In a thought-provoking discussion, insights on dancing through the tumult of cultural change are explored. The impact of denial on our society is highlighted, revealing how it cultivates fear and uncertainty. Ram Dass reflects on his experiences with death and dying, suggesting we can embrace change like we embrace life's transitions. He encourages finding joy and equanimity amid chaos, emphasizing intimate connections with ourselves and others. Ultimately, the importance of compassion and resilience in navigating a rapidly shifting world is passionately underscored.
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insights INSIGHT
Multifaceted Cultural Destabilization
The early 90s experienced rapid, multi-faceted cultural destabilization across ecological, economic, social, political, and spiritual realms.
Massive denial about this overwhelming change leads to confusion, fear, and reactionary fundamentalism.
question_answer ANECDOTE
Contrasting Social Realities
Ram Dass contrasts Mayan women rebuilding after violence with wealthy Americans guarding isolated homes with armed security.
This illustrates growing social and economic fear dividing the privileged from the vulnerable.
insights INSIGHT
Fear Breeds Separatism
Fear stemming from cultural change causes people to contract into separatism and fundamentalism.
This fear manifests as nationalism, prejudice, and defensive tribalism, worsening societal division.
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In this special bonus episode, Ram Dass offers his viewpoint on how we can dance in the ocean of change as the structure of our culture shapeshifts before our very eyes.
This episode of Here and Now is from a talk Ram Dass gave at a bookstore in Sebastopol, CA, on April 15, 1992.
How do you learn to live with change? Where do you stand? Ram Dass offers his viewpoint on our culture as he saw it in the early 1990s, talking about the rapid changes taking place in the ecological, economic, social, political, and spiritual realms.
Ram Dass explores the massive denial in the culture about what all these changes mean and how that denial leads to uncertainty and fear. He talks about his work with death and dying, and how we can work with the death of our culture in a similar manner.
Finally, Ram Dass shares how we can begin to find some balance amidst the chaos of change. It is possible to feel equanimity and even joy in a world that is filled with suffering. He says, “So you and I are driven to work on ourselves to rest in the place in ourselves where we are not vulnerable to the winds of changing time and space. And then to dance in the ocean of change, and to be a great dancer.”
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“Here we are dealing with perhaps the death of the whole structure, the way we know it. This is a massive death process. Now, this sounds like a gloomy lecture, except it isn’t. It all depends on whether you expect change always leads to bad things.” – Ram Dass
Ram Dass Here And Now