Mindrolling with Raghu Markus

Latest Episodes:

Ep. 555 – Equanimity in the Face of Global Crises with David Silver Aug 16, 2024

Show notes

David Silver and Raghu sit down for a conversation about maintaining equanimity in the face of multiple humanitarian and ecological crises around the world.

Join comedian Duncan Trussell and Buddhist teacher David Nichtern on September 3rd for a free online talk: Imposter Syndrom & Teaching Meditation

This week, David and Raghu discuss:

The divided state of our country
Dealing with negative emotions like depression and loneliness
Adjusting our internal behavior in order to help others and ourselves
Looking to spiritual practitioners for answers and guidance
The current political landscape of our world
The necessity of having both wisdom and compassion
Remaining equanimous in the face of global crises
Being aware of spiritual materialism
Why a sitting meditation practice is integral for self-understanding
Overcoming the afflictions and distortions of the mind
Sending loving kindness to all corners of our hearts
Transforming ourselves to make the world a better place

About David Silver:

David Silver is the former co-host of the Mindrolling podcast. He is a filmmaker and director, most recently coming out with Brilliant Disguise. Brilliant Disguise tells the unique story of a group of inspired Western spiritual seekers from the 60s, who in meeting the great American teacher, Ram Dass, followed him to India to meet his Guru, Neem Karoli Baba, familiarly known as Maharaj-ji. Two days before he left his body, Maharaj-ji instructed K.C. Tewari to take care of the Westerners, which he did resolutely until the day he died in 1997. Silver’s #1 charting MGM/UA/Warners film, “The Compleat Beatles” is the critically acclaimed biopic movie about history’s most famous band. The term ‘rockumentary’ was first applied to this two-hour movie. Rolling Stone recently described the film as a “masterwork.” Silver’s Warner Brothers’ feature film, “No Nukes” also started the whole trend of music/activism feature documentaries.

“We are overwhelmed in so many different ways. This, everybody, is the first thing to do. Many people will say ‘I find it difficult. My mind wanders. I can’t really meditate.’ It’s called practice. You start with 3 minutes, you go to 5, 10, 15, 20. You do it because this overwhelm is absolutely untenable for us without some practice.” – Raghu Markus

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Ep. 554 – Heart Intelligence: A.I. and Inner Development with Nipun Mehta Aug 09, 2024

Show notes

Using modern tools to support inner transformation, ServiceSpace founder Nipun Mehta offers innovative solutions for turning artificial intelligence into collective heart intelligence.

Learn more about ServiceSpace’s unique model of organizing small acts of service at servicespace.org.

In this episode, Nipun and Raghu chat about:

Nipun’s upbringing and finding the infinity behind each moment
Living a life of service
Using artificial intelligence for inner transformation and the emergence of compassion
Fear of AI versus it’s potential positive uses
Collective heart Intelligence versus today’s artificial intelligence
Taking care of others as others take care of you
Nipun and his wife’s pilgrimage through India
Looking at what we can do to offer kindness to the world
Being sustainable through being related
The physical and emotional rewards of being generous
Shifting from transaction into relationship

About Nipun Mehta:

Nipun Mehta is the founder of ServiceSpace (formerly CharityFocus), an incubator of projects that works at the intersection of volunteerism, technology, and the gift economy. What started as an experiment with four friends in Silicon Valley has now grown to a global ecosystem of over 400,000 members that has delivered millions of dollars in service for free. Mehta has received many awards, including the Jefferson Award for Public Service, the President’s Volunteer Service Award, and Wavy Gravy’s Humanitarian award. He serves on the advisory boards of the Seva Foundation, the Dalai Lama Foundation, and the Greater Good Science Center. Check out some of Nipun’s TedTalks HERE and HERE.

