Cultivating Something New or Reforming Something Old: Part 1/2 with Balaram Chandra Das

Meet Balarama Chandra das, one of my teachers from Ayurveda school, who is a fascinating person wonderfully capable of expanding on philosophical and Ayurvedic concepts with poetic commentary. Balarama has many places in his beginning, and many places in his continuing story. Born Boaz Ramos in Arizona, he was driven by inquiry to study with his teacher in an ashram in San Diego, and ultimately followed him to India and then traveled the world with him. So we hear how Balaram got on his path as it has taken shape the way I know him, but also how… He questioned the utility of his official university education, and made peace with it once he was pursuing his spiritual education and came to appreciate what it offered him The development of his perspectives on living a life of service, and how he got involved in activism in border issues near the Mexican/American border How the anger from his activism had to be balanced and tethered to spiritual practice, and led him to realize he needed to do one with more enthusiasm How we have two options: cultivate something new, or reform something that exists Evolving as a student and assistant to his guru, who initiated him into his lineage and gave him his name He drops a number of cool stories from his education and experiences into our conversation, including the differences between spiritual and material people, and how people see themselves as a part of the whole The 3 ways in which we can learn things, including the power of stories How we’re getting education too late, and the education that is specific to us happens later in life as early education is non-personal There’s always 3s in the Vedic paradigm – and how there are 3 types of personalities Show Notes at www.intelligentedge.yoga