Book Club Guide: BE HERE NOW, Part II

From Bindu to Ojas, (The Core Book, first half)

Overview

The Core Book of “Be Here Now” is a series of short pieces usually containing few words, big type, and striking illustrations, all printed on brown paper. It is meant to be a distillation of everything he learned in his initial months with Hari Dass Baba. Part I of this Guide covers the autobiographical aspect, his Journey.

Some of the thoughts and sentiments are familiar today, but when Ram Dass published “Be Here Now” in 1971, very few of the ideas were familiar at all. They don’t fit easily into any -ism, although they come closest to Hinduism.

It is obviously not a typical presentation in any way. For the purpose of this Guide, ‘From Bindu to Ojas’ is divided roughly in half. The issues highlighted in the Guide for each Session are just the beginning of what could be discussed, a few of the most important and provocative Big Ideas. There are by some count about fifty short pieces in ‘From Bindu to Ojas’ and each one contains multiple engaging concepts. The ones included here are central to the Book and can be worked well by a Book Club in an hour or so.

Notes for Leading a Discussion

The Heart Cave

The Butterfly