Book Club Guide: BE HERE NOW

Introduction and Part One

Ram Dass died on December 22, 2019, at the age of 88.

He was an influential thinker, activist, writer, speaker and model, not without flaws, of how to live a full and meaningful life, in the opinion of many.

His seminal work, “Be Here Now,” was published in 1971 and helped launch the New Age movement, an explosion of new ideas and new forms of spiritual expression in the west, drawing heavily on a variety of eastern traditions

Ram Dass stayed an active teacher and thought leader until his death, almost fifty years after “Be Here Now.” We remember the brown paper it was printed on, the illustrations, famous expressions like, ‘Hippies Create Police, and Police Create Hippies.’ and most of all, of course, the title.

“Be Here Now” is much more than the most effective title ever and it is well worth re-reading. If you have never read it — be ready to enjoy something completely different.

“Be Here Now” is also perfect for Book Clubs. You can find it easily on the Internet. It’s easy to read. It draws you in. There’s pictures, lots of pictures. It’s like visiting an old friend — but you might find you’ve forgotten some of the interesting details.