In the spring of 1966 I met Richard Alpert for the first time. He had dropped by to visit Marge at the house we were renting in Venice, California. I was only twelve years old but he and I discovered a common passion for a particular science fiction book titled Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert Heinlein, published in 1961. In discussing the events and the characters in that book, Richard and I decided to become ‘water brothers.’  In doing so we became family to each other, just like characters in that book had done. We shared sips from the same glass of water in a formal manner as described in that book. The characters that were water brothers were committed to sharing absolutely everything with each other. For us that designation never involved anything other than an acknowledgement that we were very special to each other. He frequently refers to us being water brothers in his letters to us. He generalized formally becoming my water brother to mean that my family was now water brothers with him as well. 

On the inside cover of this book shown here, titled ‘LSD,’ that he co-authored, which was published later that year, he made a note that he had not yet been able to keep a promise to us, his water brothers.  In the letters from Ram Dass that I am sharing on this site you will read several other expressions he uses that are from that book. ‘Grok’ is a term now widely used that came from that book. It means to understand something at a deep, deep level. Other expressions are ‘May you never thirst,’ ‘Thou art God’ and ‘waiting is.’ If you read the letter Marge sent him after receiving this ‘LSD‘ book you will find more information about these terms used by Ram Dass. The letter exchange I had with the author of this very influential science fiction book about making water brothers with Ram Dass in real life is a link at the bottom of this page.