Ram Dass (April 16, 1931-December 22, 2019)

Dates

• Existence: April 16, 1931 - December 22, 2019

Biography

Ram Dass, born Richard Alpert on April 6, 1931, in Boston, Massachusetts, 1931, was a prominent American spiritual teacher, psychologist, and author. He earned degrees from Tufts University, Wesleyan University, and Stanford University. As a professor at Harvard and colleague of Timothy Leary, he explored the therapeutic potential of psychedelics. In 1967, Alpert traveled to India, where he met Neem Karoli Baba. Under his guidance, Alpert experienced a deep spiritual transformation and was given the name Ram Dass, meaning "servant of God." His seminal book, "Be Here Now" (1971), introduced Western audiences to Eastern spiritual practices and became a cornerstone of the countercultural movement. Over the next several decades, Ram Dass authored and co-authored several works, among them "Grist for the Mill" (1977), "How Can I Help?" (1985), "Compassion in Action: Setting Out on the Path of Service" (1991), "Polishing the Mirror" (2013) and "Still Here: Embracing Aging, Changing and Dying" (2000). In 1997, he suffered a severe stroke that left him partially paralyzed. He embraced this setback as an opportunity for spiritual growth, and his understanding of aging, illness, and death deepened. After a second stroke in 2004, he moved to Maui, Hawaii, where he lived for the remainder of his life. There, he hosted retreats and co-authored "Walking Each Other Home: Conversations on Loving and Dying" (2018). He passed away on December 22, 2019.

Citation:

“About Ram Dass (2002).” Ram Dass website. Accessed May 30, 2025. https://www.ramdass.org/about-ram-dass/

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