Ram Dass Portrait by Alex Grey. Psychedelic Artist...

Three years ago today beloved Ram Dass transitioned out of his body.

Sending love to the great teacher who has had such a profoundly positive impact on the spiritual lives of so many including Allyson and I. Truly grateful I was given the opportunity to paint a portrait of Ram Dass, and that he got to advise me on certain parts. Behind and in the halo of the central portrait is Maharaji, Neem Karoli Baba, pulling the lightstrings, passing them through the heart of Ram Dass out through Hanuman's chest to serve the world. One of the blessings Ram Dass brought to the world was he helped to found “Seva,” an organization helping cure blindness in Asia, the eyes in the sky of my painting refer to that organization. The Ram Dass community continues to share his wisdom, now that he has joined the other masters in the spiritual sky. Thank you to my friends Vishnu Dass @vishnudass_ and Stephanie @hammeryogini Schwindenhammer who made it possible to paint this portrait of Ram Dass and receive his loving support. Ram Ram Ram @babaramdass @ramdass_goinghome_film @taoshanumanji @beherenownetwork
On the back of the painting he placed his handprint and signed it! Now on view at the Psychedelic Reliquary in Entheon. Opening next year.

Ram Dass, 2018, 48 x 48 in., oil on wood panel.

https://www.facebook.com/AlexGreyCoSM

Who WAS Ram Dass? In the Sixties, He was a Psychedelics Researcher and Promoter at Harvard with Dr. Timothy Leary. (LSD, Magic Mushrooms and Peyote) Then He went to India Looking for Enlightenment and Met a Guru. Changed His Name and Published a Great Book... "Remember: Be Here Now" - It Has His Autobiography and then Many ART Drawings Explaining Eastern Religion. Real Name: Dr. Richard Alpert...

 

https://beherenownetwork.com/be-here-now/

and Then he wrote a Dozen MORE Books and Gave Many Lectures... ALL WORTHY... I Especially Love "Still Here" because I'm 67 Years Old and The Question of My Own Death is Important To Me... Now...

https://www.amazon.com/Still-Here-Embracing-Aging-Changing/dp/1573228710

It's Important to me to remember that Kermit Michael Riggs Taught Dr. Richard Alpert to BE HERE NOW. Kermit was a Laguna Beach, CA Surfer who was Exploring India... 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bhagavan_Das_(yogi) 

I Had a Dream: We were walking towards the Entrance of the Los Gatos Library and there was a Thin Old Man dressed in a Small Bathing Suit ahead of Us. He pulled on the entrance to the Children's room and It was Locked... Disappointed, he turned around and I asked: "Are You Looking for the Man Who Works There?" He Said: "NO" and I Motioned towards the Main Entrance. We all Entered. He seemed lost so I asked: "Do you Need Help?" as I would ask any Lost Old Man... He Said: "NO" and then I asked again: "Can I Help You?" He said: "No. I'm Fine." and then we went on Our Own Ways. By That time it was Obvious to Me That he was Ram Dass and That it was a Rather "Heavy" encounter to Ask Ram Dass If I Could Help Him... a Meaningful Event... and I was Shaking... So we went downstairs and I went searching for a Book that I Has Started reading before (about Philosophy) - and on the same shelf was a large picture book of the Grateful Dead's Fare Ye Well Tour with four CDs (that were missing) and My friend asked me why I would want to check out that book and I said: "Too Look for Pictures of Myself." and then I woke up and Typed this Document... It's Best to Type it Up before I forget it... For Certain, I would have tried to help any Lost Old Man but It seems Important that I Offered Ram Dass Help in my dream. That's One Of His Main Teachings... 

He Wrote The Book: Remember, Be Here Now... and THAT Got My Attention because of the ART! Here are Two of about a Hundred Drawings in that book...

Dr Larry Brilliant and Wavy Gravy

There is a really great book that is called Sometimes Brilliant by Larry Brilliant, M.D. and a lot of it is about his dear friend Wavy Gravy, formerly and sometimes known as Hugh Romney. Dr. Brilliant grew up in the Detroit area and he was helping concert venues with medical practice after he graduated from medical school. Among the miraculous events he describes are how he became involved in a project that eradicated small pox. He was initiated into the Merry Pranksters, although Wavy Gravy asked Ken Kesey to take it easy on him because he was "new." They were focused on trying to do the most good, and had some difficult lessons. There were the monkeys who threw shit all over him and his wife just before he met the Dalai Lama. He learned that Neem Karoli Baba was psychic, actually beyond psychic. When he and the Hog Farm folks were flying on a plane in India, they smoked some hash, and the pilot came back into the cabin. He asked, "is that hashish?" They replied that it was and asked if he wanted some. He replied, "of course," and sat down to join them.