''Be Here Now'', or ''Remember, Be Here Now'', is a 1971 book on

spirituality The meaning of ''spirituality'' has developed and expanded over time, and various meanings can be found alongside each other. Traditionally, spirituality referred to a religious process of re-formation which "aims to recover the original shape ...

yoga Yoga (; sa, योग, lit=yoke' or 'union ) is a group of physical, mental, and spiritual practices or disciplines which originated in ancient India and aim to control (yoke) and still the mind, recognizing a detached witness-consciou ...

, and

meditation Meditation is a practice in which an individual uses a technique – such as mindfulness, or focusing the mind on a particular object, thought, or activity – to train attention and awareness, and achieve a mentally clear and emotionally calm ...

by the American

yogi A yogi is a practitioner of Yoga, including a sannyasin or practitioner of meditation in Indian religions.A. K. Banerjea (2014), ''Philosophy of Gorakhnath with Goraksha-Vacana-Sangraha'', Motilal Banarsidass, , pp. xxiii, 297-299, 331 Th ...

and spiritual teacher

Ram Dass Ram Dass (born Richard Alpert; April 6, 1931 – December 22, 2019), also known as Baba Ram Dass, was an American spiritual teacher, guru of modern yoga, psychologist, and author. His best-selling 1971 book '' Be Here Now'', which has been ...

(born Richard Alpert). The core book was first printed in 1970 as ''From Bindu to Ojas'' and its current title comes from a statement his guide, Bhagavan Das, made during Ram Dass's journeys in India. The cover features a

mandala A mandala ( sa, मण्डल, maṇḍala, circle, ) is a geometric configuration of symbols. In various spiritual traditions, mandalas may be employed for focusing attention of practitioners and adepts, as a spiritual guidance tool, for e ...

incorporating the title, a chair, radial lines, and the word "Remember" repeated four times. ''Be Here Now'' has been described by multiple reviewers as "seminal", and helped popularize Eastern spirituality and

with the

baby boomer Baby boomers, often shortened to boomers, are the Western demographic cohort following the Silent Generation and preceding Generation X. The generation is often defined as people born from 1946 to 1964, during the mid-20th century baby boom. ...

generation in the West.

Summary

The book is divided into four sections: *Journey: The Transformation: Dr. Richard Alpert, Ph.D., into Baba Ram Dass *From Bindu to Ojas: The Core Book *Cookbook for a Sacred Life: A Manual for Conscious Being *Painted Cakes (Do Not Satisfy Hunger): Books The first section is a short autobiography, describing Alpert's successes as a psychologist, his research with

Timothy Leary Timothy Francis Leary (October 22, 1920 – May 31, 1996) was an American psychologist and author known for his strong advocacy of psychedelic drugs. Evaluations of Leary are polarized, ranging from bold oracle to publicity hound. He was "a her ...

into

psychedelics Psychedelics are a subclass of hallucinogenic drugs whose primary effect is to trigger non-ordinary states of consciousness (known as psychedelic experiences or "trips").Pollan, Michael (2018). ''How to Change Your Mind: What the New Science of ...

Harvard Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of higher le ...

, and his subsequent anxiety when this research did not resolve his spiritual questions. He then describes his first journey to India and his initiation into a Guru-chela relationship with

Neem Karoli Baba Neem Karoli Baba () or Neeb Karori Baba () ( – 11 September 1973), known to his followers as Maharaj-ji, was a Hindu guru and a devotee of the Hindu deity Hanuman. He is known outside India for being the spiritual master of a number of Amer ...

, and spiritual renaming as "Baba Ram Dass", or "servant of god". Ram Dass closes the first section of the book with this passage: The second section, the largest, is a free-form collection of

metaphysical Metaphysics is the branch of philosophy that studies the fundamental nature of reality, the first principles of being, identity and change, space and time, causality, necessity, and possibility. It includes questions about the nature of conscio ...

, spiritual, and religious reflections accompanied by illustrations. The narrative flow, in a form a continuous free-verses poem, addresses directly to the reader with powerful insights related to different spiritual traditions. The third section is a manual for starting on a yogic or spiritual path, and includes various techniques for

pranayama Pranayama is the yogic practice of focusing on breath. In Sanskrit, '' prana'' means "vital life force", and ''yama'' means to gain control. In yoga, breath is associated with ''prana'', thus, pranayama is a means to elevate the '' prana'' ''s ...