“Can we bring in this vision, this intention, this possibility? Can our modern tools support our inner transformation, which then can out of a heart of service flow out into the world through a very different design pattern?” – Nipun Mehta

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Ep. 553 – Ordinary Mysticism with Mirabai Starr Aug 02, 2024

Show notes

Discussing her new book, Ordinary Mysticism, Mirabai Starr breaks free from religious institutions and shares heart-opening mystical wisdom.

Mirabai’s upcoming book, Ordinary Mysticism: Your Life as Sacred Ground, will be released in September 2024. Preorder your copy HERE!

This time on Mindrolling, Mirabai and Raghu converse about:

How beginner’s mind and humility help us cope with the world
Our capacity to feel the pain of the world as our superpower
The dark night of the soul and Saint John of the Cross
Mirabai’s loss of her daughter and the transformational power of suffering
The broken, open heart and expanding our heart to contain grief and reality
Being with ‘what is’ – as an act of devotion and love
Religious ‘polyamory’ and intimate encounters with numerous spiritual traditions
Mirabai’s baptism and dedication to peace in the Middle East
Why mystical experiences do not need to happen in the container of religion

About Mirabai Starr:

Mirabai Starr is an award-winning author of creative non-fiction and contemporary translations of sacred literature. She taught Philosophy and World Religions at the University of New Mexico-Taos for 20 years and now teaches and speaks internationally on contemplative practice and inter-spiritual dialogue. A certified bereavement counselor, Mirabai helps mourners harness the transformational power of loss. Check out her many books and learn more at MirabaiStarr.com.

“Often, organized institutionalized religious spaces and belief systems (this is my belief) can be an obstacle, an impediment to an actual mystical experience, if by mystical experience we mean an experience of intimacy with the sacred as love.” – Mirabai Starr

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Ep. 552 – How to Train a Happy Mind with Scott Snibbe Jul 26, 2024

Show notes

Author and artist Scott Snibbe visits Mindrolling to teach listeners how to train the mind for long-lasting happiness.

Get your copy of Scott’s book, How to Train a Happy Mind: A Skeptic’s Path to Enlightenment, HERE.

This week on Mindrolling, Scott and Raghu discuss:

How being in tune with reality leads to happiness
Scott’s childhood and sensing the feeling of infinity
Selfishness/self-centeredness as an antagonist to joy
Happiness through cherishing others
Analytical meditation and filling your mind
Remembering how precious every day is
Stabilizing the mind through meditation to be less reactive
Connecting with ourselves first thing in the morning
How cell phones externally define our world and lead to unhappiness
Looking at who we are beneath our thoughts, feelings, and personality
Small shifts in our daily lives such as smiling
Embodying human rights in our thoughts and behavior

About Scott Snibbe:

Scott Snibbe is an interactive media artist, author, entrepreneur, and meditation instructor who hosts the Skeptic’s Path to Enlightenment meditation podcast. His first book, How to Train a Happy Mind, was released in 2024. Keep up with Scott on his website.

“The Buddhist view on happiness is really the reality view on happiness. The better word might be satisfaction, contentment, or well-being. It is not the temporary things like having an ice-cream cone, or a nice walk, or someone kiss-you, which are all lovely. That’s a pleasure. It doesn’t last. Happiness really can be long-lasting.” – Scott Snibbe

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Ep. 551 – Faith, Spirituality & Community with Jamie Kilstein Jul 19, 2024

Show notes

Jamie Kilstein returns to the Mindrolling Podcast!

In this episode, Jamie speaks with Raghu about finding an appreciation for all faiths and shares how exploring different religions led him to Jesus.

Jamie and Raghu talk about:

Oppression within organized religion
Jamie’s experience with psychedelics and Ram Dass
Zen as the atheism of religion
Maharaj-ji and incorporating multiple religions
How music connects us to religion
Being led to Jesus Christ
The importance of Sangha and connecting to the community
Seeing the beauty in all faiths rather than being restrictive
How Jesus set us free for freedom

Recommendation from this episode: Jazz Musician Bill Evans

About Jamie Kilstein:

Jamie Alexander Kilstein is an American writer, radio host, and stand-up comic. He hosts the podcast, Trauma Bonding, with his wife Alex. Keep up with Jamie on his Instagram or on his website.

