Ep. 287 – The Secret of Compassion
Ram Dass Here And Now
Ram Dass / Love Serve Remember
4.8 • 2.7K Ratings
🗓️ 23 September 2025
⏱️ 68 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
In this powerful lecture on responding to suffering, Ram Dass draws on the wisdom of the Buddha, Trungpa Rinpoche, and Wavy Gravy, and offers his insight into the secret of compassion.
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This episode of Here and Now comes from a lecture Ram Dass gave at the Omega Institute on June 28th, 1983.
- Ram Dass talks about how suffering is everywhere. He examines the different kinds of reactions to it, including denial, pity, cynicism, or trying to “do something about it.”
- Ram Dass invokes the wisdom of the Buddha and Wavy Gravy to provide a path for us to open to suffering, and offers some insight into the secret of compassion.
- After a brief review of the Four Noble Truths, Ram Dass explores the concept of being nobody. He discusses the predicament of identifying with anything in form and how we aren’t who we think we are. We exist behind form.
- In the final part of the talk, Ram Dass introduces the rascally Trungpa Rinpoche, sharing stories of their early meetings. He recalls a dialogue between Trungpa and Wavy about responding to suffering and how they were representing two parts of the same dance.
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About Ram Dass:
Ram Dass’s spirit has been a guiding light for generations, carrying millions along on the journey. Ram Dass teaches that through the Bhakti practice of unconditional love, we can all connect with our true nature. Through these teachings, Ram Dass has shared a little piece of his guru, Maharaj-ji, with all who have listened to him.
“Because part of the secret of compassion is being able to embrace darkness into light. It’s being able to embrace suffering into yourself. It’s being able to acknowledge and allow. And then, the impeccable warrior hears what to do about it.” – 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 been there, sharing too much with a friendly |
| 0:07.0 | face who isn't really qualified. While it's nice to talk, it's not enough when anxiety or depression |
| 0:13.5 | is involved. Not everyone is the one. BetterHelp connects you with licensed credentialed therapist |
| 0:20.6 | trained to guide you. |
| 0:23.0 | Talking to a real therapist isn't just supportive, it's transformative. |
| 0:28.2 | With the convenience of joining therapy sessions at the click of a button, |
| 0:32.5 | Better Help fits seamlessly into busy lives. Plus, you can switch therapists at any time. |
| 0:39.9 | As the largest online therapy provider in the world, |
| 0:43.4 | BetterHelp can provide access to mental health professionals with a diverse variety of expertise. |
| 0:50.3 | Find the one. With BetterHelp, our listeners get 10% of their first month at BetterHelp.com slash Ram Dass. |
| 0:58.4 | That's BetterHelp, h-elp.com slash romdoss. And I ask you, do you want to help or do you want to help? |
| 1:18.6 | I mean, do you really want to help? |
| 1:22.6 | Are you willing to give up your righteousness to help? |
| 1:26.6 | And if you give up your righteousness to help? |
| 1:31.3 | And if you give up your righteousness, would you help? |
| 1:35.3 | Can you hear the problem? |
| 1:41.3 | I mean, I'd really like you to share this dilemma because it's so tasty. |
| 1:49.2 | And it is so at the root of what liberated helping is about, the helping which liberates. Welcome to the Ram Dass here and now podcast. This is |
| 1:59.1 | episode 287, The Secret to Compassion. Whoa, wouldn't it be |
| 2:04.5 | great if we could all get let on that secret these days. So this episode is a rare recording from |
| 2:11.2 | June 28, 1983, when Ram Dass was teaching at the Omega Institute in Reimbeck, New York. |
| 2:18.8 | The lecture was called Helping Out, and it's a contemplation conversation |
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