, and meditation, as well as quotations from respected teachers of many religions and spiritual traditions. The last section, "Painted Cakes Do Not Satisfy Hunger" (a Zen commentary on liturgy), contains a list of recommended books on religion, spirituality, and consciousness. The book lists are divided into "Books to hang out with", "Books to visit with now & then", and "Books it's useful to have met".

Publishing history

The book has remained in print since its initial publication in 1971, with more than two million copies sold. The work was originally distributed in pamphlet form by the Lama Foundation, then published as a book in 1971. Its original title was ''From Bindu to Ojas'', with illustrations by Lama community residents. In 1971, when ''Be Here Now'' was first published by the Lama Foundation in New Mexico, some preliminary copies were sent to India. That original edition underwent several revisions as noted later by Ram Dass in ''Be Love Now'' (2010): "When it was read to Maharaj-ji, he told me to change some of the parts about

Baba Hari Dass Baba Hari Dass (Devanagari: बाबा हरि दास) (26 March 1923 – 25 September 2018) was an Indian yoga master, silent monk, temple builder, and commentator of Indian scriptural traditions of ''dharma'' and ''moksha''. He was ...

, who had been my sadhana tutor..." Those changes, introduced after "Hari Dass was no longer involved in the intense physical work and management of the Nainital temples", were presented without a critical revision. A French version was published in 1975 (Editions Robert Dumas), and is available on the web since 1997. In 1977, the Lama Foundation gave the copyright and half the proceeds from the book to the

Hanuman Foundation Ram Dass (born Richard Alpert; April 6, 1931 – December 22, 2019), also known as Baba Ram Dass, was an American spiritual teacher, guru of modern yoga, psychologist, and author. His best-selling 1971 book '' Be Here Now'', which has been d ...

in support of its spiritual and humanitarian projects. The book is currently published by

Three Rivers Press Three Rivers Press is the trade paperback imprint of the Crown Publishing Group, a division of Random House. It publishes original paperback titles as well as paperback reprints of books issued initially in hardcover by the other Crown imprint ...

, an imprint of

Random House Random House is an American book publisher and the largest general-interest paperback publisher in the world. The company has several independently managed subsidiaries around the world. It is part of Penguin Random House, which is owned by Germ ...

Sequels

Ram Dass wrote two sequels to ''Be Here Now''. The first was ''Still Here: Embracing Aging, Changing, and Dying'' (2000), and the second was ''Be Love Now: The Path of the Heart'' (2010).

Cultural impact

''Be Here Now'' is one of the first guides for those not born

Hindu Hindus (; ) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism. Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pages 35–37 Historically, the term has also been used as a geographical, cultural, and later religious identifier for ...

to becoming a

. For its influence on the

hippie A hippie, also spelled hippy, especially in British English, is someone associated with the counterculture of the 1960s, originally a youth movement that began in the United States during the mid-1960s and spread to different countries around ...

movement and subsequent spiritual movements, it has been described as a "countercultural bible" and "seminal" to the era. In addition to introducing its title phrase into common use, ''Be Here Now'' has influenced numerous other writers and yoga practitioners, including the industrialist

Steve Jobs Steven Paul Jobs (February 24, 1955 – October 5, 2011) was an American entrepreneur, industrial designer, media proprietor, and investor. He was the co-founder, chairman, and CEO of Apple; the chairman and majority shareholder of Pixar; ...

, the self-help author

Wayne Dyer Wayne Walter Dyer (May 10, 1940 – August 29, 2015) was an American self-help author and a motivational speaker. Dyer completed a Ed.D. in guidance and counseling at Wayne State University in 1970. Early in his career, he worked as a high sch ...

, and the poet

Lawrence Ferlinghetti Lawrence Monsanto Ferlinghetti (March 24, 1919 – February 22, 2021) was an American poet, painter, social activist, and co-founder of City Lights Booksellers & Publishers. The author of poetry, translations, fiction, theatre, art criticism, an ...

. The first section of the book inspired the lyrics to

George Harrison George Harrison (25 February 1943 – 29 November 2001) was an English musician and singer-songwriter who achieved international fame as the lead guitarist of the Beatles. Sometimes called "the quiet Beatle", Harrison embraced Indian c ...

's song " Be Here Now", written in 1971 and released on his 1973 album ''

Living in the Material World ''Living in the Material World'' is the fourth studio album by English musician George Harrison, released in 1973 on Apple Records. As the follow-up to 1970's critically acclaimed ''All Things Must Pass'' and his pioneering charity project, th ...

''.

References

{{Ram Dass 1971 non-fiction books American memoirs Books about spirituality Hippie movement Self-help books Classic yoga books Ram Dass