Mindrolling with Raghu Markus

Raghu is joined by Duncan Trussell and Lama Surya Das at the Ram Dass Maui spring retreat  live podcast session. Unfortunately, just before the session Raghu cut someone off in the bathroom line and then was reprimanded by the aggrieved party. Of course there ensued guilt and recrimination which Duncan, in his wisdom, reassured Raghu that we all can't live up to impossible standards all the time- he then drifted into some comparison to the crucifixion.... Lama Surya Das on the other hand came to the table with exemplary explanations of the very difficult Buddhist concept of emptiness in his inimitable practical teaching style. In the end a sense of humor and a sense of our human predicament mashed in with a sense of the possibilities of a human incarnation. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Raghu chats with Danny Goldberg- a man well versed in culture and politics to discuss the intense polarization in this country in this election year. The discussion circles around an article by Arthur C Brooks entitled Bipartisanship isn’t for Wimps, After All. Even friends are polarized by loyalties to Hillary or Bernie not to mention between Democrats and Republicans. As Mr Brooks mentions in his article- “we don’t like each other very much” and bigotry reigns all the way to contempt. How do we deal with this in our lives and stop the individual tendencies towards this polarization in our society. The Dalai Lama suggests the anti-dotes. Of course looking to ourselves and our behavior and not to governments and institutions to make the necessary changes. The Dalai Lama goes further to suggest a cultivation of warm heartedness towards those with whom we disagree. Sound squishy? No it’s actually tough but practical advice. As Danny says though- I don’t think it’s a contradiction of warm heartedness to say to those you disagree with- I respect your pain, I can love your soul but there are some moral issues that you advocate that I cannot agree with and I will counter in every way that I can. And Danny tells of ride sharing with a Trump supporter that featured two warm hearts! 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 Frank Osteseski, a Buddhist teacher andguiding light for people who are facing the death and dyingprocess.Raghu talks about his recent experience with the transition ofhis close friend Jyoti and it how it was like being at the veryprecipice of awakening when he sat with her as she was slippingthrough the Bardos.Frank describes being with someone who is dying as anopportunity to let go of our of all preconceived notions and to usethe transparency and rawness of that experience to bring ourselvesinto the moment.Frank encourages everyone not to wait to tell our near and dearthat we love them, and practicing for the eventual transition issomething to consider sooner than later. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Raghu introduces Lisa Wimberger, who got hit by lightening, blacked out and lost her pulse at 15 years old! Her traumatic event let Lisa to a new path, developing Neurosculpting - a fusion of brain science and mindfulness. As she says, even the most insidious mental beliefs can be re-written- and boy could we all use a little brain re-wiring! Lisa and Raghu talk about the flight-fright-freeze survival response and how it takes over our lives and how to protect ourselves from “contagious” emotions. Also Raghu delights in an article Lisa wrote on the New Age Scourge - she says, “ First stop saying Namaste and bless you when what you really mean is screw you.” This leads us to a conversation about clearing out toxic beliefs and behavior patterns. This podcast will change our tune with its mind-altering insights! See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Raghu and guest host Michael "Jadu" Daner chats with dream yoga teacher Michael Katz, co-author of an excellent book, "Dream Yoga and the Practice of Natural Light".   Jadu tells his earliest fearful dream experiences that turned into euphoric flying dreams - and how flying in dreams presages lucid dreaming. Michael talks about how the mastering of lucidity in the dream state eventually will help master our final transition through the bardos or states of consciousness we enter into when we die.In dream yoga the emphasis is on the possibility of some level of enlightenment experience at the time of final transition. Michael Katz introduces his teacher, Lama Namkai Norbu (co-author of Dream Yoga) who said once, "I never claimed to be enlightened but I am a really good dream yogi." He is said to be able to return to specific dreams every night! "Rather than seeing dreams as messages from the psyche the Dzogchen tradition (Liberating Awareness) views them as an opportunity to recognize and interact with the foundations of your life." See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Raghu speaks with Koshin Paley Ellison, the founder and partner of the New York Zen Center for Contemplative Care, an organization that works closely with people who are passing or ill. Koshin Paley describes his origins and how he was introduced to Zen Buddhism. He talks about the teachers, influences and triggers which geared the direction of his life and practice.  