Journey of Awakening: A Meditator's Guidebook

by Ram Dass

1981 paperback. Ram Dass, new age.

Genres: Spirituality, Meditation, Nonfiction, Self Help, Philosophy, Buddhism, Religion

384 pages, Paperback

Published May 13, 2025

About the author

Ram Dass (Richard Alpert), was one of America's most beloved spiritual figures, making his mark on the world giving teachings and promoting loving service, harmonious business practices, and conscious care for the dying. His spirit has been a guiding light for four generations, carrying millions along on the journey, helping free them from their bonds as he has worked his way through his own.

Reviews

[Denise · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Ram Dass. Great guide to familiarize the beginner with methods from which to choose. Great guidance on the myriad of possibilities one might expect on the journey. I was most interested in this part. Although I've been at it awhile I've never had a friend who has gone before me talk to me about things like not becoming entrapped in methods and how from our practices life and perspective naturally change. No need to push! When I read or listen to Ram Dass I feel as though an older, wiser and funnier friend is helping me.

[William Knox · Rating 4 out of 5]

This really is an ideal book for many who are looking for some form of spiritual practice to give some more depth to their lives. Amongst its outstanding points are that it gives a brief overview of several methods, but does not stop there and looks at some of the pitfalls and misconceptions about meditation. Above all I would recommend this book for the enquirer because of the author's detached attitude where he repeatedly suggests that there is no one way to the liberation that he talks about. There are outlines of various paths, but each one of us who wants to go further needs to find our own path which could be one or more or a combination of some of the paths in this book or something else completely different that suits us best. In other words to grow we need to take the responsibility of looking and trying things out.
There isn't the space in this book of just over 200 pages to go into much detail about many of the methods but, having whetted our appetite, Ram Dass does spend a bit of time to introduce us to the basics of meditating on one's breath as well as ways of bringing one's attention back to the meditation when it wanders. This is all done in his very relaxed and detached style, emphasising the 'suck-it-and-see' ethos of the book which makes it so readable.
My only reservation is the time spent on Indian and Tibetan methods of spiritual discovery. I have a personal antipathy to involving oneself in something as personal as attempting to communicate with our deeper self, God, the Universe or whatever in a way that we're not culturally completely at home with. Maybe some of the further reading that Ram Dass suggests helps us bridge this gap. However I would have thought that a book like this is intended to appeal to English readers, most of whom will be living in a non-Hindhu or non-Buddhist culture. So the book could have done better by placng more emphasis on traditional and modern Western methods of awakening so there was something more comfortable to slip into straight away.
Having said that I really can't think of a better overview of what's been tried and tested by millions wanting some more meaning in their lives. Suck it and see.

[Madison Shepherd · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve always really loved Ram Dass so I knew this book would be incredible before I started it. It’ll definitely live on my bookshelf to reread and look back at!

[Bhavya Tripathi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perfect for someone who is just starting meditation

This book gave me a deep insight of what it means to meditate and where it can possibly lead you. I started this practice as a way of self development, fighting anxiety and, navigating consciously through the world, but this book made me realise that meditation is more than just a tool. It is a way of life.

By biggest learning from Ram Dass has been that ego constricts your perspective of the world. It is a collection of habits which forces us to see the world as we have always reinforced it, it limits us. Breaking free from ego is the ultimate goal of enlightenment (correct me if I am wrong). And meditation is where you start that journey.

I loved how Ram Dass left no religion out when it came to backing up his claims. There are quotes from all the holy books out there which resonate with his teachings and experiences. Making me realise that the end goal of all religious practices is the same, enlightenment and awakening.

[Thunradee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Humbled 🌱✨

[koshka · Rating 5 out of 5]

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[Brad Schonour · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ram Dass is THE guy for so called "normies" who are just beginning to get into meditation and spiritual practices. Ram Dass writes with a kind heart and easy to follow language, something that can be difficult to find when it comes to the topic of meditation. He guides you slowly into the waters from the riverbank and teaches you how to swim through your mind like an expert and reach the other side of enlightenment. This is much easier said than done and I am still amazed at how he does it with the brevity of language he uses. One of the first books I picked up when I was getting into meditation, it is one I still like to go through occasionally now even years later. A must read if it is a topic you are interested in. Whether from an intellectual perspective or a heart full of faith willing to take a leap, you will be able to draw something out of this book that will be beneficial to your life.

SIDE BAR: Before reading this, I recommend at least a quick glimpse into Ram Dass' "Be Here Now". That book is a well written example of an extremely intelligent American mans journey into unknown waters. As he was a well known Harvard Psychology professor in the 1970's who actually traveled to give talks at other Ivy League colleges as well about psychology; he is someone who people with higher intelligences might be apt to actually give a listening ear to.