“I think you find the right spiritual group or people who can connect with you and can laugh so hard that you can feel God, people who can hold you accountable, that is really important with spirituality.” – Jamie Kilstein

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Ep. 550 – Divine Messengers with Paul Selig Jul 12, 2024

Show notes

Author and Medium Paul Selig shares transformational wisdom from divine messengers and chats with Raghu about what our world could be like.

Paul’s third book in The Manifestation Trilogy, A World Made New, will be out in September 2024. Preorder HERE!

This week on Mindrolling, Paul and Raghu converse about:

Paul’s journey of becoming and the split between the perceived self and the real self
Working with energy and understanding phenomena
Divine guides and how they present to Paul
Paul’s connection to Ram Dass and his vision of the Ram Dass house in Hawaii
Mediumship and sensing Ram Dass and Maharaj-ji in the spirit realm
Identity and the structure of reality
Knowing the divine self and aligning with it as a demonstration of our true nature
Channeling messages from the divine

About Paul Selig:

Paul Selig is an author and medium who is considered to be one of the foremost spiritual channels working today. In his breakthrough works of channeled literature, Selig has recorded an extraordinary program for personal and planetary evolution as humankind awakens to its own divine nature. Paul offers channeled workshops internationally and serves on the faculty of The Omega Institute, The Kripalu Center and the Esalen Institute. Also a noted educator, he served on the faculty of NYU for over 25 years and directed the MFA in Creative Writing Program at Goddard College. He lives in Maui where he maintains a private practice as an intuitive and conducts frequent live-stream seminars. Check out Paul’s numerous books HERE and preorder your copy of the upcoming A World Made New, Paul’s third book in The Manifestation Trilogy.

“Who you put in darkness calls you to that darkness. It’s all co-residence. So, if you can see the divine in someone or something you’re actually lifting it. They say what you bless blesses you in return.” – Paul Selig

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Ep. 549 – Original Love with Henry Shukman Jul 05, 2024

Show notes

Writer and meditation teacher, Henry Shukman, joins Raghu to discuss his forthcoming book, Original Love, and how love is the true foundation of our life.

In this episode of Mindrolling, Henry and Raghu journey through:

Henry’s background, travels, and witnessing joy among those without materialistic riches
Recognizing how we are a part of everything in the universe
How meditation helped Henry stop limping through life
Transcendental meditation and being religious about our practice
Acknowledging our suppressed emotions and working through them with the help of therapy
Henry’s time as a trombonist in London calypso bands
Taking on an altruistic perspective to improve your life
How meditation does so much more than mitigate stress
The early Buddhist view of mindfulness
Interrupting our constant mental commentary by focusing on bodily sensations
The experiential reality of unity, emptiness, and boundlessness
Breaking open our hearts through any religion or experience
Tapping into unconditional love for ourselves and others

About Henry Shukman:

Henry Shukman is an English meditation teacher, Zen master, poet and author. Shukman teaches mindfulness and awakening practices. To learn more about his offerings, check out his website HERE. Shukman’s new book, Original Love, is coming out on July 9th and can be ordered HERE.

Check out The Way app for guided meditations from Henry Shukman

“Each of us is that very jewel that’s a boundless, loving oneness. We don’t need to be some sort of special person to find it.” – Henry Shukman

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Ep. 548 – Revering Mountains with Wasfia Nazreen Jun 28, 2024

Show notes

Activist and mountaineer, Wasfia Nazreen, has an expansive talk with Raghu about her trek up the K2 peak and finding inner strength.