Including; the Aids Epidemic of the 1980’s, Alan Ginsberg, and his first Zen teacher John Daido Loori as well as being exposed to Ram Dass as a very young person. Koshin Paley tells the moving story of the passing away of his grandmother and the tremendous impact that experience had on his life. (hint: The New York Center for Contemplative Care wouldn’t be here otherwise!) Raghu and Koshin discuss the blending of Jungian depth techniques with Buddhist psychology and what exactly a Spiritual Bypass is. Other topics covered are relationships, bearing witness, loving action and what is being brought to light by working with dying people.   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 Rick Doblin, head of (take a deep breath for this one) Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies, otherwise known as MAPS! Rick describes some of the things that helped him to see into a new reality, including his faith-puncturing Bar Mitzvah, which forced him out of what would have been a “manufactured” mystical connection. Rick then goes on to describe his introduction to LSD in college, and how he discovered a new way of processing information and consciousness from those experiences; it opened him up to the emotional world. Other topics discussed include: - The emotional stability of our culture -  Using psychedelics for healing and therapy - Using psychedelics to rail against the “us” and “them” rhetoric present between countries, religions, races and creeds. -  Doblin’s discovery of the underground psychedelic community - How LSD opened the “Westerners” up to to a visceral understanding of their time with Neem Karoli Baba (Maharaji) when they traveled to India - How do the subjects of the “Good Friday” experiment look back on their psychedelic experiences today? - How does MDMA work? - What is The Theory of Causal Indifference? - How can psychedelics help with PTSD and other trauma?   See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Saraswati Markus finally makes her debut on Mindrolling! Who else could so exquisitely describe all of the incredible facets of the ancient technology of Yoga (she is Raghu's beloved you know!)   At the same time Saraswati shows the synthesis she has created with The Dao, Yoga and Chinese medicine and the potential healing modalities they contain. Not just physical but a true path to untangle the knots that form our habitual patterns. She expands on that idea by showing how we can all access the innate wisdom of our bodies for healing.    Also there is the concept of healing when you change what you like - Not easy and of course Raghu rebels cause he won't give up his toast and Chai with a lot of sugar!   Go to daoflowyoga.com to learn more about her work.  See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Mindrolling and Raghu have a new best friend! Jake Sasseville of the Jake Sasseville podcast is a unique human who has been in show biz from a very early age. Jake shares a very traumatic family story which eventually tripped him onto the spiritual path in a very substantial way. Raghu shares Ram Dass' words in respect to Jake's reflections on suffering - "Every moment of your life is your vehicle for awakening". R&J chat about the tension between taking actions in your life and the reality that everything is already written and we just need to relax and let Grace happen. Also on the table is a discussion around the seven ways spiritual people bullshit themselves. #1 being the power of positive thinking - Raghu admits to his disdain for the new age model and his subsequent reaction to his own judgmental mind. We always have to remember though that there is more than one motivation for every action we take - why not focus on the positive? See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Raghu hosts Jim Doty, a brain surgeon with a highly unusual story that makes up his page burner of a book, Into the Magic Shop: A Neurosurgeon's Quest to Discover the Mysteries of the Brain and the Secrets of the Heart. Jim takes us back to his impoverished early years and his unplanned meeting with an unlikely teacher who's profound wisdom altered the path of the rest of his life - a true glimpse into the reality of karma and grace turning a life around. When the student is ready the teacher appears!   Jim relates amazing facts about the brain and the heart: "Research shows the heart to be an organ of intelligence, with it's own profound influence not only from our brain but on our brain..." See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.