[Beale Stainton · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have been reading this book on and off for a little over a month now. I read a lot and usually have multiple books on the go. A book like this is good to have to slow your mind down. I don't meditate in the conventional sense, but I do run long distances and this is a method of concentration and focus I enjoy for both mental and physical reasons. Reading this book is not the same as a normal read. There is no story to it. It should be read one verse at a time like any book of wisdom. It is full of quotes from a variety of religious teachers from Christianity to Zen. Each quote is a story and a meditation unto itself. To really understand literature like this requires a full day of devoted meditation into what it says. This is a book one should hold for a long time.

[Anastasia Beaverhausen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Changed my life for the better.

[Koosha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent guidebook for people who are starting to practice meditation. The book is very eloquent and encouraging. Thank you Ram Dass!

[I · Rating 3 out of 5]

Spiritual rightness tends to leave a bitter taste in my mouth when reading books like this.
A beloved saying by Jung goes, “There is only one way and that is your way. There is only one salvation and that is your salvation...What is to come will be created in you and from you. Hence look into yourself. Do not compare. Do not measure. No other way is like yours...You must fulfill the way that is in you.”
I have a deep appreciation for Ram Dass and the way in which he expresses sentiments of life, love, being, and universality. This book however, reads like a guidebook (no duh), in a way that doesn't specify the immensity of unadulterated being, allowance of self, for in my eyes, that is where the I AM lies, everywhere, in everything. I appreciated the quotes & snippets from the words of various gurus; they were short and sweet, and abundant with wisdom in a way that didn't preach so much as told a story.
I am following my way, the unknowns & knowns, allowing the infinitude of wisdom to greet me along the way. 'Journey of Awakening' is not for naught; it certainly is a good introduction to a certain practice that I have respect for, but I find it important to heed that the way is vast and multitudinous, that life is all.

[Tristan Williams · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think there were likely many nuggets of wisdom here that passed me by as I failed to appreciate them. Some of the things I really liked were the pulling together of quotes from many major religions and meditative schools, the devotion the book showed to following a path that's at some times likely to be quite arduous, the litany of suggestions that come without some sort of egotistically fueled certainty that they will be the right ones.

But despite these benefits, it carried some important flaws for me. This is a text chiefly for the convinced, for those who have decided that they want to go through meditation but need guidance in making it through the challenging moments and charting their path. I am not one of those people, instead a former practitioner who isn't certain I want to walk down this path, and I found this book had little to offer me to do so. There's this funny interplay where those who practice would likely conceive of this uncertainty as a weakness I should overcome, as a failure on my part. But just as with religion, even if belief must eventually ground out in me striving for it in a certain way, I look to religious practices and texts to show me God, and convince me this is the way to walk. Ram Dass’s guide did not show me God.

[Derek · Rating 4 out of 5]

Didn't expect much from this book as two other books I started reading by Ram Dass seemed to be more of an autobiography and seemed to focus on gimmicks for enlightenment or peace of mind such as a picture type book with not very wise phrases put on each page in an artsy way with a picture of dancing Indian in an attempt to show the phrase was wise and cultured.
This book on the contrary had some wise insights to incorporate into life and meditation and had less of a new age gimmicky feel to it which I found refreshing.
The only big downside to this book is that 50% of it was a list of meditation schools throughout the USA and Canada. Looked into the ones near me and they do not exist anymore, since this book was written in the late seventies I'm sure they haven't existed for a while. The insights he wrote of are of a permanent nature though school locations are not and because of this and the invention of the internet the locations probably shouldn't make up 50% of the book anymore.

[Patrick Meehan · Rating 3 out of 5]

For those who are comfortable with the idea of the ultimate goal of existence to become a non-self, this book is fine. It has the usual boilerplate solutions and suggestions and mantras, etc., about how to achieve such. I found the section with specific hang-ups on the path to non-self interesting but not as practical as I'd hoped they would be. Many of Mr. Dass's solutions winnow down to "just do it" without providing much more guidance than that. It reminds me of recovery stories that say "and then I went to rehab. After I got out...". Well, what happened in rehab? How did it fix you?

This book will be a good refresher for the non-self spiritualist and also for someone interested in Mr. Dass's personality, as he lets it shine through a bit.

[Cara · Rating 5 out of 5]

My dad gave me this book over a decade ago and I only ever read a handful of pages before setting it back down. I just completed an immersive seven day meditation retreat and Ram Dass’s meditators guidebook finally called out to me. It was the perfect little novel to pick up to learn how to integrate the tools and insights I discovered. It validated my process with such an uncanny knowing, I truly looked forward to picking it up every morning. Ram Dass has a mini documentary on Netflix, I believe it’s called Going Home? About 30 minutes and absolutely gorgeous. Also a strong recommendation for anyone on the path.

