Mindrolling with Raghu Markus

Our podcast guru, Duncan Trussell, introduces Raghu to writer and producer Dan Harmon. Dan is known for his cutting humor and honest introspection. Our trio sits down in Dan’s studio for a conversation about work, introspection, and finding happiness.Coming from a background of not making enough money and working undesirable jobs, Dan tries to find balance with his life and workload now that everyone wants to hire him for something.  Dan shares his recent struggle of being aware of, and respecting, the feelings and experience of his employees. The group discusses mindfulness and being aware of the destructive patterns that play out in our lives. Tune in for all this and more on this week’s unique episode of the Mindrolling Podcast with Dan Harmon!Show Notes07:30 – Dan talks a bit about his relationship with work and his “workaholism”. It can be hard to turn away any creative work away when you remember what it’s like not having any. 12:30 – The group discusses the idea of mindfulness and finding satisfaction in even the most menial of tasks. There is fulfillment in being present and at one with our work. Dan reminisces about an impactful conversation with a very honest telemarketer about her place in life.17:05 – Dan romanticizes a future where every person has moral dealbreakers on how they spend their time. In an economy where most are forced into sacrificing more of themselves than they may wish, what would the world look like under different circumstances?19:40 – Duncan accidentally uncovers the anarchist roots of Twitter.21:05 – Raghu talks to Dan more about “workaholism”. Dan is currently working on how his “workaholism” is affecting the people who work for him. He is especially sensitive to his actions because of how much abuse workers in the entertainment industry receive already.26:30 – Duncan expresses what it is like being caught in the machine that is corporate entertainment. How does one acknowledge and respect every individual involved in such a high-intensity position?30:05 – Raghu points out that the first step in approaching the issue of fully recognizing others in the moment is having the intention to make that person a priority.  Dan opens up about his difficulty being mindful of this dilemma.35:40 – We go around everyday projecting what others are thinking and allowing them to influence how we interact with the world. This is why the mindfulness movement is gaining so much popularity. Allowing us to understand what is really going on in our mind and what motivates us. Duncan and Dan share where they are at in their lives on the subject of mindfulness.38:50 – There are these recursive videotapes of habit that we run throughout our lives. Duncan exposes about how uneasy he feels thinking about this concept of the replaying tapes, and the work it takes to break the loop they catch us in.45:30 – Dan has difficulty in putting his finger on what exactly he wants, is that a sign that he may already have it? Duncan relates Dan’s dilemma to Buddhist and Bhakti teachings.50:15 – Forget trying to reach Nirvana while we are still asking, “why am I not happy?” We need to focus on simple steps, looking inside is the first step on that path to happiness. Raghu explains Jack Kornfield’s question of “How do we make friends with suffering?”55:35 – Dan Harmon is known for talking about truth no matter how uncomfortable it may be. He shares his view of truth as a life-saving mechanism. It is difficult for Dan to see the duplicity in so much of our modern world, which fuels his pursuit of honesty and truth.1:00:20 – When we remain blind to our self-centeredness we create deeper layers of complexity to our suffering. Duncan relates Dan’s position to Copernicus’s theory of Heliocentrism. Dan expresses his difficulty in separating himself from the “I”.  Raghu reminds us that we all are going through the same trip and explains how his practice has changed the way he navigates life.Dan Harmon is a writer, show runner, and producer. Harmon is best known for creating and producing NBC comedy series Community, co-creating Adult Swim animated television series Rick and Morty, and co-founding the alternative television network/website Channel 101. Keep an eye out for Dan’s hilarious new animated show HarmonQuest and Youtube series Great Minds with Dan Harmon!Also, check out Dan and Duncan’s chat about “workaholism”, being in the moment, and more on the 200 episode anniversary of the “Duncan Trussell Family Hour“ See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

