AI Summary
5 min readRam Dass opens a 1989 talk at the L.A. Whole Life Expo with a kidney stone. Most people, he notes, want pain to stop. He was delighted. He watched his consciousness under pressure and realized he was "farther up than I thought I was"—his awareness did not flicker. This is not a boast about pain tolerance. It is a demonstration of what happens when you stop standing anywhere, when you stop treating this plane of reality as the only one that matters.
The talk, recorded for the Ram Dass Here And Now podcast (Episode 307), is a sustained exploration of what it means to inhabit multiple planes of reality at once. Ram Dass argues that the spiritual journey is not about escaping the physical world to get high, but about becoming free—which means being comfortable everywhere, including in pain, in New York City, and in a motel room in Idaho.
The Conspiracy of a Single Plane
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What you'll learn
- 1 (00:01) **Episode Introduction & Sponsors** - Host sets the stage for Ram Dass's 1989 talk at the LA Whole Life Expo, introducing the theme of exploring other planes of reality.
- 2 (06:14) **The Information Age and the Taste of Freedom** - Ram Dass reflects on passing through ages (industrial, information) and the shared attempt to speak about the unspeakable.
- 3 (08:23) **Kidney Stone as a Teaching on Consciousness** - Ram Dass recounts a recent kidney stone, using the intense pain as an opportunity to observe his own consciousness without flickering.
- 4 (11:33) **The Conspiracy of a Single Plane** - Introduces the core concept: we enter a "conspiracy" at birth to make this plane real and close off others.
- 5 (13:35) **The Crochet Lady: A Lesson in Non-Dual Awareness** - Ram Dass tells the story of a 70-year-old woman at a talk who, when asked how she knew about other planes, replied "I crochet."
- 6 (17:01) **From Contribution to Total Commitment** - Ram Dass contrasts the desire to merely "contribute" (like the chicken in the ham and eggs story) with the "total commitment" required for true freedom.
- 7 (23:58) **The Thai Monk: The Cure as the Person** - Ram Dass tells the story of a former narcotics agent turned Theravadan Buddhist monk who cures heroin and opium addicts in 10 days for $15.
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Guests on this episode
Show Notes
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With his classic combination of heart and humor, Ram Dass guides us through an exploration of being on other planes of reality and getting comfortable with having nowhere to stand.
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This episode of Here and Now is from the first part of a talk Ram Dass gave at the LA Whole Life Expo on February 18, 1989. Check back soon for the conclusion of this lecture.
- Ram Dass begins with the story of having a kidney stone, and the delight he felt in watching his consciousness flicker. Thus begins an exploration of consciousness and being on other planes of reality.
- With some classic stories and his unique humor, Ram Dass talks about what happens when we awaken and start to recognize these other planes. As we get more comfortable in these other planes of reality, it can be easy to lose our ground on this plane.
- In the end, we can’t push away this plane because it doesn’t feel as good as others. Ram Dass shares how he saw it wasn’t about getting high, it was about getting free and being comfortable with having nowhere to stand. We must embrace our humanity along with our divinity.
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About Ram Dass:
Ram Dass’s spirit has been a guiding light for generations, carrying millions along on the journey. Ram Dass teaches that through the Bhakti practice of unconditional love, we can all connect with our true nature. Through these teachings, Ram Dass has shared a little piece of his guru, Maharaj-ji, with all who have listened to him. Learn more at ramdass.org.
“You’ve had this as your basecamp. You go into these other planes, and then you come back, and you go in, and you come back, and you go in. And you start to get comfortable being in other planes of reality and functioning here.” – Ram Dass
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