[Gloria Gress · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is like A Path With Heart in that it’s a very comprehensive guidebook. I enjoy reading anything by Ram Dass and this has helped me evaluate where I am at in my own spiritual journey. I’ve been so unmotivated to practice recently and have felt like I’ve been on an endless spiral of depression, and picking up this book and reading even just a few lines of it has helped me remember why I’m doing what I’m doing. I wish he had wrote more about how to push through the periods of extreme loss of faith, but I guess when it comes down to it you really just keep taking the one seat and keep still until it passes.

[Janet · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you only read one book about meditation, this is it. The chapters are short with great dharma stories that illustrate what Ram Dass has written about. Quotes from Zen masters as well as Christian writers makes this book accessible to all. You don’t need to believe in the Buddha to benefit from Ram Dass’s teachings. Don’t be put off by the size. Half the book is a directory of meditation centers. And if you want to read another and you should, I’d recommend Wherever You Go, There You Are by Jon Kabat-Zinn.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lo he disfrutado y le ha dado profundidad y matices a mi idea de la meditación, pero no me ha cambiado la vida. Es bastante informativo a la vez que simple e informal; se lee como si bebieras agua, cosa que no todos los libros espirituales pueden decir.

Meditation is not a matter of trying to achieve ecstasy, spiritual bliss, or tranquillity, nor is it attempting to become a better person. It is simply the creation of a space in which we are able to expose and undo our neurotic games, our self-deceptions, our hidden fears and hopes. -Chogyam Trungpa

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

A simple, open overview of some of the ways that one might find a path in meditation. Ram Dass offers a refreshing perspective, that a successful path will be different for everyone, include different methodologies, and may change over time. This book might give you confidence that there is a meditative path for you.
[NOTE: the back half of this book is a meditation center & retreat directory, which is partially obsolete.]

[Borrowed from the public library network.]

[Brennan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this book on and off throughout 2022 picking it up when I felt present to trying to soak in all it had to offer. Ram Dass was such a gift to this world and his writings are nothing short of wonderful. Full of meditative practices, methods, stories, and feelings to help anyone seeking to deepen their thoughts and become more cognizant of the meaning of existence and the beauty of every moment.

[Michael Whitcombe · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was the first book I had picked by Ram Dass/Richard Alpert after reading the Harvard Psychedelic Club and it changed my ability meditation by helpong me find what worked for me. after reading many books on the practice this one was the only one that helped would recomend this to anyone looking at how to get start meditating

[Manuel Ernesto · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book so much. It's a refreshing journey that every person has to take. We fight we our demons day by day, but life has incredible ways to teach us for good o for bad. Ram Dass is great, this book is all that you expect to read for your soul and mind and much more. One of my favorite books definitely!

[Marc Mannheimer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this when I was 19, a great introduction to eastern paths, what personal spirituality can look like, and what one can expect on any spiritual quest, whatever the tradition. Roughly half the book is compromised of a listing of modern spiritual resources. Not sure how complete or up to date this is.

[Corbin Schield · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing book. I love Ram Dass and his works he really has a heart for bringing people to the Self.

This book was really interesting and I found it a huge help to my meditation. I consider myself to be a moderate practitioner, but this book still provided deep insights and helped me to gain new insights to myself and my practice.

[Joj Snoj · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bit of a lighter read with lots of smaller but very heavily focused sections covering all aspects of meditation and it's integration into the world, definitely one to come back to at different stages of the meditative journey; so once again I've got a Ram Dass book that I look forward to revisiting again and again through the years

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

A large portion of the book is a directory for meditation and yoga centers across North America (well, the States mostly). But the book is amazing and full of wonderful descriptions and stories and ideas.

[Angela Rodgers · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a decent read for true beginners to meditation. For those who have researched the practice a bit (even via google), this will largely be a refresher. The resources section of the book is amazing, though!

[Anthony Cao-Vo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ram Dass is elucidating, humorous, and digestible. His writing radiates compassion and understanding.

I read it fairly quickly but the book holds so much wisdom that it will serve as a perennial reference in my spiritual practice.

[Edy · Rating 4 out of 5]

“The need to proselytize, the need to cling to and talk about your experiences, the need to dramatize them by turning simple acts of meditation into spiritual melodrama, all will fall away in time, leaving meditation a normal daily affair— nothing special.”

[KYE Intimates]

I’ve also been diving into Journey of Awakening by Ram Dass. Though it’s an older work, it’s been a source of much-needed spiritual insight.

Shared by D'Ara Nazaryan (founder at Aris Florals) for 'Table Talk', KYE Intimates.