Be Here Now Network: Recent Episodes
Be Here Now Network
The Be Here Now Network is dedicated to the gathering and dissemination of spiritual talks, podcasts and writings of master teachers of Spirituality, Mindfulness and Meditation. Our core teachers and thought leaders include Ram Dass, Jack Kornfield, Sharon Salzberg, Lama Surya Das, Krishna Das, Joseph Goldstein, Danny Goldberg, Chris Grosso and the Mindrolling Podcast.
At BHNN we strive to produce quality podcasts, talks and lectures as well as text and films generated by a network of spiritual teachers and thought leaders on topics like mindfulness, service, social action, compassion, devotion and meditation.
Take a trip up and down the subway stairs with Ram Dass as he explores the seven chakras, why this moment in history is ripe for fourth chakra work, and how he escaped the mainline reality trip.This episode is supported by Omega Institute. Like the Be Here Now Network, Omega believes that personal transformation can change the world—one heart at a time. Discover immersive retreats, workshops, and gatherings in New York's Hudson Valley. Learn more at https://www.eomega.org/This episode of Here and Now is from a retreat at Roger Williams University in Bristol, Rhode Island, in June 1976. Check back soon for the conclusion of this talk.Ram Dass begins with a story of how a trip to the subway provided him with a useful metaphor for the spiritual path. He explores the seven chakras to help us understand who incarnates on this physical plane.Ram Dass digs into why primarily first, second, and third chakra people incarnate onto this plane. He talks about why the conditions that exist in society at this moment make it appropriate for beings with fourth chakra work to take birth.Ram Dass talks about escaping from the mainline reality trip and how the age of technology impacted people’s perception of reality. He touches on rebellion, revolution, evolution, and the state of the mystical experience in America. The Ram Dass community gathers regularly to engage in meaningful discussions about the podcast. We invite you to join us and share your curiosities, insights, and wisdom. Sign up for the General Fellowship to receive event invitations directly in your inbox: https://www.ramdass.org/fellowship“My experience was primarily that I was on the mainline of reality, and that there were all these kind of weird trips on either side, but that I, as a super scientist, rational mind, power, control, house full of antiques, my airplane, my motorcycle, gratification, more and more sex, more better food, more power, more intellect, I was doing the mainline reality trip. And I was hired to tell everybody else what reality was, okay, that’s what a Harvard professor does. And there was no doubt in my mind at all that that’s what reality was, alright, until I took psilocybin.” – Ram Dass
Explaining the South African Philosophy of Ubuntu, traditional healer John Lockley discusses ancestral connection and the wisdom of our collective human story.In this episode, John and Raghu explore: - Giving thanks to our biological ancestors - Reconciling with ancestors who may have done bad deeds- Calling in the names of our ancestors as a path to honoring all of our human relations- John’s experience being raised through Apartheid in South Africa- How Nelson Mandela spread the teachings of Ubuntu- Connecting to our dreams to connect to our humanity and our ancestors- The circle of Ubuntu and realizing that we are all equal - Humility as the foundation of any spiritual practice- A guided ancestral practice from JohnAbout John Lockley:John Lockley began his journey as a young medic drafted into the South African military. He then trained under Zen master Su Bong from South Korea, and returned to post-Apartheid South Africa to spend 10 years in apprenticeship with MaMngwevu, a medicine woman from the Xhosa tribe. His remarkable journey through the constraints of Apartheid is a testament to the human spirit, and to the power of forgiveness and reconciliation. Find out more about John’s work and learn more about his numerous upcoming events, retreats, and other offerings at JohnLockley.com.“Wherever you are, whatever you’re experiencing, know that you’re a child of nature, a child of the great one.” –John Lockley
Gil Fronsdal explores how Vipassana practice helps us embrace change and release attachment, transforming the way we experience ourselves and the world.This week on the BHNN Guest Podcast, Gil Fronsdal shares:- Change as the heart of Vipassana practice- Delusions of permanence and having an ‘upside down’ perception of reality- The freedom in holding things more lightly - The juxtaposition of perfection with room for improvement - Breaking down our attachment to the way things are supposed to be - Being challenged in the dharma and questioning our identity - Individual culture versus collective culture - Watching thoughts arise and pass away- The problem with retrospective thinking - This recording was originally published on DharmaseedAbout Gil Fronsdal:Gil Fronsdal is the co-teacher for the Insight Meditation Center in Redwood City, California; he has been teaching since 1990. He has practiced Zen and Vipassana in the U.S. and Asia since 1975. He was a Theravada monk in Burma in 1985, and in 1989 began training with Jack Kornfield to be a Vipassana teacher. Gil teaches at Spirit Rock Meditation Center where he is part of its Teachers Council. Gil was ordained as a Soto Zen priest at the San Francisco Zen Center in 1982, and in 1995 received Dharma Transmission from Mel Weitsman, the abbot of the Berkeley Zen Center. He currently serves on the SF Zen Center Elders’ Council. In 2011 he founded IMC’s Insight Retreat Center. He is the author of The Issue at Hand, essays on mindfulness practice; A Monastery Within; a book on the five hindrances called Unhindered; and the translator of The Dhammapada, published by Shambhala Publications. You may listen to Gil’s talks on Audio Dharma.“People tend to see permanence in what is impermanent. They tend to find self in what is not self. They tend to find happiness in things that are not really that happy. The path of practice is to perceive things in a way that things aren’t distorted. The task of mindfulness practice is to break through distortions so we can see more directly.” –Gil Fronsdal
The Buddha taught a path of awakened living, but how does that manifest in today’s world of constant connectivity and widespread suffering? How do we keep our hearts open without being defined or hardened by the pain that surrounds us, whether personal, collective, or historical? How do we navigate the paradox of holding both pain and joy, without mistaking suffering for punishment or personal failure? Can we infuse our compassion with wisdom and perspective to find the agency to take meaningful action in our communities? In her new series, Engaged Compassion, Sharon delves into these questions and more, engaging in candid conversations with a diverse group of teachers, activists, and changemakers. For the eighth episode in the series, Sharon speaks with Rev. Paul Raushenbush. This is his first appearance on the Metta Hour Podcast. Rev. Raushenbush is President and CEO of Interfaith Alliance. An ordained Baptist minister, Rev. Raushenbush is a longtime interfaith leader and renowned advocate for civil rights and religious freedom. Rev. Raushenbush has published two books and contributed essays to several volumes on faith in public life. He also hosts the weekly podcast and radio show “The State of Belief,” in partnership with Religion News Service.In this conversation, Sharon and Paul speak about:• How Rev. Raushenbush came to service• The Social Gospel• Rev. Raushenbush’s interfaith family • How spiritual practice can fuel activism• Insisting on joy in moments of great sorrow• Embodying the future we hope for now• Rev. Raushenbush’s POV that we are all neighbors• Figuring out how to help• What inspired this Engaged Compassion series • How art can be resistance• Where Rev. Raushenbush turns for inspiration• The work of Interfaith Alliance • The possibilities of lovingkindness• Rev. Raushenbush’s husband’s new book, “Good Morning Moon”Related Metta Hour EpisodesEpisode 281: The first episode of the Engaged Compassion Series with Jerry Colonna, released in March of 2026.
Enjoy this descent into the heartspace where Krishna Das connects us to our true nature of pure awareness and unity with God. This week on Pilgrim Heart, Krishna Das explores:- Different translations of the Ramayana - Bhakti and repetition of the name as one of the easiest paths to follow - Descending deeply into the mind and heart- How Maharaj-ji instructed Krishna Das to wear red - Union with god alongside worldly enjoyments- Remembering to orient ourselves to our true nature - Watching the breath, separating breathing from awareness of breathing “The eye receives information from the outside world. But, the eye has no consciousness—it’s a physical thing. What has consciousness is our true nature, which is aware of all the sense input that comes in. Who we truly are underneath all our thoughts, emotions, objects of experience, we are that awareness.” –Krishna DasAbout 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.
Philosopher-artist and psychotherapist Todd Fink joins Raghu to trace the threads that connect art, science, and mysticism.This time on Mindrolling, Todd and Raghu chat about: - Diving into mysticism and how every part contains the whole- Quantum physics and the observer effect- Impermanence and seeing the eternal in all things- Sacred friction and ‘irritating the status quo’- Abhaya: shedding the illusion and revealing fearlessness - How Maharaj-ji led people to both Bhakti Yoga and Buddhism- The inseparability of love and discriminating wisdom - Trust, sincerity, and courage in practiceAbout Todd Fink:Along with his brother E. Fink, Todd co-founded the acclaimed music group The Giving Tree Band. He’s had an album reach the Top 40 on the Americana Radio Charts, and the Kind Mind podcast has been a top show globally in the categories of philosophy and self-help. An Ivy League-trained licensed psychotherapist, he also holds certifications in addiction counseling and mindfulness meditation teaching. He earned a BA in psychology from Georgetown University and MS in Advanced Clinical Social Work from Columbia University. In addition to 25+ years of professional mental health work with diverse populations, his academic expertise and research include international welfare, psychedelic practice, advocacy, psychopathology, and more. A lifelong student of meditation, Todd works fervently to help guide individuals, organizations, and communities toward ecological balance, well-being, and peace.“Love isn’t what we get or what we lost, but really that’s what we are. Same with meditation—meditation isn’t something we do. Meditation is what we are. When we sit, when we chant, or when we pray, it gives us a chance to strip away the pretenses.” –Todd Fink
Spirit Rock- Finding your own voice and playing your “music” out in the world About Vincent Moore:Vincent Moore is a creative and creative consultant living in San Francisco, California, with over a decade of experience in the entertainment industry and holds a graduate degree in Buddhist Studies. For years, he performed regularly at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre, an improv and sketch comedy theatre based in New York and Los Angeles. As an actor, Vincent performed on Comedy Central, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, The Late Show with Seth Meyers, Above Average, and The UCB Show on Seeso. As a writer, he developed for television as well as stage, including work with the Blue Man Group, and his own written projects have been featured on websites such as Funny or Die. Additionally, he received a Masters of Buddhist Studies from the Institute of Buddhist Studies with a Certificate in Soto Zen Studies and engages in a personal Buddhist practice within the Soto Zen tradition. Vincent is also the creator and host of the podcast, Paths of Practice, which features interviews with Buddhists from all over the world. About Gullu Singh:Gulwinder “Gullu” Singh is a mindfulness and Dharma teacher who also practices corporate real estate law. Although he was exposed to meditation as a child, he found his own practice after law school when he found himself working at high-powered law firms where the job was extremely stressful. Gullu completed the four-year Spirit Rock Meditation Center Teacher Training Program and qualified to teach Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction. Gullu is core faculty in the Mindfulness in Law Teacher Training, the Spirit Rock Dedicated Practitioner Program, and a mentor for the Sounds True Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Certification Program. He is also a core teacher and board member for Sacred Mountain Sangha, a senior teacher at InsightLA, and a member of the guiding teacher’s council at Spirit Rock Meditation Center. Gullu is deeply inspired to share meditation as an antidote to stress, a path to well-being, and a way to inject more sanity, compassion, and wisdom into this world.“I don’t think we as human animals were designed for the kind of professions that we’ve created where people work 14-16 hours a day on stop. We end up being in a state of constant adrenaline which has all kinds of negative health impacts.” –Gullu Singh
Reflecting on Spirit Rock's new stupa, Jack Kornfield shares how sacred places help us remember the timeless awareness, compassion, and freedom at the heart of our being.
Joseph Goldstein reveals how Nibbana differs from blissful meditation states and why true liberation lies beyond every conditioned experience.This week on Insight Hour, Joseph Goldstein discusses:- How Nibbana has made its way into Western culture- Expectation and striving versus having a healthy goal- Having an aspiration and direction for our practice - Using equanimity to differentiate beautiful experiences from true glimpses of Nibbana- The Abhidhamma and understanding the factors of mind which color our consciousness- The experience of Nibbana as the experience of zero, the stilling of all formations- How Nibbana uproots the defilements in stages Check out this episode’s companion essay, Reflections on Nibbana, by Joseph Goldstein“Even exalted states of mind or great powers of mind do not imply purification of mind. That is the particular power of Nibbana.” –Joseph Goldstein
Honoring both psychological and spiritual work, Trudy Goodman explores how she built resilience through years of dharma practice.
Multimedia storyteller Aaron Ableman explores how listening to our hearts can help us uncover our unique gifts and create a more conscious world.
Ram Dass explores playing your part on all of the stages that life presents, then answers questions about the significance of dreams, preventing detachment from turning into laziness, dealing with burnout in institutional structures, and more.This episode is supported by Omega Institute. Like the Be Here Now Network, Omega believes that personal transformation can change the world—one heart at a time. Discover immersive retreats, workshops, and gatherings in New York's Hudson Valley. Learn more: eomega.orgThe Ram Dass community gathers regularly to engage in meaningful discussions about the podcast. We invite you to join us and share your curiosities, insights, and wisdom. Sign up for the General Fellowship to receive event invitations directly in your inbox: https://www.ramdass.org/fellowship/This episode of Here and Now is from a retreat at the Omega Institute in Rhinebeck, New York, on June 21st, 1986.Ram Dass begins with an exploration of how we all have unique, but equally important, parts to play on all of the different stages that life has to offer. The quieter we get, the more we can hear the appropriateness of the parts we play.Ram Dass transitions to question and answer time, responding to inquiries about the significance of dreams, the tension between inner work and our outer lives, and how we can prevent detachment from turning into laziness.Ram Dass wraps things up by answering questions about dealing with the pain of family and friends who don’t want to join us on the spiritual path, bringing spiritual truths into spaces that don’t traditionally allow them, and facing burnout in institutional structures such as government.“And each time you let go of your somebody-ness, you can hear more clearly your everybody-ness, or your part in the everybody-ness of it all. More and more, you just want to play your part; it’s nothing special. It’s just nothing special anymore.” – Ram Dass
Author and teacher Oneika Mays joins Sharon for episode 291 of the Metta Hour podcast. For over a decade, Oneika has brought yoga and mindfulness practices to people who have felt left out, judged, and alone— from correctional facilities to retreat centers, from Columbia Law School to Lincoln Center. She is the author of “Sit With Me: A No-BS Journey to Mindfulness and Meditation,” released by HarperOne in March of 2026, and the co-host of You Good? Podcast with Pamela Stokes Eggleston. This is her first appearance on the Metta Hour Podcast.In this conversation, Oneika and Sharon speak about:• How Oneika’s spiritual journey began• Training with teacher, Kimberly Brown• Metta’s impact on Oneika’s existing practice• The challenges of metta for the neutral person• Working at Riker’s Island Correctional Facility• Oneika’s new book, “Sit With Me”• The importance of forgiveness• What inspired Oneika’s new book• Loving people doesn’t necessarily mean liking them• Lovingkindness for oneself as a starting point• Working with the difficult person• The gift of grieving what’s broken• Navigating life within harmful systems• Teaching lovingkindness in prison• The NY Knicks and Collective EffervescenceAdditional ResourcesThe episode closes with a guided lovingkindness meditation from Oneika with added visualization. You can learn more about Oneika’s work right here and get a copy of her new book, “Sit With Me,” right here.Related Metta Hour EpisodesEpisode 212: Kimberly Brown’s interview as part of our Mental Health Series released in 2023.
Now podcast. She is also a teacher, coach, and spiritual director with the privilege of marrying two decades of mystical studies with 15 years of expertise in holistic wellness. As an inter-spiritual minister, Jackie was ordained in Creation Spirituality in 2016 and has also studied extensively in several other lineages – the plant-medicine-based Pachakuti Mesa Tradition, Sri Vidya Tantra, Western European Shamanism, Christian Mysticism, the Wise Woman Tradition, and others. Today, in addition to building courses and community for LSRF, she leads workshops and coaches individuals to discover, nourish and live from their most authentic selves.
From subterranean spirits to the awakening of Kundalini, Dr. Svoboda explores the hidden currents connecting the worlds of nature, spirit, and consciousness.
Gagan Levy, founder/CEO of Guru, explores how to integrate the eight limbs of yoga into business and leadership practices. Grab a copy of Gagan’s book, Start Your Own Damn Cult, A Founder's Field Guide, for a practical and actionable framework for building from coherence, holding power without unraveling, and winning without wrecking yourself, your team, or the planet. Find your copy online or on the Kindle app.This week on Mindrolling, Gagan and Raghu discuss: - Bhakti Yoga and sitting in moments of joy - Incorporating spirituality into business- Gagan’s first meeting with Ram Dass- Integrating the eight limbs of yoga into leadership - How authenticity beats perfection every single time- Gagan’s explanation of the ‘integrity inventory’- Hanuman as a helpful reminder of the aspirational self About Gagan Levy:Gagan Levy is the Founder/CEO of Guru, an award-winning creative agency dedicated to serving purpose-driven movements, brands, and organizations. They work with impactful brands like Patagonia, Traditional Medicinals, Nalgene, Non-GMO, The Organic Alliance, Bring Change to Mind and many natural products brands, including EO / Everyone Products, OM Mushroom Superfoods, and REBBL. Gagan also serves as Chief Evangelist at MAHA Global, a platform focused on helping businesses adapt to stakeholder needs using data-driven reputation intelligence. As former Co-chair of Social Venture Circle, one of the country’s most prestigious impact investor and social business communities, Gagan leads the way to a next economy that is regenerative, just, and prosperous for all. Gagan Levy is also a current board member to his prolific teacher Ram Dass’ Love Serve Remember Foundation, he has been instrumental in strategizing how to connect the greatest wisdom keepers of our time to a new generation. “I am so committed on my individual level to my practice to be a better father, a better partner, better human, but I haven’t integrated the eight limbs into my leadership. What could that mean? What could that look like?” –Gagan Levy
With compassion and presence, Trudy Goodman teaches listeners how to bear the unbearable through our own willingness to hold it. In this episode, Trudy Goodman offers her perspective on:- Learning to be present and okay with our strong emotions- Recognizing our emotions as the first step in working with them- Allowing difficult emotions without being swept away- Surrounding our pain with compassion - Noticing the bodily sensations that arise with strong emotions- Self-regulation and soothing the startled heart- The powerful statement “it’s like this”- Merging with the world of intuitive wisdom This was recorded at Spirit Rock and was originally published on DharmaseedAbout Trudy Goodman:Trudy is a Vipassana teacher in the Theravada lineage and the Founding Teacher of InsightLA. For 25 years, in Cambridge, MA, Trudy practiced mindfulness-based psychotherapy with children, teenagers, couples and individuals. Trudy conducts retreats, engages in activism work, and teaches workshops worldwide and online. She is also the voice of Trudy the Love Barbarian in the Netflix series, The Midnight Gospel. “By allowing reality to be as it is, since it is that way anyways, we’re making a relationship with it that’s based on clarity. It is a paradox that I think most therapists know, that by allowing something and accepting something and even by positively connoting what needs to change, not struggling with it, surrounding it with metta and compassion, we actually stop our war with reality. When we stop resisting what’s true, we aren’t fixating on it, and it’s free to move and change. This is called radical acceptance.” –Trudy Goodman
Setting, Madison and Sami discuss:- What it means to be anointed - Rediscovering Jesus and the concept of loving thy neighbor- Christ-consciousness spirituality - How patriarchy creates dualism and an us vs. them mentality- The depths of sacred activism - Neem Karoli Baba’s connection to Christ-consciousness- The intersection of Christ-consciousness with psychedelic-consciousness- Holding compassion even for our enemies- How Jesus was a disruptor for the greater awakeningAbout Sami Awad:Sami Awad is a Palestinian activist, author, coach, and facilitator. He is Co-Director of Nonviolence International and author of the Sacred Awakening, a book that invites readers to embody a radical path to liberation, justice, and peace. Raised in and currently living in Bethlehem, occupied Palestine, Sami has lived his life at the intersection of spirituality, justice, and nonviolent resistance. He brings lived experience with occupation and spiritual reflection to invite us to resist injustice, embody courageous love, and embrace a deeper way of living in the face of colonialism. Learn more on Sami’s website.“We are living in what now I define as the prevailing consciousness, the consciousness of separation, fear, ego, hierarchy, patriarchy, us vs. them, competition, comparison, violence, that we live in our personal and collective lives, and there is another way of living consciously. It is the bigger umbrella that encompasses all culture, content, context.” –Sami Awad
RamDev takes listeners through the three faces of the heart, each of which serves a different, necessary purpose and combines into nondual awareness. This time on Healing at the Edge, RamDev chats about:- What Maharaj-ji said about being in the heart- How the heart center stabilizes presence - Starting practice as human, and standing up as divine- The left, relational heart: feeling, devotion, intimacy, grief, longing- The right side of the heart and the arising of witness consciousness - Nondualism and combining wisdom with warmth - The greatest medicine for the fear of death “If we only live in the left side of the heart, devotion can become too emotional. The feeling becomes the practice instead of the doorway to deeper qualities of the heart. Grief, if we are only in the left side of the heart, can loop, can continue without metabolizing. The heart can stay open, but it’s not grounded. The practitioner gets blown away by the emotions of daily life.” –RamDev About RamDev Dale Borglum:RamDev Dale Borglum founded and directed the Hanuman Foundation Dying Center in Santa Fe, New Mexico, the first residential facility in the United States to support conscious dying. He has been the Executive Director of the Living/Dying Project in Santa Fe and since 1986 in the San Francisco Bay Area. He is the co-author with Ram Dass, Daniel Goleman and Dwarka Bonner of Journey of Awakening: A Meditator’s Guidebook, Bantam Books and has taught meditation since 1974.RamDev offers lectures and workshops on meditation, healing, spiritual support for those with life-threatening illness, and caregiving as spiritual practice. He has a doctorate degree from Stanford University. RamDev’s passion is the healing of our individual and collective fear of death so that we may be free.
Celebrating Spirit Rock's new stupa and 40 years of practice, Jack Kornfield reflects on spiritual community, resilience in times of suffering, and the timeless wisdom that helps us meet life with an awakened heart.
In this exploration of relationships and awakening from the illusion of separateness, Ram Dass talks about looking behind the veil of individual differences and coming to a place where you are love itself.This episode is supported by Omega Institute. Like the Be Here Now Network, Omega believes that personal transformation can change the world—one heart at a time. Discover immersive retreats, workshops, and gatherings in New York's Hudson Valley. Visit the link in the comments to learn more.This episode of Here and Now is the conclusion of a talk Ram Dass gave at the LA Whole Life Expo on February 18, 1989. Don’t miss the first part of this talk, available on YouTube, Episode 307 Being in Other Planes of Reality: https://youtu.be/Cohgd9_q0NURam Dass explores how settling into other planes of reality helps us deal with the immense suffering on this plane of reality. He talks about awakening out of the illusion of separateness and seeing your life as a curriculum.This includes seeing your relationships as part of the curriculum for coming to God. Ram Dass dives into the subject of relationships and how everyone is God in drag. Ultimately, you only meet God. Sharing some classic stories, Ram Dass talks about how relationships are a way to delight in the play of form. He explores moving away from the deprivation model of love into a place where, ultimately, you are love itself.“And you shift gears; you no longer try to collect love. You just are in love with everybody. ‘In love’ is the last stop on the train of dualism before you enter into Nibbana, where you become love, and you are no longer experiencing the experience of loving. You are love. And that is inevitable and irrevocable.” – Ram DassThe Ram Dass community gathers regularly to engage in meaningful discussions about the podcast. We invite you to join us and share your curiosities, insights, and wisdom. Sign up for the General Fellowship to receive event invitations directly in your inbox.About Ram Dass:Ram Dass’s spirit has been a guiding light for generations, carrying millions along on the journey. Ram Dass teaches that through the Bhakti practice of unconditional love, we can all connect with our true nature. Through these teachings, Ram Dass has shared a little piece of his guru, Maharaj-ji, with all who have listened to him. Learn more at ramdass.org.
Sharing meaningful stories from a life of practice, Gil Fronsdal chats about the impact of spiritual community, simplicity, and generosity. This week on the BHNN Guest Podcast, Gil Fronsdal outlines:- Honesty, communication, and understanding as an alternative to LSD- The impact of reading Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind, and going to the San Francisco Zen Center- The importance of doing spiritual practice with other people and finding community- Finding freedom within simplicity and generosity - The practice of working through fear and becoming relaxed- Gil’s mindful founding of the Insight Meditation Center, balancing the commercial forces of society- How growing up in wartime inspired Gil’s interest in nonviolence and civil disobedience About Gil Fronsdal:Gil Fronsdal is the co-teacher for the Insight Meditation Center in Redwood City, California; he has been teaching since 1990. He has practiced Zen and Vipassana in the U.S. and Asia since 1975. He was a Theravada monk in Burma in 1985, and in 1989 began training with Jack Kornfield to be a Vipassana teacher. Gil teaches at Spirit Rock Meditation Center where he is part of its Teachers Council. Gil was ordained as a Soto Zen priest at the San Francisco Zen Center in 1982, and in 1995 received Dharma Transmission from Mel Weitsman, the abbot of the Berkeley Zen Center. He currently serves on the SF Zen Center Elders’ Council. In 2011 he founded IMC’s Insight Retreat Center. He is the author of The Issue at Hand, essays on mindfulness practice; A Monastery Within; a book on the five hindrances called Unhindered; and the translator of The Dhammapada, published by Shambhala Publications. You may listen to Gil’s talks on Audio Dharma.This recording was originally published on Dharmaseed“When I went to the Zen center, people didn’t participate; they didn’t pick up the cues and act accordingly. They became a mirror for me, and I said, ‘This is fantastic’, to be able to see myself clearly through other people. I wanted that mirroring to be seen. In that time of living at Zen Center, I am very confident that I couldn’t have practiced as much as I have done over the years without the support of the community that I was with.” –Gil Fronsdal
Selfless Service in Action | Krishna Das' Pilgrim Heart Podcast Ep. 194 by Be Here Now Network
Now podcast, as well as his own Mindrolling podcast. He is the producer of Becoming Nobody, a Ram Dass documentary feature film that was released in 2019.
John Snyder, pioneer of guitar pedals and founder of Electronic Audio Experiments, explores the intersection of engineering, creativity, and the endless pursuit of great sound.This week on The Indie Spiritualist, Chris and John discuss:- John’s journey as a musician, creating guitar pedals and altering sound- What it was like finishing a PhD in an electrical engineering program during the coronavirus pandemic- How Electronic Audio Experiments took off- Blurring the lines between art and science- Guitar gear as an extension of the instrument itself - Navigating creative burnout and the gap between efforts and outcomes- How neurodivergent traits can be valuable in the creative industry and beyondAbout John Snyder:John Snyder is a long-time guitarist with a PhD in electrical engineering. John combined these passions and became the owner and head designer at Electronic Audio Experiments (EAE). EAE is an exploration in sound and texture via electronics. EAE focuses primarily on stompboxes for electric guitar and bass, with occasional ventures into amplification and synthesis. “It’s very edifying to do something like this that is really blurring the art that I want to make with the science background that I have. There’s so much subjectivity to it that it feels like an art project rather than an engineering project much of the time.” –John Snyder
Contemplative Scholar Andrew Holecek joins David Nichtern to delve into the powerful practices of dark retreat, bardo yoga, and dream yoga. Grab a copy of Andrew’s book, Total Eclipse of the Mind, to discover more about the power of darkness for creativity, healing, and transformation.In this episode, Andrew and David explore:- An inquiry into the nature of mind and reality - How asking questions is much more important than having answers- Going into dark retreat and practicing bardo yoga- Entering spiritual teachings as if immersing into a different realm - The Buddha as the ultimate lucid dreamer- Dream interpretation and liminal dreaming for insights into the self - Working mindfully with artificial intelligence - The balancing principle that darkness represents - Becoming sensitive to other beings and archetypes when in dark retreatAbout Andrew Holecek:Andrew Holecek is an interdisciplinary scholar-practitioner in Tibetan Buddhism and other nondual wisdom traditions. He is the Resident Contemplative Scholar at the Institute for Advanced Consciousness Studies, and a research consultant for the Cognitive Neuroscience Program at Northwestern University. His work involves studies on dream yoga and the practice of dark retreat. Dr. Holecek is a member of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, the author of nine books, and a concert pianist. He has completed the Tibetan Buddhist three-year retreat and is a frequent subject in scientific studies on meditation and lucid dreaming. His work integrates ancient wisdom traditions with contemporary perspectives, aiming to help individuals navigate spiritual challenges and end-of-life experiences. He is currently writing two books on dark retreat. Holecek holds degrees in classical music, biology, and a doctorate in dental surgery. Learn about his upcoming retreat events.“I have died so many times with psychedelic experiences, with extended meditations; I’ve been doing dark retreat for 30 years. This is what dark retreat is largely about; it’s fundamentally a bardo yoga designed to bring about highly concordant experiences with the death process.” –Andrew Holecek
Touching into the selfless nature of experience, Joseph Goldstein explores uprooting the defilements through the clarity that comes from practice.This episode is the 3rd and final part of a 3-part series. It was originally published on Dharmaseed and recorded at the Barre Center for Buddhist Studies, a non-profit organization founded by renowned meditation teachers Joseph Goldstein and Sharon Salzberg to integrate Buddhist study and practice.To start at the beginning, check out Ep. 261 – Gradual Cultivation in Buddhist Practice: https://soundcloud.com/beherenownetwork/joseph-goldsteins-insight-1This time on Insight Hour, Joseph Goldstein provides his perspective on:- Engaging with mindfulness- The radical uprooting of self and identification with experience- Seeing a glimpse of the deathless in our practice versus the transcendent moment of the unborn - Slowly seeing clearly over time with dedicated practice- The emptiness within the defilements- Taking all things as an invitation to explore rather than to believe - A brief guided meditation with Joseph - Moving our mental dialogue into a passive voice “If you put your hand in fire, do you know that it burns? Do you have any doubt about it? In the genuine experience of things being uprooted, there is that quality of certainty. It is very different than what you were saying about ‘Yeah, it looks to me that the defilements are uprooted.’ The experience that results in the uprooting, which is the experience of the unborn. It has that same immediacy and certainty as putting your hand in fire and knowing it burns.” –Joseph Goldstein
Meditation master and teacher Orgyen Chowang Rinpoche explores tools for success from Tibetan wisdom on mindfulness, gratitude, and more. This week on Mindrolling, Orgyen and Raghu discuss: - What life was like for Orgyen growing up in a remote village in Tibet - The Tibetan Buddhist leader Khenpo Jigme Phuntsok- Reframing the construct of ‘success’- The 10 powers that lead us to success: wisdom, integrity, decency, mindfulness, fairness, reliability, gratitude, hopefulness, faith, generosity - Lessons from Mipham Rinpoche- The necessity of respect for good communication - Navigating conflict through mindfulness and decency - Self-awareness as the number one tool for good communication - How inner emptiness shapes how we see the world- Discriminating awareness, deciding what to accept vs. what to rejectAbout Orgyen Chowang Rinpoche:Orgyen Chowang Rinpoche is a meditation teacher and master in the Nyingma lineage of the Buddhist tradition residing in the San Francisco Bay Area. He is the author of Our Pristine Mind: A Practical Guide to Unconditional Happiness, and is known for his accessible, passionate, and joyful approach to personal transformation. Rinpoche teaches regularly in the Bay Area, and travels throughout the world speaking to a broad range of audiences about how to improve their lives through meditation. He received his education and training for nine years starting at the age of fourteen at Larung Gar in Serta, eastern Tibet, with his teacher, the great Jigmed Phuntsok Rinpoche, who is widely acknowledged as one of the greatest Dzogchen masters of the twentieth century. Learn more about Orgyen Chowang Rinpoche’s work and his non-profit, The Pristine Mind Foundation.“Even if someone is in conflict, you need to be mindful, reliable, you need to be a decent person at the same time. Then, it works. If your mind is in conflict, if there’s anger, resentment, that totally destroys communication.” –Orgyen Chowang Rinpoche
healer Phoenix Song explores the voice as a path to freedom and a means of releasing trauma. This week on the BHNN Guest Podcast, Phoenix and Vincent chat about:- Connecting to our full emotional life via voice work - The preciousness (and difficulties) of being born into this incarnation- How breath impacts your speaking voice and your singing voice- Phoenix’s profound experience during an ancestral healing ritual at Plum Village- Focusing on voice work after recovering from dengue fever in India- The journey to reclaim and inhabit our own bodies- The invitation to ask yourself “what season am I in?”- Crafting rituals for others and for yourself- The importance of taking your time and healing at your own paceThis conversation was originally recorded on the Paths of Practice Podcast. Listen to more episodes here on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PathsofPracticeAbout Phoenix Song:Phoenix Song is a queer, nonbinary Korean American adoptee teacher, performer, writer, and healer featured in SF Magazine’s Best of the Bay for yoga music. Phoenix was initiated on the spiritual path at Plum Village with Thich Nhat Hanh and is a dharma teacher at East Bay Meditation Center and Spirit Rock. They believe that everyone can sing and love to help people free their voices and rhythm in private and group classes.Much of Phoenix’s life has been about exploring identity issues and healing ancestral, racial, sexual, and gender wounds. They offer tools that have helped them by leading ancestral healing, grief, and diversity/solidarity workshops and trainings that use expressive arts and somatic processes. “By doing more voice work, people start to shake up their breath, their emotions, their body instruments so more of their colors, emotions, personality, what’s happening with them, can come through their voice, you start to hear a more expressive, free, emotional voice. It starts to feel like more colors are coming out than just a few.” –Phoenix SongAbout Vincent Moore:Vincent Moore is a creative and creative consultant living in San Francisco, California, with over a decade of experience in the entertainment industry and holds a graduate degree in Buddhist Studies. For years, he performed regularly at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre, an improv and sketch comedy theatre based in New York and Los Angeles. As an actor, Vincent performed on Comedy Central, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, The Late Show with Seth Meyers, Above Average, and The UCB Show on Seeso. As a writer, he developed for television as well as stage, including work with the Blue Man Group, and his own written projects have been featured on websites such as Funny or Die. Additionally, he received a Masters of Buddhist Studies from the Institute of Buddhist Studies with a Certificate in Soto Zen Studies and engages in a personal Buddhist practice within the Soto Zen tradition. Vincent is also the creator and host of the podcast, Paths of Practice, which features interviews with Buddhists from all over the world.
Through powerful storytelling, Jack Kornfield turns toward the deeper invitation of the spiritual path: to listen with the heart and respond to life with courage, compassion, and presence.
Conscious futurist Stephanie Trager inspires listeners to heal the Earth through the Kogi's wisdom, the restoration of sacred lands, and the power of reciprocity.Check out this recent feature article on Stephanie’s work restoring sacred Kogi lands and learn how you can contribute!In this episode, Anita and Stephanie discuss:- Returning sacred lands to the Kogi people, the four tribes of the Sierra Nevada de Colombia- The Duanama stone carvings and other sacred sites - A powerful message from the Kogi people - Collectively navigating ancestral trauma and trauma to Mother Earth- The Sierra Nevada as a regulatory system for our planet- Tending to sacred land sites as a way to protect the entire world- Finding our path for the future by first healing the earth and giving the land back to our indigenous peoples - Reaching within our own hearts to see what we can offer to the worldAbout Stephanie Trager:Stephanie Trager, JD is a transformational catalyst, earthkeeper, medicine woman, and advocate for the wisdom of the natural world. With over 30 years of experience spanning law, environmental justice, conscious governance, leadership development, and human potential, she bridges ancient wisdom with modern science to help visionary leaders create meaningful change. A former environmental attorney and co-founder of one of the first corporate responsibility law firms in the U.S., Stephanie has worked on forest conservation, human rights, and sustainability initiatives worldwide. She now serves as a board member of Dream Change, advises on rights of nature and ethical governance, and is developing an Earth School in collaboration with Indigenous communities in Colombia. She is also the author of the forthcoming book Rise of the Conscious Futurist. Check out Stephanie’s website and her podcast, Catalyst Talks “The Kogi know, and the tribes know, the Sierra Nevada as the great regulatory system for the entire planet. If we look at the Amazon as the lungs of the earth, the Sierra Nevada they consider the heart of the earth. The sacred sites need to be tended to, and unless they are, the systems of the earth cannot be maintained. Sacred sites are the organs, the nervous system, the brain of the earth.” –Stephanie Trager
Now is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/ramdass and get on your way to being your best self.This episode of Here and Now is from the first part of a talk Ram Dass gave at the LA Whole Life Expo on February 18, 1989. Check back soon for the conclusion of this lecture.Ram Dass begins with the story of having a kidney stone, and the delight he felt in watching his consciousness flicker. Thus begins an exploration of consciousness and being on other planes of reality.With some classic stories and his unique humor, Ram Dass talks about what happens when we awaken and start to recognize these other planes. As we get more comfortable in these other planes of reality, it can be easy to lose our ground on this plane.In the end, we can’t push away this plane because it doesn’t feel as good as others. Ram Dass shares how he saw it wasn’t about getting high, it was about getting free and being comfortable with having nowhere to stand. We must embrace our humanity along with our divinity. The Ram Dass community gathers regularly to engage in meaningful discussions about the podcast. We invite you to join us and share your curiosities, insights, and wisdom. Sign up for the General Fellowship to receive event invitations directly in your inbox.About Ram Dass:Ram Dass’s spirit has been a guiding light for generations, carrying millions along on the journey. Ram Dass teaches that through the Bhakti practice of unconditional love, we can all connect with our true nature. Through these teachings, Ram Dass has shared a little piece of his guru, Maharaj-ji, with all who have listened to him. Learn more at ramdass.org.“You’ve had this as your basecamp. You go into these other planes, and then you come back, and you go in, and you come back, and you go in. And you start to get comfortable being in other planes of reality and functioning here.” – Ram Dass
education from the Dalai Lama - Cultivating both a clever mind and an open heart About Dr. Robert Thurman:Robert Thurman (1941-2026) was an American Buddhist author and academic who wrote, edited, and translated many books on Tibetan Buddhism. He was the Je Tsongkhapa Professor of Indo-Tibetan Buddhist Studies at Columbia University before retiring in June 2019. He held the first endowed chair in Buddhist Studies in the West. After education at Philips Exeter and Harvard, he studied Tibet and Tibetan Buddhism for almost thirty years as a personal student of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. He wrote both scholarly and popular books and lectured widely all over the world. As President of the American Institute for Buddhist Studies, he convened the First Inner Science Conference with His Holiness the Dalai Lama at Amherst College in 1984. He was also a founding trustee of Tibet House New York. Check out his most recent book Wisdom Is Bliss: Four Friendly Fun Facts That Can Change Your Life. “When you’re not generous enough, when you’re not open-hearted enough, when you haven’t cultivated opening yourself, then you shoot right past it, just like we shoot through our life. At the moment of death, people report, ‘My life flashed before my eyes in a split second.’ What that means is they didn’t live lucidly. They ran around making money, getting pleasure, doing things, and they have only one split second of quality time when they were there now somewhere” –Dr. Thurman
Media Specialist. An Emerson College alumni, Kelly has over 15 years experience of facilitating projects into reality. She has worked as a Peace Corps Volunteer with women’s groups and dairy cooperatives in Costa Rica, a media strategist and buyer in New York City, and has produced a full-length documentary.Kelly is the Marketing Director for Ram Dass’s Love Serve Remember Foundation, as well as the project manager of Be Here Now Network, a podcast network dedicated to spirituality, mindfulness, and personal growth.
heart-opening episode, Dakota and Robert Thurman explore:- How the Romans twisted the teachings of Jesus- Becoming Jesus and doing something really good ourselves - The connection between psychedelics and the bardos - The healing that comes after collapse- Adoring all things just as they are- Choosing love just as Ram Dass did- Feeling the spark of bliss and connection- Art as a spiritual practice - Taking responsibility for our next lives- Life-long learning as the highest spiritual practice“We have allowed the more heavily diluted people to take over and spread their misery over all of us. It will collapse, and we’ll heal them by taking away their power and letting them turn their attention to healing themselves.” —Dr. Robert ThurmanAbout Dr. Robert Thurman:Robert Thurman (1941-2026) was an American Buddhist author and academic who wrote, edited, and translated many books on Tibetan Buddhism. He was the Je Tsongkhapa Professor of Indo-Tibetan Buddhist Studies at Columbia University, before retiring in June 2019. He held the first endowed chair in Buddhist Studies in the West. After education at Philips Exeter and Harvard, he studied Tibet and Tibetan Buddhism for almost thirty years as a personal student of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. He wrote both scholarly and popular books and lectured widely all over the world. As President of the American Institute for Buddhist Studies, he convened the First Inner Science Conference with His Holiness the Dalai Lama at Amherst College in 1984. He was also a founding trustee of Tibet House New York. Check out his most recent book Wisdom Is Bliss: Four Friendly Fun Facts That Can Change Your Life.
Help us celebrate 10 years of Be Here Now Network and support the next chapter of Ram Dass Here and Now. Gifts are matched dollar for dollar through June 30. Learn more and give at https://beherenownetwork.com/10years.Dismantling the illusion of separation, Alan Watts shares how recognizing our fundamental unity with the universe transforms the way we live, perceive, and prepare for death.This week on Being in the Way, Alan Watts lectures on:- Playing hide and seek with our true selves- How your body knows that you are one with the universe- Seeing things versus noticing things- The yoga of preparing for death - The partial view that the ego keeps us trapped in - The continuous energy of our bodies- Dissolving the distinction between voluntary and involuntary behavior - The transaction between the individual and the world This series is brought to you by the Alan Watts Organization and Ram Dass’ Love Serve Remember Foundation. “Doesn’t it really astonish you that you are this fantastically complex thing and that you’re doing all of this and you never had any education in how to do it? You never learned, but you’re this miracle. From a strictly physical, scientific standpoint, this organism is a continuous energy with everything else that’s going on. If I am my foot, I am the sun. Only, we’ve got this little partial view. We’ve got the idea that ‘I’m just something in this body’, the ego, that’s a joke.” –Alan Watts
The Buddha taught a path of awakened living, but how does that manifest in today’s world of constant connectivity and widespread suffering? How do we keep our hearts open without being defined or hardened by the pain that surrounds us, whether personal, collective, or historical? How do we navigate the paradox of holding both pain and joy, without mistaking suffering for punishment or personal failure? Can we infuse our compassion with wisdom and perspective to find the agency to take meaningful action in our communities? In her new series, Engaged Compassion, Sharon delves into these questions and more, engaging in candid conversations with a diverse group of teachers, activists, and changemakers. For the seventh episode in the series, Sharon’s speaks with teacher Geshe Lobsang Tenzin Negi, marking his first appearance on the Metta Hour.Geshe Lobsang Tenzin Negi, PhD, is the cofounder and director of the Emory-Tibet Partnership, a multi-dimensional initiative founded in 1998 to bring together the foremost contributions of the Western scholastic tradition and the Tibetan Buddhist sciences of mind and healing. He is also professor of practice in Emory University’s Department of Religion. In 2018, he launched, with the Dalai Lama, SEE Learning, a free compassion curriculum for children. Geshe Lobsang, a former monk, was born in Kinnaur, a small Himalayan kingdom adjoining Tibet. He began his monastic training at the Institute of Buddhist Dialectics and continued his education at Drepung Loseling Monastery in south India, where he received his Geshe Lharampa degree in 1994, the highest academic degree granted in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition.In this conversation, Geshe and Sharon speak about:• How Geshe grew up in the Himalayas • Becoming a monk at age 14 in 1974• Geshe and Sharon’s first meeting • Center for Contemplative Science and Compassion-Based Ethics• Cognitively Based Compassion Training • What neuroscience says about compassion• Tania Singer’s research work• Richie Davidson’s discovery with neuroplasticity• The inner qualities that are actually skills• Putting compassion into real action• How discernment must guide compassion• Story of the starfish on the beach• How small acts of kindness affect others• Developing the inner disposition for kindness• Is compassion fatigue actually compassion?• The natural reciprocity of compassion • “Compassionomics” by Stephen Trzeciak• Why self-compassion is a struggle• Accepting the human condition• Drepung Loseling Monastery• H.H. Dalai Lama’s SEE Learning Program
Health. As a public speaker and workshop leader, he has presented at leading venues online and in person. A spiritual counselor, meditation teacher, and ordained Interfaith Minister as well, he hosts the Spirit Matters podcast and writes substantive essays on his Substack, Practical Spirituality with Philip Goldberg. “The same action can produce different karma depending on the state of the mind of the person doing it and their intention. Someone can write a big check, but if they’re doing it to get their name on a plaque, it doesn’t have the same karmic impact as a humble person giving what they can without any hope of recognition or any ego.” –Phil Goldberg
Help us celebrate 10 years of Be Here Now Network and support the next chapter of Ram Dass Here and Now. Gifts are matched dollar for dollar through June 30. Learn more and give at https://beherenownetwork.com/10years.M.J. Schwartz explores how to meet perfectionism with mindfulness and heal the cultural messages that keep us striving for impossible standards.In this episode, David and M.J. chat about:- M.J.’s introduction to mindfulness and meditation- How mindfulness was incorporated into M.J.’s work as a doula and midwife- Learning how to wisely deal with perfectionism - Healthy striving versus tethering our identity to a certain result- How childhood parentification can lead to adult perfectionism - Other-oriented perfectionism and criticizing those who do not meet our expectations - Picking up perfectionism from the world around us- Perfectionism’s role in eating disorders and the obsession with body size in our culture- Synchronizing the mind and body“Other-oriented perfectionism goes hand in glove with self-oriented perfectionism. If a parent is hyper-perfectionistic, there is a chance that they are then very hard on their children.“ –M.J. SchwartzAbout M.J. Schwartz:M.J. Schwartz is the founder of Studio138 Family Yoga and Mindfulness. Having started practicing yoga and mindfulness at age twelve, M.J. is passionate about sharing these modalities with families of all stages and configurations. As a parent and grandparent themselves, they understand the nuances of a practice that evolves alongside life's many changes.M.J. holds a B.A. in psychology from Smith College, where they studied perfectionism with a leading researcher in the field, along with certifications in mindfulness, yoga, and Intuitive Eating. Before returning to school in midlife, they worked as a doula, childbirth educator, and midwife, and continue to teach pregnancy and postpartum classes that blend mindfulness with evidence-based information. Check out M.J. on Substack.
Help us celebrate 10 years of Be Here Now Network and support the next chapter of Ram Dass Here and Now. Gifts are matched dollar for dollar through June 30. Learn more and give at https://beherenownetwork.com/10years.Followed by spoken-word poetry from Dreaming Bear, Ram Dass and Uma Reed explore how the union of Bhakti and Vedanta leads to unchanging bliss and eternal awareness.Recorded in 2008 at Studio Maui, this mini-series features Ram Dass and guests from his satsang. Check out the first two episodes of this mini-series on episodes 245 and 255 of the Be Here Now Network's Guest Podcast:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9unzwX_nQ_8https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B39siEQaQg8In this episode, Uma Reed and Ram Dass share insights on:- Weaving together the paths of Bhakti and Vedanta - Connecting to our blissful nature and a joy that is unchanging- Ram Dass’s mushroom trip at Tim Leary’s house: seeing the roles vs. the soul- Stripping everything away until you are pure awareness and love- Spoken word with Dreaming Bear- Loving all of each other the way we love our beloved- Giving yourself permission to become wild and undomesticatedAbout Uma Reed:Uma was first exposed to Hindu devotional chanting in the early 1970s, while studying meditation and spiritual practices with Ram Dass and various other teachers. Kirtan was a practice that touched her deeply, and as a devotee of Neem Karoli Baba, she often participated in kirtan gatherings with fellow devotees, as well as in other ashrams and spiritual communities. For years she held kirtan in her home, and for the past dozen years or so, she has led kirtan formally in yoga studios, spiritual centers, and retreat settings. She has taught workshops and led kirtan on numerous retreats and in satsang with Ram Dass and other spiritual teachers in the U.S. and abroad.About Dreaming Bear: Dreaming Bear is a master word-smith delivering his fervent message with extraordinary verbal dexterity and relevance. He's a nomadic bard, a hip mystic and modern-language Sufic style philosopher-poet. If you'd like to experience a living combination of Spaulding Gray, Rumi, Jack Kerouac, Robin Williams, Shel Silverstein, Michael Talbot and Thich Nhat Hanh, you owe it to yourself to see Dreaming Bear. The foundation for Dreaming Bear’s work as a transformational epic orator and poetic storyteller is deeply attuned to the natural world. His work as a university teacher/researcher was further defined by years spent living 'off the grid'. While in a deep communion with what the Hawaiians call the a'ina, or life force of the land, he began to take his artistry to a new level and developed many of the works that have proven to be inspiring to so many. Find out more about Nature’s Poet Laureate by reading a book of his poetry.“You will always exist. Isn’t that reassuring? You always exist.” –Ram Dass
the media culture in America - The constant process of revisiting our shadows - How everyone can be a social scientist - Healing as a private matter rather than a buzzword About Bia Labate, PhD:Dr. Bia Labate (Beatriz Caiuby Labate) is an anthropologist, educator, author, speaker, and activist, committed to the protection of sacred plants while amplifying the voices of marginalized communities in the psychedelic science field. As a queer Brazilian anthropologist based in San Francisco, she has been profoundly influenced by her experiences with ayahuasca since 1996. Dr. Labate has a Ph.D. in social anthropology from the University of Campinas (UNICAMP) in Brazil. Her work focuses on plant medicines, drug policy, shamanism, ritual, religion, and social justice. She is the Executive Director of the Chacruna Institute for Psychedelic Plant Medicines and serves as a Senior Advisor for Culture and Strategy at the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS). Additionally, she is a Visiting Scholar at the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley and acts as advisor for around 15 organizations, among them the Veteran Mental Health Leadership Coalition, Soltara Healing Center, Sacred Plant Alliance and the Alaska Entheogenic Awareness Council. Dr. Labate is also a co-founder of the Interdisciplinary Group for Psychoactive Studies (NEIP) in Brazil and the editor of its site. She has authored, co-authored, and co-edited 29 books, three special-edition journals, and numerous peer-reviewed and online publications.“You have different ways to define what is disease, and therefore you have different ways to define what is healing. These plant medicines originate from cultures that have different founding paradigms to understand reality itself.” –Bia Labate
Beginning with reflections on global crises and personal difficulty, Jack reminds us that while suffering is inevitable, how we respond is what shapes our lives.
Help us celebrate 10 years of Be Here Now Network and support the next chapter of Ram Dass Here and Now. Gifts are matched dollar for dollar through June 30. Learn more and give at https://beherenownetwork.com/10years.================Through faith, meditation, and surrender to the divine, RamDev explores the art of resting in presence—embracing all of life, light and dark alike.This time on Healing at the Edge, RamDev chats about:Recognizing that presence is always there, whether the mind is calm or notHow having faith in presence will actually quiet the mindA short guided meditationSeeing God in everything rather than trying to figure everything outTaking inspiration from Rumi and resting in the heart-caveFinding the space to be with what we feel, rather than wondering why we are feeling it Giving up our identity and story and being in presence itself Searching for an embodied sense of self which unites with The OneAccepting both the dark and the lightThe poem Lovedogs by RumiLiving without resistance to the divine unfolding of reality About RamDev Dale Borglum:RamDev Dale Borglum founded and directed the Hanuman Foundation Dying Center in Santa Fe, New Mexico, the first residential facility in the United States to support conscious dying. He has been the Executive Director of the Living/Dying Project in Santa Fe and since 1986 in the San Francisco Bay Area. He is the co-author with Ram Dass, Daniel Goleman and Dwarka Bonner of Journey of Awakening: A Meditator’s Guidebook, Bantam Books and has taught meditation since 1974.RamDev offers lectures and workshops on meditation, healing, spiritual support for those with life-threatening illness, and caregiving as spiritual practice. He has a doctorate degree from Stanford University. RamDev’s passion is the healing of our individual and collective fear of death so that we may be free.Learn more about RamDev’s work via the Living/Dying Project and follow him on Facebook | Instagram | YouTube | TikTok.“We in the West tend to think of presence or God as something positive, pleasant, and enjoyable, and yet, it’s all presence. There is nothing that isn’t.” –RamDev
Listen to the original Here and Now radio show! In this episode of the Here and Now Podcast, Ram Dass takes to the airwaves in 1996 to try his hand at a medium he hopes will bring us together and help us hear our place in the dance.To help celebrate BHNN’s 10th Anniversary, we present this recording of the original Here and Now radio show from December 8, 1996. On a quiet Sunday morning, Ram Dass takes to the airwaves on KSRO in Northern California to hang out with people in a compassionate way. He talks about doing this show as a way to help us hear our place in the dance and become free.Ram Dass opens up the phone lines to take some calls. He answers questions about keeping our hearts open in the presence of suffering, the fleeting nature of life, polarization, and conscious dying.The calls continue to roll in. Ram Dass talks about setting aside judgment, living in hard-hearted times, passing values on to the next generation, right livelihood, and Timothy Leary’s death. He ends the show by answering a question about what advice he would give to children.“ I see this as a way in which we can figure out together how to live our lives consciously, with awareness, so that we can have our hearts open to one another, to one another as a species, one another across species, to the Earth itself—in fact, to the entire cosmos—so that we can hear our place in the dance. Our place in the dance.” – Ram DassAbout Ram Dass:Ram Dass’s spirit has been a guiding light for generations, carrying millions along on the journey. Ram Dass teaches that through the Bhakti practice of unconditional love, we can all connect with our true nature. Through these teachings, Ram Dass has shared a little piece of his guru, Maharaj-ji, with all who have listened to him.
Now podcast. She is also a teacher, coach, and spiritual director with the privilege of marrying two decades of mystical studies with 15 years of expertise in holistic wellness. As an inter-spiritual minister, Jackie was ordained in Creation Spirituality in 2016 and has also studied extensively in several other lineages – the plant-medicine-based Pachakuti Mesa Tradition, Sri Vidya Tantra, Western European Shamanism, Christian Mysticism, the Wise Woman Tradition, and others. Today, in addition to building courses and community for LSRF, she leads workshops and coaches individuals to discover, nourish and live from their most authentic selves.
Old friends RamDev and Raghu revisit memories of Maharaj-ji as they explore the wisdom of holding both joy and sorrow in the awakened heart.Help us celebrate 10 years of Be Here Now Network and support the next chapter of Ram Dass Here and Now. Gifts are matched dollar for dollar through June 30. Learn more and give at https://beherenownetwork.com/10years.In this episode, Raghu and RamDev have a conversation on: - Memories with Maharaj-ji from Allahabad (now Prayagraj), India- The Tibetan Buddhist concept of Rigpa (the awakened mind)- K.C. Tewari’s constant mindfulness and advanced yogic state- Honoring the religion of our roots as we explore spirituality - Compassion: keeping your heart open when there is suffering - Tantric Buddhism and empowerment - Holding both joy and sadness at the same time - Shifting from the cerebral to embodied mindfulness practice - ‘Minding the gap’ between thoughts and the breath About RamDev:RamDev Dale Borglum is the founder and Executive Director of The Living/Dying Project. He is a pioneer in the conscious dying movement and has worked directly with thousands of people with life-threatening illness and their families for over 30 years. In 1981, Dale founded the first residential facility for people who wished to die consciously in the United States, The Dying Center. He has taught and lectured extensively on the topics of spiritual support for those with life-threatening illness, on caregiving as a spiritual practice, and on healing at the edge, the edge of illness, of death, of loss, of crisis. Check out RamDev’s podcast, Healing at the Edge, on the Be Here Now Network.“He’s looking at this picture, and the feeling started getting so thick. Some tears started coming down Maharaj-ji’s cheeks. The feeling was that he was remembering the moment when Ram embraced Hanuman. All the people in the front began weeping; there was so much love.”–RamDev
- Our tendency to project the past into the future- Recognizing Māna for what it is and letting the thoughts dissolve- How the residue of ‘I’ and ‘self’ can fall away during practice- Engaging the self just enough to live in the relative world “These days, I am totally delighted when I see Māna arise in my mind…one of the reasons I am delighted is that I would much rather see it than not see it to recognize 'that’s Māna', instead of not recognizing it and being caught up and identified with that pattern. Just the seeing of it is freeing.” –Joseph Goldstein
The Buddha taught a path of awakened living, but how does that manifest in today’s world of constant connectivity and widespread suffering?How do we keep our hearts open without being defined or hardened by the pain that surrounds us, whether personal, collective, or historical? How do we navigate the paradox of holding both pain and joy without mistaking suffering for punishment or personal failure? Can we infuse our compassion with wisdom and perspective to find the agency to take meaningful action in our communities?In her new series, Engaged Compassion, Sharon delves into these questions and more, engaging in candid conversations with a diverse group of teachers, activists, and changemakers. For the sixth episode in the series, Sharon’s speaks with teacher and change-maker Reggie Hubbard, marking his third appearance on the Metta Hour. Reggie is an internationally recognized yoga and meditation teacher and the founder and chief serving officer of Active Peace Yoga. Reggie's yoga and meditation practice have served as a sanctuary of peace and perspective while navigating the stresses of being a Black man in the world. He has been a featured speaker on new consciousness, racial justice, and civic engagement for leading wellness publications.In addition, Reggie has held many senior strategic and logistical roles across a variety of fields, ranging from global marketing to Presidential campaigning. His life's work sits at the intersection of bringing more peace and balance to activists, guiding the wellness community toward being more engaged, concerned citizens, and enhancing the well-being of all walks of life.In this conversation, Reggie and Sharon speak about:• Democracy as call and response• Re-imagining our current circumstance• What Reggie learned from his stroke• The ability to hope is crucial• Wisdom from Joanna Macy • External circumstance is not the end of the story• How spiritual life informs activism• There is no harvest without planting seeds• Reggie’s healing retreats for Men of Color• The challenges men face from patriarchy • Tending and mending grief• The importance of not-being-okay• Compassion versus the rising tides of hatred• “Love’s in need of love today” - Stevie Wonder• Why extend goodwill to those who harm us?• Compassion doesn’t dictate certain actions• Impermanence as a hope in dark times• What sphere of influence can you impact?• Joy as a radical act of self-care• There must be dancing in the revolution• Finding peace amidst extreme challenges
archivist for Love Serve Remember Foundation. He spends his time curating Ram Dass content for podcasts, courses, and much more.
Help us celebrate 10 years of Be Here Now Network and support the next chapter of Ram Dass Here and Now. Gifts are matched dollar for dollar through June 30. Learn more and give at https://beherenownetwork.com/10years.This time on The Four Sacred Gifts podcast, Community organizer Britt Gondolfi joins Anita to explore the impact of knowing your roots, embracing your story, and becoming a force for good.Anita and Britt explore:- What it means to understand the self and the shame we carry with us - The importance of tracing where you come from- Connecting to our ancestors in dream life and waking life- Taking responsibility for the care of ecosystems - The beauty of being in community with people who want to do something good- Navigating conflict through love - Going to court on behalf of our environment About Britt Gondolfi:Britt Gondolfi, born and raised in Southeast Louisiana, is a children’s book author, community organizer, and mother. Since 2017, Britt has worked with the Bioneers Intercultural Conversation Program, facilitating programming for students from Atlanta, Bogalusa, and Houma. While in law school, Britt supported the Bioneers Rights of Nature initiative by researching the intersection of tribal sovereignty and Federal Indian law, facilitating workshops on the Rights of Nature at the Ho-Chunk and Mashpee Wampanoag nations. She recently took a stand for women’s rights, running a fierce campaign for State Senate in Louisiana. Her first Children’s book, “Look Up! Fontaine the Pigeon Starts a Revolution,” is a hilarious social commentary on digital distraction and Nature’s fight to save us from ourselves. “I have to recognize that all of that historical memory lives in me, and within this body and lifetime. How do I alchemize the lessons of all of my ancestors? ” – Britt Gondolfi
Exploring the factors of enlightenment, Vipassana teacher Trudy Goodman offers listeners ‘the good news’ of Buddhist Practice.
In the second half of this powerful wartime talk, Jack Kornfield guides us through the practice of lovingkindness and explores what it means to stay open-hearted in the face of exhaustion, grief, and overwhelm.
Krishna Das reflects on Maharaj-ji’s teaching that all names, forms, and journeys lead to the same truth.
With both insight and vulnerability, Author Annette Knopp explores how our earliest attachment experiences shape the way we love, relate, and walk in this world.In this episode, David and Annette chat about:- Connecting to our own personal experiences within a creative process- The intersection of healing and liberation- Annette’s journey through complex post-traumatic stress disorder- How our unhealed parental projections create issues within our relationships - Attachment trauma and somatic healing work- How our psychological blueprint begins as early as the womb- The theory of being a ‘good enough’ parent 30% of the time- Offering repair and having a baseline of secure attachment - Working with our unmet needs through awareness and observation- Looking at the message (imprint) rather than the messenger (trigger)- The motherly presence that is within the path of healingJoin Dharma Moon’s for their 100-hour course on teaching mindfulness meditation or for a course on meditation and embodied wisdom About Annette Knopp:Annette Knopp is the author of Mystic Nomad: A Woman's Wild Journey to True Connection and co-founder of Blue Spirit Retreat Center in Costa Rica. A meditation teacher, somatic educator, and nature mystic rooted in 30 years of personal contemplative practice, she weaves Indo-Tibetan meditation, Andean earth-based practices, and modern Western approaches to trauma resolution into transformative teaching and mentorship. Her work bridges ancient wisdom and contemporary healing in service of human dignity, wholeness, and embodied connection.Grab a copy of Annette’s book, Mystic Nomad: A Woman's Wild Journey to True Connection, or join her in Costa Rica for an upcoming retreat.
What does it mean to see psychedelics as tools or guides instead of solutions?Dakota and his guest, Your Mate Tom, look at how transpersonal experiences provide insight yet still require real-world integration, self-work, and spiritual practice to fully embody.If Dakota’s perspective resonates with you, you’ll enjoy Tom’s documentaries, vlogs, and in-depth interviews that explore psychedelics, personal transformation, and the world at large through a different lens. Explore this topic further over on the ‘Your Mate Tom’ YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@yourmatetom(Sorry folks, no extended interview this week. All the goodness is packed into this episode!)This time on The Flower Heads Show:What can be learned from spending time with shamans The pharmacy of the Amazon jungle How Bhavani Baba helped Dakota direct the wisdom of Sapo to the right placeHow psychedelics give us a hall pass to accept our powerPutting what psychedelics show us into practiceLoving yourself first and treating your mind, body, and heart wellA chat with Dakota and YouTuber ‘Your Mate Tom’ while in IndiaWisdom and unconventional teachings from Neem Karoli Baba The basic yet profound practice of feeding people and chanting the name of God About Dakota Wint:Dakota Wint is a documentary filmmaker, vlogger, podcast host, and spiritual teacher from Detroit, Michigan. His films and podcasts revolve around current events, strange spirituality, and taboo traditions. You can subscribe to his podcast, A Place for Humans, HERE. Dakota grew to fame as an internet personality via his popular YouTube channel, Dakota of Earth. Dakota hosts retreats around the world and runs a non-profit focused on cultural and language preservation. Learn more about current happenings on his website.“The sapo (toad) works. The psychedelics work. But we have to look at where they’re pointing and not confuse the light within the substance itself with what it shows us. It is a spotlight saying, ‘Hey, look over here.’” — Dakota Wint
Author and speaker Eric Zimmer shares how committing to small, sustainable habits transformed his life—moving him from addiction and homelessness to integrity and meaning.
Atheist spiritual director Britt Hartley explores climbing out of the void and building a life that is worth experiencing rather than focusing on what comes next.
While offering a guided meditation, Gil Fronsdal traces the movement between knowing, feeling, and relaxing in our practice.
From her research into female spiritual role models, Writer Erica Bassani joins Raghu to discuss her new book which offers an exploration of faith, practice, and feminine power.
Middle Eastern Medicine Musician Yehoo Shalem frames life as a psychedelic experience, tracing how sound, prayer, and mindfulness can create intimacy with the divine.
Embracing the ever-changing nature of identity, queer somatic experiencing practitioner Coral Short discusses Buddhism’s place in polyamory, trans-embodiment, and more.
In this deeply moving talk offered to those living through war in Ukraine, Jack Kornfield reminds us that even in the most difficult conditions, the human heart has the capacity to remain open, compassionate, and free.
In this 1980 talk, Ram Dass explores how we aren’t who we think we are and leads a meditative experience to help us quiet down enough to become statements of the universe's wisdom. This episode of Here and Now is from a retreat at the Embassy Auditorium in Los Angeles in 1980. Check back soon for the second half of this talk.In the City of Angels, Ram Dass wonders what he might say to a gathering of angels. He talks about how we aren’t who we think we are and accepting our humanity in order to fully awaken.Ram Dass reads a story to help us understand how we can listen clearly to another human being. He explores how our desires color everything we see, and how we can break identification with them. Ram Dass talks about how the guru is like a pure mirror that lets us see who we truly are. He leads a meditative experience to help us quiet down enough to become statements of the wisdom of the universe.“If everything in your life had come out the way you expected it to, your life wouldn’t be nearly as interesting as it’s turned out to be, would it?” – Ram Dass
Joseph Goldstein explores gradual cultivation, highlighting that even if we are suddenly awakened, we still must have an ongoing practice to work with hindrances and ingrained habits.This week on Insight Hour, Joseph Goldstein discusses:- The areas of life where clinging shows up most - How clinging to sensory pleasures is so embedded in our culture- Lightening up for enlightenment and not taking ourselves so seriously - How a sense of humor can benefit our practice - Unhelpful attachment to view and opinion- The unity of clarity and emptiness (self-existing wakefulness)- The Buddhist meaning of unborn/unformed - Uprooting of the view of self with the understanding that there is still more work to do- Having an ongoing, gradual cultivation of skillful means This episode was originally published on Dharmaseed and recorded at the Barre Center for Buddhist Studies, a non-profit organization founded by renowned meditation teachers Joseph Goldstein and Sharon Salzberg to integrate Buddhist study and practice.“Very often, people can have genuine realization and have a really deep understanding, and then get attached to that as if everything is done. So very often these folks can get engaged in skillful behavior, thinking it’s all coming from their deep realization, it’s really coming from all the work that still needs to be done.” –Joseph Goldstein
Moving beyond the imagined boundary of form, Alan Watts explores the idea that humanity is a microcosm of the universe and that the two are inseparable. This time on Being in the Way, Alan Watts discusses:- Considering whether being part of a whole means that we are the whole- The radial structure of humanity, Earth, and all beings- Recognizing that skin is not the boundary of man- How foreign the inner workings of the human body seem to humanness- The nature of the mind, likened to the nature of space- The illusion of an individual operating from himself - Blending together materialism and mysticism, not getting too stuck in one or the other This series is brought to you by the Alan Watts Organization and Ram Dass’ Love Serve Remember Foundation. “Any other way of looking at things is kind of schizoid. It looks at human beings as if they arrived in this world like a bunch of birds on the branches of a barren tree. They just got settled there, they don’t belong, a sense of being strangers and pilgrims from another domain altogether. Well, where is this other domain, and how does it relate to this one?” –Alan Watts
Ram Dass and Uma Reed lovingly explore bhakti yoga, fierce grace, and the spiritual practice of seeing beyond incarnation to the soul in everyone.
Author, journalist, and co-founder of DoubleBlind, Madison Margolin, joins Raghu to explore her latest project: creating a roadmap to tripping, microdosing, and beyond.
Teaching listeners how to get out of the mind and trust in the heart, RamDev guides us through embodied faith practices.“Faith is not certainty, it’s steadiness inside uncertainty.” –RamDev This time on Healing at the Edge, RamDev explores:Having faith within our hearts rather than only our mindsUsing sensation as a gateway into experiencing presence How talking about something trivial can allow us to enter the heart space The moving, changing nature of the mind Softening into the body and releasing tensionMaintaining steadiness in the midst of uncertainty Trusting in the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha Noticing the subtle changes in the fields of our 5 sensesWisely and compassionately responding to the next moment Guru Yoga: Installing the deity into your body“To trust in the heart has a lot to do with trusting being in the body. It’s very difficult to be thinking and be with your sensations at the same time. The heart is a felt experience.” –RamDev About RamDev Dale Borglum:RamDev Dale Borglum founded and directed the Hanuman Foundation Dying Center in Santa Fe, New Mexico, the first residential facility in the United States to support conscious dying. He has been the Executive Director of the Living/Dying Project in Santa Fe and since 1986 in the San Francisco Bay Area. He is the co-author with Ram Dass, Daniel Goleman and Dwarka Bonner of Journey of Awakening: A Meditator’s Guidebook, Bantam Books and has taught meditation since 1974.RamDev offers lectures and workshops on meditation, healing, spiritual support for those with life-threatening illness, and caregiving as spiritual practice. He has a doctorate degree from Stanford University. RamDev’s passion is the healing of our individual and collective fear of death so that we may be free.
Sharon Salzberg's Engaged Compassion Series: Jerry Colonna and Parker Palmer | Metta Hour Ep. 286 by Be Here Now Network
Teaching listeners to incline the mind towards peacefulness, Trudy Goodman offers practical ways to be calm and experience the blessings of tranquility.In this episode, Trudy Goodman holds a talk on:- Calm as a factor of enlightenment - Having an intimate connection with our own experience- Practical ways to calm down - Making our lives a living vigil of silence - Being in the holding presence of another- The mothering nature of mindfulness- How metta brings us self-compassion and calm - Inclining the mind towards practice and peacefulness- Witnessing the blessings of tranquilityThis was recorded at Spirit Rock and was originally published on DharmaseedAbout Trudy Goodman:Trudy is a Vipassana teacher in the Theravada lineage and the Founding Teacher of InsightLA. For 25 years, in Cambridge, MA, Trudy practiced mindfulness-based psychotherapy with children, teenagers, couples and individuals. Trudy conducts retreats, engages in activism work, and teaches workshops worldwide and online. She is also the voice of Trudy the Love Barbarian in the Netflix series, The Midnight Gospel. “One person happily reported in our meeting, I asked, ‘what is happening in your practice, how are you doing?’ This person said ‘nothing, nothing is happening. It took 30 days but finally nothing is happening.’ This is calm. It’s really very neutral.” –Trudy Goodman
In this powerful dialogue, Jack Kornfield responds to questions from the community about some of the deepest challenges of the human heart.
Ram Dass explores how understanding the wheels of birth and death helps us appreciate the preciousness of our incarnation. This episode of Here and Now is from a retreat in Chappell Hill, Texas, in September of 1980. As an introduction to this talk on death, Ram Dass reads from William Buck’s version of the Ramayana. He begins to share what he has learned about death through a combination of his life experiences, study, and his guru. Ram Dass talks about the process of dying and advises us that the best preparation for death is to live in the moment. He says that if we know someone who has died, we can still talk with them and help guide them through any confusion they might have.Understanding the wheels of birth and death allows us to appreciate the preciousness of our incarnation. Ram Dass shares stories of his work with dying people and how it’s the highest thing he does in life. He says that death is just another moment of a continuous dance of illusion.“The most exciting adventure of life is dying. You might as well enjoy it.” – Ram DassAbout Ram Dass:Ram Dass’s spirit has been a guiding light for generations, carrying millions along on the journey. Ram Dass teaches that through the Bhakti practice of unconditional love, we can all connect with our true nature. Through these teachings, Ram Dass has shared a little piece of his guru, Maharaj-ji, with all who have listened to him.
Resting in the field of love that ‘just is’, Gil Fronsdal explores how to live for the benefit of both self and others.
Exploring the vital role of boundaries, Dr. Lissa Rankin calls on the medical and wellness fields to confront power imbalances and deepen their understanding of trauma.
A special, Krishna Das offers powerful insights on navigating the turmoil of the human experience through devotional practice.
Islamic Studies. As a peer-reviewed author, Anu has written and spoken extensively, including on the TED stage, the Oprah Conversation, Fast Company, and Newsweek. His first book, “Breaking Bias” came out in 2024 from Hay House and he currently shares his writings via his Substack, Soul Force for the 21st Century.In this conversation, Sharon and Anu speak about:- How to cultivate goodwill- Bearing witness to suffering- Working with anger and delusion- Teachings from the Bhagavad Gita- Compassion’s near and far enemies- Non-attachment in activism- Joseph Goldstein’s essential teachings- Equanimity in practice- Combining the spiritual, personal, and political - Collective consciousness as an ocean- Wisdom from Margaret Mead, Gandhi, and MLK Jr.- Boundaries around media- Buddha’s five remedies for anger-The lifelines of Sangha (community) To close out the episode, Anu leads a guided meditation.
Exploring her “No-BS” approach to yoga and mindfulness, Oneika Mays joins Raghu Markus to discuss the amazing things that happen when we sit down and get in tune with ourselves. In this episode, Raghu and Oneika chat about: - The false sense of protection that comes from building emotional walls - Grief and coping with the sense that things are unfinished - Finding oneself over and over again through yoga and mindfulness practice - Noticing internal sensations, emotions, desires, and beyond on the yoga mat- Oneika’s transformative work in the prison system and learning to appreciate the concept of seva (service)- Looking deeply into our sense of resistance - Love as a strength rather than a weakness- Ram Dass’s practice of loving awareness and getting excited about the power of love- A prayer for all beings to be happy and free- Healing and restoration rather than punishment and incarceration About Oneika Mays:Oneika Mays, she/her, LMT, E-RYT, is a multi-hyphenate facilitator who leads with joy, passion, and wisdom. She is a grounded leader with lived experience that centers on mindfulness and transformation. She brings a poignant lens to building a world that is more compassionate and understanding. With deep roots and knowledge in Buddhist and yogic teachings, Oneika delivers practical application and authentic connection through her facilitation skills. With openness and vulnerability, she facilitates the space to talk about change and embrace every part of ourselves. Check out Oneika’s recently released book, Sit with Me, and learn more about her on her website.“It’s me, inside out and connecting to the world rather than pushing back against something. It was one of the first times I felt like love wasn’t a weakness, but instead gave me strength to show up fully.” –Oneika Mays
In this illuminating talk, Jack explores the heart of freedom through the lens of his friendship with Ram Dass, reflecting on how to cultivate a heart that can meet it all with loving awareness.
Shaolin Martial Artist Paula Lazarz explores the alchemy of self-defense and Zen Buddhism to reach ultimate inner and outer balance in practice.In this episode, Paula Lazarz provides insights on:- Developing a beginner's mind and a commitment to practice- Including the mystery of Zen for Kung Fu testing- Guiding love in a martial arts environment - How martial arts reflect the true nature within you- Interweaving Zen practice with self-defense- Facing violence in the world and within ourselves - Discovering more about our own anger and shadows - Uniting our minds and bodies in a complete way- Releasing embedded cellular anger in order to practice more deeply- Practicing stillness just as much as we practice movement- Paula’s ‘homecoming’ within monastic practice This conversation was originally recorded on the Paths of Practice Podcast. Listen to more episodes on their YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@PathsofPracticeAbout Paula Lazarz:Paula Lazarz is a full-time Shaolin martial artist. She also served as an ordained priest in the Zen Buddhist lineage of Shunryu Suzuki for 10 years before giving up her robes in 2026. Her over two decades of study in the martial arts and Buddhist practice has been an exploration of the idea of the historical Shaolin Temple, culminating in Warrior’s Path Buddhist Academy. Paula studies the practical and historical connections between Shaolin Kung Fu and Zen Buddhism. Her teaching and business philosophy places an emphasis on helping individuals of all ages gain physical, emotional, psychological and spiritual balance using the multi-faceted disciplines of Shaolin Kung Fu. Paula is a co-owner of Energy Fitness, Inc., Head Instructor at HealthKick Kung Fu and a Practice Leader at Ancient Dragon Zen Gate.About Vincent Moore:Vincent Moore is a creative and creative consultant living in San Francisco, California, with over a decade of experience in the entertainment industry and holds a graduate degree in Buddhist Studies. For years, he performed regularly at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre, an improv and sketch comedy theatre based in New York and Los Angeles. As an actor, Vincent performed on Comedy Central, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, The Late Show with Seth Meyers, Above Average, and The UCB Show on Seeso. As a writer, he developed for television as well as stage, including work with the Blue Man Group, and his own written projects have been featured on websites such as Funny or Die. Additionally, he received a Masters of Buddhist Studies from the Institute of Buddhist Studies with a Certificate in Soto Zen Studies and engages in a personal Buddhist practice within the Soto Zen tradition. Vincent is also the creator and host of the podcast, Paths of Practice, which features interviews with Buddhists from all over the world. “Martial art practice forces you to look at the dark side of humanity on a daily basis; you’re learning how to defend yourself against violence so you’re thinking about the reasons people get violent all the time. This is the Shaolin perspective: we know that if we only look at that all of the time that we might become an extremely aggressive person that doesn’t understand how to use it properly, that’s why there needs to be a balance in the training as well.” –Paula Lazarz
In this exploration of the practice of karma yoga, Ram Dass talks about the sweetness of service and how the mystery of the universe is in the precise action of the moment. This episode of Here and Now is from a retreat at the Lama Foundation in July of 1986. After priming us with a quote from the poet Kabir, Ram Dass explores the bhakti component of the yoga of service. It is the practice of seeing the Beloved everywhere. He talks about allowing time in our lives to process what’s going on and come back to center. Ram Dass continues to speak about the nature of karma yoga, saying the mystery of the universe is in the precise action of the moment. He talks about burnout and knowing our limits, and advises us to read about Hanuman.Using the example of caring for his aging father, Ram Dass shows us the sweetness of service. Service can be a vehicle for us to lighten, loosen, let go, open, allow, and appreciate.About Ram Dass:Ram Dass’s spirit has been a guiding light for generations, carrying millions along on the journey. Ram Dass teaches that through the Bhakti practice of unconditional love, we can all connect with our true nature. Through these teachings, Ram Dass has shared a little piece of his guru, Maharaj-ji, with all who have listened to him. The Ram Dass community gathers regularly to engage in meaningful discussions about the podcast. We invite you to join us and share your curiosities, insights, and wisdom. Sign up for the General Fellowship to receive event invitations directly in your inbox.“It gets to be so sweet to meet people through service that finally all you can express is your appreciation to them for allowing you to serve them.” – Ram Dass
“What’s going on with us being more connected, we’ve absolutely voluntarily given up our privacy, we see atrocities all over the world and it’s so overwhelming that almost the form of activism is to tune it out...it does set the scene for a movement to transpire, certainly brilliant art in literature, music, and cinema. I think we’re still waiting to see the explosion. I hope it comes this decade, it might not come till next decade, but something is going on.” –Shiva BaumAbout Shiva Baum:Aside from being Raghu’s beloved nephew, Shiva Baum was a record producer and peak performance coach. With expertise in sacred mantra chanting, Shiva was the head of music programming for the world-renowned yoga music festivals Bhakti Fest and Shakti Fest. 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.
Illuminating the power of boundless love, Frank Ostaseski explains how love dissolves perceived limits and transforms our relationship to fear, doubt, and desire.
Environmental health advocate Mackenzie Feldman reveals how grassroots action and land stewardship can reshape our relationship with the earth, from the grounds of college campuses to the food systems that sustain us all.
the relief we can feel from allowing emotions to wash over us About Bryan Welch:Bryan Welch is an author, business executive, farmer, and entrepreneur. For nineteen years, from its founding, he ran Ogden Publications, Mother Earth News, Mother Earth Living, Utne Reader, and several other leading media brands focused on sustainability and natural health. More recently, he served as co-CEO of Silk Grass Holdings, a family office developing 32,000 acres of regenerative organic farms and wildlife preserves in Belize. He was founder and CEO of B The Change Media, a multiplatform media company focused on business as a force for good in the world; and was CEO of Mindful Communications, a media and corporate meditation-training company; and CEO of Foster Care Technologies, a B Corporation that provides software that improves placements of children in foster care. Welch has served on the boards of the Silk Grass Farms, the Magazine Publishers Association, the Social Venture Network, Down Home Ranch Foundation, and several nonprofits. He has also served on corporate boards of directors and advisory boards of companies involved in natural foods, agriculture, food processing, e-commerce, corporate training, and the media. He holds a master’s degree from Harvard University, where he studied at the Kennedy School of Government and Harvard Business School. As a Buddhist, Welch is a longtime meditator and advocate for mindfulness practices. Keep up with Bryan on Facebook and check out thegiftofabrokenheart.com.“I spent some energy over the course of my life separating myself psychologically from the suffering from others, from the potential for my own suffering, and when I was up against it, I didn’t have those reasons to separate myself any longer. I felt a new sense of kinship with other people who were suffering. It occurred to me that as part of the healing, I wanted to see if I could preserve the new warmth I felt, the new openheartedness I felt. When your child dies of mental illness and addiction, you don’t want the pain and turmoil to be their legacy.” –Bryan Welch
Discussing the inspiration behind her upcoming album, Bhumi Devi, Nina Rao and Raghu Markus explore preserving the planet and devotion to the sacred mother.Support the presale of Bhumi Devi and find lyrics to numerous chants on Nina’s website.This week on Mindrolling, Raghu and Nina chat about: - Moderating our consumption and doing our best to heal the earth- Nina’s work in preserving wilderness areas- Wisely receiving gifts from Mother Earth while preserving uncorrupted lands- The unconditional love and presence that resonates through Maharaj-ji- The reciprocal relationship we have with the divine- When Nina met Siddhi Ma, and seeing her as merged with Maharaj-ji- The first time Nina chanted for Siddhi Ma- Satsang: connecting with Maharaj-ji through community- Prayers to the Goddess in Nina’s new album, Bhumi Devi About 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 beyond. Together with Chandra and Genevieve Walker, Nina operates the 21 Taras Collective. You can keep up with Nina on her website or find her on Instagram @nina_rao and on Facebook @NinaRaoChant.“Even if we’ve never met Maharaj-ji, we understand presence, we understand sacred divine presence that holds love, peace, equanimity, understanding, a place where you feel free on some level. That happened to me as a child, chanting to my grandpa, living close to the earth, engaging in ritual, and creating a space where we can offer gratitude.” –Nina Rao
Trudy Goodman offers dharma teachings on conflict and kindness, helping us build a loving awareness of who we truly are.In this episode, Trudy Goodman holds a talk on:- How our thoughts shape our identity and can create mental prisons- Breaking free from fixed ideas about ourselves, others, and the world- Starting with ourselves: offering kindness to our inner critic - Uniting in our shared intention to cultivate loving-kindness- Living in a world of complexity without creating suffering in ourselves and others- The Tibetan practice of exchanging the self for another - Inspiration from children and appreciating the present moment- Making friends with our lives rather than living in conflict - Relating wisely to situations and forgiving ourselves for being imperfect This recording from a 2013 retreat at Spirit Rock was originally published on DharmaseedAbout Trudy Goodman:Trudy is a Vipassana teacher in the Theravada lineage and the Founding Teacher of InsightLA. For 25 years, in Cambridge, MA, Trudy practiced mindfulness-based psychotherapy with children, teenagers, couples and individuals. Trudy conducts retreats, engages in activism work, and teaches workshops worldwide and online. She is also the voice of Trudy the Love Barbarian in the Netflix series, The Midnight Gospel. You can learn more about Trudy’s flourishing array of wonderful offerings at TrudyGoodman.com“We live in a very conditioned culture, probably every culture is to some extent. We see so clearly the various 'isms' that cause suffering. Racism, ageism, sexism, classism, all the gender stereotypes, homophobia, the list goes on and on. We’re studying here how to be present in loving awareness. When we’re not caught, there’s such a sense of possibility.” –Trudy Goodman
Explaining how collective grief may manifest as anger, RamDev teaches listeners how they can transform negative emotions into compassionate action.
In this deeply grounding guided meditation, Jack Kornfield invites us to rest in mindful loving awareness and gratitude for the miracle of being alive.
Ram Dass explores the process of listening and tuning that takes place on the spiritual journey as we find the practices that align with our unique karmic predicaments. This episode of Here and Now is from a workshop at the Lama Foundation in July of 1982. Outside in the mountains of New Mexico, Ram Dass speaks about the process of listening and tuning to hear the unique predicament of our spiritual journey. The quieter we get, the more we can hear which spiritual practice is the right one for us in the moment.Ram Dass talks about appreciating how all methods are traps. There is an excitement and joy in finding a method that’s harmonious with our being, and a sadness when that method self-ejects. He focuses on the practice of karma yoga and his own pattern of going out into the world, and then retreating for a period of time.To listen and tune, we must be willing to let go of our models. There must be a quietness of mind. To illustrate this point, Ram Dass reads a story about the Dalai Lama’s personal physician, Yeshi Dhonden. He closes the talk by saying, “All of these methods are, indeed, methods of purification, methods to prepare you as an instrument to hear so that your actions are in harmony with the way of things.”“You can’t grab. You can only listen and tune, and listen and tune, and listen and tune. And in the process of listening and tuning, you keep hearing many, many guides and instructions.” – Ram DassThe Ram Dass community gathers regularly to engage in meaningful discussions about the podcast. We invite you to join us and share your curiosities, insights, and wisdom. Sign up for the General Fellowship to receive event invitations directly in your inbox.
Co-Founder of Centered, a unique mental health center for integrative healing. Dr. Krause pursues his work through various schools of philosophy, psychotherapy and pharmacology, as well as meditation, yoga, tantra, sex therapy and psychedelic therapy. Dr. Krause holds a BA in Philosophy from WCSU, a certificate in Nursing and a Master of Science degree from the Yale School of Nursing, and a doctoral degree in nursing practice from Quinnipiac University. His doctoral research work was focused on using a program of yoga and meditation to decrease incidents of aggression in an inpatient psychiatric unit. He also holds certifications in Global Mental Health: Trauma and Recovery from Harvard University, and certificates in both Psychedelic Assisted Therapy and Research and Sex Therapy from the California Institute for Integral Studies.“When I started studying psychedelic therapy about ten years ago, one of the things that was really front and center was the importance of set and setting. The setting for psychiatric work should be as important, but the setting for psychedelic work is very important because if we’re going to give people medicine that’s going to really open them up, in order to do that, they have to feel like they’re in a safe environment.” –Robert KrauseAbout Vicki Marnin:Vicki Marnin, RN, CNM, APRN-BC, is a board certified psychiatric nurse practitioner. She has been assisting with ketamine assisted therapies for the past two years at Centered. Vicki has developed her skills for holding space for journeys in her practice as a midwife for the past 27 Years. Her path has turned toward helping people with personal growth, and mental health concerns. “The day before your ketamine session, I want you to clean up your space so that when you come home it’s beautiful for you. I want you to make some food so you don’t have to struggle. You’re greeting this new, vulnerable, potential self. Put some flowers in your room, make sure your sheets are clean. I want it to signify a beginning that people may hold onto as a sign post, as a commitment to themselves.” –Vicki Marnin
Interfaith peace counselor Patrick McCollum and documentary filmmaker Gabe Polsky share the powerful prophecy that united the Amazon and led to making their film, The Man Who Saves the World?This week on Mindrolling, Raghu speaks with his guests, Gabe and Patrick, about: - The origin story behind The Man Who Saves the World? and the real-life journey that inspired the film- How diverse Amazonian tribes are connected through shared spiritual practices and plant communication- The meaning of the Roxa Prophecy and why the Amazon is considered the “heart of the world”- Efforts to unite the Amazonian tribes to save the rainforest and its inhabitants - Our universal journey to understand reality and our purpose in life- How psychedelics, indigenous wisdom, and other spiritual pursuits open doors to new perspectives- Bursting the bubble of our constructed reality - Patrick’s work as a bridge between “the people of the concrete” (modern society) and the indigenous About Patrick McCollum:Patrick McCollum is an interfaith chaplain, spiritual mentor, and peace counselor. Patrick was inspired by the Great Mother to promote a sacred universal vision that respects religious and cultural diversity and advances pluralism. As a dedicated peacemaker, Patrick brings forth a well-timed meta-narrative of universal magnitude that is alerting the world of the sacredness of all beings. Patrick is the founder and president of The McCollum Foundation for Peace, which aims to discover and implement positive, workable, and sustainable strategies that create local and global change and peace in all areas of life.“Their ancient story said that one day, thousands of years later, the Amazon would be in trouble. It would be burning, the water would be poisoned, and the indigenous people and their wisdom would be wiped out. When that happened, the creator would send the spirit of Roxa into a man or woman and that person would unite all of the indigenous people of the Amazon and help them create a strategy to save the heart of the world.” –Patrick McCollumAbout Gabe Polsky:Gabe Polsky is a filmmaker, director, producer, and writer best known for the documentaries Red Army (2014) and In Search of Greatness (2018). Known for pushing the boundaries of documentary filmmaking, Gabe Polsky has built a reputation for uncovering stories that challenge perception, provoke thought, and entertain. His work has premiered at major international festivals including the Cannes Film Festival, the Toronto International Film Festival, the Telluride Film Festival, and the New York Film Festival. “After 8 years of pursuit from these tribes, he agreed to try and unfold this prophecy. I learned about this, and I got caught up in this story as well, following Patrick down to the Amazon to try and fulfill this prophecy. It’s this wild spiritual adventure, very funny, very strange, it’s a film that has a lot of deep meaning.” –Gabe Polsky
Drawing on the wisdom of The Four Resolves, Gil Fronsdal discusses finding our own inner strength to remain committed to the path of practice. This week on the BHNN Guest Podcast, Gil Fronsdal illuminates:- Gil’s own introduction to Vipassana practice - How sickness, old age, and death motivated the Buddha- Spiritual support and determination at Zen monasteries - Why cultivating your own inner resolve is one of the greatest challenges on retreat- The Four Resolves of Buddhism: truth, wisdom, generosity, peace- How Vipassana practice is dependent on allowing the truth to reveal itself- Discovering truth in the smallest moments through mindful awareness- How everyday mindfulness builds the resilience needed for life’s most challenging moments- Letting our hearts be generous and stepping out of self-preoccupation- Surfing the ways of life without drowning: becoming one with the ocean- This episode was originally published on Dharmaseed“It does take some inner resolve, determination, to keep hanging in here sometimes. It’s so easy to come down for tea, go to your room, go for a hike, all of which is appropriate at times, and inappropriate at others. What we’re asked here at Spirit Rock, it’s more challenging than at a zen monastery. It’s up to you much more. You have to find it in yourself.” –Gil FronsdalAbout Gil Fronsdal:Gil Fronsdal is the co-teacher for the Insight Meditation Center in Redwood City, California; he has been teaching since 1990. He has practiced Zen and Vipassana in the U.S. and Asia since 1975. He was a Theravada monk in Burma in 1985, and in 1989 began training with Jack Kornfield to be a Vipassana teacher. Gil teaches at Spirit Rock Meditation Center where he is part of its Teachers Council. Gil was ordained as a Soto Zen priest at the San Francisco Zen Center in 1982, and in 1995 received Dharma Transmission from Mel Weitsman, the abbot of the Berkeley Zen Center. He currently serves on the SF Zen Center Elders’ Council. In 2011, he founded IMC’s Insight Retreat Center. He is the author of The Issue at Hand, essays on mindfulness practice; A Monastery Within; a book on the five hindrances called Unhindered; and the translator of The Dhammapada, published by Shambhala Publications. You may listen to Gil’s talks on Audio Dharma.“The truth will liberate you because when you keep showing up moment by moment to what’s true, you have to confront and meet all of the forces inside you that want to veer off from what is true, to not stay present.” –Gil Fronsdal
–Krishna DasAbout 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.
