Mindrolling With Raghu Markus

Nina Rao and Chandra Easton join Raghu to talk about embodying the goddess Tara through chanting.Interested in seeing Nina and Chandra? Here are two upcoming events on the East Coast: Tibet House, NYC, May 11 and Kripalu, MA, May 12-17Raghu, Nina, and Chandra spend this episode discussing:Chandra’s Buddhist upbringingThe deity Tara and the sacred feminineNina and Chandra’s collaboration with chanting and mantrasAn acapella chant offered from NinaTara for harmonyTantra and spirituality for the peopleThe 21 praises to TaraDurga, Saraswati, and other feminine deities we can invoke through mantrasThe eighth Tara as a fierce and invincible embodimentThe mara of doubtAbout Nina Rao:Nina Rao is a devotional singer. She tours with Krishna Das, playing cymbals, singing, and acting as his business manager. Nina has two of her own albums, “Antarayaami – Knower of All Hearts” and “Anubhav”. Nina regularly leads kirtan, workshops, and retreats in her hometown of Brooklyn, New York and be

Exploring the Jewish psychedelic underground, Madison Margolin joins Raghu to talk about Ram Dass, psychedelics and her new book, Exile and Ecstasy.Get your copy of Exile and Ecstasy HEREIn this episode, Raghu and Madison have an expansive discussion about:Madison’s upbringing in the Ram Dass communityInfluences of psychedelic culture and eastern mysticismMadison’s intrinsic connection to her Jewish roots‘Hinjewism’ and honoring multiple traditions at onceThe ways that Madison struggled with the overuse of ‘be here now’Ram Dass’ Jewish legacyHow journalism school enabled Madison to connect orthodox Judaism and psychedelicsJudaism as a container for psychedelic experiencesDiscovering altered states without psychedelicsThe history of the Baal Shem TovTreatment of women in Judaism and the divine feminineHow Rainbow Gathering changed Madison’s lifeAnchoring ourselves through practiceAbout Madison Margolin:“I’m a journalist straddling California, New York, and Israel-Palestine, focused on psychedeli

Raghu Markus and Duncan Trussell share the story behind their new book, The Movie of Me to the Movie of We. Snag your copy of The Movie of Me to The Movie of WeThis week on Mindrolling, listen to Raghu and Duncan chat about:Spiritual emaciation in a world of excessThe meaning of ‘the movie of me’Pyromania within humanitarianismReflecting on caricatures of the self for brutal self-honestyMeditation and experiencing our true selvesOur inheritance of being humanSpiritual community and moving from student to teacherThe perspective of non-judgement throughout The Movie of Me to the Movie of WeParadoxes of spiritual materialism About Duncan Trussell:Duncan Trussell is a stand-up comedian, podcaster, and actor. His popular podcast, The Duncan Trussell Family Hour, has been downloaded over 25 million times and is known for its blend of humor, fringe ideas, eclectic guests, and great interviews. The DTFH is the foundation for Duncan’s Netflix animated series, The Midnight Gospel, which he co-create

In a discussion on Buddhism and wellness, author George Pitagorsky joins Raghu to explore his new book, The Peaceful Warrior’s Path.Get your copy of George’s book HEREIn this episode, Raghu and George explore:George’s history with yoga and meditationThe clear canon of Buddhism and Non-dualismCompassion beyond the egoThe continuous dance between the relative and the absoluteCultivating patienceCreating new patterns to replace our habitsHope in neuroplasticity and changing behaviorsWhat is behind witnessingRemaining open to all skillful meansThe current suffering in the worldOpportunities to practice self-awarenessLinks & Recommendations From this Episode:Check out this Hanuman statue from the NKB Ashram mentioned by RaghuJoseph Goldstein’s book on MindfullnessAbout George Pitagorsky:George Pitagorsky, PMP, is a master of process who understands the way process, technology and people come together to accomplish objectives. He has advised organizations on the implementation and impro

Focusing on the climate crisis, Author Susan Murphy joins Raghu to talk about her new book, A Fire Runs Through All Things.Susan Murphy and Raghu discuss:Susan’s background and growing up in touch with the earthApplying the fierce love and protection of parenthood to the earthSusan’s journey through meditation to zen practiceThe realities of the climate crisis and forest firesOur tendency to ignore and reject discomfortLessons from indigenous eldersA mindfulness practice to connect with the earthSocial action through heartful connectionHow humility and not knowing leaves room for creative solutions“The experience of it, basically it was like a graveyard spread out over enormous swaths of land and burnt hills. All to say is, this is part of our plight, I think, in terms of waking up.” – Raghu MarkusAbout Susan Murphy:Susan Murphy is an Australian Zen teacher whose passionate feeling of kinship with the natural world began dueing her early childhood years living near the Great Barrier Reef and the Gon

