Be Here Now

An ashram is a residential spiritual center or hermitage where seekers devote themselves to disciplined practice under a teacher’s guidance. Dass references ashrams as places conducive to deep sadhana, away from mundane distractions and fully oriented toward self-inquiry or service. By offering structured routines (such as daily meditation, shared chores, and communal prayer), an ashram helps foster an environment that supports collective spiritual progress while still honoring each individual’s inner journey.

Bhakti refers to the path of devotion or selfless love directed toward the Divine. Be Here Now frequently emphasizes this concept, encouraging readers to cultivate a childlike openness of the heart rather than remain only in intellectual analysis. Through devotional singing, chanting, and reverential service, individuals can transcend egoic barriers and merge with the beloved object of adoration, whether conceptualized as God, consciousness, or universal love.

Ego death is the experience of shedding one’s deeply ingrained sense of “I,” allowing a more universal identity to emerge. Dass frames this dissolution as key to revealing the eternal presence underlying human anxieties and desires. When individuals relinquish their usual self-images—through meditative practice or moments of insight—they uncover a spacious awareness beyond personal history, paving the way for greater compassion and unity.