Ep. 286 – The Pull of God Versus the Pull of Humanity

Ram Dass Here And Now

Ram Dass / Love Serve Remember

Ram Dass, Religion & Spirituality, Newage, Wisdom, Society & Culture, Ram, Ramdass, Hinduism, Spirituality

4.8 • 2.7K Ratings

🗓️ 10 September 2025

⏱️ 33 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

In this often fierce talk from Ram Dass, he reflects on the pull of God versus the pull of humanity and how we can find the balance between keeping one eye on God and one eye on the world.

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This episode of Here and Now comes from a talk Ram Dass gave in Florida in 1975.

Ram Dass describes how, through practice, we can come to a point where we have a choice between fully merging back into God or returning into form. “That moment,” he says, “You have choice. Choice to give up the form, go into the formless. Or, choice to play in the formless, but come back into the form.”
Why would we come back into form? Ram Dass talks about seeing the perfection of the universe, including all of the suffering, but also playing your part as an instrument of the Dharma. “You are a statement that will enlighten those who are ready to be enlightened. That is your only function, it’s the only reason you’re on Earth.”
Ram Dass explores how true service arises not from the desire to help, but the desire to find freedom for ourselves and others. He talks about how the spiritual path requires balancing the pull of God and the pull of humanity; to recognize the perfection of the cosmic dance and the reality of human suffering.

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“You get so fascinated with God, with enlightenment, with the wisdom of the ages. And in your zeal to do that, it’s very easy to forget. To forget humanity. To forget politics. To forget human concerns. To overlook the daily stuff around you.” – Ram Dass

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Transcript

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0:00.0	This show is brought to you by BetterHelp. We've all done it, opened up to a barista, a stylist,
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0:45.9	BetterHelp can provide access to mental health professionals with a diverse variety of
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0:52.6	Find the one with BetterHelp.
0:54.8	Our listeners get 10% of their first month at BetterHelp.com slash romdoss.
1:01.1	That's BetterHelp, H-E-L-P.com slash romdos.
1:26.6	If you've ever thought about teaching meditation, but weren't sure where to begin, join longtime Buddhist teacher David Nichtern for a free online event on Tuesday, September 23rd, at 6 p.m. Eastern. We'll explore what it actually takes to become a confident, effective teacher,
1:31.5	from developing your voice to creating a structure for sharing these profound transformative practices with others.
1:39.2	You'll also learn about Dharma Moon's comprehensive meditation teacher training beginning this October,
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1:56.4	Visit Dharmamoon.com backslash path to learn more and reserve your spot for the free event on September 23rd.
2:22.3	The predicament is that when you start this journey, you get a little bit of clarity and you want to rush and use it for other people
2:28.3	to help your family, your friends, others who are suffering.
2:33.3	But that desire is not one that is without attachment.
2:37.8	It is an attached desire.
2:40.0	It has to do with the guilt that maybe you got something special.
2:42.8	It has to do with your attachment to their suffering.
	...

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