Wrapping up 2023, Thanissara and Raghu discuss how we can use mindfulness to relate to and make sense of the times we are living in.Thanissara and Raghu examine these topics:The depth of the illusions we have built our civilization onThe shifts that need to happen to enable us to live sustainablyPolitical positioning and moral stancesBecoming desensitized to the chaos and pain of the worldTaking social action to create a better future for the next generationHow mindfulness can be a huge part of the path forwardBeing receptive to how it is and taking small steps in our practiceFears that can be awakening versus the habit of fearCollectively working on a shift in consciousnessThe sangha as the coming BuddhaLinks & Recommendations From this Episode:Dive deeper into Kabir’s book that Raghu recites from for more mystical poetryCheck out The Movie of Me to the Movie of We, the audio-book collaboration between Duncan Trussell and Raghu MarkusAbout Thanissara:Thanissara is a teacher, poet, climate

Author and spiritual teacher, Hameed Ali, joins Raghu to discuss seeking truth and the boundlessness of our inner consciousness. Raghu and Hameed discuss:How an accident and out of body experience inspired Hameed’s Diamond ApproachHameed’s move from science to spiritualityBasic trust being the fundamental platform for people to go inside of themselvesWorking with others on trustThe boundless dimensions of our inner consciousnessSoul as the one who experiencesThe meaning of non-dual divine loveRaghu’s non-dual experience with Neem Karoli BabaA Jabba the Hutt metaphor to describe greed and disconnectionGeneral versus specific grace and tapping into the miracle of our existenceFocusing on our good nature to improve the state of the world“I wanted the truth, but I wasn’t going to get it through studying matter. I was going to get it by going inward.” – Hameed AliAbout Hameed Ali:Hameed Ali is a writer who operates under the pen name A.H. Almaas. Hameed is the founder of the Diamond Approach to Self

Coming together at the 2023 Love and Renewal Retreat, Raghu Markus, Jack Kornfield, Duncan Trussell, and Krishna Das discuss alleviating suffering and finding grace.In this recording from the 2023 Love & Renewal retreat, Raghu, Jack and Duncan, and Krishna Das come together to discuss:Samsara and returning home to familyWorking with cynicismHow depression blocks us into one side of a storyHumor as a coping mechanismPersonal and collective responsibilityThe Bodhisattva vowExploring our own identity and sufferingEmotional PyromaniaLiberating ourselves from the movie of meRam Dass’ lesson on serving others while fixing our own heartAbout Jack Kornfield:Jack Kornfield trained as a Buddhist monk in the monasteries of Thailand, India, and Burma, studying as. a monk under the Buddhist master Ven. Ajahn Chah, as well as the Ven. Mahasi Sayadaw. He has taught meditation internationally since 1974 and is one of the key teachers to introduce Buddhist mindfulness practice to the West. Jack co-founded the In

Raghu and his son Noah talk with Joseph Goldstein about the necessity of embracing suffering in order to activate compassion.Raghu, Joseph, and Noah explore these topics:Empathy and compassion for global sufferingFixing your own heart in order to offer compassion to othersLessons from Tsoknyi Rinpoche on “California Compassion”Checking in with our motivations and intentionsThe tendency to avoid sufferingHow a willingness to look at suffering is a precursor to compassionRenunciation and the willingness to let go of our own comfortReminding ourselves that it is okay to feel the unpleasantUsing suffering to learn something meaningfulThe suffering that comes along with agingMeditating on the our finitenessA guided Mudita practice with Joseph“Compassion arises when we’re willing to come close to suffering. That’s the cause for compassion, and if we don’t have that willingness, it’s not going to arise because the compassion is in response to the suffering in the world, in other people, even in ourselves.” – Joseph

Reflecting on memories with Ram Dass, musician David Block joins Raghu to talk about interconnectivity, generosity, and The Great Way.David's single “The Great Way” featuring Ram Dass is AVAILABLE NOW: Click To ListenIn this episode of the Mindrolling Podcast, Raghu Markus and David Block discuss:Music and mantrasThe transactional nature of the world and noticing our interconnectionDavid’s relationship with Ram DassServing others instead of self-obsessionDavid’s process of creating a track for the Love Serve Remember VinylComplete attention as the greatest gift you can offer anotherThe beauty of being in the moment instead of analyzing the momentWelcoming our struggles and accepting our inner demonsHow being silent will lead us to presence and changes in perspectiveReminding ourselves of the mantra “I am loving awareness”“There was no Richard Alpert and no Ram Dass; we were just in this wonderful pool of molecular interconnection. And all I felt was, ‘How can you help me’. It was all about me. Nobody had paid

