw out, restrain, or...
, and meditation, as well as quotations from respected teachers of many religions and spiritual traditions.
Fourth section
The last section, also titled "Painted Cakes Do Not Satisfy Hunger" (a Zen commentary on liturgy) contains a list of recommended books on religion, spirituality, consciousness. The book lists are divided into "Books to hang out with", "Books to visit with now & then", and "Books it's useful to have met".Publishing history
The book has remained in print since its initial publication, and has sold over a million copies. The work was originally distributed in pamphlet form by Lama FoundationLama Foundation
The Lama Foundation is a community in the mountains of New Mexico, seventeen miles north of Taos.-History:The Lama Foundation was founded in 1967 by Barbara Durkee and Stephen Durkee . It began with the purchase of of land adjacent to federal forested land, and continues today as a place for...
. In 1977, the Lama Foundation gave the copyright and half the proceeds from the book to the Hanuman Foundation in support of its spiritual and humanitarian projects.
Cultural influence
Be Here Now is one of the first guides, for those not born as Hindus, to becoming a yogiYogi
A Yogi is a practitioner of Yoga. The word is also used to refer to ascetic practitioners of meditation in a number of South Asian Religions including Jainism, Buddhism, and Hinduism.-Etymology:...
, by a person himself not born a Hindu. For its influence on the Hippie
Hippie
The hippie subculture was originally a youth movement that arose in the United States during the mid-1960s and spread to other countries around the world. The etymology of the term 'hippie' is from hipster, and was initially used to describe beatniks who had moved into San Francisco's...
movement and subsequent spiritual movements, it has been described as a "countercultural bible". In addition to introducing its title phrase into common use, the book has influenced numerous other writers and yoga practitioners, including Wayne Dyer
Wayne Dyer
Wayne Walter Dyer is an American self-help advocate, author, and lecturer.- Early life :Dyer was born in Detroit, Michigan, to Melvin Lyle and Hazel Irene Dyer and spent much of his adolescence in an orphanage on the east side of Detroit. Dr. Wayne Dyer is a 1958 graduate of Denby High School;...
and Michael Crichton
Michael Crichton
John Michael Crichton , best known as Michael Crichton, was an American best-selling author, producer, director, and screenwriter, best known for his work in the science fiction, medical fiction, and thriller genres. His books have sold over 200 million copies worldwide, and many have been adapted...
.
The book was referred to in a study on daydream
Daydream
A daydream is a visionary fantasy, especially one of happy, pleasant thoughts, hopes or ambitions, imagined as coming to pass, and experienced while awake. There are many types of daydreams, and there is no consistent definition amongst psychologists. The general public also uses the term for a...
ing by Matthew Killingsworth, a doctoral candidate in psychology at Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
, which suggested that "[people] thinking about something other than what they’re doing [...] doesn’t take them to a happy place".