The Buddha taught a path of awakened living, but how does that manifest in today’s world of constant connectivity and widespread suffering?How do we keep our hearts open without being defined or hardened by the pain that surrounds us, whether personal, collective, or historical? How do we navigate the paradox of holding both pain and joy, without mistaking suffering for punishment or personal failure? Can we infuse our compassion with wisdom and perspective to find the agency to take meaningful action in our communities? In her new series, Engaged Compassion, Sharon delves into these questions and more, engaging in candid conversations with a diverse group of teachers, activists, and changemakers.For the second episode in the series, Sharon speaks with Valarie Kaur, making her third appearance on the Metta Hour.Valarie is a renowned social justice leader, lawyer, award-winning filmmaker, faith leader, mother, and best-selling author of See No Stranger, Sage Warrior, and World of Wonder. She leads the Revolutionary Love Project, building a movement to reclaim love as a force for justice. A daughter of Punjabi Sikh farmers in California, Valarie earned degrees at Stanford University, Harvard Divinity School, and Yale Law School and holds several honorary doctorates. She lives in LA in a multi-generational family.Please note this conversation contains discussion of gun violence and ICE brutality.In this conversation, Valarie and Sharon speak about:- Valarie’s Revolutionary Bus Tour- Embodying a world we want to live in- Engagement over Escapism- Wisdom from Angela Harrelson- Valerie’s recent time in Minneapolis- Redefining what it is to be a “neighbor”- Reclaiming the best of our ancestral wisdom- Shifting from either/our to both/and- Breathing to alchemize suffering- A future that leaves no one behind- Love as our birthright- How to love opponents without giving in- The importance of humanizing the enemy- The whole world is our family- We don’t go to battle alone- Community care versus self-care- Different forms of resistance- Mai Bhago and the 40 Liberated Ones
– Dr. Phil WolfsonAbout Dr. Phil Wolfson:Phil Wolfson MD was Principal Investigator for the MAPS sponsored Phase 2, FDA approved 18-person study of MDMA Assisted Psychotherapy for individuals with significant anxiety due to life threatening illnesses. His clinical practice with ketamine has informed his leadership role in the development of Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy. Phil’s book, The Ketamine Papers, has been published by MAPS and is the seminal work in the burgeoning ketamine arena. “I think of psychedelics as a tool for the most part. I've long done it within my framework of assisted psychotherapy, the legal period with MDMA, the legal medicine ketamine, which is expansive. It is truly a numinous experience, an experience of full ego dissolution with the possibility of reformation. I've always seen it in the landscape of overall development. Psychedelics need to be framed within personal development, love, sexuality, exploration, and of the course the issue of being on the path.” –Dr. Phil WolfsonAbout Gagan Levy:Gagan Levy is the Founder/CEO of Guru, an award-winning creative agency dedicated to serving purpose-driven movements, brands, and organizations. They work with impactful brands like Patagonia, Traditional Medicinals, Nalgene, Non-GMO, The Organic Alliance, Bring Change to Mind and many natural products brands, including EO / Everyone Products, OM Mushroom Superfoods, and REBBL. Gagan also serves as Chief Evangelist at MAHA Global, a platform focused on helping businesses adapt to stakeholder needs using data-driven reputation intelligence. As former Co-chair of Social Venture Circle, one of the country’s most prestigious impact investor and social business communities, Gagan leads the way to a next economy that is regenerative, just, and prosperous for all. Gagan Levy is also a current board member to his prolific teacher Ram Dass’ Love Serve Remember Foundation, he has been instrumental in strategizing how to connect the greatest wisdom keepers of our time to a new generation.
Celebrating the release of All In This Together, Jack shares stories and leads a guided meditation inviting us into the fear dispelling and protective practice of loving kindness.
–Joshua Michael SchreiAbout Omid Safi:Omid Safi is a teacher in the Islamic mystical tradition of Radical Love, and serves as a professor of Islamic studies at Duke University. Omid’s passion for teaching has been recognized by his ten nominations for Professor of the Year awards. Omid has published extensively on the foundational sources of Islam and Sufism. His Memories of Muhammad is an award-winning biography of the Prophet Muhammad. His most recent book is Radical Love: Teachings from the Islamic Mystical Tradition. He teaches online courses through Illuminated Courses on topics ranging from Rumi to the mystical dimension of the Qur’an. Lastly, he offers for the general public Illuminated Tours , spiritually oriented contemplative journeys and retreats which have brought more than 2,500 friends from over twenty countries to Turkey, Morocco, Andalusia, and now Umrah since 2002.
–Dakota WintAbout Raghu Markus:Raghu Markus spent two years in India with Neem Karoli Baba and Ram Dass. He has been involved in music and transformational media since the early 1970s. Currently, he is the Executive Director of the Love Serve Remember Foundation and hosts the Mindrolling Podcast on the Be Here Now Network. Along with Duncan Trussell, Raghu also recently co-created The Movie of Me to the Movie of We.“When you speak about intentionality with a being that is no longer in two, no duality, you're missing the point…there is no intentionality, it is just whatever is in the flow of that which is true.” –Raghu Markus on Neem Karoli Baba
–Dakota WintAbout Raghu Markus:Raghu Markus spent two years in India with Neem Karoli Baba and Ram Dass. He has been involved in music and transformational media since the early 1970s. He is currently the Executive Director of the Love Serve Remember Foundation and hosts the Mindrolling Podcast on the Be Here Now Network. Along with Duncan Trussell, Raghu also recently co-created The Movie of Me to the Movie of We.“When you speak about intentionality with a being that is no longer in two, no duality, you're missing the point…there is no intentionality, it is just whatever is in the flow of that which is true.” –Raghu Markus on Neem Karoli Baba
For episode 282, Elisha Goldstein, PhD, returns to the Metta Hour to speak with Sharon about his new book, Tiny Shifts: How Emotional Health Transforms Stress, Relationships, and Longevity.Elisha Goldstein is a clinical psychologist, bestselling author, and the co-founder of The Center for Mindful Living and Psychotherapy in Los Angeles. For over two decades, he has helped people break free from the conditioning that keeps them stuck in cycles of stress and overwhelm, uncovering how emotional health naturally transforms stress, relationships, and longevity. Elisha is the author of several books, including Uncovering Happiness, and The Now Effect, as well as hosting The Emotional Longevity Podcast. In this conversation, Sharon and Elisha speak about:- Living in a culture of overwhelm- David Foster Wallace’s fish story- Insight alone doesn’t create change- Underlying conditioning of chronic stress- Realizing our natural intelligence- The challenge of practicing wisdom- How tiny shifts create lasting change- Interrupting stress patterns- Emotional regulation and impulse control- The 4R method: Recognize, Release, Refocus, Reinforce- How emotional health supports longevity- Listening to the body’s signals- Reclaiming our attentionThis episode closes with a guided meditation led by Elisha.
–RamDev About RamDev Dale Borglum:RamDev Dale Borglum founded and directed the Hanuman Foundation Dying Center in Santa Fe, New Mexico, the first residential facility in the United States to support conscious dying. He has been the Executive Director of the Living/Dying Project in Santa Fe and since 1986 in the San Francisco Bay Area. He is the co-author with Ram Dass, Daniel Goleman and Dwarka Bonner of Journey of Awakening: A Meditator’s Guidebook, Bantam Books and has taught meditation since 1974.RamDev offers lectures and workshops on the topics of meditation, healing, spiritual support for those with life threatening illness, and on caregiving as spiritual practice. He has a doctorate degree from Stanford University. RamDev’s passion is the healing of our individual and collective fear of death so that we may be free.
index=4About Dakota Wint:Dakota Wint is a documentary filmmaker, vlogger, podcast host, and spiritual teacher from Detroit, Michigan. His films and podcasts revolve around current events, strange spirituality, and taboo traditions. You can subscribe to his podcast, A Place for Humans, HERE. Dakota grew to fame as an internet personality via his popular YouTube channel, Dakota of Earth. Dakota hosts retreats around the world and runs a non-profit focused on cultural and language preservation. Learn more about current happenings on his website“I am just trying to figure out what spirituality is, what the limits of it are, how it expresses itself, are we all talking about the same thing, what can you show me? I go to these places that have these big practices. What do you have to offer? Especially in India, where all these gurus make these big claims, what can you show me? That's what I've been asking myself and anyone I meet.” –Dakota Wint
Author, speaker, and harm reduction advocate Ryan Hampton discusses the importance of addressing the social needs of individuals struggling with addiction.Learn more about Ryan’s perspective on the overdose epidemic in America through his 2024 book, Fentanyl Nation.This time on The Indie Spiritualist, Chris and Ryan chat about:- The state of the world and the ongoing opioid and overdose epidemic - Harm reduction and how recovery has changed throughout the generations- The peer support model and the critical role of community in addiction recovery- Promoting harm reduction initiatives as a life-saving alternative to punitive approaches- Psychedelic therapy and integration sessions - Balancing clinical addiction treatment with addressing social determinants like poverty and homelessness- Short term solutions to addiction versus long term sustainable strategies for recovery- Tackling the root causes of addiction instead of focusing solely on substance use- Releasing the identities we cling to pre-recovery- Freedom of thought and freedom of choice“The act of reducing harm in any fashion should never be under political assault...I believe in bodily autonomy. If somebody is consciously making those decisions, then let's help them make better decisions so they are not harming other people and themselves, or reducing harm to themselves. We can support harm reduction, or, we can support death.” –Ryan HamptonAbout Ryan Hampton:Ryan Hampton is a national addiction recovery advocate, author, media commentator, and person in long-term recovery. He has worked with multiple non-profits nationwide to end overdose and served in leadership capacities for various community organizing initiatives. Hampton is in recovery from a decade of active opioid use and is a leading voice in America's rising recovery movement. He is the author of Unsettled, American Fix, and Fentanyl Nation. Ryan lives in Nevada with his husband, Sean, and their two boxer dogs.
Celebrating the release of All in This Together, Jack reflects on learning to bow to life’s mystery—and how doing so opens a path to liberation, love, and inner peace.
A session with the “unique manifestation” group at a retreat in 1989.The first question is about whether it’s possible to grow spiritually and be financially prosperous. Ram Dass talks about playing with our desires and our attachments to worldly things.Next up are questions around listening for your unique manifestation in life, how to tell if you’re on an ego trip, and finding your next stage of purpose. Ram Dass tells a story about his “Eight-Fold Bath of the Upper Middle Way”.The next question is about whether being indecisive can be part of your unique manifestation. We end by revisiting the first question about spirituality and money. In this society, we’re all up to our eyeballs in desire systems.The Ram Dass community gathers regularly to engage in meaningful discussions about the podcast. We invite you to join us and share your curiosities, insights, and wisdom. Sign up for the General Fellowship to receive event invitations directly in your inbox.“You have to be ready to know that what you hear at one moment about unique manifestation is gonna constantly be changing and changing and changing. And you’ve gotta be listening afresh all the time. You’re listening for a unique manifestation, meaning that form of expression that will be… it’s the confluence between your karma and your dharma.” – Ram DassAbout Ram Dass:Ram Dass’s spirit has been a guiding light for generations, carrying millions along on the journey. Ram Dass teaches that through the Bhakti practice of unconditional love, we can all connect with our true nature. Through these teachings, Ram Dass has shared a little piece of his guru, Maharaj-ji, with all who have listened to him.
We are starting a special mini-series featuring Ram Dass and guests from his Satsang on Maui.This episode kicks things off with Kirtan by Uma Reed, as Ram Dass humorously explores the wonder of aging and seeing the entire world as God.“Aging is wonderful, all you have to do is stay conscious.” –Ram DassIn this Satsang with Ram Dass, the group talks about:- Dealing with pain, injury, illness, and other effects of aging- Seeing the body as simply a vehicle for this plane of reality- Ram Dass’s book Still Here and aging with awareness- Focusing on our consciousness rather than concerning ourselves with the body’s decline- Ram Dass’s story of seeing Krishna in a police officer- Playing our roles while we are in this worldly plane - Karma Yoga and seeing the entire world as GodThis talk was recorded in 2008 at one of Ram Dass' quarterly Sunday Satsang gatherings in Studio Maui. “I’m learning the aging process has to do with the body and my consciousness need not be concerned with my body. The body is a car, it’s a transport for this plane.” –Ram Dass
(2023). For more than two decades, Jerry has championed the idea that work should be non-violent to the self, the community, and the planet. This marks his third appearance on the Metta Hour Podcast.In this conversation, Sharon and Jerry speak about:- Suffering and the end of suffering- The Four Noble Truths- Sara Bareilles and Gavin Creel- Holding many things at once- Where resilience comes from- How generosity can appear in extreme loss- Jerry’s time in India after an earthquake- The dynamics of hope and fear- How we actually “get over loss”- Misunderstanding karma- Control veiled as “magical thinking”- How unworthiness leads to isolation- Compassion is not hierarchical- The Dalai Lama winning a Grammy- Suffering versus Extra Suffering- Facing our helplessness- The fixation with fixing things- Finding fuel for the long haul- Facing our nihilism
In this intimate dharma talk, Mirabai Starr and Rameshwar Das explore the healing power of spiritual community and soul-level friendships.
Exploring the essence of karma, Krishna Das explains how conscious spiritual practice and selfless living can transform the patterns that guide our incarnation.
Continuing their talk on the lineage of Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche, David Silver and Raghu Markus chat about carrying forward the wisdom of great masters.Check out part 1 of this conversation on Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/beherenownetwork/life-beyond-solidity-an-exploration-of-dzogchen-mindrolling-podcast-ep-627In this episode, Raghu and David chat about:- Being guided toward unconditional love, selflessness, and devotion to the Divine Mother- The role of lineage holders and treasure revealers in Tibetan Buddhism- Tulku Urgyen’s unique style of teaching- Deep humility as an essential spiritual practice- How ‘being here now’ becomes a gateway to embodied wisdom- Releasing skepticism and misunderstanding around the concept of a guru- Honoring great spiritual masters and transmitting their wisdom across generations- The powerful film, Tibet: Cry of the Snow Lion- Reaching a state of deathlessness and timeless awareness- Starting our day with compassion for ourselves and others“As soon as I wake up in the morning, I remind myself that nothing exists as it appears. Then I think about sentient beings who want happiness, but experience suffering. I generate compassion for them, determined to help them as much as I can to eliminate their negative emotions.” –The Dalai LamaAbout 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.“‘Be Here Now’ is not only Ram Dass’s precept of just be in the present, it’s saying, ‘Be here now, and you’re everywhere. Be here now, and you’re in wisdom.’ If you’re not here now, you’re veering away from wisdom.” — David Silver
Honoring the release of All In This Together, Jack reflects on how stories awaken compassion, heal division, and call us back to meeting one another with respect.
Inclusion Officer of the White House, for a conversation on how to have faith over fear in the face of uncertainty
Trudy Goodman explains the healing power of mindfulness in helping adults be authentically present with children—fully entering their creative, playful world.
In honor of All In This Together, Jack, Anne Lamott, and Tami Simon continue their heart-opening conversation on story, tenderness, and remembering who you are
Ram Dass explores how the process of karma yoga is about cultivating a spiritual perspective that allows us to see any situation on multiple planes simultaneously. This episode is brought to you in part by Strawberry Moons Media. Strawberry Moons Media is a collection of new YouTube channels that blends dharma-focused education and entertainment for all ages. Be sure to check out and subscribe to Strawberry Moons Media here on YouTubeYou can also visit their website at strawberrymoonsmedia.com. This episode of Here and Now is from the first part of a Ram Dass lecture in St. Louis, Missouri, on February 27th, 1992. Check back soon for the conclusion of this talk. Ram Dass begins by talking about how the primary practice in his life is karma yoga, using the stuff of life as a route to liberation. The process of karma yoga is about cultivating a context, or a spiritual perspective, to see any situation on more than one plane simultaneously.Ram Dass discusses how fear is rooted in getting caught in one plane of reality and how we need to find a balance between separateness and unity. He explores some of the immense changes taking place in the 90s, including ecological destruction and economic disparity. We can either respond to the change and the chaos with fear, or we can respond to it as an opportunity to awaken. Ram Dass talks about the roller coaster ride that is living in the Kali Yuga, and how working with death and dying helps him respond to times of change with great appreciation. The Ram Dass community gathers regularly to engage in meaningful discussions about the podcast. We invite you to join us and share your curiosities, insights, and wisdom. Sign up for the General Fellowship to receive event invitations directly in your inbox.About Ram Dass:Ram Dass’s spirit has been a guiding light for generations, carrying millions along on the journey. Ram Dass teaches that through the Bhakti practice of unconditional love, we can all connect with our true nature. Through these teachings, Ram Dass has shared a little piece of his guru, Maharaj-ji, with all who have listened to him. Learn more at ramdass.org/fellowship“At that point, when you see that your next curriculum is honoring what is in your incarnation, so that you end up honoring it as relatively real. You do your dharma, you do your part, you play your part in it. And yet, at that same moment, there is absolute equanimity in you about it. What is required in the process of karma yoga is cultivating a context. And that's what’s called a spiritual perspective… It’s a context so that you see any situation on more than one plane simultaneously.” – Ram Dass
In a world shaped by collective crisis, Raghu Markus and Dr. Thomas Hübl come together to explore inner connection and healing trauma.This time on Mindrolling, Raghu and Thomas discuss:- Thomas’s early call to meditation, spirituality, and a life of service- Living within a global ecosystem shaped by overlapping crisis dynamics- Returning to ourselves when we are overwhelmed by fear and pain- Understanding how trauma shuts down parts of the self as a survival response- Examining the lasting effects of trauma on both the mind and body- The genetic transmission of trauma across generations- The role of restorative practices in healing trauma and reversing symptoms- Digesting trauma instead of becoming stuck in survival patterns- Cultivating compassion, patience, and trust in the healing process- The power of presence as a foundation for trauma recovery- How healing even one part of the self creates fertile ground for deeper integration- Spiritual trauma and how it creates a misalignment within our inner and outer lives- Supporting one another in reconnecting with our most powerful resource: inner connection“What does trauma do? It shuts down a part of ourselves so that we can survive or go through very painful moments better. But the aftereffect, if it’s not being taken care of, is a sense of disconnect from ourselves. So, then we try to fill that hole with all kinds of other stuff that is not authentic to us, that is over consumerism, that is not feeding each other, that is creating all kinds of side effects.” –Thomas Hübl, PhDAbout Thomas Hübl PhD:Thomas Hübl, PhD, is a renowned teacher, author, and international facilitator who works within the complexity of systems and cultural change, integrating the core insights of the great wisdom traditions and mysticism with the discoveries of science. Since the early 2000s, he has led large-scale events and courses on the healing of collective trauma. Hübl is the author of Attuned: Practicing Interdependence to Heal Our Trauma—and Our World, and Healing Collective Trauma: A Process for Integrating Our Intergenerational and Cultural Wounds. He is also the co-author of Releasing Our Burdens with Dr. Richard Schwartz. Hübl has served as an advisor and guest faculty for universities and organizations, as a coach for CEOs and organizational leaders, and is currently a visiting scholar at the Wyss Institute at Harvard University.
Discussing the divine mystery of Maharaj-ji, Krishna Das explains all of the spiritual workings that are going on ‘behind the scenes’ of our daily lives, bringing us exactly where we need to be.This week on Pilgrim Heart, Krishna Das explores:- How Maharaj-ji works in our lives, often without us directly noticing - When Maharaj-ji sent Krishna Das back to America - The moment that Krishna Das ‘got with the program’ and realized he had to chant with others in order to purify his own heart- Serving Maharaj-ji through being true to oneself and figuring out what we want out of life- Doing activities that bring one closer to peace and compassion- Turning inward and getting to the root of depression and unhappiness- Seeing Hanuman and Jesus Christ as one in the same- Freeing ourselves from egoistic suffering “Finally, I blurted out, ‘Maharaj-ji, how can I serve you in America?’ Now come on, I wasn’t at all concerned with how I was going to serve. I was concerned with how I was going to live in America. He looked like he bit a pickle. That’s when he said, ‘Asking about service, then it’s not service. Just do what you want.’ So what did he mean…you can help people, you can do many things to help, but Maharaj-ji was saying that I had to figure out what I wanted and that would be a service to him.” –Krishna DasAbout 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.MORE INFORMATION and OFFERINGS VISIT: https://krishnadas.com/ KRISHNA DAS ON SOCIAL: FACEBOOK: facebook.com/KrishnaDasMusic INSTAGRAM: instagram.com/krishnadasmusic YOUTUBE: / krishnadasmusic X: @krishnadas #KrishnaDas
Tours.Check out Omid’s books Progressive Islam and Radical Love for more progressive perspectives on wisdom from ancient sages About Willow Brook:Willow Brook is a love coach, interspiritual companion, and earth-rooted educator dedicated to helping people awaken to deeper intimacy, presence, and love. For over a decade, she has guided individuals and groups through transformational spaces around the world, weaving somatic intimacy practices, ritual, meditation, and song to support the alchemy of heartbreak into embodied and nourishing connection. Through her signature coaching program, Open to Love, Willow supports those who long for fulfilling and soulful relationships with their bodies, partners, and the divine but feel held back by the pain of the past. As co-founder of Wild Heart with Mirabai Starr, she also facilitates community grief gatherings and ceremonies rooted in the divine feminine for people of all genders. Listen to Willow's The Wild Heart Podcast to hear more about the intersections of love, spirit, and embodiment. You can also keep up with Willow on Instagram.
Discussing behavioral manipulation and ideological engineering, Dr. Svoboda outlines our human vulnerability to the real dangers of Artificial Intelligence (A.I.).This time on Living with Reality, Dr. Svoboda offers a critical talk on:- How A.I. is one large echo chamber, reflecting humanity back at itself- Keeping Kali Yuga in mind as we navigate A.I.- Maintaining awareness of all the layers of reality- Asking ChatGPT what serious dangers exist in the context of A.I.- Destabilization of institutions and automated cyberattacks- Economic destruction and inequality from uneven wealth distribution- The loss of human agency and behavioral manipulation- How human vulnerability and mental illness make A.I. even more concerning- Coercion and ideological engineering from the government/billionaires - Using A.I. as a friend, emotional support, or even a romantic partner - Losing the ability to create actual human relationships “A.I. is an externalization of the human thought process, an externalization of how humans perceive and project awareness onto the external world. It is returning our collective intentions, fears, biases, etc. back to us in intensified form. It is an echo chamber...we have two mirrors pointed at one another generating images that recede into infinity.” –Dr. SvobodaAbout Dr. Robert Svoboda:Dr. Robert Svoboda is the first Westerner ever to graduate from a college of Ayurveda and be licensed to practice Ayurveda in India. During and after his formal Ayurvedic training he was tutored in Ayurveda, Yoga, Jyotish, Tantra and other forms of classical Indian lore by his mentor, the Aghori Vimalananda. He is the author of twelve books including Prakriti: Your Ayurvedic Constitution and the Aghora series, which discusses his experiences with his mentor during the years 1975 – 1983.In the years since 1986, Dr. Svoboda has traveled extensively, spending three months per year on average in India. He often speaks on Ayurveda, Jyotish, Tantra and allied subjects in locales across the world.Join Dr. Svoboda’s courses, watch the latest video in Dr. Svoboda’s 5 Minutes series on Youtube and follow Dr. Svoboda on Facebook and Instagram for updates, events, and new content. You can also check out www.drsvoboda.com
Jack opens with reflections on the cosmic dance of life before guiding listeners into a meditation on stillness, breath, and embodied presence. Drawing on ancient imagery and gentle instruction, he invites us to take our seat in the still point of the turning world.
Life Institute, an organization that fosters dialogues and research collaborations among contemplative practitioners and scientists. Daniel has organized a series of intensive conversations between the Dalai Lama and scientists, and further merged Dharma and science, coauthoring Altered Traits: Science Reveals How Meditation Changes Your Mind, Brain, and Body. Learn more about Daniel’s work at danielgoleman.infoAbout Ram Dass:Ram Dass’s spirit has been a guiding light for generations, carrying millions along on the journey. Ram Dass teaches that through the Bhakti practice of unconditional love, we can all connect with our true nature. Through these teachings, Ram Dass has shared a little piece of his guru, Maharaj-ji, with all who have listened to him. Learn more at ramdass.org.
Reflecting on Ram Dass’s core teachings, Hanuman Dass and Raghu Markus discuss the immense power of love, service, and compassion.Check out There is No Other for more of Ram Dass’s teachings on the path to harmony. Also, stay tuned for the release of Hanuman Dass’s forthcoming book Be Yourself, formed out of his conversations with Ram Dass.This week on Mindrolling, Raghu and Hanuman Dass have a conversation on:Hanuman Dass’s experience growing up in a deeply connected, matriarchal family Living spirituality in everyday life, household puja, and devotional practicesHow karma dictates our lives and puts us right where we are supposed to beHanuman Dass’s relationship with Ram Dass and becoming inspired to serve through food donationThe Upanishads, self-inquiry, and Ram Dass’s perpetual devotion to Maharaj-jiCompassion as the direct road to enlightenmentEmpowering those we help rather than impoverishing them or pitying themReflecting on the dharma of humanity and our shared responsibility to one anotherYou can now watch Bridge of Grace to learn more about KK Sah, a Maharaj-ji devotee and close friend of Ram Dass. Click here to learn more. About Hanuman Dass:Hanuman Dass is the founder of the UK-based charity Go Dharmic (GD). GD’s core mission is global hunger relief, supported by their humanitarian crisis response work and campaigns for environmental action, poverty alleviation, education, and plant-based and organic diets. Hanuman Dass was inspired into service through his relationship with Ram Dass, whom he met in his 20’s. GD's founding ethos is based on the philosophy of Sanatana Dharma. Their mission is to “Love All. Feed All. Serve All.” Check out the GD website for more information and stay in touch with Hanuman Dass on social media. Pick up a copy of this guide to the Hanuman Chalisa created with Hanuman Dass“I feel lightest here, I feel happiest in service and love…drink is nice, you go up and down. Drugs might be nice, you go up and down. But, love is forever, you can stay in that space.” –Hanuman Dass
J. Krishnamurti examines the degeneracy of modern society and religion, where mechanical living has replaced curiosity, inquiry, and direct perception.
Exploring Vedanta and Vipassana practices, Ram Appalaraju discusses interfaith spirituality and his work as an eco-chaplain, honoring the dignity of all beings.
Speaking to our spiritual hunger, Kahontakwas Diane Longboat invites listeners to transform the world by reclaiming sovereignty of the mind and uncovering our unique gifts.
spiritual life- Substituting noticing for judging - Neem Karoli Baba’s directive of service- Ram Dass learning to accept help- Moving from Role to Soul- How to be here now in times of difficulty- Community as the future Buddha- Joseph Goldstein’s fateful meeting with Ram Dass- What is Loving Awareness- Ram Dass’s final public appearanceThis episode closes with a guided meditation from Ram Dass that invites us to let go of the heaviness of confusion and our rigid models of who we are and how it is.
Stories Inspired by Ram Dass.“My journey with music has been the relationship of having it, experiencing it, seeing it morph and take on different colors and shapes. It showed me from a very early age that collaboration was going to be the key for the source of my continued inspiration—working with others, finding that harmony—that’s the spirit of it. The spirit of music is community, it’s communication, it’s air itself.” –John Forté
Vipassana teacher Trudy Goodman provides practical tools for staying present.This time on the BHNN Guest Podcast, Trudy Goodman explores:- Staying connected to the flow of the breath- The breath as our life-long companion and source of presence - The loneliness of thought and being caught in the trap of our own thinking - How the breath is our anchor and our teacher- Cultivating the power of the mind to focus- The pause at the end of a breath - Balancing our energies and moving through each breath with care - Stepping out of our familiar reactivity - Accepting this as they are so that we can let them go About Trudy Goodman:Trudy is a Vipassana teacher in the Theravada lineage and the Founding Teacher of InsightLA. For 25 years, in Cambridge, MA, Trudy practiced mindfulness-based psychotherapy with children, teenagers, couples and individuals. Trudy conducts retreats, engages in activism work, and teaches workshops worldwide and online. She is also the voice of Trudy the Love Barbarian in the Netflix series, The Midnight Gospel. You can learn more about Trudy’s flourishing array of wonderful offerings at TrudyGoodman.comThis episode was originally published on Dharmaseed“All the ways of being mindful are ways that the Buddha asks us to be true to our own hearts and minds. Mindfulness is a form of honesty, of telling ourselves the truth of what is happening. It's showing us that when we're present with the breath, the breath is not just our companion, it's our dharma friend, it's our teacher.” –Trudy Goodman
RamDev reflects on the simultaneous depth and simplicity of mantra, highlighting his own transcendent experiences across devotional practices.This time on Healing at the Edge, RamDev dives into:- Receiving miracles from Hanuman and the sense that all things are already taken care of- The power and depth of mantra practice, despite its simplicity- Shifting from mechanical repetition to embodied feeling and heartfelt presence within the mantra- Allowing mantra practice to soften, open, and color the heart with devotionConventional devotional practice and making a bridge to God- Entering tantric devotion as a path of unity—becoming one with the deity rather than worshipping from afar- Becoming the essence of the mantra and awakening the divine energy in our bodies- Drawing comparisons between tantric devotion and the Buddhist Heart Sutra- Realizing that it is all one as we transcend through layers of devotion“You are the essence of the mantra. The mantra is not a tool, a pointer, a technique; it's the full manifestation of the divine. It’s awakening divine energy into your body with each repetition.” –RamDev About RamDev Dale Borglum:RamDev Dale Borglum founded and directed the Hanuman Foundation Dying Center in Santa Fe, New Mexico, the first residential facility in the United States to support conscious dying. He has been the Executive Director of the Living/Dying Project in Santa Fe and since 1986 in the San Francisco Bay Area. He is the coauthor with Ram Dass, Daniel Goleman and Dwarka Bonner of Journey of Awakening: A Meditator’s Guidebook, Bantam Books and has taught meditation since 1974.RamDev offers lectures and workshops on the topics of meditation, healing, spiritual support for those with life threatening illness, and on caregiving as spiritual practice. He has a doctorate degree from Stanford University. RamDev’s passion is the healing of our individual and collective fear of death so that we may be free.
As winter deepens, Jack reflects on the quiet light that does not go out—the warmth of compassion, generosity, and courage that sustains us through dark seasons. Through stories of everyday kindness and ancient wisdom, he invites us to tend the inner fire that heals and connects us.
Speaking across the decades from the 1960s through the 1990s, Ram Dass shares his thoughts on expanding the boundaries of consciousness through the use of psychedelic chemicals. This episode of Here and Now is a compilation of Ram Dass exploring the use of psychedelic chemicals. We begin in the mid-1960s, back when Ram Dass was still Richard Alpert. In this interview with the CBC, he talks about how the psychedelic experience can help us see past individual differences. The next stop is 1968 and the famed WBAI radio talks. Ram Dass details his first experience with psychedelic chemicals and the process he went through of losing his attachment to his social roles. We move on to 1977 and a radio interview at the University of California, Santa Cruz. Ram Dass touches on the role of these chemicals in the spiritual awareness of people, recreational versus sacramental use, and the importance of set and setting.Up next is a retreat in 1989 where Ram Dass answers questions from a breakout group. He gives a brief history of psychedelic chemicals and talks about how they can provide a fresh look at the universe, expanding the boundaries of consciousness. The final stop is a psychedelic conference at Chapman University in 1994. Ram Dass reflects on the impact that psychedelics had on his life and how they influenced his work with death and dying.The Ram Dass community gathers regularly to engage in meaningful discussions about the podcast. We invite you to join us and share your curiosities, insights, and wisdom. Sign up for the General Fellowship to receive event invitations directly in your inbox.“And the predicament is that as you develop a model of who you are and how the universe works, it’s extremely hard to get out of that, which is called the ego, really. It’s very hard to get out of that. And what the chemical allows you to do is set that aside for a moment and see the universe from a different vantage point and find places in yourself, which is why it was used in religious traditions, find the deeper parts of your being that lie behind your thinking mind.” – Ram Dass
Author and nonviolence practitioner Kazu Haga explores why fierce vulnerability is a vital practice for inner and outer transformation.This time on Mindrolling, Raghu and Kazu Haga chat about:- Kazu’s difficult upbringing and how meeting Japanese Buddhist monastics transformed his life- Combining social action and spirituality - The legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and addressing both inner violence of the spirit and outer systemic violence- How an “us vs. them” worldview fuels division, suffering, and ecological destruction- Healing childhood trauma and collective trauma by integrating the fractured parts of ourselves- How getting vulnerable opens up our capacity to heal - The Seven Fires Prophecies from the Anishinaabe people- Rebuilding the world through spiritual practice rather than material accumulation- Remembering that personal healing is inseparable from collective healing in an interdependent world- Listening deeply and being comfortable with uncertainty “The work that I do for me to be healthy, grounded, and to be able to integrate my individual traumas is only so that I can be in a better position to contribute to collective healing” –Kazu HagaAbout Kazu Haga:Kazu Haga is a trainer and practitioner of nonviolence and restorative justice, a core member of the Ahimsa Collective and the Fierce Vulnerability Network. He is a Jam facilitator and author of Healing Resistance: A Radically Different Response to Harm and Fierce Vulnerability: Healing from Trauma, Emerging from Collapse. He works with incarcerated people, youth, and activists from around the country. He has over 25 years of experience in nonviolence and social change work. He is a resident of the Canticle Farm community on Lisjan Ohlone land, Oakland, CA, where he lives with his family. You can find out more about his work at www.kazuhaga.com.“The work of nonviolence has to start by looking at the ways in which we hold internal violence of the spirit, that unhealed anger, hatred, resentment, delusion, as well as our unhealed traumas, and understanding how all of that is the source of external violence in the world. Yes we need the social movements, but if we’re not grounded in some sort of inner work and introspection a lot of the violence we want to change out there gets replicated in our own work, in our own communities.” –Kazu Haga
Joseph Goldstein discusses equanimity and how to remove the self from the knowing, effectively freeing ourselves from identification with awareness.
For episode 277, we are continuing a new series on the Metta Hour, centered on kids, in honor of Sharon’s first children’s book, Kind Karl, released on December 9th!Written with Jason Gruhl, this illustrated picture book is for 4-8 year-olds and is a children’s adaptation of Sharon’s beloved book Lovingkindness. For this podcast series, Sharon speaks with educators, caregivers, and researchers about the ways meditation, mindfulness, and lovingkindness can impact children of all ages and the family systems that support them. For the sixth episode of the series, Sharon speaks with Richie J. Davidson. Richie is the William James and Vilas Professor of Psychology and Psychiatry at the University of Wisconsin–Madison and the Founder and Director of the Center for Healthy Minds. He is best known for his groundbreaking work studying emotion and the brain. A friend and confidante of the Dalai Lama, he is a highly sought-after expert and speaker, leading conversations on well-being on international stages such as the World Economic Forum, where he serves on the Global Council on Mental Health. In this conversation, Sharon and Richie speak about:- Richie’s pillars for human flourishing- Free Kindness Curriculum app- How to nurture enduring traits- Lovingkindness as a training- Our whole being is malleable - Flourishing is contagious- Temporary states vs lasting traits- We are born to be kind- The Born to Flourish book, coming in March- Changing our narratives- Affective Neuroscience- Six basic emotional styles- Evolving the K-12 education space- Supporting Healthcare providers- Community as contemplative intervention- What is Contemplative Neuroscience? The conversation closes with a guided meditation led by Richie.
Explaining how imagination creates both beauty and suffering, Gil Fronsdal offers a skillful way to tap into inspiration without becoming lost in a dream.This week on the BHNN Guest Podcast, Gil Fronsdal dives into:- The poem “Thursday” by William Carlos Williams- Transformation through presence during mundane experiences - Dreaming as an important part of being human- How the imagination helps to create connections- The Zen principle of present moment awareness- Allowing reality to move through the world of our imagination- Not becoming lost or stuck in a dream- The Buddha as a man of tremendous imagination- Imagining the possibility of being freed from sufferingThis episode was originally published on DharmaseedAbout Gil Fronsdal:Gil Fronsdal is the co-teacher for the Insight Meditation Center in Redwood City, California; he has been teaching since 1990. He has practiced Zen and Vipassana in the U.S. and Asia since 1975. He was a Theravada monk in Burma in 1985, and in 1989 began training with Jack Kornfield to be a Vipassana teacher. Gil teaches at Spirit Rock Meditation Center where he is part of its Teachers Council. Gil was ordained as a Soto Zen priest at the San Francisco Zen Center in 1982, and in 1995 received Dharma Transmission from Mel Weitsman, the abbot of the Berkeley Zen Center. He currently serves on the SF Zen Center Elders’ Council. In 2011 he founded IMC’s Insight Retreat Center. He is the author of The Issue at Hand, essays on mindfulness practice; A Monastery Within; a book on the five hindrances called Unhindered; and the translator of The Dhammapada, published by Shambhala Publications. You may listen to Gil’s talks on Audio Dharma.“Dreaming, I think, is a very important part of being a human being. The imagination that can imagine possibilities, potential, that can create wonderful connections between things.” –Gil Fronsdal
Longtime friends David Silver and Raghu Markus discuss Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche and the legacy of Dzogchen maintained by his four sons.Grab a copy of Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche’s memoirs, Blazing Splendor, for a deeper look into his magnificent life: https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Blazing-Splendor/Tulku-Urgyen-Rinpoche/9781614298434This time on Mindrolling, Raghu and David have a discussion about:- The life and teachings of Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche, one of the greatest Dzogchen meditation masters of the 20th century- Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche’s sons and how they continue to spread Dzogchen wisdom to the West- Core principles of Dzogchen philosophy, including the nature of mind and nondual awareness- Understanding cognitive emptiness and the illusion of a solid identity- Why contemplating death and impermanence can be a path to liberation- Working consciously with loss and mortality before the end of life- Not falling into the trap of believing this life is permanent- Viewing dreams and meditation as parallel practices for awakening- The patience and discipline required to form new spiritual habits- Living fully while recognizing the inevitability of death- Learn about dealing with the bardo of dying in the book In Love with the World by Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche or hop into The Bardo Guidebook by Chokyi Nyima Rinpoche“Urgyen and his sons and all Dzogchen people believe that dreaming is as important as meditating. Dreams are fluid, anything can happen in a dream. You can fly, you can walk through a wall. What Mingyur says is that is the perfect analogy for life itself; life is as fluid and as transparent as that dream, but we don’t know it because we think it’s solid because we can’t put our finger through our hand.” –David SilverAbout 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.
As we fully enter the winter season, Jack reflects on the ancient meaning of solstice—the standing still—and what becomes possible when we allow ourselves to pause. In a world shaped by speed, grief, and uncertainty, he invites us into stillness as a sacred act.
Anita Sanchez and Joannah Tindongan have a soulful conversation on Ifugao wisdom, ancestral lineage, and keeping traditional culture alive in the modern world.
In this talk from the 1980s, Ram Dass explores different forms of yoga—hatha, dhyan, jnana, bhakti, tantra, and more—and answers questions from the audience. This episode of Here and Now comes from an event in Irvine, CA, called “Living Consciously in the 1980s.” Ram Dass talks about how it’s only when we realize we aren’t who we think we are that the journey of awakening begins. Fortunately, there is help along this path in the various types of yoga, or methods for coming into the One.Ram Dass explores different forms of yoga, including hatha yoga (energy), dhyan yoga (meditation), jnana yoga (wisdom), bhakti yoga (devotion), and tantric yoga (senses). He says we should work with whichever form calls to us, or we can be a “chicken soup eclectic” like he is. Finally, Ram Dass answers some questions from the audience. He talks about intuition, the darkness that comes before spiritual growth, social identities, dealing with attachment to your child’s predicament, and more.The Ram Dass community gathers regularly to engage in meaningful discussions about the podcast. We invite you to join us and share your curiosities, insights, and wisdom. Sign up for the General Fellowship to receive event invitations directly in your inbox.About Ram Dass:Ram Dass’s spirit has been a guiding light for generations, carrying millions along on the journey. Ram Dass teaches that through the Bhakti practice of unconditional love, we can all connect with our true nature. Through these teachings, Ram Dass has shared a little piece of his guru, Maharaj-ji, with all who have listened to him. Learn more at ramdass.org.“What I’m saying to you is, which yoga is appropriate for any human being, only that human being can figure out. And you can only figure it out by trying and testing and looking and quieting your heart and opening. One of you, it will be perfect for you to study and read holy book and Vedic tracts and things. For someone else, it’ll be absolutely perfect to start to work with the energy. For someone else, it’ll be perfect to do tantra. And it is not better or worse. These are merely different strategies. And some you will be sort of like I am, sort of like a chicken soup eclectic. And I do sort of play with all of these at a kind of superficial level.” – Ram Dass
In this music-filled re-release, Raghu Markus is joined by spiritual musician Jai Uttal to chat about opening our hearts through the magnitude of melodies.Get your copy of All In This Together, the latest book from Jack Kornfield! Let this new book be your guide, as Jack reveals how to navigate our human experience with wisdom and care. Inside you’ll find a beautiful collection of stories, inspiration for conflict resolution, and powerful teachings on healing, justice, and human kindness—anchored in the teachings of the Buddha and poetry from luminary voices like Mary Oliver. Click here to learn more: https://jackkornfield.com/all-in-this-together-stories-and-teachings-for-loving-each-other-and-our-world/In this episode, Raghu and Jai Uttal discuss:- The formation of melodic structures and how music is as boundless as an ocean- Letting go of the idea that we must master an instrument in order to create music- Getting into the flow of devotional music and honoring God through our presence rather than perfection- The friendship between Jai Uttal and Ram Dass and Jai’s journey to India- The Baul’s of Bengal and mystical, spontaneous verse- Jai’s single, Holy Mad Men, inspired by Bengali-style music- More Bengali-influenced music by The Band- The dotara, an Indian folk instrument Jai frequently uses- Musical creation as the legacy of satsang and a path to continued connection- Check out Ali Akbar Khan to hear some classical Indian Ragas and the sarod instrument that Raghu and Jai discuss.About Jai Uttal:Jai Uttal is a Grammy-nominated sacred music composer, recording artist, multi-instrumentalist, and ecstatic vocalist. Having traveled extensively in India, he met many great saints and singers and Bhakti Yoga became his personal path. Jai has been leading, teaching, and performing kirtan around the world for nearly 50 years. He creates a safe environment for people to open their hearts and voices.“Music is way more vast than any one human person can understand.” –Jai Uttal
For episode 276, we are continuing a new series on the Metta Hour, centered on kids, in honor of Sharon’s first children’s book, Kind Karl, released on December 9th! Written with Jason Gruhl, this illustrated picture book is for 4-8 year-olds and is a children’s adaptation of Sharon’s beloved book Lovingkindness. In this podcast series, Sharon speaks with educators, caregivers, and researchers about the ways meditation, mindfulness, and lovingkindness can impact children of all ages and the family systems that support them. For the fifth episode of the series, Sharon speaks with Sumi Loundon Kim. Sumi is the Buddhist chaplain at Yale University. A graduate of Harvard Divinity School, she is the founding teacher of Buddhist Families of Durham (NC). She is the author of Blue Jean Buddha; The Buddha’s Apprentices; Sitting Together and of the children's book Goodnight Love: A Bedtime Meditation Story. In this conversation, Sumi and Sharon speak about:- Sumi’s early life in Zen community- Sumi’s first visit to IMS at age 16- The value of spiritual practice during adolescence - Teaching meditation to kids through song- Benefits of group practice for parents and kids- Working with the five senses- Implicit learning, leading by example- Nurturing kindness in self-talk- Creating a home as a sanctuary- Designated device-free family time- Meditation for college students- Social connection promoting self-regulation- Psychological fluency - A bedtime meditation for kids: “Goodnight Love”
With embodied loving awareness, Dr. Sará King invites us into ancestral intelligence, shadow healing, and remembering our living connection to our lineage.This recording is from our 2nd Annual Ram Dass Legacy Summer Mountain Retreat in Boone, North Carolina. This week on the BHNN Guest Podcast, Dr. Sará King explores:- Ancestral intelligence and the collective nervous system as an interdependent web of being- The concept of ‘Beloved Community’ and what it feels like to embody loving awareness- Meeting the pain, grief, and responsibility of climate change with compassion- Coming into contact with our shadows and healing our ancestral bloodline- Recognizing that our ancestors are truly present with us, guiding us in the here and now- Breathwork and grounding to reconnect with earth- Sending metta to those around us and to our ancestors- Shifting our neural connections and transforming our hearts through practiceGrab a copy of the book that Dr. King reads from: In Search of Our Mothers’ GardensAbout Dr. Sará King:Dr. Sará King is a Mother, a neuroscientist, political and learning scientist, medical anthropologist, social entrepreneur, public speaker, and certified yoga and meditation instructor. She is an internationally recognized thought leader in the interdisciplinary field that examines the relationship between complementary alternative medicine, social justice, art, and mindfulness from the perspective of neuroscience. Keep up with Dr. King on Instagram.“So many of us have lineages of complexity. I hold both ancestors who were oppressors as well as the oppressed inside of my body, so I can practice with this integration of loving presence and shadow every time that I connect to my embodiment.” –Dr. Sará King
Anne Lamott, Raghu Markus, and RamDev reveal that letting go of how life should be opens the door to compassion, healing, and contentment with reality.This Dharma Session was recorded at the December 2025 Ram Dass Open Your Heart in Paradise Retreat. Learn about upcoming community events HERE.https://youtu.be/rtmAlpns62AThis week on Mindrolling, Raghu, Anne, and RamDev hold a talk on:- Standing in presence with change and impermanence- Ram Dass’ eye-opening story of a farmer and his son - How investing in that which changes leads to suffering- Collective healing through all the grief in the world - The negative emotions that arise when we resist change- Creating an intimate, compassionate relationship with the sense of loss- Anne’s experiences of radicalizing change in her own life- Wise Hope: taking leaps of faith and hoping that things will work out as they shouldAbout Anne Lamott:Anne Lamott is the New York Times best-selling author of many books, including collections of essays, novels, and long-form non-fiction, including the classic writing manual Bird by Bird and child-rearing memoir Operating Instructions. In addition to being a novelist and nonfiction writer, Lamott is also a progressive political activist, public speaker, and writing teacher. Keep up with Anne on Instagram.“It's very hard to be human here; it's scary. I feel like Cindy-Lou Who sometimes, like this tiny little being. ‘Be still my heart and wait without hope’–what I hope is that things will sort out the way they should for the common welfare.” - Anne LamottAbout RamDev:RamDev Dale Borglum is the founder and Executive Director of The Living/Dying Project. He is a pioneer in the conscious dying movement and has worked directly with thousands of people with life-threatening illness and their families for over 30 years. In 1981, Dale founded the first residential facility for people who wished to die consciously in the United States, The Dying Center. He has taught and lectured extensively on the topics of spiritual support for those with life-threatening illness, on caregiving as a spiritual practice, and on healing at the edge, the edge of illness, of death, of loss, of crisis. Check out RamDev’s podcast, Healing at the Edge, on the Be Here Now Network.Learn more about The Living/Dying Project at livingdying.org“When we’re in the heart, it gives us the possibility of being with grief and change in a way that leads to healing. There is a profoundly wonderful line by Rumi where he says ‘grief is the garden of compassion.” –RamDev
In a moment when the world feels uncertain, Jack sits down with Anne Lamott and Tami Simon for an intimate, deeply human conversation about stories of the heart—how they soften us, unite us, and remind us of our own beauty.
The Ram Dass community gathers regularly to engage in meaningful discussions about the podcast. We invite you to join us and share your curiosities, insights, and wisdom. Sign up for the General Fellowship to receive event invitations directly in your inbox: https://www.ramdass.org/fellowship/This episode of Here and Now comes from an event at Spirit Rock Meditation Center on July 31, 2000. Ram Dass begins by exploring how Shiva is the aspect of God that rules over change. He talks about changing our self-concept from identification with our egos to identification with our souls. Devotional chanting, or kirtan, is one way to work on transforming ourselves. Speaking about merging with the Beloved, Ram Dass shares how his relationship with his guru evolved after Neem Karoli Baba left his body. He talks about the place of joy that exists inside all of us. That’s the yum-yum place.Jai Uttal takes over and leads a rousing kirtan to connect us all to that yum-yum place. He begins by explaining the chant: “Sita Ram, Sita Ram, Sita Ram, Jai Sita Ram. Sita, the infinite Goddess. Ram, the infinite God. Jai or Jaya, praise or victory.”About Jai Uttal:Jai Uttal is a Grammy-nominated sacred music composer, recording artist, multi-instrumentalist, and ecstatic vocalist. Having traveled extensively in India, he met many great saints and singers, and Bhakti Yoga became his personal path. Jai has been leading, teaching, and performing kirtan around the world for nearly 50 years. He creates a safe environment for people to open their hearts and voices. Kirtan Camp with Jai Uttal starts on January 25, 2026. About Ram Dass:Ram Dass’s spirit has been a guiding light for generations, carrying millions along on the journey. Ram Dass teaches that through the Bhakti practice of unconditional love, we can all connect with our true nature. Through these teachings, Ram Dass has shared a little piece of his guru, Maharaj-ji, with all who have listened to him. Learn more at ramdass.org.“You know those cherries, chocolate-covered cherries? They’re like hard on the outside, but they’re soft and yum, yum, yum inside. We are just chocolate-covered cherries. That’s all we are. And that yum, yum, yum, yum, that’s the joy, that’s the bhakti. Yum, yum, yum, yum. Because we meet each other in the yum-yum place.” – Ram Dass
Looking through a Jungian lens, Psychologist Dr. John Price and Raghu Markus have a discussion on the mechanics of awakening.
Exploring embodiment and self-realization, RamDev takes listeners on a journey through the four paths of yoga: Karma Yoga, Bhakti Yoga, Jñāna Yoga, and Raja Yoga.
For episode 275, we are continuing a new series on the Metta Hour, centered on kids, in honor of Sharon’s first children’s book, Kind Karl, out now! Co-authored by Jason Gruhl, this illustrated picture book is for 4-8 year-olds and is a new children’s adaptation of Sharon’s beloved book Lovingkindness. For this podcast series, Sharon speaks with educators, caregivers, and researchers about the ways meditation, mindfulness, and lovingkindness can impact children of all ages and the family systems that support them. For the fourth episode of the series, Sharon speaks with Ali Smith, Andres Gonzales and Atman Smith of the Holistic Life Foundation.Andy, Ali, and Atman co-founded the Holistic Life Foundation in 2001, a non-profit organization bringing yoga, meditation, and breath-work to thousands of at-risk kids in Baltimore and beyond. Their work has received wide national attention due to their remarkable results in public schools where suspension rates plummet and graduation rates skyrocket. Outside of the Holistic Life Foundation, Ali, Atman, and Andy also teach to diverse populations worldwide, including drug treatment centers, mental crisis facilities, homeless shelters, and Yoga, Wellness, and Mindfulness Festivals. Their first book, “Let Your Light Shine” was published in 2022 by Penguin Random House.https://youtu.be/1CueugF1n74In this conversation, Sharon, Atman, Andres and Ali speak about:• The creation of the Holistic Life Foundation• Experiencing meditation early in life• Working in underserved communities• Teaching with trauma awareness• HLF Retreats and certification programs • The importance of sharing love • Benefits of mindfulness for kids• Partnering with schools and education systems • Modifying practice for younger minds• How to champion love• Encouraging authentic, in-person interaction• Giving from a place of overflow• Caring for ourselves to better care for othersThe episode closes with a guided practice. You can learn more about the Holistic Life Foundation’s work on their website and get a copy of the book“Let Your Light Shine”.
Celebrating the release of his new book of his favorite stories, All In This Together, Jack shares wise tales on living with integrity, presence, stillness, and generosity.
Movement is a huge part of the experience of zazen. You're not sitting there like a fallen rock. The connecting with just the aliveness of that experience, that juicy, wonderful aliveness which is movement, is the practice.” –Anusha Enryu FernandoAbout Anusha Enryu Fernando:Anusha Enryu Fernando was born in Sri Lanka to a Theravadin Buddhist family. Her grandparents founded the Vipassana Meditation Centre located in Colombo, Sri Lanka in 1957. She began practicing Zen Meditation with Hogen and Chozen Roshi in 2007, and became a dharma holder in 2021. She holds a BA in Religious Studies, specializing in Buddhism and Hinduism from McGill University, and a Masters of Arts in Asian Studies from the University of British Columbia, specializing in Sanskrit. In her dissertation, she translated a Sanskrit poem of the life story of the Buddha, called the Padyacudamani. Enryu has been a teacher and performer of Bharata Natyam, a form of Indian Classical Dance, for the past thirty years and is the founder and Artistic Director of Shakti Dance Society. She has also been the book purchaser at Banyen Books and Sound, Vancouver’s iconic spiritual and metaphysical bookstore, for the past twenty-eight years. She is the mother of an adult daughter and lives with her husband, parents, and multiple furry friends in Vancouver, Canada. About Vincent Moore:Vincent Moore is a creative and creative consultant living in San Francisco, California, with over a decade of experience in the entertainment industry and holds a graduate degree in Buddhist Studies. For years, he performed regularly at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre, an improv and sketch comedy theatre based in New York and Los Angeles. As an actor, Vincent performed on Comedy Central, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, The Late Show with Seth Meyers, Above Average, and The UCB Show on Seeso. As a writer, he developed for television as well as stage, including work with the Blue Man Group, and his own written projects have been featured on websites such as Funny or Die. Additionally, he received a Masters of Buddhist Studies from the Institute of Buddhist Studies with a Certificate in Soto Zen Studies and engages in a personal Buddhist practice within the Soto Zen tradition.
Environmental activist Robin Greenfield explores why separation is the biggest threat to humanity and how to become a servant to all.
Psychotherapy Conference in 1987, which was sponsored by the Karma Kagyu Institute. Ram Dass begins by outlining his connection with the Kagyu lineage of Buddhism, sharing stories of his time with Trungpa Rinpoche. He then gives a brief recap of his journey in life and how he was eventually drawn towards Eastern writings and teachings.Ram Dass talks about embracing Buddhist practices and his spiral path of bouncing back and forth between being in retreat and being in the marketplace of life. He explores how his work with dying people helped him embrace the extraordinary adventure of coming home to being human.Sharing a story about Kalu Rinpoche, another friend in the Kagyu line, Ram Dass discusses honoring compassion and the different levels at which we can do service in the world. He wraps things up by saying, “I cannot conceivably repay the debt that I feel to the Eastern traditions for having introduced me to myself.”“And I see that as an extraordinary adventure of coming home to being human. It’s interesting that more of the letters I’ve gotten in the past year have said to me, ‘Thank you for being human.’ Isn’t that bizarre? I mean, I’ve spent 25 years trying to be divine, and people write and thank me for being human. I mean, that just seems like a bizarre paradox to me.” – Ram DassAbout Ram Dass:Ram Dass’s spirit has been a guiding light for generations, carrying millions along on the journey. Ram Dass teaches that through the Bhakti practice of unconditional love, we can all connect with our true nature. Through these teachings, Ram Dass has shared a little piece of his guru, Maharaj-ji, with all who have listened to him. Learn more at ramdass.org.
Celebrating the release of There Is No Other, a new book of teachings from Ram Dass’ lectures, Parvati Markus and Raghu Markus listen to and reflect on some of the material used in its creation.This special episode of Mindrolling celebrates the new book, There Is No Other, a collection of teachings taken from Ram Dass’ lectures. In these times, Ram Dass’ teachings on wholeness and unity are more needed than ever.We begin with a clip of Ram Dass exploring the mindset of “us versus them.” Who exactly is us? Who is them? Raghu and Parvati reflect on how this clip is central to the theme of There Is No Other.The next clip features Ram Dass talking about the balance of heart and mind. Sharing a powerful real-life example, he explores how we cut ourselves off when we veil our hearts. Raghu and Parvati share how the book is about walking a path to harmony and wholeness.The third clip finds Ram Dass examining Ramana Maharshi’s concept of “God, Guru, Self,” and how we can begin to appreciate that the Spirit is everywhere. Parvati and Raghu discuss how Ram Dass’ new book speaks to this really important moment in our lives.We end with a brief clip of Ram Dass talking about the path of love. “Finally,” he says, “you become an environment, a vibratory rate…”The Ram Dass community gathers regularly to engage in meaningful discussions about the podcast. We invite you to join us and share your curiosities, insights, and wisdom. Sign up for the General Fellowship to receive event invitations directly in your inbox.“So the mind, if it gets too strong, out of balance with the heart, shuts down all the information that the heart can give. It cuts you off from your wisdom, really. You don’t even see all the stuff. I mean, you and I are simultaneously existing on so many planes of reality, but because of the power of our minds, we keep limiting which realities are real, and the rest of it we either treat as error or we don’t even notice. It’s so deeply unconscious, we just don’t even notice all the rest of us, of ourselves.” – Ram Dass
Now podcast. She is also a teacher, coach, and spiritual director with the privilege of marrying two decades of mystical studies with 15 years of expertise in holistic wellness. As an inter-spiritual minister, Jackie was ordained in Creation Spirituality in 2016 and has also studied extensively in several other lineages – the plant-medicine-based Pachakuti Mesa Tradition, Sri Vidya Tantra, Western European Shamanism, Christian Mysticism, the Wise Woman Tradition, and others. Today, in addition to building courses and community for LSRF, she leads workshops and coaches individuals to discover, nourish and live from their most authentic selves.
Discussing humanity’s deep fear of death, J. Krishnamurti and Dr. Allan W. Anderson analyze how freedom arises when we understand the inseparable connection of life and death.To start at the beginning of this 18-part dialogue on consciousness, spirituality and navigating life with J. Krishnamurti and Dr. Allan W. Anderson: https://youtu.be/rcn0gXWv9UUThis time on Freedom from the Known, J. Krishnamurti and Dr. Allan W. Anderson discuss:- The fear and avoidance of death that most human beings experience- Freeing the mind from fear and understanding death as something beautiful- Our many human theories about death and the afterlife - Considering what actual dies outside of the organism - The radical relation of birth and death - The futility of ceaselessly analyzing the content of the mind- How humans have attempted to sell immortality - The destructibility of all man-made creations and concepts- Understanding that living, love, and death are one thingThis talk was originally recorded in 1974 at San Diego State University and curated by the Krishnamurti Foundation of America“Unless the mind frees itself from fear, there is no possibility of understanding the extraordinary beauty, strength, and vitality of death.” –J. KrishnamurtiAbout J. Krishnamurti:For nearly six decades until his passing in 1986 at the age of ninety, Jiddu Krishnamurti traversed the globe, delivering spontaneous and captivating discourses to large audiences. Krishnamurti assumed the role of an investigator rather than an authority figure, encouraging individuals to question assumptions and explore the depths of their consciousness. His extensive body of work, estimated at over 100 million words, spans more than six decades of relentless inquiry and dialogue. His teachings, compiled in numerous books and translated into multiple languages, continue to inspire seekers worldwide, inviting them to embark on a profound journey of self-discovery and understanding. J. Krishnamurti’s legacy endures as a guiding light, offering timeless wisdom for those who dare to challenge conventional thinking and explore the complexities of existence.About Dr. Allan W. Anderson:Dr. Allan Anderson was a poet, author, Professor Emeritus, beloved teacher, scholar of the Oracular Tradition, and a gifted religious linguist. He helped to form the Department of Religious Studies at San Diego State College in 1969. Dr. Anderson later became chair of that department, specializing in Eastern Religions, until his retirement in 1985.
empathy- The Three Breath Hug Meditation- The Non-Toothache MeditationThe episode closes with Meena leading guided practice. You can learn more about Meena’s work on her website, right here.To learn more about Sharon’s forthcoming children’s book, Kind Karl, and pre-order a copy with a special pre-order gift, you can visit Sharon’s website, right here.
Before you go to bed at night, just ask your ancestors to allow you to have a dream—to sense whatever it is, and just leave it at that. Open your heart. Say it truly not just from your head, but from your heart.” –Anita SanchezAbout Apela Colorado, Ph.D. Founder of the Worldwide Indigenous Science Network, Apela Colorado, Ph.D.(Oneida-Gaul) is a pioneering scholar, educator, and cultural bridge-builder whose work spans Indigenous knowledge systems, social policy, and spiritual ecology. A Ford Foundation Fellow, she earned her Ph.D. in Social Policy from Brandeis University in 1982, with additional studies in Federal Indian Law and Child Welfare at Harvard University. She has served as a representative to the United Nations Earth Summit, a delegate to the Conference on Religion and Environment hosted by the President of Indonesia, and an advisory board member for the South African Research Chair in Development Education. Her scholarly publications explore the intersections of Indigenous wisdom, spirituality, and science. She is the author of Woman Between the Worlds: A Call to Your Ancestral and Indigenous Wisdom (Hay House, 2021), and co-author of numerous academic works on cultural revitalization and sacred ecology. Learn more HERE.“I found out if you want to do revolutionary work, for me it means work that sustains life, it means the sacred feminine, it means the connection of feminine and masculine, the polarities and bringing them together through love.” –Apela Colorado, Ph.D.
Offering listeners a way to live life fully, Trudy Goodman explores how to overcome the brain's negative bias by inclining the mind toward appreciation. In this episode, Trudy Goodman gives a lecture on:- The mind’s tendency to view things negatively - How evolutionary wiring shapes what we notice and what we miss- A powerful teaching from loved ones at the end of life: do all things with joy- Remembering that our heart is inclined toward that which we pay attention to- How micro-moments of mindfulness accumulate into lasting transformation- Building new neural pathways through steady, repeated practice- Living fully with both joy and difficulty instead of moving into denial- Ensuring that we do not overlook that which will grow our spiritual wealth- Realizing that both our feelings about a situation and the situation itself do not really matter- Why the Buddha wanted us to look deeply at our suffering and to question it- Taking in the goodness of your very own beingThis recording was originally published on Dharmaseed.About Trudy Goodman:Trudy is a Vipassana teacher in the Theravada lineage and the Founding Teacher of InsightLA. For 25 years, in Cambridge, MA, Trudy practiced mindfulness-based psychotherapy with children, teenagers, couples and individuals. Trudy conducts retreats, engages in activism work, and teaches workshops worldwide and online. She is also the voice of Trudy the Love Barbarian in the Netflix series, The Midnight Gospel. You can learn more about Trudy’s flourishing array of wonderful offerings at TrudyGoodman.com“This took me so long to understand in my practice: that what I think about what’s happening doesn’t matter. Actually, what’s happening doesn’t even matter. All that matters is do we know it? Can we be with it without being hard on ourselves, shaming ourselves, blaming somebody else? All that matters is our quality of attention to it.” –Trudy Goodman
Raghu Markus and Psychoanalyst Dr. Jeffrey Rubin unpack how mindfulness, empathy, and self-understanding connect the worlds of Buddhism and Western therapy.In this Mindrolling episode, Raghu and Dr. Rubin discuss:- Jeffrey’s traditional upbringing and the unexpected spiritual experience he had during a basketball game- Key parallels between Western psychotherapy and Buddhist wisdom- How “hovering attention” and mindfulness support both therapists and clients- Identifying pure presence in numerous activities, from chanting to sports and beyond - The marriage of Buddha and Freud: moment-to-moment non-judgmental, non-interfering presence - Why some Buddhist practitioners can be “one with experience” but struggle to articulate what that truly means- Viewing our symptoms as beautiful gateways to transformation rather than obstacles- Putting practice into everyday life and helping people truly live differently- Empathetically understanding those we disagree with - Becoming open to feedback and growth instead of shutting down new ideas - The ways in which we maladaptively try to cure ourselves - What real, sustainable transformation actually looks like in practiceAbout Dr. Jeffrey B. Rubin:Dr. Rubin practices psychoanalysis and psychoanalytically-oriented psychotherapy and teaches meditation in New York City and Bedford Hills, New York. Widely regarded as a leading integrator of the Western psychotherapeutic and Eastern meditative traditions, Dr. Rubin created Meditative Psychotherapy based on decades of study, teaching and helping people to flourish. Dr. Rubin is the author of six books and numerous publications. He has taught at universities, psychoanalytic institutes and Buddhist and yoga centers. Dr. Rubin lectures in the US and has given workshops at the UN, the Esalen Institute, the Open Center and the 92nd Street Y. His pioneering approach to psychotherapy and Buddhism has been featured in The New York Times Magazine. Sign up HERE for a workshop on self-transformation with Dr. Rubin“I call it the marriage of Buddha and Freud. It’s any practice that cultivates moment-to-moment, non-judgmental, non-interfering presence. That can be qigong, prayer, or Sufi dancing. I don’t want the audience to think it has to be Buddhist; it can be many things. It just happens to be very well done in Buddhism. It’s any sincere path that will help you focus, concentrate, have more self-compassion and compassion for others.” –Dr. Jeffrey B. Rubin
Defining the nature of Bodhicitta, Joseph Goldstein explains that enlightenment is inevitable when compassion and emptiness coexist.This time on Insight Hour, Joseph Goldstein thoughtfully articulates:- Bodhicitta: the heart-mind of awakening and working for the benefit of all beings- Living in the world while still remembering the truth of non-self and impermanence- The beauty of selflessness embodied through Dipa Ma’s life and teachings- Regularly reflecting on impermanence as both a reality check and a spiritual practice- The nature of the mind as intrinsically empty and naturally radiant - Coming out of our mind-drama and entering into the empty luminosity of the present moment - Compassionate responsiveness to the needs of others- Forgiveness as one of the most profound ways to respond with open-hearted compassionThis talk was originally published on Dharmaseed“This responsiveness is compassion, not as a meditative stance, but rather it is the responsiveness of an open heart, of an open mind. It can show itself, this compassionate responsiveness, in so many different ways. It can manifest very beautifully as forgiveness.” –Joseph Goldstein
Celebrating the release of his new book of his favorite stories, All In This Together, Jack shares why ‘sometimes we need a story more than food.’
Speaking across the decades from the 1960s to the 2010s, Ram Dass shares stories about his mother and father, and explores what it means to honor our parents and incarnation. This episode of Here and Now is a compilation of Ram Dass discussing what it means to honor our parents and our incarnation. We begin in 1969 at the family farm in New Hampshire. Ram Dass talks about how most of our efforts to help other people are simply high drama. He tells a story about wanting to speak with his mother about dying when she was going through that process, but she had to be the one to open the door to the conversation.The next stop is the 1970s at the Abode of the Message in New Lebanon, New York. Ram Dass explores how part of the spiritual journey is about honoring incarnation and honoring our parents. He shares stories about spending time with his father, and how moments of intimacy between them were born of Ram Dass not trying to be someone special anymore. We move on to a 1985 Seva benefit in San Rafael, California. Ram Dass discusses moving back home at 50 to care for his aging father. He then tells the story of being called home from a meditation retreat to help his sick stepmother, and a moment of anger he felt towards his guru about what was happening.Up next is a trip to the 1990s at the Conscious Aging Retreat in Clearwater, Florida. Ram Dass responds to a question about helping a child awaken. He talks about how you have to become somebody before you become nobody, and recalls a memory where he and his mother overcame their roles of parent and child for a brief moment.Finally, we end with a conversation between Ram Dass and John Welshons on Maui in 2011. Ram Dass tells the story of a meditation retreat that turned into a therapy group, which triggered a memory from when he was a young child and his mother was holding him down during a temper tantrum. Ram Dass tries to reconcile this memory with the moment when his guru told him his mother is a very high soul. The Ram Dass community gathers regularly to engage in meaningful discussions about the podcast. We invite you to join us and share your curiosities, insights, and wisdom. Sign up for the General Fellowship to receive event invitations directly in your inbox.“Now, I’ve done this, being with my father once a month now, for several years, because I said to myself, ‘Look, you have to honor your incarnation. And one of the aspects of your incarnation is that you are your father’s son.’ And even though, on some level, that seems kind of funny, it happens to be part of what it’s about. Just like I have to honor the fact that I am an American. I have to pay my taxes. I have to do a lot of stuff. And this is one of the things, I must honor it. And then I have to figure out—what does it mean to honor it? What does it mean to honor it? What does it mean to honor parents?” – Ram DassAbout Ram Dass:Ram Dass’s spirit has been a guiding light for generations, carrying millions along on the journey. Ram Dass teaches that through the Bhakti practice of unconditional love, we can all connect with our true nature. Through these teachings, Ram Dass has shared a little piece of his guru, Maharaj-ji, with all who have listened to him. Learn more at ramdass.org.
Connecting to the timelessness of the present moment, Gil Fronsdal offers practical steps towards the only source of true happiness: contentment.This time on the BHNN Guest Podcast, Gil Fronsdal explores:- Seeing the timeless present through photographs - Enjoying the preciousness of our limited time here on earth - How corporate, capitalist America prefers people who are discontent- What the Buddha said about the vital importance of contentment - How many desires often dissipate on their own if you ride them out- The ways in which desire alienates us from ourselves - The embodied quality of contentment and being in touch with ourselves- Freedom in the Buddhist sense: freedom ‘from’ rather than freedom ‘to do’- Cultivating contentment by valuing it and seeing it as an important part of life- Activities which encourage contentment versus remaining frantic- Facing discontentment head-on so that it does not drive us - This recording was originally published on Dharmaseed.“Contentment is a falling away of anxiety, restlessness, reaching forward, fear, being fragmented, and disconnected. It is a kind of settling. If we’re driven by desires, fears, preoccupations, or fantasies, often our energy, our center of attention, is upwelling in an unhealthy way. As we are contented, we feel the settling down, settling down into the center of gravity.” –Gil Fronsdal About Gil Fronsdal:Gil Fronsdal is the co-teacher for the Insight Meditation Center in Redwood City, California; he has been teaching since 1990. He has practiced Zen and Vipassana in the U.S. and Asia since 1975. He was a Theravada monk in Burma in 1985, and in 1989 began training with Jack Kornfield to be a Vipassana teacher. Gil teaches at Spirit Rock Meditation Center where he is part of its Teachers Council. Gil was ordained as a Soto Zen priest at the San Francisco Zen Center in 1982, and in 1995 received Dharma Transmission from Mel Weitsman, the abbot of the Berkeley Zen Center. He currently serves on the SF Zen Center Elders’ Council. In 2011 he founded IMC’s Insight Retreat Center. He is the author of The Issue at Hand, essays on mindfulness practice; A Monastery Within; a book on the five hindrances called Unhindered; and the translator of The Dhammapada, published by Shambhala Publications. You may listen to Gil’s talks on Audio Dharma.
RamDev shares how to make every moment a living prayer, carrying the essence of mantra and devotion into both the sacred and the mundane. This week on Healing at the Edge, RamDev explores:- RamDev’s personal struggles with integrating practice into his daily life- Bringing heartfulness into mundane activities as a form of ceaseless prayer/practice- Practicing out of richness, abundance, and adequacy, rather than out of need, separation, and inadequacy - Making connectedness ongoing and constant, rather than something we struggle to find- The compelling story of Raghu Markus and an answered prayer from Maharaj-ji- Prayers of adoration, rejoicing, and gratitude - Receiving direction and guidance through our prayers- ‘Good pain’, aka, the pain of being released and of tension going away- Trusting in the divine and surrendering in each moment “Every moment is open to one of these kinds of prayer. How much can we trust integrating a prayerful attitude, heartfelt surrender to the divine into each moment, whether it’s a moment of gratitude, grief, intercession, thanksgiving, so many different possibilities.” –RamDev About Dale Borglum:RamDev Dale Borglum founded and directed the Hanuman Foundation Dying Center in Santa Fe, New Mexico, the first residential facility in the United States to support conscious dying. He has been the Executive Director of the Living/Dying Project in Santa Fe and since 1986 in the San Francisco Bay Area. He is the coauthor with Ram Dass, Daniel Goleman and Dwarka Bonner of Journey of Awakening: A Meditator’s Guidebook, Bantam Books and has taught meditation since 1974.RamDev offers lectures and workshops on the topics of meditation, healing, spiritual support for those with life threatening illness, and on caregiving as spiritual practice. He has a doctorate degree from Stanford University. RamDev’s passion is the healing of our individual and collective fear of death so that we may be free.
Wellness. He is the founder, treasurer, and past president of the Open Dharma Foundation, which provides scholarships to meditation retreats, and for four years served as the president of the Tucson Community Meditation Center. Keep up with Tucker and his upcoming retreats HERE.“The trouble is, the ego is trying to protect you from threats and it is very, very unclear on what does and doesn’t constitute a threat. It tends to think any sort of emotion constitutes a threat, any sort of insight into how the mind or perceptual system works is more than you can handle, so what you want is to slowly get to know yourself.” –Tucker Peck, Ph.D.
Jack Kornfield and Prof. Rajiv S. Joshi explore how facing suffering with love can awaken the courage to heal our world.
Blending creativity, business, and parenthood, Jonathan and Miya Eden join David Nichtern to discuss bringing stories to life through animation.In this episode, David, Jonathan and Miya explore:- How Jonathan and Miya met and became both personal and creative collaborators- The process of animating and creating content for Pengwee and Ruby - Animating meditative processes and a modified story of the Buddha- The impact of Miya’s late grandmother on her life and creative process - A special hello from Arthur, Miya and Jonathan’s young son- How to hold space for career development, creative pursuits, and being a parent- The business side of creative work and dealing with finances, problem-solving, etc.- Why creativity and bringing entertainment to others is so important to JonathanAbout Jonathan and Miya Eden:With a degree in Character Animation from the California Institute of Arts (CalArts 2012) Jonathan Eden has over a decade of rich experience in the field of Animation. Working currently as an Animator for Comedy Central's Emmy-winning South Park, Jonathan has a history of prestigious work from large networks which include Disney, Hasbro, and HBO; as well as animating projects for the New York Times, Thom Browne, and Cubcoats. Miya, a professional dancer, choreographer, and director, came together with Jonathan to help create quality animation content for Strawberry Moons Media. You can learn more about Jonathan and Miya’s other creative projects, HERE at Nobody Couple Studios.“For me, creativity is about expressing yourself and your unique view and doing it in a way that can bring either joy or entertainment to others. Seeing people react to something I’ve animated or a drawing is a great feeling, it’s something you’ve uniquely created with your perspective that no one else can do.” –Jonathan EdenAbout David Nichtern:David Nichtern, founder of Dharma Moon, is a senior Buddhist teacher who has been practicing and teaching meditation for over 40 years. He was one of the initial American students of renowned meditation master Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche and studied closely with him soon after his arrival in the United States in 1970. He is also a business consultant with companies creating a variety of offerings, integrating meditation in a larger health and well-being context. David is also a multiple Grammy-nominated and Emmy Award-winning musician. David’s journey has crisscrossed with the Maharaji/Ram Dass sangha for decades. He has produced multiple Krishna Das albums and frequently joins the Bhaktettes live on guitar. He considers himself to be a first cousin and an honorary member of the Bhakti community.
Now Ep. 290 - https://youtu.be/373SwUX64s4================Make sure not to miss a single video podcast from Be Here Now Network! Click here to Subscribe:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCc1lvEoC5PZWm-MzgUfJQfgFollow Be Here Now Network:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BeHereNowNetworkTwitter: https://twitter.com/beherenownetInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/beherenownetwork================Be Here Now NetworkPodcasts, Courses, and Articles to help you live a Life in Balance.Heart-Centered wisdom from Ram Dass, Jack Kornfield, Sharon Salzberg, Krishna Das + many more!Get a Free Guided Meditation from Sharon Salzberg when you first sign up at: https://beherenownetwork.com/
Responding to a variety of dharma questions on meditation, effort, and impermanence, Joseph Goldstein explores the mystery of consciousness.This episode is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/insighthour and get on your way to being your best selfThis week on Insight Hour, Joseph Goldstein responds to questions on:- The benefits of doing walking meditation versus traditional seated meditation- Cutting through our conceptual overlay and simply having raw experiences- Passive voice construction: removing the self as subject when narrating the world around us- Changing “let it go” to “let it be” when we are struggling to let go- Being in the flow of changing experiences, the natural arising and passing away of all things- The fine line of wholesome energy/effort versus striving and struggling- Realizing the emptiness of thoughts and the suffering they bring to us- The first experience of nirvana, ‘the zero’, and uprooting the view of selfThis talk was originally published on Dharmaseed“This is the mystery of consciousness. There’s nothing there tangible to find; no color, no form, it can’t be found. Yet, the knowing is happening. It’s this union of emptiness and knowing.” –Joseph Goldstein
Now podcast. She is also a teacher, coach, and spiritual director with the privilege of marrying two decades of mystical studies with 15 years of expertise in holistic wellness. As an inter-spiritual minister, Jackie was ordained in Creation Spirituality in 2016 and has also studied extensively in several other lineages – the plant-medicine-based Pachakuti Mesa Tradition, Sri Vidya Tantra, Western European Shamanism, Christian Mysticism, the Wise Woman Tradition, and others. Today, in addition to building courses and community for LSRF, she leads workshops and coaches individuals to discover, nourish and live from their most authentic selves.
For episode 272, we are launching a new series on the Metta Hour, centered on kids, in honor of Sharon’s first children’s book, Kind Karl, coming out on December 9th! Co-authored by Jason Gruhl, this illustrated picture book is for 4-8 year-olds and is a new children’s adaptation of Sharon’s beloved book Lovingkindness. To learn more about Sharon’s forthcoming children’s book, Kind Karl, and pre-order a copy with a special pre-order gift, you can visit Sharon’s website, right here: https://www.sharonsalzberg.com/kind-karlFor this podcast series, Sharon speaks with educators, caregivers, and researchers about the ways meditation, mindfulness, and lovingkindness can impact children of all ages and the family systems that support them. For the first episode of the series, Sharon speaks with Susan Kaiser Greenland. Susan is a mindfulness educator and bestselling author, specializing in distilling global wisdom traditions and scientific research into straightforward everyday practices. In the early 2000s, she helped pioneer the introduction of secular mindfulness into classrooms through her Inner Kids model. After decades of working with children and adults and writing two widely translated books, Susan’s latest book, Real-World Enlightenment, was published in 2024 by Shambhala.In this conversation, Susan and Sharon speak about:- Susan’s journey with meditation- Meditation’s effect on Susan’s son- Inspiration for writing The Mindful Child- Volunteering in schools- Creating the Inner Kids program- The importance of storytelling- The playful approach for young ages- The positive effects of mindfulness in schools- The “Pink Bubble” compassion exercise- Mindfulness for family dynamics- Susan’s UCLA research findings- Susan’s most recent book, Real World Enlightenment
Merging art, science, and spirit, authors and intellectuals Susan Magsamen and Ivy Ross illuminate why creativity is essential for humanity.In this episode of Mindrolling, Raghu, Susan, and Ivy explore:- Redefining art as any medium that allows someone to express themselves- Learning to see the world with fresh eyes and creative curiosity- The powerful reflection: has there ever been a time when the arts have personally affected you?- Resonance and vibration as the center of the universe - Music as a pathway to experience oneness with all things- The miracle of neuroplasticity—rewiring the brain and making new pathways- Confronting ourselves with a new piece of art or doing a new arts practice - Play through art: letting go of any preconceived outcome and simply playing with ideas and concepts- Why change requires time, patience, and habitual practice - Remembering that art in ancient cultures was highly valued and integrated into daily life- The aesthetic mindset and walking through the world with attention to beauty in every detailAbout Susan Magsamen:Susan Magsamen is the founder and director of the International Arts + Mind Lab, Center for Applied Neuroaesthetics at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, where she is a faculty member. She is also the co-director of the NeuroArts Blueprint. Susan works with both the public and private sectors using arts and culture evidence-based approaches in areas including health, child development, education, workforce innovation, rehabilitation and social equity.“It’s personal; it could be crocheting for her, gardening for somebody else, it could be I’m a collager, we’re all talking about personalized medicine and precision medicine, and the arts are probably the most personalized medicine that there is.” –Susan Magsamen About Ivy Ross:Ivy Ross is the Vice President of Design for hardware product area at Google, where she leads a team that has won over 225 design awards. She is a National Endowment for Arts grant recipient and was ninth on Fast Company's list of the one hundred Most Creative People in Business in 2019. Ross believes that the intersection of arts and sciences is where the most engaging and creative ideas are found.“I think we’ve been focusing on productivity and efficiency and pushing these arts aside as a ‘nice to have’, not as an imperative to our health and wellness. Through the work on this book with Susan, learning more about the physiology of how we are wired to receive the sensorial nature of life, it’s no wonder when we deprive ourselves of that, why we’re in the state we’re in.” –Ivy Ross
Buddhist teacher David Nichtern explains that making friends with the mind and internal world is the first step to relating better with the people around us.
Through soulful insights on detaching from the ego and expanding the heart, Krishna Das reminds us that surrender is not defeat, it’s the deepest devotion to God.
Jack Kornfield and Prof. Rajiv S. Joshi explore ‘inner climate change,’ guiding us through meditation and reflection on transforming the world by becoming the Tree of Enlightenment.
Celebrating the release of There Is No Other, a new book of teachings from Ram Dass' lectures, Parvati Markus and Raghu Markus listen to and reflect on some of the material used in its creation. This special episode of Here and Now celebrates the new book, There Is No Other, a collection of teachings taken from Ram Dass’ lectures. In these times, Ram Dass’ teachings on wholeness and unity are more needed than ever. The Ram Dass community gathers regularly to engage in meaningful discussions about the podcast. We invite you to join us and share your curiosities, insights, and wisdom. Sign up for the General Fellowship to receive event invitations directly in your inbox: https://www.ramdass.org/fellowship/We begin with a clip of Ram Dass exploring the mindset of “us versus them.” Who exactly is us? Who is them? Raghu and Parvati reflect on how this clip is central to the theme of There Is No Other.The next clip features Ram Dass talking about the balance of heart and mind. Sharing a powerful real-life example, he explores how we cut ourselves off when we veil our hearts. Raghu and Parvati share how the book is about walking a path to harmony and wholeness.The third clip finds Ram Dass examining Ramana Maharshi’s concept of “God, Guru, Self,” and how we can begin to appreciate that the Spirit is everywhere. Raghu and Parvati discuss how Ram Dass' new book speaks to this really important moment in our lives.We end with a brief clip of Ram Dass talking about the path of love. “Finally,” he says, “you become an environment, a vibratory rate…” “So the mind, if it gets too strong, out of balance with the heart, shuts down all the information that the heart can give. It cuts you off from your wisdom, really. You don’t even see all the stuff. I mean, you and I are simultaneously existing on so many planes of reality, but because of the power of our minds, we keep limiting which realities are real, and the rest of it we either treat as error or we don’t even notice. It’s so deeply unconscious, we just don’t even notice all the rest of us, of ourselves.” – Ram DassAbout Ram Dass:Ram Dass’s spirit has been a guiding light for generations, carrying millions along on the journey. Ram Dass teaches that through the Bhakti practice of unconditional love, we can all connect with our true nature. Through these teachings, Ram Dass has shared a little piece of his guru, Maharaj-ji, with all who have listened to him.
Carried by a discourse on The Heart Sutra, teacher and author Susan Piver joins Raghu to explore the truth of emptiness.This week on Mindrolling, Raghu and Susan chat about:- Practicing The Heart Sutra with only one syllable: ahh- The truth of emptiness through recitation of non-truths - Understanding emptiness as bliss, not as voidness- The commitment to self interest that many westerners experience- Releasing the ego as the first step towards embracing emptiness - Being both empty and luminous at the same time- Thinking of emptiness as complete interconnection and fullness- Susan’s psychedelic experience: staying in the present, being in the womb of bliss- The six transcendent actions and how they all spring from generosity - Check out this free, downloadable translation of The Heart Sutra from Plum VillageAbout Susan Piver:Susan Piver has an international reputation as an exceptionally skillful meditation teacher. She teaches workshops and speaks on mindfulness, innovation, communication, relationships, and creativity. Susan has been a student of Buddhism since 1995, graduated from a Buddhist seminary in 2004, and was authorized to teach meditation in 2005. In 2012, she founded The Open Heart Project, the world’s largest online-only meditation center. Susan is also a New York Times bestselling author. Her most recent book, Inexplicable Joy: On the Heart Sutra, is now available. You can keep up with Susan on Instagram.“You’re empty of separate existence. Your parents, their parents, their parents, if someone ate a different sandwich a thousand years ago, you wouldn’t be here. Emptiness could just as easily be called fullness, completely connected.” –Susan Piver
Pacha has devoted his life to studying and practicing the spiritual traditions passed down by his ancestors and elders.Today, he serves as a speaker and the Coordinator of the Great National Council of Indigenous Elders in Colombia (ONIC), representing a remarkable alliance of 115 tribes. He is also a representative of the Worldwide Indigenous Science Network, a United Nations Delegate, and an activist for Indigenous Sovereignty and environmental justice. A carrier of the sacred medicine of Yagé (Ayahuasca), Pacha's driving purpose is to exemplify and share the knowledge of coexistence in harmony with Mother Earth's spirit and wisdom. Affectionately known as “the healer of the healers” in Colombia, he offers healing on every level—physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual. Pacha's transformative work inspires individuals worldwide to embrace the interconnectedness of all beings and rediscover their innate connection to nature and tap into the endless wellspring of wisdom that resides within. You can reach him at malkupachakanchay@hotmail.com.
Vipassana teacher Trudy Goodman explores how trusting in the dharma and in ourselves leads to a more peaceful, present life.
For episode 271, Sharon sits down with poet, author and Zen master Henry Shukman. After a spontaneous spiritual awakening at the age of 19, Henry embarked on a long journey of healing and deeper awakening through meditation. Since then, he has been leading a growing number of practitioners in Europe and the US. He is the Spiritual Director Emeritus of Mountain Cloud Zen Center in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Henry has also created the app, The Way, and is the author of several books, including his latest 2024 release, “Original Love.” This is Henry’s first appearance on the podcast.In this conversation, Sharon and Henry speak about:- Henry’s challenges in early life- Discovering Zen teachings- Henry’s new book, Original Love- Mindfulness, Support, Absorption, Awakening- Original Love versus Original Sin- Mental health in spiritual practice- The power of community and connection- Henry’s meditation app, The Way- How to microdose lovingkindness The episode closes with Henry leading a guided meditation. You can learn more about Henry’s books and teachings on his website right here. You can also learn about his app, The Way, right here.
Jack Kornfield and Prof. Rajiv S. Joshi share uplifting spiritual wisdom on how inner climate change shapes outer climate healing, the environment, and the future of humanity.
Through teachings on non-duality and the illusion of separateness, RamDev explains how true healing comes from recognizing our inherent wholeness.
Challenging the idea that struggle and conflict are a necessary part of life, J. Krishnamurti and Dr. Allan Anderson explore a different way of living.To start at the beginning of this 18-part dialogue on consciousness, spirituality and navigating life with J. Krishnamurti and Dr. Allan W. Anderson: https://youtu.be/rcn0gXWv9UUThis time on Freedom from the Known, J. Krishnamurti and Dr. Allan W. Anderson discuss:- What it truly means to live and face the profound mystery of death- Discovering the meaning of existence through awareness of the present moment- Ways that people attempt to escape from the monotony of daily routine - How to meet the ‘battle of life’ with clarity and compassion- The highest form of education: teaching that there is a way of living without conflict- Being aware of the correct uses of thought and knowledge- The destructive, negative energy that is created through conflict and battle- Considering how love can exist in a world filled with inner and outer battle - Digging deeper into the reality of consciousness, beyond definitions“If you could, as a professor, teacher, parent, point this out, the impracticality of the way we are living, the destructiveness of it, the utter indifference to the earth. We are destroying everything we touch. And, to point out a way of living in which there’s no conflict. That seems to me is the function of the highest form of education.” – J. KrishnamurtiThis talk was originally recorded in 1974 at San Diego State University and curated by the Krishnamurti Foundation of AmericaAbout J. Krishnamurti:For nearly six decades until his passing in 1986 at the age of ninety, Jiddu Krishnamurti traversed the globe, delivering spontaneous and captivating discourses to large audiences. Krishnamurti assumed the role of an investigator rather than an authority figure, encouraging individuals to question assumptions and explore the depths of their consciousness. His extensive body of work, estimated at over 100 million words, spans more than six decades of relentless inquiry and dialogue. His teachings, compiled in numerous books and translated into multiple languages, continue to inspire seekers worldwide, inviting them to embark on a profound journey of self-discovery and understanding. J. Krishnamurti’s legacy endures as a guiding light, offering timeless wisdom for those who dare to challenge conventional thinking and explore the complexities of existence.About Dr. Allan W. Anderson:Dr. Allan Anderson was a poet, author, Professor Emeritus, beloved teacher, scholar of the Oracular Tradition, and a gifted religious linguist. He helped to form the Department of Religious Studies at San Diego State College in 1969. Dr. Anderson later became chair of that department, specializing in Eastern Religions, until his retirement in 1985.