South African shaman John Lockley returns! In this episode, John brings us stories from the bush and tales of the inner landscape. “Radical mindfulness is radical listening. Without judgment, without ego, just listen.” – John Lockley Raghu and John talk about the self, the spirit world, and the interconnectedness of mystical traditions. What is in a name? How does a shaman practice mindfulness? Find out on this episode of the Mindrolling Podcast. “We must dream the impossible. Seek the beauty of sharing wisdom through the cracks of our longing. Usher into reality the possibility of a world village glued together by a concert of wisdom.” – Malidoma Somé   John Lockley is a fully initiated sangoma (healer and shaman) in the Xhosa lineage of South Africa, having spent 10 years in an apprenticeship with the tribe that gave us Nelson Mandela and Desmond Tutu. His remarkable journey through the constraints of Apartheid is a testament to the human spirit, and to the power of forgiveness and reconciliation. For more information on John his schedule, check out his event calendar.  See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Raghu talks with Be Here Now Network staffers, JR Morton and Corey Leonard, about being mindful in the era of smartphones. They discuss the pros and cons of a device that gives us access to so much but is changing how we interact and how our brains function. Smartphones are pulling us away from ourselves at an alarming rate. What can we do to mitigate their downsides and use them for the tools they are meant to be? See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

While in L.A., Raghu drops by for a chat with a newly made friend, comedian Natasha Leggero. They talk about what led Natasha on a path of self-inquiry. How Ram Dass has played an important role in her life and career. Natasha talks about how inspirational relationships and self-work have brought her a life she couldn’t have imagined as a struggling comedian. Raghu touches on the topics of shakti, mantra, and “drugs”.  See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Raghu gets the opportunity to chat with new found friend Vincent Horn, host of the Buddhist Geeks podcast. They discuss the interplay of technology and spiritual experience. In what ways do the internet, smartphones, and emerging technologies affect our spiritual practice and how can we utilize them to their greatest potential?   Vincent founded his podcast "Buddhist Geeks" and website "Meditate.IO" with the philosophy of taking a fresh approach to old practices. He and Raghu talk about this philosophy and what role they think technology and the internet have in the practice of spirituality. What are the potentials of our newfound interconnectivity via the internet and smartphones? How can they be used to foster a network of awakened individuals as opposed to separating and polarizing us? Listen as Vincent tells his vision of our "technodelic" future. Using technology as a teaching tool to bring us into altered states of consciousness and awareness. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Mindfulness and approaching it from as many practical approaches as possible. In this latest episode, Raghu and Ramesh look at: What does mindfulness really mean? What kind of perspective you can have about it that can change your life, the different practices of it that people can do on a day to day basis without joining anything, you can sit there and work with your breath, so you can bring awareness and the witness into your life so you can see your motivations and have a curiosity on who you really are. Bringing mindfulness into your life so you can just relax into a moment where you’re not judging yourself and can just be. In a world that asks us to be constantly multi-tasking, how do we curb the monkey mind? Ramesh and Raghu explore a variety of practices and perspectives that help to cultivate a less discursive mind. Such as the breath, which brings all your life systems to one place and is critical to focusing. Or Vipassana, also known as Insight Meditation, is a meditation that helps develop concentration and facilitates having clear focus, or one-pointedness. Whatever the practice, it’s about settling the mind and body down, so that one’s consciousness can come together. Amazon Recommendations Mindfulness: A Practical Guide to Awakening by Joseph Goldstein The First and Last Freedom by Jiddu Krishnamurti See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Raghu welcomes Mirabai Starr- famous for her Christian Mystic books and now her memoir- Caravan of No Despair. Raghu asked what in the world she asked for while still in the Bardos between lives - her first few decades in this incarnation being so full of intense suffering! As if she knew what she needed to transform her being but she really asked for the full monty and managed to come through with flying colors! At one point Mirabai talks about how she "fired" God- "...all the teachings I had once embraced I now dismissed as artifacts of magical thinking." Of course this led to our discussion of the dark night of the soul and St John of the Cross whose book she