Mindrolling with Raghu Markus

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 psychedelics, cannabis, and Judaism (in jest, I’ll say “Jews & Drugs”). I also cover culture, policy, and science. I’m passionate and curious about how people can transcend their minds to access something greater than themselves — be it through getting high off acid or God, meditating, creating art, or something somatic, I’ve set out to explore the various ways people nourish their souls. This is what drives me, and most of my writing, in some way or another, connects back to this theme.These days, I work as an editor at  DoubleBlind, the print and digital magazine I co-founded, covering psychedelics and where they intersect with mental health, spirituality, environmental justice, and social equity. I also co-founded the Jewish Psychedelic Summit and host a podcast called Set & Setting on the Be Here Now Network. I’ve been practicing journalism since 2014 and have been published in outlets like Rolling Stone, Vice, Playboy, High Times, Tablet, and Nylon, among others.I got my start with a column on cannabis at the Village Voice, just after graduating from Columbia Journalism School. Prior to that, I lived in Tel Aviv, working with Israel’s African refugee community. In a past life, I also lived at a crazy co-op called Cloyne, while studying rhetoric and linguistics at UC Berkeley.I’m a nerd about language and speak or dabble in French, Russian, Yiddish, and Hebrew. When not working, writing, or reporting, I’m usually dancing, spinning my hula hoop, or practicing yoga.”“Having done psychedelics myself on Shabbat and other Jewish holidays, you realize that Judaism really does offer a container and different rituals, ways of experiencing time, and time out of time, and sort of these psychedelic notions through Kabbalah and different practices. That there is an avenue for altered experience and expanded consciousness and presence of mind and heart and soul, without psychedelics. But, combining psychedelics with Jewish practice can at least wake you up to that so you can then do it on your own, potentially without needing medicine.” – Madison MargolinSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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-created with Pendleton Ward in 2020. To learn more about Duncan’s work, visit his website at duncantrussell.com. Check out movieofme.com to learn more about the making of The Movie of Me to the Movie of We“We are emaciated. We eat beyond what we can actually take in. We enjoy beyond enjoyment. We despair beyond despair over life’s events and that’s because we are emaciated, which is why we did this book. I think both of us felt emaciated spirituality, emaciated awareness wise.” – Raghu MarkusSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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 improvement of project management practices and methodologies. He has extensive experience in the creation and implementation of process improvements in financial, manufacturing, government and professional service environments. He also advises and coaches individuals to help them to achieve and sustain optimal performance. George brings a unique perspective to his work, combining 40 years of meditation practice and teaching with real-world business experience. He is the author of The Zen Approach to Project Management, The Peaceful Warrior’s Path, and more. Learn more about George and his offerings HERE.“Chances are you’re not going to be completely enlightened next week, no matter what you do, though it could happen. So you take on the work of becoming as well as possible. Wellness is the subtitle of this book, and it’s not just about physical wellness. Wellness has got like eight dimensions to it including spiritual, mental, physical, financial, and all of that. Your goal is how can I cultivate wellness, how can I be as well as possible given my condition?” – George PitagorskySee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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 Gondwanaland rainforest. A successful filmmaker, radio producer, and writer, she received dharma transmission from Ross Bolleter and John Tarrant in 2001. She leads regular retreats around Australia and teaches an Australia-wide sangha that extends internationally online. She is the author of Upside-Down Zen, Minding the Earth Mending the World, Red Thread Zen, and most recently, A Fire Runs Through All Things.“The earth is inviting us to think along with her, or it. That suffering is mutual. The earth is suffering and our suffering, our agreeing to suffer with it, is the earth’s care for us. It will wake us up.” – Susan MurphySee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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 activist, and co-founder of the Dharmagiri Sacred Mountain Retreat. She spent 12 years as a Buddhist nun and holds an MA in Core Process Mindfulness-Based Psychotherapy Practice. Thanissara was a founding member of Chithurst and Amaravati Buddhist Monasteries in England. She helped initiate/support a number of HIV/Aids response projects in deep rural South Africa. In addition, she has facilitated meditation retreats internationally for 30 years. She teaches across the U.S., in South Africa, and the UK. She is the author of several books, including her most recent, Time To Stand Up, A Buddhist Manifesto for Our Earth. “We are getting, in a very weird way, conditioned by and inured to all of this climate change, violence, wars, pestilence, all of this. It’s a lot. We are getting inured to it. It is just becoming part of the fabric where we don’t pause the way we paused when it first came out.” – Raghu MarkusSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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-Realization, a contemporary teaching that developed within the context of both ancient spiritual teachings and modern depth psychology theories. He has authored eighteen books about spiritual realization, including the Diamond Heart series, The Pearl Beyond Price, The Void, The Alchemy of Freedom, and Non-Dual Love: Awakening to the Loving Nature of Reality. Hameed is also the founder of the Ridhwan School for Spiritual Development, an inner work school devoted to the realization of True Nature. The orientation of the school is directed toward guiding students to realize their true nature to the fullest realization and further still to endless enlightenment.