Discussing their newest project, Strawberry Moons Media, David Nichtern and Debbie Nutley get into how they truly merged creativity with spirituality and ‘making a buck’.This episode is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/beherenow and get on your way to being your best self.This time on the CSM Podcast, David and Debbie share about:- The creation of Strawberry Moons Media as a hub for conscious creators and spiritual storytellers- Having a ‘sky view’ perspective while also staying grounded and executing dreams here on earth- Experiencing Buddhism and meditation in a way that is accessible, engaging, and entertaining- Debbie’s inspiration behind Pengwee and Ruby, two mindful penguin best friends who teach compassion and playfulness- How music bypasses the logical mind, opening the door to intuition and emotional depth- Rediscovering our natural state as intuitive, spiritual beings- Breaking down superficiality to reconnect with the sacred and the beyondCheck out Strawberry Moons Media on YouTube, where you can find access to entertainment with meaning, mindful living tips, and mindful lessons for children: SMM Mindful Living - https://www.youtube.com/@SMMmindfullivingSMM Medi-tainment - https://www.youtube.com/@SMMmedi-tainmentSMM For Kids - https://www.youtube.com/@SMMforkidsYou can also keep up with Strawberry Moons on Instagram, Facebook, and Tiktok: Instagram https://www.instagram.com/strawberrymoonsmedia?igsh=MWdjNmZndTA3ZTNxdw==Facebookhttps://www.facebook.com/share/1RKwtGoKVb/?mibextid=wwXIfrTikTokhttps://www.tiktok.com/@strawberrymoonsmedia?_t=ZP-8zrN2AbH9MV&_r=1 About Debbie Nutley:Debbie Nutley is an award-winning children's picture book author, certified meditation instructor and trained to teach mindfulness to children. Her picture books, Pengwee's Breath and Ruby's Heart Song, both contain engaging stories involving two adorable and best friend penguins. Each story weaves lessons of mindfulness and social-emotional learning. Always finding inspiration in music, Debbie collaborated with composer and songwriter Wells Hanley to create a musical rendition of the signature song embedded in the story of Ruby's Heart Song. Keep up with Debbie on her Instagram and learn more about her books on her website.“The whole reason why I decided to publish children’s books about mindfulness, and Pengwee and Ruby are these adorable, mindful, heart-centered penguins, they’re best friends, the whole reason I did it is because I thought it would be great for kids to learn about mindfulness at a young age. That it would be a better world if every kid knew about this stuff.” –Debbie NutleyAbout David Nichtern:David Nichtern, founder of Dharma Moon, is a senior Buddhist teacher who has been practicing and teaching meditation for over 40 years. He was one of the initial American students of renowned meditation master Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche and studied closely with him soon after his arrival in the United States in 1970. He is also a business consultant with companies creating a variety of offerings integrating meditation in a larger health and well-being context. David is also a multiple Grammy-nominated and Emmy Award-winning musician. David’s journey has crisscrossed with the Maharaji/Ram Dass sangha for decades. He has produced multiple Krishna Das albums and frequently joins the Bhaktettes live on guitar. He considers himself to be a first cousin and an honorary member of the Bhakti community.“I think we’re creating a whole new genre of something: bite-sized pieces people can check out and in 3-4 minutes get a very tangible sense of what meditation practice is about, what the Buddhist teachings are, but without feeling like you’re going to the dentist.” –David Nichtern
Exploring the Soto Zen path, Rev. Chimyo Atkinson and Vincent Moore reflect on inclusivity, feminine wisdom, and the beauty of simplicity.This episode is from the series Paths of Practice. Click here to subscribe on YouTube, Spotify, or Apple Podcasts: https://www.goodfornothingideas.com/selected-projectsToday’s podcast is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/beherenow and get on your way to being your best self.In this episode, Rev. Chimyo and Vincent Moore chat about:- Building a Zen Buddhist community in the Southern United States - Rev Chimyo’s profound experience volunteering at a prison as a Zen priest - How Rev Chimyo was first introduced to meditation and Buddhism- The beautiful serenity within taking pause, being still, and doing a Zen practice- Finding reality in the present moment and realizing that everything else is made up in our minds- Walking the Soto Zen path and finding depth within simple practices- Great Tree Zen Women’s Temple and holding space specifically for women in the Buddhist world- Paying attention to what feminine energy can bring to Buddhist practice and temples- Inclusive spiritual practice and focusing on the shared elements of life - The calm and connection that can be discovered through Zen labor - Loving others and loving the dharma, wishing peace for all people - Doing all daily tasks with the dharma in our hearts and mindsAbout Rev. Chimyo Atkinson:Rev. Chimyo Atkinson is a Soto Zen priest that serves the Great Tree Zen Women’s Temple in Alexander, NC, as well as sanghas and centers throughout the United States and internationally. Rev. Chimyo was ordained by Rev. Teijo Munnich in 2007 and received Dharma Transmission in 2015. She received monastic training at Great Tree Temple and completed two Sotoshu International training periods (angos) in Japan in 2010 and 2011, two additional angos at Aichi Senmon Nisodo in Nagoya in 2012 and one ango at Ryumonji Monastery in Iowa in 2014. Chimyo served as Head of Practice at Great Tree Zen Women’s Temple and volunteered with the sangha at Avery-Mitchell Correctional Institute until 2020. For more information, please visit: https://chimyoatkinson.org/“Just stop, and give not just the breath but the whole being to that stillness, that stop. Be in reality for a minute, for 40 minutes, if you can handle it, 60 minutes. Be in that stop. Experience it. Know there’s reality. Everything else you’re making it up as you go along.” –Rev. Chimyo AtkinsonAbout Vincent Moore:Vincent Moore is a media specialist and creative consultant at Good for Nothing Ideas based in San Francisco, California. Vincent has over a decade of experience in the entertainment industry as a producer, performer, and writer in stage, film, and television and wrote a children's book titled, You're a Rubber Duck. He also has a master's degree in Buddhist Studies from the Institute of Buddhist Studies with a Certificate in Soto Zen Studies. Vincent is also the creator and host of the podcast, Paths of Practice, which features interviews with Buddhists from all over the world. For more information about his work, please visit: www.goodfornothingideas.com
David Silver and Raghu Markus explore the life and teachings of George Gurdjieff, the Russian-born mystic and philosopher of consciousness.This time on Mindrolling, Raghu and David have a discussion about:- How a teenage David Silver was first introduced to Gurdjieff’s teachings- Gurdjieff’s influence on the 1960s counterculture and the evolution of consciousness movements- The call to “do only what is new and fresh” and live in search of the miraculous- Doing the work literally and figuratively; supporting oneself and moving towards clear mentation - Gurdjieff’s view of humans as incomplete sleepwalkers, mechanically reacting to life- Gradual awakening through self-observation, inner struggle, and conscious effort - Shedding false pretenses to discover a unified, authentic self- How Gurdjieff’s philosophy inspired Ram Dass’s spiritual vision- The Seekers of Truth and The Sarmoung Brotherhood - The transformative and ongoing practice of self-remembering About George Ivanovich GurdjieffGurdjieff, who was born in the late 1800’s, was a philosopher, mystic, spiritual teacher, composer, and movements teacher. Born in the Russian Empire, he briefly became a citizen of the First Republic of Armenia after its formation in 1918, but fled the impending Red Army invasion of Armenia in 1920, which rendered him stateless. Gurdjieff taught that people are not conscious of themselves and thus live their lives in a state of hypnotic "waking sleep", but that it is possible to awaken to a higher state of consciousness and serve our purpose as human beings. Learn more 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 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.“His father basically said to him, you must not do anything old, you must always try and do something new and fresh, you must already be honest, you must always support yourself, These were all important in Gurdjieff’s life. You must be in search of the miraculous, because what else is there?” —David Silver
Krishna Das explores how spiritual practices like chanting and loving-kindness can calm anxiety and free the mind from the trap of overthinking.This time on Pilgrim Heart, Krishna Das shares his thoughts on:- Maharaj-ji, beyond the physical form- Discovering the guru’s presence everywhere- Our limited, human way of conceptualizing God- Spiritual life and relieving suffering in ourselves and others - Loving people as they are while still being able to set boundaries when necessary- The challenge of leaving relationships after they’ve served their karmic purpose- Allowing the mind to settle and becoming accustomed to the feeling of -letting go- The illusion of control and the ridiculousness of trying to control others- Finding ways to give ourselves a break and ways to show ourselves kindness- Why we practice: feeling the suffering of the world without letting it destroy us- Offering loving kindness to those we are struggling to accept- Practicing the Hanuman Chalisa as a coping mechanism and a way to change karma“Let the mind settle a little bit, get used to the feeling of letting go. Thoughts will cut you up, cut your mind up. Just keep practicing, letting go, that’s what we can do. If we don’t do it, we’re constantly going to be the target of our own anxiety and fear. We have to do some letting go.” – Krishna DasAbout 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.MORE INFORMATION and OFFERINGS VISIT: https://krishnadas.com/ KRISHNA DAS ON SOCIAL: FACEBOOK: facebook.com/KrishnaDasMusic INSTAGRAM: instagram.com/krishnadasmusic YOUTUBE: / krishnadasmusic X: @krishnadas #KrishnaDas
Somatic singer and teacher Marisa Michelson shares information on the powerful work of connecting to the body through song and uninhibited self-expression.Today’s podcast is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/beherenow and get on your way to being your best self.In this episode of The Indie Spiritualist, Chris and Marisa have a conversation about:- Vocal ‘de-armoring’: working with voice, the body, and the psyche to release blocks- Bringing somatic relationship and embodiment into the classical music world- How Marisa discovered that singing could bring her into transcendent bliss- Navigating information overload in our fast-paced, tech-driven age- A roadmap to reconnect with the body and relearn the language of direct experience- Letting spontaneity flow through the liberating practice of somatic singing- A jaw-focused practice for releasing tension and unlocking full expression- Trust and vulnerability to open up our bodies, hearts, and minds- Simple somatic practices to weave into day-to-day lifeAbout Marisa Michelson:In addition to being a sought-after somatic singing teacher, Marisa is an award-winning composer of music-theatre, experimental musicals, oratorios and choral works, and was the founding director of the psychedelic singing ensemble Constellation Chor | an immersion in voice, movement, and spirit. Marisa has written four full-length musicals, two of which were produced off-Broadway by Prospect Theater Company. Her most personal composition project to date was her Desire|Divinity Project, a three part music-theater piece exploring the connection between sexuality and spirituality through an exegesis of the Song of Songs and a musicalization of Sappho’s poetry fragments. She currently travels around singing with the vocal quartet, Agrol Agra, which performs Hungarian folk songs and Bartok arrangements of said folk songs. Marisa is beyond grateful to live and work and teach on acres of land in Upstate New York (Ancram/unceded Mohican land). Marisa gives her gratitude to the trees, red-winged blackbirds, deer, hares, water and wind, dirt, bees, and non-human life for the profound support. Connect with Marisa on her website.“It’s been such a gift for me to work with processes, particular exercises, and practices that are developing my understanding of how energies are moving through my body, how muscles are moving in coordination with each other, and how emotions are coordinating with the physical body, the nervous system, the energy body. Getting to go deeper into this is like learning a language that can then allow us to have more and more clarity in our own direct experience.” – Marisa Michelson
Buddhist teacher Gil Fronsdal explores the concept of the deathless and examines ways to experience life without clinging to impermanent things.Today’s podcast is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/beherenow and get on your way to being your best self.In this episode of the BHNN Guest Podcast, Gil discusses:- What the Buddha said about attaining the deathless- Seeking after things that are eternal rather than prone to aging and impermanence - Three forms of clinging/craving that lead us to suffering: beliefs, becoming, and sensual pleasure- Considering if there is a ‘you’ beyond thought- Letting go of our attachments to concepts- How a fixation on ‘becoming somebody’ prevents us from being - Avoidance of the reality of suffering due to personal discomfort - Developing mindfulness over time and having compassion for ourselves when we notice grasping- The timeless present and the end of separation- Attentiveness as the path to the deathless - The American notion of freedom versus the Eastern notion of liberation- The ultimate goal of Buddhism: to be open-handed, to have a mind without graspingAbout Gil Fronsdal:Gil Fronsdal is the co-teacher for the Insight Meditation Center in Redwood City, California; he has been teaching since 1990. He has practiced Zen and Vipassana in the U.S. and Asia since 1975. He was a Theravada monk in Burma in 1985, and in 1989 began training with Jack Kornfield to be a Vipassana teacher. Gil teaches at Spirit Rock Meditation Center where he is part of its Teachers Council. Gil was ordained as a Soto Zen priest at the San Francisco Zen Center in 1982, and in 1995 received Dharma Transmission from Mel Weitsman, the abbot of the Berkeley Zen Center. He currently serves on the SF Zen Center Elders’ Council. In 2011 he founded IMC’s Insight Retreat Center. He is the author of The Issue at Hand, essays on mindfulness practice; A Monastery Within; a book on the five hindrances called Unhindered; and the translator of The Dhammapada, published by Shambhala Publications. You may listen to Gil’s talks on Audio Dharma.This recording was originally published on Dharmaseed.org“The deathless is a synonym for Nirvana, for enlightenment, the great peace, the great happiness, for that which is unconditioned, the unborn, the ultimate security, the ultimate safety.” – Gil Fronsdal
In this powerful lecture on responding to suffering, Ram Dass draws on the wisdom of the Buddha, Trungpa Rinpoche, and Wavy Gravy, and offers his insight into the secret of compassion. The Ram Dass community gathers regularly to engage in meaningful discussions about the podcast. We invite you to join us and share your curiosities, insights, and wisdom. Sign up for the General Fellowship to receive event invitations directly in your inbox: https://www.ramdass.org/fellowship/This episode of Here and Now comes from a lecture Ram Dass gave at the Omega Institute on June 28th, 1983. Ram Dass talks about how suffering is everywhere. He examines the different kinds of reactions to it, including denial, pity, cynicism, or trying to “do something about it.”Ram Dass invokes the wisdom of the Buddha and Wavy Gravy to provide a path for us to open to suffering, and offers some insight into the secret of compassion.After a brief review of the Four Noble Truths, Ram Dass explores the concept of being nobody. He discusses the predicament of identifying with anything in form and how we aren’t who we think we are. We exist behind form.In the final part of the talk, Ram Dass introduces the rascally Trungpa Rinpoche, sharing stories of their early meetings. He recalls a dialogue between Trungpa and Wavy about responding to suffering and how they were representing two parts of the same dance.Sponsors Of This Episode:Ram Dass Here & Now is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/ramdass and get on your way to being your best self.This episode is also sponsored by Magic Mind. Go to magicmind.com/ramdass or use the code RAMDASS for up to 48% off your first subscription or 20% off one-time purchases at checkout. You can support this podcast and listen to episodes AD-FREE on our Patreon. Sign up for a free 7-day trial: patreon.com/RamDassPodcastAbout Ram Dass:Ram Dass’s spirit has been a guiding light for generations, carrying millions along on the journey. Ram Dass teaches that through the Bhakti practice of unconditional love, we can all connect with our true nature. Through these teachings, Ram Dass has shared a little piece of his guru, Maharaj-ji, with all who have listened to him.“Because part of the secret of compassion is being able to embrace darkness into light. It’s being able to embrace suffering into yourself. It’s being able to acknowledge and allow. And then, the impeccable warrior hears what to do about it.” – Ram Dass
Holding grief alongside wise teachings on death, Jaymee Carpenter and Raghu Markus discuss the great loss of Lady Diana J. Mukpo, wife of Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche.Listen to Jaymee’s interview with Lady Diana J. Mukpo: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/love-is-the-author/id1515059329?i=1000726692886This week on Mindrolling, Raghu and Jaymee chat about:- Remembering Lady Diana J. Mukpo, the wife of Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche, the great Tibetan Lama- Chogyam Trungpa’s leadership out of occupied Tibet, through the Himalayas, and into India- Raghu’s experience meeting Chogyam Trungpa and having an instant connection- Living in two planes at once: holding grief while realizing that death is ultimately just a concept- How clinging and even subtle attachments can pull us away from the present moment- Jaymee’s practice of looking at things three different ways- Transforming the polarity that exists inside of ourselves - Turning even the worst of situations into an opportunity for growth and something beautiful- ‘The mere eye’ where we hold our sense of self lightly - Watching out for spiritual bypassing and practicing loving awareness From This Episode:Look deeper into Pema Chödrön, the renowned Buddhist nun mentioned by Jaymee and Raghu: https://pemachodronfoundation.org/about/Get a copy of Why We Meditate, a guidebook that will help you not only break free from negative patterns of thought and behavior but radically embrace your very being: https://www.amazon.com/Why-We-Meditate-Practice-Compassion/dp/1982178450About Jaymee Carpenter:Jaymee Carpenter is a highly revered spiritual teacher and psychospiritual counselor based in Ojai, CA, with a background of 13 years of multi-faceted professional experience in the field of addiction and mental health treatment. He is a 16-year meditation practitioner and teacher within the oldest lineage of Tibetan Buddhism (Nyingma), which is his primary source of his own recovery and mental clarity. Jaymee spent 3 years recently as an apprentice to a Lakota shaman, co-facilitating sweat lodge ceremonies for hundreds of participants on sacred land blessed by His Holiness The Dalai Lama. He is additionally a master-level communicator and storyteller, and one of the world’s great listeners.Follow Jaymee Carpenter on Instagram and check out his podcast, Love is the Author, on YouTube and wherever you listen to podcasts.“I start to cry. I cry for the normal reasons one cries. Loss, the sadness around not having another chance to say something to her. Then, I’m immediately greeted with how long she lived, all the accomplishments she made in this lifetime, that she studied the way out of the notion of death alongside Chogyam Trungpa…I’m met both with my grief and my teachings.” – Jaymee Carpenter
Highlighting the fact that we can define our own reality, Amy Buetens & Julie Weinstein pull from the wisdom of Ram Dass to discuss navigating turbulent times.Today’s podcast is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/beherenow and get on your way to being your best self.In this episode, hosted by Jackie Dobrinska, Amy Buetens & Julie Weinstein discuss:- Utilizing beginner's mind as a tool for approaching the chaos of our world- Keeping our hearts open in hell and holding multiple truths at once.- Embracing change and uncertainty rather than seeing it as a threat- Increasing our equanimity in order to support ourselves and others - Being in the presence of suffering without creating more suffering- Looking at what is as a heartfelt service to ourselves and humanity- Meditation as an opportunity to explore our identity - Teen mental health struggles and overwhelm from the weight of the world- Compassionate action and working towards the end of suffering- Ram Dass’s recurring examples of self-love and self-acceptance- Leaving room for all of life’s unknown possibilities, the full spectrum of joy and sufferingGrab a copy of You are the Universe, an impactful graphic novel arranged and illustrated by Amy & Julie. This vibrant hand-drawn book chronicles the unconventional journey and self-discovery of Ram Dass: https://shop.ramdass.org/collections/books-and-media/products/you-are-the-universeAbout Amy Buetens:Amy Buetens is an artist, illustrator, and art educator. She is a certified integrative thanatologist and death educator. Her work includes performing final rites of passage, and she serves as a leader in her Jewish burial society. She has been a dedicated student of Ram Dass for over 20 years, and is a co-leader for the Love Serve Remember Foundation’s International Women’s Satsang and leads her local Ram Dass Fellowship.About Julie Weinstein:Julie Weinstein’s professional career is devoted to advancing environmental and social justice. She also serves as both a Jewish and Buddhist chaplain in the jails, within the justice movement and for people experiencing loss, grief and trauma. She is a death educator, burial society leader, and artist, and is pursuing ordination as a rabbi. She’s been practicing Ram Dass’s teachings for over two decades, and co-leads community initiatives for the Love Serve Remember Foundation.About The Host, Jackie Dobrinska:Jackie Dobrinska is the Director of Education, Community & Inclusion for Ram Dass’ Love, Serve, Remember Foundation and the current host of Ram Dass’ Here & Now podcast. She is also a teacher, coach, and spiritual director with the privilege of marrying two decades of mystical studies with 15 years of expertise in holistic wellness. As an inter-spiritual minister, Jackie was ordained in Creation Spirituality in 2016 and has also studied extensively in several other lineages – the plant-medicine-based Pachakuti Mesa Tradition, Sri Vidya Tantra, Western European Shamanism, Christian Mysticism, the Wise Woman Tradition, and others. Today, in addition to building courses and community for LSRF, she leads workshops and coaches individuals to discover, nourish and live from their most authentic selves.“You and I are the force for the transformation in the world. We are the consciousness that will define the nature of the reality we are moving into. Shifting our consciousness has the power to change our inner and outer universe. That’s why you work on yourself. That’s what help you offer. You work on yourself through everything in your life.”– Ram Dass
Author Andy Chaleff speaks to personal and collective grief, teaching listeners that embracing loss can help us live a more fulfilling life.Get your copy of Andy’s book, Dying to Live: Finding Life’s Meaning Through Death: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/dying-to-live-andy-chaleff/1147787972This week on Mindrolling, Raghu and Andy have a conversation on:- Andy’s early experiences with fear, existential dread, and childhood loss- Andy’s emotional and intellectual process of writing- Childhood grief, losing a parent, and losing a pet- Breaking free from a victimhood identity by reframing life’s challenges- Shifting perspective to see the world with gratitude and compassion- Processing collective grief in the face of global crises, politics, and inequality- How to live in love instead of living in fear- Finding the blessings in difficult circumstances- The wisdom of Stoicism and learning to “live with death on the shoulder”- Laughing at the dance between life’s seriousness and absurdity- Finding the heart-mind in ourselves and providing service to othersAbout Andy Chaleff:Andy Chaleff is an author, mentor, and speaker whose life and work are grounded in radical emotional honesty. At eighteen, Andy’s mother was killed by a drunk driver just hours after receiving a deeply personal letter he had written — a soul-baring message he never imagined would be his last to her. That moment became the start of a lifelong inquiry into grief, love, and what it means to live without holding back.Today, Andy works privately with a select group of clients, from cultural icons to global leaders, offering mentorship rooted in vulnerability, clarity, and deep presence. His work invites people to reconnect with themselves and embrace the parts of life we’re taught to avoid. His books, often called spiritual memoirs, blend raw personal storytelling with existential insight. His newest, Dying to Live, explores how coming to peace with death can open us to the full beauty of life. Originally from California, Andy now lives in Amsterdam, where he directs Amsterdam's Welvaren, a center for coaching and leadership.“It’s the recognition of fear that is a prime ingredient. It always goes back to fear of death, or, you can say it a different way, impermanence.” –Andy Chaleff
Lawyer and activist, Pooven Moodley, reveals how individual transformation can help guide the entire planet toward a new frequency and energetic direction.This week on The Four Sacred Gifts, Anita and Pooven discuss :- A brief grounding practice to meet each other in the present moment - Pooven’s journey into activism, joining the anti-apartheid struggle as a youth leader in South Africa- Pooven’s initial experience receiving messages from the beyond: planetary energy points, his life’s path, and ways to transform the earth- How the planet is urging us to embark on our own transformational healing journeys- Kundalini awakening of the earth and the shift in frequency of our planet - Piercing through the veil of our identities and deconstructing what we think we know about ourselves- Taking a deeper look at who we are, where we come from, and why we are here- How each of us has a specific mission and purpose in this lifetime - Opening ourselves through ceremony and releasing the patterns of the past - Transforming ourselves individually in order to co-create a transformed world- Putting one foot into the dance of creation as we end the dance of destruction- Seeing ourselves as sacred beings and tapping into our full potential “What we do need to focus on is our own inner transformation in order for the world to be transformed.” –Pooven MoodleyAbout Pooven Moodley:Pooven Moodley is an international human rights and environmental lawyer from South Africa and a social justice activist. Pooven co-founded the Earthrise Collective which weaves ancient wisdom, activism and alternatives.He was previously the Executive Director of Natural Justice, a human rights and environmental justice non-profit law firm, representing indigenous and local communities across Africa in their struggles to stop the violation of rights and the destruction of their territories of life. He has contributed to a range of struggles across the globe starting with the anti-apartheid struggle in South Africa when he was 14. He is a Council member of the ICCA Consortium (a global movement of indigenous and local communities protecting their territories) and the Chair of the Defending the Territories of Life stream working with environmental and land defenders. He is on the Board of Awana Digital which backs up indigenous communities and their territories combining ancient knowledge with other technologies. Keep up with Pooven on Instagram.
East Forest recounts his powerful experience meeting and recording with Ram Dass, and offers a live set of transcendent music seamlessly interwoven with Ram Dass’s timeless teachings.Check out more music from this spiritual collaboration: East Forest x Ram DassIn this episode, hear East Forest perform and learn more about:- East Forest’s profound and intimate collaboration with Ram Dass - How the peace of nature can be a spiritual tool for us - The integral role of psilocybin and psychedelics in Ram Dass’s awakening and teachings- The synergistic relationship between the audience and the performer during live music- Relating to the wilderness within our own hearts through music- The technology of our breath and how it calms us down into the present moment- The human connection to nature and nature as a manifestation of God- Loving all beings and all elements of the world around us- Letting go of everything within ourselves that we do not needThis episode was recorded at the 2022 Summer Mountain Retreat. Join us for the Open Your Heart in Paradise retreat this December in Maui! About East Forest:East Forest is a multidisciplinary artist, producer, and ceremony guide. Since 2008, East Forest’s “lush” (Rolling Stone) and “blissful” (NPR) music has blended ambient, neoclassical, electronic, and avant-pop to explore sound as a tool for inner journeys and consciousness expansion. Known for being the first musician to collaborate with Ram Dass, his latest endeavor is the feature-length film Music for Mushrooms, a narrative documentary showcasing the transformative power of psychedelics, music, and community."I'm not up here generating something and presenting something for you to passively receive. It’s more that your attention into this space, the Bhakti space, the love space, the emptiness, it feeds the emptiness itself for me to hopefully channel that back out. It’s like surfing: we go in, we go out. In that, we can have a real experience together that can be whatever it needs to be right now.” –East Forest
Exploring spaciousness as the ground of awakening, Jack Kornfield shows how peace, impermanence, and love are all born from the open heart.
In this often fierce talk from Ram Dass, he reflects on the pull of God versus the pull of humanity and how we can find the balance between keeping one eye on God and one eye on the world. Ram Dass Here & Now is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/ramdass and get on your way to being your best self.You can support this podcast, listen to episodes AD-FREE, and receive regular guided meditations from Ram Dass & Friends on our Patreon. Sign up for a free 7-day trial: patreon.com/RamDassPodcastThis episode of Here and Now comes from a talk Ram Dass gave in Florida in 1975. Ram Dass describes how, through practice, we can come to a point where we have a choice between fully merging back into God or returning into form. “That moment,” he says, “You have choice. Choice to give up the form, go into the formless. Or, choice to play in the formless, but come back into the form.”Why would we come back into form? Ram Dass talks about seeing the perfection of the universe, including all of the suffering, but also playing your part as an instrument of the Dharma. “You are a statement that will enlighten those who are ready to be enlightened. That is your only function, it’s the only reason you’re on Earth.”Ram Dass explores how true service arises not from the desire to help, but the desire to find freedom for ourselves and others. He talks about how the spiritual path requires balancing the pull of God and the pull of humanity; to recognize the perfection of the cosmic dance and the reality of human suffering. The Ram Dass community gathers regularly to engage in meaningful discussions about the podcast. We invite you to join us and share your curiosities, insights, and wisdom. Sign up for the General Fellowship to receive event invitations directly in your inbox.“You get so fascinated with God, with enlightenment, with the wisdom of the ages. And in your zeal to do that, it’s very easy to forget. To forget humanity. To forget politics. To forget human concerns. To overlook the daily stuff around you.” – Ram DassAbout Ram Dass:Ram Dass’s spirit has been a guiding light for generations, carrying millions along on the journey. Ram Dass teaches that through the Bhakti practice of unconditional love, we can all connect with our true nature. Through these teachings, Ram Dass has shared a little piece of his guru, Maharaj-ji, with all who have listened to him.
Familiarizing listeners with the five Buddhist hindrances, Trudy Goodman suggests a compassionate return to mindfulness of the senses.In this episode, Trudy Goodman outlines:- The 5 Buddhist hindrances: desire, aversion, sloth and torpor, restlessness/worry, and doubt- Remembering that being affected by the hindrances is not a mistake or our fault, but instead is an opportunity to practice mindfulness- How craving pulls us out of the present moment and how our senses can ground us back into awareness- Reflecting on the feeling of wanting something, and whether our desires truly align with our core values- The four kinds of suffering, most of which we have all experienced- Understanding that aversion is not inherently ‘bad’ and how it can be a kindness to turn away from something that causes us pain- Shifting our attention away from hostility and turning towards curiosity about our emotions- Practicing walking meditation as a remedy to sloth and torpor - Getting to the root of our restlessness and discovering what we are trying to change about the present moment - How, beneath the paralysis of doubt and inner cynicism, there is often a lack of inner confidence - Living our lives fully, not wasting a moment, and being completely present as often as we can“We each have our favorites of the hindrances, but again, these are not mistakes, these are not your fault, they’re part of the practice. When the mind gets lost in them, the doorway back to being present is through coming to our senses. What we see here, taste, feel, in this particular moment of our life. We know this is actually the only real moment of our life.” – Trudy GoodmanAbout Trudy Goodman:Trudy is a Vipassana teacher in the Theravada lineage and the Founding Teacher of InsightLA. For 25 years, in Cambridge, MA, Trudy practiced mindfulness-based psychotherapy with children, teenagers, couples and individuals. Trudy conducts retreats, engages in activism work, and teaches workshops worldwide and online. She is also the voice of Trudy the Love Barbarian in the Netflix series, The Midnight Gospel. You can learn more about Trudy’s flourishing array of wonderful offerings at TrudyGoodman.comThis recording was originally published on Dharmaseed.org
Exploring how modern culture often reduces love to sex and pleasure, J. Krishnamurti points to a deeper understanding: love as a mirror for self-knowledge and true relationship.To start at the beginning of this 18-part dialogue on consciousness, spirituality and navigating life with J. Krishnamurti and Dr. Allan W. Anderson: https://youtu.be/rcn0gXWv9UUIn this episode, J. Krishnamurti and Dr. Allan W. Anderson consider:- How to love without focusing on achievement or reward- Why reducing love to sex and pleasure distorts its true nature- Real love as the total absence of ego- The Christian perspective on love and dissolving the “I”- Pure joy as an effortless state and how this is connected to love- The role of celibacy across spiritual traditions- How chastity can open the mind to clarity and truth- The idea of enjoyment as pleasure - How ambition, nationalism, and identification, can deeply isolate a person“Western civilization has put this over the whole of the earth through cinema, books, pornography, advertisements, stories. This sense of love is identification with sex, which is pleasure, basically. Can a mind pursuing pleasure, ambitious/competitive mind, can such a mind love? It can love sexually, but love of sex is the only thing.” – J. KrishnamurtiThis talk was originally recorded in 1974 at San Diego State University and curated by the Krishnamurti Foundation of AmericaAbout J. Krishnamurti:For nearly six decades until his passing in 1986 at the age of ninety, Jiddu Krishnamurti traversed the globe, delivering spontaneous and captivating discourses to large audiences. Krishnamurti assumed the role of an investigator rather than an authority figure, encouraging individuals to question assumptions and explore the depths of their consciousness. His extensive body of work, estimated at over 100 million words, spans more than six decades of relentless inquiry and dialogue. His teachings, compiled in numerous books and translated into multiple languages, continue to inspire seekers worldwide, inviting them to embark on a profound journey of self-discovery and understanding. J. Krishnamurti’s legacy endures as a guiding light, offering timeless wisdom for those who dare to challenge conventional thinking and explore the complexities of existence.About Dr. Allan W. Anderson:Dr. Allan Anderson was a poet, author, Professor Emeritus, beloved teacher, scholar of the Oracular Tradition, and a gifted religious linguist. He helped to form the Department of Religious Studies at San Diego State College in 1969. Dr. Anderson later became chair of that department, specializing in Eastern Religions, until his retirement in 1985.
Encouraging listeners to take responsibility for their own inner healing, Krishna Das discusses cleansing the heart of betrayal, hurt, and grief.Today’s podcast is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/beherenow and get on your way to being your best self.This week on Pilgrim Heart, Krishna Das provides wisdom on:- Meeting Anandamayi Ma and what it means to have darshan with a guru - Accepting people as they are and loving unconditionally- Recognizing where we really are on our spiritual journey so that we can see where our work lies- How all things are accomplished through the repetition of the name - Navigating parental relationships and seeing our parents as people instead of only parents- Taking responsibility to cleanse our hearts of betrayal, hurt, and pain- Practicing seva (selfless service) and offering love to the world around us- Holding grief with compassion and allowing ourselves to move through it with care- Simplifying our practice: treating others the way we want to be treated - How Maharaj-ji scoffed at superficiality and preferred authentic practice, even if it wasn’t meditation“Our relationship with our parents can be very difficult. We don’t know our parents as people; we only know them as our parents. We don’t know how many times their hearts were broken. We don’t know how their parents treated them. We don’t know what they’ve gone through that made them into the person they are now...When your parents lay a trip on you, if you get caught in reacting, that's your problem, not theirs. They are allowed to be who they are.” – Krishna Das About 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.MORE INFORMATION and OFFERINGS VISIT: https://krishnadas.com/ KRISHNA DAS ON SOCIAL: FACEBOOK: facebook.com/KrishnaDasMusic INSTAGRAM: instagram.com/krishnadasmusic YOUTUBE: / krishnadasmusic X: @krishnadas #KrishnaDas
Jack shares a whimsical story on light and dark, birth and death, forgiveness and mercy, passion and sincerity, impermanence and immorality, and finding your inner light.
For episode 269, we bring you the first of a two-part episode from the archives.Recorded in the early 2010s in a visit to Asheville, North Carolina, Sharon is teaching on Lovingkindness in Difficult Circumstances. In this teaching, Sharon speaks about:• Her travel adventure to North Carolina• Her first impressions of Asian philosophy • Changing our relationship to joy & delight• Transforming our relationship to suffering• Awakening to the realm of neutral experiences• Sharon’s first time meditating• The three skills of meditation • Sharon’s mantra of “something will happen”• The deepening of concentration• Our tendency to project into the future• Mindfulness is not passive• The magic moment in meditationThe episode closes with Sharon leading a guided meditation practice. Stay tuned for the second half of this teaching, which will be released in two weeks' time in Part 2 of Lovingkindness in Difficult Circumstances.
Speaking across the decades from the 1970s to the 2010s, Ram Dass shares his wisdom on the importance of resting in awareness. The Ram Dass community gathers regularly to engage in meaningful discussions about the podcast. We invite you to join us and share your curiosities, insights, and wisdom. Sign up for the General Fellowship to receive event invitations directly in your inbox: https://www.ramdass.org/fellowship/You can support this podcast, listen to episodes AD-FREE, and receive regular guided meditations from Ram Dass & Friends on our Patreon. Sign up for a free 7-day trial: patreon.com/RamDassPodcastThis episode of Here and Now is a compilation of Ram Dass discussing the concept of resting in awareness throughout the decades. We begin in Washington, D.C., in 1976, with Ram Dass exploring being in harmony with the Tao, the Way of things, and how awareness and love are really the same thing. “When you are aware without clinging,” he says, ‘And in harmony with all of the forces, you are no longer in time.” We move on to 1985, with Ram Dass meditating on the qualities of awareness. These are qualities such as spaciousness, equanimity, and love. He encourages us to become instruments of light, love, and presence. “Just allow your awareness to expand, to embrace everything you hear or feel or think.” The next stop is the Virgin Islands in 1995, with Ram Dass comparing awareness to the sky. The clouds in the sky are simply the passing phenomena of life. “Your whole concept of who you think you are,” he says, “All the stuff of ‘me’ is all the cloud. And the cloud is being appreciated or embraced or carried by the sky. The sky is just awareness.” Finally, we end in Maui in 2016, when Ram Dass had learned how to completely rest in his loving awareness. He guides a meditation to connect us to the space of loving awareness, where we can all go for a swim in the ocean of love. About Ram Dass:Ram Dass’s spirit has been a guiding light for generations, carrying millions along on the journey. Ram Dass teaches that through the Bhakti practice of unconditional love, we can all connect with our true nature. Through these teachings, Ram Dass has shared a little piece of his guru, Maharaj-ji, with all who have listened to him. Learn more about Ram Dass, his teachings, and more at ramdass.org.“I would say my life is about awareness. And becoming or being aware. Because becoming’s already a trip in the cloud. ‘I’m getting aware.’ It’s another one. ‘I’m washing dishes, now I’m getting aware.’ It’s just another trip, it’s another thing you’re doing. So, I’d say my life is resting in awareness. And into the awareness come phenomena.” – Ram Dass
Recorded live at the 2025 Summer Mountain Retreat, this homestyle chat with Raghu Markus, Nina Rao, and Robert Thurman explores the Bhakti-Buddhist lineage of Ram Dass and Maharaj-ji.
Reminding listeners that they can be fully supported and guided by the Dharma, Gil Fronsdal discusses the Buddhist concept of taking refuge.
Jack Kornfield explores the nature of mind, offering playful practices and profound perspectives to uncover our true home of freedom, compassion, and ease.
In this new, technological age, Alan Watts explains how seeing reality via only one perspective can lead to a fragmented view of the world; instead, he encourages listeners to adopt both the analytical and the organic. Today’s episode is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/alan and get on your way to being your best self.In this episode, Alan Watts dives into:- Living in an age of technology in a culture obsessed with rational control - How someone can easily be obstructed by their own cautiousness- The problem of human ecology and how one should best relate to their environment- Considering what our idea of heaven is and what desires we truly want - The western model of the universe (intellectual, architectural, mechanical) - Reductive thinking: seeing the world through a net and making everything into a comprehensible, geometrical unit- Alan’s personal definitions of prickly people versus gooey people - The science of medicine and how it can make one see things very narrowly - The fundamental difference between a mechanism and an organism - How understanding the world through only conscious attention can lead to seeing everything as parts rather than the whole picture- Combining the academic, analytical mind with the organic, ‘gooey’ mind This series is brought to you by the Alan Watts Organization and Ram Dass’ Love Serve Remember Foundation. Visit Alanwatts.org for full talks from Alan Watts.“Go to the science of medicine. You get a specialist who really understands the function of the gall bladder. He studied gall bladders ad infinitum and he really thinks he knows all about it. But, whenever he looks at a human being, he sees them in terms of gall bladder.” – Alan Watts
Musician Craig Wedren reflects on his rise to fame in the D.C. hardcore scene, blending together punk rock, spirituality, and healing.
Continuing their earlier conversation, Dr. Bruce Damer and Raghu Markus have a socially charged discussion on facing our collective karma with equanimity and grace.
Ep. 13 - Resilience & The Power of Presence with Ilarion ‘Kuuyux’ Merculieff by Be Here Now Network
Framed by the Sufi wisdom of Rumi, a 13th century mystical poet, Omid Safi brings our awareness to the profound ways that we are interconnected with the divine.
In this inspiring poetry-infused talk, Jack weaves Rumi’s wisdom on the camel, lion, and child of the spirit into a journey from devotion, to courage, to wonder—inviting us to awaken the Buddha’s Lion’s Roar within and remember the inner royalty of the heart.
In this recording from a 1992 retreat, Ram Dass talks about dealing with change, using the stuff of your daily life to get free, and how your karma defines your dharma. You can support this podcast, listen to episodes AD-FREE, and receive regular guided meditations from Ram Dass & Friends on our Patreon. Sign up for a free 7-day trial: patreon.com/RamDassPodcastRam Dass Here & Now is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/ramdass and get on your way to being your best self.This episode of Here and Now is from a talk Ram Dass gave during a retreat at the Omega Foundation in 1992. Beginning with quotes from the great poets Kabir and Rumi, Ram Dass talks about how you start to work with each thing in your life as a method, as a practice. What you’ve got in life becomes what you work with, so your karma defines your dharma.Ram Dass brings up the constant changes we’re dealing with in terms of ecology, politics, and how living in “interesting times” can be seen as a blessing instead of a curse. “In dealing with these changes that are going down,” he says, “part of the real art is to look at what is changing and see how your identification with that which changes is creating so much fear in you that you’re pushing against change.”Continuing with his exploration of change, Ram Dass brings aging and death into the mix. He digs into dealing with changes to the body as we age, and how his work with people who are dying is really work on himself. “For me,” he says, “each act becomes part of the awakening.” The Ram Dass community gathers regularly to engage in meaningful discussions about the podcast. We invite you to join us and share your curiosities, insights, and wisdom. Sign up for the General Fellowship to receive event invitations directly in your inbox: https://www.ramdass.org/fellowship/“And what you do is you just start flipping and taking what you’re given and start to work with it. In other words, your karma defines your dharma. That means what you got is what you work with. I mean, like, my baldness is my karma. I mean, it’s my genetics, it’s everything. Now, it becomes my dharma. Now, I can use it in order to become free of being bald, or being not bald, or whatever.” – Ram Dass
Immersing listeners in hope and optimism, author Anne Lamott helps listeners cultivate resilience through stories of honesty and service.Today’s podcast is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/beherenow and get on your way to being your best self.In this episode, Anne Lamott holds a talk on:- Service to others and selflessness as a clear path to hope- Listening to the one-man band of our inner selves - The Three A’s in the 12-step program: Awareness, Acceptance, Action- Allowing ourselves to feel the pain all around us, in the world, in our families, etc.- Remembering that there is a solution to everything and that it is always spiritual - Reframing death as a step to new life and regeneration - Generosity as a natural human tendency that can be tapped into - Talking to ourselves as if we are our most cherished friend - Paying attention to the beauty in life and within ourselvesAbout Anne Lamott: Anne Lamott is the New York Times best-selling author of many books, including collections of essays, novels, and long-form non-fiction, including the classic writing manual Bird by Bird and child-rearing memoir Operating Instructions. In addition to being a novelist and nonfiction writer, Lamott is also a progressive political activist, public speaker, and writing teacher. Keep up with Anne on Instagram."Service is always a path to hope. When we can get out of ourselves and be there for others, it's what heaven will be like—what heaven on earth is like." – Anne Lamott
Discussing the spiritual experiences that shaped his life, Dr. Michael Shandler describes the lessons he learned from taking psychedelics, meeting Baba Hari Dass, and more.Grab your copy of Dr. Michael’s award-winning memoir, Karma and Kismet: https://www.michaelshandler.com/booksIn this episode, Raghu and Michael have an elaborate discussion on:- Dr. Michael’s early encounters with antisemitism and racism in boarding school and the South African military- The impact of Zionist upbringing on Dr. Michael’s worldview and his transformative time living in an Israeli kibbutz- Healing strained parental relationships: how Dr. Michael overcame challenges with his father- Dr. Michael's time with Baba Hari Dass, Ram Dass’s teacher- Why chasing multiple psychedelic trips may be less valuable than simply integrating lessons from the first- Restoring balance to the nervous system with yogic practices and Ayurveda- A heart-centered teaching from Neem Karoli Baba: Poori and PotatoesCheck out Ram Dass’s Here We All Are lecture, mentioned in this episode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=20cqxk7zvH0 About Dr. Michael Shandler:Dr. Michael Shandler is an award-winning author, speaker, and life coach with over forty years of experience guiding individuals and teams on their journeys toward psycho-spiritual well-being. and optimal performance As the founder of Vision Action Associates and former director of leadership and organization development at Arthur D. Little in London, U.K., Shandler has spent decades helping leaders, teams, and individuals tap into their potential, combining psychological insight with cutting edge collaborative techniques and the perennial wisdom of the ages.In 2024, Shandler’s multiple award-winning memoir, Karma and Kismet, A Spiritual Quest Across Continents, Cultures, and Consciousness, was published by Koehler Books. This award-winning narrative chronicles his personal journey through adversity and triumph, exploring the powerful forces of fate and karma that have shaped his life across continents and cultures. His work resonates with anyone seeking transformation, self-discovery, and a deeper understanding of life’s interconnectedness.“During the meeting, he said to me, ‘How many times have you taken LSD?’ Who knew? I didn’t really remember. I said, ‘I can’t really remember Baba Ji.’ He said, ‘The first trip you took was the important one, everything else was a waste of time after that.’”– Dr. Michael Shandler
Krishna Das shares time-tested practices and spiritual wisdom for easing suffering, letting go, and treating others with the same compassion we wish for ourselves.This week on Pilgrim Heart, Krishna Das provides wisdom on:- Navigating the challenges of family relationships and untangling the knots of triggered emotions.- Channeling our energy into chanting, meditation, and treating others with compassion and respect.- Working skillfully with the mind rather than trying to control it completely- Training ourselves, transforming ourselves, and opening ourselves to real grace and love- Investigating deeply into the roots of our thoughts and emotions to understand their true source- Turning inwards and knowing that we can find answers to all of our questions within ourselves - Krishna Das’ go-to practice when he is having a difficult time: chanting 108 Hanuman Chalisas - Making daily space for spiritual practice to strengthen the heart and mind- Relieving suffering through deidentification with the stories that we tell ourselves - The difference between letting go and pushing away “We can’t push people around, abuse people, hurt people, and think we're gonna get everything we want. That’s creating terrible negative karma for ourselves. We have to learn to treat others the way we ourselves want to be treated. If you think that’s easy, you've got another thing coming.” – Krishna DasAbout 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.MORE INFORMATION and OFFERINGS VISIT: https://krishnadas.com/ KRISHNA DAS ON SOCIAL: FACEBOOK: facebook.com/KrishnaDasMusic INSTAGRAM: instagram.com/krishnadasmusic YOUTUBE: / krishnadasmusic X: @krishnadas #KrishnaDas
Exploring poetry, beauty, and art, Jack helps his dear listeners appreciate the harmonious dichotomy of all life experiences.
Renowned meditation teacher, Joseph Goldstein, shares timeless insights on the mind, suffering, and the heart of why we meditate.
Dissecting the process of her book, The Power of Meaning, Emily Esfahani Smith joins David to explore bringing depth to our lives via belonging, purpose, transcendence, and storytelling.Pick up The Power of Meaning HERE: https://www.emilyesfahanismith.com/the-bookThis time on the CSM Podcast, David and Emily discuss:- Positive Psychology: shifting from a focus on what’s wrong to the science of well-being and human flourishing- How connecting to something greater than ourselves can lead to self-transcendence and deeper meaning- What scientific research reveals about activities that create a meaningful life- Making intentional, values-aligned choices instead of following external pressures- Emily’s four pillars of meaning: belonging, purpose, transcendence, and storytelling- Finding true community and belonging without reinforcing exclusion or “othering”- How cultural values are evolving toward greater empathy, compassion, and collective care- The bodhicitta aspiration: working toward the end of suffering for all beingsAbout Emily Esfahani Smith:Emily Esfahani Smith is the author of The Power of Meaning. A psychotherapist and writer, her articles have appeared in The Atlantic, the New York Times, and the Wall Street Journal. Her TED Talk, 'There's more to life than being happy,' has been viewed over 15 million times." Learn more on Emily’s website.“The more I got into the research, the more that I saw that maybe it’s not happiness that we should be pursuing and glorifying, but maybe it’s this concept of leading a meaningful life.” – Emily Esfahani SmithAbout David Nichtern:David Nichtern, founder of Dharma Moon, is a senior Buddhist teacher who has been practicing and teaching meditation for over 40 years. He was one of the initial American students of renowned meditation master Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche and studied closely with him soon after his arrival in the United States in 1970. He is also a business consultant with companies creating a variety of offerings integrating meditation in a larger health and well-being context. David is also a multiple Grammy-nominated and Emmy award-winning musician. David’s journey has crisscrossed with the Maharaji/Ram Dass sangha for decades. He has produced multiple Krishna Das albums and frequently joins the Bhaktettes live on guitar. He considers himself to be a first cousin and honorary member of the Bhakti community.
In this recording from a 1992 retreat, Ram Dass talks about dealing with change, using the stuff of your daily life to get free, and how your karma defines your dharma. The Ram Dass community gathers regularly to engage in meaningful discussions about the podcast. We invite you to join us and share your curiosities, insights, and wisdom. Sign up for the General Fellowship to receive event invitations directly in your inbox: https://www.ramdass.org/fellowship/Ram Dass Here & Now is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/ramdass and get on your way to being your best self.This episode of Here and Now is from a talk Ram Dass gave during a retreat at the Omega Foundation in 1992. Beginning with quotes from the great poets Kabir and Rumi, Ram Dass talks about how you start to work with each thing in your life as a method, as a practice. What you’ve got in life becomes what you work with, so your karma defines your dharma.Ram Dass brings up the constant changes we’re dealing with in terms of ecology, ecology, and politics, and how living in “interesting times” can been seen as a blessing instead of a curse. “In dealing with these changes that are going down,” he says, “part of the real art is to look at what is changing and see how your identification with that which changes is creating so much fear in your that you’re pushing against change.”Continuing with his exploration of change, Ram Dass brings aging and death into the mix. He digs into dealing with changes to the body as we age, and how his work with people who are dying is really work on himself. “For me,” he says, “each act becomes part of the awakening.” About Ram Dass:Ram Dass’s spirit has been a guiding light for generations, carrying millions along on the journey. Ram Dass teaches that through the Bhakti practice of unconditional love, we can all connect with our true nature. Through these teachings, Ram Dass has shared a little piece of his guru, Maharaj-ji, with all who have listened to him.“And what you do is you just start flipping and taking what you’re given and start to work with it. In other words, your karma defines your dharma. That means what you got is what you work with. I mean, like, my baldness is my karma. I mean, it’s my genetics, it’s everything. Now, it becomes my dharma. Now, I can use it in order to become free of being bald, or being not bald, or whatever.” – Ram Dass
Blending psychedelic wisdom with the sacred power of sound, Raghu Markus and East Forest explore music as a gateway to nonduality, healing, and everyday spirituality.Check out Music for Mushrooms, a narrative documentary highlighting the personal journey of East Forest: https://eastforest.org/music-for-mushroomsIn this episode of Mindrolling, Raghu and East Forest explore:- East Forest’s creative process and setting Ram Dass’ teachings to music- Putting trust into the process and the vast audience that East has reached- Music as a vehicle for nonduality, emotion, and direct spiritual experience- The infinite potential of music—why we’ll never run out of songs- Raghu’s substanceless psychedelic experience listening to John Coltrane - Accessing altered states and higher consciousness through multiple paths- The role of song in indigenous plant medicine and sacred ceremony- Bringing spirituality into daily life rather than chasing peak experiences- Living fully and embracing even the uncomfortable parts of healing- Leaning into suffering with tenderness and recognizing that it can bring us closer to God - How psychedelics can help us remember that we are all interconnected- The healing power of motherly and divine love—and how it’s always available to us- Cosmic peek-a-boo: Remembering that we are loving awareness and not being discouraged when we forgetAbout East Forest:East Forest is a multidisciplinary artist, producer, and ceremony guide. Since 2008, East Forest’s “lush” (Rolling Stone) and “blissful” (NPR) music has blended ambient, neoclassical, electronic, and avant-pop to explore sound as a tool for inner journeys and consciousness expansion. Known for being the first musician to collaborate with Ram Dass, his latest endeavor is the feature-length film Music for Mushrooms, a narrative documentary showcasing the transformative power of psychedelics, music, and community.“There's something about the combination of how music can unlock–it makes the medicine so smooth and the emotion is so amplified that it’s just right there. It’s a core human experience that they're reflecting back, and it’s for all of us.” – East Forest
In this tender and illuminating talk, Jack shares a Zen love story and a path of mindful presence that brings us home—from the stories of the mind to the truth of the heart. Through embodied awareness, we discover that the end of exile begins with loving what is here now.
Synthesizing the divine love found in Sufism with the primal emptiness found in Zen practice, Llewellyn reveals how each path has impacted his spiritual life. This episode is a companion to " Angels & Devas with Llewellyn Vaughan-Lee - BHNN Guest Podcast Ep. 213" here on Soundcloud. If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to check it out: https://soundcloud.com/beherenownetwork/angels-devas-with-llewellyn-vaughan-lee-bhnn-guest-podcast-ep-213In this week’s episode, Llewellyn goes over:- Understanding the essence of Ch’an (Zen) as a harmonious fusion of Taoism and Buddhism- Interweaving the mystical threads of Sufism and Zen practice- How both divine love and pure awareness dissolve the thinking mind- Awakening to the inner light and Buddha nature within every being- Becoming veiled by the play of illusions that we call life- Llewellyn’s return to love after a childhood without it- The mystery of divine love as a selfless force that seeks nothing in return- Wisdom from Llewellyn’s Indian guru: “There is nothing but nothingness.”- The vast, primal emptiness found at love’s distant shore- Integrating pure consciousness into everyday life—not just on the meditation cushion- Moving on from the drama of awakening into the calm silence of emptiness"Love gradually became part of my life. Like an invisible scent, a perfume from a hidden garden, it began to permeate me, and in one of the greatest mysteries that can happen to a human being, my heart woke up—that spiritual organ of divine perception that is the direct connection with the source of love, what the Sufis call the beloved." – Llewellyn Vaughan-LeeAbout Llewellyn Vaughan-Lee:Llewellyn Vaughan-Lee, Ph.D. is a Sufi teacher in the Naqshbandiyya-Mujaddidiyya Sufi Order. He is the author of Sufism, the Transformation of the Heart, and the founder of The Golden Sufi Center. Check out his new podcast Working With Oneness."Fifty years later this emptiness is again present, though now it is no longer experienced only inwardly in meditation, but also infuses my waking consciousness. I am living in a vast emptiness, which surrounds me. In this space there is no longer any awakening, because there is no one present to awaken" – Llewellyn Vaughan-Lee
Examining transformative times in human history, Dr. Damer discusses how psychedelics can amplify our consciousness and spark both personal and global change. In this episode of Mindrolling, Raghu and Dr. Damer explore:- Dr. Damer’s recent work with the resurgence of psychedelics as tools for insight, creativity, and expanded consciousness- Altered states of perception and Dr. Damer’s groundbreaking chemical model for the origin of life- Ram Dass’ teachings on transcending roles and realizing the illusion of separateness- Building supportive, heart-centered sanghas and collective spiritual communities- How MDMA fosters deep feelings of compassion, empathy, and human connection- Raghu’s mystical experience bathing in the Ganges River - Evolutionary patterns in history that reveal how groups overcome stress and awaken- The impact of social media on youth mental health and emotional well-being- The importance of mindful, compassionate youth mentorship and nurturing the next generation- Holding onto optimism for our new digital landscape and the people who are creating it- Learn more about recent research into psychedelic science in another captivating Mindrolling episode HERE.About Dr. Bruce Damer:Dr. Bruce Damer is a scientist, psychonaut, and humanitarian. Dr. Damer is Chief Scientist at BIOTA Institute, UC Santa Cruz. He is an astrobiologist working on the science of life’s origins, spacecraft design, psychedelics and genius. Dr. Bruce has spent his life pursuing two great questions: how did life on Earth begin, and how can we give that life (and ourselves) a sustainable pathway into the cosmos? A decade of scientific research with his collaborator Prof. David Deamer at the UC Santa Cruz Department of Biomolecular Engineering resulted in the Hot Spring Hypothesis for an Origin of Life published in the journal Astrobiology in 2019. Dr. Damer also has a long career working with NASA on mission simulation and design and recently co-developed a spacecraft to utilize resources from asteroids. Advancing research into altered-state innovation, Dr. Damer recently cofounded the Center for MINDS. You can keep up with Dr. Bruce Damer on Twitter.Check out some of Dr. Damer’s other appearances on the Be Here Now Network: BHNN Guest Podcast Ep.170, Mindrolling Ep. 516, and more! “For a geeky scientist like me, it was seeing the origin of life from a different perspective, from the first cell division, which led me to propose the chemical model, which now has gone through the field. That was an insight that was absolutely inaccessible to me without some kind of amplification or exaltation of states of consciousness.” – Dr. Bruce Damer
Reminding us that there's no need to escape our daily life in search of spirituality, Krishna Das explains that our relationships, struggles, joys, and routines are the spiritual path.This time on Pilgrim Heart, Krishna Das opens our hearts to:- The divine play (Leela) and mysterious grace behind Maharaj-ji Neem Karoli Baba’s actions- Krishna Das’ experiences with the Dalai Lama - Embracing aging with grace, staying rooted in present-moment awareness, and living in truth- The story of Neem Karoli Baba and the haunted tree- Offering the positive karma and merit from chanting practices for the healing of all beings- Holding space for global peace, collective happiness, and the end of suffering and war- Working skillfully with sexual energy as a natural part of the human experience- Learning through our relationships with others and all things- Using daily life, with all its challenges, as our spiritual practice instead of seeking escapeAbout 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.MORE INFORMATION and OFFERINGS VISIT: https://krishnadas.com/ KRISHNA DAS ON SOCIAL: FACEBOOK: facebook.com/KrishnaDasMusic INSTAGRAM: instagram.com/krishnadasmusic YOUTUBE: / krishnadasmusic X: @krishnadas #KrishnaDas“When we’re not here, when we’re lost in dreamland, busyness, distraction, we don’t experience time going by, and then boom, a breath does not come in and we’re gone out of this body. To age gracefully is with awareness, to be aware of what’s going on in your life every minute.” – Krishna Das
For episode 268, Emma Seppälä returns to the Metta Hour for our ongoing Anxiety Series.In this series, Sharon is speaking with Mental Health experts, providers and different researchers for tools to work with anxiety in increasingly challenging times. This is the eighth episode in the series.Emma Seppälä is a best-selling author, Yale lecturer, and international keynote speaker. She teaches executives at the Yale School of Management and is faculty director of the Yale School of Management’s Women’s Leadership Program. She is also the Science Director of Stanford University’s Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education. A psychologist and research scientist by training, Emma’s expertise is the science of happiness, emotional intelligence, and social connection. Her latest book, “Sovereign: Reclaim Your Freedom, Energy, and Power in a Time of Distraction, Uncertainty, and Chaos” came out in 2024.In this conversation, Emma and Sharon speak about:- Mental Health study on university students- How self-compassion figures into wellbeing- Reflective Best-Self Exercise - How the Dalai Lama made a mistake- Sovereignty: awareness + courage + energy- Suppressing emotions makes them stronger- Emma’s experience with an Eating Disorder- Working with difficult emotions- Different regulation techniques- Breathing techniques for regulation- Research on Lovingkindness- Benefits of meditation- How intuition can help our anxietyEmma closes the conversation with a guided breathing practice. To learn more about Emma’s work and get a copy of “Sovereign” on her website.
From gender equity to joyful adaptation, Jack recounts how the Dalai Lama challenged teachers to reshape Buddhism for a modern world in need of heart.
Joined by his son, Noah, Raghu invites Sharon Salzberg onto Mindrolling for an expansive conversation on embracing change, understanding the roots of our fear, and aging mindfully. Mindrolling is brought to you by Reunion. Reunion is offering $250 off any stay to the Love, Serve, Remember community. Simply use the code “BeHere250” when booking. Disconnect from the world so you can reconnect with yourself at Reunion. Hotel | www.reunionhotelandwellness.com Retreats | www.reunionexperience.orgIn this episode, Raghu, Sharon, and Noah explore:- The illusion of invulnerability in youth and how our relationship to mortality evolves with age- The dreamlike and fleeting nature of time and memory- The societal messages that falsely promise permanence and control- Sharon’s concept of ‘misplaced faith’ and the belief that clinging tightly can stop change- Offering compassion to ourselves when we notice resistance to impermanence- Keeping our sense of adventure and curiosity alive, even as it shifts with age- Letting go of rigid expectations and finding new paths to meaning and fulfillment- Holding space for the hard work of aging while recognizing what truly sustains us- Post-stroke wisdom from Ram Dass and the important distinction between pain and suffering- Giving yourself a break: the value of not layering blame, shame, or permanence on top of already difficult life experiences- The three jewels of Buddhism and how practice can help us navigate change and aging - Asking ourselves what we can count on and what is still true as we grow older - Maintaining the Sangha and social connection as one of our life forces- Understanding a bhikkhu, or monk, as someone who "fears wisely" or "sees danger"- Being able to look at the roots of our fear - Ram Dass’ phrase ‘Walking Each Other Home” and what it means to SharonAbout Sharon Salzberg:Sharon Salzberg is a meditation pioneer, world-renowned teacher, and New York Times bestselling author. She is one of the first to bring mindfulness and lovingkindness meditation to mainstream American culture over 45 years ago, inspiring generations of meditation teachers and wellness influencers. Sharon is co-founder of The Insight Meditation Society in Barre, MA, and the author of twelve books, including the New York Times bestseller, Real Happiness, now in its second edition, and her seminal work, Lovingkindness. Her podcast, The Metta Hour, has amassed five million downloads and features interviews with thought leaders from the mindfulness movement and beyond. Learn more about Sharon and her books at www.sharonsalzberg.com and check out Insight Meditation Society.“Most of us have a habit of adding on to that original pain. A sense of isolation, a sense of permanence, a sense of the future, a sense of blame. We pile on and consolidate and what was originally a painful experience becomes this mass of condensed suffering and it hurts so much more. That's why the impetus to let go of those add ons really comes from a sense of compassion for ourselves. Give yourself a break, it already hurts.” – Sharon Salzberg
Deepak Chopra explores the inner universe and explains how turning inward connects us to God, higher consciousness, and the boundless intelligence of the cosmos.
As a path to eternal vigilance and ultimately, cessation of suffering, Ramdev encourages us to tune into the present moment during times of mundanity and neutrality.
Highlighting The Great Peace Law, Indigenous grassroots organizer, Serena Mendizabal, discusses preserving and protecting indigenous wisdom and land rights.
Dr. Svoboda explains our tumultuous world through the lens of Rahu, an Indian shadow planet which is darkly influencing our society.
Jack shares stories and insights from a rare gathering with the Dalai Lama on what really makes a teacher, and how compassion—not titles—spreads the Dharma.
Omid Safi discusses Sufi teachings from one of the greatest muslim mystics, an Andalusian sage named Ibn ‘Arabi.
Delving into the profound teachings of J. Krishnamurti, David Silver and Raghu Markus explore timeless questions of existence, social ethics, and the deeper truths that shape our lives.Mindrolling is brought to you by Reunion. Reunion is offering $250 off any stay to the Love, Serve, Remember community. Simply use the code “BeHere250” when booking. Disconnect from the world so you can reconnect with yourself at Reunion. Hotel | www.reunionhotelandwellness.com Retreats | www.reunionexperience.orgThis time on Mindrolling, Raghu and David have a discussion about:- The intellectual essence of Krishnamurti initially alienated David and Raghu, and what drew them back in- Krishnamurti’s unique childhood and emergence as a "chosen one" by the Theosophical Society- The profound lifelong friendship of Aldous Huxley and Krishnamurti - Krishnamurti’s teachings on avoiding spiritual bypassing and false ego-driven enlightenment- The danger of over-identification with any religion, group, or ideology, and how this creates separation- Understanding that we all have the ultimate truth within us and are all one with everything - Krishnamurti’s message that comparison to others, the past, or ideals is a major root of suffering- Krishnamurti’s critique of “social morality,” which often upholds greed, violence, and systemic division- Seeing through the division that society has nurtured and amplified over centuries - Embracing our personal journeys and seeing this life as one chapter in a larger, sacred story- Practicing mindfulness as a path to seeing the truth and being with all of our experiences fullyDavid recommends reading Joseph Goldstein’s book, Mindfulness: A Practical Guide to AwakeningAbout J. Krishnamurti:For nearly six decades until his passing in 1986 at the age of ninety, Jiddu Krishnamurti traversed the globe, delivering spontaneous and captivating discourses to large audiences. Krishnamurti assumed the role of an investigator rather than an authority figure, encouraging individuals to question assumptions and explore the depths of their consciousness. His extensive body of work, estimated at over 100 million words, spans more than six decades of relentless inquiry and dialogue. Listen to Krishnamurti’s lectures on the Be Here Now Network’s Freedom From The Known podcast. Available wherever you listen to podcasts.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."He was an advocate, always, of looking at yourself. He felt that the deeper truths about the meaning of living do not come from anyone else, even if the greatest guru is in front of you, it still comes from what you yourself are truly embedded in properly. In other words, that's what you believe when you're alone, silent, not having to impress, not having to compare."– David Silver
What if the blueprint for a more beautiful world is already within you? Jack explores how trust, joy, and imagination awaken transformation—from the inside out.
In this series, Sharon is speaking with Mental Health experts, providers and different researchers for tools to work with anxiety in increasingly challenging times. This is the seventh episode in the series.Deb Dana, LCSW, is a clinician, consultant, author, and international lecturer on polyvagal theory-informed work with trauma survivors and is the leading translator of this scientific work to the public and mental health professionals. A founding member of the Polyvagal Institute, Deb developed the signature Rhythm of Regulation® Clinical Training Series: The Science of Feeling Safe Enough To Fall in Love with Life and Take the Risks of Living. She is also the author of many books, her most recent 2025 release, Glimmers Journal: Reflect on the Small Moments That Bring You Joy, Safety, and Connection.In this conversation, Deb and Sharon speak about:• Overview of Polyvagal Theory• How Deb came to her work• Understanding our nervous system• How Polyvagal Theory impacts anxiety• Being with anxiety vs being hijacked by it• The spaciousness of Ventral Regulation• Sympathetic versus parasympathetic• The biological imperative of connection• History of co-regulation in PVT• The Autonomic Ladder• Impact of a clinician’s compassion• Transmitting cues of safety to others• Savoring practice of 30 seconds• The difference between inconvenience and danger• The Rhythm of Regulation• Breath as a regulation tool• Gathering Glimmers• Building the capacity to face suffering differently• Breakdown of a glimmer practice• Having a sensitivity to our traumaDeb closes the conversation with a guided practice on the Story of the Three States. To learn more about Deb’s work, you can visit her website right here and checkout her latest books: the Glimmers Journal and the Nervous System Workbook.Check out the first episode in the Anxiety Podcast Series with Dr. Jud Brewer on Ep .260 of the Metta Hour Podcast
Speaking across the decades from the 1960s to the 2010s, Ram Dass shares his thoughts on the feeling of love and the path of the heart.The Ram Dass community gathers regularly to engage in meaningful discussions about the podcast. We invite you to join us and share your curiosities, insights, and wisdom. Sign up for the General Fellowship to receive event invitations directly in your inbox: https://www.ramdass.org/fellowship/This episode of Here and Now is a compilation of Ram Dass speaking about love and the path of the heart across the decades:We begin in 1969, with Ram Dass talking about Maher Baba, whom he calls the personification of pure love. He describes a particularly powerful LSD trip where he gained insight into the true nature of love. He says, “I now conceive of the fact that falling in love means like falling into a bathtub of love.”We move on to 1979, with Ram Dass addressing the Christian Community of San Francisco. He describes the different stages of falling in love and talks about the devotional nature of the path of the heart. “And that’s one of your predicaments,” he says, “that when you really fall in love, it just opens and opens and opens, and you just don’t know where to hold on anymore.” The next stop is 1986, with Ram Dass touching on conditional love and the deprivation model we’ve been working with all our lives. He digs deeper into the different stages of love and talks about the need to give up the deprivation model. He says, “You change from the deprivation model to the model there’s an abundance of [love].” We fast forward to the 1990s, with Ram Dass reading from the I Ching about the path of love and the path of the heart. He talks about how we are hungry ghosts who get addicted to the method of love, but all methods are traps. “And yet,” he says, “the bizarre thing about methods is they don’t work unless you get trapped.”Finally, we end in 2017, with Ram Dass telling a delicious story about loving everything, including a rug with spots on it. He talks about how judgment is in the mind, but love is in the heart. “I don’t judge,” he says. “But if I do judge, I love it.” About Ram Dass:Ram Dass’s spirit has been a guiding light for generations, carrying millions along on the journey. Ram Dass teaches that through the Bhakti practice of unconditional love, we can all connect with our true nature. Through these teachings, Ram Dass has shared a little piece of his guru, Maharaj-ji, with all who have listened to him.“Now, if you look at in the sense that, in the usual way of, ‘I fell in love with this person, there’s another way of seeing that, which is this person is a stimulus, is something in the world that was just right in a key sense to release us into the place in ourselves where we are love. And we say, as a result, ‘I am in love with you.’ Another way of saying it is, ‘You turn me on to the place in myself where I am love, where I can’t get to without you.’ Now we’re talking about you being my connection to that place in myself where I am love, where I can’t get without you. And then I want to hold on to my connection, just as any good junkie would like to do.” – Ram Dass
Raghu speaks with psychotherapist and author John Tsilimparis about how trauma and adversity can be transformed into personal growth and inner strength.Mindrolling is brought to you by Reunion. Reunion is offering $250 off any stay to the Love, Serve, Remember community. Simply use the code “BeHere250” when booking. Disconnect from the world so you can reconnect with yourself at Reunion. Hotel | www.reunionhotelandwellness.com Retreats | www.reunionexperience.orgThis week on Mindrolling, John and Raghu chew on these topics:- Discovering light through music, creativity, and the healing power of the arts- Cultivating an aesthetic mindset: finding meaning and beauty in ordinary, everyday experiences- Building emotional resilience by alchemizing heartache into thriving, empowered living- The power of inspiration: immersing yourself in art, philosophy, and wisdom traditions to expand consciousness- Transforming trauma into curiosity and wonder instead of fear and avoidance- How human connection supports mental wellness—and why music is a powerful universal connector- Viktor Frankl and the concept of tragic optimism: keeping faith and purpose alive in the face of suffering- Embracing discomfort with courage and becoming a peaceful warrior- How spiritual practice strengthens emotional resilience and self-regulation- Becoming the observer and author of our thoughts rather than letting them control us- Making an intention for happiness, creativity, and connection instead of waiting for it to come to you- Using nostalgia, imagination, and daydreaming as tools to enrich your present-moment experienceInterested in learning more about how art impacts the mind? Check out The Book, Your Brain on ArtAbout John Tsilimparis:John Tsilimparis, MFT is a psychotherapist, author and teacher. For over thirty years, he has owned a private psychotherapy practice in Los Angeles. His work focuses on grief counseling, depression, addiction and recovery, anxiety disorders, like OCD, PTSD, phobias and panic disorder. John reaped a strong following after being featured on the A&E reality show Obsessed. He was also featured on John Mulaney Presents: Everybody’s in LA, Khloe & Lamar, Collection Intervention, and In the Name of Science. In the past twenty years, he has been a go-to media therapist, called on by many news programs to comment on a variety of psychological subjects. For example, he appeared on The View and Larry King Live. (See below for videos) John also hosts a podcast called, MINDFULNESS FOR THE SOUL which is available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and many other podcast platforms. The podcast offers psychological bytes, wellness tips and relaxation techniques to get you through your busy day. To listen to the podcast click here. Keep up with John on Instagram or his website.Grab a copy of John Tsilimparis’ newest book, The Magic in the Tragic, HERE.“In your darkest moments, instead of running from your grief, you immerse yourself in the awe-inspiring realms of art, music, poetry, philosophy, sports, whatever it is that’s your aesthetic. When you do that, you find meaning in this grief. You create this concept of transferring pain into purpose and finding beauty in your suffering.” – John Tsilimparis
Mirabai Starr joins Amy Buetens, Jackie Dobrinska, and the LSRF virtual Satsang to explore how we can deepen our sacred connection with our ancestors and embrace the divine mystery of mortality.Today’s podcast is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/beherenow and get on your way to being your best self.This week, Jackie, Mirabai, and Amy explore:- Taking a moment to share in gratitude after a brief breath meditation- Expanding the heart in the wake of grief, death, and profound loss - Being with the reality of a broken heart while remembering that death is a part of life- Día de los Muertos and the Latin cultural approach to honoring death- Honoring the intimate connection we have with our loved ones who have died- Sensing the connection we have to our ancestors and bringing the qualities/quirks of our deceased loved ones into our lives- Creating home altars and ancestral shrines as a form of ongoing reverence- Dedicating projects, practices, and creative pursuits to our ancestorsEach month, women are invited to a monthly virtual Satsang that uses a shared leadership model, featuring rotating facilitators, cooperative programming, active participation, and inclusive decision-making. This Women’s Satsang has been formed to help build allyship and agency among people who identify as women, whether cis, trans, or non-binary women, by providing a space to come together to foster greater connection, involvement, and representation around the teachings of Ram Dass and Neem Karoli Baba. Click HERE to join: https://www.ramdass.org/fellowship/#specialtyAbout 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.“By really forging these intimate bonds with our ancestors, we are also making friends with our own death and becoming more at ease with that vast, beautiful, invitational mystery to merge back into the beloved. The Sufi's call our death our wedding night with the beloved.” – Mirabai StarrAbout Amy Buetens:Amy Buetens is an artist, illustrator and art educator. She is a certified integrative thanatologist and death educator. Her work includes performing final rites of passage, and she serves as a leader in her Jewish burial society. She has been a dedicated student of Ram Dass for over 20 years, and is a co-leader for the Love Serve Remember Foundation’s International Women’s Satsang and leads her local Ram Dass Fellowship. About The Host, Jackie Dobrinska:Jackie Dobrinska is the Director of Education, Community & Inclusion for Ram Dass’ Love, Serve, Remember Foundation and the current host of Ram Dass’ Here & Now podcast. She is also a teacher, coach, and spiritual director with the privilege of marrying two decades of mystical studies with 15 years of expertise in holistic wellness. As an inter-spiritual minister, Jackie was ordained in Creation Spirituality in 2016 and has also studied extensively in several other lineages – the plant-medicine-based Pachakuti Mesa Tradition, Sri Vidya Tantra, Western European Shamanism, Christian Mysticism, the Wise Woman Tradition, and others. Today, in addition to building courses and community for LSRF, she leads workshops and coaches individuals to discover, nourish and live from their most authentic selves.
Blending together Bhakti and Buddhism, best of friends Krishna Das and David Nichtern discuss the gradual cultivation of practice and finding your ‘niche’ within the dharma.Join Krishna Das in Boone, North Carolina this August for the fourth annual Ram Dass Legacy Summer Mountain Retreat: https://krishnadas.com/event/boone-nc-ram-dass-legacy-summer-mountain-retreat-iv/This episode is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/beherenow and get on your way to being your best self.In this episode, David and Krishna Das thoughtfully explore:Leaning into the dharma and gradually planting seeds of spiritual practice Giving oneself fully to whatever one is doing in daily life and in practiceDeepening concentration and devotion in the Bhakti yoga traditionUsing the breath as an anchor for mindfulnessThe story of Hanuman and how he represents the strength to remove obstaclesThe Amitabha Mantra, a powerful Buddhist tool for purificationKrishna Das’ reflections on a bucket list: seeking out more stability, remembrance, and selfless serviceStability, clarity, and emotional resilience as the byproducts of mindfulness meditationHonoring the diversity of spiritual paths and listening deeply to what resonates with the individual soulAbout 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.MORE INFORMATION and OFFERINGS VISIT: https://krishnadas.com/ KRISHNA DAS ON SOCIAL: FACEBOOK: facebook.com/KrishnaDasMusic INSTAGRAM: instagram.com/krishnadasmusic YOUTUBE: / krishnadasmusic X: @krishnadas #KrishnaDas“There’s not spiritual life and worldly life, there’s just your life—you’ve got to live it. If you don’t develop some inner strength, will, and direction in daily things, when you sit down on the mat it’s not going to be any different. How you sit is how you live, and how you live is how you sit.” – Krishna DasAbout David Nichtern:David Nichtern, founder of Dharma Moon, is a senior Buddhist teacher who has been practicing and teaching meditation for over 40 years. He was one of the initial American students of renowned meditation master Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche and studied closely with him soon after his arrival in the United States in 1970. He is also a business consultant with companies creating a variety of offerings integrating meditation in a larger health and well-being context. David is also a multiple Grammy-nominated and Emmy award-winning musician. David’s journey has crisscrossed with the Maharaji/Ram Dass sangha for decades. He has produced multiple Krishna Das albums and frequently joins the Bhaktettes live on guitar. He considers himself to be a first cousin and honorary member of the Bhakti community.Head over to DharmaMoon to sign up for The Body of Meditation Teacher Training Course, starting July 10th, 2025: https://www.dharmamoon.com/body-of-meditation
Jack invites us to walk the path of joy—no matter the circumstances—showing how living joyfully and tenderly is a courageous, radical, and transformative act.
Speaking at a MAPS conference in the early 1990s, Ram Dass looks back at some of the benefits and mistakes of the work he and Timothy Leary did with psychedelics in the 1960s. Ram Dass Here & Now is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/ramdass and get on your way to being your best self.This episode of Here and Now comes from a talk Ram Dass gave at a MAPS (Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies) conference in the early 1990s. It immediately followed a talk given by Timothy Leary. Ram Dass reflects on the funny position he’s in between his desire for this gathering of MAPS to put on a good face and be responsible researchers, and his feeling that what has happened is far more profound than that. “What we are doing now,” he says, “is trying to find a way to bring more people along through trying to legitimize our game in society. But the underground process in which psychedelics have continued to be used in the society and have come into mainstream consciousness, that goes on independent of whether we lose or win on the front we’re talking about in research.”Ram Dass speaks to some of the benefits that came out of the pioneering research into psychedelics he conducted with Timothy Leary at Harvard University in the 1960s. This includes therapeutic possibilities, opening people up to wisdom from the East, and shifting our perception of reality.Ram Dass finishes by talking about some of the mistakes they made along the way, including how they got too involved with the revolutionary aspects of psychedelics rather than the evolutionary elements. But ultimately, the genie is already out of the bottle when it comes to psychedelics. “Truth cannot be repressed,” says Ram Dass. “It cannot be legislated out of existence. Psychedelics are a healthy pseudopod of society, and they have to be honored. And they will be honored.” The Ram Dass community gathers regularly to engage in meaningful discussions about the podcast. We invite you to join us and share your curiosities, insights, and wisdom. Sign up for the General Fellowship to receive event invitations directly in your inbox.“I think we got a little confused about evolution and revolution. I think we played with the revolutionary aspects of psychedelics, when to me, the far more interesting issue is the evolutionary aspects. I think that had we been more evolved in our wisdom, and not feeling we were inventing the wheel all over again, we would have had an appreciation of what the fears were of the society and how to work with those fears rather than just pitting ourselves against them. I don’t think the way we did it was the only way it could’ve been done.” – Ram Dass
In this expansive overview of spirit beings and how they operate in our world, Llewellyn Vaughan-Lee shares his personal encounters with Angels, Devas, and more.This week on the BHNN Guest Podcast, Llewellyn illuminates:- Awakening to our divine nature through spiritual practice and accessing higher dimensions of consciousness- The sacred worldview of our ancestors vs. the spiritual emptiness of modern culture- Lessons from Lakota Medicine Man, Black Elk, on restoring awareness of the sacred nature of all things- How Angels and Devas have affected Llewellyn’s life and brought him messages about humanity- The disconnection from unseen realms and its impact on human consciousness- Llewellyn’s detailed description of different types of AngelsJinns, spirits made of fire in the Islamic tradition, which have free will to do good or evil Devas, aka, the spiritual intelligence within nature- How reconnecting with nature’s spirit can help heal ecological destruction- Encounters with elemental tricksters and darker beings from other dimensions- How violence and darkness obscure the radiant light of our true consciousness- The sustaining power of light and love on both the soul and cellular levels of beingAbout Llewellyn:Llewellyn Vaughan-Lee, Ph.D. is a Sufi teacher in the Naqshbandiyya-Mujaddidiyya Sufi Order. He is the author of Sufism, the Transformation of the Heart, and the founder of The Golden Sufi Center. Check out his new podcast Working With Oneness.“I live surrounded by these other worlds, not fully understanding why our culture had to cut off all the inner worlds from our consciousness, why we have to live in such a bleak environment in which even our dreams are censored. And what does it mean to this present liminal time when we no longer have angels to guide us, nature spirits to help bring us back into balance with the natural world and its patterns of biodiversity? ” – Llewellyn Vaughan-Lee
In a conversation on cultivating compassion, authors and professors John Maransky and Paul Condon explore how to activate our natural capacity to care for all beings.This time on Mindrolling, John, Paul, and Raghu discuss:- Paul and John’s spiritual and personal journeys, and how they came together to write How Compassion Works- Seeing the humanity in all beings and opening our hearts even to our perceived enemies- Looking to the fundamentals of Tibetan Buddhism in order to cultivate compassion- Dropping into the grounded depth of our awareness so that we can meet that same quality in others- Becoming aware of our reactive minds as the first step on the path of compassion- Adding in psychological and scientific perspectives to the practice of compassion- Our natural capacity to care and how it takes less effort than hate/conflict- Embodying ideals of kindness and seeing others in a less superficial way- Practicing honest self-reflection to assess and grow our capacity for compassion- The domino effect of love and kindness– how seeing compassion in action inspires others- Reunifying with our inner beings and loving nature through mindfulness - The symbiotic relationship of love and wisdomJohn Makransky, Ph.D.John Makransky, PhD, is Associate Professor of Buddhism and Comparative Theology at Boston College, senior advisor for Chokyi Nyima Rinpoche’s Centre of Buddhist Studies in Nepal and developer of the Sustainable Compassion Training model for accessing innate capacities of compassion and awareness. John's academic writings have focused on connections between practices of wisdom, compassion and devotion in Indo-Tibetan Buddhism, on adapting Buddhist practices for contemporary minds, and on interfaith learning. In 2000, John was ordained as a Lama, a meditation teacher of innate compassion and wisdom, within the Nyingma Dzogchen tradition of Tibetan Buddhism. As a meditation teacher, John is known for guiding participants in their discovery of underlying powers of love and wisdom. Since 2000, John has taught meditations of innate compassion and wisdom, adapted from Tibetan Buddhism, for modern Buddhists, those in other spiritual traditions, and for people in caring roles and professions.“In order to really be the kind of person that can make a beneficial difference in our world, we have to learn how to drop down below the superficial reactive level of consciousness we all tend to live on together into more of the depth of our being, the ground of our experience.” – John MaranskyAbout Paul Condon, Ph.D.Paul Condon is an associate professor of psychology at Southern Oregon University, a visiting lecturer for the Centre for Buddhist Studies at Rangjung Yeshe Institute, and a fellow of the Mind & Life Institute. His research examines the ways that psychological science can inform the adaptation of meditation practices in dialogue with contemplative traditions, with an emphasis on compassion training. His research and writing also examine the constructed nature of emotion and concepts, attachment theory, and the impact of meditation on compassion and prosocial behavior. Paul also teaches meditation practices adapted from the Tibetan Nyingma tradition. He has studied and collaborated with John Makransky to develop and teach Sustainable Compassion Training. His practice and teaching have also been informed by study with Tsoknyi Rinpoche, Chokyi Nyima Rinpoche, Lama Willa Baker, and the Courage of Care Coalition."Care is a natural capacity and being in a caring relationship with another being is more natural and less effortful than being in an antagonist or conflict-based connection.” – Paul Condon
Yoruba Elder Iya Tahirah Abubakr offers wisdom on the profound medicine of suffering and how we can transform personal and ancestral pain into a beautiful expression of creation. This time on The Four Sacred Gifts, Anita and Iya discuss:Iya’s upbringing as the daughter of a sharecropper and how indigenous ways of living offered wisdom beyond sufferingThe beauty of village life in rural Mississippi—growing up connected to the land, nature, and communityThe loss of outdoor play and imagination in today’s children, and how this disconnects them from nature and spiritIya’s transformative encounter with Native American culture and how it deepened her understanding of ancestral wisdomRedefining suffering as a sacred teacher and a gateway to spiritual growth and resilienceProcessing trauma and emotional pain so that we are not trapped in the wounds of the pastThey ley lines of truth in the world and remembering that truth doesn’t lie Remembering our ‘indigenality’ as individual and collective beings on this earthHonoring the bloodline of our ancestors and stepping into our full expression as sacred beingsDissolving the illusion of separation by becoming a compassionate, unified world communityAsking why our souls chose to incarnate now—and discovering what sacred gifts we’re here to offerThe vital importance of initiating youth into indigenous wisdom and holding a new vision for the next generationAbout Iya Tahirah Abubakr:Iya Tahirah Abubakr is a Black American with Yoruba ancestry, born River Lee Adams in Pocahontas, Mississippi. Iya was initiated by Ifa Priestess Yamaya in the ancestral traditions of the Yoruba people of western Africa and studied and trained with Malidoma Some' in shamanism. She is a medicine woman, diviner, shamanic practitioner, She provides initiatory guidance and trainings for those who seek greater wisdom in the mystery, she is founder & co-founder for the St. Croix Council of Elders. Iya’s life purpose and dedication are to the service of humanity as a whole and to leave the earth in a greater place than she found it. You can reach Iya at Abubakrtahirah8@gmail.com. There's a richness to the fact that I grew up as a daughter of a sharecropper. I realize that underneath that was a deep love and protection. Had I not had that, I would not be the person I am today, because beyond the suffering was the indigenous way that we lived in life. That's why I like to bring African people back to understand that closeness to land and living, no matter what we're going through, when we have that connection to land, to nature, that is your friend, mother, that is what carries you." – Iya Tahirah Abubakr
Honing in on Right Speech and maintaining harmony, Joseph Goldstein encourages listeners to develop a commitment to telling the truth and refraining from slander.The Satipatthana Sutta is one of the most celebrated and widely studied discourses in the Pāli Canon of Theravada Buddhism. This episode is the 44th part of an in-depth 48-part weekly lecture series from Joseph Goldstein that delves into every aspect of the Satipatthana Sutta. If you are just jumping into the Satipatthana Sutta series, CLICK HERE to start at the first episode.This episode is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/insighthour and get on your way to being your best selfIn this episode’s exploration of the Satipatthana Sutta, Joseph Goldstein reviews:- Practicing Right Speech, Right Action, and Right Livelihood with the same dedication as meditation- The influence of our speech on our lives (our relationships, minds, karmic outcomes)- Truthfulness as the most basic concept of right speech in Buddhist ethics- Investigating the deeper motivations behind what we say and how we say it- The harmful ripple effects of lying on trust, connection, and societal cohesion- Insights from the Buddha: why truth must be spoken at all times, regardless of a perceived advantage- Lies of omission and the subtle ways we distort or avoid truth- Cultivating the courage and mindfulness required to speak honestly in daily life- Refraining from gossip and slander in order to avoid disharmony - Examining the emotional tone of speech—choosing words that are gentle, compassionate, and unifying- How harsh language does not serve good communication - Transforming the divisive world we live in through right speech - How we listen as an equally important component of right speechThis episode was originally published on Dharmaseed"This doesn't mean that there should be a suppression of what we're feeling. It's not a papering over of the truth of our emotions, but rather, it's to be mindful enough that we can communicate what we're feeling in a way that promotes connection rather than promotes divisiveness. This is a practice. Right speech is a practice." – Joseph Goldstein
Honing in on Right Speech and maintaining harmony, Joseph Goldstein encourages listeners to develop a commitment to telling the truth and refraining from slander.The Satipatthana Sutta is one of the most celebrated and widely studied discourses in the Pāli Canon of Theravada Buddhism. This episode is the 44th part of an in-depth 48-part weekly lecture series from Joseph Goldstein that delves into every aspect of the Satipatthana Sutta. If you are just jumping into the Satipatthana Sutta series, CLICK HERE to start at the first episode.This episode is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/insighthour and get on your way to being your best selfIn this episode’s exploration of the Satipatthana Sutta, Joseph Goldstein reviews:- Practicing Right Speech, Right Action, and Right Livelihood with the same dedication as meditation- The influence of our speech on our lives (our relationships, minds, karmic outcomes)- Truthfulness as the most basic concept of right speech in Buddhist ethics- Investigating the deeper motivations behind what we say and how we say it- The harmful ripple effects of lying on trust, connection, and societal cohesion- Insights from the Buddha: why truth must be spoken at all times, regardless of a perceived advantage- Lies of omission and the subtle ways we distort or avoid truth- Cultivating the courage and mindfulness required to speak honestly in daily life- Refraining from gossip and slander in order to avoid disharmony - Examining the emotional tone of speech—choosing words that are gentle, compassionate, and unifying- How harsh language does not serve good communication - Transforming the divisive world we live in through right speech - How we listen as an equally important component of right speechThis episode was originally published on Dharmaseed"This doesn't mean that there should be a suppression of what we're feeling. It's not a papering over of the truth of our emotions, but rather, it's to be mindful enough that we can communicate what we're feeling in a way that promotes connection rather than promotes divisiveness. This is a practice. Right speech is a practice." – Joseph Goldstein
Krishna Das gives insights on continual grace and transforming our self-limiting inner narratives through spiritual practice.This week on Pilgrim Heart, Krishna Das thoughtfully discusses:- What it means for the guru to have a key to our minds- Teachings from Siddhi Ma: knowing that everything is grace, but acting like it isn’t- Putting effort into loving everyone, serving everyone, and remembering God- The story of Maharaj-ji in England with a military devotee - Our subjective reality as the product of our karmic cycle- Reconciling our faith with spiritual practice and seeing God in many forms- Krishna Das’ take on Buddhism and dealing with the afflictions of the mind- Using chanting and mantra to release shame and stay rooted in the present moment- Letting go of the stories we tell ourselves and reclaiming the power to change our livesAbout 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.MORE INFORMATION and OFFERINGS VISIT: https://krishnadas.com/ KRISHNA DAS ON SOCIAL: FACEBOOK: facebook.com/KrishnaDasMusic INSTAGRAM: instagram.com/krishnadasmusic YOUTUBE: / krishnadasmusic X: @krishnadas #KrishnaDas"We have to make our effort to open to that grace, calm the mind, repeat the name, think of others. Like Maharaj-ji said, ‘serve everyone, love everyone, remember God’. There's not one of those three things that I can do completely, and so, my effort is required to open to the space where that's reality." – Krishna Das
For episode 266, Amishi Jha returns to the Metta Hour for our ongoing Anxiety Series.In this series, Sharon is speaking with Mental Health experts, providers and different researchers for tools to work with anxiety in increasingly challenging times. This is the sixth episode in the series.Amishi is Director of Contemplative Neuroscience and Professor of Psychology at the University of Miami. She studies the brain’s attention system and the effects of mindfulness training on resilience and performance in high-demand professions, including the military, emergency services, and medicine. Her research has been supported by the Dept. of Defense and featured by TED, NATO, the World Economic Forum, The New York Times, and NPR. She led the first large-scale study of mindfulness training with active-duty service members. She is the author of the national bestseller Peak Mind and creator of the Pushups for the Mind app.In this episode, Amishi and Sharon speak about:• Mindfulness in mental health• Cognitive resilience• Eustress and how it serves us• Mismatch between capacity and challenge • Attention as resilience• Flashlight attention for clarification & focus• Floodlight attention for situation awareness • Executive Functioning• How to begin attention training• Myths about stress and anxiety• The participatory nature of the brain• The attentional decline of burnout• Compassion Fatigue• Cognitive versus emotional empathy• Amishi’s new app, Pushups for the Mind• The minimum effective dose of meditation The conversation closes with a guided meditation from Amishi’s new app, Pushups for the Mind.To learn more about Amishi’s work, you can visit her website and download Pushups for the Mind app from your app store. Please note that the Pushups for the Mind app is free for all U.S. active service military members.
Are we trying to find inner peace the wrong way?Gil Fronsdal discusses cultivating an all-inclusive awareness that embraces each experience and sensation without resistance or judgment.Today’s podcast is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/beherenow and get on your way to being your best self.https://youtu.be/6I-2jBB4xlMIn this episode, Gil Fronsdal provides insights on:- Figuring out what our life’s pursuit is, and, if we are chasing the wrong things- The Buddha as a doctor of freedom, the inner life, the illness of suffering- How child-like wellbeing and openness lead the Buddha to the path of freedom and the end of suffering - Integrating adult stability with childlike openness, curiosity, and joy- Cultivating openness and inner strength when facing temptation, emotional pain, or adversity- Using mindfulness to expand awareness and include all aspects of our experience- Practicing nonjudgmental and non-discriminating awareness—welcoming all emotions, thoughts, and sensations equally- Shifting focus from what we’re mindful of to how we are being mindful - The problem with hyperfixating on the self and identity This recording from Spirit Rock Meditation Center was originally published on DharmaseedAbout Gil Fronsdal:Gil Fronsdal is the co-teacher for the Insight Meditation Center in Redwood City, California; he has been teaching since 1990. He has practiced Zen and Vipassana in the U.S. and Asia since 1975. He was a Theravada monk in Burma in 1985, and in 1989 began training with Jack Kornfield to be a Vipassana teacher. Gil teaches at Spirit Rock Meditation Center where he is part of its Teachers Council. Gil was ordained as a Soto Zen priest at the San Francisco Zen Center in 1982, and in 1995 received Dharma Transmission from Mel Weitsman, the abbot of the Berkeley Zen Center. He currently serves on the SF Zen Center Elders’ Council. In 2011 he founded IMC’s Insight Retreat Center. Gil has an undergraduate degree in agriculture from U.C. Davis where he was active in promoting the field of sustainable farming. In 1998 he received a PhD in Religious Studies from Stanford University studying the earliest developments of the bodhisattva ideal. He is the author of The Issue at Hand, essays on mindfulness practice; A Monastery Within; a book on the five hindrances called Unhindered; and the translator of The Dhammapada, published by Shambhala Publications. You may listen to Gil’s talks on Audio Dharma.“What I feel is most sacred in Buddhism is not something outside of you. Not a shrine, not a statue, not a text. But rather, what's most sacred is an awareness, your awareness, when it has nothing outside. There's nothing outside, nothing which is unacceptable for it, nothing which is shut out from it. Everything is allowed to be there in your awareness. When awareness is all-inclusive, with no outside, I think that's sacred.” – Gil Fronsdal
Inviting us into the heart of India, Sadhvi Bhagawati Saraswati and Raghu dive into divine flow, navigating karmic life, and the value of spiritual community.Mindrolling is brought to you by Reunion. Reunion is offering $250 off any stay to the Love, Serve, Remember community. Simply use the code “BeHere250” when booking. Disconnect from the world so you can reconnect with yourself at Reunion. Hotel | www.reunionhotelandwellness.com Retreats | www.reunionexperience.orgIn this week’s episode, Sadhvi and Raghu reflect on:- Discovering divine presence and deep gratitude in the holy land of India- The Westerner’s experience in India and how acceptance and joy are contagious - From PhD student to spiritual seeker: Sadhvi’s awakening to the divine energy in Rishikesh- Becoming a channel for universal energy and aligning with divine flow- The power of satsang: gathering in truth, stillness, and spiritual presence- Balancing daily life with surrender to divine perfection and karmic unfolding- Learning to work with the mind through spiritual practices like mantra, prayer, and mindfulness- The importance of spiritual community and real-world human connection- Neuroplasticity and the spiritual path: transforming our thoughts, habits, and inner reality- Seva (service to others) as the most potent way to purify the mind Recommendations From This Episode: Check out another Mindrolling with Sadhvi and Raghu from 2021, where they explore Sadhvi’s journey from Hollywood to the HimalayasPick up Sadhvi’s book, Come Home to Yourself, to learn more about navigating this karmic journey while knowing we are divinityAbout Sadhvi Bhagawati SaraswatiSadhvi is a renowned spiritual leader and motivational speaker, based in Rishikesh, India. She’s the author of #1 bestselling memoir, Hollywood to the Himalayas: A Journey of Healing and Transformation. Originally from Los Angeles, a graduate of Stanford University, and a PhD in psychology, Sadhviji has lived on the banks of the sacred Ganga river, in the lap of the Himalayas for more than 25 years engaged in spiritual service, wisdom teaching, sacred action, and deep spiritual practice. Roll on over to Sadhvi’s website to learn more.“The slightest bit of working with the mind, mantra, chanting, japa, kirtan, prayer, anything, it shows us that we actually do have the power to put our mind where we want it to be." – Sadhvi Bhagawati Saraswati
Sharing deep spiritual secrets of love and attachment, Jack transforms our unhealthy attachments into Wise Relationships through vulnerability, inner joy, and shared humanity.