then translated. And in the midst of that work she had a realization. "Tragedy and trauma are not guarantees for a transformational spiritual experience, true, but they are opportunities." Mirabai also explains two key concepts- Radical Unknowingness and Sacred Unraveling. These two form the backbone of a spiritual path that is not pre-digested concepts but more visceral reality. For more from Mirabai Starr, visit her website or Facebook page. Mirabai's Book: Caravan of No Despair See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Raghu and his Guru pal Duncan Trussell, get together for an illuminating conversation with Trevor Hall at the most recent Ram Dass retreat on Maui. Trevor shares his amazing transformation through discovering the guru, Neem Karoli Baba, by meeting Raghu’s younger brother at the age of 17, and eventually winding up living in a Kali temple in Laguna Beach, CA. Duncan’s infectious curiosity anchors this podcast as Trevor describes the many layers of symbolism found in the image of the fierce goddess Kali. Most people don’t see the significance behind the many layers of this Goddess, usually getting distracted by the gore depicted and not seeing the undertones of motherly unconditional love represented. Trevor draws from his years living at the Kali temple to explain the iconography and the unconditional love behind the Divine Mother Goddess Kali. Duncan’s questions serve as a guide as Trevor elaborates on all facets of the portrayals of Kali: from the reason Kali is seen biting her tongue, to the implications of her holding the sword of discernment in one hand, and a severed head in the other. In the case of Kali’s bloody garland of 50 skulls, Trevor helps to break down the symbolism: “the 50 heads represent the 50 letters of the sanskrit alphabet, which includes all sound. All sounds come from the mother, everything we hear: good, bad, the sound of the ocean, this language, everything is filled with the mother’s presence. So what happens if we have that mindset, everything I hear is just ma, ma, ma…” Or as Duncan summarizes it: “So everything I hear is a severed head on the neck of Kali.” Raghu recounts his experiences with different embodiments of the Divine Mother: with reading the “Gospel of Ramakrishna”; a meeting with Sri Aurobindo’s spiritual partner, “Mother” in Pondicherry; and his interactions with his Indian mother, the saint, Siddhi Ma. Together, they continue to explore their own personal experiences with Divine Mother, their mothers, and the spectrum of both positive and negative attachments Western culture has with the word “Mother.” To wrap up, Trevor chants a prayer to the Divine Mother, or Ma.  See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Raghu is joined by his roommate from back in the day in India, Rameshwar Das Lytton or just plain Ramesh! Ramesh has been Ram Dass co-author on his two latest books- Be Love Now and Polishing The Mirror. Raghu quotes from Ram Dass about those who saw the physical Guru- “None of us knew Maharaji- we just knew our own projections” More fodder for the reality of not needing to meet the Guru in the flesh. Also on the table is; what is a Guru vs a Saint vs a Siddha or perfectly enlightened one. Raghu and Ramesh also delve into the reality of our overactive, busy minds and the effect on our lives. Referring from a NY Times article that corroborated scientifically that “the capacity for original thinking is markedly stymied by stray thoughts, obsessive ruminations and other forms of mental load” and “your internal exploration is too often diminished by an overly occupied mind”. So our only conclusion is Meditate Now! See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Raghu with his co-host, true blue soul mate wife, Saraswati Markus hang with Gil Fronsdal- newly named Baba Gil. Gil hails from the Insight Meditation family and was discovered by Saraswati during her long nite festivals of Dharama talks. When we talk about the difficulties people have with meditative practice Gil calls out to people to remember that it is a "failure free zone". We talk about the Be Here Now concept and Gil renames it "unconditional acceptance of the present moment". And of course the hosts inevitably have to ask about mindfulness and it's very worldly application in these times- Gil suggests that we use mindfulness to check out our thoughts and motivations and follow and be aware of where our focus wanders. Saraswati engages Baba Gil about the Buddhist No Self teaching which he comments on as " the self is like wind drag- when you eliminate that drag you can become free- no self".   Gil Fronsdal- The Issue At Hand- Essays on Mindfulness http://www.insightmeditationcenter.org   Amazon recommendations; Radiohead- A Moon Shaped Pool When Anger Hurts Matthew Mckay See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.