Duncan Trussell returns to Mindrolling to talk about transporting oneself out of the movie of me and into the movie of we.This week on Mindrolling, Raghu Markus and Duncan Trussell get into:Writing, producing, directing, and acting in the movie of our own livesBeing born againSitting around the fire as a metaphor for deep connectionHonesty and being ‘a fake’Transactional relationships and holding emotional debt against peopleThe fraudulent activities of the EgoGratitude giving birth to patienceFocusing on others and being in the spirit of the BuddhaRam Dass’ lesson on moving from the head to the heartThe deep seeded fear of interconnectionBoundaries within generosityTransforming our identity from me to weLiberating ourselves through brutal self-honestySnag your copy of Raghu and Duncan’s new book The Movie of Me to The Movie of We“We have an ability to be honest with ourselves, tremendously honest with ourselves. So, all of the fakery, all of the stuff that has any vestiges of manipulation or rampant des

Mindfulness teacher Oren Jay Sofer sits with Raghu to discuss keeping our hearts open through difficult times.In this episode, Raghu Markus and Oren Jay Sofer talk about:Oren’s path to mindfulnessThe influence of Vipassana MeditationHow mindfulness can be a resource to navigate the horrors of global conflictExpanding the capacity of our heartsThe potential that human beings have to move beyond ourselvesThe challenges we are currently faces as a speciesCompassion and the route to a better worldFamily and the importance of relationshipsHow the company we keep affects our spiritual practiceThe way that individual change can impact societyEcology and the abuse of earthYugas, cosmology, and building a future through our daily choicesSangha and witnessing another human being’s healingStories from experiences with MunindrajiThe importance of joy and gratitudeHow self-centeredness is being encouraged and exploited by technologyCourage and the willingness to be vulnerableA brief guided meditation around ease“Our heart

Pairing science and mysticism, Astrobiologist Dr. Bruce Damer visits Mindrolling for a sweeping discussion on the interconnected nature of the world.This week on Mindrolling, Raghu Markus and Dr. Bruce Damer dig into:Interconnected fields within natureGroup connection and relationshipPatterned memory in spaceAncestral memories, spirit, and the research of phenomenaBecoming the experience and playing with thought experimentsAlbert Einstein and scientific mysticismCollective intelligence and receiving downloadsThe operating system of the living worldRam Dass, Neem Karoli Baba, and mystical storiesMoving beyond the logical mind and tapping into possibilitiesGroup field as the antidote to separation, fear, and anxietyThe efficacy of psychedelic medicineThe revealing that comes after individual healingDr. Bruce Damer’s experience on AyahuascaDeath writing the code of lifeEmbodiment and the ‘gooeyness’ of being human About Dr. Bruce Damer:Dr. Bruce Damer is Chief Scientist at BIOTA Institute, UC Santa Cruz. He

Philanthropist Jeff Walker meets with Raghu Markus to discuss the emerging knowledge of psychedelics and energy work in the healthcare field.In this episode, Jeff and Raghu traverse these topics:Jeff’s journey from the financial world into mindfulness practiceApplying mindfulness and spirituality to the business worldThe efficacy of meditation as a healing practicePsychedelic therapies from the 70’s to the modern ageMusic and flow statesCommunity and the ‘we’ instead of the ‘me’Subtle energy and biofield healing practicesRemote healing and cancer researchChakras, Ayurveda, Sound healing and energy workBeing addicted to the experience of psychedelicsDeveloping trust into connectivity and intuitionFinding your Sangha and having trusting relationshipsSharing in happiness and sympathetic joyPsychedelic Health EquityTrauma from migration and meeting basic needsPolitical concerns, decriminalization, and the need for good therapistsLinks & Recommendations from this episode:Check out The System Catalysts&nbs

David Silver returns to the Mindrolling Podcast for a conversation on the four Yugas.This week on Mindrolling, David and Raghu look into:The four Hindu Yugas (Satya, Treta, Dwapara, Kali)How consciousness changes with the Yugas and vice versaOur current place in the Kali YugaThe White Buffalo Vision and similarities between religionsThe way our actions can manifest in the YugasThe four worlds spoken of by the HopiThe world events within this age of darknessGrief for the Israeli-Hamas conflictElon Musk, space travel, and how those with advanced abilities still need spiritualityStories of Yogananda, KC Tewari, and Neem Karoli BabaWhy exploring the Yugas can expand our consciousnessCoupling reincarnation with the YugasKirtan, Mantra, and navigating Kali Yuga with spiritual practiceHow remembering the Yugas can remind us of our connection to a bigger pictureDavid Silver returns to the Mindrolling Podcast for a conversation on the four Yugas.“If you couple the Yugas with the dynamic of reincarnation, you can see r