Ramdev invites us into a space of lasting joy and peace, revealing ways we can better relate to both personal and collective suffering.Today’s podcast is also brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/beherenow and get on your way to being your best self. In this episode of Healing at the Edge, RamDev explores:- Considering how the world is changing and how to respond to those changes- Learning to love what is mortal and to be touched by the tragedy of being alive- Discovering a deeper joy beyond pleasure and pain—even in the face of war, genocide, and global crisesDiscovering a deeper joy beyond pleasure and pain—even in the face of war, genocide, and global crises- Cultivating unshakable inner peace and emotional resilience in turbulent times- Allowing ourselves to be moved by collective suffering rather than shutting down or turning away- Transforming grief into compassion through a sense of deep interconnectedness- Understanding the key difference between pity and true compassion- Training ourselves to be grounded, centered, and to rest in equanimity - Exploring ways we might take a vow of renunciation to look at our own habits and patterns- Committing to maintaining an open heart towards all people, all of the time- How awareness of our own mortality can inform our actions in daily life"We have to learn to love what is mortal, to not spiritually bypass, to be touched by the tragedy, be touched by the suffering of others, be willing to be touched by our own suffering. Hold it against your bones as if your life depends on it, and when the time comes to let it go, let it go." – RamDev
Blending together hardcore punk and spirituality, Ray Cappo inspires listeners to deflate the ego and serve something bigger than themselves.
From psychedelic breakthroughs to breaking the boundaries of compassion, Duncan Trussell and Raghu Markus offer unfiltered wisdom on the messy magic of waking up.Take the opportunity to support Ram Dass’ Love Serve Remember Foundation and step into another dimension with a one-of-a-kind pair of custom Midnight Gospel sneakers. Hand-crafted by The Shoe Surgeon to replicate the iconic shoes worn by Clancy himself in the groundbreaking animated series by Duncan Trussell and Pendleton Ward. All proceeds benefit the Love Serve Remember Foundation and their work to preserve and continue the teachings of Neem Karoli Baba and Ram Dass. Click here to bid on the shoes: https://event.auctria.com/faa15113-bba3-49ab-80ab-92a9147a4844/a780d600ec2e11e9ae081db830846aa5?2bd25550ec3411e98fdeb3a273cf08d8%2Fq=&2bd25550ec3411e98fdeb3a273cf08d8%2FcurrentPage=0&2bd25550ec3411e98fdeb3a273cf08d8%2FselectedItem=532f87dd-ba4a-430f-a5b6-fb87a75f48b4Find more exciting one-of-a-kind collector’s items at the LSRF Auction here: https://event.auctria.com/faa15113-bba3-49ab-80ab-92a9147a4844/a780d600ec2e11e9ae081db830846aa5?2bd25550ec3411e98fdeb3a273cf08d8%2Fq=&2bd25550ec3411e98fdeb3a273cf08d8%2FcurrentPage=0This time on Mindrolling, Duncan and Raghu connect over:- The Good Friday psychedelic experiment - New MDMA research with octopuses and insights into social neuroscience- Brain scans of Tibetan monks practicing loving-kindness (Metta) meditation- ‘Making the most’ of the neuroplasticity that can occur during a psychedelic experience - The most powerful issue we have to deal with: identity - Transactional compassion versus offering genuine love and care to all - Reversing our own neurosis and breaking through the self-created boundaries of compassion- Embracing spiritual discipline through the daily grind of practice- Moving through what the Buddhists call ‘the original heart of sadness’ - Maladaptive behaviors that we develop to mask the pain of humanity - Alcohol as the west’s faulty ‘ayahuasca’ and initiation practice - Self-compassion and allowing ourselves to be humanToday's episode is sponsored by Psychedelic Science 2025 & Reunion:Join the most important psychedelic gathering of the year......bridging science, spirit & society at Psychedelic Science 2025: THE INTEGRATION, hosted by the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies. Be part of the movement that will shape the next era of mental health, medicine, and consciousness.Featuring speakers like Paul Stamets, United States Representative Tim Ryan, Rick Doblin, founder of Internal Family Systems (IFS) Richard Schwartz, Pilar Guzman, CEO/Medical Director of the APA Marketa M. Wills, Raghu Markus, comedian Reggie Watts, musicians TYCHO & Jim James, and many more!Listeners get 15% off tickets to the 5-day event with our promo code LSRF15 at PsychedelicScience.orgMindrolling is brought to you by Reunion. Reunion is offering $250 off any stay to the Love, Serve, Remember community. Simply use the code “BeHere250” when booking. Disconnect from the world so you can reconnect with yourself at Reunion. Hotel | www.reunionhotelandwellness.com Retreats | www.reunionexperience.org“What do you do when you're passing strangers in the street and you love them completely? It's not bullshit. You feel about them the way you feel about someone you loved, your mother. What happens when the boundary of compassion breaks through and there is no longer this person deserves compassion, this person doesn't. It's like a dam broke." – Duncan Trussell
Sharing personal stories of his time with Maharaj-ji, Krishna Das walks us down the path of recognizing grace, loving all beings, and keeping the heart open—no matter how hard it gets.
Old friends Sharon Salzberg and David Nichtern meet to discuss the calamity of misplaced faith and the expansion that can come from individualized social action.Join Sharon's Upcoming Course with Tricycle to uncover your Buddhist Personality Type: https://learn.tricycle.org/p/buddhist-personality-typesThis week on the CSM podcast, David and Sharon have a thought-provoking conversation about:- Expanding the definition of social action to include art and genuine spiritual practice- Looking deeper into the root cause of social problems- Attempting to bring Buddhist teachings into a democracy- Misplaced faith and the three root poisons in Buddhism - Grasping, Aversion, and Delusion- Purification: going beyond awareness and into the elbow grease required for actually changing negative patterns- The building blocks of real mindfulness and incorporating many different practices- Kali Yuga, considering the state of the world, and trying to remain optimistic - Understanding the consequences of our actions and our role in the collective- How we relate to unchosen suffering and chosen suffering Sign up for Dharma Moon’s Summer 100-Hour Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Training Course with David Nichtern, starting June 13th: https://www.dharmamoon.com/mindfulness-meditation-teacher-trainingAbout Sharon Salzberg:Sharon Salzberg is a meditation pioneer, world-renowned teacher, and New York Times bestselling author. She is one of the first to bring mindfulness and lovingkindness meditation to mainstream American culture over 45 years ago, inspiring generations of meditation teachers and wellness influencers. Sharon is co-founder of The Insight Meditation Society in Barre, MA, and the author of twelve books, including the New York Times bestseller, Real Happiness, now in its second edition, and her seminal work, Lovingkindness. Her podcast, The Metta Hour, has amassed five million downloads and features interviews with thought leaders from the mindfulness movement and beyond. Learn more about Sharon and her books at www.sharonsalzberg.comAbout David Nichtern:David Nichtern, founder of Dharma Moon, is a senior Buddhist teacher who has been practicing and teaching meditation for over 40 years. He was one of the initial American students of renowned meditation master Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche and studied closely with him soon after his arrival in the United States in 1970. He is also a business consultant with companies creating a variety of offerings integrating meditation in a larger health and well-being context. David is also a multiple Grammy-nominated and Emmy award-winning musician. David’s journey has crisscrossed with the Maharaji/Ram Dass sangha for decades. He has produced multiple Krishna Das albums and frequently joins the Bhaktettes live on guitar. He considers himself to be a first cousin and honorary member of the Bhakti community."There's this saying going around that action absorbs anxiety. If you're feeling really anxious, uptight, take action. Action might not mean marching, signing a petition, or vocalizing, it may mean helping your neighbor." – Sharon Salzberg
For episode 265, Sharon speaks with and activist and author, Shanon Watts about her new book, Fired Up.Shannon is the founder of Moms Demand Action, the largest grassroots group fighting gun violence in the U.S. Known as the ‘summoner of women’s audacity,’ she has been named one of TIME’s 100 Most Influential People, a Forbes 50 over 50 Changemaker, and a Glamour Woman of the Year. Shannon is also an active board member of Emerge America, one of the nation’s leading organizations for recruiting and training women to run for office. Helping to redefine what’s possible when audacious women unite to drive change, she writes regularly about culture, politics and women’s issues for her Substack, Playing with Fire, and outlets like The Washington Post, Elle, Time, The 19th. Her new book, Fired Up: How to Turn Your Spark Into a Flame and Come Alive at Any Age, is coming out on June 17th, 2025. In this conversation, Shannon and Sharon speak about:- The impetus for Shannon’s book- How to live a life on fire- Shannon’s personal story- Marrying our abilities, values & desires- Being burned up by our anger- Survivors of gun violence- What holds us back- Sharon’s fear of public speaking- The firestarter triangle- How we find our desires & aspirations- Sharon and Sharon’s top values- Living with a sense of what you care about- How do we sustain our fire?- Community Building- Firestarter UniversityShannon closes the conversation with a short reading from her book, Fired Up.Join Sharon for her new online course, Intro to Meditation, starting June 21st. With meditation becoming increasingly popular, it can be hard to know where to begin. This four-day introductory course is designed to teach you the fundamentals of meditation. This course is ideal for beginners who want to establish a practice, as well as experienced students seeking a refresher course. Learn more:https://www.sharonsalzberg.com/events/intro-to-meditation
For episode 265, Sharon speaks with and activist and author, Shanon Watts about her new book, Fired Up.Shannon is the founder of Moms Demand Action, the largest grassroots group fighting gun violence in the U.S. Known as the ‘summoner of women’s audacity,’ she has been named one of TIME’s 100 Most Influential People, a Forbes 50 over 50 Changemaker, and a Glamour Woman of the Year. Shannon is also an active board member of Emerge America, one of the nation’s leading organizations for recruiting and training women to run for office. Helping to redefine what’s possible when audacious women unite to drive change, she writes regularly about culture, politics and women’s issues for her Substack, Playing with Fire, and outlets like The Washington Post, Elle, Time, The 19th. Her new book, Fired Up: How to Turn Your Spark Into a Flame and Come Alive at Any Age, is coming out on June 17th, 2025. In this conversation, Shannon and Sharon speak about:- The impetus for Shannon’s book- How to live a life on fire- Shannon’s personal story- Marrying our abilities, values & desires- Being burned up by our anger- Survivors of gun violence- What holds us back- Sharon’s fear of public speaking- The firestarter triangle- How we find our desires & aspirations- Sharon and Sharon’s top values- Living with a sense of what you care about- How do we sustain our fire?- Community Building- Firestarter UniversityShannon closes the conversation with a short reading from her book, Fired Up.Join Sharon for her new online course, Intro to Meditation, starting June 21st. With meditation becoming increasingly popular, it can be hard to know where to begin. This four-day introductory course is designed to teach you the fundamentals of meditation. This course is ideal for beginners who want to establish a practice, as well as experienced students seeking a refresher course. Learn more:https://www.sharonsalzberg.com/events/intro-to-meditation
Exploring the ancient Zen teaching of the Great Way, Jack guides us toward freedom from attachment, clarity beyond preferences, and the liberating joy of letting go.
Joseph Goldstein explores how we can make compassionate responsiveness our default state through the clear dichotomy of skillful and unskillful actions.
Jack and Ocean continue their deep conversation, exploring how to create positive change in the world without losing our spiritual center and loving essence.
Explaining Virya, the effort factor of enlightenment, meditation teacher Trudy Goodman explores the courage it takes to trust in our practice and to mindfully face the five hindrances. This 2011 recording is from Spirit Rock’s Fall Insight Meditation Retreat and was originally published on Dharmaseed. This time on the BHNN Guest Podcast, Trudy Goodman explains:- Virya, the effort, energy, and enthusiasm factor of enlightenment - The courage it takes to be fully present with every life experience- Showing up for our human experience with qualities of heart, courage, and balance - An impactful Iraq War story that reveals the power of presence and awareness- How to work wisely with challenges that block mindful presence- The five classical hindrances: wanting, ill-will, restlessness, sloth & torpor, and doubt- A reading from the Flower Ornament Sutra about freeing the heart and mind from hindrances - How living defensively against pain limits our full human experience- The positive impact of naming our struggles and how it prevents us from being swept away- Moving through all experiences with steady effort—no halting, no straining- Daily spiritual practice and repetition in order to build trust in life and the dharma- The four great efforts that the Buddha talked about- Protecting our hearts by not watering seeds of harm that arise in our thoughts and emotions- Watering the seeds that are beneficial, feeding their growth, and encouraging goodness- How to stay open to life's potential by expecting goodness, not fearing missed chances- Trusting in the dharma, the natural world, and life’s unseen supportive forcesAbout Trudy Goodman:Trudy is a Vipassana teacher in the Theravada lineage and the Founding Teacher of InsightLA. For 25 years, in Cambridge, MA, Trudy practiced mindfulness-based psychotherapy with children, teenagers, couples and individuals. Trudy conducts retreats, engages in activism work, and teaches workshops worldwide and online. She is also the voice of Trudy the Love Barbarian in the Netflix series, The Midnight Gospel. You can learn more about Trudy’s flourishing array of wonderful offerings at TrudyGoodman.com“It takes great effort, great energy, great trust. When we bring that to this practice everyday, the trust is also a kind of confidence that if we just do this, things will unfold naturally without forcing them.” – Trudy Goodman
Neuroscientist Gül Dölen explores how psychedelics paired with mindful integration can reopen the brain’s sensitive learning windows to rewire habits, heal trauma, and expand consciousness.Join the 2025 MAPS conference this June in Denver, Colorado and be a part of the movement that will shape the next era of mental health, medicine, and consciousness. MAPS, The Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies, is a nonprofit organization that provides public resources and leadership as we work together to create legal, responsible, evidence-based pathways to psychedelics. Learn more about the conference and use the coupon code LSRF15 for a special promotion at https://www.psychedelicscience.orgIn this episode of Mindrolling, Gül and Raghu chat about: Gül’s research of psychedelics and how we can translate animal studies into human neuroscience Looking to Octopuses for sociological answers using MDMACritical periods—windows when the brain is most open to learning and environmental influence.Psychedelics as the master key to reopening critical periods, especially when paired with therapyInducing metaplasticity with psychedelics, reshaping harmful patterns, and promoting transformation.Non-substance methods to reopen critical periods, like sensory and social deprivationHow mystical practices such as meditation and silent retreats can trigger a “beginner’s mind” state for deep insightsHow psychedelics propose a learning model rather than a biochemical imbalance model towards approaching depression, addiction, or PTSDFocusing on post-trip integration to harness long-term benefits from the psychedelic experience Maximize the integration period to cement insights gained during psychedelic journeysThe social and psychological changes we go through as we age and adapt to new environments/situations The importance of “set and setting” and how it can influence psychedelic experiences and the formation of helpful or harmful habitsMindrolling is brought to you by Reunion. Reunion is offering $250 off any stay to the Love, Serve, Remember community. Simply use the code “BeHere250” when booking. Disconnect from the world so you can reconnect with yourself at Reunion. Hotel | www.reunionhotelandwellness.com Retreats | www.reunionexperience.orgAbout Gül Dölen:Dr. Gül Dölen is a Professor and the Bob & Renee Parsons Endowed Chair in the Department of Neuroscience, and Department of Psychology, the Berkeley Center for the Science of Psychedelics and the Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute at the University of California, Berkeley. Dr Dölen also maintains an Adjunct Professorship in Neuroscience and Neurology at the Johns Hopkins University, School of Medicine. Dr. Dölen researches the role psychedelics may have in unlocking critical periods in Dölen Lab. She is the recipient of several prestigious awards. “It turns out that our results really suggest that psychedelics are those master keys that we have been looking for all this time.” – Gül Dölen
Krishna Das shares a realistic path for resting in the true nature of love that is always accessible to us all.
For episode 264, Soren Gordhamer returns to the Metta Hour for our ongoing Anxiety Series.
Jack is interviewed by Ocean Robbins to explore the big spiritual questions—why there is suffering, how to navigate duality, making the ordinary holy, and cultivating a loving witness.
Honoring the life of a longtime friend of the Be Here Network, Ralph De La Rosa, this special episode explores Ralph’s wisdom on moving through trauma via the heart of compassion. If you’d like to honor Ralph de la Rosa’s legacy by supporting his family, a GoFundMe has been created to help with the significant and unexpected expenses following his passing: https://www.gofundme.com/f/honoring-ralphs-life-support-their-familyMindrolling is brought to you by Reunion. Reunion is offering $250 off any stay to the Love, Serve, Remember community. Simply use the code “BeHere250” when booking. Disconnect from the world so you can reconnect with yourself at Reunion. Hotel | www.reunionhotelandwellness.com Retreats | www.reunionexperience.orgIn this conversation with Jackie Dobrinska from June 2024, Ralph shares his wisdom on the topics of:- The nourishment that daily spiritual practice brought to Ralph's healing journey- Ralph’s difficulties with mental health, bullying, neurodivergence, and gender non-conformity- How spiritual bypassing can distract from real healing and disconnect us from reality- The myth of constant happiness and why true bliss involves emotional depth- Cultivating self-compassion to transform trauma, fear, and emotional heartbreak- Healing from the inside out by embracing pain as a teacher and guide- A 20-minute guided meditation/compassion practice led by RalphRalph’s transformative rehab experience and introduction to Buddhist teachings- Developing an embodied sense of self-love, safety, and inner affection- Exploring subjective perception and rewriting our personal and collective narratives- Using curiosity as a stepping stone when we are struggling to get to compassion- Healing trauma by reconnecting with the inner child (with therapeutic support)- Acknowledging our defense mechanisms and communicating with the parts of ourselves that are stuck in survival mode- Letting go of past emotional residue and rebuilding trust in the heart’s wisdom- Understanding the difference between real love/compassion and codependent patterns/poor boundariesAbout Ralph De La Rosa:Ralph De La Rosa (he/they) was a teacher of human spirituality, an internationally published author and a trauma-focused psychotherapist. Ralph worked in private practice and was a seasoned meditation teacher known for his radically open and humorous teaching style. He was personally mentored by Richard Schwartz, founder and developer of Internal Family Systems. Check out Ralph’s book, Outshining Trauma, which focuses on trauma and radical self-compassion. Learn more about Ralph on his website.“We're all holding traumas. We've all been bruised by life in large or small ways. What that is, is an invitation to find and open the heart of compassion, the heart of loving kindness that already exists within you. It's right there.” – Ralph De La Rosa
Gil Fronsdal explores why we suffer and how we can meet our suffering with a supportive presence for the benefit of ourselves and all beings. In this episode, Gil thoughtfully discusses:- Becoming like a wise & peaceful snake, shedding our skin from time to time- How mindfulness practice can contain the goal of cessation of greed, hatred, and delusion- How clinging creates emotional stress, mental pain, and spiritual suffering- Notice the “aah” of skillful action versus the “ouch” of unskillful action as we develop awareness- Being present for the depth of suffering in the human heart- Bringing the qualities of the awakened mind in to meet our suffering and help us release it- Helping our suffering feel safe and remembering that all suffering can be put to rest- The ability to stay with our experiences without clinging and with a sense of wellbeing - Meeting our suffering for ourselves and to show the way for others- Practicing mindfulness with sincerity, consistency, and heartfelt dedicationThis episode is sponsored by BetterHelp & Dharma Seed:Join Krishna Das, the most well-known voice of Bhakti chanting (Kirtan) in the West, and David Nichtern - a senior Buddhist teacher, founder of Dharma Moon, guitarist in Krishna Das’ band, and producer of several of his albums - for a warm and engaging conversation about these two paths, their shared roots, and how they intersect in contemporary spiritual practice. Learn more about this FREE online gathering - THE HEART & MIND OF PRACTICE: BUDDHISM & BHAKTI: https://www.dharmamoon.com/heartToday’s podcast is also brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/beherenow and get on your way to being your best self.About Gil Fronsdal:Gil Fronsdal is the co-teacher for the Insight Meditation Center in Redwood City, California; he has been teaching since 1990. He has practiced Zen and Vipassana in the U.S. and Asia since 1975. He was a Theravada monk in Burma in 1985, and in 1989 began training with Jack Kornfield to be a Vipassana teacher. Gil teaches at Spirit Rock Meditation Center where he is part of its Teachers Council. Gil was ordained as a Soto Zen priest at the San Francisco Zen Center in 1982, and in 1995 received Dharma Transmission from Mel Weitsman, the abbot of the Berkeley Zen Center. He currently serves on the SF Zen Center Elders’ Council. In 2011 he founded IMC’s Insight Retreat Center. He is the author of The Issue at Hand, essays on mindfulness practice; A Monastery Within; a book on the five hindrances called Unhindered; and the translator of The Dhammapada, published by Shambhala Publications. You may listen to Gil’s talks on Audio Dharma.This recording was originally published on Dharmaseed.orgNo matter what it is, suffering is always an activity that can be put to rest, that can stop. Suffering is not the deepest thing in you. It doesn't have to define you, it's not all of who you are." – Gil Fronsdal
J. Krishnamurti considers the mechanical quality of seeing and listening that humans often suffer from, and why it prevents us from being free. To start at the beginning of this 18-part dialogue on consciousness, spirituality and navigating life with J. Krishnamurti and Dr. Allan W. Anderson: https://youtu.be/rcn0gXWv9UUIn this episode, J. Krishnamurti and Dr. Allan W. Anderson consider:- Seeing through the screen of our own prejudices, fears, and egos - The separation between us and our object of perception - Listening through the screen of irritations and personal translations rather than directly hearing what others say- What occurs when we are able to listen without any interference, interpretation, or conclusion- The black and white quality of listening versus non-listening - Giving our total attention to what is being said to us - The way that our minds are oriented towards commercialism - Considering the ways in which we learn, or if there is even learning at all- How the brain can only function within complete security - Action based on ideas such as inaction, and the mechanical quality of our seeing and listening- The living death of never being free and only focusing on what we think we knowAbout J. Krishnamurti:For nearly six decades until his passing in 1986 at the age of ninety, Jiddu Krishnamurti traversed the globe, delivering spontaneous and captivating discourses to large audiences. Krishnamurti assumed the role of an investigator rather than an authority figure, encouraging individuals to question assumptions and explore the depths of their consciousness. His extensive body of work, estimated at over 100 million words, spans more than six decades of relentless inquiry and dialogue. His teachings, compiled in numerous books and translated into multiple languages, continue to inspire seekers worldwide, inviting them to embark on a profound journey of self-discovery and understanding. J. Krishnamurti’s legacy endures as a guiding light, offering timeless wisdom for those who dare to challenge conventional thinking and explore the complexities of existence.About Dr. Allan W. Anderson:Dr. Allan Anderson was a poet, author, Professor Emeritus, beloved teacher, scholar of the Oracular Tradition, and a gifted religious linguist. He helped to form the Department of Religious Studies at San Diego State College in 1969. Dr. Anderson later became chair of that department, specializing in Eastern Religions, until his retirement in 1985.This talk was originally recorded in 1974 at San Diego State University and curated by the Krishnamurti Foundation of America"Seeing and listening have become mechanical. We never see anything new. Even the flower is never new which has blossomed overnight. It is always from the known to the known. A movement in time and therefore time-binding, and therefore never free." – J. Krishnamurti
Cultural astronomer and ethnoecologist, Geraldine Patrick Encina, offers a rediscovery of Mesoamerican cosmic calendars and discusses how we can realign with the cosmos and the earth. In this episode, Anita and Geraldine explore:- Geraldine’s past life memories and receiving sacred spirit names from ceremonies and elders- Mesoamerican use of sacred songs and alchemy to invoke rain and connect with natural elements- The role and personification of the planet Venus for Mesoamerican people- Recovering the original ancestral calendars to reconnect with cosmic time cycles- The impact of modern mechanistic society in creating fear, scarcity, hyper-competitiveness, and a perpetual sense of being rushed- The transformative practice of letting go and detaching from habits, beliefs, and energies that no longer serve us- Reconnecting with the nurturing embrace of Mother Earth and the expansive wisdom of Father Sky to savor the present moment- Embracing our interconnection and interdependence with others, nature, and the planet as a whole- Cultivating personal and collective responsibility for our role within the greater natural ecosystem- Sacred sites in Mexico and how holding ceremonies there reconnects us with the moment of creation- Looking to the sky, namely Venus and the moon, for environmental answers and cosmic alignment About Geraldine Patrick Encina, PhD:Geraldine lives in the Highlands of Mexico in the sacred landscape of the Otomi Peoples, originally called Zanbatha, the Valley of the Moon. As an Ethnoecologist and a Cultural Astronomer, Geraldine has generated extensive knowledge about the astronomical, ecological, agricultural and spiritual underpinnings of ancient Mesoamerican cosmos and timekeeping systems in the form of calendars and monuments within urban layouts that are aligned to Sun, Moon and Venus appearing in the horizon on dates that are highlighted in the original calendars that she has recovered. Her Mesoamerican timekeeping theory and practices are helping indigenous peoples revitalize long-forgotten calendars and astronomical almanacs. It is also helping people from traditional communities to re-signify the holistic approach to life of their elders by way of honoring and understanding their ancestors’ scientific legacy. Read more about Geraldine on Oneearth.org or check out her blog HERE.“We're breathing in oxygen that (among other elements) is coming right from that tree and the plants I am looking at. I can start connecting on a deeper level and be thankful that it exists, that it is thriving, and that it is able to give us this oxygen. Not just me, but also the birds that are enjoying the presence of the tree and all the little insects.” – Geraldine Patrick Encina
Meditation teacher, Susan Piver, joins David Nichtern to share her profound and ever-evolving connection to The Heart Sutra.Learn about the heart and mind of practice with David Nichtern and Krishna Das in an upcoming free online talk! Register: https://www.dharmamoon.com/heartIn this episode, David Nichtern and Susan Piver explore:- The many variations of The Heart Sutra and why it deeply inspires Susan- Focusing on the sound of the words in The Heart Sutra, not just the meaning of the words - Considering how a sutra can transform an environment and how an environment can transform a sutra - The inseparability of meaning, sound, and atmosphere within the Heart Sutra - A reading of The Heart Sutra from Susan Piver - Tying our daily lives back to some form of study or practice- Emptiness as the main theme of The Heart Sutra, and of the Buddhist arena in general - Why Buddhist emptiness is not nihilism but an expansive, liberating insight- The transformative value of being around someone wise with skillful meansAbout Susan Piver:Susan Piver has an international reputation as an exceptionally skillful meditation teacher. She teaches workshops and speaks on mindfulness, innovation, communication, relationships, and creativity. Susan has been a student of Buddhism since 1995, graduated from a Buddhist seminary in 2004, and was authorized to teach meditation in 2005. In 2012, she founded The Open Heart Project, the world’s largest online-only meditation center. Susan is also a New York Times bestselling author. Her most recent book, Inexplicable Joy: On the Heart Sutra, is now available. You can keep up with Susan on Instagram or on her website.“Emptiness sounds like everything’s dead, but empty doesn’t mean that. It means empty of separate existence. You are here due to causes and conditions. You did not get here in a space capsule. So, emptiness could be expressed more accurately as the great expanse, fullness, complete fullness.” – Susan Piver
Framing tantra as the capacity of wonder, RamDev shares how difficult emotions can be a portal for non-dual awareness, surrender, and bliss. This time on Healing at the Edge, RamDev discusses :- Working with strong emotions and using them as fuel for awakening - The difference between spiritual bypassing vs. heart-centered action to transmute negative experiences- Applying a tantric perspective to transform emotions in real-time- Experiencing the present moment’s enlightened nature and recognizing divinity in all things- Building a relationship with content via embodied mindfulness - Stabilizing the mind, opening the heart, and loving whatever is going on - Faith-based devotion and a sense of separation from divinity versus tantric devotion and a oneness with God- Identification with the divine rather than only worship and how it leads to sacred union and transformation - The heart as a bridge between spiritual realms and physical reality- Cultivating awe, wonder, and a deep appreciation for the divine nature of even the most mundane experiences- How tantra dissolves the boundary between Samsara and Nirvana - Emotions as portals for non-dual awareness and gateways into expanded states of consciousness- Embracing fear and how it can lead to surrender, bliss, and liberation - Engaging with political challenges through love and compassion, not hatred- A short guided practice to help listeners release pain, accept the human condition, and trust in the boundlessness of the heart This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp and Dharma Seed:Join Buddhist Teacher David Nichtern and Duncan Trussell for a conversation about finding our own voice, our own expression, and our own way of connecting with people. Learn more about this FREE online gathering - AUTHENTIC PRESENCE: FINDING YOUR OWN VOICE Today’s podcast is also brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/beherenow and get on your way to being your best self."It isn't just mindfulness we're talking about—it's mindfulness from the heart. Instead of gradually wearing away our resistance to the emotion or a little more quickly wearing it away because we're adding compassion, we can instantaneously transmute it because our heart is so open. There's a sense of even worship or communion, that even this emotion is an expression of the divine." – RamDev
Speaking across the decades, from the 1960s to the 2010s, Ram Dass shares his insights into responding to suffering, the meaning of service, and the confluence of social action and spiritual work.This episode of Here and Now is a compilation of Ram Dass talking about service and social action across the decades.We begin in 1969, during a time of significant cultural change. A time where the people of the United States found themselves in the middle of the Civil Rights Movement, the anti-war protests, and the rise of Women’s Liberation. Ram Dass explores the concept of social responsibility and talks about why protesting should come from a place not of anger, but of love.Next, we move to 1983. The media landscape has transformed in the wake of the Iran hostage crisis, political paradigms shift as Ronald Reagan makes his way to power, and communities all over the world begin to feel the impact of the growing AIDS epidemic. Ram Dass talks about learning to trust one’s intuitive inner voice when it comes to responding to suffering, and how we can bring together social action and spiritual work.Two years later, it is 1985 and the world has rapidly evolved. The Soviet Union has become a global threat. The nightly news shows the Apartheid regime in South Africa violently cracking down on Civil Rights activists, while the Reagan administration stands by, focused instead on rolling back civil liberties at home in the United States. Ram Dass offers perspective on navigating these challenges with an open heart. He explores the difference between dharma and seva, and why service requires us to embrace paradox in our lives.It is 1993, technology is transforming the world and how we engage with it. Ram Dass explores how being too attached to the fruits of our actions can be detrimental to social action work, leading activists to burn out quickly.We end our journey across the decades in 2018, in the middle of the first Trump administration in America. Wars rage on, and civil liberty is at risk across the globe. How do we oppose this skillfully and with an open heart? Ram Dass talks about how karma yoga is the key to finding the right balance between working on yourself and taking action for the benefit of others. The Ram Dass community gathers regularly to engage in meaningful discussions about the podcast. We invite you to join us and share your curiosities, insights, and wisdom. Sign up for the General Fellowship to receive event invitations directly in your inbox: https://www.ramdass.org/fellowship/About Ram Dass:Ram Dass’s spirit has been a guiding light for generations, carrying millions along on the journey. Ram Dass teaches that through the Bhakti practice of unconditional love, we can all connect with our true nature. Through these teachings, Ram Dass has shared a little piece of his guru, Maharaj-ji, with all who have listened to him.“So it really requires, it seems to me, staying open from moment to moment when you’re doing social action. And if you’re too obsessed with the goal, you lose it. If you’re too obsessed with the goal, since in much action you don’t get what you want, you’ll burn out much sooner. And so, the injunction of the Bhagavad Gita, which says be not identified with being the actor, be not attached to the fruits of the action, and yet, the action happens.” – Ram Dass
J. Krishnamurti considers the mechanical quality of seeing and listening that humans often suffer from, and why it prevents us from being free.
In this guided breath meditation, Jack Kornfield invites listeners into a space of ease, trust, and ardent gratitude for our bodies, hearts, and minds.
Recorded live at the 2022 Summer Mountain Retreat, Sharon Salzberg, Robert Thurman, and Raghu Markus explore the true essence of love through the lenses of service, social action, and selflessness.Come join us this year at the 2025 Summer Mountain Retreat in Boone, North Carolina: https://www.ramdass.org/event/4th-ram-dass-legacy-summer-mountain-retreat/In this episode, Sharon, Robert, and Raghu hold a discussion on:• Reframing love as an ability we can develop, rather than a fleeting emotion • Taking responsibility for love—actively cultivating it instead of waiting for it to arrive• Recognizing authentic love as a deep sense of connection• Understanding the etymology of metta, the Buddhist concept of loving-kindness and the sincere wish for another’s happiness• Considering if we can genuinely wish happiness for others if we are not happy ourselves• Identifying the pitfalls of ego-driven self-love and how it disrupts true bliss and spiritual connection• Moving beyond spiritual ego—being real and grounded instead of feeling superior for simply meditating• Reflecting on how Ram Dass radiated full, compassionate attention to everyone around him• Embracing love as the most powerful unseen force in the universe • Learning to forget ourselves and awaken true happiness through compassion and loving-awareness• Facing the challenge of practicing loving-awareness with those closest to us—often the hardest test of allThis episode is sponsored by Dharma Seed:Join Krishna Das, the most well-known voice of Bhakti chanting (Kirtan) in the West, and David Nichtern - a senior Buddhist teacher, founder of Dharma Moon, guitarist in Krishna Das’ band, and producer of several of his albums - for a warm and engaging conversation about these two paths, their shared roots, and how they intersect in contemporary spiritual practice. Learn more about this FREE online gathering - THE HEART & MIND OF PRACTICE: BUDDHISM & BHAKTI: https://www.dharmamoon.com/heartAbout Sharon Salzberg:Sharon Salzberg is a meditation pioneer, world-renowned teacher, and New York Times bestselling author. She is one of the first to bring mindfulness and lovingkindness meditation to mainstream American culture over 45 years ago, inspiring generations of meditation teachers and wellness influencers. Sharon is co-founder of The Insight Meditation Society in Barre, MA, and the author of twelve books, including the New York Times bestseller, Real Happiness, now in its second edition, and her seminal work, Lovingkindness. Her podcast, The Metta Hour, has amassed five million downloads and features interviews with thought leaders from the mindfulness movement and beyond. Learn more about Sharon and her books at www.sharonsalzberg.comAbout Robert Thurman:Robert Thurman is the Jey Tsong Khapa Professor of Indo-Tibetan Buddhist Studies in the Department of Religion at Columbia University and President of the Tibet House U.S., and is the President of the American Institute of Buddhist Studies. His new book, Wisdom Is Bliss: Four Friendly Fun Facts That Can Change Your Life, is now available.About Raghu Markus:Raghu Markus spent two years in India with Neem Karoli Baba and Ram Dass. He has been involved in music and transformational media since the early 1970s. Currently, he is the Executive Director of the Love Serve Remember Foundation and hosts the Mindrolling Podcast on the Be Here Now Network. Along with Duncan Trussell, Raghu also recently co-created The Movie of Me to the Movie of We.“When I thought of love as a feeling, it was also a commodity. It was in someone else’s hands and they could bestow it upon me, or, they could take it away from me…when I think of it as an ability, it’s a capacity within me that other people might awaken or inspire or threaten, but ultimately it’s mine. It’s mine to tender, it’s my responsibility.”– Sharon Salzberg
Embodied awareness practitioner Jill Satterfield joins Raghu to unpack how meditative poses, creativity, and slowing down can help us release pain, move energy, and heal somatically.In this delightful episode of the Mindrolling Podcast, Raghu and Jill Satterfield converse about:• Out-of-body experiences through immersive art and altered states of consciousness• Jill’s college days and spiritual insights from taking peyote in the desert • Finding a spiritual path through chronic pain and emotional suffering• How trauma and pain disconnect us from bodily awareness• The physiological impact of imagination on the body and nervous system • How meditative and yogic poses can open areas of our body & psyche for exploration • Witnessing processes within the body via ‘slowing down, staying in something, and moving energy’• Somatic healing during retreat and bringing concentration into the body • Adaptive postures for meditation and yoga, and allowing flexibility within our practice• The benefit of curiosity for altering our perspectives and opening the heart • Noticing that pain is an umbrella for many feelings, including some that are pleasant or interestingToday's episode is sponsored by Reunion & Dharma Seed:Mindrolling is brought to you by Reunion. Reunion is offering $250 off any stay to the Love, Serve, Remember community. Simply use the code “BeHere250” when booking. Disconnect from the world so you can reconnect with yourself at Reunion. Hotel | www.reunionhotelandwellness.com Retreats | www.reunionexperience.orgJoin Krishna Das, the most well-known voice of Bhakti chanting (Kirtan) in the West, and David Nichtern - a senior Buddhist teacher, founder of Dharma Moon, guitarist in Krishna Das’ band, and producer of several of his albums - for a warm and engaging conversation about these two paths, their shared roots, and how they intersect in contemporary spiritual practice. Learn more about this FREE online gathering - THE HEART & MIND OF PRACTICE: BUDDHISM & BHAKTIAbout Jill Satterfield:Jill Satterfield has been a quiet pioneer in the integration of embodied awareness practices and Buddhist teachings for over 30 years. Her heart/mind and body approach developed from somatic and contemplative psychology, 35 years of Buddhist study, extensive meditation retreat time and decades of living with chronic pain. At the invitation of her primary teacher, Ajahn Amaro, Jill was the first to offer mindful movement and somatic practices on silent retreats at Spirit Rock Meditation Center and then the Insight Meditation Society 30 years ago. She has developed teacher trainings and mentoring programs that integrate embodied awareness with Dharma ever since. Learn more about Jill’s numerous offerings on her website."Imagination creates a physiological response. What you imagine changes your body—it changes your mind. If you're thinking about your guru, your teacher, someone you love, it changes your body." – Jill Satterfield
Diving into the cosmic drama of reality, Alan Watts describes the world as a divine dream which is poetic, playful, and only sometimes serious.Being in the Way is brought to you by the Alan Watts Organization and Ram Dass’ Love Serve Remember Foundation. Visit Alanwatts.org for full talks from Alan Watts.On this episode of Being in the Way, Alan Watts:Exploring how we get caught in the cosmic game and drama of lifeSeeing the universe as the playful expression of divine energyQuestioning identity: the tension between acting and simply being.Confronting the spiritual taboo of realizing the self as God—tat tvam asi.Indirect awareness of the networks and systems in the physical world Music and the pure delight in complex orders of soundEmbracing the paradox of existence as poetic, musical, and playful, while still being serious.Considering all of the senses as forms of one, larger sense of touchThe oneness of up and down, black and white, being and non-being Complexities of human culture that arise out of duality Today's podcast is sponsored by Betterhelp & Dharma Seed:Being in the Way is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/alan and get on your way to being your best self."The real taboo is 'that art thou'. You, lurking behind the mask of being an impermanent human person, are really responsible for the whole thing. If anybody claims that in our culture, we put them straight away into an asylum. That is the very hallmark of insanity. But, in India, if someone suddenly wakes up one morning and says 'My goodness, I'm God', everybody says, instead of you're crazy or blasphemous, they say 'Congratulations, at last you've found out'". – Alan Watts
In this time of global uncertainty, Jack Kornfield and Trudy Goodman call us to rise with fierce compassion and become Bodhisattvas of the Great Turning.
Mystical feminist Mirabai Starr shares the fruits of many years of investigating, excavating, and uplifting women’s voices within global spiritual traditions.This talk was recorded on Sept 22, 2020 as a part of the Virtual Ram Dass Fellowship.This week on the BHNN Guest Podcast, Mirabai Starr discusses:- An invitation to unknowing and allowing our preconceived notions to fall away- The patriarchal roots of spiritual traditions and religious institutions - Highlighting women’s spiritual wisdom in the Ram Dass community- Women's circles that are free of a masculine influence - Honoring feelings as they arise and having the capacity to hold them - Speaking spiritual truth to power while staying heart-centered- The great mystery and ambiguity of the feminine heart space - Connecting with our higher selves and true purpose - Practicing contemplative meditation through creativity- The necessity of community for transformation to take place - Trusting the journey to spiritual awakening and surrendering to the process- Balancing active and contemplative energies as sacred feminine archetypes- Remembering that we all have both feminine and masculine energies within usThis episode is sponsored by Dharma Seed:Join Krishna Das, the most well-known voice of Bhakti chanting (Kirtan) in the West, and David Nichtern - a senior Buddhist teacher, founder of Dharma Moon, guitarist in Krishna Das’ band, and producer of several of his albums - for a warm and engaging conversation about these two paths, their shared roots, and how they intersect in contemporary spiritual practice. Learn more about this FREE online gathering - THE HEART & MIND OF PRACTICE: BUDDHISM & BHAKTI: https://www.dharmamoon.com/heartAbout 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.About The Host, Jackie Dobrinska:Jackie Dobrinska is the Director of Education, Community & Inclusion for Ram Dass’ Love, Serve, Remember Foundation and the current host of Ram Dass’ Here & Now podcast. She is also a teacher, coach, and spiritual director with the privilege of marrying two decades of mystical studies with 15 years of expertise in holistic wellness. As an inter-spiritual minister, Jackie was ordained in Creation Spirituality in 2016 and has also studied extensively in several other lineages – the plant-medicine-based Pachakuti Mesa Tradition, Sri Vidya Tantra, Western European Shamanism, Christian Mysticism, the Wise Woman Tradition, and others. Today, in addition to building courses and community for LSRF, she leads workshops and coaches individuals to discover, nourish and live from their most authentic selves."It's scary to dwell in the heart because it's a place of mystery, at least the feminine heart is. It is a place where there is a great degree of tolerance for ambiguity—that the masculine paradigm conditions us to believe is a problem to be solved. The feminine heart space sees ambiguity as a higher truth, paradox as a vast space of truth. This heart has the capacity, because it is so vast, to hold seemingly contradictory propositions." – Mirabai Starr
Dr. Melinda Edwards sits down with Raghu for a journey through psyche and spirit, revealing the doorways that led her out of trauma, into healing, and ultimately home to her heart. This time on Mindrolling, Raghu and Dr. Melinda Edwards discuss:- How Dr. Melinda Edwards grew up as a child of medical missionaries in Guatemala - The build-up of trauma in Dr. Edwards’ life and how it manifested as an eating disorder- How meeting Ram Dass transformed Melinda’s life and guided her to Neem Karoli Baba- Ram Dass’ example of holding unconditional love and compassionate presence for others- Using our issues and contractions as an individualized path forward for spiritual growth - Considering the value of psychedelics for accelerating a spiritual journey - The powerful impact of full commitment and surrender during meditation retreats- Addressing common misconceptions about autism and how autistic individuals process emotions- Dr. Melinda’s experience teaching her daughter “how to be human” and to navigate this chaotic world- Living Darshan, Dr. Edwards’ non-profit, aimed at increasing the understanding of neurodiversity - The challenge and importance of keeping our hearts open, even in moments of resistance- Finding shared humanity in the people and traits we fear, reject, or dislike in others- Facing our inner rage, grief, and pain in response to the global political and emotional climateThis episode is sponsored by Reunion & Dharma Seed:Mindrolling is brought to you by Reunion. Reunion is offering $250 off any stay to the Love, Serve, Remember community. Simply use the code “BeHere250” when booking. Disconnect from the world so you can reconnect with yourself at Reunion. Hotel | www.reunionhotelandwellness.com Retreats | www.reunionexperience.orgJoin Krishna Das, the most well-known voice of Bhakti chanting (Kirtan) in the West, and David Nichtern - a senior Buddhist teacher, founder of Dharma Moon, guitarist in Krishna Das’ band, and producer of several of his albums - for a warm and engaging conversation about these two paths, their shared roots, and how they intersect in contemporary spiritual practice. Learn more about this FREE online gathering - THE HEART & MIND OF PRACTICE: BUDDHISM & BHAKTIAbout Dr. Melinda Edwards:Melinda Edwards, MD is a mother, writer and physician in Charleston, SC. Her medical training and her life’s journey home to her own heart inform her work as a psychiatrist. Supporting others in their discovery of the love that we all are is one of her greatest joys. She is the founder of the 501c3 nonprofit organization Living Darshan and is the author of Psyche & Spirit: How a Psychiatrist Found Divinity Through Her Lifelong Quest for Truth and Her Daughter’s Autism. "Our psychology, our contractions, our issues, whatever comes up is itself the doorway back home to our hearts. Isn't that a miracle? Each of us has a perfectly individualized path laid out right in front of our noses each moment." – Melinda Edwards, MD
Teaching us to relax back into being held by spaciousness, Lama Rod Owens discusses the forces that help us remember real love, awakened freedom, and who we truly are. Today’s podcast is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/beherenow and get on your way to being your best self.https://youtu.be/4eGsv_-v7xwIn this episode, Chris and Lama Rod explore:- The practice and embodiment of real love as revolutionary- Transcending violence and harm and the yearning for all to be free- Holding brokenheartedness with a lot of care and viewing it as a teaching - Continued practice even as an awakened being - Returning to a space of fluidity and openness- Riding the middle line between form and emptiness - Cultivating a stronger relationship with Earth, even in an urban environment - Mystical breakthroughs and navigating mental health through the lens of spirituality - Getting distracted by euphoria / believing we are hyper-special instead of taking spiritual experiences as an opportunity to connect more deeply with humanity - Meditative experiences that can be found in daily life and in our pre-existing hobbies- Allowing space for Western medicine when it is needed - Untangling the notion that we have to like something or someone in order to love - Returning agency back to community and the enduring spiritual traditions that will aid in our survival About Lama Rod Owens:Lama Rod Owens is a Black Buddhist Southern Queen. An international influencer with a Master of Divinity degree in Buddhist Studies from Harvard Divinity School with a focus on the intersection of social change, identity, and spiritual practice. Author of Love and Rage: The Path of Liberation through Anger and co-author of Radical Dharma: Talking Race, Love and Liberation, his teachings center on freedom, self-expression, and radical self-care. Highly sought after for talks, retreats, and workshops, his mission is to show you how to heal and free yourself. A leading voice in a new generation of Buddhist teachers with over 11 years of experience, Lama Rod is highly respected among his peers and the communities that he serves. From these intersections, he creates a platform that’s very natural, engaging, and inclusive. Check out Lama Rod’s most recent publication, The New Saints, and his podcast on the Be Here Now Network, The Spirit Underground.For current offerings and programs, click here.“Is it taking you out of this moment, out of relationship with others around you? Are you having thoughts of being special and extraordinary? Is it helping you to be more human, or is it leading you towards this idealized state that seems to take you out of the messiness of humanity? I think that the real spiritual breakthrough brings us deeper into the experience of being human, of empathy." – Lama Rod Owens
Exploring how to let go of victim consciousness and awaken inner resilience, Jack shares how to rest in awareness and live from the trusting heart.
In this exploration of the fear of suffering as we get older, Ram Dass talks about approaching the mystery of aging and death in the same adventurous manner as his friend Timothy Leary.For more on the relationship between Ram Dass and Timothy Leary, please check out Dying to Know, a book that details their epic friendship and Timothy’s process of dying: https://www.ramdass.org/fellowship/Ram Dass Here & Now is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/ramdass and get on your way to being your best self.This show is also sponsored by Magic Mind, a matcha-based energy shot infused with nootropics and adaptogens designed to crush procrastination, brain fog, & fatigue. Get 45% off the Magic Mind bundle with our link: magicmind.com/ramdassReunion is offering $250 off any stay to the Love, Serve, Remember community. Simply use the code “BeHere250” when booking. Disconnect from the world so you can reconnect with yourself at Reunion. Hotel | www.reunionhotelandwellness.com Retreats | www.reunionexperience.orghttps://youtu.be/T5kq_ynQr8MThis talk from June 1996 is part of an aging study group Ram Dass conducted to help guide his book on aging, Still Here.Fear of future suffering is a major issue for all us, but especially when it comes to aging. Ram Dass explores how we tend to respond to that fear with massive denial, and how we can work on coming to terms with those fears through a shift in perspective.Ram Dass talks about how his work with people who are severely ill or in the process of dying has helped prepare him for his own death. He talks about the fear of losing one’s analytic, linear mind, which is so valued in this culture, and how we can open ourselves up to the value of non-linear thinking.Finally, Ram Dass details the time he spent with his old friend Timothy Leary as he approached his death. For Timothy, death was another glorious adventure. Ram Dass wonders if we shouldn’t all add a touch of the “Leary Method” as a way to approach the mystery of aging and dying.The Ram Dass community gathers regularly to engage in meaningful discussions about the podcast. We invite you to join us and share your curiosities, insights, and wisdom. Sign up for the General Fellowship to receive event invitations directly in your inbox.“What Timothy added was the fun of it, the adventure as you approach the mystery. When you’re approaching a mystery, what space do you want to be in in your head? Getting free of guilt? I mean, is that the one you want? Which one do you want? Which one opens to the possibilities? And Timothy was an adventurer, I mean, as I can tell you from being in the backwash for years. Timothy took me fighting and screaming into adventure. He opened up the whole image of dying into the possibility that it was a celebratory, adventurous, exciting part of life.” – Ram Dass
International bestselling author and Zen Buddhist teacher Haemin Sunim joins Raghu Markus to explore awakening, emotional healing, and returning to joy in a unified reality.Mindrolling is brought to you by Reunion. Reunion is offering $250 off any stay to the Love, Serve, Remember community. Simply use the code “BeHere250” when booking. Disconnect from the world so you can reconnect with yourself at Reunion. Hotel | www.reunionhotelandwellness.com Retreats | www.reunionexperience.orgIn this episode, Raghu and Haemin explore:- Haemin’s early spiritual influences, including his fascination with J. Krishnamurti- Understanding genuine freedom as freedom from the known- Oneness and the truth of a unified, non-dual reality beyond inner and outer divisions- The formless nature of awareness and unconditional love- Awareness as an independent presence, not something we own- Befriending emotions and seeing the roots of stress and trauma- Facing our shadow and recognizing where resistance lives in us- Turning inward to examine personal triggers rather than blaming others- Questioning limiting beliefs and inherited thoughts from childhood- Welcoming difficult emotions with compassion, as Ram Dass once taught- The deep longing to return home to our true, unified self- Experiencing the natural joy of being versus the tension of needing to be right- Seeing our shared humanity—even in those we consider enemies- Cultivating compassion and answering the call to serve othersAbout Haemin Sunim:Born in South Korea and educated at Berkeley, Harvard, and Princeton, Haemin Sunim received formal monastic training from Haein monastery in South Korea. He taught Asian religions at Hampshire College in Massachusetts for seven years. He is one of the most influential Zen monks in the world. His first book, The Things You Can See Only When You Slow Down, has been translated into more than 35 languages and sold over four million copies. His second book, Love for Imperfect Things, was the number one bestseller of 2016 in South Korea and became available in multiple languages in 2019. Haemin resides in Seoul when not traveling to share his teachings. “Though there is an objective world out there, it is not ‘out there’. It is how the mind creates this world seemingly outside of us. In fact, it’s not outside of us. There is no inner and outer division—it’s just our conceptual distinction. In reality, there is one, undivided reality.”- Haemin Sunim
Who are we really? Jack Kornfield peels back the veil on our identity roles to uncover the deeper truth that we really are.
Exploring how to stay buoyant and balanced on life’s great ocean of change, Jack sets our spiritual compass for letting go into what is.
Joseph Goldstein explores the Buddha’s teachings on renunciation from the Satipatthāna Sutta, showing how the practice of letting go of craving, ill will, and cruelty leads to deep inner freedom, clarity, and lasting peace.This episode is part of an in-depth 48-part weekly lecture series from Joseph Goldstein that delves into every aspect of the Satipatthana Sutta, one of the most celebrated and widely studied discourses in the Pāli Canon of Theravada Buddhism. If you are just jumping into the series, listen to Insight Hour Ep. 203 to follow along and get the full experience: https://youtu.be/RfuH9O7DS4oIn this lecture from Buddhist teacher Joseph Goldstein:Consciously reflecting on if our thoughts are for harm or for goodHow desire is more difficult to uproot than ill will and aversion The dangerous disguise of sense-desires as pleasurable and seductiveHow to practice the “wisdom of no” Renunciation as mental freedom, not repressionHow right thought conditions right actionThe Buddha’s own practice as a model for ourselvesAccepting that desire is addictive because it momentarily feels goodRenunciation as freedom from addiction, not deprivationHow the joy of letting go must be experienced, not just believed The power of both small and large acts of renunciation The mental habit of our addiction to wantingHow mindfulness reveals freedom in transition momentsThe progressive act of letting goThis episode was originally published on DharmaseedGrab a copy of the book Joseph references throughout this series, Satipaṭṭhāna: The Direct Path to Realization, HERE“Renunciation is not about deprivation. It’s about non-addiction. It’s about freedom.” - Joseph Goldstein
Anita Sanchez and Indigenous Social Entrepreneur, Hasina Kharbhih, explore matrilineal leadership, climate justice, and the prevention of human trafficking through culturally rooted, community-based innovations.In this episode, Anita and Hasina explore:- Growing up as an Indigenous woman in a matriarchal society - The loss of land and how vulnerability gets created - The 12 pillars of Hasina’s Impulse Model - Combatting human trafficking effectively across South and Southeast Asia- The connection between climate change, migration, and human trafficking- The Journey with Purpose Initiative and showcasing Indigenous resilience - Reviving Indigenous Wisdom Through Land and Art- Shared farming on reclaimed Indigenous land, seed banking, and traditional textile production as migration-prevention and cultural preservation- The rise of female voices and matrilineal leadership - How ancient Indigenous wisdom offers real-world solutions to global crises About Hasina Kharbhih:For 30 years now, Hasina has been working to provide sustainable livelihoods in a safe environment for women and children. What started out as a mission in her home state of Meghalaya has today evolved into a global program that aims to put an end to human trafficking and exploitation worldwide. Hasina’s work stands on two pillars: the first is Impulse NGO Network which was conceptualised in 1987 and is a significant force against human trafficking today; the second pillar is Impulse Social Enterprises which aims to promote local artisans and create sustainable livelihood through its artisan brand Impulse Empower, that helps prevent unsafe migration, which often leads to human trafficking.“The economy of movement is the vital importance of giving choices to women who are the custodians of taking care of the land, the property, nature, and the family, where we capitalize on the traditional skills of these women, where they have a choice to be entrepreneurial from their home. Everywhere in the world, you'll find indigenous people rich in craft, textiles, and all kinds of beautiful art. What we try to do is revive, restore.” – Hasina Kharbhih
In this special bonus episode of the Here & Now podcast, Ram Dass offers his viewpoint on how we can dance in the ocean of change as the structure of our culture shapeshifts before our very eyes.The Ram Dass community gathers regularly to engage in meaningful discussions about the podcast. We invite you to join us and share your curiosities, insights, and wisdom. Sign up for the General Fellowship to receive event invitations directly in your inbox: https://www.ramdass.org/fellowship/Ram Dass Here & Now is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/ramdass and get on your way to being your best self.Reunion is offering $250 off any stay to the Love, Serve, Remember community. Simply use the code “BeHere250” when booking. Disconnect from the world so you can reconnect with yourself at Reunion. Hotel | www.reunionhotelandwellness.com Retreats | www.reunionexperience.org This episode of Here and Now is from a talk Ram Dass gave at a bookstore in Sebastopol, CA, on April 15, 1992.How do you learn to live with change? Where do you stand? Ram Dass offers his viewpoint on our culture as he saw it in the early 1990s, talking about the rapid changes taking place in the ecological, economic, social, political, and spiritual realms. Ram Dass explores the massive denial in the culture about what all these changes mean and how that denial leads to uncertainty and fear. He talks about his work with death and dying, and how we can work with the death of our culture in a similar manner.Finally, Ram Dass shares how we can begin to find some balance amidst the chaos of change. It is possible to feel equanimity and even joy in a world that is filled with suffering. He says, “So you and I are driven to work on ourselves to rest in the place in ourselves where we are not vulnerable to the winds of changing time and space. And then to dance in the ocean of change, and to be a great dancer.” About Ram Dass:Ram Dass’s spirit has been a guiding light for generations, carrying millions along on the journey. Ram Dass teaches that through the Bhakti practice of unconditional love, we can all connect with our true nature. Through these teachings, Ram Dass has shared a little piece of his guru, Maharaj-ji, with all who have listened to him.“Here we are dealing with perhaps the death of the whole structure, the way we know it. This is a massive death process. Now, this sounds like a gloomy lecture, except it isn’t. It all depends on whether you expect change always leads to bad things.” – Ram Dass
Joseph Goldstein explores the importance of Right View and how it illuminates our lives through an openness to wisdom from many unexpected sources.This episode is part of an in-depth 48-part weekly lecture series from Joseph Goldstein that delves into every aspect of the Satipatthana Sutta, one of the most celebrated and widely studied discourses in the Pāli Canon of Theravada Buddhism. If you are just jumping into the series, listen to Insight Hour Ep. 203 to follow along and get the full experience: https://youtu.be/RfuH9O7DS4oThis time on Insight Hour, Joseph discusses:- Not being attached to blind belief or blind disbelief - Realizing the truth through direct experience - Remaining open to wisdom from unexpected sources - The possibility of a full awakening and we can develop our wisdom over time- Recognizing that there truly are many awakened beings in the world- The aspects of Right View that may not be immediately apparent- Considering what wisdom can discover when it illuminates our experience- Promoting the good of living beings through right view - How Right View is both the beginning and the ending - Wrong view as the most blame-worthy of all things, according to the Buddha- How Wrong View makes us obsess over the self (gratifying it, defending it, etc.)- The great power of delusion in our minds - Refining our awareness of the impermanent changing nature of the 5 aggregates (everything we experience) This episode was originally published on Dharmaseed"We could see Right View as both the beginning and end of the path. We start with Right View—it sets the direction for us. Our practice is leading us in the right direction and then the whole path culminates in these understandings." – Joseph Goldstein
In this heart-led exploration, Krishna Das shares how mantra, willpower, and grace guide us from the illusion of ego and into the freedom of real love.
Psychedelic expert, Dr. Raymond Turpin, discusses how psychedelics shut down our ‘default-mode’ and expand our creativity in music, art, and more.
Jack invites us to stop fighting what is and begin bowing to it—awakening the timeless wisdom and compassionate heart of a Buddha, right here and now, in the midst of our joys, sorrows, and the suffering of the world.
In this classic Q&A session from the 1980s, Ram Dass talks about soul mates, marriage and open relationships, working with truth in relationships, and much more. In this episode of Here and Now:Ram Dass begins with questions about soul mates and the difference between marriage and cohabitation. “I’m not sure,” he says, “I understand the term ‘soul mate’ other than people have work to do together, at times. Then, they may come together in many different forms.” Ram Dass converses with an audience member about being on the spiritual path while having a partner who is not. Next comes a question about open relationships, which leads him to talk about the importance of working with truth in relationships.Finally, Ram Dass answers a question about the different challenges men and women face in awakening through relationships. He talks about a quality of androgyny that can manifest in spiritual identity.The Ram Dass community gathers regularly to engage in meaningful discussions about the podcast. We invite you to join us and share your curiosities, insights, and wisdom. Sign up for the General Fellowship to receive event invitations directly in your inbox.“It is certainly possible to work with truth in a relationship, to get to the point where, more and more, you are safe in expressing what your impulses are and your truth of your moment. Truth is one of the vehicles for deepening spiritual awareness through another human being and if there is a license for that in any relationship – with guru, with friend, with lover, whatever it is – it is an absolutely optimum way of coming into a liquid spiritual relationship with another person.” – Ram DassRam Dass Here & Now is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/ramdass and get on your way to being your best self.This show is also sponsored by Magic Mind, a matcha-based energy shot infused with nootropics and adaptogens designed to crush procrastination, brain fog, & fatigue. Get 45% off the Magic Mind bundle with our link: magicmind.com/ramdassjanReunion is offering $250 off any stay to the Love, Serve, Remember community. Simply use the code “BeHere250” when booking. Disconnect from the world so you can reconnect with yourself at Reunion. Hotel | www.reunionhotelandwellness.com Retreats | www.reunionexperience.org
For episode 262, Sharon speaks with Scott Barry Kaufman as part of the Metta Hour Anxiety Series.In this series, Sharon is speaking with Mental Health experts, providers and researchers for tools to work with anxiety in increasingly challenging times. Dr. Scott Barry Kaufman, Ph.D., is a cognitive scientist and humanistic psychologist exploring the depths of human potential. He is founder of the Center for Human Potential and founder of Self-Actualization Coaching. Scott is the author of eleven books, including Rise Above, his forthcoming book set for release in 2025. Scott is also host of The Psychology Podcast— which has received over 30 million downloads. In this conversation, Sharon and Scott speak about:• Having growth motivation• Shifting the narrative of anxiety• Scott’s childhood experiences• Curiosity versus grit• How to shift out of fear• Creating space around anxiety• Welcoming our beautiful monsters• Broadening the Window of Tolerance• Experiencing a sense of bothness• Scott’s new book, Rise Above• Victim versus empowerment mindset• Learned Hopefulness• Finding the light within• Pros and cons of sensitivity• The blessings of gratitude and aweThe episode closes with Scott leading a Tonglen practice.
Author and meditation teacher Kimberly Brown explains how we can transform our relationships through Buddhist practices and principles. Mindrolling is brought to you by Reunion. Reunion is offering $250 off any stay to the Love, Serve, Remember community. Simply use the code “BeHere250” when booking. Disconnect from the world so you can reconnect with yourself at Reunion. Hotel | www.reunionhotelandwellness.com Retreats | www.reunionexperience.orgThis time on Mindrolling, Raghu and Kimberly discuss:- How Kimberly was led to the dharma after experiencing panic attacks- Kimberly’s journey leaving therapy practice and delving deeper into mindfulness- How relationships can become stale and predictable when we solidify our partner- Opening up to who our partner is in the moment rather than our idea of them- The difference between love and a yearning to possess or cling- Love as a deep intimacy with all things - Accepting rupture and miscommunication as a normal part of relationships - Being able to repair after a conflict arises within a relationship - Approaching all things with grace and openness - Loving-kindness and looking at the intention behind all of our actions- Not skipping over the relational to get to the ultimate Grab your copy of Kimberly’s book, Happy Relationships, to learn more: https://www.amazon.com/Happy-Relationships-Practices-Transform-Connections/dp/149308660X/ref=sr_1_6About Kimberly Brown:Kimberly Brown is a popular Buddhist meditation teacher and Certified Mindfulness Instructor and since 2011 she has led thousands of classes, retreats, and workshops with individuals and groups merging self-compassion, emotional resilience, mindfulness, and Buddhism. As a leading voice in the contemporary meditation community, she teaches public classes regularly at the Rubin Museum, Mindful Astoria, Shantideva Meditation Center, and All Souls Church. She works in private practice both one- on-one and with companies and non-profit groups. She is a faculty member and Senior Instructor in The Interdependence Project’s esteemed Mindfulness Teacher Training program. She is an accredited teacher and member of the Mindful Directory and the International Mindfulness Teachers Association. She balances her two decades of traditional Buddhist training and study with Western therapeutic modalities. Her background includes psychoanalytic training at Washington Square Institute, a master’s degree from City College of New York, and undergraduate study at Hunter College. She has extensive formal meditation retreat experience at Insight Meditation Society, Palypung Thubten Choling, and the Garrison Institute, and has received in-depth teachings from meditation masters Ponlop Rinpoche, Lama Norlha Rinpoche, Lama Zopa Rinpoche, Sharon Salzberg, and Venerable Pannavati. "To solidify and harden another person and another person's reactions and voice, there's no more freshness and the relationship can get very stale and predictable. That's oftentimes when resentment comes up. Part of not knowing is being able to open to what's really there, who the person really is right in this moment." – Kimberly Brown
Leading a guided meditation helping us witness the play of our human existence from the loving awareness that we truly are, Jack invites us to uncover true freedom as our birthright.
Paul Levy, a pioneer in spiritual emergence, chats with Chris Grosso about the concept of Wetiko and healing our collective malady.In this episode, Chris and Paul explore:- The diagnosis of our collective malady and defining Wetiko- Waking up through the darkness - Life as a collective dream we are all manifesting - The mind virus we are all suffering from and what it can reveal to us - The primary importance of the psyche in creating world events- Accessing our divine inheritance and divine power - Psychologist and Dream Analyst Carl Jung’s exploration of Wetiko - The danger of turning a blind eye to our shadows- Quantum physics as a dreaming phenomena - Shedding light into our unconscious mind - Compassion as the ultimate dissolver of Wetiko About Paul Levy:Paul Levy is an author, speaker, and facilitator who describes himself as “a wounded healer in private practice, assisting others who are also awakening to the dreamlike nature of reality.” Paul brilliantly synthesizes wisdom streams from quantum physics, Carl Jung, Buddhism, alchemy, shamanism, Kabbalah, mystical Christianity, and the work of science fiction author Philip K. Dick. He has been a Tibetan Buddhist practitioner for over 35 years, was the coordinator for the Portland Padmasambhava Buddhist Center, and is the founder of the “Awakening in the Dream Community.” Paul’s books include The Quantum Revelation: A Radical Synthesis of Science and Spirituality, Dispelling Wetiko: Breaking the Curse of Evil, and Awakened By Darkness. Learn more about Paul on his website. "Wetiko is a Native American term but every spiritual tradition talks about it, just in different languages. This is the diagnosis. We've made a huge breakthrough. There's been a diagnosis of what's at the bottom of our collective malady. We're in the middle of a collective psychosis of titanic proportions, that is what Wetiko is.” – Paul Levy
Jack reveals how awakening your Soul Force—your inner strength, wisdom, and compassion—allows you to heal the world by offering your unique gift with courage and love.
Exploring the spiritual paradox of individual and universal responsibility, Jack helps us find balance between meditation and service in our daily lives.
Jack explores how we can become the imaginal cells of the butterfly, navigating the Great Turning and resetting our lives for awakening amid fear, doomscrolling, and late-stage capitalism.
In this Q&A session from 1993, Ram Dass talks about his passions, the balance of separateness and unity, dealing with turmoil, the creative force of the universe, and more.The Ram Dass community gathers regularly to engage in meaningful discussions about the podcast. We invite you to join us and share your curiosities, insights, and wisdom. Sign up for the General Fellowship to receive event invitations directly in your inbox: https://www.ramdass.org/fellowship/Listen to the Here & Now Podcast ad-free with a 7-day free trial at patreon.com/RamDassPodcastRam Dass Here & Now is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/ramdass and get on your way to being your best self.This show is also sponsored by Magic Mind. Try their new Mental Performance Gummies–a caffeine-free way to stay sharp, providing calm, sustained clarity without the side effects of traditional stimulants. Get 25% off with our link: magicmind.com/RAMDASSGM or use code RAMDASS25 at checkout.Reunion is offering $250 off any stay to the Love, Serve, Remember community. Simply use the code “BeHere250” when booking. Disconnect from the world so you can reconnect with yourself at Reunion. Hotel | www.reunionhotelandwellness.com Retreats | www.reunionexperience.orgThis episode of Here and Now is from a Q&A session at an event in Boise, Idaho in April 1993.Ram Dass begins with questions about dealing with people who might not like you, what his current passions in life are, and the art of staying in the present moment.Ram Dass moves on to inquiries about hesitating when action feels needed, making the transition from somebody to nobody, and the limits of Carl Jung’s work with mythic archetypes.Finally, Ram Dass answers questions about dealing with polarization and turmoil in the world, offers his personal feelings about organized religion, and explores the creative force of the universe. He ends with a brief guided meditation centered around awareness and compassion for those who are suffering.“There is a process where, when you get out of the way, the whole creative force of the universe keeps expressing itself through the way you walk, talk, dance, paint, write, whatever your thing is.” – Ram Dass
Visionary Artist, Amanda Sage, joins Raghu to talk about using art as a tool for transformation and awakening.Mindrolling is brought to you by Reunion. Reunion is offering $250 off any stay to the Love, Serve, Remember community. Simply use the code “BeHere250” when booking. Disconnect from the world so you can reconnect with yourself at Reunion. Hotel | www.reunionhotelandwellness.com Retreats | www.reunionexperience.orgThis time on Mindrolling, Raghu and Amanda discuss:- How Amanda ended up in the midst of the psychedelic art world - Visionary experiences from meditation and community- Combining visionary art with techniques from the old masters- Art as a tool for transformation rather than just a commodity - The technology of sacred art and artists as small blooms of awakening - How LSD helps Amanda see the finer layers of reality- The flow state of creation and being guided through the artistic medium - The Telepathy Tapes, a documentary podcast about telepathic communication- Meditation as an active meditation and opportunity for transmission - The value of togetherness and tuning into the same creative channel - Large-scale longing for a connection to spirit- Amanda’s work, The Great Wave of TrainsformationAbout Amanda Sage:Amanda Sage is an artist driven to contribute to the development of regenerative culture by using painting as a tool for transformation within the individual and collective. Her paintings represent multidimensional aspects of humanness in harmonious balance, inspiring a re-membering of an energetic inter-connectedness that is present and shared with all things. “Painting, you transmit a story. There’s a transmission that happens beyond words. It’s an interesting technology and tool that has been used by humans through the ages. What is the broader opportunity, especially now in this world that we live in, for art to be a tool for transformation.” – Amanda Sage
Talking about everything, everybody, nothing and nobody, David shares stories about Trungpa Rinpoche and Ram Dass from the 1970s to now.This conversation was recorded as part of the Ram Dass Fellowship’s regular online gatherings. To learn more about the Ram Dass Fellowship and sign up to join a fellowship gathering near you, visit RamDass.org/Fellowship.Today’s podcast is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/beherenow and get on your way to being your best self.In this episode of the BHNN Guest Podcast, David and Jackie discuss:- The first meeting of Ram Dass and Trungpa Rinpoche- Seeing the ordinary magic of this reality - David’s work with Krishna Das and receiving dream-messages- Conjoining love and bliss with emptiness- Ram Dass’ concept of ‘becoming nobody’- Nihilism and negativity versus an empty openness - David’s work with the Ram Dass Legacy treats in Maui- Two different types of meditation (focus and discovery)- Showing up for practice rather than doing it perfectly - Love and surrender within the guru tradition and other forms of love- How to respond to hate with love in these trying times - Transforming anger and working with our emotions in a more productive way Check out David Nichtern’s Meditation Teacher Training Course – registration extended to Wednesday, April 2nd, 2025: https://www.dharmamoon.com/mindfulness-meditation-teacher-trainingAbout David Nichtern:David Nichtern, founder of Dharma Moon, is a senior Buddhist teacher who has been practicing and teaching meditation for over 40 years. He was one of the initial American students of renowned meditation master Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche and studied closely with him soon after his arrival in the United States in 1970. He is also a business consultant with companies creating a variety of offerings integrating meditation in a larger health and well-being context. David is also a multiple Grammy-nominated and Emmy award-winning musician. David’s journey has crisscrossed with the Maharaji/Ram Dass sangha for decades. He has produced multiple Krishna Das albums and frequently joins the Bhaktettes live on guitar. He considers himself to be a first cousin and honorary member of the Bhakti community. About The Host, Jackie Dobrinska:Jackie Dobrinska is the Director of Education, Community & Inclusion for Ram Dass’ Love, Serve, Remember Foundation and the current host of Ram Dass’ Here & Now podcast. She is also a teacher, coach, and spiritual director with the privilege of marrying two decades of mystical studies with 15 years of expertise in holistic wellness. As an inter-spiritual minister, Jackie was ordained in Creation Spirituality in 2016 and has also studied extensively in several other lineages – the plant-medicine-based Pachakuti Mesa Tradition, Sri Vidya Tantra, Western European Shamanism, Christian Mysticism, the Wise Woman Tradition, and others. Today, in addition to building courses and community for LSRF, she leads workshops and coaches individuals to discover, nourish and live from their most authentic selves. “There’s passionate love, deep love of a friendship, playful love, love for everything. In our culture love has gotten confusing, especially romantic comedies. But, I think love doesn’t bend. It’s this deep, steadfast, force like gravity. That unconditional love that isn’t moved around by the wind.” – Jackie Dobrinska
Exploring the origin of dukkha, Joseph delves into how craving can shape our lives, fuel unwholesome karma, and keep us trapped in expectation.This episode is part of an in-depth 48-part weekly lecture series from Joseph Goldstein that delves into every aspect of the Satipatthana Sutta, one of the most celebrated and widely studied discourses in the Pāli Canon of Theravada Buddhism. If you are just jumping into the series, listen to Insight Hour Ep. 203 to follow along and get the full experience: https://youtu.be/RfuH9O7DS4oThis episode is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/insighthour and get on your way to being your best self.This time on Insight Hour, Joseph mindfully explains:- Craving and how we experience it in our lives and practice- The compelling power of craving as the opposite of peace- How our culture fosters and values desire/craving - Obsessive desires and considering what pleasures drive our choices in life- The danger of craving and having an unquenchable thirst - How unwholesome karma can be the result of desire- 9 Things rooted in craving according to the Buddha- The expectation of pleasant experiences to remain - Aspirations versus expectations (inspiration vs. the endless cycle of hope and fear)- The basic urge to exist continuously - Getting trapped by the ‘in order to’ mind- The magic show of consciousnessThis episode was originally published on Dharmaseed“What is the gratification that we find in our lives? What sense experiences are we enamored by? We should look carefully at this. This is a question that led to the Buddha’s awakening, and maybe, would lead to our own.” – Joseph Goldstein================Joseph Goldstein on the Origin of Dukkha– Insight Hour Ep. 240 – Satipatthana Sutta Series Pt. 37 - https://youtu.be/j-5bpNDLsQUJoseph Goldstein – Insight Hour – Ep. 240 – Satipatthana Sutta Series Pt. 37: The Origin of Dukkha - https://beherenownetwork.com/https://beherenownetwork.com/joseph-goldstein-insight-hour-ep-240-satipatthana-sutta-series-pt-37-the-origin-of-dukkha/================Make sure not to miss a single video podcast from Be Here Now Network! Click here to Subscribe:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCc1lvEoC5PZWm-MzgUfJQfgFollow Be Here Now Network:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BeHereNowNetworkTwitter: https://twitter.com/beherenownetInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/beherenownetwork================Be Here Now NetworkPodcasts, Courses, and Articles to help you live a Life in Balance.Heart-Centered wisdom from Ram Dass, Jack Kornfield, Sharon Salzberg, Krishna Das + many more!Get a Free Guided Meditation from Sharon Salzberg when you first sign up at: https://beherenownetwork.com/
Discussing how passion is derived from being able to remain with sorrow, J. Krishnamurti describes the depth of beauty.To start at the beginning of this 18-part dialogue on consciousness, spirituality and navigating life with J. Krishnamurti and Dr. Allan W. Anderson: https://youtu.be/rcn0gXWv9UUThis time on Freedom from the Known, J. Krishnamurti and Dr. Allan W. Anderson discuss:- Austere beauty and total abandonment of the self- The deep relationship between suffering and beauty - Humility and the beauty of not knowing - Becoming aware of global suffering and less self-absorbed- How people rationalize sorrow in the East and are able to remain with it- Our lack of an intimate relationship with nature - How artificiality has become supremely important in our modern world - Losing the delicacy of the mind, heart, and body - The misguided purpose of education and what students should be learning- Considering the true definition of action in order to understand sorrowThis talk was originally recorded in 1974 at San Diego State University and curated by the Krishnamurti Foundation of America“Passion won’t come out of sorrow. And, without passion, how can you see beauty? You can intellectually appreciate a painting, poem, or statue, but you need this great sense of inward bursting of passion that creates in itself a sensitivity that can see beauty. It is, I think, rather important to understand sorrow. I think it is related: beauty, passion, sorrow.” – J. Krishnamurti
Getting down to earth and into the heart, Rebecca Bradshaw joins Raghu to discuss balancing masculine and feminine energy in the dharma.Mindrolling is brought to you by Reunion. Reunion is offering $250 off any stay to the Love, Serve, Remember community. Simply use the code “BeHere250” when booking. Disconnect from the world so you can reconnect with yourself at Reunion. Hotel | www.reunionhotelandwellness.com Retreats | www.reunionexperience.orgThis time on Mindrolling, Raghu and Rebecca chat about:- Rebecca’s journey of waking up and finding her path- Earth-based religions and getting down to earth- Rebecca’s 5-month stint in silent meditation- Approaching practice from the heart rather than the mind- Discovering the feminine archetype within the dharma- The masculine energy often found within Buddhist communities and early scriptures- Going deep down within the receptive heart space- Cultivating intimacy with all things and focusing on relationship- Dissolving the three roots of suffering (greed hatred and delusion)- The practice of useless gazing and surrendering to the moment without an agenda- Acclimating to the truth of impermanence and letting go of the need to control- The acquired taste of being open and working at it over timeAbout Rebecca Bradshaw:Rebecca is Guiding Teacher Emeritus of the Insight Meditation Society and the Insight Meditation Center of Pioneer Valley in Easthampton, Massachusetts. She has been practicing Buddhist Vipassana meditation since 1983 in the United States and Myanmar (Burma) and teaching since 1993. She completed her dharma teacher training at Insight Meditation Society in Barre, Massachusetts, where she is part of the three-month retreat teacher team and leads retreats for young adults. Rebecca has a master’s degree in Counseling Psychology and has worked as a bi-lingual (Spanish/English) psychotherapist. Her upcoming book, Down to Earth Dharma, was published by Shambhala Publications in November 2024. “There’s this emphasis on transcendence, energetic striving, independence, and all these things that are in the masculine archetype. They felt like some balance was missing, that’s how it felt to me, and that a lot of it had to do with dropping into the heart, dropping into the body, feeling.” – Rebecca Bradshaw
In this talk from 1970, Ram Dass explores the transformation from ignorance to wisdom, going up and coming down, living in the spirit, and different techniques of centering.The Ram Dass community gathers regularly to engage in meaningful discussions about the podcast. We invite you to join us and share your curiosities, insights, and wisdom. Sign up for the General Fellowship to receive event invitations directly in your inbox: https://www.ramdass.org/fellowship/Ram Dass Here & Now is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/ramdass and get on your way to being your best self.This show is also sponsored by Magic Mind. Try their new Mental Performance Gummies–a caffeine-free way to stay sharp, providing calm, sustained clarity without the side effects of traditional stimulants. Get 25% off with our link: magicmind.com/RAMDASSGM or use code RAMDASS25 at checkout.Reunion is offering $250 off any stay to the Love, Serve, Remember community. Simply use the code “BeHere250” when booking. Disconnect from the world so you can reconnect with yourself at Reunion. Hotel | www.reunionhotelandwellness.com Retreats | www.reunionexperience.orgThis episode of Here and Now is the second half of a talk Ram Dass gave at the Arlington Street Church in Boston on March 24, 1970. Don’t miss part one of this talk: Tuning Up & Tuning In: https://youtu.be/ESE33uItMicIn this episode Ram Dass explores the transformation from ignorance to wisdom. “The really fierce problem that most of us are realizing at this moment,” he says, “is how to alter our ways of thinking about who we are and how it all is, to be in tune with something inside that already knows.”Ram Dass talks about the roller coaster of going up and coming down. But that’s all ultimately a game. The real work is to center ourselves so we can be at the vibrational rate where we are living in the spirit.Ram Dass shares different techniques of centering oneself, including vipasana meditation, pranayama breathing, and bhakti yoga. “As far as I can see,” he says, “every form of yoga is based on one-pointedness of mind. Take bhakti yoga, singing a love song to Ram. It only works when you can make your mind so one-pointed on Ram that you and Ram become one.”“Living in the spirit is a vibrational rate. It’s a take of it all. It’s a vibrational take. In order for it to work, you’ve got to get your head so centered. You’ve just got to calm down and center. And it’s really fierce to do it in the marketplace. And sometimes it’s cool to go off and do it in cycles. So at those times you sort of go off by yourself to cool out and center.” – Ram Dass
Offering deeper insight into equanimity, Joseph Goldstein explains the benefit of maintaining mental equilibrium at all times.The Satipatthana Sutta is one of the most celebrated and widely studied discourses in the Pāli Canon of Theravada Buddhism. This episode is the thirty-second part of an in-depth 48-part weekly lecture series from Joseph Goldstein that delves into every aspect of the Satipatthana Sutta. If you are just now jumping into the Satipatthana Sutta series, listen to Insight Hour Ep. 203 to follow along and get the full experience!In this episode, Joseph elucidates:- The universal beautiful factors of mind- Equanimity as total neutrality of mind- Maintaining equilibrium and being unaffected by events and emotions- How equanimity is born out of concentration and secluding the mind from hindrances- The ups and downs of life that we all face- Treating others with impartiality whether they praise us or blame us- Abiding compassionately for the welfare of all people- Recognizing the dissolution of all things in reality- Relating to all things as if they have already changed- Developing equanimity through inclining our mind towards neutrality This talk was originally published on Dharmaseed “The characteristic of equanimity is evenness of mind. When it is highly developed, it manifests as an unshakable balance. It is a mind that’s not moved. It serves to prevent either excess or deficiency of the other factors of awakening.” – Joseph Goldstein
Certified sound healer, Kelvin Young, joins Chris Grosso to discuss how to find freedom within institutions and systems.This time on The Indie Spiritualist, Chris and Kelvin explore:- Kelvin’s first encounter with holistic healing in the prison system- How Kelvin became inspired to change his life and get sober for himself and his daughter- Becoming anchored through sound healing- How we at the subatomic level, we are vibration and sound- Having spiritual experiences at concerts regardless of genre- Integrating holistic practice into hospitals and other facilities- Moving from hypervigilance to relaxation through sound healing- Meeting people where they are at on their healing journey- The science of sound and rituals around the world that utilize sound- The power of humming and using our own voice as a tool- The gong as an instrument of interconnection- 12-step healing as integral piece for many people in recoveryAbout Kelvin YoungKelvin Young is a Certified Sound Healer and Owner of Kelvin Young, LLC. He is also a person in sustained recovery which means Kelvin hasn’t used alcohol or any other drug to cope with his mental and emotional distress since March, 6th 2009. Kelvin received his recovery coaching training at CT Community for Addiction Recovery (CCAR) and Recovery Support Specialist (RSS) certification at Recovery University. Kelvin has presented around the country in diverse settings, including CCAR Multiple Pathways to Recovery Conference, Alternatives Conference, Yoga Reaches Out, Newtown Yoga Festival, The Shift Network, Indie Yoga in San Francisco, CA, Alex Grey’s Chapel of Sacred Mirrors, Copper Beech Institute, CT Women’s Consortium, yoga studios, retreat centers, conferences, high schools, colleges, prisons, addiction treatment centers, psychiatric hospitals and mental health agencies. Today, he publicly speaks on addiction recovery to people from all walks of life. Kelvin also facilitates private and group sound healing sessions at different locations throughout the United States. “Sound has been that foundation for me to explore and understand that sound itself is life itself. It humbles me to be in awe of what all of sound is, the vibrations. Down to the subatomic level, we are vibration, we are sound, we are energy, we are frequency.” – Kelvin Young
Cherokee activist Abraham Bearpaw encourages listeners to take back their power and live a life of balance through gratitude, intention, and more.Grab a copy of Abraham Bearpaw’s book, Walking in Balance, to learn more about living a fulfilled life of balance.This time on The Four Sacred Gifts, Anita and Abraham discuss:Abraham’s parents and Cherokee lineageThe low life expectancy within the Pine Ridge ReservationThe tough times of Native activist Willa MankillerWhat it means to return to the center and live in balanceThe demands and pressures of societySubstance abuse and suicide prevention through Cherokee lessons in well-beingGratitude as a central tenant of ceremonyAspiring to be spiritually, mentally, physically, and socially wellUsing positivity for motivation instead of self-criticismConsidering why the creator made us the way we areSetting an intention for our day, every day, and taking back our powerShowing ourselves and others graceAbout Abraham Bearpaw:Abraham Bearpaw is an author, motivational speaker and creator of the Walking In Balance wellness program. Mr. Bearpaw is also a cultural activist and shares traditional teachings so that others can live fulfilled lives of wellness. In recovery for over 10 years, Abraham Bearpaw is a living example of the effectiveness of the Walking In Balance program. Through the Walking In Balance program, he has helped many individuals and families in their recovery and wellness journeys. “How do we live a life where we can feel fulfilled when we’re bombarded every day, adults and children alike, by social media, by all of these things? The world has gotten a lot noisier. I say, return to center. For Cherokee people, we believe in 7 directions. Center, for me, is where I am and where my heart is. My center is love. That is where I return to.” – Abraham Bearpaw
Raghu Markus and Norman Ohler explore the history of drugs in the Third Reich and how this ultimately lead to the psychedelic age in America.Mindrolling is brought to you by Reunion. Reunion is offering $250 off any stay to the Love, Serve, Remember community. Simply use the code “BeHere250” when booking. Disconnect from the world so you can reconnect with yourself at Reunion. Hotel | www.reunionhotelandwellness.com Retreats | www.reunionexperience.orgIn this riveting and historical episode, Raghu and Norman talk about:- Norman’s research into the history of psychedelics in Germany- ‘Truth drugs’ and using psychedelics for interrogation tactics- Albert Hoffman, a Swiss chemist known for his work with LSD- America’s early interest in psychedelics for military use- MK-Ultra, mind control, and how the CIA took over the quest for truth drugs.- Norman Ohler’s meeting with Leonard Pickard, a major player in the LSD underground- How the CIA saw psychedelics as a potential weapon to manipulate people- Truth that can be discovered on psychedelic journeys- How psychedelics can help heal relationships with ourselves and others “Basically what happened in the US was a continuation of the unethical human experiments that the Nazi’s did, obviously not in a concentration camp, but at American universities, at American and Canadian clinics.” – Norman OhlerAbout Norman Ohler:Norman Ohler is a German journalist and New York Times bestselling author, novelist and screenwriter, best known for his book Blitzed: Drugs in Nazi Germany, which has been published in over 30 languages. Most recently, Norman furthered his research into drug use in the Third Reich and it’s connection to the CIA and the age of psychedelics in the United States.
Continuity of Mindfulness with Joseph Goldstein – Insight Hour Ep. 237 – Satipatthana Sutta Pt. 34 by Be Here Now Network
Raghu Markus and Norman Ohler explore the history of drugs in the Third Reich and how this ultimately lead to the psychedelic age in America.Mindrolling is brought to you by Reunion. Reunion is offering $250 off any stay to the Love, Serve, Remember community. Simply use the code “BeHere250” when booking. Disconnect from the world so you can reconnect with yourself at Reunion. Hotel | www.reunionhotelandwellness.com Retreats | www.reunionexperience.orgIn this riveting and historical episode, Raghu and Norman talk about:- Norman’s research into the history of psychedelics in Germany- ‘Truth drugs’ and using psychedelics for interrogation tactics- Albert Hoffman, a Swiss chemist known for his work with LSD- America’s early interest in psychedelics for military use- MK-Ultra, mind control, and how the CIA took over the quest for truth drugs.- Norman Ohler’s meeting with Leonard Pickard, a major player in the LSD underground- How the CIA saw psychedelics as a potential weapon to manipulate people- Truth that can be discovered on psychedelic journeys- How psychedelics can help heal relationships with ourselves and others “Basically what happened in the US was a continuation of the unethical human experiments that the Nazi’s did, obviously not in a concentration camp, but at American universities, at American and Canadian clinics.” – Norman OhlerAbout Norman Ohler:Norman Ohler is a German journalist and New York Times bestselling author, novelist and screenwriter, best known for his book Blitzed: Drugs in Nazi Germany, which has been published in over 30 languages. Most recently, Norman furthered his research into drug use in the Third Reich and it’s connection to the CIA and the age of psychedelics in the United States.
Providing mantra and mentorship, Krishna Das explores how we can heal our heavy hearts and manage both personal and global suffering.In this episode of Pilgrim Heart, Krishna Das explores:- Mantras to use during wartimes or other painful experiences- Hanuman, the remover of all difficulties and negative energy- Tibetan philosophies of the transition between life and death- Best wishes for all who are suffering across the globe- Keeping our hearts open and available to all beings, all the time- A story of how KC Tewari saw Maharaj-ji as Shiva- The extraordinary beauty of the devotee and the beloved- Escaping from the habit loop through regular practice- Managing a heavy-heart and freeing ourselves from suffering- Committing to being a good human and caring for others“These practices free us from all negative emotions, ultimately. They free us from the very things within us that cause us suffering, whether it’s the way we react to the outside world or the inside world. One has to commit to wanting to be a good human being and to care about others.” – Krishna DasMORE INFORMATION and OFFERINGS VISIT: https://krishnadas.com/ KRISHNA DAS ON SOCIAL: FACEBOOK: facebook.com/KrishnaDasMusic INSTAGRAM: instagram.com/krishnadasmusic YOUTUBE: / krishnadasmusic X: @krishnadas #KrishnaDas
Connecting grief, faith, and devotion, RamDev describes the spiritual price we pay when we ignore the fundamental grief we all experience.In this episode, RamDev explains to listeners:- The many forms that grief can come in- Grief in our daily lives and feeling subtly separate from God and others- How deep grief can shatter our faith- Faith as an integral motivator for our practice- The cyclical, positive relationship between faith and devotion- Having an intimate, faith-based relationship with grief- Our addiction to grief and becoming lost in our pain- How we can consciously work with grief- Opening to our own grief in order to be fully compassionate to others- Trusting that we can become vulnerable and awaken to our own true nature- Noticing sensations of grief and compassion for grief in our bodies- Having appropriate boundaries when working with collective grief“Unresolved grief has a numbing effect. These effects tend to accumulate and block our free expressions of the heart. Our goal is not to stop grief, but to help process it in whatever ways it might arise.” – RamDev
Omid Safi sits down with Mike Petrow and Drew Jackson from The Center for Action and Contemplation, founded by Franciscan friar Richard Rohr, to explore how a unified approach to spirituality can deepen our faith.This podcast was originally published on the Everything Belongs Podcast, produced by The Center for Action and Contemplation (CFAC).The Center for Action and Contemplation (CAC) is an educational nonprofit introducing seekers to the contemplative Christian path of transformation. Franciscan Richard Rohr founded the Center for Action and Contemplation (CAC) in 1987 because he saw a deep need for the integration of both action and contemplation—the two are inseparable. As Father Richard likes to say, the most important word in our Center’s name is neither Action nor Contemplation, but the word and. This podcast episode explores elements of a chapter in Richard Rohr’s book: “Entering the World of Another: Francis and the Sultan of Egypt.”Hosts of the Everything Belongs podcast, Mike and Drew, enjoy a conversation with Omid Safi about:- Love as a representation of God in action- The heart of the Islamic tradition- Seeing the soul of the divine in all humans- Coming from love and returning to love- Considering how we want to spend our lives- The genocide and pain happening in our world- Remembering the core roots of religion as kindness and love- Traversing across many different traditions and seeing the beauty in it all- The importance of language and art in our experience of life and religion- Saint Francis and the Sultan as a model for compassion- Combining the mandates of contemplation and action“What if we come to see the human heart as the highest shrine of God? How would it change the way we live together? How would it change the way we treat one another? How would it change the way we walk on the earth? The more our ethics and contemplative life feed into each other, the more luminous all of it becomes.” – Omid Safi
Standing up for compassion in this powerful new Dharma Talk, Jack offers a steady spiritual rudder for navigating turbulent politics with the heart of a Bodhisattva.Learn the Dynamic Art of Interactive Guided Meditation with Jack Kornfield in this online masterclass beginning April 7! Sign up at bit.ly/JackMasterclass“It’s a time to get quiet and remember that you’re here for a beautiful purpose, oh Bodhisattvas. What better thing to do with your life?” – Jack KornfieldIn this episode of Heart Wisdom, Jack mindfully explores:- Navigating this world's maelstrom of change from a deep spiritual rudder- Returning from his trip to Asia; landing in Los Angeles on fire- Samsara and the nature of uncertainty - Creating a wise society based on mutual care- Trading our personal and cultural anxiety for imagination and hope- Alison Luterman's heart-opening poem, Praise the Broken Promise of America- Using the Dharma to move past Liberal versus Conservative- How to help the vulnerable in the world- Remembering your best values as things change- Grounding yourself, steadying your heart, and remaining hopeful- Bringing peace to this world, developing metta, and supporting what's good- Taking the long view, living with integrity, virtue, and imagination- Joining together with your community to stand up for compassion- Being hopeful and helpful through difficult times- Living like a Bodhisattva—offering support, compassion, loving kindness“Take the long view—your intention, heart, and mind in all the cycles of birth and death. That deep intention of wisdom creates what’s possible for a wise society. It becomes a rudder through difficult times.” – Jack Kornfield“When a society treats its members with respect, cares for the weak and vulnerable among them and tends the natural world around… it can be expected to prosper and not decline.” – Mahāparinibbāna SuttaThis Dharma Talk was originally recorded for the Spirit Rock Monday Night Talk and Meditation on 2/10/25.
