Ep. 302 – The Sweetness of Service
Ram Dass Here And Now
Ram Dass / Love Serve Remember
4.8 • 2.9K Ratings
🗓️ 20 April 2026
⏱️ 35 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
In this exploration of the practice of karma yoga, Ram Dass talks about the sweetness of service and how the mystery of the universe is in the precise action of the moment.
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This episode of Here and Now is from a retreat at the Lama Foundation in July of 1986.
- After priming us with a quote from the poet Kabir, Ram Dass explores the bhakti component of the yoga of service. It is the practice of seeing the Beloved everywhere. He talks about allowing time in our lives to process what’s going on and come back to center.
- Ram Dass continues to speak about the nature of karma yoga, saying the mystery of the universe is in the precise action of the moment. He talks about burnout and knowing our limits, and advises us to read about Hanuman.
- Using the example of caring for his aging father, Ram Dass shows us the sweetness of service. Service can be a vehicle for us to lighten, loosen, let go, open, allow, and appreciate.
Love Serve Remember Foundation’s new course, Many Paths, One Mountain: Practices for Living with Awareness and Heart, is running now. Join us to explore a variety of spiritual practices, including karma yoga and service.
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“It gets to be so sweet to meet people through service that finally all you can express is your appreciation to them for allowing you to serve them.” – Ram Dass
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | A good meditation teacher isn't just someone who meditates a lot. |
| 0:06.0 | Guiding someone else through the experience of sitting with their own mind is a genuine skill, |
| 0:12.0 | one that requires real training and an ongoing commitment to your own growth as a teacher and practitioner. |
| 0:20.0 | Join renowned Buddhist teacher David Nicturn for a free |
| 0:23.4 | online event on Tuesday, May 5th at 6 p.m. Eastern, exploring the key elements of teaching mindfulness |
| 0:31.6 | meditation. He'll also discuss the upcoming Dharma Moon 100-hour mindfulness meditation teacher training. |
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| 0:45.7 | might be a good fit for you. |
| 0:48.9 | Visit Dharmamoon.com backslash elements. |
| 0:52.0 | That's Dharmamoon.com backslash elements. For more information and to reserve your |
| 0:57.9 | spot for the free event on Tuesday, May 5th. |
| 1:04.3 | I feel that we're all like experimenting with this process. |
| 1:12.6 | I think that if you aren't experiencing from the way in which you do service, |
| 1:19.6 | whether it's professional or personal to another human being, |
| 1:23.6 | or volunteer or paid, or family, or to yourself, if you're not doing service in such a way that at the |
| 1:30.6 | end of the service you feel freer higher clearer lighter and more energized you got work to do |
| 1:38.6 | it's an interesting challenge we all have work to do. |
| 1:47.4 | Because if you think you're somebody doing something, it's going to burn out. |
| 1:52.6 | Simple as that. |
| 1:56.9 | Welcome to Here and Now with Ram Dass. |
| 1:59.5 | This is episode 302, The Sweetness of Service. |
| 2:04.6 | And this was recorded at a retreat at the Lama Foundation in July of 1986. And here, |
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