logo
episode-header-image
May 2025
1h 10m

Ep. 207 - Ram Dass Fellowship: Voices of...

BE HERE NOW NETWORK
About this episode

Mystical feminist Mirabai Starr shares the fruits of many years of investigating, excavating, and uplifting women’s voices within global spiritual traditions.

This talk was recorded on Sept 22, 2020 as a part of the Virtual Ram Dass Fellowship.

This week on the BHNN Guest Podcast, Mirabai Starr discusses:

  • An invitation to unknowing and allowing our preconceived notions to fall away
  • The patriarchal roots of spiritual traditions and religious institutions 
  • Highlighting women’s spiritual wisdom in the Ram Dass community
  • Women's circles that are free of a masculine influence 
  • Honoring feelings as they arise and having the capacity to hold them 
  • Speaking spiritual truth to power while staying heart-centered
  • The great mystery and ambiguity of the feminine heart space 
  • Connecting with our higher selves and true purpose 
  • Practicing contemplative meditation through creativity
  • The necessity of community for transformation to take place 
  • Trusting the journey to spiritual awakening and surrendering to the process
  • Balancing active and contemplative energies as sacred feminine archetypes
  • Remembering that we all have both feminine and masculine energies within us

This episode is sponsored by Dharma Seed:

Join Krishna Das, the most well-known voice of Bhakti chanting (Kirtan) in the West, and David Nichtern - a senior Buddhist teacher, founder of Dharma Moon, guitarist in Krishna Das’ band, and producer of several of his albums - for a warm and engaging conversation about these two paths, their shared roots, and how they intersect in contemporary spiritual practice. Learn more about this FREE online gathering - THE HEART & MIND OF PRACTICE: BUDDHISM & BHAKTI

About Mirabai Starr:

Mirabai Starr is an award-winning author of creative non-fiction and contemporary translations of sacred literature. She taught Philosophy and World Religions at the University of New Mexico-Taos for 20 years and now teaches and speaks internationally on contemplative practice and inter-spiritual dialogue. A certified bereavement counselor, Mirabai helps mourners harness the transformational power of loss. Check out her many books and learn more at MirabaiStarr.com.

About The Host, Jackie Dobrinska:

Jackie Dobrinska is the Director of Education, Community & Inclusion for Ram Dass’ Love, Serve, Remember Foundation and the current host of Ram Dass’ Here & Now podcast. She is also a teacher, coach, and spiritual director with the privilege of marrying two decades of mystical studies with 15 years of expertise in holistic wellness. As an inter-spiritual minister, Jackie was ordained in Creation Spirituality in 2016 and has also studied extensively in several other lineages – the plant-medicine-based Pachakuti Mesa Tradition, Sri Vidya Tantra, Western European Shamanism, Christian Mysticism, the Wise Woman Tradition, and others. Today, in addition to building courses and community for LSRF, she leads workshops and coaches individuals to discover, nourish and live from their most authentic selves.

"It's scary to dwell in the heart because it's a place of mystery, at least the feminine heart is. It is a place where there is a great degree of tolerance for ambiguity—that the masculine paradigm conditions us to believe is a problem to be solved. The feminine heart space sees ambiguity as a higher truth, paradox as a vast space of truth. This heart has the capacity, because it is so vast, to hold seemingly contradictory propositions." – Mirabai Starr

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Up next
Oct 2
Ep. 227 - Simplicity on the Soto Zen Path with Rev. Chimyo Atkinson & Vincent Moore
Exploring the Soto Zen path, Rev. Chimyo Atkinson and Vincent Moore reflect on inclusivity, feminine wisdom, and the beauty of simplicity.This episode is from the series Paths of Practice. Click here to subscribe on YouTube, Spotify, or Apple Podcasts! Today’s podcast is brought ... Show More
1h 1m
Sep 25
Ep. 226 - The Deathless with Buddhist Teacher, Gil Fronsdal
Buddhist teacher Gil Fronsdal explores the concept of the deathless and examines ways to experience life without clinging to impermanent things.Today’s podcast is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/beherenow and get on your way to being your ... Show More
1 h
Sep 18
Ep. 225 - Ram Dass Fellowship: Teachings for Turbulent Times with Amy Buetens & Julie Weinstein, Hosted by Jackie Dobrinska
Highlighting the fact that we can define our own reality, Amy Buetens & Julie Weinstein pull from the wisdom of Ram Dass to discuss navigating turbulent times.Today’s podcast is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/beherenow and get on your wa ... Show More
1h 15m
Recommended Episodes
May 2022
Ep. 122 - Essential Buddhism Part 1: Developing Our Field of Awareness
In this talk from 1974 at Naropa University, Joseph Goldstein gets into the essentials of Buddhism. He lectures about dharma, insight meditation, and developing our field of awareness.This podcast is brought to you by BetterHelp. Click to receive 10% off your first month with you ... Show More
37m 47s
Apr 2023
The Buddha’s Eight Part Recipe for Happiness | DaRa Williams
New episodes come out every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for free, with 1-week early access for Wondery+ subscribers. --- This episode kicks off our series on the Eightfold Path which will continue on Wednesdays for the next two weeks with Eugene Cash and Joseph Goldstein. DaRa ... Show More
50m 13s
Sep 2023
Ep. 235 – The Process of Awakening
In this recording from 1976, Ram Dass explores the process of awakening and becoming enlightened. Featuring a musical interlude from Krishna Das and an introduction from Raghu Markus.This episode is a continuation of the dharma talk from Here and Now Ep. 234 – The Awakening of th ... Show More
44m 58s
Jul 2023
Ep. 230 – The Truth of Your Deepest Being
Ram Dass explores how to find the balance between emptiness and compassion in the face of immense suffering and tap into the truth of your deepest being to hear your unique dharma.This episode is a continuation of the talk from Here and Now Ep. 229 – The Sword of DiscriminationTo ... Show More
55m 8s
Jan 2023
The Enlightened Mind | Part 5 of The Dalai Lama's Guide to Happiness
What is the Dalai Lama’s own meditation practice like? In this final episode, the Dalai Lama goes into great detail about the whys and wherefores of meditation, taking us way into the deep end. We cover single-pointed versus analytical meditation, gross and subtle levels of the m ... Show More
44m 49s
Apr 2021
Eiman Al Zaabi on Finding Grace
Eiman Al Zaabi is a Muslim spiritual teacher who integrates the principles of harmony, beauty and unity into her teachings. Eiman is a facilitator and transformational coach who helps individuals transform their relationships and careers, heal from past trauma, and live authentic ... Show More
43m 33s
Nov 2021
Beth Jacobs on Original Buddhist Psychology
Beth Jacobs is a clinical psychologist in private practice and a former faculty member of the Feinberg School of Medicine of Northwestern University. She is also a teacher in the Soto Zen tradition and incorporates Buddhist studies and meditation into her work as both a psycholog ... Show More
47m 39s
Nov 2021
Ep. 135 – The Forgiving Heart
Jack Kornfield explores the forgiving heart, offering us the basic ingredients for wise forgiveness, and leads a powerful guided meditation practice called the three directions of forgiveness.This dharma talk was originally live-streamed by Spirit Rock on 9/20/21This podcast is b ... Show More
53m 36s
Nov 2021
How to Get Out of Your Head | Willa Blythe Baker
It is a common desire to get out of our heads, to escape the internal noise, the chatter, the Sturm und Drang, the sound and fury, etc. You hear about it in pop songs and poetry, this urge to be blown away, to transcend. But how do you actually do it? Willa Blythe Baker can help ... Show More
49m 47s