In this unique talk from 1970, Ram Dass explores the confluence of dualism and nondualism, how the One and the many exist simultaneously, and why all of life is about tuning up.Ram Dass Here & Now is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/ramdass and get on your way to being your best self.Reunion is offering $250 off any stay to the Love, Serve, Remember community. Simply use the code “BeHere250” when booking. Disconnect from the world so you can reconnect with yourself at Reunion. Hotel | www.reunionhotelandwellness.com Retreats | www.reunionexperience.orgThis show is also sponsored by Magic Mind, a matcha-based energy shot infused with nootropics and adaptogens designed to crush procrastination, brain fog, & fatigue. Get 45% off the Magic Mind bundle with our link: magicmind.com/ramdassjan This episode of Here and Now is the first half of a talk Ram Dass gave at the Arlington Street Church in Boston on March 24, 1970. In this talk:Ram Dass begins by talking about why all of life is about tuning up. “We’re tuning out of dualism into nondualism,” he says. “Tuning into being here and now.”Guided by wisdom from the likes of John the Baptist and Lao Tzu, Ram Dass digs deeper into his exploration of how dualism and nondualism come together. The One and the many can exist simultaneously.Ram Dass talks about Shiva’s dance, the mind-trip of holiness, and taking a night off from his Sadhana to go bowling. He ends with a classic story about not being able to keep his consciousness at the right level during a Q&A session.The Ram Dass community gathers regularly to engage in meaningful discussions about the podcast. We invite you to join us and share your curiosities, insights, and wisdom. Sign up for the General Fellowship to receive event invitations directly in your inbox.“The tuning up is complicated, you see, because we’re not tuning out, we’re tuning up. We’re changing our vibrational rate.” – Ram Dass
Offering a powerful guided metta practice for current times, Jack teaches listeners how to open the heart and become a beacon of kindness for ourselves and others.
Explaining the fruits of dedicated practice, Krishna Das urges listeners to move past instant gratification and artificial forms of awakening.This episode is brought to you by Dharma Moon. Join Buddhist teachers David Nichtern and Professor Robert Thurman for a free online event on Tuesday, March 4th at 6pm ET. Together, they'll explore the power of lineage, tradition, and the evolution of mindfulness practices. They’ll also discuss Dharma Moon’s renowned mindfulness meditation teacher training program. Visit dharmamoon.com/lineage for more info and to reserve your spot for the free online event with David Nichtern and Professor Robert Thurman!This time on Pilgrim Heart we hear Krishna Das explain:Following our hearts and praying for guidanceFully giving ourselves to practiceLetting go of the need for immediate gratificationHow Krishna Das started chanting with othersKrishna Das’ experience almost being drafted into VietnamPsychedelics and getting out of our self-imposed jailsThe transient and artificial nature of substancesDeveloping our consciousness overtime through practiceOpening our hearts to all beingsSpiritual practice as the path to love within us allMORE INFORMATION and OFFERINGS VISIT: https://krishnadas.com/ KRISHNA DAS ON SOCIAL: FACEBOOK: facebook.com/KrishnaDasMusic INSTAGRAM: instagram.com/krishnadasmusic YOUTUBE: / krishnadasmusic X: @krishnadas #KrishnaDas“We’re so scattered and fragmented and distracted. It’s so hard to focus on something other than immediate pleasure. If it’s a movie or a good meal we seem to be able to focus, but when it comes down to doing something that doesn’t get immediate gratification, it’s very hard.” – Krishna Das
In this engaging Q&A session, Jack and Trudy explore romance, impermanence, attachment, diffusing anger, manifesting your dreams using mindfulness, and more!Learn How to Thrive in Love: Buddhist Secrets to Transform Your Relationships with Jack Kornfield and Trudy Goodman – join now at bit.ly/ThriveInLove“If you actually become mindful, then it’s possible to choose a direction, to envision, to imagine your life in a healthy way.” – Jack KornfieldIn Part 2 of this episode, Jack and Trudy dive into Q&A on:- Finding appreciation and wisdom in things “falling apart”- Accepting change, aging, impermanence- Entering the naked unknown of the wilderness, nature- The wisdom of swimming with dolphins in the ocean- Sending metta (loving kindness) to the world and those in positions of power- How to tend our romantic relationships and partnerships with mindfulness and care- Diffusing anger and learning how to communicate lovingly- Connecting from a place of vulnerability and presence- Moving past warfare, racism, violence, and blame- Learning how to communicate across differences- Noting the difference between your intention and it’s impact on others- Manifesting your dreams using mindfulness- “Attachment” in Buddhism vs Western Psychology- Working through trauma in a safe and mindful way“It’s important to love what we love; it’s only a problem when we need to let go.” – Trudy Goodman“When you step back and quiet, deeper intuitions come, along with the ability to follow your dreams more clearly, and in a way that’s mindful of your own well-being.” – Jack KornfieldThis talk originally aired on the Voices of Esalen Podcast:The Voices of Esalen Podcast showcases in-depth interviews with the dynamic teachers and thinkers who are part of Esalen Institute. Hosted by Sam Stern, a former Esalen student and current staff member, the podcasts have featured engaging conversations with authors Cheryl Strayed and Michael Pollan, innovators Stan Grof and Dr. Mark Hyman, teachers Byron Katie, Mark Coleman and Jean Houston, Esalen co-founder Michael Murphy, and many more. Learn more at Esalen.org/story/podcastsAbout Trudy Goodman:Trudy is a Vipassana teacher in the Theravada lineage and the Founding Teacher of InsightLA. For 25 years, in Cambridge, MA, Trudy practiced mindfulness-based psychotherapy with children, teenagers, couples and individuals. Trudy conducts retreats, engages in activism work, and teaches workshops worldwide and online. She is also the voice of Trudy the Love Barbarian in the Netflix series, The Midnight Gospel. You can learn more about about Trudy’s flourishing array of wonderful offerings at TrudyGoodman.comAbout 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.Jack is currently offering a wonderful array of transformational online courses diving into crucial topics like Mindfulness Meditation Fundamentals, Walking the Eightfold Path, Opening the Heart of Forgiveness, Living Beautifully, Transforming Your Life Through Powerful Stories, and so much more. Sign up for an All Access Pass to explore Jack’s entire course library. If you would like a years worth of online meetups with Jack and fellow community, join The Year of Awakening: A Monthly Journey with Jack KornfieldStay up to date with Jack and his stream of fresh dharma offerings by visiting JackKornfield.com and signing up for his email teachings.
Bringing together mindfulness and science, Anu Gupta offers transformative tools for dealing with hatred and prejudice.Check out Anu Gupta’s 2024 book, Breaking Bias, to learn more science-backed methods for unraveling stereotypes and prejudices.Mindrolling is brought to you by Reunion. Reunion is offering $250 off any stay to the Love, Serve, Remember community. Simply use the code “BeHere250” when booking. Disconnect from the world so you can reconnect with yourself at Reunion. Hotel | www.reunionhotelandwellness.com Retreats | www.reunionexperience.orgThis week on Mindrolling, Raghu and Anu explore:How Anu was brought up around meditation and yogaReceiving the gift of spiritualityAnu’s early connection to the Gayatri MantraThe distinction between caste and class in IndiaAdjusting to Western life and dealing with bias in the U.S.Researching the nature of hatred and prejudiceHolding our egos with loving awareness and compassionTransforming ourselves through practiceMaking our unconscious biases consciousAbout Anu Gupta:Anu Gupta is a human rights lawyer, scientist, scholar of bias, meditation teacher, and the founder and CEO of BE MORE with Anu, a professional development company that trains corporate, nonprofit, and government leaders to advance inclusion and wellness by breaking bias. He is also the author of Breaking Bias: Where Stereotypes and Prejudices Come From and the Science-Backed Method to Unravel Them(2024), with a foreword from His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Check out Anu Gupta on Substack.“The tools that we need are the ones I’ve been teaching people; mindfulness, stereotype replacement, compassion. Not just talking about them, but actually practicing them and feeling them.” – Anu Gupta
Sharing insight from Maharaj-ji, Krishna Das discusses reaching higher states of consciousness through service, repetition, and purification.This episode includes wisdom from Krishna Das on:- Shedding our belief system of ego and separate self- The importance of regular practice and finding time everyday- Learning from Maharaj-ji through dreams and meditation- Finding Maharaj-ji in our world- Reaching higher states of consciousness through service, mantra, and purification- Doing spiritual work in our daily lives and seeing it all as God- Looking at humanity with honest eyes and letting go of how we think things should be“Higher states of consciousness can’t be created by your own personal will. But, through service to others, repetition of the name, and purification of the heart, those states will arrive and arise when you’re ready.” – Krishna DasAbout 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.
Exploring Bhakti, Buddhism, and lessons from wise teachers, Krishna Das and Robert Thurman come together for a wide-ranging discussion.In this episode, Krishna Das and Robert Thurman discuss:- The miracles of Maharaj-ji- How all people are wholly embraced by divine love- Bhakti as devotional heart-to-heart merging- An exploration of dreams and being happy to let go- Being brave enough to have a heart and experience wonder- A breakdown of the three parts of ‘Om’- Sovereignty and the tremendous power we all have- Recognizing that Nirvana is everywhere- Lessons from Jesus and Christianity- Looking to Kali and being fierce but always with love“To be fully alive in union, in heart-merger with love, it has to be beyond heartbreak. Yet, beyond heartbreak is not without coming back and being brave enough to have a heart and expressing. It has to be still wonder. You still have to be living in wonder.” – Robert ThurmanAbout 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.MORE INFORMATION and OFFERINGS VISIT: https://krishnadas.com/ KRISHNA DAS ON SOCIAL: FACEBOOK: facebook.com/KrishnaDasMusic INSTAGRAM: instagram.com/krishnadasmusic YOUTUBE: / krishnadasmusic X: @krishnadas #krishnadas About Robert Thurman:Robert Thurman is the Jey Tsong Khapa Professor of Indo-Tibetan Buddhist Studies in the Department of Religion at Columbia University and President of the Tibet House U.S., and is the President of the American Institute of Buddhist Studies. His new book, Wisdom Is Bliss: Four Friendly Fun Facts That Can Change Your Life, is now available.
Ram Dev helps listeners recognize the divine nature and inner light that already exists inside of each one of us.In this episode, RamDev goes over:Incarnations of light as we move through the winter solsticeComing together in community to explore our inner lightNavigating grief through the holidaysThe divine presence that is beyond time and formThe light within us that is waiting to be recognizedA brief practice and visualization of a being of lightAccepting the true nature of reality and merging with the guruEgo death as the fundamental paradox of spiritual lifeHow clinging to the self blinds us from seeing the lightResting in the quiet mind in order to realize non-duality“When we’re talking about divine incarnation, talking about the birth of the light, it’s a moment to moment realization that we are more than our thoughts, our stories, our identities. The light that we seek is not something outside to be accomplished, not something that we need to attain. It is already within us waiting to be recognized.” – RamDev
Love is in that air as Jack explores the nature of desire, relationships, and spiritual passion—offering wisdom on stabilizing the heart, navigating distractions, and awakening to the timeless and sacred.Learn How to Thrive in Love: Buddhist Secrets to Transform Your Relationships with Jack Kornfield and Trudy Goodman beginning Feb 17 – join anytime at bit.ly/ThriveInLove“If you know what it’s like to really fall in love with someone, then you can begin to sense what it means to bring the full presence of attention to your life.” – Jack KornfieldIn this episode, Jack mindfully explores:The Buddha on mindfulness and awarenessStabilizing the heart, mind, and body in the presentOvercoming distractions and difficult moodsBeing aware of desires arising and passingChanda – spiritual passion, the desire for awakeningThe connection between power, insecurity, and fearHow to stop feeding the hungry heart in unskillful waysThe difference between desire and loveRelationship, marriage, and staying in loveA moving love story from Thich Nhat HanhReclaiming our humanity and animal natureReawakening mystery, gratitude, aweTouching that which is timeless and sacredAvalokitesvara, the Buddha of infinite compassionSri Nisargadatta Maharaj and living your fullnessNoticing what tempts you away during meditation“What direction do our personal desires take us? It’s good to study them. As my teacher Ajahn Chah said, ‘It may be a very fast car, but you ought to look at what road you’re going down and which way it’s headed.'” – Jack Kornfield“Perhaps what we most deeply desire is immensely simple—to reclaim our humanity, our animal nature that Jung talked about, the wondrous senses, the sense of the spirit of awe, the remembering, the reawakening of that sense of gratitude and mystery for life.” – Jack KornfieldThis Dharma Talk recorded on 9/28/1992 at Spirit Rock Meditation Center was originally published on DharmaSeed.
Ram Dass and Stephen Levine explore how all the experiences in our lives, including the process of dying, can be an opportunity to grow and awaken out of the illusion of separateness.Listen to this full podcast ad-free and support these great talks from the Ram Dass Archive. 7-day free trial: patreon.com/RamDassPodcastThis episode of Here and Now is part two of a talk by Ram Dass and Stephen Levine in San Francisco in the 1980s during the AIDS crisis. You can listen to part one on Ep. 268 of the Here & Now podcast: The Heart of Healing.Ram Dass talks about how we are being healed out of our separateness through our shared caring and our shared heart. Everything in our lives, including the process of dying, is an opportunity to grow. He explores how we need to shift our perspectives to touch the possibility that we are more than our bodies.Stephen addresses the AIDS crisis and the sense of anger and self-hatred that gathers around the pain people experience as they come closer to death. He shares the powerful story of one AIDS patient he was working with who started to meet his pain with loving kindness instead of with hatred. Ram Dass talks about opening not just to physical pain but to psychological pain as well. He shares some of the heavy learning he’s had to do in order to allow himself to need help from others. To do the work he really wanted to do, Ram Dass needed to acknowledge the fullness of his own humanity first. About Stephen Levine:Stephen Levine was an American poet, author and Buddhist teacher best known for his work on death and dying. He was a friend and colleague to many Be Here Now Network Teachers. Along with Jack Kornfield, Joseph Goldstein and Sharon Salzberg, Stephen is responsible for making the teachings of Theravada Buddhism more widely available to students in the West. Find more talks and writings from Stephen at levinetalks.com.The Ram Dass community gathers regularly to engage in meaningful discussions about the podcast. We invite you to join us and share your curiosities, insights, and wisdom. Visit Ramdass.org/fellowship to sign up for the General Fellowship, and you'll receive event invitations directly in your inbox.“And at the simplest level, I’d say the statement is the antidote to burnout is the perspective that you are a growing being and that everything, including your own life and your own death, and approaching death, is an opportunity to grow.” – Ram DassSponsors of this Episode:Ram Dass Here & Now is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/ramdass and get on your way to being your best self.Reunion is offering $250 off any stay to the Love, Serve, Remember community. Simply use the code “BeHere250” when booking. Disconnect from the world so you can reconnect with yourself at Reunion. Hotel | www.reunionhotelandwellness.com Retreats | www.reunionexperience.orgThis show is also sponsored by Magic Mind, a matcha-based energy shot infused with nootropics and adaptogens designed to crush procrastination, brain fog, & fatigue. Get 45% off the Magic Mind bundle with our link: magicmind.com/ramdassjan
Visionary artist, Martina Hoffmann, describes her encounters with spirit through dreams, nature, psychedelics and more.In this episode, Martina Hoffman offers a talk on:- Encountering spirit through dreaming, nature, and more- The interweaving of creativity and spirit- Attempting to express the ineffable- Entering into meditation through art- Martina’s expansive spiritual evolution- Lucid dreaming and transitioning from dream to awakening- Out of body experiences and feeling everything deeply- Martina’s experience with psychedelics and receiving grace- The many ways that one can heal (physically, spiritually, emotionally)- Letting go and embracing new beginnings- How challenging moments prepare us for the final journeyAbout Martina Hoffmann:German-born, Martina Hoffmann partially grew up in Cameroon, West Africa. She studied art education with and sculpting at the Johann Wolfgang Goethe University in Frankfurt/Main, Germany. During this time she also met the Fantastic Realist, Robert Venosa, and greatly inspired by his work, began her work as a painter. During their 30 year relationship they closely worked together, taught workshops worldwide and shared studios, both in the US as well as in Europe. Today Martina Hoffmann works as a painter and sculptress and remains a central figure in contemporary Visionary Art. Her paintings offer the viewer a detailed glimpse into her inner landscapes – imagery that has been inspired by expanded states of consciousness. Her Visionary Realism is decidedly feminine and places the ‘Universal Woman’ in an intimate cosmos. She transcribes her ecstatic experiences but also her subtle reflections on the nature of women in a realistic style which marries the fantastic to the sacred. Check out Martina’s work on her website.“My eyes opened, this beautiful blue sphere appeared in front of me and was suspended by electric energy. I made a painting of it. It had a message that said don’t be afraid. They explained to me how I had to go through this process to help me become the person I was supposed to be.” – Martina Hoffmann
Breaking free from cause-and-effect and the formal ideas of Confucianism, Alan Watts describes mutual arising as the key idea of the Tao.This time on Being in the Way, Alan Watts describes:Chinese philosophies of Taoism and ConfucianismOur roles in social life and Confucianism as the way for people involved in the worldTaoism as the way for those who do not prescribe to formal patternsHow the Taoist goes with nature rather than against natureIdeologies of God as a ruler or a lord versus the Taoist perspectiveExperiences in terms of their polar experience (loud vs. soft)Mutual arising as they key idea of the TaoMan as being within nature rather than dominating itHow Taoism gets rid of karma without challenging itThe Chinese philosophy of timeSensing the flow of the present and flow of the Tao“Confucianism prescribes all kinds of formal relationships; linguistic, ceremonial, musical, in etiquette, in all the spheres of morals, and for this reason has always been twitted by the Taoists for being unnatural. You need these two components, you see, and they play against each other beautifully in Chinese society. Roughly speaking, the Confucian way of life is for people involved in the world. The Taoist way of life is for people who get disentangled.” – Alan WattsThis series is brought to you by the Alan Watts Organization and Ram Dass’ Love Serve Remember Foundation. Visit Alanwatts.org for full talks from Alan Watts.
Distinguishing merit that leads to mundane happiness from merit aimed at liberation, Joseph Goldstein describes sources of dharmic joy.This episode is part of an in-depth 48-part weekly lecture series from Joseph Goldstein that delves into every aspect of the Satipatthana Sutta, one of the most celebrated and widely studied discourses in the Pāli Canon of Theravada Buddhism. If you are just jumping into the series, listen to Insight Hour Ep. 203 to follow along and get the full experience: https://youtu.be/RfuH9O7DS4oContinuing his lessons on the Satipatthana Sutta, Joseph discusses:- Making a heart connection with the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha- Reflecting on our commitment to non-harming- Contemplating what it feels like to give and receive generosity- Celestial happiness and beings in higher realms of existence- Merit aimed at mundane happiness vs. merit aimed at liberation- The karmic results to our volitional actions- Cultivating faith, generosity, and wisdom for a source of dharma joy- Reflecting on peace and freedom from the defilements- Tasting momentary freedom and knowing what peace of mind means“Aș we cultivate faith, sila, generosity, and wisdom, the merit of those wholesome actions in the mind cannot be measured. Just reflecting on this becomes a tremendous source of dharma joy, of rapture in the mind.” – Joseph GoldsteinThis talk was originally published on Dharmaseed
Rekindling the ancient art of listening, Jack shares how we can transform our lives through nourishing inner stillness and simplifying the mind.This episode is brought to you by Betterhelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/heartwisdom and get on your way to being your best self.“The Divine waits for us to taste the food and not just read the menu.” – Jack KornfieldIn this episode, Jack mindfully explores:Reclaiming the ancient Art of ListeningMeditating like the Buddha in natureHow your breath reflects your lifeMeditation, attention, and overcoming restlessnessThe ways we keep ourselves busyHow to trust your human instinctsReclaiming an intimacy with your sensesNoticing when we’re listening and when we’re notHonoring others through your attentionCultivating the humility of ‘Don’t Know Mind’The mystery of life, death, love, consciousnessNourishing inner stillness and simplifying your mindLetting go into the unfolding present momentThe rather bizarre situation of having a human bodyOur connection to nature, earth, the elements, and all of beingFinding the meditative space of no going forward, backward, or standing still“To meditate is to remember, reclaim, reawaken the ancient art of listening.” – Jack Kornfield“When the Buddha sat under the Bodhi tree on his night of enlightenment, it wasn’t to do, get, or make something, but to listen inwardly with all of his senses to the nature of this world that we are born into for a time.” – Jack KornfieldThis Dharma Talk recorded on 9/21/1992 at Spirit Rock Meditation Center was originally published on DharmaSeed.
Opening the doorway to transformation, Jack and Dr. Hübl explore spiritual discernment, identity, “central casting,” overcoming nervous system triggers, reframing trauma, and more.The ‘wisdom of insecurity’ is to learn that it’s okay to feel insecure—that it’s part of our human law—and to love anyway.” – Jack KornfieldIn Part 2 of this episode originally airing for Dr. Hübl’s ‘Spiritual Healing Journey Summit,’ Jack and Thomas mindfully explore:- Spiritual community, idealism, disillusionment, and healing spiritual injury- Jack’s experience “pressure testing” his teacher Ajahn Chah- Trading our “blind faith” for “spiritual discernment”- Living in joy with a free heart amidst it all- Ram Dass, identity, and “central casting”- Seeing past our identities/roles to our Divine Nature while still fully honoring them- Reframing “trauma” with Buddha’s lens of suffering- Healing the nervous system and it’s triggers- Expanding our loving kindness to encompass all beings- Walking through the doorway of transformation and dissolving the cosmos into love- How to deal with our trauma and learn to live with suffering- Reaching out and healing the part of the world we can touch- The Bodhisattva vow as fostering the awakening of the heart- Opening to the “wisdom of insecurity”“Spiritual practice is to remember your true divine nature, and also your social security number, your particular role which ‘central casting’ has placed you in at this time.” – Jack Kornfield“Disillusionment is part of the spiritual path, baby. It is! You have to see with the eyes of the Buddha to see the truth of suffering and greed and hatred, and also see that it’s not the end of the story, that that’s not who you are.” – Jack KornfieldAbout Thomas Hübl, PhD:Thomas Hübl, PhD, is a renowned teacher, author, and international facilitator who works within the complexity of systems and cultural change, integrating the core insights of the great wisdom traditions and mysticism with the discoveries of science. Since the early 2000s, he has led large-scale events and courses on the healing of collective trauma.He is the author of Attuned: Practicing Interdependence to Heal Our Trauma—and Our World and Healing Collective Trauma: A Process for Integrating Our Intergenerational and Cultural Wounds. He has served as an advisor and guest faculty for universities and organizations, as a coach for CEOs and organizational leaders, and is currently a visiting scholar at the Wyss Institute at Harvard University. For more info, books, podcast, and upcoming offerings, please visit thomashuebl.com
In this defining talk, Jack shares his adventurous journey to Thai meditation master Ajahn Chah, and how upon returning home, he had to learn to embody a heart of authenticity.Transform your 2025 with Jack! Join “The Year of Awakening: A Monthly Journey with Jack Kornfield” a year-long online program on mindfulness, love, community, and connection. Join in anytime at bit.ly/Awakening2025“Being with Ajahn Chah was being with a person who rested in their Buddha Nature, their own true nature. He was just himself. He was really at peace with himself. You could feel it from the energy of his presence, rooted like a great tree in the earth.” – Jack KornfieldIn this episode, Jack mindfully explores:- His mystical journey to learn with Thai meditation master Ajahn Chah,- Needing to work his way down the chakras to fully live this human life- Sudden awakening versus gradual change on the spiritual path- Ramana Maharshi and liberation through facing one’s own death- How to live in your soul and dance your unique dance- What it’s like hanging out with monks covered in wild bees- Ajahn Chah’s tree-like quality of roundedness, freedom, and openness- Matching our thoughts and actions with our values- His first time experience rapture in meditation- The transformative aspects of therapy, bodywork, marriage, family- Ram Dass and the healing quality of presence- Navigating differences in our romantic relationships- Learning to acknowledge the pain and loss beneath our anger- Opening to life’s lessons of compassion, wisdom, and wakefulness- The gift of spiritual community and sharing our authenticity- Embodying the timeless eternal truth of mindfulness, intimacy, and wakefulness“To love another person just as they are is the only kind of love that makes any sense.” – Jack Kornfield“There’s an intimacy and a presence that is true about mindfulness: it’s either now or never.” – Jack KornfieldThis Dharma Talk recorded on 9/14/1992 at Spirit Rock Meditation Center was originally published on DharmaSeed.
onsidering how right effort drives our achievements and potential for happiness, Joseph Goldstein teaches us more about the dhamma.This episode is part of an in-depth 48-part weekly lecture series from Joseph Goldstein that delves into every aspect of the Satipatthana Sutta, one of the most celebrated and widely studied discourses in the Pāli Canon of Theravada Buddhism. If you are just jumping into the series, listen to Insight Hour Ep. 203 to follow along and get the full experience: https://youtu.be/RfuH9O7DS4oIn this episode, Joseph lectures listeners on:- Energy as the root of all achievement- How energy can be associated with both unwholesome and wholesome states- Putting our energy to wise use- Taking the opportunity to challenge ourselves and extend our limits- Getting caught in efforting and in the result of an action- Investigating our own minds- Reflection on death and using our time wisely- The possibilities of every happiness“Right effort is not an ambitious striving. Skillful effort is the effort to be present for what is already here.” – Joseph GoldsteinThis talk was originally published on Dharmaseed
Sharing spiritual mementos from his world travels, Dakota Wint sits with Raghu to explore finding God everywhere and at any time.“Everyone of these different societies, tribes, cultures, they all boil down to the same premise…it’s all God.” – Raghu MarkusThis time on Mindrolling, Raghu and Dakota converse about:Dakota’s travels throughout EthiopiaRastafarian tradition and its origin in EthiopiaReminiscing about their time shared in IndiaConfronting the weirdness of our collective stateFinding spirit in all cultures across the worldHow travel and curiosity have affected Dakota’s growthThe central Buddhist value of impermanenceTurning within and connecting to GodStories of the Aghori people in IndiaThe tribes of Papua New Guinea“The same spiritual lessons I’m finding all over the world. There’s a similar feeling, a shared feeling, to what I find when I’m in India, or Japan, or in Mexico. I can find the spirit or God hidden in the symbols.” – Dakota WintAbout Dakota Wint:Dakota Wint is a documentary filmmaker, vlogger, podcast host, and spiritual teacher from Detroit, Michigan. His films and podcasts revolve around current events, strange spirituality, and taboo traditions. You can subscribe to his podcast, A Place for Humans, HERE. Dakota grew to fame as an internet personality via his popular YouTube channel, Dakota of Earth. Dakota hosts retreats around the world and runs a non-profit focused on cultural and language preservation. Learn more about current happenings on his website.
Ram Dass and Stephen Levine explore how all the experiences in our lives, including the process of dying, can be an opportunity to grow and awaken out of the illusion of separateness.Ram Dass Here & Now is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/ramdass and get on your way to being your best self.This show is also sponsored by Magic Mind, a matcha-based energy shot infused with nootropics and adaptogens designed to crush procrastination, brain fog, & fatigue. Get 45% off the Magic Mind bundle with our link: magicmind.com/ramdassjanThis episode of Here and Now is part two of a talk by Ram Dass and Stephen Levine in San Francisco in the 1980s during the AIDS crisis. You can listen to part one on Ep. 268 of the Here & Now podcast: The Heart of Healing.Ram Dass talks about how we are being healed out of our separateness through our shared caring and our shared heart. Everything in our lives, including the process of dying, is an opportunity to grow. He explores how we need to shift our perspectives to touch the possibility that we are more than our bodies.Stephen addresses the AIDS crisis and the sense of anger and self-hatred that gathers around the pain people experience as they come closer to death. He shares the powerful story of one AIDS patient he was working with who started to meet his pain with loving kindness instead of with hatred. Ram Dass talks about opening not just to physical pain but to psychological pain as well. He shares some of the heavy learning he’s had to do in order to allow himself to need help from others. To do the work he really wanted to do, Ram Dass needed to acknowledge the fullness of his own humanity first. About Stephen Levine:Stephen Levine was an American poet, author and Buddhist teacher best known for his work on death and dying. He was a friend and colleague to many Be Here Now Network Teachers. Along with Jack Kornfield, Joseph Goldstein and Sharon Salzberg, Stephen is responsible for making the teachings of Theravada Buddhism more widely available to students in the West. Find more talks and writings from Stephen at levinetalks.com.“And at the simplest level, I’d say the statement is the antidote to burnout is the perspective that you are a growing being and that everything, including your own life and your own death, and approaching death, is an opportunity to grow.” – Ram Dass
Exploring how to untangle the threads of intense desire, teacher Trudy Goodman offers direction on meeting the Dharma.This time on the BHNN Guest Podcast, Buddhist teacher Trudy Goodman discusses:- Being incarnated into this desire-body- Diversity within desire and being tuned into different frequencies- The pressure to conform to expectations- Difficulty in knowing our deepest desires and embodying them- Being determined to do what we want- Coming home to the true self which is underneath everything- Heartbreak and obstacles to connection as a place of learning- Developing our ability to be with intense sensation and maintaining awareness- Leaning into the call of the dharma- This recording from the Big Bear Retreat Center was originally published on DharmaseedAbout Trudy Goodman:Trudy is a Vipassana teacher in the Theravada lineage and the Founding Teacher of InsightLA. For 25 years, in Cambridge, MA, Trudy practiced mindfulness-based psychotherapy with children, teenagers, couples and individuals. Trudy conducts retreats and workshops worldwide.Learn more about Trudy’s offerings at trudygoodman.com“This place of heartbreak, of the obstacles to love, connection, longing, relationship, this place is really the place that we learn how to hold this world of desire with a peaceful heart.” – Trudy Goodman
Grandmother Helene joins Anita Sanchez to help bring humanity home to their ancestral calling and connection to the world.This time on The Four Sacred Gifts, Anita and Grandmother Helene discuss:Helene’s upbringing and carrying the gift of her ancestorsThe lineage that Helene comes fromAllowing the collective to go in peace and be healedReciprocity for the planet, nature, and climateAllowing yourself to be in a silent spaceBeing gentle with ourselves along our healing journeyTransforming pain and listening to the call of mother earthAllowing ourselves to ask for help and moving away from shameHealing the past and making room for the futureComing home to our own sacredness“I say often that I am a wisdom mother and my role in this world is to bring humanity home to the heart and to learn to listen within ourselves, to the silence, to the water, the pain. Give yourself five minutes everyday and just be.” – Grandmother Helene LindmarkAbout Grandmother Helene Lindmark:Helene Lindmark, a guardian of Sápmi’s timeless traditions, intricately weaves their essence into the vibrant tapestry of modern society and guides you home to your own origin, the source within you. As a trauma specialist, Helene works to shift from the collective trauma to the present, helping move from your trauma presenting your limitations to embracing them as gifts. She bridges the voice between traditional knowledge and the contemporary understanding of sustainable practices. Learn more about Grandmother Helene’s work HERE.
Getting down to the basics of Sufism, James Cooke and Omid Safi discuss the mystery of love and our enmeshment with God.This time on the Sufi Heart podcast, Omid Safi and James Cooke discuss:- Sufism and mystical Islam- Getting closer to a divine reality- Types of love within Sufism- Recognizing that we are interwoven with all things- Pure love as the antidote of ego- How we are enmeshed with God- Making our daily life our practice- The diversity within traditions of Islam- Misrepresentations of Islam in mainstream media- Extending love to absolutely everyone- Self-love and growing in our practice of lovingAbout James Cooke, PhD:James Cooke started the Inner Space Institute with the aim of helping greater numbers of people to access spiritual growth, without any of the unscientific beliefs that are common in spiritual circles. James trained as a neuroscientist after an awakening as a teenager that showed him the reality of spiritual states of consciousness. He holds three degrees from Oxford University (a PhD and Masters in Neuroscience & a BA in Experimental Psychology). He has conducted scientific research for over a decade at institutions such as Oxford University, University of California, Berkeley, University College London, Trinity College Dublin, and Riken Brain Sciences Institute in Tokyo. James is the author of The Dawn of Mind: How Matter Became Conscious and Alive (coming December 2024), which synthesizes science and spiritual insight to offer a radical solution to the Hard Problem of Consciousness.“I feel like for some people, this emphasis on love can be quite healing to hear, because I grew up in a time where there was a kind of grotesque, simplified caricature of Islam…it’s healing to have contact with the reality of these traditions.” – James Cooke, PhD
For episode 256, we start off the year in podcasts with a conversation between Sharon and first-time guest Norma Ryuko Kawelokū Wong Roshi.Norma is a thought partner, a strategist, and a teacher. She is the abbot of Anko-in, an independent branch temple of Daihonzan Chozen-ji and serves practice communities in Hawai‘i, across the continental U.S., and in Toronto, Canada. She is an 86th-generation Zen Master, having trained at Chozen-ji for over 40 years. Norma has decades of experience in organizing, policy, strategy, and politics in Hawaiʻi, particularly in the area of Native Hawaiian issues, serving in the Hawaiʻi State Legislature and beyond. In the Fall of 2024, she released the book, “When No Things Work,” telling stories, weaving poetry, and offering wisdom at the intersections of strategy, politics, and spiritual activism.In this conversation, Norma and Sharon speak about:- How Norma became an activist- Taking the long multi-generational view- How to face discord by seeing the whole- When Norms found spiritual teachings- The inspiration for writing her book- How Norma approaches faith- Collective versus individual work- Sharon getting humid in Maui- Opening to joy and goodness- Methods to interrupt habits- The rebuild of the Lahaina fires on MauiThe episode closes with Norma leading a resonant breathing practice.
Lama Tsultrim Allione shares the practice of feeding our demons in order to dissolve that which prevents us from being free.In this episode from the 2023 Summer Mountain Retreat, Lama Tsultrim Allione shares:How she first discovered Buddhism and meditationThe beauty within silence and quiet attention to our surroundingsLama Tsultrim’s first trip to India and studying the mystic eastHer connection with Ram Dass and Maharaji’s early devoteesThe practice of feeding our demons (the parts of ourselves that drain us)Dissolving that which prevents us from being freeFighting our demons versus feeding our demonsThe demons of the fear of abandonment, depression, anxiety, and addictionParts of ourselves that are trying to get attentionThe difference between the wants and needs of our demonsA guided practice for listenersAbout Lama Tsultrim Allione:Lama Tsultrim Allione is the bestselling author of Women of Wisdom (1984), Feeding Your Demons (2008), and Wisdom Rising Journey into the Mandala of the Empowered Feminine (2018). Lama Tsultrim is the founder of Tara Mandala, a 700-acre retreat center with a three-story temple and library dedicated to the divine feminine in the Buddhist tradition near Pagosa Springs, in southwest Colorado. She leads a vibrant international community with over forty groups around the world. Learn more about Lama Tsultrim Allione’s work at TaraMandala.org“I know that demons means a lot of different things in this country, in different cultural contexts. What I mean by it is the different parts of ourselves that drain us, that cause us to be not free. In fact, the word mara, which is the word for demon in Sanskrit, means that which blocks freedom.” – Lama Tsultrim Allione
Redefining sainthood as a deep care for ourselves and others, Lama Rod Owens and Raghu discuss reclaiming our sacredness and our identity.Within this episode, Raghu and Lama Rod discuss:Healing through music and other mystical experiencesLama Rod Owens’ college experience and getting into activismRe-framing our relationship to religionThe freedom to be our most authentic selvesOwning our own identity and sacrednessCommunity and collective as the hero we all needThe apocalypse as an unveiling of the truthCreating a culture of care and prioritizing well-beingDisrupting habitual reactivity and transforming our responsivenessLoneliness on the spiritual pathAbout Lama Rod Owens:Lama Rod Owens is a Black Buddhist Southern Queen. An international influencer with a Master of Divinity degree in Buddhist Studies from Harvard Divinity School with a focus on the intersection of social change, identity, and spiritual practice. Author of Love and Rage: The Path of Liberation through Anger and co-author of Radical Dharma: Talking Race, Love and Liberation, his teachings center on freedom, self-expression, and radical self-care. Highly sought after for talks, retreats, and workshops, his mission is showing you how to heal and free yourself. A leading voice in a new generation of Buddhist teachers with over 11 years of experience, Lama Rod is highly respected among his peers and the communities that he serves. From these intersections, he creates a platform that’s very natural, engaging, and inclusive. Check out Lama Rod’s most recent publication, The New Saints and his podcast on the Be Here Now Network, The Spirit Underground.“I think that the most important spiritual practice is care, compassion love; I think that’s the common expression across many paths. A saint is defined by the depth of their care for others.” – Lama Rod Owens
Joseph Goldstein shares how unremitting mindfulness and continuous investigation of our mental states will lead us to liberation.This episode is part of an in-depth 48-part weekly lecture series from Joseph Goldstein that delves into every aspect of the Satipatthana Sutta, one of the most celebrated and widely studied discourses in the Pāli Canon of Theravada Buddhism. If you are just jumping into the series, listen to Insight Hour Ep. 203 to follow along and get the full experience: https://youtu.be/RfuH9O7DS4oThis time on Insight Hour, Joseph pursues these topics:- Establishing unremitting mindfulness- Investigating and examining our mental states- How truth-discerning wisdom liberates the mind- The three universal characteristics of experience- Cultivating wisdom through investigation of the dhamma- Looking at the motivation behind our actions of body, speech, or mind- The two kinds of happiness, according to the Buddha- Investigating ourselves when we are in a storm of emotions- How clear recognition can be enough to help us let go- Discerning the difference between the knowing and the object- How a single moment of truth-discerning wisdom can change usThis talk was originally published on Dharmaseed“By understanding that it is wisdom that illuminates what is true, and that we cultivate wisdom through investigation of the dhamma, we can begin to appreciate the very broad range of skillful means and methods that are in different Buddhist traditions for accomplishing this inquiry.“– Joseph Goldstein
Joseph Goldstein shares how unremitting mindfulness and continuous investigation of our mental states will lead us to liberation.This episode is part of an in-depth 48-part weekly lecture series from Joseph Goldstein that delves into every aspect of the Satipatthana Sutta, one of the most celebrated and widely studied discourses in the Pāli Canon of Theravada Buddhism. If you are just jumping into the series, listen to Insight Hour Ep. 203 to follow along and get the full experience: https://youtu.be/RfuH9O7DS4oThis time on Insight Hour, Joseph pursues these topics:- Establishing unremitting mindfulness- Investigating and examining our mental states- How truth-discerning wisdom liberates the mind- The three universal characteristics of experience- Cultivating wisdom through investigation of the dhamma- Looking at the motivation behind our actions of body, speech, or mind- The two kinds of happiness, according to the Buddha- Investigating ourselves when we are in a storm of emotions- How clear recognition can be enough to help us let go- Discerning the difference between the knowing and the object- How a single moment of truth-discerning wisdom can change usThis talk was originally published on Dharmaseed“By understanding that it is wisdom that illuminates what is true, and that we cultivate wisdom through investigation of the dhamma, we can begin to appreciate the very broad range of skillful means and methods that are in different Buddhist traditions for accomplishing this inquiry.“– Joseph Goldstein
Opening the doorway to transformation, Jack and Dr. Hübl explore spiritual discernment, identity, “central casting,” overcoming nervous system triggers, reframing trauma, and more.Transform your 2025 with Jack! Join “The Year of Awakening: A Monthly Journey with Jack Kornfield” a year-long online program beginning Jan 2025, but join anytime at bit.ly/Awakening2025The ‘wisdom of insecurity’ is to learn that it’s okay to feel insecure—that it’s part of our human law—and to love anyway.” – Jack KornfieldIn Part 2 of this episode originally airing for Dr. Hübl’s ‘Spiritual Healing Journey Summit,’ Jack and Thomas mindfully explore:- Spiritual community, idealism, disillusionment, and healing spiritual injury- Jack’s experience “pressure testing” his teacher Ajahn Chah- Trading our “blind faith” for “spiritual discernment”- Living in joy with a free heart amidst it all- Ram Dass, identity, and “central casting”- Seeing past our identities/roles to our Divine Nature while still fully honoring them- Reframing “trauma” with Buddha’s lens of suffering- Healing the nervous system and it’s triggers- Expanding our loving kindness to encompass all beings- Walking through the doorway of transformation and dissolving the cosmos into love- How to deal with our trauma and learn to live with suffering- Reaching out and healing the part of the world we can touch- The Bodhisattva vow as fostering the awakening of the heart- Opening to the “wisdom of insecurity”“Spiritual practice is to remember your true divine nature, and also your social security number, your particular role which ‘central casting’ has placed you in at this time.” – Jack Kornfield"Disillusionment is part of the spiritual path, baby. It is! You have to see with the eyes of the Buddha to see the truth of suffering and greed and hatred, and also see that it's not the end of the story, that that's not who you are." – Jack KornfieldAbout Thomas Hübl, PhD:Thomas Hübl, PhD, is a renowned teacher, author, and international facilitator who works within the complexity of systems and cultural change, integrating the core insights of the great wisdom traditions and mysticism with the discoveries of science. Since the early 2000s, he has led large-scale events and courses on the healing of collective trauma.He is the author of Attuned: Practicing Interdependence to Heal Our Trauma—and Our World and Healing Collective Trauma: A Process for Integrating Our Intergenerational and Cultural Wounds. He has served as an advisor and guest faculty for universities and organizations, as a coach for CEOs and organizational leaders, and is currently a visiting scholar at the Wyss Institute at Harvard University. For more info, books, podcast, and upcoming offerings, please visit thomashuebl.com
Noah and Raghu Markus catch up with Joseph Goldstein to talk about poetry, imposter syndrome, trust, and more.Grab a copy of Joseph’s poems and reflections: https://www.dharma.org/dreamscapesjg/Be sure to check out this talk on quantum mechanics, as suggested by Joseph in today’s episode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zNVQfWC_evgIn this episode, Raghu, Joseph, and Noah connect through these topics:- How Joseph revitalized his poetic spirit while traveling in Spain- Revision as the most important process of writing- Struggling with imposter syndrome- How poetry overlaps the meditative space- Silence as an integral precursor to creativity- The beauty within very ordinary experiences- How aversion traps us just as much as desire- Compassion as the activity of emptiness- Loneliness and the myth of intimacy- Building trust and self-confidence- Artistic versus scientific ways of understanding- Anger as a messenger and using wise discernmentAbout Joseph Goldstein:Joseph Goldstein has been leading insight and loving-kindness meditation retreats worldwide since 1974. He is a co-founder of the Insight Meditation Society in Barre, Massachusetts, where he is one of the organization’s guiding teachers. In 1989, together with several other teachers and students of insight meditation, he helped establish the Barre Center for Buddhist Studies.“A lot of creativity comes out of the silence because then it’s more intuitive rather than thinking through something. It’s that overlap that I really love. I can be in a quiet space and a very ordinary perception of something takes on more meaning because I’m not just rushing through it, I’m actually there in it.” – Joseph Goldstein================Raghu Markus – Mindrolling – Ep. 574 – Poetic Spaces and the Creative Process with Joseph Goldstein & Noah Markus - https://youtu.be/Edn_dku-fDIPoetic Spaces & the Creative Process with Guests Joseph Goldstein & Noah Markus – Mindrolling Ep.574 - https://beherenownetwork.com/https://beherenownetwork.com/raghu-markus-mindrolling-ep-575-poetic-spaces-and-the-creative-process-with-joseph-goldstein-noah-markus/
Outlining the crucial importance of the Buddha’s seven awakening factors, Joseph explains the promise of our practice.This episode is part of an in-depth 48-part weekly lecture series from Joseph Goldstein that delves into every aspect of the Satipatthana Sutta, one of the most celebrated and widely studied discourses in the Pāli Canon of Theravada Buddhism. If you are just jumping into the series, listen to Insight Hour Ep. 203 to follow along and get the full experience: https://youtu.be/RfuH9O7DS4oThis week on Insight Hour, Joseph provides wisdom on:- The seven treasures, or factors of awakening, of the Buddha- How the factors of awakening act as anti-hindrances- Mindfulness, wisdom, energy, rapture, calm, concentration, and equanimity- The promise and purpose of our practice- Priming the pump of the enlightened mind- A deeper dive into the first factor of awakening: mindfulness- Calling to mind what is skillful and what is not- Bare attention and clear comprehension- Knowing the purpose behind an action, and if it is beneficial“The Buddha called these factors anti-hindrances because they counteract those forces in the mind that keep us in delusion. It’s sort of like anti-freeze; anti-hindrances, they keep our minds from getting congealed or frozen.“– Joseph GoldsteinThis talk was originally published on Dharmaseed
Jack and Thomas explore how ritual serves as a powerful language for opening the heart and living joyfully through life’s challenges.This episode is brought to you by Betterhelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/heartwisdom and get on your way to being your best self."Ritual and symbol become a gateway back to the heart to our deep connection. When we have that in spiritual life, things open up in a different way." – Jack KornfieldIn Part 1 of this episode originally airing for Dr. Hübl’s ‘Spiritual Healing Journey Summit,’ Jack and Thomas mindfully explore:How to live joyfully through difficult timesFinding the wonder of “everyday grace”Reducing suffering through spiritual practiceWestern Psychology and Eastern SpiritualityInterconnection and opening to the great web of beingRelational mindfulness and communal mindfulnessRitual as a language and gateway to the heartHow to talk with nature and speak for the treesThe transformation of having true mentors and guidesService, activism, and navigating burnoutPaying attention and listening to each other and nature"The nuclear waste of what you've been through can burn in some way that it becomes the fuel for energy and light. It gets transformed in the reactor of the heart and you have a power now." – Jack Kornfield“No amount of nanotechnology, A.I., space technology, or biotechnology is going to save us. Because the source of hatred, war, racism, conflict, exploitation, and climate disruption is in the human heart. That’s where it starts and where it grows from. Therefore, the outer developments which are becoming really remarkable have to be matched by the inner developments of humanity.” – Jack KornfieldTransform your 2025 with Jack! Join “The Year of Awakening: A Monthly Journey with Jack Kornfield” a year-long online program beginning Jan 2025! Join at bit.ly/Awakening2025About Thomas Hübl, PhD:Thomas Hübl, PhD, is a renowned teacher, author, and international facilitator who works within the complexity of systems and cultural change, integrating the core insights of the great wisdom traditions and mysticism with the discoveries of science. Since the early 2000s, he has led large-scale events and courses on the healing of collective trauma.He is the author of Attuned: Practicing Interdependence to Heal Our Trauma—and Our World and Healing Collective Trauma: A Process for Integrating Our Intergenerational and Cultural Wounds. He has served as an advisor and guest faculty for universities and organizations, as a coach for CEOs and organizational leaders, and is currently a visiting scholar at the Wyss Institute at Harvard University. For more info, books, podcast, and upcoming offerings, please visit thomashuebl.com
Teaching listeners to become masters over their perceptions, Joseph Goldstein describes the four great hallucinations of the mind.The Satipatthana Sutta is one of the most celebrated and widely studied discourses in the Pāli Canon of Theravada Buddhism. This episode is the twenty-fourth part of an in-depth 48-part weekly lecture series from Joseph Goldstein that delves into every aspect of the Satipatthana Sutta. If you are just now jumping into the Satipatthana Sutta series, listen to Insight Hour Ep. 203 to follow along and get the full experience!In this episode, Joseph helps listeners understand:- The latent tendencies of the mind which condition our perceptions- How basic sense impressions can be mistaken- The four great hallucinations of perceptions as outlined by the Buddha- Taking what is impermanent to be permanent- Erroneous perceptions of what is beautiful superficially- The hallucination of what is really suffering being happiness- Taking what is not self to be self- Having mastery over our perceptions- Ways of perceiving that lead to liberation- How moods deceive the mind“A good feedback for us for when we’re lost in this hallucination of perception, taking what’s impermanent to be permanent, is whenever we notice clinging or attachment. When there’s clinging or attachment what that means is that in those moments we are not seeing clearly and we are not experiencing deeply the truth of change, the truth of impermanence. We are diluted into thinking that a particular experience in some way is worth holding onto.“– Joseph GoldsteinThis talk was originally published on Dharmaseed
Trauma-focused psychotherapist Ralph De La Rosa links with Raghu to explain how radical self-compassion can outshine our deepest wounds.In this episode, Raghu and Ralph have a conversation about: - Ralph’s casual brush with death and the divine play of the universe- Healing our afflictions and uncovering our awakened state- How we all tend to dissociate and distract ourselves- Inspiration from Buddhism in Ralph’s own life and his therapy practice- Befriending all of the different parts of our psyche- Connecting the heart of compassion to the difficulties we experience- Utilizing the tools of Internal Family Systems- Working with the breath and other meditation techniques- Getting intimate with our afflictions- The concept of taking refuge- Considering what a healthy love/relationship looks like- How to respond to self-judgment and drop our armorAbout Ralph De La RosaRalph De La Rosa (he/they) is a teacher of human spirituality, an internationally published author and a trauma-focused psychotherapist. Ralph works in private practice and is a seasoned meditation teacher known for his radically open and humorous teaching style. He is personally mentored by Richard Schwartz, founder and developer of Internal Family Systems. Check out Ralph’s new book, published in November 2024, focusing on trauma and radical self-compassion, Outshining Trauma.“Our hearts can really break open for our own struggle. That, for me, is the nature of what I would call radical self-compassion, when you start to behold your own struggle and are willing to get intimate with your afflictions rather than run from them.” – Ralph De La Rosa
On this episode of the BHNN Guest Podcast, East Forest and Marisa Radha Weppner discuss the role of song in psychedelics and explore how the ethereal can be accessed through music.In this episode, East Forest and Marisa Radha Weppner discuss:- The many ways we can arrive at non-ordinary states- The power of intention when making music- How music can act as a bridge to the ethereal- How music can influence emotional states and brain states- Music as a birthright and how anyone can be and is a musician- The exponential growth rate of society- Reclaiming creativity as a necessary technology- Psychedelics and music as propellers into a trance state- Truly giving ourselves over to the music- Having a guide or therapist to work with- The impact of intention and set and settingAbout East Forest:East Forest is a multidisciplinary artist, producer, and ceremony guide. Since 2008, East Forest’s “lush” (Rolling Stone) and “blissful” (NPR) music has blended ambient, neoclassical, electronic, and avant-pop to explore sound as a tool for inner journeys and consciousness expansion. Known for being the first musician to collaborate with Ram Dass, his latest endeavor is the feature-length film Music for Mushrooms, a narrative documentary showcasing the transformative power of psychedelics, music, and community.About Marisa Radha Weppner:Marisa Radha Weppner is a mom, author, Somatic Experiencing Practitioner, DJ, teacher, minister, psychedelic therapist, community organizer, life coach, podcaster, and entrepreneur. She has taught yoga since 2002. Known for her authentic self-expression, she empowers others to embody their soul’s wisdom, bringing a real-world mix of eastern spirituality and western psychology to her students. Her online yoga classes and book “Vinyasa Yoga Made Simple: 27 days of Self Discovery” are available through udaya.com. You can listen to her meditation album “Guidance” on all streaming platforms, or tune into her podcast Love, Service, Wisdom.“I bet if we go back in human history there wasn’t even a word for musician it was just what we all did as humans together. Now, it’s become something different that we are or aren’t, that we relegate to a certain subset of the population. But I would say we all are musicians and part of our awakening takes us back to that.” – Marisa Radha Weppner
Shining a lamp in the darkness, Jack offers a heartwarming holiday story, guided meditation, angelic chant, and powerful intention setting ceremony for the New Year and beyond.Transform your 2025 with Jack! Join “The Year of Awakening: A Monthly Journey with Jack Kornfield” a year-long online program beginning Jan 2025 at bit.ly/Awakening2025“May your holidays and the turning of the seasons bring new light, great love, wisdom, and understanding into your life, to all your touch, and across this beautiful blue-green globe.” – Jack KornfieldIn part 2 of this special holiday series, Jack merrily shares:A heartwarming Christmas Dharma story to relax the mindLearning the true and boundless joy of making others happyA powerful “Just Like Me” two-person guided meditation practiceTransforming the world through seeing the beauty of those around usSetting the compass of your heart for our highest good and intentionCreating your own New Year’s vow, and becoming a lamp in the darkness for those in needA special blessing-cord ceremony—an intention setting ritual for the turning of the seasons, the New Year, and the returning of the lightThe angelic, holy, chanting of the of the mantra, “Namoh”“How do we respond to this world? You sit and you sweep the garden. You have the capacity as a human being incarnating in this life—with your measure of suffering and the beauty you have—to respond in extraordinary ways.” – Jack Kornfield“I did a blessing cord ceremony 40 years ago together with Lama Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche, and somebody raised their hand and said to him, ‘What exactly do these protect you from?’ And he said, ‘Why yourself, of course,’ which is a main protection that human beings need.” – Jack KornfieldThis episode was originally recorded for the Spirit Rock Meditation Center Monday Night Dharma Talk and Guided Meditation Livestream on 12/14/15. Learn more about Spirit Rock’s offerings at SpiritRock.org and join Jack’s next livestream at JackKornfield.com/events
In this cozy holiday special, Jack sheds seasonal tidings on how to rediscover the secret beauty within you and share your special gifts with the world.This episode is brought to you by Betterhelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/heartwisdom and get on your way to being your best self.“What you most deeply long for is who you are, is coming back to your own heart, to your own beauty, your own wellbeing that you were born with, to that secret beauty.” – Jack KornfieldIn part 1 of this special holiday video series, Jack merrily explores:- The spiritual meaning of the Winter Solstice, the turning of the seasons, and the holidays- How Jack’s teacher Ajahn Chah reacted when a Christmas Tree was put up in the Monastery- Reconnecting with the great mystery of the world and with each other- How to deal with your family with compassion, equanimity, and peace- Seeing the secret beauty behind the eyes of everyone you meet- Moving past the body of fear, the small sense of self- The paradox of spiritual practice: you’re perfect and there’s room for improvement- Rediscovering the love and secret beauty within you- Cultivating dignity, presence, generosity, clarity, integrity, meaning, compassion, trust- Bringing the mind and body together in the present- Loving awareness and entering the wisdom stream- Manifesting love and understanding into this world- A Hawaiian story on how to bring your special gift- Ram Dass, Mother Teresa, service, and allowing yourself to be taken care of- Moving past fear politics and becoming a force of connection and love“To meditate, more than anything, is an invitation to remember, to quiet ourselves, to touch back in to this truth, this reality beyond the busyness, fears, and confusion we have because we’re human.” – Jack Kornfield“Meditation and spiritual practice is not meant to be a grim duty, it’s meant to be a rediscovery of the love and secret beauty that’s within you.” – Jack KornfieldThis episode was originally recorded for the Spirit Rock Meditation Center Monday Night Dharma Talk and Guided Meditation Livestream on 12/14/15. Learn more about Spirit Rock’s offerings at SpiritRock.org. Join Jack’s next livestream at JackKornfield.com/eventsTransform your year with Jack! Join “The Year of Awakening: An Intimate Monthly Journey with Jack Kornfield” a year-long online journey! Sign up at bit.ly/Awakening2025
For episode 254, we are continuing the Fireside Chat Series on the Metta Hour with guest Ruth King.This series features intimate conversations with longtime dharma teachers about the early days of their practice and the most impactful moments with their own teachers. Hosted by IMS Online, the sixth episode in this series. Ruth King is the Founder of Mindful of Race Institute, LLC, and is a celebrated author, educator, and meditation teacher. She teaches mindfulness meditation retreats worldwide and develops meditation practitioners at Spirit Rock Meditation Center, Insight Meditation Society, and the Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Certification Program. Ruth is the author of several publications including her most recent, Mindful of Race: Transforming Racism From The Inside Out.In this conversation, Ruth and Sharon discuss:- Ruth’s first invitation to meditation- First hearing Jack Kornfield teach- The deep calling to teach- Initial misconceptions about meditation- Ram Dass giving Joseph Goldstein his first teaching job- Sharon’s first teaching retreat- Ruth’s first teaching in the DC area- Ruth’s life as a writer- Artistry and mindfulness- Ruth’s BIPOC teaching & online academy- The season of eldership - The process of downsizing and moving- Letting go versus not holding on- Nothing is permanent, perfect, or personal- This episode closes with a guided meditation by Ruth.
Sharing stories from her world travels, yoga teacher Susan Maruffo explores healing and self-discovery through yoga, Tantra, and meditation.This time on Mindrolling, Susan and Raghu journey through: - Unhappiness within Western cultural conditioning- How getting out of the United States transformed Susan’s life- Being alone while doing yoga versus in a group setting- How suffocating our ‘roles’ in life can be- Recognizing our universal connection via a trip to India- Coming back into the body through yoga practice- Susan’s experience at a Tantric school in Thailand- Neo-Tantra versus classical Tantra- Healing through yoga and sexual exploration- Dying to the old versions of ourselves- How the heart reveals itself during meditation- The ways we run away from intimacyAbout Susan Marrufo:Susan left the United States and a job in advertising in 2008 to travel internationally and experience life beyond the confines of her cultural conditioning. She received her first 500-hr yoga certification in Thailand in 2009, where she began her studies of the classical yogic scriptures and delved deeply into esoteric tantric philosophy. After 2 years of teaching month-long tantric-based courses on the banks of the Ganges in India and the Pacific coastal towns of Mexico, Susan returned to the US to begin a residential internship with the Kripalu School of Yoga, where she taught in and project-managed several Kripalu yoga teacher trainings as well as received her 2nd 500-hr teacher training certification from the Kripalu School of Yoga. Susan facilitates group courses in the inquiry of yoga and meditation and dives increasingly deeper into her yogic studies. She is the founder of Samarasa Center.“It was the first time that I started practicing yoga alone. Not in groups of classes with other people. That was transformational for me. That was the game changer, just being alone, having time, not feeling stressed, not feeling the pressure to be anybody. To be a wife, to be a boss, to be a daughter.” – Susan Marrufo
Exploring how compassionate speech and mindful listening can transform our lives, Jack shares how we can navigate culture’s web of lies by using the energy of Wise Speech to truly awaken.Transform your 2025 with Jack! Join “The Year of Awakening: An Intimate Monthly Journey with Jack Kornfield” a year-long online course beginning Jan 2025! Register at bit.ly/Awakening2025“[Wise Speech] is really about compassion—it’s being aware of the power of speech, and using it to express what is conscious and what brings freedom.” – Jack KornfieldExploring the third step of the Eightfold Path, Jack mindfully shares on:- Wise Speech / Right Speech as a factor of awakening- Compassion, non-harming, and embodying Buddha Nature- Ram Dass’s “Hopi-Hippie Be-In” and what it means to ‘speak the truth’- Navigating culture’s and advertising’s web of lies- Speaking from your deepest truth and knowing- Buddha and using the energy of speech to awaken- What it means to truly listen to another human being- Compassionate communication and listening- Discerning your intention and motivation when talking to people- Speaking like a Buddha and treasuring our speech- The simple pleasure of talking and communication- Using your words for justice, truth, love, and wisdom- Letting go of pride and needing to be right- A “Wise Speech” guided meditation- Chanting the seed syllable “Ah”“The key to listening and speaking wisely is the intention—our intention to learn, to discover, to hear something that we haven’t understood.” – Jack Kornfield“The possibility, if we are to live an awakened life, is to foster that speech that comes from our deeper knowing.” – Jack KornfieldThis Dharma Talk recorded in 1992 at Spirit Rock Meditation Center was originally published on DharmaSeed.
At this rowdy Q&A session from their 20-year reunion event at Harvard, Ram Dass and Timothy Leary answer questions and banter about the scenarios and myths surrounding our lives.This talk was chosen in celebration of the new book, Dying To Know, which chronicles the epic friendship between Ram Dass and Timothy Leary that shaped generations of seekers. Get your copy today at the Ram Dass Shop: https://shop.ramdass.org/products/dying-to-know-bookToday's episode is part three of the Ram Dass and Timothy Leary reunion event at Harvard University on April 23, 1983. Be sure to check out part one, The Explorer’s Club, and part two, No Signposts. In this recording:Ram Dass and Timothy begin with a little banter about their relationship and how it has evolved over the years.Dealing with a slightly rowdy audience, they take questions about where we go from here, emptiness and form, the Brotherhood of Eternal Love, and Ken Kesey. Ram Dass and Timothy both share their thoughts on collaboration and writing as a team, what the future might hold for the use of psychedelics, and whether or not psychedelics cause brain damage. They have a lively debate about Gandhi versus ET. Ram Dass explores some of the myths and scenarios surrounding our lives. Timothy talks about his Revelations per Minute meter and some of the future possibilities he’s most excited about. They quibble over Ram Dass’ use of the word “God” and make some predictions about the remainder of the 1980s.The event wraps up with some extended banter about voting, righteousness, and breaking bread with old enemies. “My feeling is that we see through scenarios and myths so much that all we can do from here is be true to our self from moment to moment. Because every time we say, ‘Well, where we go from here is…’ We are already sending a whole structural thing forward.” – Ram Dass
In this talk from their 20-year reunion at Harvard, Timothy Leary reflects on the journey he and Ram Dass shared as they explored the boundaries of consciousness with no signposts to guide them.This talk was chosen in celebration of the new book, Dying To Know, which chronicles the epic friendship between Ram Dass and Timothy Leary that shaped generations of seekers. Get your copy today: https://shop.ramdass.org/products/dying-to-know-bookThis episode is part two of the Ram Dass and Timothy Leary reunion event at Harvard University on April 24, 1983. Don’t miss part one: The Explorer’s Club. In this recording:- Timothy Leary takes center stage to share his perspective on the journey he and Ram Dass took when they came together at Harvard. He begins with a brief history of the tradition of transcendental thinking at Harvard which began with Ralph Waldo Emerson. - Timothy talks about the simplicity of their work in those early days as he and Ram Dass explored the boundaries of human consciousness with no signposts to guide them. He shares some thoughts on the notorious Good Friday Experiment and discusses the important insights into psychopharmacology they discovered, including the concept of set and setting.- Shifting topics to their post-Harvard lives, Timothy talks about the “happiness hotels” he and Ram Dass were running. They share some laughs about the Harvard Crimson, being tracked by the CIA, and Timothy’s description of Ram Dass in his autobiography.- Finally, they discuss the mileage they got out of various myths over the years and what their post-Harvard voyages of discovery were like for each of them. “In those days, it did seem almost miraculously simple. We gave, we shared; we took these drugs as novices, as amateurs, hesitantly moving into a field that had no signposts or guidelines. There was simply no language in Western psychology to describe altered states of consciousness or ecstasies or visions or terrors. A psychiatrist said these were psychotomimetic experiences, but that didn’t seem to tell us too much. We were smart enough, and I give us this credit, to know how little we knew.” – Timothy Leary
Defining relationships as a triangle between God, Self, and Other, Stephen and Ondrea Levine discuss opening and softening our hearts.In this archival episode, Stephen and Ondrea Levine explore:How relationships open our hearts in hellThe difficulty in relationships as a path to purificationHow easy it is to be in a relationship, how hard it is to relateRelationships as a triangle between God, Other, and SelfHow fear and cruelty dissolves in a willingness to approach the truthTrying to let go of what keeps hearts separateDying into life, letting the heart burst, and going onPractices that help us connect to ourselves and to forgiveThe tremendous work we can do at homeHealing parental relationshipsHow grief keeps us separateEach moment of love as complete and preciousLearning how to love by watching how unloving we often are“Relationship offers us an opportunity to open our heart in hell. The difficulty of relationship is one of its most exquisite opportunities for purification, for healing.” – Stephen LevineAbout Stephen Levine:Stephen Levine was an American poet, author and Buddhist teacher best known for his work on death and dying. He was a friend and colleague to many Be Here Now Network Teachers. Along with Jack Kornfield, Joseph Goldstein and Sharon Salzberg, Stephen is responsible for making the teachings of Theravada Buddhism more widely available to students in the West. He also helped establish the Living/Dying Project with RamDev and Ram Dass. For over thirty-two years, Stephen and his wife Ondrea Levine provided emotional and spiritual support for those who are life-threatened, and for caregivers. Through their healing and forgiveness workshops, many writings, and endless compassion, Stephen and Ondrea have touched the lives of thousands of people all over the world. They are the authors of numerous books, including Who Dies, Embracing the Beloved, and A Year to Live, among others. Find more talks and writings from Stephen and his wife Ondrea at levinetalks.com.
Justin Boreta, the first musician to collaborate with Ram Dass, talks with Raghu about Ram Dass’ legacy and the power of music.This week on Mindrolling, Justin and Raghu converse about: Ram Dass’ legacy transported through musicThe chants that Ram Dass brought home from IndiaKali Yuga, the age of destructionChants for Ganesh and music as the delivery method for mantraRam Dass’ humor and charmHow music is a tool for being in the present momentUsing the breath to enter into a space of loving-kindnessThe intersection of community, teachings, and musicTrusting the music and letting goRaghu suggests checking out the poetry of Kabir brought to life through music.About Justin Boreta:Justin Boreta is a member of The Glitch Mob, a beat-driven electronic group that has been touring for more than a decade performing around the world at festivals including: Coachella, Burning Man, Lollapolooza, Reading & Leeds and Bonnaroo. Boreta has collaborated with the spiritual teacher Ram Dass and Alan Watts on guided meditations and was recently nominated for a 2021 Grammy for Best New Age Album. Boreta is also a member of the Soul Land music series at Love Serve Remember.“There was this sense of unencumbered big-eyed view of love. I felt so accepted and seen and relaxed right away. It was psychedelic. It was one of the most psychedelic experiences I’d had…the first thing I thought was if he [Ram Dass] makes me feel like that, I want other people around me to feel like that too.” – Justin Boreta
Explaining relationships as the perfect environment to grow in our practice, Ramdev offers heart-opening wisdom.This time on Healing at the Edge, RamDev discusses: Being in the sea of humanity and all the ways we relate to othersRelationships as a mirror for how our practice is goingLessening one’s self-absorptionHow fear, guilt, and shame make it difficult to be in relationshipKeeping our hearts open despite the chaos of the worldBeing with our feelings and not getting lost in the storyAcknowledging when we are running awayUsing relationships to work on our spiritual growthMeeting the messiness of the human conditionSeeing the love within each person“Instead of relationship being only about comfort and enjoyment, and resenting it when it’s not there, use it as the crucible of practice. Use it as the place that is revealing to you where your heart is closing. When your heart is closing to somebody else, really it’s about not loving yourself. If you can love yourself completely, then you can be with everybody.” – RamDev
Offering decompression from post-election intensity, Jack shares a guided meditation helping us maintain a mindful loving presence amidst it all.This episode is brought to you by Betterhelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/heartwisdom and get on your way to being your best self.“The seasons turn, elections come and go, whole nations and civilization arise for a time and pass. You are the witness to consciousness, the loving awareness that sees the mystery of arising and passing, and holds it all with love.” – Jack KornfieldIn this fresh episode, Jack leads a guided meditation on:- Decompressing from the intensity of the election- Taking your noble seat amidst life’s Eight Worldly Winds and play of opposites- Feeling a stable and centered presence wherever you are- Resting in a quiet, open, mindful loving awareness- Feeling a true sense of loving kindness right here- Becoming consciousness itself, vast, timeless, spacious- Witnessing the arising and passing of all, and holding it all in love“With loving kindness, notice the energy of the mind—the stream of thoughts and plans, ideas, worries, imaginings, analysis, understandings, stories, images—a river of thoughts, feelings, images, and words. You can hold it all in loving kindness and say, ‘Thank you for all that work, I’m okay just now, you can relax.'” – Jack KornfieldThis episode was originally recorded for the Spirit Rock Meditation Center Monday Night Dharma Talk and Guided Meditation Livestream on 11/11/24. Learn more about Spirit Rock’s offerings at SpiritRock.org. Join Jack’s next livestream at JackKornfield.com/events
In this talk from their 20-year reunion at Harvard, Timothy Leary reflects on the journey he and Ram Dass shared as they explored the boundaries of consciousness with no signposts to guide them.This talk was chosen in celebration of the new book, Dying To Know, which chronicles the epic friendship between Ram Dass and Timothy Leary that shaped generations of seekers. Get your copy today: https://shop.ramdass.org/products/dying-to-know-bookThis episode is part two of the Ram Dass and Timothy Leary reunion event at Harvard University on April 24, 1983. Don’t miss part one: The Explorer’s Club. In this recording:- Timothy Leary takes center stage to share his perspective on the journey he and Ram Dass took when they came together at Harvard. He begins with a brief history of the tradition of transcendental thinking at Harvard which began with Ralph Waldo Emerson. - Timothy talks about the simplicity of their work in those early days as he and Ram Dass explored the boundaries of human consciousness with no signposts to guide them. He shares some thoughts on the notorious Good Friday Experiment and discusses the important insights into psychopharmacology they discovered, including the concept of set and setting.- Shifting topics to their post-Harvard lives, Timothy talks about the “happiness hotels” he and Ram Dass were running. They share some laughs about the Harvard Crimson, being tracked by the CIA, and Timothy’s description of Ram Dass in his autobiography.- Finally, they discuss the mileage they got out of various myths over the years and what their post-Harvard voyages of discovery were like for each of them. “In those days, it did seem almost miraculously simple. We gave, we shared; we took these drugs as novices, as amateurs, hesitantly moving into a field that had no signposts or guidelines. There was simply no language in Western psychology to describe altered states of consciousness or ecstasies or visions or terrors. A psychiatrist said these were psychotomimetic experiences, but that didn’t seem to tell us too much. We were smart enough, and I give us this credit, to know how little we knew.” – Timothy Leary
For episode 252, Cory Allen makes his first appearance on the Metta Hour podcast.Cory Allen is an author, coach, podcaster, and influencer from Austin, Texas. He writes daily thoughts on mindfulness and mental clarity for his large Instagram following, reaching over a million people a week. Cory is the author of two books, his most recent, Brave New You, has just been released from Hay House in 2024 in hardcover, ebook and audiobook formats. His podcast And Then It Hit Me, has over 300 episodes to date.In this conversation, Sharon and Cory discuss:- Meditation Barbie- Cory’s origin story- Opening to greater possibility- Cultivating greater agency- Story is everything- Keeping language real- Having an original mind- The importance of self-trust- How our faith evolves- How Sharon challenges herself- Intuition as an entryway to our deeper selfCory closes the conversation with a guided meditation.
Reflecting on the election, Jack explores how we can most mindfully and lovingly dance with impermanence, suffering, and ‘the great turning’ of the world.This episode was originally recorded for the Spirit Rock Meditation Center Monday Night Dharma Talk and Guided Meditation Livestream on 11/11/24. Learn more about Spirit Rock’s offerings at SpiritRock.org. Join Jack’s next livestream at JackKornfield.com/events“It’s not about an election one way or the other, they come and go. There’s such huge other forces happening right now—climate change, artificial intelligence, nuclear fusion energy—huge possibilities and huge problems. As T.S. Elliot says, ‘In my end is my beginning.’ Everything that turns offers a new openness and beginning for something else.” – Jack KornfieldIn this fresh episode, Jack mindfully explores:Navigating the election and politics in a changing worldReturning to the basics of Buddhism and living a wise spiritual lifeQuieting the mind, tending the heart, listening to the cries, and seeing with the eyes of wisdomWhat Ajahn Chah’s wisdom for the election results would beOpening to change, honoring impermanence, facing sufferingAnnica – the wisdom of uncertaintyNavigating the “Great Turning” of the worldShifting from exploitive and consumer consciousness to one of interdependence and mutual careFacing our suffering, warfare, racism, aging, death, loss, and changeThe Zen view of the “dew drop” worldHow annica, dukka, anatta connect with nirvana and unshakeable freedomTo end the illusion of separationPolitics as a form of ritualized warfareStanding up like Arjuna in the Bhagavad GitaHuman history as also containing compassion, courage, and sweetnessFinding refuge in Buddha, Dharma, and SanghaLiving from unconditional love and a freedom from fearThe transformative power of communityOur inexorable connection to all the great Saints, Gods, and to the Great Mystery“Our freedom comes when we realize our dukkha is not a mistake.” – Jack Kornfield“You get to choose your spirit. No matter what.” – Jack Kornfield
Trudy Goodman introduces listeners to the Brahmavihārās through an affectionate breath practice and a loving-kindness body scan.Today’s podcast is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/beherenow and get on your way to being your best self.This week on the BHNN Guest Podcast, Buddhist teacher Trudy Goodman explores:The Brahmavihārās: love, compassion, joy and equanimityRe-parenting ourselves through practiceThe feeling of being soothed, comforted, and safetyOffering loving kindness to our bodyGratitude for the breath and all it does to support usThe breath as a river of blessings that is always here for usHow the Brahmavihārās infuse and suffuse our beingA loving-kindness body scanThis recording was originally published on DharmaseedYou will notice that the breath is so exquisitely attuned. When we’re upset we tend to breath rapidly. When we’re at peace the breath slows down. We don’t have to do anything. This is one of the ways we are loved and supported by the breath. You don’t have to make it happen, you don’t have to create it.” – Trudy GoodmanAbout Trudy Goodman:Trudy is a Vipassana teacher in the Theravada lineage and the Founding Teacher of InsightLA. For 25 years, in Cambridge, MA, Trudy practiced mindfulness-based psychotherapy with children, teenagers, couples and individuals. Trudy conducts retreats and workshops worldwide.Learn more about Trudy’s offerings at trudygoodman.com
Raghu interviews Leonard Pickard about his early involvement in psychedelics, zen practice, his 20-year incarceration, and building resilience via mindfulness.Leonard will be joining Raghu, Zach Leary, Trevor Hall and others at a Ram Dass Legacy Event in Denver on December 12th, 2024. For more info visit: https://youaretheportal.com/events/12-12-honoring-ram-dass-legacy-ft-trevor-hall/ This week on Mindrolling, Leonard and Raghu chat about: - Transformative experiences as not dependent on substances- Delving into the great leaders of the sixties and honoring Ram Dass- The psychedelic revolution that is currently taking place- Our total dependence on one another- The way that music transformed throughout the 1960’s- Leonard’s time at the San Francisco Zen Center studying Buddhism, meditation, and yoga- Carrying our practice out into the world- How Buddhism prepared Leonard for years of incarceration- The beauty of spiritual practice and growing ones heartAbout Leonard Pickard:Once known as the Acid King, Leonard Pickard is a former research associate in neurobiology at Harvard Medical School, Harvard fellow in drug policy at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government, and Deputy Director of the Drug Policy Analysis Program at UCLA. His 1996 prediction of the fentanyl epidemic was published by RAND in The Future of Fentanyl and Other Synthetic Opioids. Leonard Pickard is one of two people convicted in the largest LSD manufacturing case in history. On July 27, 2020, Pickard was granted compassionate release from federal prison 20 years into his sentence.“Transformative experience, if it is to be valid, cannot be drug dependent. It would be a terrible offense to think that such beautiful insights were dependent upon a mere substance.” – Leonard Pickard
Continuing his discussion of the five aggregates, Joseph Goldstein dives deeper into perception and how we can get lost in mental formations.This episode is part of an in-depth 48-part weekly lecture series from Joseph Goldstein that delves into every aspect of the Satipatthana Sutta, one of the most celebrated and widely studied discourses in the Pāli Canon of Theravada Buddhism. If you are just jumping into the series, listen to Insight Hour Ep. 203 to follow along and get the full experience: https://youtu.be/RfuH9O7DS4oThis episode is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/insighthour and get on your way to being your best self.In another exploration of the Satipatthana Sutta, Joseph discusses:Balancing perception with mindfulness Using the frame of our perception to enter more deeply into experience Our tendency to solidify the world through superficial concepts The seduction of being lost in the future and past Reality and the concept of the present moment Created concepts of self-image The delineation of mental factors; universal, occasional, and unwholesome Considering the understanding of karma Having interest in our mental formations and taking time to investigate them How mindfulness of mental formations helps us see how impersonal everything isGrab a copy of the book Joseph references throughout this series, Satipaṭṭhāna: The Direct Path to Realization, HEREThis talk was originally published on Dharmaseed“We also create concepts about things that may seem even more fundamental like age, gender or race. But when we look more deeply, we see that these are concepts too. How old is your breath? It doesn’t make sense. Is the pain in your back male or female? What color is your mind? It’s not to say that the concepts don’t point to some differences of experience, but we often become so identified with and attached to the concept." – Joseph Goldstein
Helping us reflect on our daily habits and feelings, Jack shares how Right Attitude, Wise Aspiration, and Mindful Thought allow us to uncover the sweet joy of living in The Way.This episode is brought to you by Betterhelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/heartwisdom and get on your way to being your best self.“With Wise Attitude we begin to discover the power of kindness, the joy in not grasping, the delight in generosity, the ease in letting go, and the immediacy of freedom and liberation that is here in every moment.” – Jack KornfieldExploring the second step of the Eightfold Path, Jack mindfully shares on:- Right Attitude, Wise Thought, the second step on the Eightfold Path- Seeing directly the true power of mind and heart- Overcoming habitual patterns of thought, action, and attitude- The Buddha on nobility, integrity, and the heart- Overcoming greed, hatred, and delusion- Knowing the sweet joy of living in The Way- Wise Aspiration and the path of the Bodhisattva- Reflecting on our attitude around death- Rumi, Stephen Levine, Martin Luther King Jr, Suzuki Roshi, and Alan Watts- Taking what life gives us as “grist for the mill” of awakening- Examining spiritual teachings in our own life (what works, what doesn’t?)- Trading ‘protection and defensiveness’ for ‘openness and curiosity’- Accepting each moment as an unrepeatable miracle- Beginner’s Mind and Don’t Know Mind- Openness, respect, and compassion“It is knowing what is true that brings ourselves freedom. We don’t get free by making ourselves free.” – Jack Kornfield“It is only through mercy, through the kindness of compassion, that reconciliation happens, that what’s locked in suffering begins to grow and breathe new life.” – Jack KornfieldThis Dharma Talk recorded in 1992 at Spirit Rock Meditation Center was originally published on DharmaSeed.
Diving into the meaning of existential kink, Dr. Carolyn Lovewell joins Chris Grosso to discuss unlocking our unconscious desires.This time on The Indie Spiritualist, Chris and Dr. Lovewell discuss:The meaning of existential kinkThe practice of orgasmic meditationHow vulnerability and truth can lead to more sensationConsidering what our unconscious desires may bePracticing enjoying what is already happeningRealizing the darkness / pain we may be attracted to subconsciouslyThemes within the myth of PersephoneThe power addictions hold over us and admitting powerlessnessA guided meditation from Dr. CarolynLiving as characters in God’s dreamBecoming aware of our own wholeness and non-dualismSleep Over Mystery School and the heart of western mysteriesAbout Dr. Carolyn LovewellDr. Carolyn Lovewell (formarlly Elliott) is an American scholar, author, and occultist. She is the author of the book Existential Kink which focuses on shadow integration as a means for creating positive change in the self. She obtained a doctorate in Critical and Cultural Studies at the University of Pittsburgh. Check out Dr. Lovewell’s podcast, Sleep Over and learn more on her website.“Existential kink is the idea that pretty much all of us human beings have an unconscious attraction to painful things. We’re all kinky, we’re all in a sadomasochistic relationship with the universe. The universe, God, whatever we want to call it is a dom that has no safe words. It just keeps coming, all the time. We can learn to make those unconscious attractions to painful or negative patterns conscious. When we do that, we liberate all sorts of energy that had been unconsciously stuck. Existential Kink is a deep tool for change.” – Dr. Lovewell
In this profound investigation of subjective experience and direct reality, Joseph Goldstein looks at the first three of the five aggregates in Buddhism.The Satipatthana Sutta is one of the most celebrated and widely studied discourses in the Pāli Canon of Theravada Buddhism. This episode is the fourth part of an in-depth 48-part weekly lecture series from Joseph Goldstein that delves into every aspect of the Satipatthana Sutta. If you are just now jumping into the Satipatthana Sutta series, listen to Insight Hour Ep. 203 to follow along and get the full experience!In this episode, Joseph analyzes:- The five aggregates of clinging and deconstructing subjective experience- Opening the stainless dharma vision eye- How the Buddha shows the way to those who are lost- The direct realities underlying the surface appearance of being- All of the elements which give rise to the experience of self / the aggregate of Rūpa - The nature of material elements and the four great essentials - Our experiences as a flow of changing vibrations - The second aggregate, Vedanā, aka the feeling qualities of experiences - Feelings as the conditioning factor of our reactions- Collapsing into the identification with pleasant vs. unpleasant - Saññā, the aggregate of perception - Recognizing, naming, and remembering each arising object- The function of mental noting and focusing on mindfulness“The Buddha uses this contemplation of the aggregates to analyze our subjective experience and, through this analysis, to deconstruct the very deeply held construct and belief in self.” – Joseph GoldsteinThis talk was originally published on Dharmaseed
For episode 252, Kristin Neff returns to the Metta Hour for her third appearance on the podcast.Dr. Kristin Neff is a pioneer in the field of self-compassion research, conducting the first empirical studies on self-compassion more than twenty years ago. She has been recognized as one of the most influential researchers in psychology worldwide is an Associate Professor of Educational Psychology at the University of Texas at Austin. Kristin runs the Self-Compassion Community, an online learning platform where people can learn the skill of self-compassion with the help of others, and is author of the bestselling books Self-Compassion and Fierce Self-Compassion. Her new book, Mindful Self-Compassion for Burnout, co-authored with Chris Germer, is now available everywhere.In this conversation, Kristin and Sharon discuss:Kristin’s personal burnout Kristin’s definition of compassionMyths of self-compassionWhat happens in burnoutNegativity bias sinkholesThe necessity of positive statesHealthy boundariesLoving the Inner critic Research on Self-CompassionSelf-Compassion Example ScenariosKristin’s new community offeringKristin closes the conversation with a guided meditation on Self-Compassion. Listen to Kristin’s previous appearances on the Metta Hour in Episode 98 and Episode 159.
Intersecting the Buddha’s ‘Wise Understanding’ with Alan Watt’s ‘Wisdom of Insecurity,’ Jack illuminates the path of discovering lasting happiness.For an even deeper dive down the Eightfold Path, sign up for Walking the Eightfold Path with Jack Kornfield, an online course designed to guide you through the wisdom, compassion, and freedom of Buddha’s teachings. Learn more and sign up at bit.ly/JackPath“Spiritual life is not about possessing or finding security, but rather it’s discovering what Alan Watts called, ‘the wisdom of insecurity,’ the capacity for freedom and compassion of heart, no matter what the circumstances. Right Understanding is a willingness to dedicate ourself to awakening, no matter how conditions change.” – Jack KornfieldExploring the first step of the Eightfold Path, Jack mindfully shares on:- The Buddha, Enlightenment, the Eightfold Path, and Four Noble Truths- How to live a wise, mindful, happy, and loving life- The Middle Path as the pathway to freedom- Wise Understanding, the first step on the Eightfold Path- Suffering, it’s causes, and how to alleviate it- Where happiness actually comes from- Working with clinging, grasping, aging, aversion, fear- Impermanence, change, and the wisdom of insecurity- Spiritual Direction and the journey of the soul- The seed of awakening your Buddha Nature- Understanding the Law of Karma- Finding nirvana through our current circumstances- Having compassion for what puts us to sleep- Tending your heart to tend the whole world“Buddha saw that the cause of happiness and the cause of suffering is not so much in life itself, but in the way that we relate to life.” – Jack Kornfield“Right understanding tells us that we can dedicate our life to something beautiful.” – Jack KornfieldThis Dharma Talk recorded in 1992 at Spirit Rock Meditation Center was originally published on DharmaSeed.
Discover how to shift from trauma to loving awareness through mindfulness, conscious healing, and compassionate activism with Jack Kornfield and Thomas Hübl, PhD.This episode is brought to you by Betterhelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/heartwisdom and get on your way to being your best self.“Who you are is so much more than your trauma, you are consciousness itself.” – Jack KornfieldIn Part 2 of this episode originally airing for The Collective Trauma Summit in 2021, Jack and Thomas mindfully explore:- Developing the skills to heal our trauma- Jack’s time with meditation master, Maha Ghosananda- The powerful connection between activism and spirituality- Avoiding burnout, finding balance- Transforming from skeptical to mystical- Navigating the traumas in the Middle East- Digesting our traumas- Waking up from auto-pilot- Expanding your window of tolerance- How to face racism, war, economic disparity, the environment, etc- Mindfulness, consciousness, and loving awareness“The whole notion that spiritual practice doesn’t have anything to do with activism is a fiction.” – Jack Kornfield“Every breath you take is the breath of the starlings and the breath of the earthworms and the soil. We’re all inter-breathing it together. That’s how it works, that’s what life is.” – Jack KornfieldOpen the Heart of Forgiveness with Jack Kornfield: A Journey of Redemption, Reconciliation and Renewal. Learn more and sign up at bit.ly/HeartOfForgiveness
Offering a beautiful ode to India, Raghu and Andrew Harvey discuss divine truths and the oxymoron of beauty and pain.This time on Mindrolling, Andrew and Raghu go over: Andrew’s experience being born and growing up in IndiaIndia as a sacred world filled with divine beauty and painThe divine feminine and masculineRaghu’s experience bringing his father to IndiaThe gift of Ram Dass and tying Hinduism to modern lifeRevelations of incarnationAndrew Harvey’s return to India and encountering great beingsBeing mindful of our anger and transforming our emotionsAbout Andrew Harvey:Andrew Harvey is a British author, religious scholar and teacher of mystic traditions, known primarily for his popular nonfiction books on spiritual or mystical themes. Andrew Harvey is also the founder and director of The Institute for Sacred Activism, an international organization focused on inviting concerned people to take up the challenge of our contemporary global crises by becoming inspired, effective, and practical agents of institutional and systemic change, in order to create peace and sustainability. “Being born in India is for me the absolutely central and original and primordial and evolutionary event for me. That’s it. Because to be born in India is to be born into sacred world and a sacred culture that is alive with divine beauty, pain, passion, magic, veracity, truth. That’s India. – Andrew Harvey
Dipping into the juicy topic of psychedelics and liberation, Lama Rod Owens and Spring Washam discuss the importance of set and setting.This week, Spring and Lama Rod explore: The importance of set and setting Optimal conditions for liberation Recognizing the wisdom and validity of indigenous wisdom Psychedelics as medicine and a means to work through trauma The impact of psychedelic pioneer and healer María Sabina How set and setting facilitates deeper psychedelic experiences Spring's experiences with the Shipibo community in the amazon Music as a powerful component of set and setting The trouble with inauthentic healers and commercialization Revering the ancient practice of liberation within plant medicine Knowing that we will not get more than we can bare“This isn’t me just having a trip, this is a way, a means for me to do real liberatory work around trauma, love, hate, all of that. It was giving me a way to do this trauma release work which is what I have always been longing to do in a deep way.” – Lama Rod Owens
Employing the Satipatthana Sutta, Joseph Goldstein shows us how to overcome the mental states of sloth and torpor.The Satipatthana Sutta is one of the most celebrated and widely studied discourses in the Pāli Canon of Theravada Buddhism. This episode is the fourth part of an in-depth 48-part weekly lecture series from Joseph Goldstein that delves into every aspect of the Satipatthana Sutta. If you are just now jumping into the Satipatthana Sutta series, listen to Insight Hour Ep. 203 to follow along and get the full experience!In this episode, Joseph instructs listeners on: The mind states of sloth and torpor Defining sloth as a sluggishness of mind which dispels energy Noticing when sloth and torpor are present in us How sloth and torpor can spread via unwise attention to boredom and depression Watching the thinking patterns we have around slothful mind-states How sloth and torpor can signal us to other hidden emotions Over-consumption and being attentive to what we put into our bodies The benefit and value of the eight precepts Having a balance of both concentration and energy Deepening our insight into the impermanence of the hindrances Mindfulness as the most basic strategy for overcoming laziness Adding in more objects to our meditation as an antidote to the sinking mind Being alert even in times of low energy as practice for conscious dying Finding inspiration in reading the dhamma, listening to a recording, or chantingThis talk was originally published on Dharmaseed“Mindfulness, here, is deepening our insight into the impermanence of the hindrances. If we can stay with it, we see that they come and go by themselves. We don’t have to fulfill the desire, we don’t have to act on the anger, we don’t have to indulge the sleepiness, in order for them to go, we just need to stay with it and we’ll see their changing nature simply through the awareness of them.” – Joseph Goldstein
J. Krishnamurti returns to explain how we must grasp the movement of disorder to have and maintain an orderly life.In this episode, J. Krishnamurti and Dr. Allan W. Anderson discuss: Outward and inward disorder in the world Going behind the facade of order in the west The fallacy of order in communist societies Considering if order is conformity The study of disorder and difficulty in examining the unintelligible Our society and civilization as being based on comparison Living a life of non-comparison The mind as disorderly and how we can observe disorder The perceiver as the perceived Virtue as a necessity to order Staying totally attentive to disorder in order to have order“To understand disorder, we think an orderly mind is necessary. But, the mind itself has created this disorder. So, can the mind not look at disorder out there but the maker of disorder which is in here? The mind itself is disorder.” – J. Krishnamurti
Jack Kornfield and Thomas Hübl, PhD explore the dimensions of trauma, individual and collective healing, and the transformative power of community.This episode is brought to you by Betterhelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/heartwisdom and get on your way to being your best self.“Almost every great spiritual tradition knows that we can’t do it alone. Because part of the revelation is that the whole notion of separateness is a constructed fiction—that we are one another’s bond, we are one another’s glory, that we are life itself—and that sense of separation dissolves in mystical ways, in the deepest most profound therapeutic ways.” – Jack KornfieldIn Part 1 of this episode originally airing for The Collective Trauma Summit in 2021, Jack and Thomas mindfully explore:The essence of trauma, how it gets locked in our body, and how to finally release itThe merging point of Eastern Spirituality and Western PsychologyThe way intimate relationships help bring up exactly what we need to work onHow our trauma work can lead to spiritual healingThe various dimensions of healing traumaDeep and moving stories of alchemizing traumaCreating a safe container for our healing and collective healingHow interdependence in a group naturally leads to healingThe importance of community (satsang, sangha)How Stan Grof’s holotropic breathwork is a psychedelic experienceGrounding and integrating our our practice into mindful loving awarenessAn ancient Buddhist parable on merging the physical world with the spiritualOpen the Heart of Forgiveness with Jack Kornfield: A Journey of Redemption, Reconciliation and Renewal beginning Oct 21. Learn more and sign up at bit.ly/HeartOfForgiveness
Anita Sanchez and Raghu Markus confront the impacts of global warming, celebrate indigenous traditions, and explore the deep connection of nature and humanity.About Anita Sanchez, Ph.D:Anita was born into a Midwest family that was economically poor, yet rich in Mexican-American and Nahua (also known as Aztec) heritage. Fortified with the strength of her elders and connection to the earth, she became the first in her family of over one hundred first cousins to earn a doctorate degree. She has gone on to a career as an international transformational leader.Dr. Sanchez is committed to bridging indigenous wisdom and science with or contemporary work and life, to support our individual wholeness and collective conscious evolution in partnership with People, Spirit, and the Earth. With her loving spirit, presence and skill, Anita inspires people around the world to discover and trust their gifts, to become life-giving connections to all, in service and joy.Learn more about Anita’s work at anita-sanchez.com and check out her own podcast on Be Here Now Network, The Four Sacred Gifts.This week, Raghu and Anita Sanchez have a compelling conversation on:-Anita's recent journey into the Amazon Rainforest-The intense impact of global warming on Amazonian landscapes -The strength and leadership of indigenous amazonian women -Climate change as the biggest threat to national security-Viewing plants and nature as our relatives -Asking our ancestors for answers in our dreams-The way that mother earth cares for us -Getting rid of the illusion of separateness -Anita's epiphany at a Sundance ceremony -Getting involved with protecting our planet -Reconnecting to sacred, ritualistic ways of being -Indigenous plant medicine and the potency of Ayahuasca -Appropriation of indigenous practices -What the four sacred gifts are“80% of the most biodiverse places left on this earth are lands that indigenous people live on. Yet, we’re only 5 or 6 % of the world’s population. That’s not a coincidence, that’s because we have this relationship.”– Anita Sanchez, Ph.D
Krishna Das on Serving Our Parents as Spiritual Practice – Pilgrim Heart Podcast Ep. 166 by Be Here Now Network
Illuminating the shadows of our minds, Joseph Goldstein explains how to notice and investigate the emotions hiding underneath aversions.This episode is part of an in-depth 48-part weekly lecture series from Joseph Goldstein that delves into every aspect of the Satipatthana Sutta, one of the most celebrated and widely studied discourses in the Pāli Canon of Theravada Buddhism. If you are just jumping into the series, listen to Insight Hour Ep. 203 to follow along and get the full experience: https://youtu.be/RfuH9O7DS4oIn this episode, Joseph offers a discussion on:- What aversion is and how to recognize when it’s present- The powerful underground force of hatred- Looking clearly and deeply into our own minds through mindfulness- Weakening and uprooting the very deepest tendencies of mind- How even words themselves contain both desire and aversion- The rising of aversion with respect to physical and emotional pain- The nine thoughts that can stir up malice according to the Buddha- Why we personalize situations which are impersonal- Opening up to aversion as simply a noted mind-state- Arousing the investigative aspect of the mind- Reflecting on what purpose (or lack their of) our emotions serve- Taking responsibility for our aversions- The development of loving-kindness and wishing-well to all beings- This talk was originally published on Dharmaseed“Really what we’re doing here is illuminating the shadow side of our mind, the aspects that we don’t usually see, the underground, the latent tendencies in which the milder forms of aversion are rooted.” – Joseph Goldstein
Offering listeners a map to the heart, Ramdev explores how loving-kindness, compassion, joy, and equanimity interconnect.This time on Healing at the Edge, RamDev holds a talk on: The four qualities that lead to the heart (loving-kindness, compassion, joy, and equanimity)Finding meaning through connection to self, others, and GodThe path of the heart versus the path of inquiryDying into the heart rather than attempting to find everything outHow on-going, unprocessed grief makes it difficult to open the heartTrusting both the light and the painEquanimity as the foundation of the heartHaving devotion to awareness and the sanghaThe many available paths to consciousnessInvoking that which we feel devotion to during our meditationsIntegrating practice into daily life“In the Bible, it talks about ‘pray without ceasing’, and the only way you can do that is if your practice goes so deep into yourself that it’s happening without you doing it because other times you’re doing other things. The quality of the prayer saturates the cloth of your being, you’re colored by the prayer.” – RamDev
Ram Dass shares stories of miracles and talks about truth, relationships, and how some dualistic methods can help us straddle the thin line between chaos and cosmos.Ram Dass Here & Now is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/ramdass and get on your way to being your best self.This show is also sponsored by Magic Mind, a matcha-based energy shot infused with nootropics and adaptogens designed to crush procrastination, brain fog, & fatigue. Use the code RAMDASS at checkout to get up to 50% off your subscription: Magic MindThis episode of Here and Now is from a 1980s talk in Sydney, Australia. Sharing stories from Miracle of Love about Dr. Larry Brilliant’s experiences with Maharaj-ji, Ram Dass takes on the subject of miracles. He says the value of these mind-boggling stories is in helping us break the attachment to our thinking minds.Ram Dass tells the story of Maharaj-ji demanding changes to Be Here Now and keys in on the statement, “Money and truth have nothing to do with one another.” He talks about truth, secrets, and how hard it is to be truthful around other human beings. Ram Dass explores the power and trials of relationships based on truth. “The truth is scary,” he says. “Truth keeps shattering your models of how you think it ought to be.” He explains how dualistic methods such as relationships and devotional yoga can help bring us into non-dualism and straddle the thin line between chaos and cosmos.“Well, the problem with truth is that we are all these kinds of animal/human/unconscious – we all have all this kind of stuff going back and forth. You might look at your partner and suddenly they look like a skeleton. ‘Good morning dear, you look absolutely ghastly.’ Can you handle that in a relationship? A relationship based on truth follows the very fine line between chaos and cosmos.” – Ram Dass
Jack guides us in creating a sacred container for spiritual practice—a space where, like a garden, our inner life can be nurtured, allowing us to transform life’s challenges into paths of awakening and growth.Open the Heart of Forgiveness with Jack Kornfield: A Journey of Redemption, Reconciliation and Renewal beginning Oct 21. Learn more and sign up at bit.ly/HeartOfForgiveness“Much of our spiritual life, to mature, needs a sacred container for transformation. It needs this container that is greater than our small self—the body of fear and the mind of desire—something that honors a larger spirit, a larger truth.” – Jack KornfieldIn this episode, Jack mindfully explores:Creating a free and protected space, a sacred container for your practiceHow the very difficulties in our lives are what actually awakens usUsing our hardships as a crucible for uncovering our own goodnessRumi’s flavorful and delicious “vegetable fable”Learning how to stay centered on your cushionThe mirror-like quality of meditation practiceMeeting our practice with commitment, constancy, patienceHonoring the cycles of nature and the universeFeeling our feelings to heal our griefLearning the value of staying with things, even through difficultyChoosing the Dharma over the body of fear and mind of desireNurturing the sacred garden within yourselfThe power of prayer and feeling blessed“In a way, sitting is nothing more than looking in the mirror. You sit and face whatever arises.” – Jack Kornfield“It almost doesn’t matter what we pick, who our partner is, or what we choose to do, as long as it’s reasonably wholesome. What matters is how much we can give to it, of our sincerity, of our earnestness, of our heart.” – Jack KornfieldThis Dharma Talk recorded on 8/1/1991 at Spirit Rock Meditation Center was originally published on DharmaSeed.
