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THE IMPORTANCE OF

COMING TO TERMS

WITH AGING

Ram Dass has dedicated his life to reaching out and sharing his teachings across the world. The Love Serve Re-
member Foundation offers a range of loving resources, including over 100 podcasts, guided meditations, words of
wisdom, a free app for Android/iOS and more. For generations, Ram Dass’ work continues to be a path of inspira-
tion for people across all walks of life. https://www.ramdass.org/

I remember when I became irrelevant. I mean, you but as I look now, I am so much happier than I was then. I’ll
can walk down certain streets in any city and you’re tell you, the amount of free time I have because I’m no longer
either a potential, a competitor, or irrelevant. I be- so obsessed with sexuality is… well, I can’t even tell you.
came a walking lamp post after awhile.
Old is another label trap. You’re just a being and you got a
It was incredible because people look right through you, they new situation, a new dimension. It’s really interesting when
don’t even see you. At first I got all uptight about it and I’d I go into a room with somebody, perhaps somebody with AIDS
wear my hair spread all over my head and do all these things. who is dying, it’s easy to see how the society, the culture, the
Get tighter suits and diet and everything so I’d be somebody, economics, everything traps that person in that identity, and
but then it’s a new moment, and you realize that’s the way it if my mind isn’t reactive to that identity, and not trapped in
is. denying it, then I’m not caught in it and we can actually come
together.
So I’ll tell you that if you’re caught in the culture’s models
about youth, the amount of suffering with age is incredible. In We come together, and the person can come up for air, and
that sense, this culture is a very cruel culture, and the bizarre then suddenly there’s just the two of us beings hanging out in
situation is that as the demographic changes, and the baby the universe, and time and death and life are all in entirely
boomers come along and get old, what you have is an aging different relationship to one another.
society and a youth mythology, and that slowly starts to bend
as the whole scene changes, because the money and the power The whole thing relaxes, and there’s laughter, and there’s joy,
changes. and there’s tenderness, and there’s presence, and there’s all
of that, and boy, have I learned about all these things. I see it
The attraction to youth is deeper than even a cultural thing. all depends in my mind. That’s why I work so hard on myself to
I mean, it’s all those things, but the emotional identity that not get trapped in labels, youth, age, sex… any of them.
denigrates non-youth can be lifted, that doesn’t have to exist,
and what I realized many years ago was I went into training
to be a kind of elder, or social philosopher, or find a role that
would be comfortable as I became irrelevant in the youth mar- The final awakening is the embracing of
ket. Now I’ve seen in interviewing old people that the minute the darkness into the light. That means
you cling to something that was a moment ago, you suffer. You embracing our humanity as well as our
suffer when you have your face lifted to be who you wish you divinity. What we go from is being born
were then, for a little longer, because you know it’s temporary. into our humanity, sleep walking for a
long time, until we awaken and start
The minute you pit yourself against nature, the minute you to taste our divinity. And then want to
pit yourself with your mind against change, you are asking for finally get free.
suffering. Now the question is, “Can you exist in a society in
which everybody is suffering about it, and you are not?” You We see as long as we grab at our divin-
see that? In order to do that, you have to become conscious of ity and push away our humanity we
that being the case. aren’t free. If you want to be free, you
can’t push away anything. You have to
I can enjoy the beauty of youth. I think the body is beautiful, embrace it all. It’s all God.
and I love it. I want to touch it, and look at it, and enjoy it,
and as my body changes, I think, “Ah-so, new moment,” and
realize that now I will be in different relationships with peo-
ple, and it takes me a long time to just not wish I were that,

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