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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 Insight Meditation Society in Barre, Massachusetts, with fellow meditation teachers Sharon Salzberg and Joseph Goldstein and the Spirit Rock Center in Woodacre, California. His books have been translated into 20 languages and sold more than a million copies. Learn more about Jack at www.jackkornfield.com.“We’re each in a certain mysterious place in this universe, born into this culture, this family, this moment, and so forth. And you can make something beautiful of it, make something better, alleviate suffering, and bring something of benefit. That’s the game. Well why should I do that? Because it brings happiness. There’s nothing that brings more satisfaction than uplifting us all together and letting it come through what’s unique in you.” – Jack KornfieldAbout 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-created with Pendleton Ward in 2020. To learn more about Duncan’s work, visit his website at duncantrussell.com.“The basic math is first to tend with your own attachments, your identity, or an exploration of your identity potentially being the root of suffering. Then, after that, we can start dealing with saving all sentient beings.” – Duncan TrussellAbout Krishna Das:Layering traditional Hindu kirtan with instantly accessible melodies and modern instrumentation, Grammy nominee, Krishna Das has been called yoga’s “rock star.” With a remarkably soulful voice that touches the deepest chord in even the most casual listener, Krishna Das – known to friends, family, and fans as simply KD – has taken the call-and-response chanting out of yoga centers and into concert halls, becoming a worldwide icon and the best-selling chant artist of all time. His album ‘Live Ananda’ (released January 2012) was nominated for a Grammy in the Best New Age album category.KD spent the late ’60s traveling across the country as a student of Ram Dass, and in August 1970, he finally made the journey to India, which led him to Ram Dass’ own beloved guru, Neem Karoli Baba, known to most as Maharaj-ji.Krishna Das now travels the world sharing his kirtan practice and wonderful stories of his life, of Maharaji-ji, of his life on the Path and discusses bringing chanting into our lives through retreats and workshops. To date, KD has released 15 well-received albums, most recently Trust in the Heart released in October 2017. For more on Krishna Das events, music, and other offerings visit: KrishnaDas.com----In a world that often feels like it's teetering on the edge, it's not surprising that so many of us grapple with feelings of instability and overwhelm. On Tuesday, December 19th, join acclaimed Buddhist meditation teachers Sharon Salzberg and Ethan Nichtern for a free online conversation on staying grounded, available, and engaged, even when the world is on fire.Sharon and Ethan will also discuss the upcoming Dharma Moon Yearlong Buddhist Studies program and offer their insights on how studying Buddhism can help us show up more fully for ourselves and others during these challenging times.Visit dharmamoon.com/event for more info and to reserve your free spot!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 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 Goldstein----In a world that often feels like it's teetering on the edge, it's not surprising that so many of us grapple with feelings of instability and overwhelm. On Tuesday, December 19th, join acclaimed Buddhist meditation teachers Sharon Salzberg and Ethan Nichtern for a free online conversation on staying grounded, available, and engaged, even when the world is on fire.Sharon and Ethan will also discuss the upcoming Dharma Moon Yearlong Buddhist Studies program and offer their insights on how studying Buddhism can help us show up more fully for ourselves and others during these challenging times.Visit dharmamoon.com/event for more info and to reserve your free spot!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Musician David Block joins Raghu Markus to talk about interconnectivity, generosity, and The Great Way. They discuss David's relationship with Ram Dass, serving others, and the process of creating a track for the Love Serve Remember Vinyl. They also explore the beauty of being in the moment, accepting inner demons, and the power of silent contemplation.

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 desire or pushing things away, whatever it may be, there is an honesty there to really understand the motivations and the pain and the suffering and not get lost in the fraud. Honesty allows you to not get lost in the fraudulent activity of the ego.” – Raghu MarkusAbout 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-created with Pendleton Ward in 2020. To learn more about Duncan’s work, visit his website at duncantrussell.com.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.