Ram Dass 1931–2019

Ram Dass passed Dec. 22 at the age of 88. Though “gone” I have to say there is one teaching he gave that will probably never leave me that always shifts my thoughts and energy.

It’s his story best known as “You Never Know,” and reminds us that the “bad news” we just heard, or that “good news,” may not be what it seems—well—I won’t spoil it. You have to hear it yourself. There is a 3 minute version at youtube.com when you enter “Ram Dass You Never Know.”

I wish I could say I always remembered it without a reminder,. It was something I often told my friend and ex-wife Marlene and something she often told me when it was helpful to shift our perspective.

When he was known as Dr. Richard Alpert he went to India with Dr. Timothy Leary. Both were prominent Harvard psychologists and gained notoriety as researchers and experimenters with psychedelics, such as LSD and psilocybin.

Ram Dass met his guru in India and dove into the Eastern tradition of human consciousness. His life became about exploring and teaching it and about service. His book Be Here Now(1971) introduced many to the field of human consciousness. See ramdass.org.

Too bad he is gone—but, you never know . . . he left a great reminder that today’s world that looks full of missteps at times may be taking us where we want to go–if we stay on the path.

—Steve Hays