Guiding us through the ever-changing cycles of life, Jack uncovers the profound truth of our interconnectedness as boundless and unique expressions of the Dharma.This episode is brought to you by Betterhelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/heartwisdom and get on your way to being your best self.“We see that there isn’t one way to practice or to live, but many cycles, seasons, and expressions of Dharma and truth.” – Jack KornfieldIn this episode, Jack mindfully explores:- Natural wisdom of the rainforest ecosystem- Discovering the truth of our inexorable interconnection- Seeing clearly the reality of change and impermanence- Interconnectedness within the flowing stream of interbeing- Spiritual maturity and recognizing the patterns and cycles of life- The many unique expressions of Dharma, spirituality, and truth in this world- Wisdom from Buddha, Dipa Ma, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, HH the Dalai Lama, S.N. Goenka, and Tibetan cave-dwelling yogis- Bringing your compassion to the environment, politics, social action, homelessness, education, etc- Meditation as a radical act: facing head-on the forces of greed, prejudice, hatred, and delusion- Finding your unique dharma and way to help the world- Life and spirituality as a process of death and rebirth over and over again- Uncovering a deep ‘joy for no reason’- How the “light and love” in meditation is actually literal- Untangling the knots of our attachments to live in inner freedom- A poem dedicated to the struggles in the Middle East- Discovering your capacity to awaken, and your unique gift“It’s not about perfection of oneself or the world, but it’s learning to live in a simple way and touch one moment after another with wisdom, understanding, compassion, and presence.” – Jack Kornfield“Wisdom is a state of our being in our heart. And to live in that way takes humility, a surrender or commitment, a trusting heart, a going into the unknown.” – Jack KornfieldThis Dharma Talk from 1/3/1991 at Spirit Rock Meditation Center was originally published on DharmaSeed.Open the Heart of Forgiveness with Jack Kornfield: A Journey of Redemption, Reconciliation and Renewal beginning Oct 21. Learn more and sign up at bit.ly/HeartOfForgiveness
Written in the key of grief and the melody of praise, Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer sits down with Raghu to discuss her newest poetry book, The Unfolding.This week, tune into Rosemerry and Raghu’s conversation on: - The loss of Rosemerry’s son and father- Living through seasons of extreme grief- Understanding the gift of a poem- Oppositional feelings experienced at the same time (pain + joy, etc.)- Recognizing how desperately we need eachother- The Grand Quilt, The Medicine of Surrender, and more poems written and read by Rosemerry- Brave prayers and the things that open us / help us grow- Inspiration from Gregory Orr and Leonard Cohen- How grief strips us naked and makes us vulnerable- Raghu leaves us off with a beautiful Kabir poem from the book Painting from the Palette of Love“So many people reached out to help me… they’d say, ‘What can we do?’ And I’d just say, ‘Open me. Help me stay open. Please, help me stay open.’” – Rosemerry TrommerAbout Rossemerry Trommer:Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer is an American poet associated with Colorado. She was Poet Laureate of San Miguel County, Colorado from 2006–2010, and was named Poet Laureate of Colorado’s Western Slope by the Telluride Institute from 2015–2017. Most recently, Rosemerry published The Unfolding, a book of poetry exploring grief. Rosemerry was featured on TEDxTalks to discuss the art of changing metaphors and created an album of poetry called Dark Praise with Steve Law. Check out Rosemerry’s website, Wordwoman, and her daily poetry blog, A Hundred Falling Veils. You can also join Rosemerry in an immersive daily experience of poetry and reflection on the Ritual app.
Speaking to progressing on the spiritual path, Jack explores enlightenment as true intimacy, and shares how: where we’re going is actually here.“Where we’re going is here, and what we’re after doesn’t exist in time.” – Jack KornfieldIn this episode, Jack mindfully explores:Our idealistic/romantic notions of the spiritual pathConsciousness, impermanence, and working with human emotionsWisdom stories of Ajahn Chah, Jack’s accomplished Thai meditation teacherMaharishi Mahesh Yogi and the legend of building a Spiritual Amusement ParkProgress and patience along the spiritual pathEnlightenment as intimacy with all thingsA guided meditation practice reflecting on life, death, and good deedsTransforming the the world with one small act of kindness at a timeHonoring our own beauty and goodnessHow compassion is characterized by true intimacyRecognizing and coming to our spiritual maturityLiving like a Bodhisattva, and what it really means to ‘save all beings’Alchemizing extreme suffering, trauma, and grief into compassion, forgiveness, and service“Enlightenment is to be intimate with what’s here.” – Jack KornfieldThis Dharma Talk from 1/3/1991 at Spirit Rock Meditation Center was originally published on DharmaSeed.For more teachings, full courses, articles, and guided meditations, head to JackKornfield.com or sign up for Jack's email teachings at JackKornfield.com/newsletter
In this Q&A session from 1994, Ram Dass talks about the importance of honoring lineage, the potential of the rave scene, how to bring a heart quality to academia, and much more.This episode of Here and Now is from a question and answer session Ram Dass conducted at a talk in Boulder, Colorado, in June of 1994.Ram Dass begins by answering questions about self-destructing methods, lineage versus eclecticism, and advising people on what methods are best suited to them. He talks about the importance of honoring lineage and respecting each other’s journeys.Next up is a dose of psychedelics and politics. Ram Dass answers a question about the burgeoning rave scene in 1994 and includes his thoughts on the state of psychedelics at that moment. He then takes on a question about fundamentalism, which prompts him to talk about the Clinton administration.Ram Dass wraps things up with questions about bringing a heart quality into academia, his view on open marriages, and the importance of honoring our teachers. He talks about being able to respond to the presence of uncertainty and chaos in a reflective way, rather than a reactive way. Want to participate in the discussion about this episode of Here and Now? Join us for the SoulPod Meet-Up on October 8th at 3 p.m. EDT.“In the story of lineages, the transmission is passed from individual to individual through specific teachings. I think we should honor and appreciate and treasure the fact that human consciousness has valued and transmitted ways to become free. I think that’s what honoring a lineage means. I think that we’ve got to separate the practice of honoring a lineage from the result of honoring the lineage, which is to be free. And that means free of lineage. You can’t be free of all form, you’re free within form. And within form, you can be in the lineage.” – Ram Dass
Discussing the systemic breakdowns in America, Lama Rod Owens and Spring Washam urge renewal through solidarity with marginalized cultures.This time on Spirit Underground, Spring and Lama Rod chat about:-The systemic breakdowns happening in our country -Balancing on a thread in this current election cycle -Death / Renewal in nature as an example of what may need to occur in America-Having deep solidarity with the cultures who have been dominated and occupied -Letting go of expecting the world to be different than it is -The human urge to be comfortable even at the cost of discomfort for other groups-Colonization as an intense dissociation and disconnection from our hearts-Becoming embodied and adjusting to our own cultural narratives -Trauma, loss of memory, and control -How the patriarchy has systemically limited the ability for deep emotional labor -Fear of death as the root of all fear-How crisis can give rise to collaboration and grace -Considering the gifts we can offer to the world"Everyone needs to be free. Everyone needs to have access to the resources they need to be well, safe, and happy. You don’t have to earn a right to be fed and housed and cared for and clothed. This isn’t about the nature of your character, this is about the fact that you are human living in culture and society, and as a society we should care for one another.” – Lama Rod Owens
Rather than trying to overcome unwholesome mind states, Joseph Goldstein guides us to simply be mindful of the mind as it is being influenced.The Satipatthana Sutta is one of the most celebrated and widely studied discourses in the Pāli Canon of Theravada Buddhism. This episode is the fourth part of an in-depth 48-part weekly lecture series from Joseph Goldstein that delves into every aspect of the Satipatthana Sutta. If you are just now jumping into the Satipatthana Sutta series, listen to Insight Hour Ep. 203 to follow along and get the full experience!In this episode, Joseph Goldstein mindfully explains:The three unwholesome roots (lustful mind, angry mind, diluted mind)Being aware of the absence of unwholesome mind-statesHow positive attributes are present within the absence of the defilementsNot judging ourselves or being reactive to negative mind-statesFocusing on which states should be cultivated and which should be let go ofMeasuring the moral worth of an action by the intention behind itDifficult mind-states as part of the path rather than an innate problemThe distracted and contracted mindHow mindfulness of our mind is the path to freedomSimply knowing each state for what it is (not-self, insubstantial, impermanent)Asking ourselves what is happening and taking the time to acknowledge itHow sense pleasures and moods deceive the mindThe process of liberation as short moments many timesDon’t forget to grab a copy of the book Joseph references throughout this series, Satipaṭṭhāna: The Direct Path to Realization, HEREThis talk was originally published on Dharmaseed“It’s not as if somehow we need to have our mind completely freed of all of these unwholesome states in order to proceed. The Buddha is saying that mindfulness of them when they arise is the path to freedom.” – Joseph Goldstein
Jack unfolds the radical wisdom and healing teachings of the great Buddhist sage Atīśa on living this dreamlike life as gesture of love.This episode is brought to you by Betterhelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/heartwisdom and get on your way to being your best self.“If life is like a dream, make it a beautiful one.” – Jack KornfieldIn this episode, Jack mindfully explores:Radical wisdom from the 7 Verses of Atīśa – one of the greatest Buddhist sagesA moving story about the deep transformative power encased within committing an act of truthThe nature of timeless awareness and the witnessExchanging “spiritual trading cards” with Ram DassHumor, listening, stillness, and spiritual perspectiveNot being swayed by outer circumstanceLearning what really matters in this lifeLiving with an honest and compassionate heartEmptiness and considering all phenomenon to be dreamsNot brooding over the faults of othersNoticing our inner waterfall of thoughts, feelings, sensationsBecoming medicine for others and the worldLooking through the eyes of mercyBeing grateful to everyone and everythingAlways relying on joyful and peaceful mind and heartDon’t expect a standing ovation for your spiritual work or service to the world“Who you are is what matters most—and who you are is awareness having this amazing life journey.” – Jack Kornfield“Let your life be a gesture of love.” – Jack KornfieldThis episode was originally recorded for the Spirit Rock Monday Night Dharma Talk and Meditation. To join Jack's next livestream, head to JackKornfield.com/events
Gil Fronsdal offers Buddhist wisdom on relating skillfully to our emotions and seeing them as messengers of our inner worlds.In this talk, Gil Fronsdal lectures about: Identifying emotions without getting lost in the story The necessity and benefits of feeling pain Knowing what's happening as it's happening How most of us are driven by our desires and aversions Simply knowing and how free our knowing can be Making room for our experiences How our emotions let us know what we should pay attention to Learning how our emotions live in the intelligent system of our body How reactivity blocks us from processing emotions Being in our body and allowing processes to unfold“One of the primary functions of emotions is to let us know something is important. They’re knocking on the door of our capacity to know. They are not accidents, they’re not incidental, they’re not annoyances, they’re not unfortunate. They’re actually a very important form of which your inner life is presenting itself to you.” – Gil FronsdalThis talk was originally published on Dharmaseed
In this fresh guided meditation, Jack invites you to rest your mind and heart to uncover the authentic happiness encased within true peace.This Dharma Talk originally took place for the Spirit Rock Monday Night Dharma Talk and Guided Meditation on 11/23/2024. To join his next livestream, please check out Jack’s events calendar at JackKornfield.com/events“There is no greater happiness than peace.” – Jack KornfieldIn this episode, Jack leads a guided meditation on:- Peace as the highest happiness- Finding ease, stability, stillness, and presence- Receiving whatever arises with kindness and compassion- Inviting thoughts and emotions to quiet- Resting in mindful loving awareness- Uncovering a peaceful mind and full heart“Feel how the earth you are sitting on supports you completely in its steadiness.” – Jack Kornfield
Turning to Celtic wisdom, author and teacher John Philip Newell chats with Raghu about reconnecting to our home, Mother Earth.This week, John and Raghu get into: - John’s upbringing and being drawn to the natural world- The Celtic lineage and having awareness for the sacredness of nature- Knowing that wisdom resides deep within us, not outside of us- Seeing the universe as an expression of the divine- What we can learn from native traditions- A radical new beginning through humility and relation to earth and one another- Addressing the divine in one another and in every life form- Breaking cycles of war and repetition- The contributions of Carl Jung on the collective and individual unconscious- Merging Eastern and Western traditions“For me, it was the introduction to Celtic wisdom that awakened me to knowing that wisdom is deep within us and the divine is at the very heart of our beings. We don’t have to somehow invoke or implore a distance presence.” – John Philip NewellAbout John Philip Newell:John Philip Newell is a Celtic teacher and author of spirituality who calls the modern world to reawaken to the sacredness of Earth and every human being. In 2016 he began the Earth & Soul initiative and teaches regularly in the United States and Canada as well as leading international pilgrimage weeks on Iona in the Western Isles of Scotland. His PhD is from the University of Edinburgh and he has authored over fifteen books, including his award-winning publication, Sacred Earth Sacred Soul, which was the 2022 Gold Winner of the Nautilus Book Award for Spirituality and Religious Thought of the West. His new book, also with HarperOne (and published in the UK by Wild Goose), is The Great Search (August 2024), in which he looks at the great spiritual yearnings of humanity today in the context of the decline of religion as we have known it.
Dissolving our erroneous beliefs of separateness, Krishna Das shares the importance of continuous service and devotional practice.In this episode of Pilgrim Heart, Krishna Das speaks about:Service anytime and anywherePlanting seeds for the fruits of our practiceClearing out blockages in the body with asana practiceKrishna Das' deep friendship with Maharaj-ji Samadhi and emerging into deeper states of consciousnessHow mantra can uncover the presence of spiritual beingsRealizing that we are not our egosThe principal of Sub Ek, or, All OneKC Tewari and the film Brilliant Disguise“Service can be done anytime and anywhere. It doesn’t have to be your job, it doesn’t have to be a big deal, it doesn’t have to make you money. Real service is learning how to treat other people with the same love and respect that we would like to be treated. You can do that now.” – Krishna Das
Listening to the song of the present moment, Jack uncovers how to dance with life’s dynamic rhythms along the harmonizing path to inner-freedom.This episode is brought to you by Betterhelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/heartwisdom and get on your way to being your best self.“The rhythm of your breath is no different than the rhythm of the stars.” – Jack KornfieldIn this episode, Jack mindfully explores:- The art of listening to the song of life, birth and death- Why it can be so tough to actually “Be Here Now” like Ram Dass- How love connects to the present moment- Alan Watts, music, dance, and harmonizing to the universe- Feeling the rhythms of your breath and body- Learning to dance to life’s dynamic music- Staying open and avoiding spiritual bypass- Looking at our body and life clearly and directly- The power of attention, noting, and spaciousness for diffusing our judgements and emotions- Buddha’s discovery of the Middle Way, and why he stopped fighting himself- Dealing with the unfinished business of grief, loss, loneliness, wounds- How to handle worries or fantasies that keep looping over and over- Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche and the tenderness and fearlessness of an Awakened Heart- Why Buddha focused on humans as ‘five processes,’ rather than personalities- Letting go of our rigid sense of self and diving into the fluidity of life- Non-grasping and how even enlightenment is a problem- Discovering the true path to liberation- Death, dying, and a reading from the Tibetan Book of the Dead“To listen is to be awake in the present without moving away from or running away from what’s actually here.” – Jack Kornfield“The only place to actually love another person, or a tree, or a living creature, or the earth itself, is when we’re here in the present.” – Jack KornfieldThis Dharma talk originally recorded in 1991 was originally published on DharmaSeed.Discover your great joy and love in Jack’s life-changing new online journey – The Awakened Heart: Discovering Great Joy and Love – dive in at bit.ly/TheAwakenedHeartJoin senior meditation teachers David Nichtern and Rebecca D’Onofrio for a free online discussion on the path of developing one's own meditation practice and supporting others who wish to explore this transformative path. Register for free today for The Journey of Becoming a Meditation Teacher | Sep. 19th @ 6:00pm ET: www.dharmamoon.com/beherenow
Connecting the inner world and the outer world, physicist Federico Faggin reveals his work studying the physics of spirituality.This episode of Mindrolling with Federico and Raghu includes these topics: Federico's life growing up in Italy Neuroscience and studying consciousness How physical feelings come from electrical processes in the brain Connecting spirituality and physics Considering if a computer could be programmed for consciousness Faggin's experience recognizing the inner love that comes out of us How quantum physics proves the interconnection within the universe Federico's perspective on freewill and determinism in our lives Going beyond what science has done The limited freedom we have while incarnated Predicting our behavior and how our consciousness is watching all Grace and the unpredictability of free will The divine mystery and why it will never be resolvedAbout Federico Faggin:Federico Faggin is an Italian-American physicist, engineer, inventor and entrepreneur. He is best known for designing the first commercial microprocessor, the Intel 4004. He led the 4004 project and the design group during the first five years of Intel's microprocessor effort. Federico Faggin is one of the greatest luminaries of high technology alive today; his work underlies the modern world's entire information technology. His new book, Irreducible: Consciousness, Life, Computers and Human Nature, was just published in May of 2024.“I eventually ended up deciding that I was going to spend the rest of my life studying consciousness and trying to connect spirituality and physics. In other worlds, connect the other inner world of experience and meaning with the outer world of symbols and matter in space and time.” – Federico Faggin
Refining our knowledge of the four elements, Joseph Goldstein explains how our bodily dispositions relate to earth, water, fire, and air.The Satipatthana Sutta is one of the most celebrated and widely studied discourses in the Pāli Canon of Theravada Buddhism. This episode is the tenth part of an in-depth 48-part weekly lecture series from Joseph Goldstein that delves into every aspect of the Satipatthana Sutta. In this episode, Joseph Goldstein examines: The four basic qualities of matter Solidity and the earth element Fluidity, cohesion, and the water element Heat and light as the function of the fire element Air and the experience of expanding and extending Bringing the elements into our practice Contemplating our bodily disposition in terms of the four elements Noticing all sensations as the play of a given element Moving away from the conceptual and into direct experiences Psychic abilities and transforming an element into another one How labeling and objectifying can lead to desire and aversion Not grieving for what is non-existent The unification of relative and ultimate realityDon’t forget to grab a copy of the book Joseph references throughout this series, Satipaṭṭhāna: The Direct Path to Realization.This talk was originally published on Dharmaseed“On the experimental level, we can see that the various sensations that we feel, however the body is disposed, is really just the play of the elements.” – Joseph Goldstein
Revealing how to calm the mind through meditation, Jack shares wisdom on self-acceptance, trust, and healing the unfinished business of the heart.Discover your great joy and love in Jack’s life-changing new online journey – The Awakened Heart: Discovering Great Joy and Love – Sign up by Sept 9 to take part in two live Q&A’s with Jack. bit.ly/TheAwakenedHeart “Don’t live in the mind, rest in the heart and let the mind come and go as it will. This is discovering your Buddha Nature.” – Jack KornfieldIn this episode, Jack mindfully explores:- Working with the ‘unfinished business of the heart’ – grief, sorrows, longing, wounds, loss- Honoring life’s ‘ocean of tears’ with love and kind attention- Cultivating the courage to allow your heart to be broken- Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche and the tender heart of a warrior- Self-acceptance, allowing yourself to feel, and reawakening a trust in yourselfHealing the mind by seeing clearly and not taking it so seriously- Resting the in heart and letting the mind come and go- Discovering Your Buddha Nature, your fundamental ground of being- The technique of seeing the world as enlightened, and the path as yours- The healing encased within understanding emptiness, selflessness, and letting go- Meditation as a truly courageous act“The problem with the mind mostly is that we take it seriously.” – Jack Kornfield“Healing of the mind is when we can hold in our hearts all that arises, and sense a rest and a goodness, a wholeness in us.” – Jack Kornfield
Focusing on curiosity, patience, and self-compassion, Cortland Dahl joins Raghu to go over his new book, A Meditator's Guide to Buddhism.This week, Cortland and Raghu discuss: The mystical practice of making aspirations Tuning into ourselves and trusting ourselves Learning through our relationships Recognizing that the next Buddha is the sangha Nurturing sparks of inspiration through practice How meeting teachers helps us realize our own inner depth Why curiosity can move us along the spiritual path Patience, creating space, and being vs. doing Self-compassion in a world of chaos and uncertainty Discomfort as a zone of growth Expanding our motivations for doing our practice Seeing the awakened nature in everyone and everythingAbout Cortland Dahl:Cortland Dahl is a Buddhist scholar and translator, author, meditation teacher, and a collaborator on various scientific studies. After receiving a Master’s Degree in Buddhist Studies, he lived for eight years in India and Nepal, where he spent long periods in solitary retreat in the Himalayan foothills and taught courses on Buddhism, meditation, and Tibetan language at Kathmandu University’s Center for Buddhist Studies and at the Tergar Institute, which he co-founded in 2007. He went on to study at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he was mentored by the renowned neuroscientist Dr. Richard Davidson and received a Ph.D. in Mind, Brain, and Contemplative Science, the first ever degree of its kind awarded by the university. Cortland's current work focuses on studying the psychological and neural mechanisms of different families of meditation practice. He is also the creator of the Healthy Minds program, a well-being training program that integrates insights from scientific research with a comprehensive path of contemplative training. Keep up with Cortland HERE or check out his books HERE.“We have no clue of this depth and richness that is inside of us. How we stumble through life completely oblivious to these amazing qualities of mind and somehow we just haven’t learned to see it. Then, you meet a teacher and it gets cracked open a little bit and you start getting a glimpse just by being in their orbit.” – Cortland Dahl
In this episode, Spring and Lama Rod have a conversation about:Choosing liberation versus comfort and stability Getting to the root of suffering and the root of who we are Moving deeper into our current predicaments instead of bypassing The intense labor of liberation and choosing freedom in an unfree worldTransforming suffering into wisdom and clarityPain as our guide and teacher Building communities that can hold the nuances of justice and freedomFinding a teacher with experience in all paths The tension between enlightenment and humanityBridging conventional reality with the ultimate“I’m not interested in your comfort, I’m interested in your freedom. Because if you’re always trying to prioritize comfort in this work then you’re going to be really disappointed. You won’t grow.” – Lama Rod OwensAbout Lama Rod Owens:Lama Rod Owens is a Black Buddhist Southern Queen. An international influencer with a Master of Divinity degree in Buddhist Studies from Harvard Divinity School with a focus on the intersection of social change, identity, and spiritual practice. Author of Love and Rage: The Path of Liberation through Anger and co-author of Radical Dharma: Talking Race, Love and Liberation, his teachings center on freedom, self-expression, and radical self-care. Highly sought after for talks, retreats, and workshops, his mission is showing you how to heal and free yourself. A leading voice in a new generation of Buddhist teachers with over 11 years of experience, Lama Rod is highly respected among his peers and the communities that he serves. From these intersections, he creates a platform that’s very natural, engaging, and inclusive.About Spring Washam:Spring Washam is a well-known teacher, author, and visionary leader based in Oakland, California. She is the author of A Fierce Heart: Finding Strength, Courage and Wisdom in Any Moment and her newest book, The Spirit of Harriet Tubman: Awakening from the Underground. Spring is considered a pioneer in bringing mindfulness-based meditation practices to diverse communities. She is one of the founding teachers at the East Bay Meditation Center, located in downtown Oakland, CA. She has practiced and studied Buddhist philosophy in both the Theravada and Tibetan schools of Buddhism since 1999. She is a member of the teacher’s council at Spirit Rock Meditation Center in northern California where she was trained for over a decade.In addition to being a teacher, she is also a shamanic practitioner and has studied indigenous healing practices since 2008. She is the founder of Lotus Vine Journeys, a one-of-a-kind organization that blends indigenous healing practices with Buddhist wisdom in South America. Her writings and dharma teachings have appeared in many online journals and publications. She currently teaches meditation retreats and leads workshops, and classes worldwide.
Exploring healing through meditation, Jack shares on kundalini, addiction, suffering, and the transformation of having an ‘in body experience.’This episode is brought to you by Betterhelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/heartwisdom and get on your way to being your best self.“You have heard of ‘out of the body experiences,’ but what we’re after is something more unusual and important, an ‘in the body experience.'” – Jack KornfieldIn this episode, Jack mindfully illuminates:- Finding strength, wakefulness, and compassion amidst it all- The Coconut Monk and the Jesus-Buddha connection- Finding compassion and joy despite suffering and war- Healing—what it is, how it arises, and how we can connect with it- Listening and respect as the ground for healing- Finding and living a path with heart- Mindfulness, breath, attention, noting, and the Buddha- Meditation and having an ‘in-body experience’- Kundalini and opening the energy body- Learning to handle both pleasure and pain- Buddha and finding the Middle Way- The healing of reconnecting with our senses and world around us- What addictions really mean in an addicted society- Facing our suffering as the gateway to the precious mystery of life- Reading children’s direct messages to GodDiscover your great joy and love in Jack’s life-changing new online journey beginning Sept 9 – The Awakened Heart: Discovering Great Joy and Love – Sign up at bit.ly/TheAwakenedHeart“There’s a healing that comes just in reconnecting with the senses and the world around us.” – Jack Kornfield“As we begin to practice together, we can sense that meditation and spiritual work is to bring a heartfelt awareness to our life, and out of this there comes an awakening or opening, which we call healing.” – Jack KornfieldThis episode recorded in late December 1991 was originally published on DharmaSeed.
This week's Mindrolling is a collection of some of the best moments from Raghu’s interviews with mindfulness and metta experts Joseph Goldstein and Sharon Salzberg.In this special episode:- Clip 1 (Ep. 65): Raghu and Joseph explore the foundations of mindfulness, the influence of habits, and how everything hinges on the tip of motivation.- Clip 2 (Ep. 44): Raghu and Sharon discuss metta practice and practical ways to connect with others through loving-kindness.- Clip 3 (Ep. 224): Raghu and Joseph delve into the realities of mindfulness and how the craving for becoming can hijack our meditation practice.- Clip 4 (Ep. 225): Raghu and Sharon touch on the Eightfold Path, the balance of equanimity and effort, and the universal truth of starting over.- Clip 5 (Ep. 457): Joseph leads a meditation on awareness, beautifully punctuated with a haiku poem.“And we can suffuse the whole field of mindfulness with the feeling of loving-kindness. Friendliness towards our own experience and well-wishing for all others. May all beings be at peace.” – Joseph Goldstein
Deeply unveiling the Buddha’s transformative miracle of awakening, Jack provides a comprehensive guide to finding freedom in everyday life.Discover your great joy and love in Jack's life-changing new online journey beginning Sept 9 – 'The Awakened Heart: Discovering Your Great Joy and Love' at https://bit.ly/TheAwakenedHeart“We’re asked to discover in this dance the possibility of awakening in the midst of our life, to turn what we do into something sacred.” – Jack KornfieldIn this episode, Jack mindfully explores:- What happened to the Buddha when he sat under the Bodhi Tree- What Buddha’s enlightenment means for the world- Bodh Gaya and the possibility of awakening through nature- Buddha’s path as a yogi, and how he dealt with his spiritual powers- The Buddha's miracle of awakening and education- Reflections and questions from the Buddha for how you are living- Keeping freshness and “beginner’s mind” in your practice- Parenting, schooling, and the different styles of education- Finding freedom in the difficulties and direct circumstances of your life- The real possibility of awakening in the midst of life- The Ten Paramitas, Buddhism’s Ten Perfections- What walking meditation is actually about- Why Thich Nhat Hanh does everything slowly and mindfully- Patience, listening, and presence- Spiritual life as the education of awakening- Listening deeply for the Tao, Dharma, truth“Spiritual life kindles in us an interest, an attention, a passion to awaken.” – Jack Kornfield“Meditation is the art of doing what we do and bringing our senses, our heart, our whole being to that.” – Jack KornfieldThis episode recorded on 10/01/1990 was originally published on DharmaSeed.
In this fresh Dharma Talk, Jack reveals how listening from the heart can empower you to transform yourself and the world.This episode is brought to you by Betterhelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/heartwisdom and get on your way to being your best self.“Difficult times call on our best spirit.” – Jack KornfieldIn this fresh episode, Jack mindfully explores:Navigating life skillfully through difficult timesHow we can change ourselves and the world through true listeningThe two dimensions of mindfulness: Sati (mindful presence) and Sampajanna (mindful response)How deep listening leads to compassionate responseUsing our difficulties as doorways of opportunity to help us awakenReflecting on how we respond to the troubles of the worldThe art of listening and how it brings us into the present momentHow taking a “sacred pause” leads to more possibilitiesThe childlike playfulness and joy between His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Archbishop Desmond TutuJack tells a transformational and moving story of Dr. Yeshi Dhonden, the miraculous Tibetan physician.How all the problems and conflicts of the world are symptoms, and the solution is in the human heartActivism, service, and helping with an open heartListening deeply to sense the universal truths of realityThe powerful prayer of Black Elk, the mystical Lakota medicine manListening inwardly, tending the heart, and honing your intuition“The very difficulties you have are the place that truly awakens the heart.” – Jack Kornfield“Quiet the mind, take time, tend the heart, listen inwardly, listen to one another, listen to the earth—and you will know what to do.” – Jack KornfieldThis Dharma Talk originally took place for the Spirit Rock Monday Night Dharma Talk and Guided Meditation on 4/15/24. To join his next livestream, please check out Jack’s events calendar.
For the first episode of The Four Sacred Gifts Podcast, Anita Sanchez sits down with Māori healer Donna Kerridge for a conversation about re-connecting to Mother Earth and healing the land and the people who live on it.In this episode, Anita Sanchez dives into:Biodiversity and the lands of Indigenous peopleThe interconnectivity of nature and humansIncorporating modern medicine with Indigenous knowledgeHow losing connection to Mother Earth and community can cause anxiety and other health issuesThe individual gifts that we bring into the worldBeing inclusive and finding our sense of home and belonging in the worldHealing the vitality of people and placeTalking to people, not corporationsHow laws will never change the lore that underpins human lifeMaintaining a balance between appropriation and welcoming others into Indigenous communitiesAbout Donna Kerridge:Donna Kerridge is a Rongoā Māori (traditional Māori healing) practitioner from Waikato, Aotearoa New Zealand who is deeply connected to our Earth and her wisdom. She is a humble advocate, healer and leader, passionate about Indigenous practices that focus on healing and restoring our people and our Whenua (land). Donna is able to walk with ease in corporate and policy circles, bridging Western approaches with Indigenous Māori approaches to enable us to bring the best of our collective gifts forward. She advises the New Zealand Ministry of Health to shape policy, lectures, and educates people of all ages in Rongoā, has studied Western health science and a range of Indigenous healing practices, and is a sought-after leader.“I want to remind everybody that we are all indigenous somewhere; some of us have just become disconnected. I think it is the job of all of us to connect to our roots, even if it is through the roots of the land that you now reside upon.” – Donna Kerridge
Exploring the meaning of non-clinging, Joseph Goldstein outlines the three types of cravings explained by the Buddha.This episode is the fifth part of an in-depth 48-part weekly lecture series from Joseph Goldstein that delves into every aspect of the Satipatthana Sutta, one of the most celebrated and widely studied discourses in the Pāli Canon of Theravada Buddhism. If you are just jumping into the series, listen to Insight Hour Ep. 203 to follow along and get the full experience: https://youtu.be/RfuH9O7DS4oIn this episode of the Satipatthana Sutta series, Joseph Goldstein discusses:- How craving can consume our entire being - The thirst for sense pleasures and how they keep us dependent - How society feeds and fosters our sense of desire and craving - Clinging to and longing for certain mind-states- The primal thirst for continued existence - How expectation takes out of the present moment - Abiding in empty, open awareness- The craving for non-existence during painful times - Dependence through view and the felt sense of "I"- How to accomplish the deconstruction of self “When in the seen just the seen, in the heard just the heard, in the sense just the sensed, in the cognized just the cognized, then you will not be influenced by what arises, not carried away by craving.” – Joseph GoldsteinThis talk was originally published on Dharmaseed
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.orgIn this episode, Nipun and Raghu chat about: Nipun’s upbringing and finding the infinity behind each momentLiving a life of serviceUsing artificial intelligence for inner transformation and the emergence of compassionFear of AI versus it’s potential positive usesCollective heart Intelligence versus today’s artificial intelligenceTaking care of others as others take care of youNipun and his wife’s pilgrimage through IndiaLooking at what we can do to offer kindness to the worldBeing sustainable through being relatedThe physical and emotional rewards of being generousShifting from transaction into relationshipAbout 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
In this special episode originally airing on television’s Thinking Allowed series, Jeffrey Mishlove interviews Jack Kornfield about meditation, mindfulness, and self-acceptance.Want fresh Jack teachings delivered to your inbox? Sign up for Jack’s newsletter for weekly free content from JackKornfield.com – guided meditations, Dharma Talks, articles, and more! JackKornfield.com/newsletter“The purpose of meditation is to make people happy.” – Jack KornfieldIn this special television episode, Jeffrey Mishlove interviews Jack about:How western psychology and science fits together with eastern spirituality and meditationWhether Jack preferred getting his Ph.D. or his time at the Buddhist monasteryThe three aspects of Buddhist practice: generosity, ethics/virtue, training of heart/mindHow what we practice, positive or negative, grows in our lifeSpiritual bypass and mediation as an escapeVipassana meditation and seeing clearlyOvercoming the “near enemies” in BuddhismEquanimity, balance, centering, and fearlessnessMeditation in action and engaging mindfully with the worldFacing our fears and confronting ourselves in meditation practiceSelf-acceptance and learning to care for oneselfNot being so afraid of what’s painfulUncovering the basic mechanics of meditationReleasing tensions, unskillful concepts, and our limited sense of selfPsychic abilities and intuitionAwareness and moving past our thoughtsUsing meditation to relate deeper to your inner life“Meditative awareness has a healing quality to it.” – Jeffrey Mishlove“One of the tenets of Buddhism is that the heart, body, and mind can all be trained. That is, if you practice something, it will gradually grow in your life.” – Jack KornfieldAbout Jeffrey Mishlove:Jeffrey Mishlove, Ph.D., is a licensed clinical psychologist, an accomplished radio and television interviewer, and one of the most erudite and articulate personalities on television. Jeffrey holds the only doctoral diploma in parapsychology to be awarded by an accredited American university. Learn more about Dr. Mishlove and his ongoing offerings and interviews at newthinkingallowed.com
Unraveling the mystery of who you truly are, Jack reveals mindfulness as the gateway to liberation within the ever-changing river of life.This episode is brought to you by Betterhelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/heartwisdom and get on your way to being your best self.“Mindfulness, in the Buddhist tradition, is said to be the gateway to liberation, the gateway to that which is eternal, to the timeless or the deathless.” – Jack KornfieldIn this episode, Jack mindfully explores:- Mindfulness as the gateway to liberation- The Buddha’s Eightfold Path and the Middle Way- Sacred attention, receptivity, and sensitivity- The prayer of Mad Bear, a magical Iroquois medicine man- Overcoming worry in the present moment- Rumi’s transformational poem, The Guest House- Awareness of breath, body, mind states, feelings, dharma, and the laws of nature- Using mindfulness as a vehicle to discover who we really are- Eternity, time, timelessness, change, and becoming deathless- What it was like when Thich Nhat Hanh visited Spirit Rock- Entering the “river of life,” humanity’s collective pains, joys, etc- Dealing with attachment, aversion, grief, and suffering- Working spiritually with our dreams- Stepping out of the bureaucracy of ego, thought, and mind- The freedom of identifying with “the witness”- Liberation as both practical and radical“Reality comes out of nothing, exists according to certain patterns, and then disappears. To know this frees us. To not know it, we are bound. This recognition brings us face to face with the mystery.” – Jack Kornfield“To become mindful is to become free, to have the capacity to step out of the rat race, the speed, the complexity and be who we are, be true to our hearts. There comes a great balance and ease with that. In any moment, we stop the war, we stop the conflict, we come back to be as the Buddha sits, as the Buddha walks, as the Buddha speaks, where we are, just present and alive.” – Jack KornfieldThis Dharma Talk recorded on 3/1/1992 was originally published on DharmaSeed.
This week, Buddhist Teacher Gil Fronsdal explores our quality of well-being and how we can cultivate ease, happiness, and contentment on the path to inner liberation.In this talk on cultivating well-being through Buddhist practice, Gil touches on:- Happiness as something we do not pursue, but cultivate by creating and recognizing conditions for it- The “three breath journey” meditation practice, which helps to shift perception and be present- Developing clarity and ease through mindfulness practice- Transforming challenging emotions and experiences by befriending them non-judgmentally- Physical presence and awareness in the body as a part of cultivating well-being- Experimenting with different mindfulness techniques to find what brings you joy and ease“We create the conditions for happiness, and we learn to recognize the conditions that bring it forth. But we try not to be the cause of happiness, but we are cultivating happiness and well-being.” – Gil Fronsdal
Joseph Goldstein offers insight on deepening our understanding of impermanence by growing our awareness of the constant change that surrounds us.This episode is the fourth part of an in-depth 48-part weekly lecture series from Joseph Goldstein that delves into every aspect of the Satipatthana Sutta, one of the most celebrated and widely studied discourses in the Pāli Canon of Theravada Buddhism. If you are just jumping into the series, listen to Insight Hour Ep. 203 to follow along and get the full experience: https://youtu.be/RfuH9O7DS4oThis time on Insight Hour, Joseph Goldstein explores: Seeing the momentariness of phenomenaThe liberating effect of presence moment awarenessThe power of wholesome activities and the karmic effect of givingUnreliability within that which is impermanentBeing dispassionate and not caught up in the grit of desireThe stories and drama we engage with in our livesWitnessing changes in the world around usRefining our perception of changeThe mirror of the dhammaHaving unbroken confidence in the path of awakeningConsciousness in the process of dyingGrab a copy of the book Joseph references throughout this series, Satipaṭṭhāna: The Direct Path to Realization, HEREThis talk was originally published on Dharmaseed“Somehow, we are so conditioned to count on things staying a certain way, of staying stable. Or, if they’re going to change, that they should only change for the better, the way we’d like things to be. But, that’s not how it is, there is no evidence to support that. All we have to do is open up and look around and pay attention in the most obvious of ways. This is not a subtle meditative attainment; it is all around us.” – Joseph Goldstein
In conversation with listeners, Ramdev explains how prayer unites us with God and prepares us to receive grace.This week on Healing at the Edge, RamDev teaches us about: Prayer as the foundation of every religionHaving faith in the boundless qualities of GodLoving God with passionDifferent levels of prayerHow prayer unites us with God and prepares us for receiving graceAdmitting our humanness within our prayersListener perspectives on different styles of prayerPraying for help from our ancestors and for the healing of othersPrayer as an invitation for God to enter the heartHealing from shame and gradually trusting our inner wholeness“Prayer is the action of being able to receive the blessing of the sun. The warmth, the connectedness of the sunshine. We learn not only to pray for ourselves, but for all beings.” – RamDev
Exploring how to direct energy in a wise way, Jack shares how embracing Sacred Effort nourishes joy, ease, beauty, equanimity, mindfulness, and loving kindness in your life.Want fresh Jack teachings delivered to your inbox? Sign up for Jack’s newsletter at JackKornfield.com/newsletter for weekly free content – guided meditations, Dharma Talks, articles, and more!"Right Effort, or Wise Energy, most fundamentally is the effort to pay attention, the effort to be present, awake, and see what is true in front of us. Out of all the kinds of efforts we can make, the most fundamental wise effort in spiritual life is to be where we are and see it clearly, to be conscious, or mindful." – Jack KornfieldIn this episode, Jack mindfully explores:Directing the energy of your life to be awake, aware, and presentSeeing the Eightfold Path as a lotus or mandalaCarlos Castaneda, impeccability, and becoming a spiritual warriorHow to wake yourself up from sleepwalking through your lifeHaving a full heart, deep attention, and clear seeingThe two levels of spiritual friends and spiritual practiceUsing suffering to develop a wise heartRemembering death and impermanenceWhat Jack taught his daughter about deathBowing to our difficult emotions and moving onDisentangling ourselves from greed, fear, and obsessionNourishing equanimity, ease, joy, beauty, and loving kindnessTending each moment as if you were planting a seedBalance and the Buddha stringing the luteRamana Maharshi and the wisdom of letting goMaking your life and activity an expression of the Tao"The teaching of Right Effort or Wise Effort is a reminder of our nobility. It is a reminder of the human inspiration of spirit not just to get through our lives, but to honor it, to respect it, to be present for it, to delight in it." – Jack Kornfield"Unclench the heart, steady yourself, and be present for things as they are, and then your activity becomes an expression of your awakening, it becomes a vehicle for the Tao." – Jack KornfieldThis Dharma Talk recorded on 3/1/1992 was originally published on DharmaSeed.
In this Q&A session from 1990, Ram Dass talks about service, karma, alcoholism, the concept of eternity, cultivating the intuitive heart, experiencing the feeling of coming home, and more.This show is brought to you by Magic Mind, a matcha-based energy shot infused with nootropics and adaptogens designed to crush procrastination, brain fog, & fatigue. Use the code RAMDASS at checkout to get up to 50% off your subscription: Magic MindListen to this podcast ad-free and support these great talks from the Ram Dass Archive. 7-day free trial: patreon.com/RamDassPodcastOur episode is from a Q&A session during a talk in Oklahoma City in May of 1990.Ram Dass begins by addressing questions about Hatha yoga, the concept of eternity, and where we can start when it comes to service. He talks about listening inwardly to hear the unique part we can play.Next up, Ram Dass explores dealing with alcoholism, cultivating qualities such as compassion and sympathetic joy, the concept of karma and our unique karmic predicaments, and experiencing the feeling of coming home into the harmony of all things.Finally, Ram Dass talks about some of the figures he admires, cultivating the intuitive heart, and how to deal with the seductive appeal of intensity. What we can do is cultivate the quality of the Witness within ourselves that notices when we get taken and lost in the drama of life. Want to participate in the discussion about this episode of Here and Now? Join us for the SoulPod Meet-Up on July 30th at 8 p.m. EDT.“I’ll tell you, I experience that as I keep opening my heart and accept my part in the sea of humanity, in the process of it, and start to allow that quality of compassion to come forth, I experience the feeling of coming home. I feel like I come home into family, I come home into place, I come home into the harmony of things. I think that the conditions are available for us to feel that feeling. I think as each individual feels it, then they become an instrument through which others feel it. I think it is a heart-to-heart process of coming home into that feeling of being at home.” – Ram Dass
Continuing his exploration of the Satipatthana Sutta, Joseph discusses mindfulness as the vehicle for all spiritual undertakings.This episode is the third part of an in-depth 48-part weekly lecture series from Joseph Goldstein that delves into every aspect of the Satipatthana Sutta, one of the most celebrated and widely studied discourses in the Pāli Canon of Theravada Buddhism. If you are just now jumping into the Satipatthana Sutta series, listen to Insight Hour Ep. 203 to follow along and get the full experience!This time on Insight Hour, Joseph Goldstein discusses: The mental qualities that are necessary for the path of awakeningHow mindfulness makes any spiritual undertaking possibleHow small efforts we take in our daily practice can greatly impact the larger pictureThe noble task of purifying the mind and heartReflecting on the Buddha, dharma, and sanghaThe difference between self-judgement and contemplating our sila (right conduct)How the whole of the dharma is revealed through receptive listeningMindfulness as a guardian of the sense storesAvoiding the proliferation of wanting and discontentHow mindfulness balances faith and wisdom, effort and concentrationMindfulness as a tool to notice the habit patterns we are conditioned intoThe nature of the mind as peacefulThis recording was originally published by Dharmaseed“It’s that sense of just the whole of the dharma being revealed in this place of listening, of receptive awareness, of open awareness, when we aren’t trying to control things or make things happen but we’re letting things be revealed. This quality of sati, of mindfulness, of listening, has tremendous power... It’s mindfulness which makes any spiritual undertaking possible.” – Joseph Goldstein
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 religionJamie’s experience with psychedelics and Ram DassZen as the atheism of religionMaharaj-ji and incorporating multiple religionsHow music connects us to religionBeing led to Jesus ChristThe importance of Sangha and connecting to the communitySeeing the beauty in all faiths rather than being restrictiveHow Jesus set us free for freedomAbout 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:https://www.youtube.com/@UCyT_eLBgnKUBmE7q9g0iu0g “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
Revealing how to smoothly navigate the cycles of spiritual life in openness, stillness, and intimacy, Jack explores the transformative beauty of living the Dharma.This episode is brought to you by Betterhelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/heartwisdom and get on your way to being your best self.“There are different cycles. They are natural for us. We breathe in and out. Our heart opens and closes. Your heart isn’t supposed to stay open all the time, even flowers close at night. So don’t get some idea you’re supposed to be some certain state or some certain way. It’s more about flexibility, listening, and honoring what cycle you are in in your life.” – Jack KornfieldIn this episode, Jack mindfully explores:- Navigating the cycles of spiritual life- Spiritual practice as a voyage, a journey- Openness and the necessity of letting go- What we can learn from the change of seasons- Cultivating the courage to live a spiritual life- Rumi’s poem of the wisdom of the bird in the trap- The peace of rejecting nothing whatsoever- How Jack had to work his way down the chakras instead of up- Embodying and experiencing your feelings- Stillness, simplicity, intimacy and reconnecting with the earth- A perspective-shifting Buddhist meditation on death and good deeds- Overcoming self-judgement and unworthiness- Non-attachment and commitment in relationships- A tantric master’s wisdom on overcoming burnout- The Dalai Lama’s surprising advice to Jack“When you look back over your life, what really matters is, ‘How well have I loved?’ And that love is never done in generalities. It’s always done in a moment with a tree, or a spider, or a person that you meet, or a person close to you.” – Jack Kornfield“In some way in life, that’s all that people around us want if you look—people mostly just want to be listened to and acknowledged.” – Jack KornfieldFor free teachings and meditations from Jack delivered to your inbox weekly, along with new courses, upcoming events, and more, sign up for Jack's newsletter at JackKornfield.com/newsletterThis Dharma Talk recorded on 7/14/1990 was originally published on DharmaSeed.
For episode 244 Valerie Mason-John makes their first appearance on the Metta Hour to speak about their new book, “First Aid Kit for the Mind: Breaking the Cycle of Habitual Behaviors”.Valerie is a founding facilitator of Compassionate Inquiry and the author of eleven books, including the award-winning book, “Eight Step Recovery.” They are a co-founder of the training program, Mindfulness Based Addiction Recovery, and work as a public speaker in the field of Mindfulness for Addiction and Trauma.In this conversation, Valerie and Sharon discuss:How lovingkindness saved Valerie’s lifeHow Valerie became the “Bully Doctor”Valerie’s journey in recoveryThe importance of community in recoveryRecovery CafeGabor Mate’s Compassionate InquiryThoughts are not factsFirst-Aid Kit for the MindThe breath is medicineWhat is still true? What can we rely on?Dharma: that which we can rely onThich Naht Hanh’s influence on ValerieHow to maintain mindfulness The role of Storytelling in Valerie’s workHow story compounds addictionPlaywriting and poetry as social justiceValerie closes the conversation with a guided meditation LOVE from their new book, First Aid Kit for the Mind. Learn more about Valarie’s work on their website right here.
Through the inspiration of Sufism, Matt Winkler describes how he merged the business world with spirituality to form heart-centered companies and find financial freedom.This time on The Indie Spiritualist, Matt and Chris chat about:Matt’s youth and leaving for California with only the shirt on his backBuilding his own business out of his apartmentGetting below the hood of painHow meeting a Sufi healer taught Matt to go into his heart-spaceWalking through the door of the ego and surrenderingBuilding a trusting relationship with the divineSufism as a sweet, mystical path rather than a rule-centered religionMerging the material world with the spiritual worldAdvice on having a conscious relationship with moneyMatt’s experience with chronic stress, burnout, and auto-immune diseaseFinding financial freedom and learning about passive incomeAllowing ourselves to experience abundanceExamining what we really want, finding purpose, and taking actionAbout Matt Winkley:Matt Winkley is a businessman and mystic who doesn’t see a difference between the spiritual world and the external world, finding meaning in both. He built companies with integrity and has a passion for bringing spiritual principles into the workplace. Matt studied intensely under the tutelage of the great spiritual Sufi master Sidi Muhammad al-Jamal. During these years of study Matt transformed himself from the inside out. Taking these teachings into the area of business, Matt seamlessly integrated both worlds, creating unique leadership styles and heart centered business practices. As a savvy investor Matt was able to create financial freedom in his 30’s and now uses his time to give back. He mentors young conscious entrepreneurs, teaches meditation classes and supports charitable causes. Keep up with Matt on his Instagram.“I think you can be a cautious, spiritual, heart-centered person and have abundance. I don’t believe money changes you, I think it amplifies you. I think if you’re a kind, generous, heart-driven person, you’ll be able to do more of that with resources.” – Matt Winkley
Jack Kornfield delves into the simplicity of goodness and virtue in a talk spanning Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche, Amma-ji, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Napoleon, and Rumi.Want fresh Jack teachings delivered to your inbox? Sign up for Jack’s newsletter for weekly free content from JackKornfield.com – guided meditations, Dharma Talks, articles, and more at JackKornfield.com/newsletter“I believe within us, within the human heart and human consciousness, is an innate love of honesty and a joy in virtue, straightforwardness, and the simplicity of goodness.” – Jack KornfieldIn this episode, Jack mindfully explores:- Buddhism, virtue, and the Five Precepts- Ahimsa – the blessing of non-harming- The chilling note Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche wrote when he escaped Tibet- Taking a fearless moral inventory- Honesty and the simplicity of goodness- What Buddha learned in his past lives- Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and standing up for truth- Adi-Sila – spontaneous or innate virtue, the shining of the just heart- The Tibetan Buddhist perspective on reincarnation- Jack’s meeting with “hugging saint,” Amma-ji, archetype of the Divine Mother- Finding your Buddha Nature, Tao, and Dharma- Rumi’s brilliant poem about ducks- Interdependence and connectedness- Deep philosophical questions and contemplations from Jack- Napoleon, the sword, and the spirit“Meditation or spiritual life asks us to look at our actions and pay attention to how we actually live.” – Jack Kornfield“We’re all in it together, we’re all connected, we all support one another.” – Jack KornfieldThis Dharma Talk recorded on 6/1/1990 at Spirit Rock Meditation Center was originally published on DharmaSeed.
Ram Dass explores the paradox of suffering a spiritual person lives with, the perfection of it all, better living through chemistry, how we’re touched by grace, and the path of service and love.Listen to this podcast ad-free and support these great talks from the Ram Dass Archive. 7-day free trial: patreon.com/RamDassPodcastToday’s podcast is sponsored by Magic Mind, a matcha-based energy shot infused with nootropics and adaptogens designed to crush procrastination, brain fog, & fatigue. Use the code RAMDASS at checkout to get up to 50% off your subscription: Magic MindThis episode of Here and Now continues the talk from Here and Now Ep. 254—The Up-Level. It was recorded at a meeting of the San Francisco Christian Community in 1978: https://youtu.be/l0DdPR6-F2kRam Dass begins by explaining the paradox a spiritual person lives with when it comes to suffering and the perfection of all things. He touches on karma and righteousness.Ram Dass talks about how he came into spirituality through his experimentation with psychedelics and better living through chemistry. He explores the power of the mystical experience, motivations for service in the face of suffering, and the limits we place on ourselves by defining who we are. Ram Dass touches on our attachment to our methods, and how we’re all touched by grace. We can fight it all we want, but we can’t fall out of grace. He tells the story of how he began to give up his anger and ends the talk with an exploration of love. For Ram Dass, his path was simply one of service and of love.“We have been touched. We have been touched by grace. That’s what we’re doing here. That’s why we’re in this room rather than at movies or out getting more and more sensual gratification at a punk rock concert or whatever. The reason we are here is because we’ve touched something. That is the grace, that is the thing. It has happened.” – Ram Dass
Teaching a nature retreat amidst softly chirping birds and cooling rain, Jack, Pema Chödrön, and Ajahn Sumedho illuminate joyful insights of monastic life.This episode is brought to you by Betterhelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/heartwisdom and get on your way to being your best self."Mostly what draws people to monastic life in the healthiest and best sense is its joy." – Jack KornfieldIn this special outdoor retreat, Jack, Pema Chödrön, and Ajahn Sumedho explore:- Chanting the powerful seed syllable mantra, "Ah"- Joys and misconceptions of monastic life in modern times- Why someone would take vows and become a monk or nu- Kabir's poetry, being human, and walking the spiritual path- Sexuality and celibacy in spiritual communities- Relating to both ultimate and relative reality- Dealing with the body in physically taxing situations- Working with injustice, inequality, and hierarchy within monasteries and spiritual institutions- The nature of change and how our present creates our future- Open-heartedness and open-mindedness- Living the Dharma every second of our existence- Letting our issues be our teachers- A surprise Q&A appearance from Heart Wisdom family, Brother David Steindl-Rast, along with Ajahn Sundara, and Sister Columba"Quite clearly the future is the result of how we work with our minds now. To the degree that we open our hearts and minds to the present moment, that creates our future." – Pema Chödrön"I like to reflect that the Buddha only taught two things: suffering and the end of suffering." – Ajahn SumedhoAbout Pema Chödrön:Pema Chödrön is a Buddhist teacher in the lineage of Chögyam Trungpa. She served as the director of Karma Dzong, in Boulder, until moving in 1984 to rural Cape Breton, Nova Scotia to be the director of Gampo Abbey. Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche asked her to work towards the establishment of a monastery for western monks and nuns. Check out her new book, How We Live Is How We Die, and learn more at PemaChodronFoundation.orgAbout Ajahn Sumedho:Ajahn Sumedho is a prominent teacher in the Thai Forest Tradition of Theravāda Buddhism. He was ordained in 1967, trained under Ajahn Chah, and has been instrumental in helping bring Buddha's teachings to the West. Learn more about Ajahn Sumedho in Teachings of a Buddhist Monk, including a forward by Jack.This Dharma Talk recorded on 5/26/1990 on the land which would become Spirit Rock Meditation Center was originally published on DharmaSeed.
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 richesRecognizing how we are a part of everything in the universeHow meditation helped Henry stop limping through lifeTranscendental meditation and being religious about our practiceAcknowledging our suppressed emotions and working through them with the help of therapyHenry’s time as a trombonist in London calypso bandsTaking on an altruistic perspective to improve your lifeHow meditation does so much more than mitigate stressThe early Buddhist view of mindfulnessInterrupting our constant mental commentary by focusing on bodily sensationsThe experiential reality of unity, emptiness, and boundlessnessBreaking open our hearts through any religion or experienceTapping into unconditional love for ourselves and othersAbout 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
Kicking off a multi-part course on the teachings of the Satipatthana Sutta, Joseph offers insight into how we can apply the wisdom of this ancient Buddhist discourse on mindfulness to our daily lives and practice.This episode is the first part of an in-depth 48-part weekly lecture series from Joseph Goldstein that delves into every aspect of the Satipatthana Sutta, one of the most celebrated and widely studied discourses in the Pāli Canon of Theravada Buddhism.In this episode of Insight Hour, Joseph Goldstein delves into: Meditation as the simplest way of looking at the mind and bodyVipassana’s roots in the Satipatthana SuttaBreaking down the translation of SatipatthanaThe four foundations or abidings in mindfulnessFocusing on the attitude of being awareThe variety of meanings for DukkhaCraving as the cause of sufferingStrengthening the quality of ardency for our practiceHow transience can spur feelings of passion and careReflecting on the weight of our actionsWisdom and clear comprehensionWhy our practice is not just for ourselves aloneGrab a copy of the book Joseph references throughout this series, Satipaṭṭhāna: The Direct Path to Realization, HEREThis recording was originally published by Dharmaseed“The last reflection that helps establish us in ardent practice is realizing that the only things that can be said to truly belong to us are the actions that we perform and their subsequent fruits.” – Joseph Goldstein
Reflecting on the inevitable truth of suffering, JoAnna Hardy explains what we do have jurisdiction over: our action, speech and mind.This time on the BHNN Guest Podcast, JoAnna Hardy explains:Recognizing the first noble truth of suffering all around usBreaking down what we cannot control in lifeHow resistance toward the inevitable causes sufferingReflecting on our ability to control our internal world (priorities, attitudes, etc.)How our speech and actions are in our jurisdictionCultivating a wise, steady, and skillful heart and mindThe mind as our sixth senseThe way we latch on to the stories we tell ourselvesHow one mind-state can feed into anotherRetraining the phenomena of our habitsThe relief we can feel when we let go of what we cannot controlAbout JoAnna Hardy:JoAnna Hardy is an insight meditation (Vipassanā) practitioner and teacher; she is on faculty at the University of Southern California, a meditation trainer at Apple Fitness+, a founding member of the Meditation Coalition, a teacher’s council member at Spirit Rock Meditation Center, a visiting retreat teacher at Insight Meditation Society, and a collaborator on many online meditation Apps and programs. Her greatest passion is to teach meditation in communities that are dedicated to seeing the truth of how racism, gender inequality and oppression go hand in hand with the compassionate action teachings in Buddhism and related perspectives to social and racial justice.This recording was originally published on Dharmaseed.org“When we sit here and deeply pay attention to this process of the mind, it’s so fascinating. What is under my control, what can I control? Pay attention every time you have a mind moment to what you do with it and to it, and how you hold it, and what you decide your next mind moment is going to be.” – JoAnna Hardy
For episode 243, we are continuing the Fireside Chat Series on the Metta Hour with guest Tuere Sala.This series features intimate conversations with longtime dharma teachers about the early days of their practice and the most impactful moments with their own teachers. Hosted by IMS Online, the third episode in this series. Tuere Sala is a Guiding Teacher at Seattle Insight Meditation Society and the founding teacher of the Capitol Hill Meditation Group. She is a retired prosecuting attorney who has practiced Vipassana meditation for over 30 years. Tuere has been teaching since 2010 and has a long history of assisting others in establishing and maintaining a daily practice. The conversation begins with a guided meditation from Tuere.In this episode, Sharon and Tuere discuss:What drew Tuere to the DharmaTuere’s work as a prosecutorFinding steadiness without fixing thingsHow sangha supports practiceSpiritual practice is not just about fixing what we don’t likeDeath is not a failureSuffering as poetry Sympathetic JoyHow gratitude cultivates energyTuere’s Christian faith The three refugesThe effects of guilt in our lives Tuere’s challenges with compassion What Tuere’s practice looks likeThe Thai Forrest Tradition Sharon’s favorite Dharma quote You can learn more about Tuere’s work on her website right here. Learn more about IMS Online right here.
Jack and trauma expert, Peter A Levine, PhD, map the path to healing through imagination, curiosity, somatic experiencing, and loving awareness.Want fresh Jack teachings delivered to your inbox? Join Jack's newsletter for weekly free content from JackKornfield.com – guided meditations, Dharma Talks, articles, and more! Sign up at JackKornfield.com/newsletter“Healing has to be coming together through the minute particulars in the body and in the story that’s actually our experience and not some idea about it.” – Jack KornfieldIn this fresh conversation, Jack and Dr. Levine dive into:- Mapping trauma and the path to healing suffering- A relaxing Jack “Just Here: Guided Meditation” on loving awareness- How An Autobiography of Trauma led to Peter’s powerful healing journey- Working with the astrological and Jungian archetype of Chiron, the Wounded Healer- Somatic Experiencing and the roots of healing trauma in the body- The transformative aspects of meeting trauma with loving kindness and persistence- Curiosity as a necessary factor of enlightenment- How the gift of Jack’s childhood trauma led him to discover Buddhism- Imagination and Peter’s mystical meet-ups with Albert Einstein- Miracles, intuition, and psychic premonition/knowing- What Jack shared with his scientific-materialist atheist father on his deathbed- Our inseparable connection and recognition that it’s always “us” in this web of life“The whole notion that we are separate is a fabrication. We are in a field of consciousness.” – Jack KornfieldAbout Peter A Levine, PhD:Dr. Peter A. Levine has worked in the field of stress and trauma for over 40 years, is the developer of the Somatic Experiencing method, and founder of the Ergos Institute of Somatic Education. To connect more with Peter’s teachings, pick up a copy of his illuminating book, An Autobiography of Trauma: A Healing Journey, and sign up for his upcoming classes and programs at SomaticExperiencing.comThis conversation was originally filmed on 5/24/24 by the Ergos Institute of Somatic Experiencing as a community health somatic support benefit for MathMoms in Cape Town, South Africa. Learn more about this compassionate initiative here at mathmoms.co.za
In a talk from 1978, Ram Dass explores stepping onto the spiritual path, different planes of consciousness, the process of awakening, and the spiritual up-level game we can get caught in.Today’s podcast is also brought to you by Magic Mind, a matcha-based energy shot infused with nootropics and adaptogens designed to crush procrastination, brain fog, & fatigue. Use the code RAMDASS at checkout to get up to 50% off your subscription: Magic MindThis episode of Here and Now comes from a 1978 recording of a talk Ram Dass gave at a meeting of the Christian Community of San Francisco.Ram Dass begins by speaking about the ups and downs of stepping onto the spiritual path, and how the nature of his personal journey had to do with the relationship of thought forms to the universe. There are more ways to know the universe beyond the rational, analytic mind, including intuition.Using meditation as an example, Ram Dass explores how we can lessen our identification with our thinking mind and start identifying more with our awareness. He talks about the different planes of consciousness on which we exist, from the physical and psychological planes to the plane where we’re all one. Ram Dass describes the process of awakening as a process of extricating ourselves from attachment to any of these planes. He talks about the confusion people encounter as they jump from plane to plane and the spiritual up-level game that people can get caught in. Ultimately, what we have to realize is that there’s no place to stand. We’ve got to allow it all, all of the time. “‘Peter, it’s your turn to do the dishes.’ Peter answers, ‘We’re all one.’ Now, it is true we are all one, and it’s also true that it’s your turn to do the dishes. That’s what would be called a confusion of levels, you see. That’s what was known as the up-level in the original jargon of the consciousness movement. That was the up-level. You up-level everybody. Whatever they said, you just jumped one level up. Then you get the penultimate where somebody is saying, ‘It’s all nothing, it’s all empty, there is nothing, there’s nowhere.’ Then you’d say, ‘Yes, but do the dishes.’ And that would be your new up-level, that would be the twist.” – Ram Dass
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 HesseThe book Siddhartha and embarking on a spiritual searchDescents into decadence and an attachment to the material worldEmbracing everything that is in front of usComparing lessons from Ram Dass and Hermann HesseThe inevitability of sufferingHow World War II likely influenced Hesse’s understanding of suffering and isolationLiving on more than one plane of consciousnessThe book Steppenwolf and Carl Jung’s conceptualization of the shadowFear and owning up to ourselvesRaghu’s experience at the Garchen Buddhist InstituteThe problem with media and accessing constant informationAssuming an altruistic perspectiveAbout 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
Exploring the themes in his new book, Confidence, Ethan Nichtern chats with his dad, David, about vulnerability, truth, and the state of the world.Check out this upcoming course from Ethan Nichtern based around his new book HERE: https://www.dharmamoon.com/confidence-and-windhorseIn this episode, we learn about:Ethan’s new book and what real confidence isFalse confidence and manipulationThe current political environment and seeking the truthWhy authenticity is so importantExamples of people who radiate confidence and light the candles of othersHow sadness can be an authentic response to the state of the worldThe Eight Worldly Winds and practicing confidenceHow we are all vulnerable to imposter syndromeAwareness and tuning into our inner knowing to avoid being caught in emotionsRemembering our powerful and tender heartsAbout Ethan Nichtern:Ethan Nichtern is a Buddhist teacher, and is the author of the acclaimed book The Road Home: A Contemporary Exploration of the Buddhist Path, which was selected as one of Library Journal’s Best Books of 2015, and one of Tech Insider’s “9 Books That Define 2015.” He also wrote The Dharma of The Princess Bride: What The Coolest Fairy Tale of Our Time Can Teach Us About Buddhism and Relationships and most recently, Confidence: Holding Your Seat through Life’s Eight Worldly Winds.For the past 20+ years, Ethan has taught meditation and Buddhist psychology classes and workshops around New York City and North America and Europe, along with working with students privately. He has primarily studied in the Shambhala and other Tibetan traditions, but has also studied Theravadan and Soto Zen Buddhism. He is also an avid yoga practitioner. He served as Shastri, or Senior Teacher-In-Residence, for the Shambhala Meditation Center of New York, from 2010-2018. Continue listening to Ethan on his podcast, The Road Home.“I think there is a compassion element to genuine confidence where you’re using your own confidence to light other people’s candle.” – Ethan Nichtern
For episode 242, Emma Seppälä, Ph.D. returns to the Metta Hour to speak about her new book, “Sovereign: Reclaim Your Freedom, Energy, and Power in a Time of Distraction, Uncertainty, and Chaos.” Emma is a best-selling author, Yale lecturer, and international keynote speaker. She teaches executives at the Yale School of Management and is faculty director of the Yale School of Management’s Women’s Leadership Program. She is also the Science Director of Stanford University’s Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education. A psychologist and research scientist by training, Emma’s expertise is the science of happiness, emotional intelligence, and social connection. In this episode, Sharon and Emma discuss:Emma’s definition of the word “Sovereign”Self-loathing hiding out as self-criticism The toxic relationship with ourselvesThe myths of high-achievers Sharon’s story of facing self-imposed beliefsHow Emma has worked with self-loathingEmma’s first meditation experienceYou have to name it to tame itInternalizing the stories told about usAwareness + courageEmma’s definition of the term “self-compassion”The disempowerment of shameThe research around lovingkindnessHow intuition supports sovereigntyWhat research reveals about meditationThe science of happinessEmma’s study of breath-work for veterans Emma closes the conversation with a guided meditation.
Harmonizing to the 'music of the spheres' & sharing gardening tips from Buddha, a blissful Jack unveils the possibility of sudden awakening.This episode is brought to you by Betterhelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/heartwisdom and get on your way to being your best self."You don't want to wait until you float out of your body when you die and look back and say, 'Wow, that was an amazing incarnation, wasn't it?' You actually want to have it now." – Jack KornfieldIn this fresh video episode, Jack blissfully illuminates:- The wisdom of the Music of the Spheres- The energies of the 2024 Solar Eclipse- Alan Watts on why 'life is like music'- The enlightening present moment- Harmonizing life's opposites like the Tao- Dancing with life's changing rhythms- To be married to amazement and mystery- The beautiful revelation of sudden awakening- Being at the still point of the turning world- Sudden realization, gradual practice, and Zen- Releasing from the body of fear- Buddha's gardening wisdom- The fruits of inner well-being"That's what meditation does, it makes space. We step out of the thrall of our plans, thoughts, reactions, how it should be, what's happened, and what should happen; and out of the fears and the confusion, sadness, excitement, and all those things; and we become the space of loving awareness that says, 'Yes.' It's an act of love." – Jack KornfieldThis Dharma Talk originally took place 3/25/24 for Spirit Rock Meditation Center's Monday Night Dharma Talk and Meditation. Sign up for Jack's next one at JackKornfield.com/events
Discussing her memoir, Lotus Girl, Helen Tworkov and Raghu talk about spiritual quests and experiencing a deeper reality.Get your copy of Lotus Girl: https://www.amazon.com/Lotus-Girl-Crossroads-Buddhism-America/dp/1250321557In this episode, Helen and Raghu talk about: Growing up with tyrannical parentsHow the iconic photo of Thich Quang Duc changed Helen’s lifeBeing orientated to Asia through Psychedelics, out-of-body meditation experiences, and equanimityRaghu’s altered state through the music of John ColtraneHow trying to understand her family lead Helen on a quest for realityHelen’s friendship with Charles MingusStories of the Dalai LamaHolding suffering without letting it define youOur capacity to feel many emotions at the same timeBeing 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
Describing how God is beyond what the mind can conceptualize, Krishna Das reflects on ways to let go and experience oneness.In this episode, Krishna Das describes:Looking for love and beauty inside of ourselvesGod as beyond the conceptualHow Maharaj-ji represents the entire universeWhy we cannot simply run from sufferingBeing of service to others without our ego getting involvedRecognizing the ways we engage in hurtful relationshipsTaking care of ourselves and lightening the load of sufferingMaharaj-ji’s physical body and abilitiesAccomplishing anything through love and devotionThe practice of letting go through dance, chanting, or other forms of releaseWhy Krishna Das has not used psychedelic medicine since the sixtiesLiving in oneness with God all the timeAccepting others as they areToday’s episode originally aired on Krisha Das’ “Hanging Out In the Heart Space” online satsang on June 9th 2022. Be sure to subscribe to Krishna Das on Youtube to get new episodes of “Hanging Out In the Heart Space”, fresh music from KD and more: https://www.youtube.com/@KrishnaDasMusic“Anything you can think of or conceptualize with your mind can’t be God, because God is beyond that. I don’t know what I believe; I believe in love. I believe that Maharaj-ji is the whole universe and Maharaj-ji is that love. The love is where I want to be. I don’t need to know anything more than that.” – Krishna Das
Responding to student questions, Joseph Goldstein invigorates listeners to have faith and confidence in dharma practice.This special group mentorship program recording was originally published on DharmaseedThis week on Insight Hour, Joseph Goldstein answers questions on: Mental noting throughout meditationWorking with a greedy mindDukkha and craving as the fundamental cause of sufferingSmall moments of renunciationThe deepening of concentration over time and why practice is non-linearKeeping confidence in the dharmaDoubt as the most problematic feeling within practiceDealing with shame, depression, unworthiness, and other painful mind-statesBalancing self-knowing and deepening insight into non-selfFear of impermanence and attachment to things staying the same“We really just need to continue doing the practice and have that trust that the dharma will lead us onward, which it does. I’ve seen it in myself and I’ve seen it in thousands of yogis. I have a lot of confidence in that.” – Joseph Goldstein
Revealing how to disentangle your illusions and let go of old identities, Jack paves the way to the mystical present moment.Join Jack online Sat June 22 for The Awakened Heart: Mindfulness and Compassion Practices for Living a Wise and Free Life – a special live daylong retreat exploring lovingkindness, compassion, joy, and peace. Register here: go.spiritrock.org/SR062224“Part of the joy of selflessness is that as we become selfless much greater forces of what life is move through us.” – Jack KornfieldIn this episode, Jack mindfully explores:- Disentangling your illusions- Opening to the paradox of self and no-self- The yogic practice of asking, “Who am I?”- This mystical present moment- How the entire universe is inside your mind- Experiencing selflessness- Why you can’t just ‘no-self’ it away- Moving past your inner-critic, shame, and unworthiness- Listening to, accepting, and loving the shadow- The strength of being grounded on Earth- Working with meaninglessness- Letting go of old identities- Love as the work of a lifetimeThis Dharma Talk estimated to be recorded on 4/23/1990 was originally published on DharmaSeed.“You can’t just ‘no-self’ it away.” – Jack Kornfield“All that you need to do is to keep coming back to the present and what needs to open in you will. You can really trust that.” – Jack Kornfield
Reflecting on Gandhi’s principles, Raghu and Perry Garfinkel discuss sainthood, imperfection, and continued service to others.Get your copy of Perry’s book, Becoming Gandhi, HERE: https://www.amazon.com/Becoming-Gandhi-Living-Mahatmas-Immoral/dp/1683646924/This time on Mindrolling, Perry and Raghu talk about: Bob Dylan, Jazz, and music as a portalPerry’s journey to India looking for Neem Karoli BabaFollowing the footsteps of Mahatma GandhiHow sainthood does not mean you are enlightenedPolarized views of Gandhi and controversy based on gender, race, etc.Acting out empathy in compassionate waysThe six principles of truth, vegetarianism, non-violence, simplicity, faith, and celibacyRe-introducing Gandhi to the next generationSeparating the idea of faith from any rigid religious dogmaTrusting our own unique experiencesAbout Perry Garfinkel:Perry Garfinkel is an author and has been a contributor to the New York Times since 1986, specializing in travel and cultural trends. A veteran journalist who has covered the overlap of East and West for more than thirty years for many major publications, he has been falling on and off the meditation cushion for just as long. He lives on Martha’s Vineyard. “My message in my book is that you do not have to become Gandhi, ridiculously disciplined. But, if you just turn the dial down or up in certain areas, life is about trying to improve yourself.” – Perry Garfinkel
Encouraging listeners to examine their relationships with death and endings, Frank Ostaseski and Chris Grosso talk about living fully.In this deep conversation, Chris and Frank Ostaseski go over:- Death, dying, and what we can learn about living fully- Death as our secret teacher- The relief of impermanence versus the oppression of permanence- Ram Dass’ idea of death being like taking off a tight shoe- Breaking the walls of our identity and living a life that is more curious- Frank’s 5 invitations to living well and dying without regret- Witnessing transition through a different lens- Perspectives on what happens after we die- Being with people who are dying and walking side by side- Working with fear and distinguishing emotion from object- Setting aside our judgments and welcoming experiences“To imagine that at the time of our dying, we’re going to have the mental stability, the emotional strength, the mental clarity to do the work of a lifetime, is a ridiculous gamble. The time for the conversation is now.” – Frank Ostaseski
Omid Safi discusses how modern myths like Star Wars can connect us to Sufism and the mystery of the universe.This time on Sufi Heart, Omid Safi has a discussion on:The story of Moses in the Qur’anMoses’ teacher, ‘the green one’, and Yoda from Star WarsHow myth-makers revive spiritual traditionsThe mythic language found in music and moviesHow Daoist, Muslims, Christians, and more see themselves in ‘the force’Everything as animated and the energy that flows through all thingsRecognizing that we are made of the elements and of GodHow George Lucas asks beautiful questions in subtle waysConsidering the mystery rather than having all of the answersThe many forms that Allah may appear in and finding saints in ordinary peopleHow movies fill a gap when we mistrust formal religion“Luke and Obi-Wan, apprentice and master, this is the very stuff of the Sufi tradition, This is part of that re-enchanting that Star Wars is trying to accomplish. It’s trying to remind us that there are these mysterious ways of the heart, of the soul, of the universe, that we can still learn.” – Omid Safi
Explaining the subtleties of practice and the energy between mind and body, Joseph Goldstein offers both insight and humor to his students.This time on Insight Hour, Joseph Goldstein :- The variety of practice ways to strengthen concentration- Animals and questions on karma in the natural world- Free our minds from fear when nearing the end of our lives- Watching the mystery of life unfolding- The wholesome and unwholesome actions that determine our rebirth- Habitual karma and having a place of refuge from repeated practice- Humility and the understanding of selflessness- Cultivating relationships of equanimity- The ongoing discovery of the mind-body energy system- Sexual desire and the refinement of our sensations- Why neutrality is better than pleasure- The unhelpful ways that we relate to pain- How practice helps with boredom and restlessness- Keeping an effort to pay close attention- Using our precious lives very well“Each of these practices not only addresses a particular conditioning of the mind, they all very much strengthen the power of concentration. It’s just to see how through many different doors we can enter the realm of understanding, taming the mind, coming to a place of stillness where we can really see the essential nature and come to freedom. There are many ways depending on temperament.” – Joseph Goldstein
Exploring life as a flowing, dynamic process, Jack shares the jewel of Buddha's awakening by unraveling the paradox of self and no-self.This episode is brought to you by Betterhelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/heartwisdom and get on your way to being your best self."Each of those sets of words, 'self,' and 'no-self,' are concepts or ideas or words that we use in a very crude approximation of pointing to some mystery of this process of life that's neither self nor no-self." – Jack KornfieldIn this episode, Jack mindfully illuminates:- Unraveling the paradox of self and no-self- The Jewel of the Buddha's Awakening- Anattā (selflessness) and how it connects with respect- Tales of a Magic Monastery- Living in the reality of expansion and contraction- Why Ajahn Chah shared 'self' and 'no self' both aren't true- The word "happy/sad" in Japanese- Opening to our life as a flowing, moving process- Becoming aware of selflessness- Interdependence, interconnection, codependent arising- Learning to respect ourself and nourish beneficial qualities- Developing yourself while also "losing yourself"- Discovering your True Self- The importance of integrating our spiritual practice into our lives- Learning to live in your body and love well"To be really present is to connect with the mystery." – Jack Kornfield"You develop yourself as you lose yourself." – Jack KornfieldThis Dharma Talk estimated to be recorded on 4/23/1990 was originally published on DharmaSeed.Learn the Dynamic Art of Interactive Guided Meditation with Jack Kornfield in an online masterclass! To take part in the two live online Q&A sessions, register by June 9 at bit.ly/InteractiveCohort
For episode 242, Sharon speaks with psychologist Zindel Segal, PhD, and neuroscientist Norman Farb, PhD, about their new book, Better in Every Sense: How the New Science of Sensation Can Help You Reclaim Your Life.Zindel is a Distinguished Professor of Psychology in Mood Disorders, University of Toronto Scarborough. He is a clinical psychologist whose research examines the use of mindfulness meditation in promoting affect regulation skills in people suffering from a depressive and anxiety based disorder. Norm is an Associate Professor, University of Toronto Mississauga and studies the social neuroscience of the self and human emotion, with a focus on how biases in self-representation shape emotional reactions that determine well-being.In this episode, Sharon, Zindel and Norm discuss:- How Norm came to this work- What inspired the new book, Better in Every Sense- Why people are languishing- The Default Mode Network versus Sensory Network- The positives of the “house of habit,” aka DMN- “Breaking Frame” to solve problems- Sense Foraging: shifting from thinking to sensing- The three steps in Sense Foraging- The role of equanimity in the Sensory Network- How Interoception relates to empathyThe conversation closes with a meditation breathing practice led by Zindel. You can learn more about Zindel and Norm’s book Better in Every Sense, right here. You can also check out Zindel’s first appearance on the Metta Hour Podcast from 2020 in Episode 144.
Gil Fronsdal discusses having confidence in what the Buddha represents within ourselves and being a refuge for all beings.This time on the BHNN Guest Podcast, Gil Fronsdal explains:How the Buddha defined confidence and fateInstructions from the Buddha on making oneself a refugeBeing a refuge and support for all beingsPersonal worth and finding yourself in communityThe benefit of having confidence in ourselves and in our practiceThe imperfections that stain the mindHaving confidence in that which the Buddha represents within ourselvesReflecting on the times when our minds are not caughtHow the dharma is visible here and now, not there and thenThe balance between responsibility and allowing natural unfoldingAbout Gil Fronsdal:Gil Fronsdal is the co-teacher for the Insight Meditation Center in Redwood City, California; he has been teaching since 1990. He has practiced Zen and Vipassana in the U.S. and Asia since 1975. He was a Theravada monk in Burma in 1985, and in 1989 began training with Jack Kornfield to be a Vipassana teacher. Gil teaches at Spirit Rock Meditation Center where he is part of its Teachers Council. Gil was ordained as a Soto Zen priest at the San Francisco Zen Center in 1982, and in 1995 received Dharma Transmission from Mel Weitsman, the abbot of the Berkeley Zen Center. He currently serves on the SF Zen Center Elders’ Council. In 2011 he founded IMC’s Insight Retreat Center. Gil has an undergraduate degree in agriculture from U.C. Davis where he was active in promoting the field of sustainable farming. In 1998 he received a PhD in Religious Studies from Stanford University studying the earliest developments of the bodhisattva ideal. He is the author of The Issue at Hand, essays on mindfulness practice; A Monastery Within; a book on the five hindrances called Unhindered; and the translator of The Dhammapada, published by Shambhala Publications. You may listen to Gil’s talks on Audio Dharma.This 2014 talk was originally published by Dharmaseed.“The reference point for having confidence or faith or trust in the Buddha is not in the great power and wisdom of the Buddha, but rather something that we can know for ourselves, that we realize is reflected in the Buddha.” – Gil Fronsdal
Discussing his memoir, Down for the Cause, Bruce “Badri” Margolin talks with Raghu about his work in drug reform and meeting Ram Dass, Tim Leary, and Neem Karoli Baba.Grab your copy of Down for the Cause HERE: https://www.amazon.com/Down-Cause-Bruce-Margolin/dp/B0CZCW86YLThis week on Mindrolling, Bruce and Raghu talk about: What propelled Bruce on his journey as a lawyerBruce’s first marijuana defense caseThe Campaign to Abolition Marijuana Prohibition (C.A.M.P.)When Bruce received Be Here Now from his therapistBruce’s travels through Greece, Ethiopia, India and moreHow Bruce met Ram Dass and Neem Karoli Baba in IndiaReadjusting to the western worldBruce’s work in defending Tim Leary’s caseAbout Bruce Margolin:Bruce Margolin is an American criminal defense attorney who specializes in marijuana and drug laws. Bruce defended Timothy Leary and is renowned for his work in Marijuana decriminalization. Since 1973, Bruce has served as the executive director of the Los Angeles chapter of NORML (The National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws). He is also the writer of the Margolin Guide to Marijuana Law and Down for the Cause. Follow Bruce on Instagram.“Bruce has had the blessing to take such a huge role in helping change one of the most draconian laws that has been in existence.” – Raghu Markus
This week on Pilgrim Heart, Krishna Das discusses freeing ourselves from abuse, finding support, embracing unconditional love, understanding our parents, and using psychedelics for positive karma.This week on Pilgrim Heart, Krishna Das holds a talk on:Freeing ourselves from abusive situationsFinding love and support from people in similar circumstancesLoving from our soul and being unconditionalLetting other people be themselvesUnderstanding our parents as their own people with their own issuesHaving an appreciation for being aliveCreating boundaries when necessaryAll the negativity that can come from hatred and angerWorking on our own reactivityPsychedelics as a pathway to unconditional loveMaking positive karmas for ourselves and doing our practices“If you get caught in reacting, that’s your problem, not theirs. Even though we may be angry at them, even though they may have done things that hurt us in many different ways, they are allowed to be who they are. It’s up to us to clean our hearts of the reaction, the betrayal, and all the hurt and the pain.” – Krishna DasToday’s episode originally aired on Krisha Das’ “Hanging Out In the Heart Space” online satsang on May 12th, 2022. Be sure to subscribe to Krishna Das on Youtube to get new episodes of “Hanging Out In the Heart Space”, fresh music from KD and more: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtzvMbKEud7MqkIVdFjfHXQ
Sharing the blueprint for how to unlock true abundance, Jack reveals the secrets of letting go of greed, embracing generosity, and appreciating simplicity in life.Learn the Dynamic Art of Interactive Guided Meditation with Jack Kornfield in an online masterclass cohort starting June 6! bit.ly/InteractiveCohort"Abundance isn't about how much you have, but how much you appreciate." – Jack KornfieldIn this episode, Jack mindfully explores:- How to let go of our greed and live in true abundance- The Buddhist notion of "dana" – generosity, service, open-hearted caring- Greed as a strategy of impoverishment, rejection, and incompleteness- Transforming our 'endless wanting' into a beneficial awakened dance with the world- Expressing the Tao, the harmony of the universe, through our being- The Dharmic alchemy of the Bodhisattva- Meditation, listening, and finding out what we truly want in this life- Where Suzuki Roshi meets Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.- How abundance of the spirit connects with simplicity rather than things- A personal story of Jack taking his unique Bodhisattva Vows in the Rocky Mountains while teaching at Chögyam Trungpa's Naropa University- Taking your strong, grounded, noble seat that can handle it all- How being there for others is abundance in their life- The generosity and delight of authentically giving – things, space, silence, listening, attention, commitment, honesty, smiles, blessings- Ram Dass and Maharajji's lesson of "feed people, love people."- Is "selfless service" actually selfless?"Abundance of the spirit doesn't mean things; it means discovering a kind of simplicity of our life where we're abundant in any circumstance." – Jack KornfieldThis Dharma Talk estimated to be recorded on 3/1/1990 was originally published on DharmaSeed.