This time on Mindrolling, Wasfia and Raghu explore:

Connecting to Mother Earth
How abandonment taught Wasfia that education was her pathway to freedom
How moving to Georgia gave Wasfia a deep connection to the culture of the American South
The Tonglen meditation technique and taking away the pain of others
How Wasfia was magnetized to Tibetan Buddhism
Wasfia’s journeys as a mountain climber and the healing power of climbing
Revering mountains as the home of Gods and Goddesses
Dead Zones and trekking up dangerous summits
Wasfia’s connection to the Dalai Lama and Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche

About Wasfia Nazreen:

Wasfia Nazreen is best known for being the only Bangladeshi and first Bengali in the world to climb the Seven Summits, the highest mountains of every continent. She is also the only woman to hold the simultaneous titles of National Geographic Explorer & Adventurer. An outspoken activist since her late teens, her passion has always been driven by causes close to her heart. A human-rights activist, an environmentalist, a writer, educator, pilot, and producer – Wasfia wears many hats, all of which are grounded in strong foundations of meditation and self-realization practices. Learn more about her and follow her many adventures on her website, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter

“Ultimately, we are our own teachers, we are our own gurus, and we’re all here on our own individual karmic path, and what are we doing with it?” – Wasfia Nazreen

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Ep. 547 – Lessons from Hermann Hesse with David Silver Jun 21, 2024

Show notes

OG Mindroller David Silver reunites with Raghu to discuss the themes of consciousness and spirituality that lie at the heart of Hermann Hesse's literary work.

This week on Mindrolling, David Silver connects with Raghu over:

Inspiration from Hermann Hesse
The book Siddhartha and embarking on a spiritual search
Descents into decadence and an attachment to the material world
Embracing everything that is in front of us
Comparing lessons from Ram Dass and Hermann Hesse
The inevitability of suffering
How World War II likely influenced Hesse’s understanding of suffering and isolation
Living on more than one plane of consciousness
The book Steppenwolf and Carl Jung’s conceptualization of the shadow
Fear and owning up to ourselves
Raghu’s experience at the Garchen Buddhist Institute
The problem with media and accessing constant information
Assuming an altruistic perspective

Learn more about Herman Hesse HERE and check out The Marginalian HERE

About David Silver:

David Silver is the former co-host of the Mindrolling podcast. He is a filmmaker and director, most recently coming out with Brilliant Disguise. Brilliant Disguise tells the unique story of a group of inspired Western spiritual seekers from the 60s, who in meeting the great American teacher, Ram Dass, followed him to India to meet his Guru, Neem Karoli Baba, familiarly known as Maharaji. Two days before he left his body, Maharaji instructed K.C. Tewari to take care of the Westerners, which he did resolutely until the day he died in 1997. K.C. Tewari—in the guise of a headmaster of a boys school in the foothills of the Himalayas—was secretly a High Yogi, frequently able to go into altered states of trance, known as Samadhi, at any moment.

“Hesse’s novels created for me a world that I aspired to but didn’t understand in any way at that time, in the sixties. It just fitted in with the flashes of wisdom that would come with an acid trip.” – David Silver

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Ep. 546 – Lotus Girl with Helen Tworkov Jun 14, 2024

Show notes

Discussing her memoir, Lotus Girl, Helen Tworkov and Raghu talk about spiritual quests and experiencing a deeper reality.

Get your copy of Lotus Girl HERE

In this episode, Helen and Raghu talk about:

Growing up with tyrannical parents
How the iconic photo of Thich Quang Duc changed Helen’s life
Being orientated to Asia through Psychedelics, out-of-body meditation experiences, and equanimity
Raghu’s altered state through the music of John Coltrane
How trying to understand her family lead Helen on a quest for reality
Helen’s friendship with Charles Mingus
Stories of the Dalai Lama
Holding suffering without letting it define you
Our capacity to feel many emotions at the same time
Being accepting of whatever is in front of you in the moment

“At the time, I had no understanding that that kind of break with reality could be an entry into a deeper reality that was very true.” – Helen Tworkov

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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