Mindfully infused with various Buddhist skills, this episode features a dialogue between Jetsunma Tenzin Palmo and Raghu Markus on the many opportunities for practice in our daily lives.This time on Mindrolling, Raghu Markus and Tenzin Palmo explore:Tenzin Palmo’s earliest experiences of connecting to The BuddhaThe imminence of deathTenzin’s Book, Reflections on a Mountain LakeWhat perfection is and how we can realize itTenzin’s journey to the guru in IndiaWomen on the path of BuddhismThe process of starting a nunneryNon-self, the ego, and Becoming nobodyRecommendations from the BuddhaTaming the mindStarting with ourselves when we cultivate compassionThe six paramitas (perfections) of the Bodhisattva pathOpportunities for practice in our daily livesDeath, letting people go, and expressing loveSpirituality as a path of joyA brief mindfulness meditation“During our daily life, we have so much opportunity to practice. To practice being generous, to practice being patient in the face of other people's pr

In an expansive discussion around Steve Kanji Ruhl’s book, Appalachian Zen, Steve and Raghu explore finding equilibrium through zen practice.“In Buddhism, the true home is that place within each of us, it’s an inner heartland. We can call it original Buddha Nature; it is accessible to all of us anytime and any place. It’s really a matter of finding this inner equilibrium and being in this moment, in this place, and being fully alive.” – Steve Kanji RuhlIn this episode, Raghu Markus and Steve Kanji Ruhl discuss:Cultural Transformation in AppalachiaSteve Kanji’s experience of violence and PTSDZen practice and finding our inner equilibriumEnduring a soul injury and the journey of healingThe teachers that shape us for better or worseMeeting Ram Dass and receiving sanctuaryThe concept of home and the path as the guruHolding self and other simultaneouslyZazen meditation practiceLiving deliberately and obstructions of the willBalancing intention with surrenderBreaking down the conditioning that prevents us

Bringing indigenous wisdom into modernity, Italian writer Danielle Bolelli joins Raghu to talk about quality and restoring balance with the natural world.“We need that wisdom, indigenous wisdom. We need to bring back something that we have lost from our move into the industrialized last couple of centuries.” – Raghu MarkusThis time on Mindrolling, Raghu Markus and Daniele Bolelli converse about:Wisdom from Native American eldersThe balance with natureMoney and power strugglesCapitalism, Marketing, and what makes something successfulThe constant urge for more versus usefulness of resourcesWhat gives something qualityThe history of Crazy Horse, an extremely spiritual Lakota warriorAnswering to hopelessnessContentment and small disciplineThe promise of potential and handling sufferingLinks & Recommendations From this Episode:Raghu and Danielle discuss quality through the lens of Zen and The Art of Motorcycle MaintenanceDanielle suggests checking out the show Reservation Dogs to get a glim

Diving into treasured memories, Lama Tsultrim Allione, Krishna Das, and Raghu Markus explore the ways that the guru can move through a family.Ram Dass' Love Serve Remember Foundation and the Alan Watts Organization invite you to open your mind, open your heart, and tap into the living truth of Alan Watts and Ram Dass. Learn more about this special 4-week Virtual Course:"The Presence of the Way: The Dharma of Alan Watts and Ram Dass"In this episode from The 2023 Summer Mountain Retreat, Raghu Markus, Krishna Das, and Lama Tsultrim Allione explore:Being taken care of by the guruThe myth and magic of Maharaj-jiHealing traumatic relationshipsStories of Raghu & Krishna Das’ parents in IndiaThe transformations that came from meeting Maharaj-jiHow the guru moves through the familyLama Tsultrim Allione’s story of becoming a monkHow our entire family can be changed by our individual devotionTales of Dzogchen Master, Adzom Paylo RinpocheThe fierce grace of the guruBreaking the wheel of abuse “The guru is a phy

Zach Leary, the host of the MAPS podcast, shares a conversation with Raghu about Ram Dass’ significant impact on the scientific exploration of psychedelics.This episode was originally recorded on the MAPS podcast.Two cultural icons. Two unique perspectives... One understanding of the presence of the way.Ram Dass' Love Serve Remember Foundation and the Alan Watts Organization invite you to open your mind, open your heart, and tap into the living truth of Alan Watts and Ram Dass. Learn more about this special 4-week Virtual Course:"The Presence of the Way: The Dharma of Alan Watts and Ram Dass" In this special MAPS feature on Mindrolling, Raghu Markus and Zach Leary discuss:Ram Dass’ ability to describe the ephemeralThe burgeoning scientific research on psychedelicsThe story of Neem Karoli Baba and LSDFinding a way to extend the psychedelic state into everyday lifeSelfish Altruism and the personal benefit of serviceMethods to experience GodHow we can remember the divinity within all of usHea