Great points, and I’ll add a couple of provocative points to consider.

The bashing of the “egoic self” is often taken too far. Firstly, it cannot be totally vanquished. It is a normal part of our human brain. Secondly, it should not be banished. The ego, in the psychological sense, is necessary to process information, much of which is hidden in our unconscious. If we were all walking around with no egoic self whatsoever, not much would get done. That said, we can all benefit from more balancing and tempering of our egoic self.

Compassion literally means to “ suffer with”, and Ram Dass certainly did share the suffering of others. He also spent much of his life easing the suffering of others, especially the dying. His approach might be better characterized as actively empathizing, becoming a collaborator in their experience of passing. So whereas he initially shared in others’ suffering, together they moved beyond suffering into acceptance and joy. And that is what he was teaching us all, I believe.