Polishing the Mirror

August 5, 2013
This collection of teachings by Ram Dass (Be Here Now), one of the United States' most famous spiritual seekers, is surprisingly fresh and accessible more than 40 years after the psychedelic psychologist first wrote about consciousness expansion through LSD. The anecdote-packed chapters cover many of the practices Ram Dass has usedâdevotional bhakti yoga, worldly karma yoga, daily practices like meditation and chantingâin his quest to become a more loving, compassionate being. He discusses serious issues with a frankness that opens up difficult topics, such as how he coped with a stroke that drastically changed his understanding of his role in the world. No longer did he feel special, "under the protective umbrella of my guru," he writes. Instead, he realized he was subject to the same, sometimes painful, process of aging and dying that everybody faces. His willingness to admit his own mistakes and turn them into lessons for personal growth is refreshing, and allows readers to see themselves in his story. The collection successfully straddles a fine line, providing both a broad overview for those new to Ram Dass's writings and an engaging recap for readers who have enjoyed his previous books.

August 1, 2013

Ram Dass (born Richard Alpert) was and is most celebrated for his 1971 book, Be Here Now, also written with Rameshwar Das (born James Lytton), as well as his association with Timothy Leary and devotion to the teachings of Bhagavan Das: without doubt he is the guru of groovy. This book follows his more recent encounters with Judaism, with his own bisexuality, and with the consequences of a stroke. Dass is as devoted to Hindu thought and the example of Hanuman as ever, but here he confronts age and difficulty in new ways. VERDICT Ram Dass has an assured following, but his fluent thought and persuasive writing may well appeal to a broad new readership of spiritual seekers as well.

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