Ram Dass explains that we must first acknowledge our humanity, if we hope to be an instrument of presence and peace. When we embrace our humanness, we create the space necessary for compassion to arise. We learn to balance the suffering we encounter with the innate empathy of the human heart. We awaken through our life experiences, which become the curriculum for our incarnation. Our humanity itself is the vehicle through which our spirit can manifest. The help we offer is who we are, our very being.