Paths to God: Living the Bhagavad Gita

I have read this gem of a book twice now and it truly has become one of the most influential books of my personal spirituality. Ram Dass interprets the wisdom of the Gita in a way that is remarkably comprehensive, poetic, and resonates deeply with the modern westerner who is following the yogic/bhakti path. The chapters on Karma Yoga and Brahman contain some of the most profound commentary I have ever read on the subject. This book speaks to me in a way that no other text or book has, and has revolutionized both my spirituality and my daily sadhana. Truly Ram Dass’ best work. Texts that may help prepare you for this read would be the Bhagavad Gita itself, but also Be Here Now and Grist for the Mill both also written by Ram Dass. The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali as well.

Short reviews are probably more often read, though I have so much to say about this book... I'll keep it simple: Ram Dass comes from a Western tradition (Harvard, psychiatry) so he knows what our cynical, anxious minds are receptive to--and that's not mumbo jumbo and big promises. He depends on logic to convince his reader that there are practical ways in which to lead a disciplined, happy life using the Gita as a backbone. This book, though, is not really about the Gita, so much as it is about the themes in it, themes that are perennial to all enlightened paths. If you are willing to step just a little outside your comfort zone to learn ideas that may first rub you wrong, such as how and why to practice renunciation--but who would ever want to give up a habit that affords us comfort? (You'll see.) You also, obviously need to practice what he preaches (or shares, really). This is such a thoughtful and helpful book, but as always, you have to do the work yourself. But the plan is so readily apparent that your only excuse for not incorporating at least *parts* of this text in your life is a sheer lack of will power--a stubborn refusal to transcend doubt and insecurity. One of the most influential books on my lifestyle and thought process. Highly recommended. Whereas Be Here Now is easily seen a beautifully written, provocative but esoteric coffee table book, Paths to God is simple, honest, straightforward and friendly.

I love this book. It was in a list of required books for meditation teacher training and I am so glad it was and can absolutely see why. He makes the Gita come alive. His perspective makes you question how you absorb the wisdom within it and gives you a way to live the Gita. He provided me with so many aha! moments throughout this book. Honestly this book is almost just as powerful as the Gita if not more because of how digestible and profound he makes it.

Great addition to Ram Dass the collection. I attempted to read the Bhagvad Gita few times but never fully grasped the allegorical references. It was kind of like reading Melville's Moby Dick without Cliff notes. After I read Paths to God, I finally understood the inner battle Arjuna faced. Ram Dass might be on a different plane but he still can bring enlightenment to us on this plane of existence. Thank you, Ram Dass. Thank you to all who collaborated to piece this book together. Love everyone and don't lie

I read this book after reading Here and Now. It’s one of the most important books that change how I live my life. So grateful this book exists.

When (about 40 years ago) I first heard about Ram Dass, I thought, "A nice Jewish boy pretending to be a Hindu sadhu? Come on now!" But I was curious, and open-minded, so I read a couple of his books, and found them--well, at least unobjectionable. Interesting. Now, looking back, I wonder how much of an influence he was on my decision almost 20 years ago to become "a nice Christian girl pretending to be a sadhak," living in an ashram in India. Maybe more than I realized at the time. I don't know. WhatI do know is that now, with many many studies and experiences under my belt, including experimentation with various religious paths (each of which contributed to my own evolution), I have once again read him--in PATHS TO GOD--and now I see he is not pretending at all. So many phonies in the West, both home-grown and imported from the East--but he's not one. He's the real thing. Even though now, unlike 40 years ago, I've studied the Gita and lived in the culture it informs, still I found new depths of understanding--of the Gita, of the universal insights of Hindu thought, and of simply how to live a spiritually serious (but fun) life. It is definitely worth reading. The only fault I find with the Kindle edition of this book is that the formatting suffers--if there's a picture with a caption, you have to sort that out from the on-going text. I hope a better job can be done on this as the art of ebooking matures. But even as it is, the book is well worth getting if you're interested in a clear and engaging presentation of some ancient wisdom.

I really didn’t expect this book to impact me the way it did, but here I am, taking the time to let others who are considering buying this book to READ IT. When I came across this book, I was looking for a commentary on the Gita, a life-changing book for me, that I read last year. So I bought this book, expecting it to clarify and further deepen my understanding of the teachings of the Gita. What I got was that and much more. It really isn’t a commentary but the base of a course taught by Ram Dass at Naropa during the 70’s that takes the key aspects of the Gita and teaches them in a way you can use in your everyday life. If the Gita has impacted your life and want to further deepen the way you can work with it everyday, GET THIS BOOK.

I like the teachings and the person of Ram Dass. And, having read the Gita in seven translations, most with commentary --- I was very pleased to find both Ram Dass and the Gita in one book. However, it is not what I expected. It exceeded my my preconceived expectations. For me Ram Dass uses the Gita and its teachings as a takeoff point to help the reader find his/her own path to God. Glancing through the book as I write this brief review --- I can tell how much it meant to me by my ubiquitous underlinings, check marks, arrows and comments. It has been a source of real benefit in my spiritual path.

Can't miss this book if you want to dive deeper into the spiritual and historic side of yoga and its scriptures. Good base for life-long learning and continuous study.

I have always had a great interest in the Gita, and read it a few times when I was younger. Although I gained the gist of it, I definitely felt there was more to explore there. Ram Dass has shared a lot of really deep conundrums and thoughts about walking the path, and they are very much grounded in experience. I love his thoughts on the Yamas and Niyamas. I also love the "workbook" for living that comes along with it. Thank you :)

I highly recommend this book. It took me ages to read this book, not because it is a very long book, but because what was in it made me often stop reading and pondering philosophical the concepts the author was putting forth. It made me do lots of pondering between paragraphs and the like (and for this reason I easily lost my place). I was in hospital at the time and found it be a great spiritual support in a very negative environment. Certainly, what is presented here is a spiritual classic - the author goes through many topics, in particular I found his explanations of reincarnation and karma to be very insightful and gave me new perspective on these ideas. The book also has some charming and fascinating ancedotes about Ram Dass life with Baba and his adventures in meditation - I found the story about his meditations with the Zen masters Koan very entertaining. A book writetn with great wisdom and humility from a modern spiritual master. If you are just a little bit interested in these topics - I'd highly recommend this book.

Your mind initially is a sponge that soaks up water , later in life this water crystallizes and if you are able to Mediate(Properly) , you will become a Mirror .

I am so happy to have this physical book to return to. I loved Ram Dass's stories about his time with his Guru. Now I need to read the Bhagavad Gita!