Ram Dass on Being a Patient
Cambridge Quarterly of Healthcare Ethics July 1, 2000 DOI: 10.1017/s0963180100903190
Summary
Ram Dass, formerly Richard Alpert, is a prominent American spiritual teacher who earned a Ph.D. in psychology from Stanford and taught there and at Harvard before traveling to India, where his guru gave him the name Ram Dass ("Servant of God"). He has been active in charitable service organizations, especially those providing healthcare to underserved populations. His books include Be Here Now, How Can I Help, Compassion in Action, and Still Here: Embracing Aging, Changing, and Dying, which addresses navigating life's later stages with spiritual wisdom.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Spiritual healing Spirituality Inner peace Acceptance |
Abstract
Ram Dass is one of America's most renowned spiritual teachers. Born Richard Alpert, he received his Ph.D. in psychology from Stanford University and taught there and at Harvard University before going to India and receiving the name Ram Dass (“Servant of God”) from his guru. He has long been involved in many charitable service organizations, particularly those devoted to providing healthcare for underserved populations. Among his many books are Be Here Now (currently in its fortieth printing), How Can I Help, and Compassion in Action; his newest book is Still Here: Embracing Aging, Changing, and Dying (Putnam, 2000).