›› BEHiND THE SUN
From the Sun vaults, April 5 - 11, 1991
Be Marin now Sanguine sage abandons hope for humanity after move to county... by Jason Wals h
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“That’s me in the spotlight—losing my religion” —R.E.M., 1991
Marin used to be on the leading edge—the women’s movement, environmental concerns, anti-war activity—but no longer. It’s a group of people who are very world connected in their intellectual sense and very conscious of where we must go—I find it very intellectually exciting to live in Marin. But I don’t find it very politically or socially exciting.
Ram Dass was losing his faith in Marin 20 years ago this week. The social activist and spiritual teacher had been living in a cottage in San Anselmo for less than two years when Pacific Sun publisher Steve And you’re taking heat for McNamara caught up with him living here? for an interview in the spring It’s about the benign neglect of 1991. And the famously joythat goes with being a libful author of the ’60s spirituality eral. I’m not the kicking-butt tome Be Here Now was having the Republican. I’m the liberal ever-present smile wiped off his saying, “We’re doing what we face by the county’s gluttonous can.” But we’re not. I’m seeing consumerism, armchair progres[other ethnic groups] as them, sivism and false sense of entitleand not as us. I’m buying into ment. The eternally optimistic the stereotypes. A Chicano said champion of the downtrodden to me, “If you hear a German described his feelings about resid- Ram Dass, 1991. accent, what do you think? Male ing in America’s most obscenely or female? Intelligent or stupid? wealthy county as “mixed.” Authoritarian or passive? Now, what if you “I’m very sensitized to it because as I teach hear a Mexican accent?” to [other regions of the Bay Area] the ethnic groups have been very hard on me,” the Not long ago in ‘Newsweek’ Newt 60-year-old told the Sun. “[They’re] showGingrich said that in the ‘92 elections the ing me the hidden racism; showing me how Republicans will run against the ‘60s. He the social structures of society are protecting said it was a slam dunk; everybody is sick the privileged and how [by living in Marin] of the ‘60s. I’m part of that.” While the former RichFar out! Boy, that’s interesting. The ’60s ard Alpert may have been self-flagellating had some very deep truths that are resonant like a medieval monk for living in Marin, with some places in the heart of the human to other enlightenment-seekers he was the condition. A sort of naive hopefulness; a sense real ram dass (“servant of God”) deal. Born that possibly people can be together in love the preppy son of a railroad mogul, Alpert rather than fear and paranoia; a sense that became a popular Harvard psych instruceverybody is us rather than nine-tenths of the tor at the dawn of the swingin’ ’60s before world is them. For this society to see those as joining Timothy Leary in advising America’s weaknesses—that is part of the pathology of youth to “tune in, turn on and drop out.” this culture at the moment. Four LSD-laced years later, a pilgrimage to India brought him spirituality, a guru and What’s brought about such a change a new identity as Ram Dass—the drug-free in attitude? social activist who, as the Sun described, had The ’60s went so underground in the ’80s; “divorced himself from nearly every concern the yuppie movement and so on. People of the temporal world.” Ram Dass rejoined wanting material stuff and losing faith in the the temporal world long enough to sit down inner part of the being. As for Gingrich, he with McNamara for an intriguing interview. wouldn’t even single that out unless he felt its Here are some highlights: power. What I’ve said is, “If you liked the ’60s, you’re going to love the ’90s.” Do you like living in Marin? I have mixed feelings. It doesn’t feel real to How so? me. It’s hard to make the stretch of going to Because again we are playing with the edge developing countries and then coming back of chaos. to Marin. This is so protected, so unrepresentative of the human condition at this moment You are still labeled by your associain the world. Marin gives me great quiet to think and write, but still it’s hard to be part of tion with Timothy Leary and LSD and that era. Is that a problem with your a community that is, in a way, looking away life today? from the world. It’s very interesting, Steve, it really is, to go
years ago
8 PACIFIC SUN APRIL 1 - APRIL 7, 2011
›› TRiViA CAFÉ
by Howard Rachelson
1. What three Pixar (located in Emeryville) computer-generated movies— from the years 2010, 2003, 2009—have grossed the most money worldwide? 2. What is the only lizard that has a voice? 3. Which has a larger area: Brazil or the lower 48 U.S. states? 4. What three endurance sports make up the triathlon? 5. Who was the first vice president of the United States? 6. What singer was recently recognized by the Recording Industry Association of America as the all-time leader in sales of digital singles, with over 20 million sold? 7. Name the authors of each of these fictional works related to the sea: 7a. Moby Dick 7b. The Old Man and the Sea 7c. The Rime of the Ancient Mariner 8. Pictured, below: Identify these famous bridges.
8a
8b
8c
9. In June 2009, Microsoft launched its own web search engine to compete with rival Google. What is it? 10a. What recently celebrated Jewish festival commemorates the deliverance of the Jewish people in the ancient Persian Empire from a plot to exterminate them? 10b. These historical events are recorded in what book of the Hebrew Bible named for a woman? BONUS QUESTION: Which U.S. capital city lies at the highest altitude above sea level? Send your best trivia question (with your name and hometown) to howard1@triviacafe. com; if your question is used in the ‘Pacific Sun,’ we’ll give you credit!
through being a really good guy, like a professor at Harvard, and then a really bad guy, somebody with drugs leading the children over the cliff. And then coming back to being a good guy. There’s a humor in it if you can stand back far enough. So it’s not a problem? I think five or 10 years ago that identity was a stronger one that limited my ability. In the ’70s s when I wanted to do social action, the only groups I could work with were the dying or prisoners—the throwaways of society; they wouldn’t let me work with kids or things like that. Now, in the past few years I’m working much more in the mainstream. I’m now back being a good guy. It’s like, bizarre! You enjoy having this cafeteria of personas? People went through the stage of saying, “And when did you give up drugs?” I was supposed to become a good guy by repudiating my past. I said, “I can’t do that. I honor that. That is what started me on my journey.” So live with the absolute lack of definition of who I am.
Answers on page 28
A lot of people have lives that depend on paying rent, getting their kids’ teeth straightened. You’ve divested yourself from a lot of things that haunt most people. Yes, I don’t have family and I don’t have responsibilities like that. But the externalized criterion that you think is the measure of happiness is the thing that doesn’t work. I think the materialization of this society is bringing incredible pain. The idea that my car is going to bring me happiness—that’s crazy. It’ll bring me pleasure, from moment to moment. But happiness is a whole other ball game. And I go for happiness that is sometimes pleasure and sometimes pain. Isn’t that in direct opposition to the Calvinistic underpinnings of American society? Isn’t it ever. ✹ Follow Jason at jwalsh@pacificsun.com.
Blast into Marin’s past with more Behind the Sun at ›› pacificsun.com