It was so good to see Bhagavan Das in the beautiful, rather astounding film/musical journey, What About Me? that screened as part of the Topanga Film Festival on Friday night. Now 64, Bhagavan Das actually coined the phrase "Be Here Now," and introduced Ram Dass, author of the famous book of the same name, to his guru, Neem Karoli Baba, on a wild mystical journey the pair took throughout India in the '60s. As if he needed any more cred, in 2002 Bhagavan Das released an album of Hindu chants, Now, produced by Mike D. from the Beastie Boys.I've been privileged to spend some time with this legendary spiritual teacher and Laguna Beach native (!); I have interviewed him, sung kirtan with him, and spent five days at his feet in a puja workshop at the Laughing Lotus yoga center in New York. The man is a bubbling fountain of wisdom and insights about the modern world, able to guide us through our struggles with materialism and self-doubt, although he renounced all that crap decades ago and lives, essentially, to serve. For those who are acutely feeling the precariousness of these times, take these words to heart: "There's nothing like a good destruction to help you begin again. Empty your bowl so that it may be filled with flowers."
Great Stuff!!!!
ReplyDeleteI found my way to Bhagavan Das through Ram Dass, be here now. I recently picked up Bhagavan's "still here now" and am looking forward to getting my heart into it.
Bhagavan Das's album, "Now" is also a great listen in my book. I didn't realize until a year or two after I first picked it up that Mike D. from the Beasites did the Production and it was released on Grand Royal. It's interesting to find links between people that you look up to and "follow". I'm also a Kerouac fan... etc...
Anyways, Hello out there... and in here...
Andrew