In this Q&A session, Ram Dass talks about dealing with disturbances in meditation, letting go of identifications, seeing the guru as an imaginary playmate, being too formless, and more.Today’s podcast is brought to you by Magic Mind, a matcha-based energy shot infused with nootropics and adaptogens designed to crush procrastination, brain fog, & fatigue. Use the code RAMDASS at checkout to get up to 50% off your subscription: Magic MindWant to listen to this podcast AD-FREE? Not interested in the commentary before each talk from Ram Dass? We hear you! Join our Patreon for all this, plus weekly guided meditations from Ram Dass and friends. Try free for 7 days by signing up at patreon.com/RamDassPodcastThis episode of Here and Now is taken from a talk given in Melbourne, Australia in 1981.Ram Dass begins the Q&A by taking questions about dealing with disturbances in meditation, the relationship between concept and perception, and letting go of our identification with different roles and stances.In response to a question about the role of the guru in the unfolding of his spiritual journey, Ram Dass talks about how his relationship with his guru is like that of a child with an imaginary playmate. He cautions us about getting too caught up in the concept of the guru, saying that there are no rules to this game.After answering a question about free will, Ram Dass takes on an inquiry about being too formless and feeling disconnected from the physical. He talks about the importance of being grounded and getting your act together. Ram Dass ends this part of the session with a question about responsibility, especially as it pertains to social action.Would you like to participate in the discussion about this episode of Here and Now? Join us for the SoulPod Meet-Up on June 4th at 8 p.m. EDT.“It’s like having an imaginary playmate as a child, but then as you grow up you realize that the playmate was real and you were imaginary. It’s sort of that way with the guru. I mean, you realize that who you thought you were that was following the guru, that was the hype in the first place. And that it all just is. So Maharaj-ji and I are buddies, lovers; I hate him because every time I try to sneak something by, there he is. And I can’t even describe how much I love him.” – Ram Dass================Ram Dass: An Imaginary Playmate – Here and Now Podcast Ep. 252 - https://youtu.be/FUPZbOZFuwoRam Dass – Here and Now – Ep. 252 – An Imaginary Playmate - https://beherenownetwork.com/(insert slug)================Make sure not to miss a single video podcast from Be Here Now Network! Click here to Subscribe:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCc1lvEoC5PZWm-MzgUfJQfgFollow Be Here Now Network:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BeHereNowNetworkTwitter: https://twitter.com/beherenownet
Reflecting on spirituality and synchronicity, Dr. Lisa Miller talks with Raghu about the capacity to have an awakened mind and heart.This time on Mindrolling, Dr. Lisa and Raghu talk about: Dr. Miller’s synchronistic connection with Ram DassIdentifying threads of lived, spiritual human life in clinical psychologyBeing born with the capacity to awakenCultivating our relationship to the transcendentThe difference between a spiritual experience and a fully integrated spiritual lifeAn awakened heart and mind as a protective factor against despairThe mental health epidemic in our countryTrust and moments of unconditional loveRadical love on Dr. Lisa’s journey to parenthoodHow suffering brings us closer to God“There’s nothing at all in the clinical sciences and the social sciences that is as profoundly curative and protective against the diseases of despair (addiction, depression, even suicide) as an awakened heart, an awakened mind.” – Dr. Lisa MillerAbout Dr. Lisa Miller:Lisa Miller, Ph.D., is Professor in the Clinical Psychology Program at Columbia University, Teachers College, where she founded the Spirituality Mind Body Institute, the first Ivy League graduate program in spirituality and psychology. She is also the Editor of the Oxford Handbook of Psychology and Spirituality and Founder and Former Co-Editor of the APA journal, Spirituality in Clinical Practice. Dr Miller is the books The Awakened Brain and The Spiritual Child. Learn more about Dr. Miller on her
Jackie Dobrinska and Bruce Damer chat about insight into ourselves and outsight into the world in this recording from the Ram Dass Explorers Club.The Ram Dass Explorers Club is a free virtual group wherein members delve into pivotal movements within the psychedelic renaissance while paying homage to the enduring legacy of Ram Dass. Join HERE: https://www.ramdass.org/fellowship/#specialtyIn this episode, host Jackie Dobrinska speaks with Bruce Damer about:Ram Dass’ work and how he continues to inspire othersHow Bruce came to know Ram DassThe way that Ram Dass hits on the center of thingsAlbert Einstein and thought experimentsEntering flows of connection and timeThe etymology of psychedelicsHow we create our own realitiesComing into embodied wisdom and the serpent of the internetRam Dass as a beacon to the reality we needNavigating psychedelics and having adequate preparationKnowing that we are always held by loveAbout Dr. Bruce Damer:Dr. Bruce Damer is a scientist, psychonaut, and humanitarian. Dr. Damer is Chief Scientist at BIOTA Institute, UC Santa Cruz. He is an astrobiologist working on the science of life’s origins, spacecraft design, psychedelics and genius. Dr. Bruce has spent his life pursuing two great questions: how did life on Earth begin, and how can we give that life (and ourselves) a sustainable pathway into the cosmos? A decade of scientific research with his collaborator Prof. David Deamer at the UC Santa Cruz Department of Biomolecular Engineering resulted in the Hot Spring Hypothesis for an Origin of Life published in the journal Astrobiology in 2019. Dr. Damer also has a long career working with NASA on mission simulation and design and recently co-developed a spacecraft to utilize resources from asteroids. You can keep up with Dr. Bruce Damer on Twitter.About Jackie Dobrinska:Jackie Dobrinska is the Director of Education, Community & Inclusion for Ram Dass’ Love, Serve, Remember Foundation and the current host of Ram Dass’ Here & Now podcast. She is also a teacher, coach, and spiritual director with the privilege of marrying two decades of mystical studies with 15 years of expertise in holistic wellness. As an interspiritual minister, Jackie was ordained in Creation Spirituality in 2016 and has also studied extensively in several other lineages – the plant-medicine-based Pachakuti Mesa Tradition, Sri Vidya Tantra, Western European Shamanism, Christian Mysticism, the Wise Woman Tradition, and others. Today, in addition to building courses and community for LSRF, she leads workshops and coaches individuals to discover, nourish and live from their most authentic selves. Learn more about Jackie’s work at asimplevibrantlife.com.“We can create our realities. We’ll determine whether we are constricted or opened at every moment by our choices of what we produce for our fellow humans.” – Bruce Damer
Unveiling how to grow your heart as big as the sky, Jack shares the spiritual antidote for aversion, negativity, and fear.This episode is brought to you by Betterhelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/heartwisdom and get on your way to being your best self."Let your heart be as big as your whole experience, like the sky." – Jack KornfieldIn this episode, Jack mindfully explores:- Overcoming aversion by "bringing it into your heart" rather than your rational mind- Touching into emotions, fears, and judgements with compassion instead of aversion- Using techniques like "noting/naming" for moving past intense feelings- Loving your negatives states as you would love your own child- Seeing clearly the karma, value, and consequence of your personal patterns- Who would you be if you dropped your opinions, views, identity?- Growing your heart to the size of the sky- Practicing the 'art of letting go'- Learning to live in the reality 'the Now'- Why Buddha had a better time than most- Painting as a doorway to spiritual experience- Transmuting difficulties by dropping our resistance to them- How to hold healthy views without being attached to them"In this space of Now, it's not necessary to have fear. In this place of Now, we can rest." – Jack Kornfield"If we want to create peace, or if we want to live free from greed, hatred and delusion, the place to start is in ourselves." – Jack KornfieldThis Dharma Talk originally recorded on 1/1/1989 at Spirit Rock Meditation Center was originally published on DharmaSeed.Learn the Dynamic Art of Interactive Guided Meditation with Jack Kornfield in an online masterclass cohort starting this June at bit.ly/InteractiveCohort
Highlighting the impermanence of experience, Joseph Goldstein leads a practice in noticing mental and physical sensations.This episode is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/insighthour and get on your way to being your best self.This time on Insight Hour, Joseph Goldstein offers a guided practice on: Working with thought and emotionFull body awareness without effort or strugglingNoticing the breath and other sensationsBeing aware of thoughts just as they are arisingOpening up to the fullness of experienceThe power of naming emotionsSensing the impermanent nature of all thingsMoving from the conceptual into direct experienceThe seduction of our thoughtsThis 2018 recording from an Insight Meditation Retreat was originally published by Dharmaseed“We don’t have to do anything to make things change. The very nature of whatever is arising, whether it’s in the body or the mind, the very nature is that whatever arises will also pass away.” – Joseph Goldstein
Offering wisdom on the challenging yet necessary work of spiritual practice, Krishna Das explains working through difficulty and finding answers in ourselves.This time on Pilgrim Heart, Krishna Das offers wisdom on:Dealing with family issuesUntying emotional knots through practiceDoing spiritual work and cleaning our heartsReleasing the programming from our pastTreating others well and making positive karmaChanting, mantra repetition, and serving others for deeper consciousnessContinual growth in spiritual practiceBeing present, being with the sound of the nameExperiencing the space around our thoughtsFinding answers within ourselvesThe roots of depression and angerToday’s episode originally aired on Krisha Das’ “Hanging Out In the Heart Space” online satsang on May 5th, 2022. Be sure to subscribe to Krishna Das on Youtube to get new episodes of “Hanging Out In the Heart Space”, fresh music from KD and more: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtzvMbKEud7MqkIVdFjfHXQ“Removing the energy out of the traumatic experiences and experiences that formed us is a big job. It’s a really big thing. Don’t think of it as a waste of time. It’s our spiritual work. We’re cleaning our hearts of anger, betrayal, hurt, damage, grief, and shame, all the stuff that we’ve learned and absorbed as children in our families and in life.” – Krishna Das
This week on Mindrolling, RamDev and Raghu discuss:RamDev’s background in mathematics and recognizing patternsHow people in the West are not as embodied as in the EastThe first three chakras of fear, guilt, and shamePsychedelics and other dimensions of realityGoing beyond separatenessCompassion and non-dual practicesTaming the monkey-mindSub ek and quantum entanglementStories about Maharaj-ji’s mystical existenceHope for the future and allowing our hearts to be vulnerableA meditation around inclusivity through compassionAbout RamDev:Dale Borglum is the founder and Executive Director of The Living/Dying Project. He is a pioneer in the conscious dying movement and has worked directly with thousands of people with life-threatening illness and their families for over 30 years. In 1981, Dale founded the first residential facility for people who wished to die consciously in the United States, The Dying Center. He has taught and lectured extensively on the topics of spiritual support for those with life-threatening illness, on caregiving as a spiritual practice, and on healing at the edge, the edge of illness, of death, of loss, of crisis. Check out RamDev’s podcast, Healing at the Edge, on the Be Here Now Network.Learn more about The Living/Dying Project at livingdying.org“In Buddhism, they say that when the mind is totally awakened, naturally arising compassionate activity occurs. You don’t have to try to be compassionate, you are compassion. Compassion is not even an emotion, it’s a state of openness of the heart in relationship to suffering.” – RamDev
In a dharma talk on working with thoughts and emotions, Joseph Goldstein explains the impersonal and empty nature of the mind.This week on Insight Hour, Joseph Goldstein teaches us about: - Observing how mind states and thoughts mutually condition each other- The way that thoughts carry us away into different emotional states- Looking at the direct nature and meaning of thought- Noticing the difference between being lost and being awake- Viewing our thoughts just as they arise- Not overthinking and focusing on the simplicity of a practice- The six things that are ever arising or passing: our senses- Maintaining open awareness and experiencing the flow“Well, what is a thought? It’s quite remarkable because when we look at that level, not on the level of the story or the content, but thought as a phenomenon, we see that it is barely more than nothing. It is so phenomenal. These thoughts arise, and the content can be so compelling, but as a phenomenon, as the nature of thought, it’s just this little energy blip in the mind. If we’re not getting hooked by the content, it has no power at all.” – Joseph Goldstein
Illustrating how to free yourself from fear and opinion, Jack reveals how to overcome suffering by cultivating a pure heart.This episode is brought to you by Betterhelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/heartwisdom and get on your way to being your best self."The only Zen you find on tops of mountains is the Zen you bring there." – Robert M. PirsigIn this episode, Jack skillfully illuminates:- Skillful ways to free yourself from stuck views and opinions- Ram Dass's teaching advice to Jack- Balancing life's sufferings with life's joys- Zen wisdom on how to drop your views- Accepting what you see and rejecting what you think- Overcoming suffering by living with a pure heart- Buddha's 'Fire Sermon' teachings- The way attachment connects to fear, and how to get to the root- How views and opinions keep you separate, ego-focused, and defensive- Working with racism and fear by imbibing wakefulness and mindfulness- Overcoming opinions and and views by the method of noting/namingThis Dharma Talk originally recorded on 1/1/1989 at Spirit Rock Meditation Center was originally published on DharmaSeed.Learn the Dynamic Art of Interactive Guided Meditation with Jack Kornfield in an online masterclass cohort starting this June! http://bit.ly/InteractiveCohort
Come hang out with Chris Grosso and Brian Fair from the band Shadows Fall as they chat about life, meditation, and the golden eras of skateboarding and punk rock.In this episode, Chris and Brian dive into: The new wave of skateboardingBrian’s initial exposure to metal musicSkateboarding in the 1980’s and 90’sGrowing up catholic and being disillusioned with religionBrian’s dabbling into meditation and Hatha yogaMusic and movement as a form of meditationMoving away from perfectionismBeing there for each otherAbout Brian Fair:Brian Fair is an American musician from Massachusetts, best known as lead vocalist of the metalcore band Shadows Fall. He is a skateboarder, father, and thrives off yelling at people on stage. Keep up with Brian on Instagram.“That’s what’s funny about meditation, and a reason why I think people may not realize it’s not just about sitting in silence. It’s about being fully in a moment regardless of what transported you there. It can happen through music, through physical movement, or through silence or stillness.” – Brian Fair
Moving through the senses, JoAnna Hardy guides listeners in a meditation to acquire stillness of the mind.In this episode, JoAnna Hardy guides us through:The benefits of having clarity and a still mindThe breath-body central focusGaining self-trustPaying attention to the sounds and sights around us without assigning meaningWorking the muscle of awarenessReengaging with the breath when the mind gets busyAbout JoAnna Hardy: JoAnna Hardy is an insight meditation (Vipassanā) practitioner and teacher; she is on faculty at the University of Southern California, a meditation trainer at Apple Fitness+, a founding member of the Meditation Coalition, a teacher’s council member at Spirit Rock Meditation Center, a visiting retreat teacher at Insight Meditation Society, and a collaborator on many online meditation Apps and programs. Her greatest passion is to teach meditation in communities that are dedicated to seeing the truth of how racism, gender inequality and oppression go hand in hand with the compassionate action teachings in Buddhism and related perspectives to social and racial justice. “Seeing shapes, colors, shadow, light, noticing if we look at an object very simply as those shapes and colors and shadows and light, it’s very different than immediately having the idea of what they are. Just allowing seeing, just seeing of an object without a decision about it.” – JoAnna Hardy
Uncovering how to find joy and freedom in any situation, Jack shares the roadmap for discovering peace within yourself.Learn the Dynamic Art of Interactive Guided Meditation with Jack Kornfield in this online masterclass cohort starting this June! Learn more and register at bit.ly/InteractiveCohort This episode is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/heartwisdom and get on your way to being your best self.“Peace is the cessation of your struggle, it’s putting down the burden and letting things be as they actually are.” – Jack KornfieldIn this episode, Jack mindfully explores:- Learning to be at peace with yourself and the world- How to meditate when it feels like you can’t meditate- The way emptiness connects with compassion- Reconciling where peace meets struggle- Peace as an internal state you can bring with you- Being Here Now, opening to life fully, and becoming intimate with all things- How we can find joy, liberation, and freedom in any situation- Dharma stories of the Buddha as well as the Bodhisattva Vimalakīrti- Coming to terms with the First Noble Truth of suffering, disappointment, and change- The transformative power of meeting life exactly as it is- What we can learn from both a “Duck Meditation,” “Goose Poem,” and a Tibetan Prayer- Love and it’s connection with courageThis Dharma Talk originally recorded on 12/01/1989 at Spirit Rock Meditation Center was originally published on DharmaSeed.“We can’t come to rest because we’re at war with what’s actually here.” – Jack Kornfield“To enter into the unknown is really to enter into the moment.” – Jack Kornfield
Distinguishing commentary from direct experience, Gil Fronsdal helps us break free from the conventions and comparisons that the mind makes.In this episode, Gil Fronsdal speaks to listeners about:- Paying homage to those who have purified their hearts- Direct experience versus attempting to describe things- The way that comparison arises- Self-image and appreciating our own suchness- Resting in the part of ourselves that is not an idea or a concept- The conditioning that can happen from society- Wisdom from sitting with physical pain- Living in the present moment instead of the stories we tell ourselves- Letting things be as they are- Seeing God in our simple, direct experiences- Coming back to the breath and practicing all throughout the day- This 1998 talk was originally published on Dharmaseed“Most of us know the wonderful smell of a rose, but if you could try to describe in words what that fragrance is, you’d have a hard time I think. The actual sense, the direct experience of smell, is something we can all experience – seeing this flower as it is. In Buddhism, there is a lot of emphasis on seeing things as they are.” – Gil Fronsdal
Joseph Goldstein meets us at the constellation of self, the duality of self, and the need for mindfulness.This time on Insight Hour, Joseph Goldstein gets into: Duality and how it relates to our meditation practiceThe fundamental split of object and subjectLimitations from perceiving our selves as separatePersona and the identification we have with the worldThe progression from fullness/oneness to constrictionHaving compassion for the shadow sideHow fear desire, and attachment, make us more attached to our sense of selfBeing imprisoned and conditioned by dualistic perceptionThe integration of mind and body and love for all experience as the connectorFrom the ego center to the zero centerBeing totally honest with what is happeningMindfulness as the tool to stop identificationThe power of renunciation and restraintThis 2005 dharma talk was originally published by Dharmaseed“As long as we are identified with that sense of self in the mind, that identification creates fear, attachment, separation, comparing. If there’s an “I”, if there’s a self, then we have to defend it, we have to protect it, we have to gratify it, and our whole lives revolve around this particular identification.” – Joseph Goldstein
In a lecture on symbolic reality versus real reality, Alan Watts explains the importance of total sensory awareness and looking at our motivations.You can subscribe to the Being in the Way Podcast with Alan Watts on Apple, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app! Proudly presented by the Be Here Now Network, home of official podcasts from thought leaders like Ram Dass, Joseph Goldstein, Sharon Salzberg, Jack Kornfield and more!"Symbolic Reality vs. Real Reality" is part of Flow, a three-part session in the TAO for NOW series of talks that you can listen to in full over at the Alan Watts Streaming Channel: https://play.alanwatts.org/This time on Being in the Way, Alan Watts discusses:Being aware of all sensory inputs while meditatingAllowing oneself ‘to be’ in a non-conceptual wayConfusing the world of symbols for realityThe limits to what we can enjoy in a material senseThe uselessness of guiltMoney, tithes, and western religion versus gurusWhy our motivation and intention mattersExperiencing life naked and directlyThe Taoist approach to letting go of your body-mindUsing all five of our senses to witness our surroundingsThis series is brought to you by the Alan Watts Organization and Ram Dass’ Love Serve Remember Foundation. Visit Alanwatts.org for full talks from Alan Watts.“The point is to be wide, wide awake and aware of your total sensory input without confusing it with the symbolic world of words and concepts so that you experience life naked and directly. Experience YOU naked and directly, without having in your head the concept of who you are a a role player, as a personality, as an ego.” – Alan Watts
Highlighting the intersection between love and awareness, Rhonda V. Magee joins David to discuss real change in a culture of separation.This time on the CSM podcast, David and Rhonda converse about: Rhonda’s background and personal definition of loveReal change through love, inspiration and a sense of connectionThe inter-being of mindfulness and mettaThe principle of loving everyone and telling the truthWhat happens when truth is met with resistance or denialLiving in a time where we have constant reminders of fear and angerHow our culture has reduced us and objectified usIntergenerational phenomena and walking through many phases of lifeWhat we leave behind for the next generation and what we can learn from youthReal and perceived differencesDeepening our own well-being so that we can be there for othersAbout Rhonda V. Magee:Rhonda V. Magee is a Professor of Law at the University of San Francisco and a leading mindfulness teacher and practice innovator with a focus on applying mindfulness to the hardest challenges of our times. She is an internationally-recognized teacher, guide and mentor, focused on integrating mindfulness into higher education, law and social change work. A prolific author, she draws on law and legal history to weave storytelling, poetry, analysis and practices into inspiration for changing how we think, act and live better together in a rapidly changing world. Keep up with Rhonda on her website or on social media.“I fully believe, for most of us, especially in the West, grounding in a quality of love and care as how we experience awareness is pretty important because we have so much healing to do. We’ve been so alienated from ourselves, each other, from the planet.” – Rhonda V. Magee
Jack and the ‘Grandfather of Gratitude,’ Brother David Steindl-Rast, delve into sacred reflections on death, where Buddha meets Jesus, the power of compassion, the positive side of grief, and beyond.Stay up to date with Jack and his stream of free offerings by signing up for his email newsletter teachings at JackKornfield.com/newsletter“The process of grieving that breaks this little heart, which closes itself in itself, opens us to the heart that we all share, the one heart that we all have in common.” – Brother David Steindl-RastIn this sacred dialogue, Jack, Brother David, and Frank Ostaseski reflect on:- How Christianity and Buddhism fit together spiritually- The compassionate smile of Buddha meeting the sacred heart of Jesus Christ- The positive side of grief: opening to the collective heart- Death and grace in both traditions- Deconditioning from a difficult mother- Harnessing the power of your common sense- A funny story about the Pope, and how to awaken to who we already are- Jack’s journey to the Temple of the Coconut Monk- How to handle pain like a Burmese Master- How to forgive yourself and overcome remorse- Diffusing suicidal tendencies by cultivating self-compassion- Guided meditations and sacred chants from Jack and Brother David“In a meditative way, one of the big pieces of being able to love, or touch, or open, or live, is really the work of forgiveness, grace, and receiving yourself in all of your complexity and loving.” – Jack Kornfield“Compassion, loving kindness, and understanding are our true nature, our true state.” – Jack KornfieldThis conversation recorded on 6/30/1988 was originally published on DharmaSeed.
Who are you? What are you doing here? In this classic talk about identity and attachment, Ram Dass asks where you could possibly stand in a world filled with pain and suffering to ‘eat it like it is?’Subscribe to The Here and Now Podcast with Ram Dass on Apple, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app! Proudly presented by the Be Here Now Network, home of official podcasts from thought leaders like Ram Dass, Alan Watts, Sharon Salzberg, Jack Kornfield and more!Want to participate in the discussion about this episode of Here and Now? Join us for the SoulPod Meet-Up on May 7th at 8 p.m. EDT. Subscribe to the General Fellowship Group for more information.Today's episode is also brought to you by Magic Mind, a matcha-based energy shot infused with nootropics and adaptogens designed to crush procrastination, brain fog, & fatigue. Use the code RAMDASS at checkout to get up to 50% off your subscription: https://magicmind.com/products/ramdassIn this talk from Austin, Texas, in the early 1990’s:Ram Dass recalls a family saying from his youth, “Eat it like it is,” and asks how we can possibly apply it to the current world filled with pain and suffering.Exploring the nature of identity, Ram Dass talks about how we have to become somebody in order to become nobody. He discusses his experiences with expanded states of mind and how the game shifted from how to get high to wondering why he came down.Ram Dass talks about how the impeccable warrior is someone who exists on all planes simultaneously. He explores the nature of attachment and reads from Swami Ram Tirth, who helps us understand there is a place we can stand where we can see everything as the unfolding of law. This is the place where we can ‘eat it like it is.’“The signs point to Armageddon. It looks like it’s really hit the fan. Where could you stand that you could ‘eat is like it is?’ Or you could love it as it is? Where could you possibly stand? Where could you allow that it is what it is? What perspective, what vector view would you need to have? Who would you be if you were seeing it that way?” – Ram Dass
Fantastic Fungi's visionary director, Louie Schwartzberg, joins Jack to explore the profound connection between psychedelics and mindfulness. This episode is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/heartwisdom and get on your way to being your best self.“You can’t separate psychedelics from life.” – Jack KornfieldIn this fresh conversation, Jack and Louie spelunk the depths of:-The connection between psychedelics and spirituality- Psychedelics as a gateway to wonder, curiosity, and the sacred- How tripping on psychedelics informed Louie’s filmmaking- Albert Einstein and psychedelics as the intersection between art and science- The universe and life as a constant transformation of light energy- Buddha’s “Flower Sermon” and Zen Master Suzuki Roshi’s “Beginner’s Mind”- Jack “exchanging maps” with famous LSD researcher, Stanislav Grof- Studies showing the combination of psilocybin mushrooms and Louie’s time-lapse nature imagery as a powerful therapeutic tool for helping addiction and PTSD- The importance of “set and setting,” community, and integration- How psychedelics actually fit into the Buddhist precepts- Honoring biology and the feminine aspects of nature- The gifts of sacred attention and loving awareness- Finding beauty wherever you are, and how Louie’s films heal by sharing patterns of nature for the soul to connect with“A lot of the work I do is to make the invisible visible. And that’s the perfect description of what a psychedelic journey is like, making the invisible visible.” – Louie Schwartzberg“We live in a culture that’s almost defined by the absence of the sacred. And so we feel this yearning, this intuitive wish to connect—whether it’s going high in the mountains, or making love, or taking psychedelics, or meditating.” – Jack KornfieldThis conversation was originally recorded on 3/29/24 by Banyan Together – an online mindfulness community started by Jack Kornfield and Tara Brach. To join the community and learn more, visit BanyanTogether.com
Robert Thurman joins Dr. Svoboda once again for a vast discussion on his lineage, karma, and the chain of being.Get a free 50-page ebook, Analyzing Karma: Fate or Free Will, by Dr. Svoboda here: https://streaklinks.com/B7BjUWWgINvM9lv2VQtcSLeh/https%3A%2F%2Fdr-robert-svoboda.ck.page%2Fa976295aa3In this episode, Dr. Robert Svoboda and Robert Thurman converse about:Robert Thurman’s lineage, upbringing, and young adulthoodRobert’s experience losing his eye and having a spiritual vision while in the hospitalRobert’s journey to and through India and finding home with the TibetansRobert’s instruction to bring Buddhism to those seeking enlightenment through psychedelicsKarma producing an effect of biological evolutionThe danger of solipsism and how we have all been everythingLiving in inter-tangled subjective fieldsAstrology and the ZodiacAbout Robert Thurman:Robert Thurman is the Jey Tsong Khapa Professor of Indo-Tibetan Buddhist Studies in the Department of Religion at Columbia University and President of the Tibet House U.S., and is the President of the American Institute of Buddhist Studies. His new book, Wisdom Is Bliss: Four Friendly Fun Facts That Can Change Your Life, is now available.About Dr. Robert Svoboda:Dr. Robert Svoboda is the first Westerner ever to graduate from a college of Ayurveda and be licensed to practice Ayurveda in India. During and after his formal Ayurvedic training he was tutored in Ayurveda, Yoga, Jyotish, Tantra and other forms of classical Indian lore by his mentor, the Aghori Vimalananda. He is the author of twelve books including Prakriti: Your Ayurvedic Constitution and the Aghora series, which discusses his experiences with his mentor during the years 1975 – 1983.In the years since 1986, Dr. Svoboda has traveled extensively, spending three months per year on average in India. He often speaks on Ayurveda, Jyotish, Tantra and allied subjects in locales across the world.About Paula Crossfield:Paula Crossfield is Vedic astrologer and Business Coach dedicated to helping a million spirit-led entrepreneurs make more money and impact so they can bankroll the change they want to see in the world. Her insights on astrology and business strategy have helped her clients build sustainable five figure+ per month incomes while still embodying their values.For more information on 1-on-1 opportunities and group coaching programs with Paula, go to www.weaveyourbliss.com, where you can also get the 2023 Astrology Guidebook“I consider karma to be Buddha’s Darwinian theory.” – Robert Thurman================The Chain of Being with Robert Thurman & Robert Svoboda – Living with Reality Ep. 49 - https://youtu.be/cDgvmeon3v0Robert Svoboda – Living with Reality – Ep. 49 – The Chain of Being with Robert Thurman - https://beherenownetwork.com/robert-svoboda-living-with-reality-ep-49-the-chain-of-being-with-robert-thurman================Make sure not to miss a single video podcast from Be Here Now Network! Click here to Subscribe:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCc1lvEoC5PZWm-MzgUfJQfgFollow Be Here Now Network:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BeHereNowNetworkTwitter: https://twitter.com/beherenownetInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/beherenownetwork================Be Here Now NetworkPodcasts, Courses, and Articles to help you live a Life in Balance.Heart-Centered wisdom from Ram Dass, Jack Kornfield, Sharon Salzberg, Krishna Das + many more!Get a Free Guided Meditation from Sharon Salzberg when you first sign up at: https://beherenownetwork.com/
Inviting in calm, strength, and steadiness, Jack leads a guided meditation into the heart of mindful loving awareness.This guided meditation was originally recorded on 2/19/2024 for the Spirit Rock Monday Night Dharma Talk and Meditation. Register to join Jack's next livestream at JackKornfield.com/events"Feel the weight of your body, gravity, and how the earth completely supports you when you let go into your seat. You're met by the strength and steadiness of the earth itself. You can rest on her. – Jack KornfieldIn this fresh episode, Jack leads a guided meditation for:- Inviting in a sense of ease and calm- Relaxing into mindful loving awareness- Finding a steady, grounded, rooted posture- Keeping a natural, soft, and flowing breath- Quieting the mind and watching experience unfold- Noticing the arising and passing away of all phenomena- Allowing yourself into rest, trust, and relaxationLearn to live beautifully with Jack Kornfield and Dr. Dan Siegel in their new online journey, Living Beautifully: Transformative Science and Mindfulness Practices to Cultivate a Wise Heart. Register at https://bit.ly/JackandDan
In this exploration of suffering, death, and love, Ram Dass talks about resting in change and handling the balance and tension of inhabiting multiple planes of reality simultaneously.Subscribe to The Here and Now Podcast with Ram Dass on Apple, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app! Proudly presented by the Be Here Now Network, home of official podcasts from thought leaders like Ram Dass, Alan Watts, Sharon Salzberg, Jack Kornfield and more!Want to participate in the discussion about this episode of Here and Now? Join us for the SoulPod Meet-Up on April 23rd at 3 p.m. EDT. Subscribe to the General Fellowship Group for more information.This episode of Here and Now is from a 1992 lecture in Edgartown, MA. and is a continuation of the talk started in Here and Now Ep. 248 – Patterns of Interdependency: https://youtu.be/h1qJM-_tXZY Exploring his work with death and people who are dying, Ram Dass talks about how he’s learning to live simultaneously on multiple planes of reality and consciousness. To him, the art form of being human is the ability to open our hearts to suffering and acknowledge that it hurts like hell, while also appreciating the awesome nature of the mystery, which includes suffering and death.Ram Dass addresses aging and the nature of change. He talks about resting in change and handling the balance and tension of inhabiting multiple planes of consciousness simultaneously.Ram Dass opens up about the trouble he has keeping his heart open to certain people. He talks about the collaborative nature of creating environments where people won’t get trapped in their roles.Ram Dass ends the talk with some reflections about love and not living out of a deprivation model. He shares his classic story about the state trooper who just might have been Krishna in drag as an example of living on more than one level at one time.“When you are able to simultaneously live on those planes of consciousness and handle that tension and that balance, then your every act towards other human beings brings to bear with it equanimity, spaciousness, and joy.” – Ram Dass
In an enthralling discussion on the archetypes, myths, and symbols within the 12-step recovery program, Kikan Massara joins Chris Grosso.This time on The Indie Spiritualist, Chris and Kikan dive into: A.A. and Chris’s journey with recoveryThe ways that everyone can benefit from the 12-steps of recoveryLiving an accountable life filled with integrityKikan’s work making recovery more accessible for allSeeing universal principles within the stepsAdmitting powerlessness and recognizing this as a human experienceReading through Kikan’s interpretation of all of the 12 stepsThe beauty of having a community on a recovery journeyTurning our will over to God and learning to ask for helpHow the ego can get in the wayMaking emotional decisions and why people end up in addictive processesGetting well for ourselves so we can help othersGet your copy of Kikan’s book, The 12 Steps — Symbols, Myths, and Archetypes of Recovery, HEREAbout Kikan Massara:Kikan is a psychotherapist, author, and creative. A passionate researcher of consciousness studies, meditation, and emotional health, she has long used visual arts, symbols, and myths in her practice to facilitate access to the empowering resources of the inner world. Her new book, The 12 Steps — Symbols, Myths and Archetypes of Recovery was published by TASCHEN in November 2023. Learn more about Kikan on her website.“Admit powerlessness. Who hasn’t felt powerless over something in their lives? Who hasn’t been in despair over something they couldn’t change? Who hasn’t felt like an utter failure when they couldn’t change something by willpower alone? We’re not talking about helplessness here, which is so often learned in childhood, we’re talking about just the limits of being human.” – Kikan Massara
Nina Rao interviews Nani Ma about her deep devotion to serving her guru and her service work with Ganga Prem Hospice.If you are interested in donating to Ganga Prem Hospice, you can do so through a donation to End of Life Care International with a memo specifying you would like it to go to Ganga Prem: https://www.endoflifecareinternational.org/This time on the Be Here Now Network Guest Podcast, Nani Ma shares with us:Her religious upbringing into ChristianityBeing pulled to India from a young ageSeeking liberation from suffering and painThe story of meeting her guru, BabajiThe beauty and power of the Ganges riverHer daily routine and how she meditatesHow to deal with difficulties by watching our breathReaching one-pointedness through chanting single-worded mantrasMoving through the physical death of a guruForming cancer clinics in India and Ganga Prem HospiceAbout Nani Ma:Nani Ma is from the United Kingdom and sought spiritual enlightenment at a very young age. One day, she realized that serving the multitude and helping the needy is also an aspect of spiritual practice. So, she started taking care of the terminally ill cancer patients in the hospital, guiding the people who are suffering from pain and death to embark on a new journey. Together with Dr. A. K. Dewan, she established the Ganga Prem Hospice. Ganga Prem Hospice is a spiritually-orientated, non-profit hospice for terminally ill cancer patients. The Hospice has been constructed at the foot of the Himalayas on the bank of the river Ganga.“When we watch our breath, it slows down. The breath and the mind are connected. Either the breath slows down and the mind slows down, or the mind catches hold of one thing, which is the name, and the name has its power by itself. The name has its own power.” – Nani Ma
Exploring the great mystery of life and existence, Jack shares enlightening insights on the playful nature of wisdom.Today's podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp. Click to recieve 10% off your first month with your own licensed professional therapist: betterhelp.com/heartwisdom"The beautiful thing is, wisdom is gracious." – Jack KornfieldFresh from an adventure in Costa Rica, Jack offers wisdom on:- Spelunking the great mystery of life- Wisdom as inherently gracious and playful- Balancing compassion with emptiness- How to speak with suffering people- Joanna Macy and the "Great Turning" of human civilization- Ram Dass, Ajahn Chah, and Stephen Levine- "Central Casting" and the human experience- How Jack and his colleagues handle their own aging"It's all empty and it all matters." – Jack Kornfield"Meditation is not about gaining or attaining something, it's about seeing the world with the heart of wisdom." – Jack KornfieldThis Dharma Talk was originally recorded on 2/19/2024 for the Spirit Rock Monday Night Dharma Talk and Meditation. Register to join Jack's next livestream at JackKornfield.com/eventsLearn to live beautifully with Jack Kornfield and Dr. Dan Siegel in their new online journey starting April 15, Living Beautifully: Transformative Science and Mindfulness Practices to Cultivate a Wise Heart. Join here: https://bit.ly/JackandDan
Subscribe to the Pilgrim Heart Podcast with Krishna Das on Apple, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app! Proudly presented by the Be Here Now Network, home of official podcasts from thought leaders like Ram Dass, Alan Watts, Sharon Salzberg, Jack Kornfield and more!Explaining love as our true nature, Krishna Das describes the benefit of relationships and accessing our own internal well of love.Today’s episode originally aired on Krisha Das’ “Hanging Out In the Heart Space” online satsang on April 7th, 2022. Be sure to subscribe to Krishna Das on Youtube to get new episodes of “Hanging Out In the Heart Space”, fresh music from KD and more: Krishna Das MusicThis time on Pilgrim Heart, Krishna Das divulges:The different versions of The Bhagavad GitaGiving our full concentration to the mantraHow to be in the “I am” instead of the “me”Regular practice over time as the path to truthUnderstanding through practice rather than intellectual conceptsRelationships and seeing where our work needs to be doneLove as a true and constant natureCalming our minds down with chanting and meditationThe way we are in relationship with everything all the time“There is nothing wrong with love. The spiritual path is nothing but love. Relationships can really show you where your work has to be done and what work you have to do. Because you will see that they’ll be times when that beautiful romantic relationship looks like and feels like shit and torture. I guarantee it. Sooner or later. It may not last, but you’re going to go through everything in the relationship if you are really in relationship and you’re being honest with yourself and the other person. Relationships are wonderful opportunities to do a lot of work on ourselves.” –
RamDev shares his thoughts on approaching subtle grief and feelings of separateness through a Tantric lens.In this episode of Healing at the Edge, RamDev holds a talk on:Dealing with the subtle grief of being in the bodyThe illusion of selfDirectly experiencing emptinessRelaxing into perfection and the boundless nature of the heartTantra and seeing the beloved in everythingFinding opportunities in neutral momentsThe Tantric 3-step and nakedly contacting anger and difficult emotionsRepression and creating space for what must be releasedA guided meditation“We’re going from this grief because we’re feeling separate to compassion for this grief. This compassion reveals the empty nature of the heart, and then this Tantric understanding begins to awaken. Maybe that sounds like a lot of words, but it’s a very somatic, immediate, intimate process that can be experienced right now.” – RamDev
Offering instruction for metta practice, Joseph Goldstein explains the many flavors of loving-kindness that we can try.This 2018 talk was originally published on Dharmaseed.This time on Insight Hour, Joseph Goldstein explicates: The unconditional quality of mettaHelping each other see our individual lovelinessUsing mantra to evoke the feeling of loving-kindnessMetta as a tool for deep concentrationExperimenting with the different ways metta can be applied in meditationThe three aspects of practicing of loving-kindnessA 12-minute guided metta practice to settle into the feeling of well-wishing“There are two main purposes for doing metta meditation. One is metta, or loving-kindness, which can be used as a vehicle for developing concentration. So, not only for the metta quality itself, but it is a technique or a method for developing strong concentration, even to the point of absolution.” – Joseph Goldstein
For episode 237, we are launching the Fireside Chat Series on the Metta Hour.This series features intimate conversations with longtime dharma teachers about the early days of their practice and the most impactful moments with their own teachers. Hosted by IMS Online, the launch of this monthly series is a conversation between Sharon and Jack Kornfield. Jack trained as a Buddhist monk in the monasteries of Thailand, India and Burma. He has taught meditation internationally since 1974 and is one of the key teachers to introduce Buddhist mindfulness practice to the West. The conversation begins with a 10-minute guided meditation from Jack.In this episode, Sharon and Jack discuss:Jack’s experience with Thai Buddhist monk Ajahn ChahThe Buddha statue debate from the early days on IMSJack’s first book “Living Dharma”Ajahn Chah’s teaching about the original mindRealizing innate qualities versus developing themThe sign above the door at IMSWhat languages Sharon and Jack learned in AsiaSharon’s relationship with teacher Tsoknyi RinpocheThe role of study in one’s spiritual lifeDualistic versus non-dualistic teachingsThe necessity of lovingkindness in their early teachingsLearning to accept help and supportSharon’s experiences with Dipa MaDifferent teachers that Jack has pissed offThe conversation closes with a short sitting. You can learn more about Jack’s work right here: https://jackkornfield.com/Check out his new online course on the eight-fold path available right here: https://jackkornfield.com/product/walking-the-eightfold-path-with-jack-kornfield/
Ramin Nazer and David Nichtern explore the individual’s place in an ever-changing and technologically-advancing world.This time on CSM, we hear about: Technological advancement and the collective mindSci-Fi and fear vs. hope for the futureThe unsustainability of blissEternalism and the hellscape of pointlessnessThe dystopia of A.I and ChatGPTSafe zones versus growth zonesCreativity and trying to guess what the world wants to seeCreating a balance in a chaotic worldThe fundamental experiences that ground usPsychedelics as a liberating disruptionSimulations, robots, and ‘I am-ness’The dynamics of polarity“According to Buddhism, the solution is you maintain your status as a human being who has ups and downs, who has lungs, and disappointments, yet there’s a seed of real depth of wisdom and understanding and compassion in it. You bypass the God realms.” – David NichternAbout Ramin Nazer:Ramin Nazer is a multi-talented artist, podcaster, comedian, game creator and musician based out of LA. He is best known for his consistent stream of unique, psychedelic-spiritual, bite-sized art for the social media age, as well as his podcast, with comedian Shane Mauss, Mind Under Matter, where they take a hilarious and scientific approach to human behavior. You can tap into Ramin’s steady flow of art on his Instagram, tap into his solo podcast Rainbow Brainskull, and peer into his myriad offerings at RaminNazer.com.
Speaking to issues of ecology, politics, and social action, Ram Dass shares stories of compassionate action and explores patterns of interdependency we can recognize in the world.Want to participate in the discussion about this episode of Here and Now? Join us for the SoulPod Meet-Up on April 9th at 8 p.m. EDT. Subscribe to the General Fellowship Group for more information.This episode of Here and Now is from a 1992 talk in Edgartown, MA.Ram Dass discusses our looming ecological crisis, politics, and living in the age of the Kali Yuga. There is change happening all around us. For Ram Dass, what’s interesting is where one stands in relation to change.How do we respond in an appropriate way to all the suffering in the world around us? Ram Dass shares classic stories of compassionate action and talks about the constant dialogue between the mind and the heart.Ram Dass explores how moving through different planes of reality can help us recognize the incredible patterns of interdependency in this world. By acknowledging that these other planes exist, we can find a way to be fully in the world and simultaneously not be trapped by it. In this way, we’re able to keep our hearts open in hell.“When you experience the plane of reality where everything is interdependent, it includes you, you’re part of it all. If you flip the dial and go to another plane of reality, you see that behind all of the forms, which are like cloud patterns, there’s only one of it. There’s one stuff. There’s one stuff that keeps going into these incredible patterns.” – Ram Dass
For episode 236, Sharon is in conversation with Sameet Kumar, Ph.D. Sameet is the clinical psychologist for the Memorial Cancer Institute.Sameet specializes in working with cancer patients and their caregivers. He is the author of Grieving Mindfully, The Mindful Path Through Worry and Rumination. He is part of a new anthology, coming out in May of 2024 from New Harbinger Publications, How to Grieve What We’ve Lost.In this episode, Sharon and Sameet discuss:How Sameet came to grief counselingAmerican culture’s denial of the first noble truthThe human experience of pain/pleasureGrief is whatever it is to youThe non-existent timeline for griefWidening the scope of what losses affect usThe tools of ACT, CBT and Mindfulness for griefSameet’s new anthology bookDampening the grief stress response Sameet’s support of COVID front-line workersWorking with add-ons The role of Ram Dass in Sameet’s lifeSameet closes the conversation with a guided meditation on the refuge tree.
Shining light on the Divine Abodes, Jack shares how we can navigate the world from the goodness of our hearts.Today's podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp. Click to receive 10% off your first month with your own licensed professional therapist: betterhelp.com/heartwisdom"Luminous, says the Buddha, is this heart and mind." – Jack KornfieldIn this episode, Jack mindfully explores:- The Divine Abodes (Brahmaviharas) as qualities of the Awakened Heart- Navigating the world from the goodness of our hearts- Loving kindness, compassion, joy, equanimity/peace- What is possible for us as human beings- Discovering who we really are and what really matters- Stories of Jack's Buddhist teacher, Maha Ghosananda- The spirituality of neuroscience's "Mirror Neurons"- Sharon Salzberg, Metta practice, and the power of attention- Ram Dass, and the heart as the doorway to loveLearn to live beautifully with Jack Kornfield and Dr. Dan Siegel in their new online journey, Living Beautifully: Transformative Science and Mindfulness Practice to Cultivate a Wise Heart. Register here: https://bit.ly/JackandDan"What we give our attention, that place will flower and blossom. So if we give our attention to love, it grows." – Jack Kornfield"Loving Kindness is like the rain that falls on all things, the just and the unjust, equally without discrimination. That love, when it grows within our heart, has a quality of nurturance, moisture, opening, sweetness and constancy to it. It's an expression of the heart that's unencumbered by fear." – Jack KornfieldThis Dharma Talk from 12/10/2007 at Spirit Rock Meditation Center was originally published on DharmaSeed.
Expanding our notions of love to a universal state, ecologist and peace-pilgrim, Satish Kumar, joins Raghu to talk about his new book, Radical Love.Get your copy of Radical Love HEREThis time on Mindrolling, Satish and Raghu journey through these topics:How Gandhi was a great influence on Satish’s lifeLoving people with whom we do not agreeThe ultimate love, knowledge, and heroism we receive from our mothersThe feminine motherly quality we can find in gurusSatish’s experience in the Jain traditionNegative consequences from materialism, consumerism, and the industrial way of lifePollution, global warming, and harm to bio-diversity as our collective karmaWhy everyone should take a Hippocratic oathRemembering we are all human beings and can all practice love as our primary religionScience, gravity, and the capacity to understand the non-physical realityHow love holds together the spiritual worldUnilateral love and not waiting to love another until they love usGandhi’s concept of Sarvodaya, or the uplifting of every living being without exceptionAbout Satish Kumar:Satish Kumar is a peace-pilgrim, ecologist, life-long activist and former monk who has been inspiring global change for over 50 years. A world-renown author and international speaker, Satish founded The Resurgence Trust, an educational charity that seeks to inform and inspire a just future for all. Satish has been the guiding spirit behind several other internationally respected ecological and educational ventures. He co-founded Schumacher College which he continues to serve as a Visiting Fellow. He appears regularly on podcasts and on radio and television shows and continues to teach, run workshops, and write about reverential ecology, holistic education and voluntary simplicity. Check out Satish’s book offerings HERE.“Do no harm to yourself, do no harm to other people, do no harm to nature. That is the Hippocratic oath a doctor takes. I would like to suggest that everybody should take that. Politicians should take that. Scientists should take that. Economists should take that. Business and industrial leaders should take that. Do no harm. If you do no harm to yourself, and you do no harm to other people, and you do no harm to nature, then you can have a more positive karma. The consequence will be a more harmonious relationship, and a more peaceful world, and a better relationship among all humans.” – Satish Kumar
In a dharma talk on relative and ultimate reality, JoAnna Hardy discusses how to hold the complexity of life.This lecture was recorded at the Insight Meditation Retreat for 18–32 Year Olds and originally published by Dharmaseed.Today's podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp. Click to receive 10% off your first month with your own licensed professional therapist: betterhelp.com/beherenowIn this episode, JoAnna Hardy offers a talk on:How and why we keep returning to our sufferingDominant paradigms and what is out of our controlThe way that the Buddhist experience introduces us to ultimate realityRelative reality and what is happening on the groundHow we are all invited to be free via the Four Noble TruthsThe ways we struggle with trying to control other peopleAnatta, identity, and the way we hold onto our self-hoodHow we show up in the world through our speech, actions, and thoughtsThe Eightfold Path as the things we can controlPaying attention to who we spend our time withAbout JoAnna Hardy: JoAnna Hardy is an insight meditation (Vipassanā) practitioner and teacher; she is on faculty at the University of Southern California, a meditation trainer at Apple Fitness+, a founding member of the Meditation Coalition, a teacher’s council member at Spirit Rock Meditation Center, a visiting retreat teacher at Insight Meditation Society, and a collaborator on many online meditation Apps and programs. Her greatest passion is to teach meditation in communities that are dedicated to seeing the truth of how racism, gender inequality and oppression go hand in hand with the compassionate action teachings in Buddhism and related perspectives to social and racial justice. “I’ve really worked on this practice of looking at a person; I’m not only looking at them. I’m looking at probably thousands of people who stand behind them, who have created them, who have created their way of thinking, their way of being. Every teacher, every friend, every person they come into contact with creates this being that is in front of us.” – JoAnna Hardy
Jack shares miracle stories and personal lessons from Dipa Ma – the luminous, compassionate and unshakeable spiritual master.Want to learn how to follow the Buddha’s path to freedom in the modern world? Sign up for Jack’s new online course Walking the Eightfold Path with Jack Kornfield. The live version begins March 18! Sign up here: https://bit.ly/3T7Aafp"You had a sense from this very sweet, mild-mannered old lady of a kind of unshakable inner strength, an incredible sense of stillness and strength in her being." – Jack KornfieldIn this episode, Jack lovingly reflects on:- His times with the great yogi and spiritual master, Dipa Ma Barua- Miracle stories and spiritual lessons of Dipa Ma- How the suffering in Dipa Ma's life drew her to Buddhism and meditation- Dipa Ma's siddhis (spiritual/psychic powers) and compassionate shining heart- A life-changing story of Jack being blessed by Dipa Ma- Her grandmotherly loving kindness- Dipa Ma's favorite spiritual questions"Dipa Ma's teaching was to always keep people in your heart, to give of your love to the people, and the earth and the world around." – Jack Kornfield"Of all of the possibilities that one can do with the heart and mind, Dipa Ma was a great master of them." – Jack KornfieldThis Dharma Talk from 11/01/1989 at Spirit Rock Meditation Center was originally published on DharmaSeed.
In this Q&A session, Ram Dass talks about transcending dualism, the significance of clairvoyance, how reincarnation is part of our dreams within dreams within dreams, and more.Today's podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp. Click to receive 10% off your first month with your own licensed professional therapist: betterhelp.com/ramdassWant to be part of the discussion about this episode of Here and Now? Join us for the SoulPod Meet-Up on March 26th at 3 pm EDT. Subscribe to the General Fellowship Group for more information.This episode is also brought to you by Magic Mind, a matcha-based energy shot infused with nootropics and adaptogens designed to crush procrastination, brain fog, & fatigue. Use the code RAMDASS at checkout to get up to 50% off your subscription: Magic MindThis week’s episode of Here and Now is taken from a Q&A session in 1987. Ram Dass begins by answering questions about his Mala beads, his spiritual lineage, and psychedelics. He shares stories about giving his guru the “yogi medicine.”Taking on a question about struggling with the polarities of positive and negative, light and dark, and good and evil, Ram Dass explores transcending dualism. He talks about how before he’d experienced transcendence, he had a lot of trouble with the idea of good and evil.What’s the significance of clairvoyance? Ram Dass talks about the very rigid set of rules we base on what our senses tell us, and how he loves sharing stories of miracles because they push everybody’s buttons. Ram Dass answers questions about cultivating the Witness, why there is so much blind suffering, and connections that span multiple lifetimes. He talks about how reincarnation is as real as anything on this plane of awareness because it’s all just dreams within dreams within dreams.“Everybody doesn’t have a guru or a physical plane guide, many people have inner guides that they experience as their inner voice, which could be their inner voice or it could be another being helping them. There are many levels of this game. Each person gets their ‘karmuppance.’ They get just what they need, just when they need it.” – Ram Dass
Talking Kabir, breakups, LSD, & Ram Dass, Jack shares how we can unfurl from the suffering our expectations in order to live the mystery.Today's podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp. Click to receive 10% off your first month with your own licensed professional therapist: betterhelp.com/heartwisdom"Awareness has this quality of allowing change or openness to take place, because you're not trying to make it a certain way... you're observing it." – Jack KornfieldIn this episode, Jack mindfully explores:- Kabir and waking up in this very life- Grief, breakups, disappointment, and letting go- How expectation creates suffering- Meditation and "manufacturing the light"- Expectations, battling reality, and opening to the mystery- How the mind measures, but the heart loves- What Ram Dass told Jack about dealing with the death of his father- Moving past the content of mind, and truly experiencing life- The essence of Buddha's practice of mindfulness- Labeling/noting feelings as a way to release them- Albert Hoffman and LSD- Relationships and how to make commitment without expectationWant to learn how to follow the Buddha’s path to freedom in the modern world? Sign up for Jack’s new online course Walking the Eightfold Path with Jack Kornfield. The live version begins March 18! Sign up here: https://bit.ly/3T7Aafp"Now, what's interesting to discover in meditation, is as you pay attention inside, it's the mind which measures, the mind with thought. The heart doesn't measure, the heart doesn't have that capacity, actually." – Jack Kornfield"This is an amazing thing—bodies, and life, and cars, and planets hanging in space, and big balls of fire that we name stars and no one knows where they come from...beetles, insects, and strange things. What is this? So we sit and make ourselves a little bit quiet in order to turn the heart and the mind together to face directly this reality, this changing reality of birth and death, of change of life." – Jack KornfieldThis Dharma Talk from 10/10/1988 at Insight Meditation Society was originally published on DharmaSeed.
Sarah Anderson joins Raghu to explore her new book, The Lost Art of Silence, and how we can reconnect to the beauty of quiet.In this episode, Sarah and Raghu delve into:- How crucial and nurturing silence can be- Sarah’s childhood trauma- Silence’s relationship to the inner journey- Sarah’s investigation into the art of silence- Silence as the link between so many religions and traditions- The way that being quiet makes us a better listener- Raghu’s story of meeting Ram Dass- How nature can teach us about silence- The fear caused from sensory deprivations- Becoming aware of God through silent meditation- Concerns for our youth and the loudness of technologyAbout Sarah Anderson:Sarah Anderson founded the Travel Bookshop in London in 1979, the shop later featured in the film Notting Hill. She studied Chinese at the London University college of SOAS, and at Heythrop, where she earned an MA in the psychology of religion. She has taught travel writing at City University, writes regular travel pieces, reviews books, and gives talks worldwide. Also an artist, Sarah’s paintings have been exhibited throughout London. Sarah is the author of several books. Her most recent book, The Lost Art of Silence, celebrates the power in being quiet.“Even in the cacophony of going into the woods, of the birds singing, animals speaking to each other, in that cacophony is a delightful silence. Because the real silence, to me, is that your mind stops turning out this avalanche of thoughts and stories.” – Raghu Markus
In this classic talk from 1987, Ram Dass explores working with suffering, keeping our hearts open, finding the intuitive heart space, and being responsive rather than reactive.Want to be part of the discussion about this episode of Here and Now? Join us for the SoulPod Meet-Up on March 12 at 8 pm EST. Subscribe to the General Fellowship Group for more information: https://www.ramdass.org/fellowship/#soulpod
Going back to the basics, Jack explores how we can skillfully navigate our dynamic mood states by experiencing them as clouds of the mind.Want to learn how to follow the Buddha’s path to freedom in the modern world? Sign up for Jack’s new online course Walking the Eightfold Path with Jack Kornfield beginning March 18! Register here: https://bit.ly/3T7Aafp"Moods are actually kind of mysterious and quite impersonal. They're like the weather. It's been kind of cool this year, then we get our rainstorms, and the sun comes in between, and the wind comes and dies down, and we don't have any control over it whatsoever. It just comes. It's due to certain conditions." – Jack KornfieldIn this episode, Jack compassionately illuminates:- Experiencing moods as clouds or weather—arising and passing naturally from impersonal sets of conditions- The six flavors of experience in Buddhism- Finding the middle ground between acting on feelings and suppressing them- The "vipassana romance" and understanding the "siren call" of desire- Diffusing desire with humor, mindfulness, and noting- Moving past attachment and aversion by leaning into them- Techniques for overcoming doubt- Letting go and becoming more happy and more live"The optimist wakes up and says, 'Good morning, God!' And the pessimist wakes up and says, 'Good God! Morning...' It's the same experience, but the mood somehow changes it." – Jack Kornfield"One sits and practices, and let's these experiences come and fill us. We bow to them, name them, soften in the heart and say, 'Okay, show me your stuff, give me the whole thing.' And you know what happens after a while? If you make this spaciousness in the heart and that still point, at some point it ends. Because everything does. You say, 'Wow that was a big storm of desire, wasn't it?' And there you are, and there's this sense of freedom that comes that that's not who we are most fundamentally." – Jack KornfieldThe Dharma Talk from 4/1/1988 at was originally published on DharmaSeed.
Philosopher, author, and activist Peter Singer joins Raghu to chat about his new book, The Buddhist and the Ethicist.Pick up your copy of Peter Singer’s book HEREThis week on Mindrolling, Peter and Raghu have a comprehensive conversation on:Singer’s coming of age in the 60’sThe background of Venerable Shih Chao-HweiThe ethical outlook of utilitarianismExamining the consequences of our actionsThe problems that come with not thinking about the futureThe Bodhisattva traditionBhakti Yoga and merging with the supreme beingHaving compassion for those that suffer, human and non-humanLooking at theories of human nature and basic goodnessKarma’s compatibility with utilitarianismThe ways that we leave traces in the worldAbout Peter Singer:Peter Singer is an Australian moral philosopher and Professor of Bioethics at Princeton University. He also is also an author, and is best known for his writings about poverty and liberating animals. He wrote the book Animal Liberation, in which he argues for vegetarianism and co-founded the Australian Federation of Animal Societies, now Animals Australia, the country’s largest and most effective animal organization. Most recently, he published a book of eye-opening dialogues with Venerable Shih Chao-Hwei, a Taiwanese Buddhist monastic and social activist. Learn more about Peter Singer on his website.“Compassion is one way of looking at how we ought to be thinking about all sentient beings. We ought to be thinking about them with concern for their well-being. When you use the term compassion, at least to westerners, that suggests a feeling, an emotion, something like we might say empathy that we have with them. That’s something that utilitarians would want to encourage because we need to think about what its like for other beings in the various possible states of the world that could result from our doing a variety of things.” – Peter Singer
In a conversation on the healing power of ketamine, David Romanelli and Madison Margolin discuss re-wiring the brain and overcoming trauma.Today's podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp. Click to receive 10% off your first month with your own licensed professional therapist: betterhelp.com/beherenowThis time on Set and Setting, Madison and David dive talk about:David’s journey with yogaThe healing power of psychedelic therapyDavid’s work with Daytrip, a spa-like ketamine experienceBirdsong psychedelic retreat centerRe-wiring the brain through psychedelicsDavid’s connection to the Grateful DeadWorking with psychedelics to treat Trauma, PTSD, and suicidal ideationKetamine versus other psychedelicsReframing our somatic experiences and how we carry emotionsThe ways that kids are already psychedelic and keeping the magic aliveReconnecting to our sense of beliefAbout David Romanelli:David Romanelli is a leading health and wellness innovator. He has pioneered the art of fusing ancient Eastern practices with modern sensibilities. His unique wellness projects such as Yoga + Chocolate and Yoga for Foodies have been featured in the Wall Street Journal, Food & Wine, the New York Times, Newsweek, and O, the Oprah Magazine. His first book, Yeah Dave’s Guide to Livin’ the Moment, reached #1 on Amazon’s Self-Help List. David offers many guided meditations and recently began working with Birdsong, a psychedelic healing center. Discover more about David’s offerings at yeahdave.com.“I realized the way my brain was wired needed to be reset, because I was already prone to worry, and anxiety, and nervousness. I realized that I needed to change that, I needed a new perspective. The psychedelic therapy really showed me that you can unplug, and plug back in. ‘Control, Alt, Delete’ if you will and come to life in a way that doesn’t require you to worry, where it’s not your default setting.” – David Romanelli
Explaining the ways our minds can be seduced, Joseph Goldstein teaches us how to let go into non-clinging.This 2007 talk was originally published on Dharmaseed.In this episode, Joseph Goldstein teaches listeners about:Letting go into the wisdom mind of non-clingingAwakening to the nature of the mindWorking with the hindrances of mindNoticing how the mind can be seducedSkeptical doubt and being frozen in indecisionThe ways that doubt can masquerade itself as wisdomTelling ourselves that it is okay not to knowResting in experience rather than being caught in thought loopsInvestigating our aversions and their hold on the mindSeeing everything with perfect wisdomTransforming our attitudes about our aversionsBeing inclusive to our difficult experiences“Struggle is a great feedback because it signifies non-acceptance of something. Because if we were accepting, we wouldn’t be struggling. Whenever we’re in that sense of striving, of struggle, of tension, take that as a feedback, not as a problem. That’s telling us something. That’s saying something is going on in the body, in the mind, in the emotions, in the thoughts, in our external experience, something is going on that we’re not open to, that we’re trying to exclude, and that’s why we’re struggling.” – Joseph Goldstein
Illuminating the subtle but crucial difference between codependence and compassion, Jack outlines how to set boundaries and live from our unique truth.Today's podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp. Click to receive 10% off your first month with your own licensed professional therapist: betterhelp.com/heartwisdom"Codependence means being an accomplice, a kind of complicity with someone who's acting in a self-destructive way, being dependent on their behavior, or supporting it somehow for your own security." – Jack KornfieldIn this episode, Jack sheds mindful light on:- The subtle but crucial difference between compassion and codependence- Trying to fix it or save someone instead of allowing them to taste the fruits of their karmas- Feeling locked into supporting someone's destructive behavior- The lack of feeling secure leading to needing to over-control- Needing to fix someone else's problems because we can't live with it in ourself- How we are all accomplices to a codependent society- Mother Teresa and seeking to love the world instead of trying to fix it- The necessity of balancing compassion practice with equanimity practice- The spiritual importance of disharmony and the value of sufferingBoundaries and the ability to say "no"- Ownership, possessiveness, and the trouble with believing our roles- The Bhagavad Gita and acting from our hearts without attachment to the fruit of the action- Living our our unique truth amidst the mysteryWant to learn how to follow the Buddha’s path to freedom in the modern world? Sign up for Jack’s new online course Walking the Eightfold Path with Jack Kornfield beginning March 18, here: https://bit.ly/JackPath"We are all heirs to our own karma, we have created our own lives. We can love and assist others, but in the end, no one can create a life for someone else, no one can change another person's fate. We are the ones that create what will happen for us." – Jack Kornfield"Can we seek to love the world instead of trying to fix it? It is possible to be in a codependent relationship with the ills of the society, so we have to start looking within ourselves. What does it mean to do good? Mother Teresa taught in her work in Calcutta in the death and dying centers, 'We're not social workers. Our work is not to take people off the streets and clothes them and feed them. The government could do that. Our work is to bring to the people that we touch the spirit and the love of God that has touched us. The rest of it is just the vehicle to communicate that spirit.' It's a very different way of approaching solving a problem.'" – Jack KornfieldThis Dharma Talk from 9/1/1989 at was originally published on DharmaSeed.
Exploring mental constructs, Gil Fronsdal describes how we construct the relationships to our experiences.This recording from the Insight Meditation Center was originally published on Dharmaseed.orgOn this episode of the BHNN Guest Podcast, Gil Fronsdal talks about these topics:A four line Buddhist chant in PaliThe impermanence of all constructed thingsMindfulness and the practice of noticingExploring one’s relationship to the present momentMoving our attention with a deliberate calmnessMeditation instruction as the antidote to relating negativelyOur attitudes and how they affect our experiencesNon-reactive awareness in order to avoid new constructionsIdentity and the stories we tell about ourselvesAllowing “I am” to stand by itselfAbout Gil Fronsdal:Gil Fronsdal is the co-teacher for the Insight Meditation Center in Redwood City, California; he has been teaching since 1990. He has practiced Zen and Vipassana in the U.S. and Asia since 1975. He was a Theravada monk in Burma in 1985, and in 1989 began training with Jack Kornfield to be a Vipassana teacher. Gil teaches at Spirit Rock Meditation Center where he is part of its Teachers Council. Gil was ordained as a Soto Zen priest at the San Francisco Zen Center in 1982, and in 1995 received Dharma Transmission from Mel Weitsman, the abbot of the Berkeley Zen Center. He currently serves on the SF Zen Center Elders’ Council. In 2011 he founded IMC’s Insight Retreat Center. Gil has an undergraduate degree in agriculture from U.C. Davis where he was active in promoting the field of sustainable farming. In 1998 he received a PhD in Religious Studies from Stanford University studying the earliest developments of the bodhisattva ideal. He is the author of The Issue at Hand, essays on mindfulness practice; A Monastery Within; a book on the five hindrances called Unhindered; and the translator of The Dhammapada, published by Shambhala Publications. You may listen to Gil’s talks on Audio Dharma.“To quiet these constructions is happiness. To be able to question these things, and slowly perhaps, maybe even imperceptibly, to allow these constructs to calm down, relax, not buy into them as much. Maybe not buy into them as much because we notice them.” – Gil Fronsdal
Whether it is Christ, a guru, a loved one, or neighbor, RamDev helps us find the object of our devotion in each passing moment.In this episode of Healing at the Edge, RamDev explains:The inner and outer guruLetting go of identification with sufferingSeeing the forest versus getting lost in the treesThe grace within devotionHow our psychological integration determines what level of intimacy we will have with GodInhabiting the body and opening the heartWorshiping God in every formConscious grieving and deepening devotionSpaciousness and non-grasping as an antidote to fear“The guru isn’t just something outside that we’re in relationship with. Its everything, it’s the whole universe. And, it’s the practitioner. It’s you, it’s me. It’s not something that’s only there when we’re feeling holy and sacred. Suppose you’re saying a mantra, you’re saying ram ram ram. From the standpoint of tantra, each time you say ram, it is ram. Each time you look in the mirror, it is ram. Each time you look at your partner or your child or your neighbor, it is ram. It is the mother.” – RamDev
Sharing spiritual wisdom on meditation, abundance, intimacy, and the astral body, Jack helps us cultivate the courage to recognize truth.Want to learn how to follow the Buddha’s path to freedom in the modern world? Sign up for Jack’s new online course Walking the Eightfold Path with Jack Kornfield beginning March 18!"In one important sense, meditation is an exercise in truth, an exercise in opening to what is true, to what is here in front of in the most direct and obvious ways." – Jack KornfieldIn this episode, Jack compassionately illuminates:- Meditation as an exercise in truth- Jesus and the Buddha following their deepest inner truths- Dharma and direct seeing from the heart- Buddhism's three characteristics of life: impermanence, suffering, selflessness- Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche's view on the rebirth of our bad habits- The difference between our physical 'fear body' we inhabit during the day, versus our expansive 'astral body' we expand into at night- Mindfulness, spaciousness, and Buddha Nature- Abundance and intimacy in spirituality- The 16th Karmapa as the Dharma King- A beautiful (and funny) story of an end-of-life guided meditation"Somebody asked Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche, the Tibetan Lama, 'If there's no self, what is it that is reborn in Buddhism?' He smiled and said, 'I hate to tell you this, but what's reborn is your bad habits.'" – Jack Kornfield"To note what's present is the first task. The second task is to see or sense what happens to it. These are both important. So, sadness comes and you note, 'Ah, here's the feeling of sadness.' And then you name it for a while, you stay with it and see what it does, 'Sad...sad...sad.' Maybe you name it five to ten times and it disappears. Then itching comes and you name, 'Itching...itching...' You don't just name it and hurry back to your breath. You name it and see what it does, 'Itching...itching.' Then, it spreads and your whole face is tingling, 'Tinging...tingling... I'm gonna die if I don't scratch this... Dying...dying...' Then if you stay with it, dying passes, tingling passes, itching passes. If you let yourself stay with things, naming them as long as they are there and seeing them happen, they show their true nature—which is to arise, change, and pass." – Jack KornfieldThis Dharma Talk from 7/11/1990 at was originally published on DharmaSeed.
In this essential talk from 1987, Ram Dass uses his life experience to guide us through the process of taking off our spacesuit of identity and embracing the curriculum our lives offer us.Want to be part of the discussion about this episode of Here and Now? Join us for the SoulPod Meet-Up on February 27th at 3 pm EST.This episode of Here and Now is from a classic talk given in April 1987.Using his journey as a guide for this talk, Ram Dass explores the spacesuits of ego and identity we wear in our lives. He tells us how ill-fitting this spacesuit felt for him, and the feeling of freedom he found when he was first able to take it off. Ram Dass describes how he began to chase the high of not wearing the spacesuit through the use of mind-altering chemicals and spiritual practices. Eventually, though, those things became a different kind of suit he was wearing. Through the advice of a wise friend, he realized he needed to take the curriculum that everyday life has to offer and not just live with his head in the clouds.Once the object of the game shifted from getting high to getting free, Ram Dass chose to stop pushing away all of the things that brought him down. Instead, he embraced the many forms of suffering in the world, working with prisoners, AIDS patients, and people going through the process of dying. To get free, we need to embrace it all, the good and the bad.“As I took off the suit, I felt at home, I felt present. It felt extremely familiar to me, even though as an adult in society I didn’t remember having been in this space before. I was always constantly checking everybody to see if I was enough ‘somebody’ so that I would be allowed to exist.” – Ram Dass
Illuminating the deepening levels of spiritual practice, Jack explores how to let life breathe while setting your heart on gold.Today's podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp. Click to receive 10% off your first month with your own licensed professional therapist: betterhelp.com/heartwisdom“What we’re doing in practice is feeling the actuality of how life is pulsing, moving, flowing and swirling, fast and slow, rhythmically, within our own body, within our own direct experience.” – Jack KornfieldIn this episode, Jack mindfully explores:- How to let life breathe while setting your heart on gold- The importance of balancing our concentration, effort, and equanimity- How the quality of presence can help the gold of the heart and mind shine- Riding the body’s rhythm of breath as our main focus of attention and rest- To feel of how life is pulsing, moving, and flowing through our experience- Working with our loneliness, suffering, grief, fear, and longings- Awakening into the present moment to see past the body of fear- How recognizing spaciousness and impermanence helps us overcome our difficulties- The power of trust, letting go, and letting life breathe“People sometimes feel like it’s not worth it to practice. In the beginning it seems like you’re here 2% of the time, but if you continue and look honestly, you might be here 4% of the time. In one way, that’s discouraging statistically that you’re off 96%, but in another way it says you are now here alive and present twice as much as you were two days ago.” – Jack Kornfield“The insight into the true path comes when we discover that we’re not trying to hold onto a single thing, not a perception, not a pleasant experience, not the calm of meditation—those are all parts of the waves of experience that rise and pass in space. The idea isn’t to hold your breath when you get something good to see how long it can stay, that doesn’t work very well. The idea is to let all of life breath. As we do, we let go moment by moment, more fully. We learn to trust, like the goldsmith, blowing on it, sprinkling water, softening, cooling, and a lot of time just giving presence so it’s beauty can start to show.” – Jack KornfieldThis episode from 10/09/1983 at Insight Meditation Society was originally published on DharmaSeed.
For episode 233, Dr. Jenny Taitz returns to the Metta Hour. Jenny is a clinical psychologist and an assistant clinical professor in psychiatry at the University of California, Los Angeles.Jenny completed her fellowship in psychology at Yale University School of Medicine and achieved board certifications in cognitive behavioral therapy and dialectical behavior therapy. In addition to treating clients in her private therapy practice, LA CBT DBT, she is the author of How to Be Single and Happy and End Emotional Eating. Her new book, Stress Resets: How to Soothe Your Body and Mind in Minutes, is now available in paperback, ebook, and audiobook formats.In this episode, Sharon and Jenny discuss:- Jenny’s new book, Stress Resets- Acute versus chronic stress- Learning how to put stress down- The distinction between stress and trauma- How stress affects the body- Preventing a stress snowball- Cultivating agency in dealing with stress- The role of acceptance in stress- Working with causes and conditions- Stress resets versus stress buffers- Emotions come in waves- Coherent breathing- Creating an anti-depressant lifestyle- Jenny closes the conversation with a guided mindfulness practice.You can learn more about Jenny’s work and get a copy of her new book, Stress Resets, on her website: https://drjennytaitz.com/
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 beyond. Together with Chandra and Genevieve Walker, Nina operates the 21 Taras Collective. You can keep up with Nina on her website or find her on Instagram @nina_rao and on Facebook @NinaRaoChant.About Chandra Easton:Chandra Easton is a teacher, scholar, practitioner, and translator of Tibetan Buddhism. She has taught Buddhism and Hatha Yoga since 2001. In 2015, she was given the title of Vajra Teacher, Dorje Lopön, for Tara Mandala Retreat Center by Lama Tsultrim Allione and H. E. Gochen Sang Ngag Rinpoche. Seeking to bring forth the voice of the empowered feminine in Buddhism, Lopön Chandra regularly leads retreats and classes on Tara for various organizations, develops programs and curricula for Tara Mandala, and teaches nationally and internationally. She has also co-written melodies and recorded music for the twenty-one-Taras mantras found in her new book, Embodying Tara: Twenty-One Manifestations to Awaken Your Innate Wisdom. You can find Chandra on Instagram & Facebook @loponchandra.“The main purpose of doing this aspect of the 21 Tara’s practice through chanting and more of a kirtan style is to uplift people, just like kirtan does. To bring joy, open people’s heart to the blessings of these Taras and to Devi and to the universal way. And also to help them remember the mantra, because some of them are pretty long they can be a little challenging to remember.” – Chandra Easton
Wrapping the world in the heart of loving kindness, Jack offers a meditation to help us into presence, relaxation, & loving awareness.Jack originally shared this guided meditation for the Spirit Rock Monday Night Dharma Talk and Meditation. If you would like to join Jack online for his next livestream, register at http://go.spiritrock.org/SR021924"Living in loving kindness opens the doorway to happiness and joy." – Jack KornfieldIn this episode, Jack leads a guided meditation to help us:- Enter into presence, relaxation, kindness, and loving awareness- Wrap the world and our experiences in the heart of loving kindness- Learn what it feels like to truly wish well for others and yourself- Use the power of our imagination to visualize and experience transformative blessings- Gradually and incrementally extend our metta to encapsulate all sentient beings- Offer our hearts and direct our loving kindness to those suffering throughout the world- Take the "advanced class" by extending our metta to those causing suffering- Listen to our intuition and allow our heart to direct itself- Live in happiness and joy, and bring loving kindness to all we touch"Extend the feeling of loving kindness across the world, to those in difficulty, the families the children who are fleeing danger in so many places—Myanmar, Sudan, Ukraine, Gaza, Palestine, Israel—across the world. You picture them—the families the children—and send rays of love, metta, and strength, 'May you be safe and protected, may you find ease and graciousness, may you be held in loving kindness, and in whatever ways you can, may you be happy.'" – Jack Kornfield
In this brand new Dharma Talk, Jack sings a redemption song inviting us to lay down our suffering and anger so we can open to the heart of compassion.Today's podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp. Click to receive 10% off your first month with your own licensed professional therapist: betterhelp.com/heartwisdom"These teachings of redemption point to the wondrous possibility that the conflicts that plague the world can be transformed by the nobility of heart." – Jack KornfieldIn this episode, Jack mindfully shares:- Real tear-jerking stories of redemption of the human heart- If there is a possibility of return from all the conflicts in the world today- Contemplating who we push out of our hearts- The value of offering compassion and loving kindness- Not letting the suffering of the world poison our hearts and turn us against whole groups of people- How without compassion and wisdom, we project it out on "them"- How Buddhist teachings of impermanence lead to the possibility of redemption- The transformative miracle of neuroplasticity- Putting down thoughts of blame and turning towards a peaceful heart- How good stories can help us break the trance and bring us into the present moment- The way Ram Dass helped Jack, Sharon Salzberg and Joseph Goldstein work through a period of conflict- How the world is full of second chances and redemption is possible"What is the value of the gaze of compassion and loving kindness? It's the consciousness, it's the conscience that leads us to a wiser and more humane life. And with the most terrible dictators and terrorists, the warlords that we see causing so much suffering in this world—we have to do all we can to stop that suffering, but it's also important not to let it poison our hearts, not to let it in any way demonize our hearts to turn against whole groups of people, or give way to despair." – Jack Kornfield"It's not just the grass that keeps growing, your body keeps renewing itself. Everything is in change. Consciousness is a waterfall, a river, an ocean of recreation again and again, inviting new patterns in illumination and the possibility of redemption. You can trust this power and align yourself to it." – Jack KornfieldThis lecture from Jack originally took place for the Spirit Rock Live: Monday Night Dharma Talk and Meditation. If you would like to join Jack online for his next livestream on Feb 19, register at JackKornfield.com/events
Joseph Goldstein joins Rohan Gunatillake to share the meditative story of how he first learned to integrate his spirituality into everyday life.This episode was originally aired on Meditative Story, a podcast that combines the emotional pull of first-person storytelling with the immediate, science-backed benefits of mindfulness practice – all surrounded by breathtaking and cinematic music. You can find Meditative Story on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and more! Joseph Goldstein shares a personal story about:One of the most transformative moments in Joseph’s lifeThe beginning of Joseph’s enlightenment journeyIntegrating the spiritual gifts Joseph learned from the east into his everyday life in the westLearning to embrace the uncomfortable feeling of not-knowingHow Joseph first connected with Ram DassJoseph’s first job offer teaching a meditation classSaying yes and allowing opportunities to present themselvesA guided mindfulness practice“It’s as if my life exists as two separate strands. One is the strand of my practice, which feels clear and stable. The other is how that practice will manifest and how I can ever hope to apply it to the world. Spiritually, I am flying high. But I have no idea where to land.” – Joseph GoldsteinAbout Joseph Goldstein:Joseph Goldstein has been leading insight and loving-kindness meditation retreats worldwide since 1974. He is a co-founder of the Insight Meditation Society in Barre, Massachusetts, where he is one of the organization’s guiding teachers. In 1989, together with several other teachers and students of insight meditation, he helped establish the Barre Center for Buddhist Studies.About Rohan Gunatillake:Rohan Gunatillake is a writer, entrepreneur, and host of the podcast Meditative Story. By artfully crafting meditations to compliment each guest’s story, Rohan blends mindfulness with narrative to create a unique listening experience, encouraging listeners to use someone else’s transformative moment as the basis for their own. He’s also the founder of the best-selling app Buddhify, and author of Modern Mindfulness: How to Be More Relaxed, Focused, and Kind While Living in a Fast, Digital, Always-On World.
In this lively session, Jack illuminates how we can begin to open the heart through the transformational power of self-acceptance."Acceptance is the ground out of which true insight and understanding comes. It's an essential aspect of our practice. If we don't accept some aspect of ourself—some feeling, some physical sense of ourself aspect, some mental sense of ourself—then how are we to learn about it if we condemn it? How are we to discover it's nature? How are we to become free in relationship to it? Self-acceptance is not all of the practice, but it's a foundation and spirit which allows for attention and mindfulness to work." – Jack KornfieldIn this episode, Jack mindfully illuminates:- Transforming ourself and our practice through self-acceptance- How true acceptance allows the practice of attention and mindfulness to work- Don Juan, attention, non-self, and "dissolving the world"- The power of accepting our non-acceptance- Practice as a process of opening the heart and mind- Dipa Ma as an embodiment of loving kindness, metta- The gradual transformational created through the careful continuity of 'noting'- Overcoming and integrating doubt, anger, guilt, and pain- Resting in the present and the natural calming of the heart and the mind- Impermanence and the Five Aggregates- The spiritual question of 'free will versus determinism'- Meditation and looking at our intentions- Moving poems by Thich Nhat Hạnh and Hanshan"Practice is a process of opening both the heart and the mind. To open the heart is to allow ourselves to begin to experience whatever there is in our being—in our walking, in our moving, in our eating—with a kindness, with a softness." – Jack Kornfield"You can sit, and the intention to get up will arise, and if you really notice with continuity and care, you can notice maybe the attention to standup and walk because you're uncomfortable, or the intention to go take tea, or the intention to go to the bathroom. And if you notice sometimes you'll see the intention arise as that quality, 'About to do something...', and you note it, and it disappears, and there you are still sitting there. You watch the breath for a while and the intention comes again, and you begin to see how intention functions, and that it too is impersonal. It's not something you can say is, 'I, me, or mine.'" – Jack KornfieldThis Dharma Talk from 10/16/1983 at Insight Meditation Society was originally published on DharmaSeed.
In this essential talk, Ram Dass leans on the wisdom of the Tao Te Ching, Ramana Maharshi, and Groucho Marx to explore identity, change, and how incarnation is the blueprint for liberation.Want to be a part of the discussion about this episode of Here and Now? Register now for the SoulPod Meet-Up on January 23rd at 3 pm EST: https://www.ramdass.org/fellowship/#soulpodThis episode of Here and Now is taken from a workshop in Los Angeles in May of 1991.Ram Dass dives into the concept of identity and how we’ve lost the balance between our identity as individuals and our identity as part of the unity of all things. We begin by being too attached to the somebody-ness that’s drilled into us from birth and then, as we awaken spiritually, we go in the other direction and cling too tightly to the unity. The ultimate goal is to be in the world, but not of the world.Offering the wisdom of Groucho Marx, Ram Dass talks about learning to play with reality and how part of what we’re awakening to is that there are many planes of reality. He references Ramana Maharshi and describes how the spiritual journey is ultimately about extricating yourself from your definitions of yourself. Part of the predicament of being so attached to these definitions of self is that all things change, including our bodies. Ram Dass addresses the very nature of change and reads from the Tao Te Ching to offer us a clue to the Way. Ultimately, as we awaken, we can begin to see how our unique incarnations are actually the blueprint for our liberation. There are no errors in this game.“The balance that got off was that we started out with this undifferentiated self and we so well learned our separateness that our separateness veiled over the connection we had to the unity of all things.” – Ram Dass
Examining how mysticism hides in plain sight, Omid Safi describes God as love, the lover, and the beloved with guest host Kelly Deutsch.This episode was originally recorded for the Spiritual Wanderlust Podcast, with Kelly Deutsch. Learn more about this series that explores the wild, untamed frontiers of our interior life at spiritualwanderlust.org/podcast This time on Sufi Heart, Omid Safi speaks with Kelly about:Discovering Islamic MysticsSufism and having a pure heartOmid’s life in Iran and exposure to masculine displays of emotionThe mystery of being human, the mystery of GodHeartbreak and experiencing the heart breaking openSacred Eroticism and using our senses to experience lovelinessWhat we can learn from the type of love a mother providesRadical love and going into the rootsLinking together love and justice“The Sufis explicitly say something that of course we find also in the Christian mystical contemplative tradition. Mischievously, they almost say there is a holy trinity, a language which most orthodox Muslims would avoid and all Jews would have avoided. But they say the trinity is love, lover, and beloved. God is love, God is the lover, and God is the beloved.” – Omid Safi
In a discussion on Buddhism and wellness, author George Pitagorsky joins Raghu to explore his new book, The Peaceful Warrior’s Path.In this episdoe, 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 awareness“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 Pitagorsky
After a chant to Ma Durga, Krishna Das answers questions about global suffering and anchoring our hearts through regular practice.Today’s episode originally aired on Krisha Das’ “Hanging Out In the Heart Space” online satsang on March 10th, 2022. Be sure to subscribe to Krishna Das on Youtube to get new episodes of “Hanging Out In the Heart Space”, fresh music from KD and more: youtube.com/channel/UCtzvMbKEud7MqkIVdFjfHXQ This time on Pilgrim Heart, Krishna Das talks about: - Praying to Hanuman for the removal of obstacles- Keeping an open and available heart for all people- The mythology of Shiva- Stories of K.K Sah- The beauty of Lila (divine play)- Maharaj-Ji as a manifestation of love- Escaping from the habit loop- The suffering that comes from trying to control our experiences- Letting all things in life come and go- Planting seeds through regular practice“One has to allow all kinds of experiences to come and go, without being destroyed by them. You only get that strength from spiritual practice and from coming into contact with the beings who have conquered suffering, overcame all suffering. Read about those beings, get to know those beings. How did they do it? How did they see the world?” – Krishna Das
Discussing the differences between knowing, awareness and wisdom, Joseph Goldstein helps deepen our insights into the nature of body and mind.This 2007 talk was originally published on Dharmaseed.This podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp. Click to receive 10% off your first month with your own licensed professional therapist: betterhelp.com/insighthourThis time on Insight Hour, Joseph lectures on:- The Satipatthana Sutta- The four foundations of mindfulness- Overcoming suffering and attaining freedom- How wisdom combines awareness and investigation- Struggling as the manifestation of non-acceptance- Grounding in awareness of different sense objects- Attuning to the patterns and conditioning in our minds- The attitudes and judgements we have about experiences- The ability to learn about our minds in any situation“Wisdom arises out of awareness and it combines the qualities of investigation, of what the Buddha called right understanding/right attitude. With mindfulness as the platform, that is the foundation. Without mindfulness none of this happens.“ – Joseph Goldstein
In this episode of Heart Wisdom, Jack illuminates the law of karma and shares how we can overcome habits in order to live a life of awareness.Today's podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp. Click to receive 10% off your first month with your own licensed professional therapist: betterhelp.com/heartwisdom"To live a life of awareness asks a lot of us—it asks that we know ourselves, know our feelings, and know our hearts." – Jack KornfieldIn this episode, Jack compassionately outlines:- How to move past our karmas to live a life of awareness- Listening inside to find integrity with our words, actions, and hearts- Buddha's emphasis on working with our feelings to find freedom- How not to get caught in reaction to the 'Eight Worldly Winds'- Understanding the law of karma and law of change- Overcoming our habits and shaping our future with awareness- Understanding our motivations in our actions- Discerning between feelings in the body and our mind's stories- Diffusing overpowering emotions with awareness"The first part of karma is simply that things keep changing, and that how we respond to them creates our future. What's in our hearts that motivates us, creates how the future will be." – Jack Kornfield"Wisdom—understanding, living wisely—comes from the cultivation of awareness." – Jack KornfieldThis talk from New Years Day 1/1/1988 at Spirit Rock Meditation Center was originally published on DharmaSeed.
In this New Years episode exploring how we can revolutionize our lives by becoming aware of our feelings, Jack talks clear seeing and gives instructions for an eating meditation."If you become aware of your feelings, they don't last very long. We feel like we're angry for a day, or sad for a week, or happy for a month, or grieving for a while—as if those feelings lasted that long. But if you look closely and you let yourself feel what's here and pay attention, feelings rarely last more than thirty seconds, maybe a minute, and then then turn into something else. Guaranteed. If you have some feeling that feels like it's lasted much longer than that, you haven't paid attention to it." – Jack KornfieldIn this episode, Jack mindfully illuminates:- The practice of awareness, mindfulness, and paying attention- Working with the inevitability of change, impermanence, and death- Clear seeing, clear comprehension, and integrity- Mindfulness of the process of eating, food, diet, and hunger- Instructions for an 'eating meditation'- Discerning the voices in our head and choosing the most skillful one to follow- Using 'noting' and 'tracking' to become aware of our feelings and diffuse their grip on us"When we remember that things change, when we can see it in front of us from moment to moment, it effects deeply the way that we live. If we know that things are really fleeting, it brings a quality or a care to our attention to know where we are. Because we realize that this may be the only time—in fact it is the only time—that we'll be in this day, in this moment, in this circumstance. So one tends to live less automatically if we remember the fact of change, of impermanence and death." – Jack KornfieldThis talk from New Years Day 1/1/1988 at Spirit Rock Meditation Center was originally published on DharmaSeed.
Bestselling author, Yung Pueblo, and reporter, Dan Harris, join Jack to dive into how to love without grasping, Ram Dass's humor at his own predicament, and how to meditate when you are freaking out.Today's podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp. Click to receive 10% off your first month with your own licensed professional therapist: betterhelp.com/heartwisdom"The point of meditation practice isn't to withdraw from the world or become a monastic, but it's the possibility to live and take the activities of our life and bring them alive through loving kindness, compassion, and care for yourself and others. People sometimes think if I'm supposed to serve, I have to take care of everybody else, but the circle of compassion is only complete when it also includes yourself." – Jack KornfieldIn this episode, Jack, Yung Pueblo, and Dan Harris dive into:- Jack and Yung Pueblo's connection to create Wisdom Ventures to bring compassion and right livelihood to business- How the circle of compassion is only complete when you also include yourself- Ram Dass' vulnerability, and how having a sense of humor about one's own predicament and being amused at our neurotic humanness is actually what truly liberates us- Meditation as an act of care and listening which allows intuition and understanding- The importance of community and why meditating in groups holds a different and usually higher resonance than meditating alone- Skillful ways to handle conflict and difficult situations- How to love family, partners, and friends openhandedly rather than with attachment and grasping"Meditation is not a grim duty, it's meant to be an act of care. And we live in a culture that's forgotten how we can take care of ourself. And one part of that care, even though at first it feels unfamiliar, is just to be quiet for a little bit and listen. Then there are things in us that we know—intuitions and understandings that come for how to navigate our life from what really matters." – Jack KornfieldThis conversation originally aired on the Ten Percent Happier Podcast with Dan Harris. If you enjoy this, Dan Harris has a new series – Non-Negotiables in the New Year – where he interviews celebrities and dharma experts to discuss their time tested, research-backed advice to get you through the new year and beyond. Listen at TenPercent.comAbout Yung Pueblo:Diego Perez is a meditator and #1 New York Times bestselling author who is widely known on Instagram and various social media networks through his pen name, Yung Pueblo. Online he has an audience of over 3 million people. His writing focuses on the power of self-healing, creating healthy relationships, and the wisdom that comes when we truly work on knowing ourselves. Learn more at YungPueblo.comAbout Dan Harris:A skeptical journalist, Dan Harris had a panic attack on live TV that sent him on a journey that led him to try something he otherwise wouldn't have considered: meditation. He went on to write the best-selling book, 10% Happier. The show features interviews with top scientists, celebrities and experts in the field of mindfulness. And Dan's approach is seemingly modest, but secretly radical: happiness is a skill you can train, just like working your bicep in the gym. For more Dan check out podcast, Ten Percent Happier, and visit his website TenPercent.com
In this new Dharma Talk, Jack explores how we can navigate the suffering of the world's conflicts with compassion, understanding, and peace.This episode is from the Cloud Sangha Community Talk on Dec. 13, 2023. If you would like to join Cloud Sangha to steep in spiritual community, they are offering a 2-week free trial here."I think that we are afraid somehow that our own heart is not big enough to hold the tears and suffering of the world." – Jack KornfieldIn this fresh episode, Jack compassionately elucidates:- How compassion is built into us and is absolutely natural- Why the only side Jack is choosing is the side of peace- Ajahn Chah's monastery as a zone of peace during wartime- Opening our heart big enough to hold it all, connecting with the Mother of the world- Pausing, living from our best intention, listening with an open heart, and mending what we can- How when love meets suffering, it transforms into compassion- Seeing the world through the eyes of compassion, and taking a stand for love- How hatred never ceases by hatred, but by love alone is healed- A powerful guided meditation practice in opening to the heart of compassion- How not to get swallowed up by the collective suffering- Turning off the news, stepping out of the war, and becoming a place of peace, compassion, and loving awareness- Dealing with pain, death, regrets, and "what if's"- Being vulnerable and opening communication with estranged relations- Acting beneficially without attachment to the results of our actions"It's not your job to fix the world or to stop all the wars. It's your job to do your part, to stand for what matters, to speak and act in a way that represents compassion and love for everyone, to plant seeds to mend the places that you can." – Jack Kornfield"Love, when it meets suffering, changes to a different quality, which is compassion. It's that quivering of the heart when we feel in ourself other's struggles and difficulties. It's the resonance with them, and the natural upwelling of, 'How can I help?' – Jack Kornfield
In this unique exploration of Dharma, Jack shares how we can transform our daily lives by looking into how the Buddha answered questions.Today's podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp. Click to receive 10% off your first month with your own licensed professional therapist: betterhelp.com/heartwisdom"This talk on the way the Buddha answered questions is not to give you another talk on Buddhist history, but to connect us with the ancient timeless endeavor of practice, of awakening, and the ways human beings over many centuries have worked with the development of their understanding." – Jack KornfieldIn this illuminating episode, Jack highlights:- How the way Buddha answered questions is relevant to living in our modern times- Buddha's ancient sutras, talks, and Q&As, and how those teachings have touched the world- Buddha's vision of mind and ability to understand the psyche, how it gets entangled, and how we can become free- The "one taste" of Dharma and our capacity for inner-freedom- Illuminating the reality of non-self- How the teachings of the Dharma turn the mind back to one's own personal experience- The radical way of seeing the world through a lens that is not, "I, me, mine."- How to live fully whether we have one life or many lives to live- Buddha's view of the "world on fire" and how to work with this in our daily lives- How to work with contradictions along the spiritual path- Continuity and carrying our practice and presence into the day in an enjoyable way"The essence of Dharma is how we love moment to moment." – Jack KornfieldThis Dharma Talk from October 1983 at Insight Meditation Society was originally published on DharmaSeed.
In Jack's heartfelt final talk at Insight Meditation Society, he explores heart and mind, wholeness and emptiness, and how the only way to be free is to let go of it all."When I was first studying Buddhism and meditating, even as it got a lot deeper, it was a clearing of the mind—mind becoming more silent, fewer thoughts, starting to see with a vision of clarity how things really arise, pass, and are truly ownerless. There's a kind of coolness to that vision, just like on a hot summer day when you go into a place and the cool breeze comes, and it cools off at night. That kind of vision of openness, of spaciousness of mind, and the clarity to see, has a sweetness, a sweet kindIn this heartfelt episode, Jack mindfully explores:- The significance of this session as his last Dharma Talk at Insight Meditation Society before leaving to California to found Spirit Rock Meditation Center- Jack's connection as a founding teacher of IMS alongside other Be Here Now Network teachers and podcasters, Sharon Salzberg and Joseph Goldstein- How sangha—spiritual community—has a way of naturally calibrating itself and the students/teachers within it- The sweet coolness and spacious clarity which comes from spiritual practice- Suzuki Roshi and the wisdom of 0 and 1, emptiness and wholeness- A moving story of service and renewal from a Ram Dass book- How the only way to be free is to let go of all of it, absolutely everything- The question Jack will ask himself when his body is dying: whether I've lived fully and loved well- What the Buddha said about love"The only way to be free is to let go of all of it." – Jack Kornfield"What I imagine I'll ask myself when I die is: whether I've lived fully—but even more than that—whether I've loved very well." – Jack KornfieldThis Dharma Talk from 03/18/1984 at Insight Meditation Society was originally published on DharmaSeed.
