A Conversation on "Becoming Nobody"
Ram Dass’s Becoming Nobody is available for rental through Vimeo On-Demand.
On Thursday, May 7 at 7:00 the JBFC will host a free conversation with Programming Director Brian Ackerman and Meditation Teacher Tracy Cochran. All are welcome. Save your space and register now for the free Zoom Q&A!
A note from Brian Ackerman: We played this Ram Dass film to wonderful reception in what feels now like several eons ago of geologic time, sometime before the asteroid hit, but was actually just February. It was the most popular film in our annual Meditative Life series. As many of us now fear that we’re on an accelerated path to Becoming Nobody in the most literal sense—dying—it feels like the perfect moment to re-explore this documentary about the deep and wonderful thinking of Ram Dass. He himself passed away just three months ago, not at the hands of Covid 19, but simply because (and this is the part we spend a lifetime forgetting) we all will someday. As we sit locked-down in house—and often mind, body, and spirit—suddenly confronting the notion that we’re all just passing through, an incredibly simple question emerges: what does it mean to embrace that truth, and does it present an opportunity to enhance the very way we live? Can there be positive purpose in this terrible and unwanted moment? Ram Dass says yes. He approached his own death with a sense of profound and radiant peace that was infectious to many around him. Here, in the film, he’s nothing if not always engaging, and is both wise and funny in the telling. I find the documentary the very opposite of dark and morbid—but rather bright and uplifting. We look forward to having a discussion with the beloved meditation teacher Tracy Cochran, who has hosted many programs at the JBFC, and who some know from the Rubin Museum or the gorgeous journal she edits, Parabola. All are welcome.
Space is limited, so register now for this free Q&A! And be sure to screen Becoming Nobody before the conversation happens—rent it here through Vimeo On-Demand.