Describing how perceptions and constructs shape our experiences, Joseph Goldstein teaches on the concept of self.In this episode, Joseph describes:The liberating jewel of the Buddha’s teachingsThe Self as the fabrication of our mindsThe relief of selflessnessAbandoning unwholesome qualitiesUsing Buddhist psychology to understand how The Self is createdRecognizing, naming, and rememberingPerception in the service of mindfulnessSeeing the frame instead of the pictureHow concepts can limit our understandingDivision and the concept of spacePast, present, future, and the concept of timeThe constriction within self-imageProjection and self-assessmentAge, culture, race, and other created constructsWhen concepts can be useful“Our perceptions are concepts about what we are experiencing. This overlay on experience very often conditions how we feel about that experience. And, one of the startling things about all this, is that often our perceptions are inaccurate and yet they are conditioning the experience we are having.”– Joseph Goldstein
Illuminating the benefits of taking spiritual retreat, Jack highlights the importance of meeting our practice with great faith, great courage, and great questioning.Join Jack with Trudy Goodman, Krishna Das, Anne Lamott and more, live online from Maui in the virtual Ram Dass Legacy Retreat: Love and Renewal 11/29 - 12/3! Register at RamDass.org/retreat"It's not a question of practicing and losing weight, or getting rid of our neurosis or figuring out our mother, father, husband, or wife trip; but it's really to get the bottom of the question of life itself: Who are we? What makes up our experience? And to ask that question, to come to the end of our questioning requires a kind of passion, a kind of urgency, to see, to know." – Jack KornfieldIn this episode, Jack mindfully illuminates:- The history and importance of taking spiritual retreat in Eastern traditions- What it was like for Jack to take spiritual retreat with Burmese Buddhist teacher, Mahasi Sayadaw, and his Thai Buddhist teacher, Ajahn Chah- Instructions for meditation and how to apply them properly to the retreat experience- Moving beyond our psychological melodrama so we can gain deeper insight into the processes of mind- Gurdjieff and using the fire of practice to transform our inner-world into a single whole- Using our time wisely within the great mystery of this precious human birth- Meeting our meditation practice with great faith, great courage, and great questioning- The Diamond Sutra and how to live with a heart of light"You say that practice is difficult. This is thinking. Practice is not difficult. If you say it's difficult this means you're examining yourself too much—examining your situation, your condition, your opinion—so you say practice is difficult. But if you keep the mind that is before thinking and planning, then practice is not difficult." – Jack Kornfield quoting a Zen MasterThis Dharma Talk on 10/07/78 from Insight Meditation Society was originally published on DharmaSeed.
In this question-and-answer session, Joseph Goldstein explores skillful means for non-clinging, how to work with the comparing mind, the intricacies of walking meditation, and much more.This dharma talk, recorded on October 20, 2023, was originally published on Dharma Seed.“So when I began to hear these different teachings, rather than frame it – ‘Which is true?’ or ‘Which is right?’ – just to take the teachings as skillful means. So then the question is, skillful means for what? And here is where all the traditions of Buddhism are unified, and that is skillful means for non-clinging. That’s the essence of the free mind in all the Buddhist traditions.” – Joseph GoldsteinIn this episode of Insight Hour:Joseph offers a series of tips on walking meditationHe responds to questions about working with the comparing mind and working with the mind that is desperate to fix everythingJoseph talks about how it is possible for a layperson to awaken and why enlightenment is all about lightening upHe explores the importance of not being attached to our beliefs or our disbeliefs and keeping an open mindFinally, Joseph offers his perspective on how the Dharma has helped him in difficult times and why the Buddhist teachings are all about skillful means for non-clinging“Because we can be as attached to disbelief as we are to belief. And so with things that we don’t know, I think it’s a much wiser frame to say, ‘I don’t know,’ and just stay open in the not knowing, rather than, ‘It’s not true.’ Because saying, ‘It’s not true,’ implies that you know.” – Joseph Goldstein
Exploring the liberating step of Right Attitude, Jack illuminates how we can break free from our automatic habits by becoming fully conscious of them.Today's podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp. Click to receive 10% off your first month with your own licensed professional therapist: betterhelp.com/heartwisdom"There's a strength of heart that comes when we don't just follow our habit. It's a strengthening of heart that brings a sense of wellbeing or purity. Because we begin to train ourselves that we don't have to follow all our habits and all our desires." – Jack KornfieldIn this episode, Jack mindfully explores:- Right Attitude/Thought as one of the steps on the Buddha's Noble Eightfold Path- The three aspects of Right Attitude: openness/exploration, renunciation/effort, love/non-harming- Working with our unique personality in this incarnation- The importance of adding fire to our spiritual practice- Breaking free from our automatic habits by bringing conscious awareness to them- Ram Dass and becoming a "connoisseur or your neurosis"- Transforming our life from automatic pilot to being fully conscious- The story of Larry Brilliant helping cure smallpox and what he learned about surrender and interconnectivity"I think love really manifests when things get difficult. That's when you really know it. That's the fire that melts whatever barriers we ever have in our hearts. And our hearts want to be melted. The pain isn't so bad; it's much better than having it still solid and barricaded." – Jack KornfieldJoin Jack and friends live ONLINE from Maui Nov. 29 - Dec. 3 at the 3rd Annual Ram Dass Legacy Retreat in this 5-day virtual livestream event. Learn more and register at RamDass.org/retreat
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 hearts were made to flourish. We are born with these immense capacities and this beautiful potential to contribute and grow and flower as human beings, if we receive the right nourishment and if we know how to water those seeds.” – Oren Jay SoferAbout Oren Jay Sofer:Oren teaches mindfulness, meditation and Nonviolent Communication in secular and Buddhist contexts. Oren is also the founder and Guiding Teacher of Next Step Dharma, an innovative online course focused on bringing the tools of meditation to daily life, and co-founder of Mindful Healthcare. He is a CNVC Certified Trainer of Nonviolent Communication, and visiting teacher at the Insight Meditation Society. You can order your copy of Oren Jay Sofer's new book, Your Heart Was Made For This, on his website. Check our Oren’s recent blog post about allowing the heart to open and close during difficult times.
Connecting the Buddha's wisdom with the teachings of Don Juan, Carlos Castaneda's infamous Yaqui shaman, Jack explores how to become a spiritual warrior."There's a mysterious beauty that surrounds those individuals who live their lives as warriors, as men or women of knowledge." – Jack KornfieldIn this episode, Jack mindfully illuminates:- How Buddha's factors of enlightenment (qualities of awakening) connect with Don Juan, Carlos Castaneda's infamous teacher and Yaqui shaman and sorcerer- Don Juan's wisdom of the 'Way of the Warrior' in relation to Buddhism- The qualities of living as a spiritual warrior: impeccability/wholeness, wise effort/energy, courage/investigation, controlled-folly (play/lightness), strength/concentration, and steadfastness/unshakeableness- Shamanism and cutting through our sense of separation into the root of consciousness- Finding inner-freedom by learning how to stop our internal dialogue"The basic difference between an ordinary person and a warrior is that a warrior takes everything as a challenge, while an ordinary person takes everything as a blessing or a curse." – Carlos Castaneda (Author of The Teachings of Don Juan: A Yaqui Way of Knowledge)This talk from 12/31/1983 at Insight Meditation Society was originally published on DharmaSeed.
In response to the conflicts in the world, Jack offers a harmonizing guided meditation inviting us into peace, sanctuary, and the heart of refuge.“I breath in peace and breath out peace to all those who are amidst the troubles of this world—the conflicts, the refuges, the violence and the fear. I send you a peaceful breath. May we be peaceful together.” – Jack KornfieldIn this timely episode, Jack leads a harmonizing guided meditation to help us:- Find a mindful, balanced, and compassionate response to the conflicts and tragedy’s happening throughout the world today- Turn our awareness to the present moment, merging mind, body, and spirit- Extend our consciousness, compassion, and mindful loving awareness around the planet, it’s people, and environments- Send out peaceful healing breaths to all those who are amidst the troubles of the worldThis episode is from the Spirit Rock Meditation Center Monday Night Dharma Talk and Meditation on 10/23/2023.
In this powerful new Dharma Talk touching on current events, an emotional Jack offers a heart of refuge amidst the world's conflicts."There's a liberation amidst birth and death, joy and sorrow, war and peace, that is beyond it all. This is the sacred openness of love and awareness itself.” – Jack KornfieldIn this emotional episode, Jack touches into:- The terrors of the ongoing wars in Gaza, Ukraine, Darfur- How constant news media effects our emotions and wellbeing- Learning to live from the 'heart of refuge' which the Buddha offers- What does it mean to be a refugee? How can we help create sanctuary?- The importance of outsiders opening to the suffering of all humans rather than taking sides- How the Buddha's mindful loving awareness overcomes Mara's aggression, greed, and doubt- The ways we can open ourselves to forgiveness, compassion, community, safety, love, and trustThis episode is from the Spirit Rock Meditation Center Monday Night Dharma Talk and Meditation on 10/23/2023.Already downloaded by over 15k people, visit dharmamoon.com/ebook to get YOUR free copy of The Art of Teaching Mindfulness!
Jack explores how meeting our lives with a directness and simplicity helps bring the mind, body, and heart into unity.Today's podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp. Click to receive 10% off your first month with your own licensed professional therapist: betterhelp.com/heartwisdom"The spirit of the practice is a unification of the mind with the body and the heart, bringing them all together into one. In that unification, or collectedness, then it becomes possible, when the mind isn't wandering in fantasy of past or future, to see directly and clearly.” – Jack KornfieldIn this Dharma Talk, Jack mindfully illuminates:- Buddha's simple wisdom: "In the seen, there is only the seen. In the heard, there is only the heard. In the sensed, there is only the sensed. In the thought, there is only the thought."- Meeting our practice and the world with a directness and simplicity; bringing the mind, heart, and body into unity- Cultivating an "excruciatingly" precise awareness and paying careful attention so we can see our life process in a new way- The three-sided crystal of impermanence, unsatisfactoriness/insecurity, and selflessness- Suzuki Roshi and the blissful wisdom of simplicityThis Dharma Talk 9/29/1983 at the Insight Meditation Society was originally published on DharmaSeed.Learn the Healing Art of Guided Meditation in this Masterclass with Jack Kornfield! Sign up for the on-demand version before Nov. 15 to take part in two live Q&A sessions with Jack!
For episode 226 of the Metta Hour, we’re bringing you an episode from the Ten Percent Happier Podcast in which Dan Harris interviews Sharon about her brand new book, “Finding Your Way.”Dan Harris is a former ABC News anchor who, after reporting all over the world, experienced an on-air panic attack while hosting Good Morning America. Despite initial misgivings, he turned to meditation and changed his life for the better. He is the author of the book “10% Happier,” a #1 New York Times bestseller, and the Ten Percent Happier podcast host.In this conversation, Sharon and Dan discuss:• The impetus for Sharon’s new book• What Sharon means by “an authentic life”• Learning to be your own BFF• How the notion of self-love squares with the Buddhist notion of emptiness• Why it can be harder to receive love and help than to give itYou can get a copy of “Finding Your Way” in hardcover or ebook formats at our website. To hear more episode of the Ten Percent Happier Podcast or App, visit their website.
In this wild Q&A session from 1976 that is teeming with frenetic energy from the audience, Ram Dass really just wants to talk about three things: God, sex, and dope.Today's podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp. Click to receive 10% off your first month with your own licensed professional therapist: betterhelp.com/ramdassWant to be part of the discussion about this episode of Here and Now? Join the Ram Dass Fellowship virtual meetup on November 7th, sign up for the General Fellowship group here to receive more information.In this episode of Here and Now:Dealing with a slightly wild audience, Ram Dass answers questions about how our actions can influence other people’s journey of awakening, what commitment truly is, and how to look at our predicament from different levels.But what Ram Dass really wants to talk about is three things: God, sex, and dope. He talks about moving beyond the desire for drugs, how people become attached to their sexual expression and what tantra truly is, and defines God to the best of his ability.Ram Dass ends the evening by singing, “Rejoice in the Lord.” Again, I say, rejoice.“Beyond all of the patterns of energy – physical, astral, causal – lies God, that which is beyond form. You aim for that, and in the course of it, if you are pure in your aim, you can do nothing which is adharmic, going against the dharma. And if you stay in the flow, in the Tao, in the dharma, then whatever needs to be for you and your fellow human being will be done, even though you may not understand what it is that’s happening to you. Your intellectual awareness of what is going on is not necessary for this journey. It can speed it up and help it, but it’s not necessary.” – Ram Dass
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.“During our daily life, we have so much opportunity to practice. To practice being generous, to practice being patient in the face of other peoples problems; the opportunity to keep pure ethical conduct and never harm or lie or cause any problems for others. During our day we have these endless opportunities for practicing these qualities of the heart, so we should be grateful because sitting on a cushion is not an opportunity really to practice being generous, ethical, or patient.” – Tenzin PalmoThis time on Mindrolling, Raghu Markus and Tenzin Palmo explore:- Tenzin Palmo’s earliest experiences of connecting to The Buddha- The imminence of death- Tenzin’s Book, Reflections on a Mountain Lake- What perfection is and how we can realize it- Tenzin’s journey to the guru in India- Women on the path of Buddhism- The process of starting a nunnery- Non-self, the ego, and Becoming nobody- Recommendations from the Buddha- Taming the mind- Starting with ourselves when we cultivate compassion- The six paramitas (perfections) of the Bodhisattva path- Opportunities for practice in our daily lives- Death, letting people go, and expressing love- Spirituality as a path of joyAbout Tenzin Palmo:Jetsunma Tenzin Palmo (born 1943) is a bhikṣuṇī in the Drukpa Lineage of the Kagyu school of Tibetan Buddhism. She is an author, teacher and founder of the Dongyu Gatsal Ling Nunnery in Himachal Pradesh, India. She is best known for having spent twelve years living in a remote cave in the Himalayas, three of those years in strict meditation retreat.Links & Recommendations From this Episode:Pick up your copy of Tenzin Palmo’s Reflections on a Mountain Lake or one of her other works HERE: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/743802/reflections-on-a-mountain-lake-by-jetsunma-tenzin-palmo/9781645471424/
Using poetry and story-telling, Trudy Goodman melds together present moment awareness and Metta in this beautiful ode to mindfulness.This dharma talk was originally published on Dharma Seed.“I really love mindfulness because when we’re fully present with the object of our attention there are also so many qualities of Metta, of a certain kind of caring and connection and warmth.” – Trudy GoodmanIn this 2008 talk recorded at the Spirit Rock Meditation Center, Trudy Goodman demonstrates:- What mindfulness actually means- Experiencing metta as a byproduct of being mindful- Noticing we are lost as a sign of awareness- Having Metta for ourselves when we veer off course- Self-worth and our capacity for compassion- Being alive as our greatest achievement- Developing strategies for painful emotions- The practice of taking a step back- Making the shift into receptivity- The Zen tradition and calling out to yourself- The contour of the Dharma and being in service of aliveness- Appreciating our surroundings through the non-interfering presence of mindfulness“The beauty of our mindfulness practice is that it can go anywhere, that the quality of our attention when we’re mindful, it really doesn’t depend on the content of the experience.“ – Trudy Goodman
In this riveting episode, Jack shares hilarious personal stories illuminating lessons from his life as a forest monk in Thailand."The spirt was you just did it, and you worked with whatever came up as your practice. Living the life of a monk meant taking what came to you and working with it, whether it was difficult or easy.” – Jack Kornfield In this riveting episode, Jack dives into:- What it was like living as a forest monk in Thailand at Ajahn Chah's forest monastery- The wisdom he learned through experiencing Ajahn Chah's four-part teachings on surrender, opening up to see clearly, working with the mind, and gaining balance/perspective- The two levels of Dharma practice: using Dharma to feel comfortable, and using Dharma to get free- Ajahn Chah's rascally yet direct interactions with students, including one with Ram Dass- Working with attachments and aversions in order to overcome them and grow spiritually- Learning how to let go and not get caught in the mind's lures, traps, and intricaciesDiscover the transformative practice of teaching mindfulness in a new FREE 30-page ebook by Senior Buddhist teacher and Emmy award-winning musician, David Nichtern. With its blend of humor, wisdom, and accessible approach, The Art of Teaching Mindfulness ebook is a must-read for anyone interested in sharing the life-changing practices of mindfulness with others.Already downloaded by over 15k people, visit dharmamoon.com/ebook to get YOUR free copy of The Art of Teaching Mindfulness!This episode from Insight Meditation Society on 6/7/1981 was originally published on DharmaSeed."Meditation practice is where you are sitting. It's not to go to some other place, or have the ideal setting, or have your coffee, or have your quiet little room. Where you are is your practice." – Jack Kornfield
Explaining the Hindu goddess Kali, Dr. Svoboda lectures on disrupting structure in order to see supreme reality.This podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp. Click to receive 10% off your first month with your own licensed professional therapist: betterhelp.com/beherenowThis time on Living with Reality, Dr. Robert Svoboda explains:The 700 verses of Shri Durga SaptashatiA description of Kali’s attributesAyurveda and the separation of the desirable versus undesirableThe manifestation of MahamayaBlood as the representation of PranaHow Kali fights off the enemies of our spiritual developmentKali Shakti and awakening awarenessKundalini and identifying with ShivaRemoving Maya and turning it into consciousnessThe difference between Kali and Kali YugaTime, death, and darknessThe liberation that comes from destructionImages of the goddess as incarnations and invocations“Everything you see is in the process of falling to pieces … and Kali is standing there as the manifestation of what will happen to everything and everyone. There will be that total destruction and that reversion of everything into something new.” – Dr. Robert Svoboda
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 from being clear, kind, and presentDirect identification and Tantric intimacyCommunity as the antidote of dysfunctional solitudeAbout Steve Kanji Ruhl:Reverend Steve Kanji Ruhl, M.Div., is an innovative Zen Buddhist minister ordained in the Zen Peacemaker Order by Roshi Bernie Glassman, and is also a lay Zen dharma holder and preceptor authorized by Roshi Eve Myonen Marko. Formerly affiliated with Green River Zen Center in western Massachusetts where he helped to teach and assisted Roshi Eve, he now operates independently, teaching Zen students in person and through his Touch the Earth cyber-sangha to “be clear, be kind, be present” through instruction in koans, ethical precepts, and shikantaza (“just sitting”) meditation. Also a multi-published author, Steve Kanji Ruhl was awarded the Gold Prize for Best Spiritual Memoir in the 2023 Nautilus Book Awards for his book, Appalachian Zen: Journeys in Search of True Home, from the American Heartland to the Buddha Dharma.
Illuminating the Way of the Bodhisattva, Jack shares wisdom from St. Teresa of Calcutta, Elizabeth Kübler-Ross, Ajahn Chah, and Sueng Sahn on walking the spiritual path.Today's podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp. Click to receive 10% off your first month with your own licensed professional therapist: betterhelp.com/heartwisdom"The Dharma is something that becomes a personal thing for each one of us. And it's expressed through our abilities, our vision, and our own particular skills.” – Jack Kornfield In this vintage episode, Jack mindfully illuminates:- The selfless service, love, and wisdom of Saint Mother Teresa of Calcutta- Elizabeth Kübler-Ross's unshakeable compassion and revolutionary work around death and dying- How his teacher Ajahn Chah's Thai monastery was an island of peace and possibility amidst war and conflict- What the story of Korean Zen Master, Seung Sahn, getting a job at a laundry mat teaches us about non-attachment to self- Compassion, the spiritual path, and the Way of the Bodhisattva"The power that a human being who’s really committed to truth and love has to transform people around them is quite remarkable." – Jack KornfieldThis vintage episode from April 10, 1977 at Camp Cedar Glen was originally published on DharmaSeed.Discover the transformative practice of teaching mindfulness in a new FREE 30-page ebook by Senior Buddhist teacher and Emmy award-winning musician, David Nichtern. With its blend of humor, wisdom, and accessible approach, The Art of Teaching Mindfulness ebook is a must-read for anyone interested in sharing the life-changing practices of mindfulness with others.Already downloaded by over 15k people, visit dharmamoon.com/ebook to get YOUR free copy of The Art of Teaching Mindfulness!
In this flowing question and answer session, Jack helps his students mindfully navigate topics like loneliness, intention setting, meditating with ADD, meeting our shame with nobility, and dealing with jerks."The spiritual path is really step by step. If you think of it as long, you can get lost and overwhelmed. But if you realize that you're not going from here to there, you're going from there to hear, the path leads you back to this moment and to a more tender heart.” – Jack Kornfield In this question and answer session, Jack and his students mindfully explore:- A do-it-yourself intention setting ceremony- What it's like to practice meditation with ADD- The benefits of going on spiritual retreat both in-person and online- How to handle being triggered by "jerks," politics, greed, hate, and injustice- Meeting our shame and regret with nobility and growth- Finding patience and trust for the spiritual path- Spirituality and how to deal with difficult family- The importance of satsang (sangha, spiritual community)
Executive Chairman of the Ford Motor Company, Bill Ford, joins Jack to discuss capitalism, Right Livelihood, and the next generation.Today's podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp. Click to receive 10% off your first month with your own licensed professional therapist: betterhelp.com/heartwisdom“To be successful in business you have to have values, you have to stand by those values, and you can't compromise those values. But you also have to have the tools to do that. Whether it's meditation or other forms of self-exploration, you have to have a way to shed the stress and to really dive into what's important.” – Bill FordIn this episode, Jack and Bill mindfully navigate:How we can make business and work a force for goodThe stakes and rewards of servant leadershipCapitalism, Right Livelihood, and the Next GenerationNavigating tough decisions and bringing out the best in othersCompassionate leadership in a cold economyLiving with empathy and from our highest intentionTransform your life through Jack's Kornfield's most powerful stories in this brand new 10-hour journey! Live session begin this October! Sign up here: "What's the point of your life if there isn't some well-being woven into it? It's not meant to be a grim duty. Some people take meditation as a grim duty. That doesn't make it happy, and it doesn't actually serve you in some deep way." – Jack KornfieldThis conversation was originally recorded for the Inner-MBA program presented by Sounds True.
In this hilarious episode, Jack Kornfield, Trudy Goodman, and Bonnie Duran, DrPH, share stories on becoming empowered to solve your own problems.Transform your life through Jack's Kornfield's most powerful stories in this brand new 10-hour journey! Live session begin on Sept 28th!“The Buddha's enlightenment solved the Buddha's problem, now you solve yours.” – Joseph GoldsteinIn this episode Jack, Trudy, and Bonnie mindfully explore:- The powerful lesson encased within Bonnie's first one-on-one session with Joseph Goldstein- Empowerment, personal understanding, and spiritual awakening- Hilarious stories from Jack on his teacher Ajahn Chah involving enlightenment, Jesus, and the wisdom of not-knowing- Trudy's two-sided spiritual lesson on aging, impermanence, and presence- Dealing with uncertainty and learning to trust yourselfAbout Bonnie Duran, DrPH:Bonnie Duran, DrPH, (mixed race Opelousas/Coushatta) is a Professor Emeritus in the Schools of Social Work and Public Health at the University of Washington (UW), in Seattle. Before, during and after completing her doctoral degree at UC Berkeley, she has worked in public health and social care research, education and practice with a focus on Native Americans/Indigenous peoples and other communities of color for over 35 years. Dr Duran has conducted studies of mental disorder prevalence, risk and protective factors, victimization, and treatment seeking/ barriers to care among people attending Indian Health Service (IHS) facilities and probability samples from the Tribal Colleges and University’s within the largest rural Tribal Nations in the U.S. In partnership with communities, she has adapted and developed Indigenous interventions for system level, community and individual health and wellbeing.About Trudy Goodman:Trudy is a Vipassana teacher in the Theravada lineage and the Founding Teacher of InsightLA. For 25 years, in Cambridge, MA, Trudy practiced mindfulness-based psychotherapy with children, teenagers, couples and individuals. Trudy conducts retreats and workshops worldwide.Learn more about Trudy’s offerings at trudygoodman.com
Reflecting on what it means to live in a wise society, Jack shares stories on how we can handle difficult topics – cancer, abortion, women's rights, prison, and war – with a mutual respect.
Today's podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp. Click to receive 10% off your first month with your own licensed professional therapist: betterhelp.com/heartwisdom
“How much respect do you give to those you disagree with? And what would they feel from you? Not that you have to have the same ideas, but is there that spirit of respect? Can you see the secret beauty behind their eyes? Can you see them all with a heart open even if you disagree?” – Jack Kornfield
In this episode, Jack mindfully explores:
- What the truth of interdependence means to tending a wise society
- How Buddha, Dharma, and meditation connect with politics and community A story of enlightenment about 'The Rabbi, the Abbot, and The Messiah'
- Quieting the mind, opening the heart, mutual respect, and listening deeply
- The compassion of Quan Yin, and the Dharma as medicine for the world
- Gracefully handling topics like cancer, abortion, women's rights, the prison system, and war
Transform your life through Jack's Kornfield's most powerful stories in this brand new 10-hour journey! Sign up here: https://bit.ly/44MUnK9
Jack shares a guided meditation on relaxing into the ocean of air we find ourselves in when we open to the present moment.Transform your life through Jack's Kornfield's most powerful stories in this brand new 10-hour journey starting Sept 28th!“You become a connoisseur of breathing for this moment, attentive to this remarkable breathing in and out of the atmosphere, keeping you alive, exchanging with all.” – Jack KornfieldIn this episode, Jack leads a guided meditation helping us:- Tune into embodied presence- Invite in relaxation, ease and calm- Become mindful of the body breathing itself- Use noting to move past waves of emotions and thoughts"As you sense each breath, you can whisper softly in the background of your mind, 'Ease, calm,' and allow the embodied presence that is feeling this breath to invite you into a place of stillness, breath by breath." – Jack KornfieldThis meditation was originally live-streamed by Spirit Rock Meditation Center for the Monday Night Dharma Talk on July 24, 2023.
This time on The Spirit Underground, Spring Washam and Lama Rod Owens begin a gentle exploration of the intersection of gender identiy, sexuality and spirituality.
In this exploratory discussion, Spring Washam and Lama Rod Owens gently surface their thoughts on:
- The binary between sacred and secular sexuality
- Why we repress sexuality as a culture
- Tending to the needs and suffering of the body
- Moving through the ways we’ve been conditioned to think about bodies, attraction, desire, sexuality, gender, etc.
- Discussing sexuality in spiritual leadership
- Holding space for sexual energy on a community level
“If we’re talking about an enlightened society, that is also enlightened sexuality.” – Lama Rod Owens
About Lama Rod Owens:
Lama Rod Owens is a Black Buddhist Southern Queen. An international influencer with a Master of Divinity degree in Buddhist Studies from Harvard Divinity School with a focus on the intersection of social change, identity, and spiritual practice. Author of Love and Rage: The Path of Liberation through Anger and co-author of Radical Dharma: Talking Race, Love and Liberation, his teachings center on freedom, self-expression, and radical self-care. Highly sought after for talks, retreats, and workshops, his mission is showing you how to heal and free yourself. A leading voice in a new generation of Buddhist teachers with over 11 years of experience, Lama Rod is highly respected among his peers and the communities that he serves. From these intersections, he creates a platform that’s very natural, engaging, and inclusive.
“I want us to reach a place of liberation where we love our bodies, where we are fluid, and relating to space and energy.” – Spring Washam
About Spring Washam:
Spring Washam is a well-known teacher, author, and visionary leader based in Oakland, California. She is the author of A Fierce Heart: Finding Strength, Courage and Wisdom in Any Moment and her newest book, The Spirit of Harriet Tubman: Awakening from the Underground. Spring is considered a pioneer in bringing mindfulness-based meditation practices to diverse communities. She is one of the founding teachers at the East Bay Meditation Center, located in downtown Oakland, CA. She has practiced and studied Buddhist philosophy in both the Theravada and Tibetan schools of Buddhism since 1999. She is a member of the teacher’s council at Spirit Rock Meditation Center in northern California where she was trained for over a decade.
In addition to being a teacher, she is also a shamanic practitioner and has studied indigenous healing practices since 2008. She is the founder of Lotus Vine Journeys, a one-of-a-kind organization that blends indigenous healing practices with Buddhist wisdom in South America. Her writings and dharma teachings have appeared in many online journals and publications. She currently teaches meditation retreats and leads workshops, and classes worldwide.
Spring currently teaches meditation retreats and leads workshops, and classes worldwide: springwasham.com
Pushing beyond the bare minimum of religiosity, Omid Safi inspires listeners to deepen their faith into an ecstatic adoration of God.In this episode of Sufi Heart, Omid Safi elucidates :- Islam and the unity of Allah- Iman as faith and Ihsan as virtue- Spirituality and Aesthetics- Doing what is required of us through religion- How Habib (the chosen one) inspired a deeper level of faith- How we can aspire to be in a state of love and adoration- The eyes of the heart versus the eyes of the head- Worshiping God for more than just salvation- Islamic Saints and their stories of experiencing Allah through beauty-Recognizing the unwavering divine presence of God- The eternal now and present moment awareness- Undivided attention as an act of love- Courtesy and recognizing our individual journeys- Being a beautiful witness“God is to be found here and now…the divine simply is not to be experienced in the afterlife, in the heavenly realms, in the celestial realm. Here and now where you are, where we are, we can come to experience Allah.” - Omid SafiYou can join Omid on one of his heart-centered and spiritually-focused educational tours of:Mecca and Medina Umrah program: December 14-21st, 2023. [For Muslim participants]Morocco: April 13-22nd, 2024.Turkey: somewhere in late May to early June, 2024.Further information is available at Illuminated Courses & Tours where you can also find information on virtual courses, spiritual talks, and more: https://www.illuminatedcourses.com/
Illuminating the concept of mudita – sympathetic joy – Jack helps us cultivate authentic happiness for those around us, and leads a guided meditation on the topic.
Today's podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp. Click to receive 10% off your first month with your own licensed professional therapist: betterhelp.com/heartwisdom
"Spiritual joy is the innate capacity for the heart to take pleasure and wonderment in this life and in the happiness of others, a kind of sympathetic joy." – Jack Kornfield
In this episode, Jack mindfully navigates:
- Mudita as a spiritual/sympathetic joy and generosity of spirit which take s pleasure in the happiness of others
- Rumi, the ocean of poetry, channeling, listening, and inspiration
- Seeing the beauty in the the light, eyes, and world around us
- Spirituality, happiness, and taking responsibility for your heart
- The Buddha's lens that joy and beauty are crucial factors of enlightenment
- A guided meditation partner practice to cultivate mudita (sympathetic joy) and metta (loving kindness)
This Dharma Talk from 12/03/2001 at Spirit Rock Meditation Center was originally published by DharmaSeed.
Grab an All-Access Plan for Jack's growing library of online courses at jackkornfield.com/all-access-pass
In this radio interview from 1985, Ram Dass touches on identity, the purpose of meditation on the path to enlightenment, working with death as a path to spiritual growth, and much more.
Today's podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp. Click to receive 10% off your first month with your own licensed professional therapist: betterhelp.com/ramdass
In this 1985 interview from “The Questline” radio show, Ram Dass explores:
Not clinging to identity and how to deal with shifts in consciousness The role and purpose of meditation on the path to enlightenment Astral planes, psychedelic drugs, and the spiritual heart Working with death and dying, and why he found the 1980s to be a much more optimum time for spiritual growth than the 1960s Different levels of awakening, and walking the path of service Are you interested in contributing to the wildfire recovery efforts in Maui and in the most impacted areas of Canada? Check out these resources below to find out how you can help:
Hawaii Community Foundation - https://www.hawaiicommunityfoundation.org/maui-strong
Canadian Red Cross - https://www.redcross.ca/
“In a way, I’m finding it much more interesting to remain spiritually conscious in the 80s… Like we’re much closer to facing in the daily news the issue of our potential death. And that is a major cultural vehicle for awakening. The confrontation with death is one of the – as Castaneda says, keeping death on your left shoulder – it is the vehicle that helps you awaken the most. And that’s what we’re confronted with much more now. So it seems like the optimum time for spiritual growth to me.” – Ram Dass
Jack returns to explore the nature of Dharma as universal, immediate, timeless, beneficial, protective, and available to all.
"The Dharma is universal, it's immediate, it's open-handed, it's to be experienced by each person for themselves directly, it's timeless. The truth of life is here to be discovered for any individual with eyes open to see." – Jack Kornfield
In this episode, Jack mindfully navigates:
- Sufis introducing the Dance of Universal Peace to Jack's retreat of Buddhists
- Dharma as universal, immediate, timeless, beneficial, protective, and available to all
- The various meanings of 'Dharma': the teachings, the physical/emotional elements of the world, personal destiny/path, and Universal Laws/Truth
- How Joseph Goldstein accidentally found his teacher Munindraji while on the way to take LSD under the Bodhi Tree
- Karma, impermanence, duality, selflessness, attachment, metta (loving kindness), and the preciousness of life
- The Vipassana paradox of Tibetan Dream Yoga
"The Dharma protects those who follow it like a great umbrella in the rainy season." – Jack Kornfield
This Dharma Talk from 12/05/1987 was originally published on DharmaSeed.
Grab an All-Access Plan for Jack's growing library of online courses at jackkornfield.com/all-access-pass
David Nichtern explores how mindfulness meditation is the primary tool on our journey of joining Heaven and Earth, which are our highest aspirations and our day-to-day practicalities.
This episode is taken from one of David’s Dharma Moon Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Training sessions. The Intro to Mindfulness and the Path of Meditation program, which serves as the foundation for the next Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Training, begins on October 13th.
To learn more, register now for a free online talk, Teaching Mindfulness Meditation and the Role of the Teacher, with David Nichtern and Robert Thurman on Tuesday, August 22nd.
Today's podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp. Click to receive 10% off your first month with your own licensed professional therapist: betterhelp.com/beherenow
In this episode, David explores:
The classic paradigm of Heaven and Earth, our highest aspirations and our day-to-day practicalities, as a way to frame our journeys The role that humanity plays in this paradigm and what the path of the warrior truly means How mindfulness meditation is the primary tool we can use for joining Heaven and Earth and finding balance in our lives “Earth is nothing but obstacles, actually, from the point of view of Heaven. It’s just a clump of obstacles. But from the point of view of joining Heaven and Earth, it’s a clump of obstacles that actually can be manifested as opportunities for joining Heaven and Earth.” – David Nichtern
About David Nichtern:
David Nichtern, founder of Dharma Moon, is a senior Buddhist teacher who has been practicing and teaching meditation for over 40 years. He was one of the initial American students of renowned meditation master Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche and studied closely with him soon after his arrival in the United States in 1970. He is also a business consultant with companies creating a variety of offerings integrating meditation in a larger health and well-being context. David is also a multiple Grammy-nominated and Emmy award-winning musician.
This week on the Mindrolling Podcast, contemplative scientist Cortland Dahl and Raghu Markus discuss the Tibetan Buddhist perspective of a healthy mind and how to transition from rumination to exploration.
This week on Mindrolling, Cortland Dahl and Raghu chat about:
Cortland Dahl’s journey to mindfulness practice Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche and loving the world Being Human, meditation, and coping with anxiety Embracing and Exploring the nature of our minds Language Immersion and translating Tibetan texts The story of Asanga and the Buddha Nature Transformation through compassionate action Wise-selfishness and looking at our motivations Turning the narrative mind into a new direction Gamma Oscillations and the ‘aha’ moment The practice of non-referential compassion Intersections between science and mindfulness Links & Recommendations From this Episode:
Raghu and Cortland talk about the book: In Love with the World: A Monk’s Journey Through the Bardos of Living and Dying by Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche Learn more about Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche on Tergar.org Check out The Center for Healthy Minds and discover the fusion of science and mindfulness Download the Healthy Minds app for a guide to well-being Why We Meditate by Daniel Goleman and Tsoknyi Rinpoche About Cortland Dahl:
Cortland is interested in exploring the interface between the body, mind and brain, and especially in the question of how various forms of meditation may help us cultivate positive qualities like mindfulness, compassion and resilience. His current work focuses on studying the psychological and neural mechanisms of different families of meditation practice. He is also the creator of the Healthy Minds program, a well-being training program that integrates insights from scientific research with a comprehensive path of contemplative training.
Cortland has an eclectic background and has spent years studying and practicing meditation in Asia, including eight years living in Tibetan refugee settlements in India and Nepal. He has published numerous collections of translations of classic works on meditation and Buddhist philosophy from the Tibetan tradition. In addition to his work with the Center, Cortland is the Co-Founder and Executive Director of Tergar International, a global network of meditation groups and centers.
Learn more at hminnovations.org
“Instead of ruminating about our stressful day, we’re exploring the dynamics of our inner experience; and we just start to discover things the were always there, but we just hadn’t seen. The narrative and the conditioning just hadn’t been directed in that way.” – Cortland Dahl
Getting vulnerable about the hungers which afflict our lives, Jack helps us into the nirvana beyond the illusion of incompleteness.
Today's podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp. Click to receive 10% off your first month with your own licensed professional therapist: betterhelp.com/heartwisdom
“In Sanskrit or Pali the word is ‘Trishna,’ which means thirst, desire, wanting. It’s exaggeration, or the realm that it manifests in in the greatest way, is called ‘The Realm of the Hungry Ghosts.’ Hungry Ghosts are pictured as these beings who have huge stomaches and tiny little mouths, so that it’s never possible to get enough in there to ease that hunger.” – Jack Kornfield
In this episode, Jack vulnerably navigates:
- Hunger, abundance, deprivation, indulgence, addiction, and the illusion of incompleteness
- Feeling idiotic, depressed, needy, judgmental, sad, lonely, hungry, etc
- Trishna—thirst, desire, wanting—and the Realm of the Hungry Ghosts
- Samsara and the propulsion of endless wanderings of seperation/seeking
- Ajahn Chah and being with what is, rather than struggling against it
- Relating wisely and tenderly to Buddha’s First Noble Truth of suffering
- Nirvana as the end of cyclical grasping and the illusion that we are incomplete
“Nirvana is the end of cyclic existence, which is to say, the end of grasping and going around in circles looking for something that you are, but haven’t yet touched—the end of the illusion that we are incomplete.” – Jack Kornfield
This Dharma Talk from 02/01/1987 was originally published on DharmaSeed.
Joseph Goldstein leans on his decades of study and practice of the Dharma to answer a diverse range of spiritual and existential questions from his students and online retreat attendees.
This dharma talk from May 14, 2023, was recorded at the Insight Meditation Society and originally published on Dharma Seed.
In this Q&A style talk, Joseph answers an assortment of questions concerning:
The stages of enlightenment Being mindful of positive and wholesome mind states Realizing selflessness Concepts, the nature of consciousness, and reality Practicing mindfulness in modernity Karma and reincarnation "We think our lives are so complicated and so confused in the modern world, in the ancient world and - at any point in time, there are only these six things happening. It's a sight, its a sound, it's a taste, it's a sensation, it's something going on in our minds. So, I like to think of all life, and the unfolding of our lives, as a six piece chamber orchestra. It's just playing the music." - Joseph Goldstein
David is joined by Emmy Award-winning composer, author, multi-Platinum record producer and songwriter Richard Wolf for a conversation about music, mindfulness, and success.
“It’s not about your ego when you’re making music. It’s not about you. It’s about the music.
If you’re trying to perform, you want to just have the best performance possible. If you’re writing music, you just want to take the song where the song wants to go. You want to help it go. It’s not about your self-referential agenda; it’s about the music.
It’s not about you, and so you’re transcending your self.” – Richard Wolf
In this episode, Matt joins David to discuss: - The Twelve Bridges between music & meditation - Zen & Silent Illumination - Practice and success
About Richard Wolf: Richard “Wolfie” Wolf is an Emmy Award ™ winning composer, multi-Platinum RIAA awarded record producer and songwriter, teacher and noted author.
Wolf is on the faculty of The University of Southern California’s Thornton School of Music where he teaches a class on “Music & Mindfulness” which was the first course at a university level to explore the special relationship between the two practices.
His book “In Tune: Music As The Bridge To Mindfulness” is acclaimed as an innovative guide to contemplative practices for musical people and was the inspiration for his podcast “Wolf In Tune”. The book was written up in The New Yorker, Parade Magazine, Mindful Magazine, Mashable, Spirituality & Health and others.
Learn more about Richard at richardwolf.net.
Russell Brand, world-famous comedian, actor, and podcaster, joins Jack to talk Donald Trump, individualism, ethics, artificial intelligence, freedom, awakening, and keeping in touch with Ram Dass after his passing.
"Ram Dass was a good friend. I can get quiet in meditation and I can hear Ram Dass's voice saying, 'Yeah you're upset about that, but who we are underneath all that is bigger.' It's really the play of consciousness and the state of the heart. And when we tune in and ask ourselves, as Ram Dass would, 'What's your highest and best intention?' that begins to guide our activity, but it has to be courageous and fearless." – Jack Kornfield
In this episode, Russell Brand and Jack mindfully navigate:
- Trust and faith, integrity and authenticity
- Donald Trump and ethics, warfare and the the human heart
- Globalism, media, censorship, and control
- Artificial Intelligence (A.I.), Sam Altman, and technology
- Creating a wise society based on freedom, self-expression, and compassion
- Facism, decentralization, spirituality, and empowerment
- How Jack keeps in touch with Ram Dass after his passing, and how his teachings can help us now
"You've got the establishment on one side, and you've got the anti-establishment on the other side. No amount of technology—nanotechnology, A.I., biotechnology, war technology—is going to stop continuing warfare, nor business as usual, because the source of warfare is the human heart." – Jack Kornfield
This episode is a simulcasted conversation from the "Stay Free with Russell Brand" podcast, where Russell provides thought-provoking conversations with inspiring people he admires to share their unique stories and perspectives.
Dive into Russell's online podcast library of guided meditations on Stay Awake with Russell Brand
Grab an All-Access Plan for Jack's growing library of online courses at jackkornfield.com/all-access-pass
In this interview from the 2023 Mystics Summit, Omid Safi joins Taya Ma for a conversation about Rumi, his main teachings, and how he’s situated on the wider Path of Radical Love.
This interview is part of the 2023 Mystics Summit a free online event. For more information, please visit mysticssummit.com. This recording is a copyright of The Shift Network. All rights reserved. “Approach the teachings of the Path of Love, or of Islam, or of Sufism, or whatever tradition it is that draws you closer to God, in an interactive model. Don’t look at it purely and simply as receiving the teaching, but also keep a journal of your responses to the teachings, to the stories. And when something touches your heart, write that down. And write down what it was and what it made you think because sometimes those momentary realizations are like a lightning bolt in a dark sky, and for one minute everything is clear. You see your own self clearly, and then it may be gone.” – Omid Safi
In this episode, Omid Safi and Taya Mâ talk about:
- Rumi’s background and why his real legacy is more than just his poetry, it’s his being
- How the Path of Radical Love keeps us rooted and grounded, and how we can cultivate those roots
- Practices that can guide us towards oneness
- How we can interpret Rumi’s work both on its own accord and through the context of the time in which it was written
About Taya Mâ Taya Mâ Shere plays passionately in realms of transformative ritual, embodied vocalization, and ancestral healing. She is a professor of organic multireligious ritual at Starr King School for the Ministry, founder of the emergent online mystery school From the Deep, and co-founder of the Kohenet Hebrew Priestess Institute. Learn more about her at taya.ma
About Omid Safi: Dr. Omid Safi is director of Duke University’s Islamic Studies Center. He specializes in the study of Islamic mysticism and contemporary Islam and frequently writes on liberationist traditions of Dr. King, Malcolm X, and is committed to traditions that link together love and justice. He leads spiritual tours every year to Turkey, Morocco, or other countries, to study the rich multiple religious traditions there. The trips are open to everyone, from every country. More information is available at Illuminated Tours.
In this episode of Healing at the Edge, RamDev dives into cultivating qualities to respond to the artificial intelligence disruption.
This podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp. Click to receive 10% off your first month with your own licensed professional therapist: betterhelp.com/beherenow
Reflecting on the increase in collective fear that comes with moving into uncertain times, RamDev explores:
- The qualities we can cultivate in response to the disruption caused by artificial intelligence
- Our interconnected nature and how doing the inner work benefits all beings
- The potential benefits and dangers of AI
- The balance of wisdom and compassion
- Discerning uncertainty from anxiety and working with those emotions
- Dharma talks scripted by Chat GPT
“By you working with your uncertainty, you’re realizing that so many people are feeling the same poisonous emotion. By you having compassion for that, you’re helping other beings because of our interconnected nature. You’re doing this for all beings.” - RamDev (Dale Borglum)
In this episode of the Insight Hour podcast, Joseph Goldstein delves into the nature of thought and provides valuable insights on cultivating mindfulness.
This dharma talk from May 13, 2023, was recorded at the Insight Meditation Society and originally published on Dharma Seed.
“When we’re unaware of thoughts, unmindful, they have so much power in our lives, they;re really directing our lives. And yet when we are mindful of them, as I say, it is a little more than nothing.”
In this talk, Joseph:
- Encourages us to notice when we become aware of our own thinking
- Highlights the importance of recognizing the themes of our thoughts
- Emphasizes that the past and the future are conceptual models
- Examines the very nature of thought itself
This time on the Being in the Way Podcast, Alan Watts delves into questions of identity, purpose and buying into the ‘Myth of Myself’.
Today's podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp. Click to receive 10% off your first month with your own licensed professional therapist: betterhelp.com/alan
In this episode, Alan Watts explores:
The question of our own identity and our place in the world Myths of the self handed down through history Viewing ourselves and the world with a “floodlight consciousness” – rather than the narrow “spotlight consciousness” we are taught to see the world through How we are not born into this world, but grow out of it – “In the same way an apple tree apples, the Earth peoples.” “The most fascinating problem in the world is who am I? What do you feel when you say the word I? I myself?
This problem has fascinated me for many years. Most Western people locate their ego inside their heads. This is the ordinary average conception of what is oneself.” – Alan Watts
In this lively episode, Jack dives into how mindfulness, awareness and intimacy help us engage with life more fully.
Today's podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp. Click to receive 10% off your first month with your own licensed professional therapist: betterhelp.com/heartwisdom
"Zen master Dōgen said that to be mindful, to be awake, to pay attention, is the same as intimacy—intimacy with your lover, with your friends, or the sky and the trees, the drought, the grasses, your neighbors, the rhythms of the seasons, your children or parents." – Jack Kornfield
In this episode, Jack mindfully illuminates:
Spiritual practice as a path with heart about connecting our spiritual life and worldly life Using breath to relate with nature and life as movement and a process of change Understanding the movements of mind and using mindfulness to live more fully A story involving Jack, a Zen master, and a glass of sake at Naropa How mindfulness, awareness and intimacy are synonymous The way Jack personally deals with and gets intimate with loneliness in his life Meditation as teaching the art of appreciation for what's in front of us The art of getting intimate with our fear to engage with life more fully
"To enter into one thing in a very personal and immediate way—not with your mind, but your whole being—is to touch everything." – Jack Kornfield
This Dharma Talk from Spirit Rock in January 1989 was originally published on DharmaSeed.
Today's podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp. Click to receive 10% off your first month with your own licensed professional therapist: betterhelp.com/ramdass
In this Q&A session from 1992, Ram Dass explores: - Conscious dying, free will, and the grieving process - Communication after death, relaxing about enlightenment, and working with fear - Developing faith, feeling vulnerable while falling in love, and why we can’t afford to armor our hearts - The practice of Metta meditation and how it can help us tap into the universe of compassion
This podcast is also sponsored by Pengwee's Breath, a tender-hearted story of a young penguin who learns that his own breath gives him the power to calm his fears. Enjoy the book on its own or with a companion Teaching Guide for parents and teachers that can be downloaded for free from the author's website.
Get your copy today: http://mybook.to/pengweesbreath
“And as this practice deepens and you recognize that you are one of the beings in that circle, as well as the heart that is sending light forth, you enter more and more deeply into the universe of compassion. And in that universe, the heart is freed to love as it must love.” – Ram Dass
Activist, writer and yoga teacher Seane Corn joins Jackie Dobrinska, host of the Ram Dass Fellowship, for a conversation about nurturing the soul with love and attention in a way that allows for a ‘revolution of the soul’.
Today's podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp. Click to receive 10% off your first month with your own licensed professional therapist: betterhelp.com/beherenow
In this interview for the Ram Dass Fellowship, Jackie speaks with Seane Corn about:
Tapping into our inner strength and pursuing a ‘revolution of the soul’ How the practices of yoga, mindfulness and meditation can offer relief for those who have experienced severe trauma Learning to befriend ourselves Today’s episode was recorded as part of the Ram Dass Fellowship’s regular online gatherings. To learn more about the Ram Dass Fellowship and sign up to join a fellowship gathering near you, visit RamDass.org/Fellowship.
“Getting real is recognizing not only the grief and the anger, but the sense of powerlessness that a lot of people feel in this day and age.” – Seane Corn
Author Andy Karr invites us to look into the mirror, speaking with Raghu about why it is so essential for each of us to develop the habits of self-reflection and mindfulness practice.
In this week’s episode, Raghu speaks with Andy about:
The themes of self-reflection, applied mindfulness and cultivating a personal practice that are explored in Andy’s newest book, Into The Mirror Andy’s connection to Ram Dass, Buddhism and his study under Chögyam Trungpa ‘Crazy wisdom’ and the teachings of Chögyam Trungpa The importance of holding a personal practice of some sort, and what that offers to our lives “There is no substitute, in my mind, for just developing the habit of practicing. I think alongside of that is perspective, because you see yourself and then it goes back to mindfulness. You see your resistance, your fear, your boredom, whatever it might be.” – Andy Karr
Links & Recommendations From this Episode:
Zen in the Art of Archery by Eugen Herrigel Crazy Wisdom by Chögyam Trungpa Why We Meditate by Daniel Goleman and Tsoknyi Rinpoche
In this episode of the Pilgrim Heart Podcast, Krishna Das explores working through our traumas to heal our karma and unveil the jewel of love within us all.
“We’ve been told their is a jewel within us, our true nature, the soul, real love; through repetition of the name we are shoveling away the shit that is covering that. ” – Krishna Das
In this episode of Pilgrim Heart, Krishna Das holds a discussion on : - The strength we can gain from the repeating God’s name - Serving others and treating them as best we can - Maharaj-ji and serving our parents as the highest form of Worship - Praying from a far, trauma, and releasing negative energy - Karmic freeing, broken hearts, and abuse - Overcoming difficult parental relationships - Deep connections and the crumbling ego in India with Maharaj-ji - Loving the soul instead of the role
Joseph Goldstein discusses the challenges of practicing liberation, awakening, and enlightenment in the context of a lay person’s life. This dharma talk from May 12, 2023, was recorded at the Insight Meditation Society and originally published on Dharma Seed. “The Buddha said, ‘I have shown you the path to liberation. Now, liberation depends on you.’ This is really true. If you don’t take your life into your own hands, not even the Buddhas can make a difference. It’s up to you.” – Joseph Goldstein
In this talk, Joseph Goldstein offers insights into:
Finding a balance between monastic renunciation and worldly pleasures Impermanence and the inherent instability of existence The Four Noble Truths as they relate to the concept of Duḥkha The understanding of selflessness Taking your path into your own hands
Navigating the body's river of sensations, Jack helps us into the still-point of freedom amidst life's cycles of change.
"If our goal in spiritual practice is some state, some open state, it would be in spiritual life like buying already open flowers instead of buds, or like adopting an adult instead of a child. To awaken the heart of a Buddha requires us to find the deepest respect and compassion for things as they are, for they way things are. There isn't anything you can hold onto in that because it's always changing. There is no enlightened retirement. The way things are includes the cycles of stillness and action, the times of raising a family or being a renunciate, making money or retiring—and finding somehow a way to be with what is, with the truth of change." – Jack Kornfield
In this episode, Jack mindfully elucidates:
- The Dalai Lama's view on the Big Bang Theory
- How when we open deeply to our feelings, we recognize the body as a flowing river of sensation
- The Buddha's 'Eight Worldly Winds' and using mindfulness and Right - Effort to navigate life's cycles of expansion and contraction
- Ram Dass, Be Here Now, and the "rollercoaster of highs and lows" of spiritual practice
- Finding freedom in the still-point amidst the cycles of change
- Trusting ourselves and the universe enough to let go into the mystery
"Life is a process of expansion and contraction. We breathe, and as we sit in meditation you notice there are long and short breaths, cool, fast, deeper ones and shallow ones. If you let it breath itself it has all these rhythms of the body opening and closing all the time. Then you pay attention to sensations in the body. At first it feels like tension, pain, hot, or cold, but the more deeply you listen with your inner-awareness, that which we call pain, tension, hot, or cold, becomes pulsing, throbbing, needles, pinpricks, swirling movement. The more deeply we feel, the more our body shows itself to be a river of sensation." – Jack Kornfield
This Dharma Talk from Spirit Rock on 4/23/1989 was originally published on DharmaSeed.
Illuminating the art of paying attention, Jack shares hilarious stories and mindful insights around how we can let go into the present.
Today's podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp. Click to receive 10% off your first month with your own licensed professional therapist: betterhelp.com/heartwisdom
"To learn the art of paying attention requires some practice, that we learn how to sit and steady ourselves, to steady our bodies, and listen with a steadiness of heart, to actually be with what is here in our experience—pleasant and unpleasant, beautiful and ugly. That's what sitting is about, really, is to sit and be with the 10,000 joys and 10,000 sorrows, to see them, feel them, and let ourselves be as we are." – Jack Kornfield
In this episode, Jack artfully illuminates:
How your spiritual path is truly in your own hands; other's can point the way, but you must walk it The Buddha's four aspects of Right Effort Learning the art of paying attention, and applying this to sit with life's 10,000 joys and sorrows The Samurai way of going through the path of fire Jack's hilarious personal experience solving koans on Zen retreats Letting go into the present moment (while still acting in the world)
"As one Zen master says, 'Just put it down, put everything down. Just be here and forget about the past and future. That's enough.'" – Jack Kornfield
This Dharma talk from March 13, 1989 at Spirit Rock Meditation Center was originally published on DharmaSeed
In this episode of Healing at the Edge, RamDev reflects on surrendering into suffering and how right effort unfolds in our lives.
In this episode of Healing at the Edge, RamDev reflects on: - The motivations for our spiritual practice - Looking at how suffering is caused by how we are relating to our environment - Sitting with discomfort - The different kinds of laziness - Alleviating suffering for other beings - The path of working with Kali - Remembering our connectedness to God
“Right effort is the effort to surrender. It’s not the effort to change, or fix, or do anything. It’s the effort to keep remembering that our true nature is already whole.” – RamDev (Dale Borglum)
Taking a journey into the vastness of the mind, Joseph Goldstein explores the creative power of consciousness.
In this episode, Joseph Goldstein elucidates:
Consciousness as the creator of our inner and outer worlds. The suffering that can come from an uncultivated mind Mental illness, obsessions, addictions and thought-loops Being a prisoner of our own untrained mind Impermanence, empowerment, and the potential of the inner Buddha The Mahamudra and taming the mind Staying mindful during defilement “The Buddha talked of how this mind, this force or power of consciousness, can be our worst enemy or the most benevolent friend.” – Joseph Goldstein
About Joseph Goldstein:
Joseph Goldstein has been leading insight and loving-kindness meditation retreats worldwide since 1974. He is a co-founder of the Insight Meditation Society in Barre, Massachusetts, where he is one of the organization’s guiding teachers. In 1989, together with several other teachers and students of insight meditation, he helped establish the Barre Center for Buddhist Studies.
“What’s most helpful to remember, in this part of the process where we become so aware of these defilements of the mind, is that they are visitors. They are not the nature of the mind itself. And because they are visitors we don’t have to judge ourselves, and we don’t have to judge them.” – Joseph Goldstein
In this Independence Day focused episode, Jack reflects on how we can foster true freedom and independence through using a spiritual rudder.
"The Buddha, in the last bit of his life, said, 'When I'm gone, don't follow or place all of your reliance on elders or teachers, but rather follow the Dharma, the universal law, and know these things for yourself. Know the forces of grasping, hatred, and ignorance. Really know what they are. Let yourself see them, and know that it is possible to find freedom from these. If it weren't possible I wouldn't tell you about it. Then as you live your life, be aware of what brings goodness, what brings freedom from grasping, hatred, and delusion. Nourish that which brings that freedom, sustain it and support it." – Jack Kornfield
In this episode, Jack dives into:
The ideals of the U.S., versus its reality and history What it means to be independent, what it means to be free Learning what your "spiritual rudder" is to steer you in the midst of this Kali Yuga Buddha's advice on following the Dharma, and your Way, rather than following others Our spiritual rudder as synonymous with truth, love, integrity, and our Buddha Nature True freedom as freedom from the pull and sway of outside circumstances Real loving kindness, real metta, as timeless, fearless, and free
This Dharma talk given by Jack on July 4th, 1994 was originally published on DharmaSeed.
For episode 218 of the Metta Hour Podcast, we are continuing the Real Life Series celebrating Sharon’s new book by the same name, “Real Life.”
This interview features a conversation between Sharon and Valarie Kaur, recorded for the Living An Authentic Life Summit.
Valarie Kaur is a renowned civil rights leader, lawyer, award-winning filmmaker, educator, innovator, and best-selling author of “See No Stranger.” In Fall 2022, President Biden honored Valarie at the White House in the first-ever Uniters Ceremony, naming her as one of 16 leaders whose work is healing America. Her work has ignited a national movement to reclaim love as a force for justice.
Today, she leads the Revolutionary Love Project to inspire and equip people across America to build community.
To learn more about Valarie’s work, visit her website at valariekaur.com.
Tim Burkett joins Raghu to chat about his journey and the lessons along the way of writing his book, Enlightenment Is an Accident.
Tim joins Raghu to shine light on: - Stories of studying zen with Suzuki Roshi - The various perceptions of the term, “enlightenment” - “Idiot compassion,” spiritual bypassing, and authentic generosity - The amygdala’s role in our behavior - The Japanese concept of wabi-sabi, and manifesting non-dual feeling
“Compassion begins with embracing the flaws of others. Healing begins with embracing our flaws.” - Tim Burkett
Enlightenment Is an Accident with Tim Burkett and Raghu Markus - Mindrolling – Ep. 498 - https://youtu.be/_KS-0LA4KtQ
Raghu Markus – Mindrolling – Ep. 498 – Enlightenment Is an Accident with Tim Burkett - https://beherenownetwork.com/raghu-markus-mindrolling-ep-498-enlightenment-is-an-accident-with-tim-burkett
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Joseph Goldstein explores the five Iddhis, or fulfillments of understanding, spoken of by the Buddha, and offers four different paths which can lead one to the completion of the fulfillments.
“The Buddha spoke of five Iddhis, or five fulfillments of understanding. The first of them is the Iddhi of special knowledge, which means the knowledge or the understanding of things which go beyond the conventional realm of concepts.” – Joseph Goldstein
In this episode, Joseph examines the following:
- The term Iddhi, which is best translated as fulfillment of understanding
- The five Iddhis that the Buddha placed the most emphasis on: understanding all the constituent elements of what we call self; opening to the truth of suffering; abandoning the causes of suffering; realizing the end of suffering; developing a path to the end
- The four different paths which can lead one to the completion of the five Iddhis
“These are the fulfillments that the Buddha talked about, the true miracle for us, the true development of understanding. In many of the texts, one of the ways in which somebody who got enlightened would celebrate the event, one of the common refrains, which has always been very inspiring to me, they would often say, ‘Done is what had to be done.’ Wouldn’t that be nice? Done is what had to be done. Finished. Come to completion. Come to fulfillment. We have actually done what needs to be done. What needs to be done is the realization or the development of these five Iddhis.” – Joseph Goldstein
This dharma talk from November 26, 1988 was originally published on Dharma Seed.
Hop in the Sauna with Jack Kornfield and Prince Ea, as they steep deeply into topics of spirituality, fear, meditation, compassion, and staying awake in the world.
Today's podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp. Click to receive 10% off your first month with your own licensed professional therapist: betterhelp.com/heartwisdom
"People say the world is going to hell in a hand-basket, but that's only half the story. There is a lot of suffering that really needs our honest compassion and tending, but it also needs hope. If you go into a refugee camp and you're depressed and worried; they don't need that, they already have plenty of that. They need somebody that comes in and says, 'We human beings can make the world better." – Jack Kornfield
In this episode, Jack and Prince Ea steam in:
- Meeting all facets of the world with optimism and hope
- Why we should never underestimate the human heart
- Mindful presence, loving awareness, and waking up to who we are
- Overcoming fear and not buying into the scare tactics used in politics
- What it was like for Jack to meet and learn from Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj
- The story of Jack becoming a Buddhism monk and finding Vipassana meditation
- Unpacking compassion as a verb, rather than empathy which is inactive
About Prince Ea:
Prince Ea is a film maker, speaker, human optimization researcher, and creator who has touched the hearts, minds and souls of millions of people worldwide. By producing creative, inspirational and thought provoking content, Prince has accumulated over 1 billion views on Facebook alone and even more on a combination of other platforms. For more info, please princeea.com
Dr. Sylver Quevedo and Raghu jam on psychedelic preparation and integration, the MAPS MDMA studies, a Ram Dass ketamine story in India, and how 'love, serve, remember' connects to Indigenous wisdom.
“One of the cardinal features that's been learned in the second psychedelic renaissance in the clinical trials has been the importance of two things that were not really understood that well in the 1960s—that is, preparation and integration. By contrast, one of the things that really was discovered early on and articulated very well by Ram Dass and Timothy Leary, was the importance of 'set and setting.' That has survived. It was figured out early on, never went away, and has been rediscovered over and over again.” – Dr. Sylver Quevedo
Raghu and Sylver dive into: - Taos, New Mexico; the Pueblo people; and the Neem Karoli Baba Ashram in Taos which houses the radiant and emotive Hanuman murti who jumped the ocean from India with Ram Dass and friends back in the day - Working with MAPS (The Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies) on their monumental MDMA for PTSD trials - Psychedelics and love in the 1960s compared to psychedelics and science in the 2020s - Ram Dass giving the "yogi medicine" LSD to his Guru, Neem Karoli Baba (Maharaj-ji) - How Ram Dass and Maharaj-ji's lessons of "love, serve, remember" applies to Indigenous wisdom - The transformational neural-plasticity and heart-opening properties of tryptamines and phenethylamines - A fascinating Ram Dass on ketamine in India story, and Sylver's out-of-body revelation on ketamine
"In the 1960s, we were mostly young and naive kids. But on the other hand, the ideals that came through there were real, even if we were misguided and naive about a lot of things like psychedelics. Now that science is part of the reality, in terms of the truth: the love and unity that we were pursing in the 1960s was a worthy cause." – Raghu Markus
About Dr. Sylver Quevedo: Dr. Sylver Quevedo is a psychedelic researcher who has practiced medicine for over 40 years and played major roles in world health projects. He is currently working with MAPS (The Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies) on their monumental MDMA for PTSD trials.
For episode 216 of the Metta Hour Podcast, we are continuing the Real Life Series celebrating Sharon’s new book by the same name, “Real Life.” In this conversation, Duncan and Sharon speak about states of contraction. How we get stuck there and how to find our way back to a place of openness and curiosity.
This interview features a conversation between Sharon and Duncan Trussell, recorded for the Living An Authentic Life Summit. Learn more: https://summit.wisdomforlife.life/?affiliate=bhnn
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. This is Duncan’s first appearance on the Metta Hour Podcast.
Sharon's newest book, Real Life, is now available from Flatiron Books in hardcover, ebook, and audiobook formats. To learn more about the book or get a copy, you can visit Sharon’s website here: https://www.sharonsalzberg.com/reallife/
Joseph Goldstein explores the nature of Samsara, or endless wandering, and the three interdependent cycles of defilements, actions, and results that keep the wheel of Samsara rolling.
“These three Kleshas in the mind – ignorance, craving, and grasping – they keep us moving around and around in this cycle of Samsara. There’s no balance in our lives, there’s no rest in our lives, as long as this cycle of Klesha is revolving.” – Joseph Goldstein
In this episode, Joseph explores:
- The nature of Samsara and the profound questions it raises for us
- The first interdependent cycle that keeps the wheel of Samsara rolling, the cycle of defilements, or Kleshas
- The three root defilements that keep the cycle of defilements turning – ignorance, craving, and grasping
- The second interdependent cycle, the cycle of actions and karma
- The third interdependent cycle, the cycle of results
- How mindfulness can help us escape the wheel of Samsara
This dharma talk from October 23, 1988, was originally published on Dharma Seed.
Comedian, Mike Finoia, joins Raghu to share his difficult patch with mental health and the tools that have helped him cultivate inner peace.
“I realized that there’s only two ways of operating: It’s either from a place of love or a place of fear. If you're operating from a place of fear, you really can’t be open to the love there is around us. But if you’re operating from a place of love, fear doesn’t stand a chance.” – Mike Finoia
Mike and Raghu go deep about:
Anxiety and finding the tools that work to manage it Being vocal about the rough patches on Mike's public platform Practices for changing our internal landscapes Buddhist perspectives on anger, fear, good-enoughness, and emptiness Having a sense of humor about our “self-cherishing” "Mother recognition," or the essence of motherly compassion “It takes way more courage to break through the constriction that we have in this society. And it takes courage to say, ‘I need some help.’” - Raghu Markus
Connect with Mike on his website or on social media @mikefinoia
Learn more about Vipassana meditation with Joseph Goldstein and Sharon Salzberg here
Check out The Zen of Therapy by Mark Epstein here
Joseph Goldstein guides us through the steps of integrating the science of meditation with the art of meditation as a way of awakening within us the heart of wisdom.
This podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp. Click to receive 10% off your first month with your own licensed professional therapist: betterhelp.com/insighthour
“Through this integration, the art and the science, we really awaken in us this heart of wisdom. And the heart of wisdom means seeing the true nature of phenomena. Seeing the true nature very deeply and very profoundly. It means going from the level of concept, from the level of our ideas and opinions about things, to the nature of the reality of it.” – Joseph Goldstein
In this episode, Joseph explores:
- How our practice is about awakening the heart of wisdom within us by integrating the science of meditation with the art of meditation
- The steps to integrate the science and art of meditation, including opening ourselves to all aspects of experience and refining the quality of our relationship to experience
- How we can drop from the level of concept to the level of what’s really happening, the true nature of experience
- How we can further develop concentration and mindfulness
This dharma talk from September 24, 1988, was originally published on Dharma Seed.
Jack joins CEO of OpenAI's ChatGPT, Sam Altman, onstage with Soren Gordhamer at Wisdom 2.0 to talk artificial intelligence, spirituality, ethics, and the future of humanity.
Today's podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp. Click to receive 10% off your first month with your own licensed professional therapist: betterhelp.com/heartwisdom
"What are people going to do in the post-A.I. world when we all have tremendous resources, we've solved a lot of inequities in the world, and we have a lot of time on our hands? Well, there are a lot of people who need a lot of spiritual practice, and we're gonna have that time." – Sam Altman
In this episode, Jack, Sam, and Soren explore:
- How A.I. technology will impact our world and the future of humanity
- The ways Sam's meditation practice is influencing his tech career
- Potential benefits and pitfalls of opening artificial intelligence onto the world
- If we can instill values, ethics, and morals into A.I.
- How Sam created OpenAI to allow a collective democratic process for how A.I. evolves
- Does artificial intelligence technology have a sense of self?
- Learning how humanity can best utilize these evolving tools
- How A.I. can aid our spiritual practice
"We really are in all this together. We are talking about things that will effect a lot of us, our children, grandchildren, climate, and other things we are concerned about. For me, this conversation, this openness to say, 'This is us' – it's not Sam, it's not a small group of people – it's something we need to hold, work with, and collaborate on together. It's not somebody else; it's us." – Jack Kornfield
Sam Altman is the co-founder and CEO of OpenAI and ChatGPT
Soren Gordhamer is the founder of Wisdom 2.0
In this episode of the Here and Now Podcast, Ram Dass talks about practice in daily life and answers questions about polarization and fundamentalism, integrating psychodynamic and spiritual techniques, dealing with addiction, and more.
Today's podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp. Click to receive 10% off your first month with your own licensed professional therapist: betterhelp.com/ramdass
This podcast is also brought to you by Magic Mind. Magic Mind contains a magical combination of 13 active ingredients, scientifically designed to improve energy, focus, and mood while decreasing stress — all things that, combined, improve your productivity. For 50% off your subscription to Magic Mind, visit magicmind.co/ramdass
“And I said I’m not going to get discouraged because I can see that a centrist position, this is a hard one, a centrist position… That at this point in the way the world game is a falling, either everybody goes or nobody goes. You can’t polarize it again. You can’t have an ‘us’ and ‘them.’ It’s got to keep embracing people, embracing people. And I saw that would demand much more centrism than I was used to or wanted from a Democratic president and so on.” – Ram Dass
In this episode of Here and Now: Ram Dass talks about letting methods of practice such as mantras and kirtan permeate your daily life Ram Dass gives a detailed response to a question about the rise of fundamentalism in the world, exploring polarization and why you can’t have an “us” and “them” Ram Dass takes on more questions about integrating psychodynamic and spiritual techniques, the importance of rituals, and dealing with addiction “I think the tricky thing is for us to integrate psychodynamic techniques and spiritual techniques. Psychodynamic technique says let’s work it out; spiritual technique says let’s get on with it, let’s leave it behind. If you do either one of them to an extreme, you lose it. Hear that one? That’s interesting. It’s really the balance of them.” – Ram Dass
About Ram Dass: Ram Dass’ spirit has been a guiding light for generations, carrying along millions on the journey. Ram Dass teaches that through the Bhakti practice of unconditional love, we can all connect with our true nature. Through these teachings, Ram Dass has shared a little piece of his guru, Maharajji, with all who have listened to him.
Exploring the wisdom of Selfistry, Sarah Marshank joins to share her spiritual journey through the lens of Ram Dass's teaching of "from role to soul."
"There is a place that's always here that's in us and that holds us, that is 'okayness.' It's a relief to finally land there. And from there, to feel happy and sad, and witness the horrors as well as the exquisite beauty of the world, and feel okay with all of it. It's that dance—to know that everything is fundamentally okay and to address all the fucked up things in the world at the same time. Those are not mutually exclusive." – Sarah Marshank
In this episode, Raghu and Sarah mindfully explore:
- Stories and themes from Sarah's new memoir, Being Selfish: My Journey from Escort to Monk to Grandmother
- Sarah growing up in the religious container of Judaism, and how meditation helped her come to spirituality
- Ram Dass's teachings of role to soul, and cultivating the witness
- How Sarah came up with the term "selfistry" through playing with self and no-self
- Opening to the okay-ness beyond the horror and beauty of the world
- How Ram Dass's teaching of "loving awareness" is synonymous with "soul" as well as "okayness"
In this episode, Krishna Das helps us practice letting go of anger and expanding our hearts towards others.
Today's podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp. Click to receive 10% off your first month with your own licensed professional therapist: betterhelp.com/beherenow
"We might feel pain based on things that happened with people or situations outside of us. But where do we feel that is within. So this is where we have to work on it." – Krishna Das
In this episode of Pilgrim Heart, Krishna Das opens up conversation around:
- Letting go of feeling like the victim and starting to forgive people by doing the inner work
- Extending compassion to our parents and seeing them as human beings, beyond the karmic roles they play
- The story of Dada Mukerjee meeting Maharaj-ji for the first time
- Worshiping the Divine Mother
- Honoring the transition of our parents
- The story of the 4AM Hanuman Chalisa
Joseph Goldstein explores the different ways that we can strengthen and sharpen the five spiritual faculties that exercise a governing role in the mind when they are highly developed.
“So out of the continuity of attention, the defilements have less strength. Because of this, the mind becomes more peaceful. We get a taste of a genuine inner peace, a sense of calm, a sense of tranquility. From this taste of peace within us – not peace dependent on any external situation, but actually arising within our own hearts – because of this taste of peace, the spiritual faculty of confidence arises, strong faith arises, based on our own experience of it.” – Joseph Goldstein
In this episode, Joseph explores:
- The five spiritual faculties – confidence, effort, mindfulness, concentration, and wisdom – and how they exercise a governing role in the mind when they are highly developed
- The various ways in which we can strengthen and sharpen those spiritual faculties: the understanding that everything which arises passes away; respect for the practice and respect for ourselves; care and meticulousness in our awareness; perseverance and continuity of attention; the suitability of conditions for practice; the sign of samadhi; balancing the factors of enlightenment; and understanding what heroic effort really means
This dharma talk from November 16, 1986, was originally published on Dharma Seed.
Fresh from a trip to Guatemala, RamDev guides us on letting go of separateness and surrendering into wholeness.
This podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp. Click to receive 10% off your first month with your own licensed professional therapist: betterhelp.com/beherenow
“Right now we can begin to rest in the wisdom that we are not the body and the personality. To the extent that we really get that, our true nature becomes revealed.” – RamDev (Dale Borglum)
Back from his Guatemalan adventure, RamDev returns to answer questions and discuss:
- Near-death experiences and how he answers the question, “What happens when you die?”
- Non-duality from the lens of Sri Nisargadatta
- Trusting the spaciousness of the open, compassionate heart
- The friction between grasping and surrendering
- Compassion as the stepping stone to non-duality and the nature of the open heart-mind -Aloneness bringing us closer to oneness
Plunging further into last week's topic, Jack offers vulnerable perspectives on how sexuality and relationships play into our life and practice.
"If one wants to understand karma, or one wants to understand virtue, ethics, or morality—which are equally important and profound in developing a spiritual life—the way to do it is very simple: it's beginning to know, observe, feel, and understand what's going on in our hearts as we act." – Jack Kornfield
In this episode, Jack vulnerably explores:
- Understanding karma, virtue, intention and action
- How so much of our sadhana and practice comes through our relationships
- Learning about ourselves and the universe through sex and relationship
- Sex and relationship as a form of opening and surrender, as well as commitment, offering, acceptance, growth, and healing
- Desire, grasping, reality, love, and the present moment
- Relationships as a place to find the foundations of mindfulness
- The nature of love as expression, growth, and unity
This episode from 1987 at Spirit Rock Meditation Center was originally published on DharmaSeed.org
JoAnna Hardy gives us perspective on the origins of metta and guides us through a gentle meditation to cultivate loving kindness for ourselves and all beings.
“One of my favorite teachings around this idea of metta, or loving kindness, care, friendliness, benevolence, is that naturally from a mind and heart that are at ease, this quality comes alive. So we don’t actually have to do anything to make it happen.” – JoAnna Hardy
In this offering from a 2018 Spirit Rock retreat, JoAnna gently guides us through a metta meditation, softly exploring: - Clearing the hindrances of our being through mindfulness practice and allowing our natural state of metta to emerge - The origins of metta - Metta to self and all as the antidote to fear, aversion, and hatred - The undefended heart and the undefended mind - How we feel about wishing for the wellbeing of ourselves and of beings who: are easy to love, we feel neutral towards, we have a light agitation towards, feels like a difficult person to love
About JoAnna Hardy: JoAnna Hardy is an insight meditation (Vipassanā) practitioner and teacher; she is on faculty at the University of Southern California, a meditation trainer at Apple Fitness+, a founding member of the Meditation Coalition, a teacher’s council member at Spirit Rock Meditation Center, a visiting retreat teacher at Insight Meditation Society, and a collaborator on many online meditation Apps and programs.
Her greatest passion is to teach meditation in communities that are dedicated to seeing the truth of how racism, gender inequality and oppression go hand in hand with the compassionate action teachings in Buddhism and related perspectives to social and racial justice.
Extricating us from dualist concepts of self and other, Joseph helps us move from the 'ego-center' to the 'zero-center' through opening to love.
This podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp. Click to receive 10% off your first month with your own licensed professional therapist: betterhelp.com/insighthour
“There are so many parts of our experience which we don't like, we don't want to be there. We condemn, we judge, we push away—it can be difficult feelings in the body, difficult emotions, feelings of hatred, rage, unworthiness, loneliness, profound alienation. It can be so many things, so many parts of the mind that are the shadow side. The process of healing, the process of integration, is a willingness to open to all of those sides, to see the shadow in all its manifestation.” – Joseph Goldstein
In this episode, Joseph dives into:
- How we create the concept of duality/seperation (self and other, inside and outside, persona and shadow, etc.)
- Understanding our practice of Dharma as reintegrating and unifying
- Using mindfulness to shine light on our shadow by making the subconscious conscious
- Moving from the 'ego-center' to the 'zero-center' using the intermediate space of love (a very deep appreciation, respect, and openness for every moment's experience)
- Carlos Castaneda and the relationship between impeccability and emptiness
This episode recorded 11/29/1986 at the Insight Meditation Society was originally published on DharmaSeed
Exploring the relationship between spirituality and sexuality, Jack offers reflections and perspectives on ways to dance with the sexual energy in our lives.
Today's podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp. Click to receive 10% off your first month with your own licensed professional therapist: betterhelp.com/heartwisdom
"In a way, sex is a mirror. How your sexuality goes in a particular day or week is pretty much a reflection of the rest of your heart, mind, spirit, and being. In that regard, it's just like meditation—you sit down, close your eyes, and you get to see what's there: frustration, anger, happiness, or love. Sexuality serves the same way, physically, but even more so emotionally." – Jack Kornfield
In this episode, Jack mindfully explores:
- The relationship between spirituality, sexuality, and our lives
- Why sexuality is such a major part of our culture
- Our underlying fear of true intimacy
- Suzuki Roshi's koan of "How do you realize Buddha while making love?"
- The Four Foundations of Mindfulness in relation to our sexuality
- Wounds, trauma, healing, and the body
- Using relationships in a skillful way to grow
- Tantra, breath, and going beyond ourselves
"If you look at our culture, television and mass media, sex is such a big part of it. Why is it such a big thing in our culture and our lives? Because, in part, it's a vehicle to go beyond ourselves." – Jack Kornfield
This Dharna talk from 1987 at Spirit Rock Meditation Center was originally published on DharmaSeed.org
"The Hidden Artists podcast is about people who haven't been discovered yet—entrepreneurs, musicians, someone who is creative in what they do. People have all these talents, but they don't all have an opportunity to be known for what they do. I just want to give these people a chance to be able to do what they love for a living." – Natalie DayanIn this episode, Raghu and Natalie dive into:- What it's like for Natalie being born Jewish, being raised in India, and now living in Los Angeles- Exploring the various parts of your identity- The inspiration behind starting her podcast, The Hidden Artists, which helps artists and entrepreneurs get discovered- Obtaining her Masters degree in Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine- Working with feeling lost in life, and using fear as a way to motivate yourself- The similarities and crossovers between Hinduism and Judiasm- How we are not our thoughts, we are not our story- Raghu's adventures through India, and learning Sab Ek (All One) wisdom from Maharaj-ji- Having faith that the universe is always working for you, as well as helping you be of service- ZaChoeje Rinpoche's wisdom to "stop struggling with struggle"- How with people like Natalie, the future is going to be okay"You're not your story, you're not your thoughts; who you are, of course, is way behind all of that." – Raghu Markus
Speaking about the power of the path of devotion, Krishna Das tells us how to take care of ourselves and others through practices like the Hanuman Chalisa to polish the mirrors of our hearts.Learn to sing the Hanuman Chalisa and dive deeper into its meaning here: https://www.krishnadas.com/lyrics/hanuman-chaleesa/In this episode of Pilgrim Heart, Krishna Das offers his thoughts on:- Honoring our feelings without allowing them to destroy us Balancing being of service to ourselves and others through self-care and healthy boundaries- Asking “how?” instead of “why?”- How opening to the path of devotion can dust off the mirrors of our hearts- The meaning of the Hanuman Chalisa and how his recent epiphany helped him deepen even further into the practice of the 40-line mantra singing the praises of Hanuman“The less separate we feel from other human beings, the more we naturally want to help them. If we desire a way to help, we will find a way to help. But if you’re dying of thirst, you have no water to give anybody else either. So we have to find a balance.” – Krishna Das
Joseph Goldstein talks about working with and opening to fear as he pinpoints the three types of deeply conditioned fears that keep us from recognizing our own Buddha nature.“What happens as proceed along this journey of practice is that we come to our edges, we come up to our boundaries of what is acceptable; what is acceptable in terms of physical sensation, what is acceptable in terms of mind states or feelings or emotions. And those are our boundaries at which fears in the mind begin to reveal themselves. Can we go beyond these boundaries? Can we go beyond the edges? Is there a way of working with fear and understanding it so that it is no longer a limitation for us?” – Joseph GoldsteinIn this episode, Joseph explores:- How the practice of Dharma is a path of opening, but fear is often something that closes us down- How fear is a manifestation of aversion- The three types of deeply conditioned fears that keep us closed down: fear of pain, fear of insecurity, and fear of death- How we can work directly with the mind state of fear through loving acceptance and discriminating wisdom“So we learn how to open, we learn to come to our boundaries, our edges, our limitations; we see the fear that may be operating there, and we learn to work with the fear, we include the fear in our practice.” – Joseph GoldsteinThis dharma talk from November 11, 1985, was originally published on Dharma Seed.
Directly following Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche's death, Jack offers perspectives on the life and dharma of one of spirituality's most impactful and controversial figures.
"Lama Govinda said that of all the young tulkus, of all the young incarnate lamas to leave Tibet, there was none as bright as Trungpa Rinpoche—bright in the sense of his field of his being and his energy. Lama Govinda, even at a point when he wasn't very happy with the way Trungpa Rinpoche was behaving, said that he still had to admit there was no one who walked across the Himalayas and came out who had that light more than Trungpa." – Jack Kornfield
In this episode, Jack dives into:
- A celebration of the life, teachings, and impact of Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche
- The Vimalakīrti Sutra, and how certain Bodhisattvas teach as householders so that their message can be best understood by the world
- How Jack being invited to teach alongside Ram Dass, Sharon Salzberg, and Joseph Goldstein on the faculty of Trungpa's Naropa University in Boulder, CO sparked their teaching careers in the West
- Lama Govinda's view on Trungpa's innate radiant brightness and his "lion's roar"
- The traditions, trainings, and spirit of Shambala through the metaphor of the rising sun
- Meeting our life and practice with an openness and fearlessness
- Buddhist personality types and their unique seeds of awakening
- Trungpa's discipline for practice, and his deep devotion for his teachers and dharma lineage
- Ping-ponging between Ram Dass's and Trungpa Rinpoche's dueling - - Bhakti and Buddhism sessions the opening summer at Naropa
"Trungpa Rinpoche gave himself as fully to the West as any Buddhist teacher that I know that has come. And in a more remarkable way, he absorbed our culture, our language, our customs, who we are, into himself and said, 'Alright, let's play! Let's take the seed of the Dharma and really make it sparkle and alive in the West.'" – Jack Kornfield
This Dharma Talk on 4/01/1987 at Spirit Rock Meditation Center was originally published on DharmaSeed.org
Raghu’s longtime friend, Daniel Goleman, returns to Mindrolling to catch up on his book co-authored with Tsoknyi Rinpoche, Why We Meditate.“There’s more than normal consciousness. There are other possibilities that have their own kind of richness. There are paths to those possibilities.” – Daniel GolemanIn this episode of Mindrolling, Raghu and Daniel chat about:Wild stories at Raghu’s family farm when they returned to the West How Danny’s wife, Tara Bennet-Gorman’s book, Emotional Alchemy, along with traditional Tibetan practices served as Tsoknyi’s inspiration for addressing the things that get in the way of our lives, particularly as Westerners Tsoknyi’s various methods for mindfulness: the handshake method, dropping practice, and moreHow Ram Dass came up with the term, “little shmoos”Cultivating a sense of “okayness” with things as they areThe different types of love on the spectrum of “essence love”“These kinds of practices get integrated into your being. They're a resource for that intuitive trust.” – Raghu MarkusOpen a copy of Daniel Goleman and Tsoknyi Rinpoche's new book, Why We Meditate, here.Pick up Emotional Alchemy, written by Daniel's wife, Tara Bennett-Goleman here.If you’re interested in general teachings of Tibetan spirituality, check out Blazing Splendor.About Daniel Goleman:Daniel is an internationally known psychologist and author. His New York Times bestselling book, Emotional Intelligence, was named one of the 25 “Most Influential Business Management Books” by TIME Magazine. Daniel is also a board member of the Mind & Life Institute, an organization that fosters dialogues and research collaborations among contemplative practitioners and scientists. Daniel has organized a series of intensive conversations between the Dalai Lama and scientists, and further merged Dharma and science, coauthoring Altered Traits: Science Reveals How Meditation Changes Your Mind, Brain, and Body. Learn more about Daniel’s work at danielgoleman.info
Joseph Goldstein explores the relationship of our meditation practice to the establishment of world peace by helping us understand the tendencies of the mind obstructing that peace.This podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp. Click to receive 10% off your first month with your own licensed professional therapist: betterhelp.com/insighthour“There is a very powerful effect; it’s not just for ourselves that we practice, it is for ourselves and it is for everyone else, as well. Because as we free our minds from craving and wrong view and conceit, when we reduce this tendency, this attitude of mind to expand and grab and take and exploit, when we can purify our own minds of these tendencies, we establish peace in ourselves, and it becomes a force of peace in the world.” – Joseph GoldsteinIn this episode, Joseph explores:- The relationship of our meditation practice to the establishment of world peace- How we can better understand the three tendencies of the mind that are the root causes of the conditions that obstruct peace: craving, wrong view, and conceit- How the practice of mindfulness can help us uproot those three tendencies of the mind by deepening our insight into impermanence, suffering, and the selflessness of phenomenaThis dharma talk from October 18, 1985, was originally published on Dharma Seed.
Rewiring our brains around difficulties, emptiness, fear, and longing, Jack highlights how we can connect our practice with our deepest love.Today's podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp. Click to receive 10% off your first month with your own licensed professional therapist: betterhelp.com/heartwisdom"When you get afraid or things are difficult, fear is simply the signal that you're about to learn something new. When you feel afraid it's like the little light comes on that says, 'About to grow.'" – Jack KornfieldIn this episode, Jack contemplates and explores:- The times in our lives where we feel truly connected to our hearts- Ajahn Jumnian, motivation for practice, spiritual thirst, and working with addiction- Bringing awareness to the truth of emptiness and nature of joy and sorrow- Reincarnation and seeing everyone in the world as your mothers, fathers, and children- Finding that what we really want is simple heart connection- Emptiness, longing, and feeding the hungry heart- Stillness and living from our fundamental nature of love and caring- The difficulties in life as part of the spiritual path- Seeing life as a continuous flow of mistakes to learn from, and fear as a signal that you are about to grow"To study emptiness means to accept without resisting, to not push away or not distract ourselves from the emptiness that's within us that we half-feel and keep trying to fill up through all of our sense of longing and deficiency. Instead, it's to sit and say, 'Alright, let me feel that longing, that emptiness, that space, that deficiency. Let me feel how deep it is, how big it is, and not just try to fill it right away.' When we stop running and feel that, then something new comes alive in us." – Jack Kornfield
Discussing the power of the present moment, Krishna Das empowers us to make a difference in our lives by redirecting our negative habits into positive changes.Today's podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp. Click to receive 10% off your first month with your own licensed professional therapist: betterhelp.com/beherenow“You have to find out what you have to do to make your life what you want it to be.” – Krishna DasIn this episode of Pilgrim Heart, Krishna Das discusses: - His thoughts on reincarnation and karma- Going after the things you want in life- The lesson of betrayal- The western fantasy of romance compared to the spirit of unconditional love- Being alone with our thoughts and emotions
Dr. Shamini Jain connects with Raghu Markus to discuss harmonizing our autonomic nervous system via an integration of the mind and body.“What we know now is that our emotions have a deep effect on our physiology; they're very interconnected. We can create health simply with our breathing, with our connection with energy, with our connection with a deeper core of who we are.” – Shamini Jain, Ph.D In this episode of Mindrolling, Raghu talks with Dr. Shamini Jain about:- The multiple ways to experience God within our consciousness- Jainism and the main tenant of non-violence- The nature of vibration and its relationship to the healing process- Psychoneuroimmunology (PNI) and the mind-body connection- How we can prevent disease by harmonizing our autonomic nervous system- The subtlety of sound and Dr. Shamini's research on using music to heal- Reiki, Chi Gong, meditation and other traditions of vibrational practices“If you transform polarization inside yourself, you probably transform the development of cells that are in opposition to each other.” – Raghu Markus About Dr. Shamini Jain, Ph.D:Dr. Shamini Jain is a psychologist, scientist, and social entrepreneur. She is the founder and CEO of the Consciousness and Healing Initiative (CHI), a nonprofit collaborative accelerator that connects scientists, health practitioners, educators, and artists to help lead humanity to heal ourselves. Dr. Jain also serves as adjunct faculty at UC San Diego, where she is an active member of the UC San Diego Center for Integrative Medicine’s Research Committee. Her bestselling book, Healing Ourselves: Biofield Science and the Future of Health, via Sounds True Publications, is available at booksellers worldwide.Learn more about Dr. Shamini and her upcoming events/courses/books at shaminijain.com
Exploring practices for embodied mindful awareness, RamDev shines light on the five stages of the journey of awakening. This podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp. Click to receive 10% off your first month with your own licensed professional therapist: betterhelp.com/beherenow“Enlightenment is not something that is achieved. It is the revealing of what has always been here.” – RamDev (Dale Borglum)In this episode of Healing at the Edge, RamDev dives into:- The 5 different stages of the path of awakening: motivation, trust, compassion, tantra, and wholeness- Grounding as the antidote to fear and anxiety, and a practice for integrating embodied mindfulness - Centering as the antidote to guilt and shame, as well as judging and grandiosity- Being with feelings exactly as they are in the body, mind, and heart- Several practices for playing with non-duality
Joseph Goldstein explores the concept of dependent origination – the law of causality and conditioning – so we can understand the process that keeps us bound to the Wheel of Samsara.“In every moment of noticing, in every moment of being mindful, when there is no ignorance, when there is no delusion, when we are seeing things actually as they are, in that moment, the mind is purified; we are breaking this chain of dependent origination, we are breaking the link of it.” – Joseph GoldsteinIn this episode, Joseph explores:The Wheel of Life, also known as the Wheel of SamsaraWhy the law of dependent origination, or the law of causality and conditioning, keeps us bound to the Wheel of SamsaraEach link along the chain of dependent originationHow cycles within the 12 links in the law of dependent origination keep the wheel forever spinningHow Vipassana practice can help us cut into those cycles and break the chain of dependent originationThis dharma talk from October 29, 1985, was originally published on Dharma Seed.
Mindfully retelling ancient Buddhist Dharma stories, Jack reflects on what it means to live with a wise heart."For someone who wants to break free inside of the forces of ignorance, delusion, habit, and sleepwalking—you must really see that there's something greater than just getting through each day, and devote yourself in some fashion to it." – Jack KornfieldIn this episode, Jack opens us to:- Modern retellings of ancient Buddhist Dharma stories- The courage and mystery of the heart- The law of karma and the power of intention- The compelling nature of spiritual practice- Buddha's past life as a lion living on an island with an elephant friend- Discovering what is love, and what is goodness in the heart- Learning to listen to where our actions comes from"Find a place in yourself—in your being, your heart—that really wants to understand what life and death is about, that wants to live in a different way. Let that be the source of your inspiration, the source of your guidance." – Jack KornfieldThis Dharma Talk from 3/23/86 at Spirit Rock Meditation Center was originally published on DharmaSeed.org
On a mission to connect hearts all over the world through Indigenous wisdom, Anita Sanchez illuminates her new book, The Four Sacred Gifts, with Raghu.Sign up for Ram Dass's Yoga of Heartfulness Course, starting May 15th, at RamDass.org/heart“Out of the beingness that is whole, loving, collaborative, and grateful, then we do the doing. Wellbeing inspires well-doing.” – Anita Sanchez, Ph.DThis time on Mindrolling, Raghu talks with Anita Sanchez about:- Receiving wisdom, dreams, and prophecies passed down by indigenous elders- The healing path and how indigenous wisdom paved Anita’s way - Creating harmony in the heart, mind, body, and spirit to radiate it to the world- ‘The Hoop of Life’ as an emblem for unity- Forgiveness as a pathway to freedom, a pathway to love fully, and the passcode to your own divinity- Putting ‘wise hope’ into action“It’s a good day to heal. It's a good day to forgive. It’s a good day to be in unity. It’s a good day to have more dreams and more hope in action.” – Anita Sanchez, Ph.DAbout Anita Sanchez, Ph.D:Anita was born into a Midwest family that was economically poor, yet rich in Mexican-American and Nahua (also known as Aztec) heritage. Fortified with the strength of her elders and connection to the earth, she became the first in her family of over one hundred first cousins to earn a doctorate degree. She has gone on to a career as an international transformational leader.Dr. Sanchez is committed to bridging indigenous wisdom and science with or contemporary work and life, to support our individual wholeness and collective conscious evolution in partnership with People, Spirit, and the Earth. With her loving spirit, presence and skill, Anita inspires people around the world to discover and trust their gifts, to become life-giving connections to all, in service and joy.Learn more about Anita’s soul work at anita-sanchez.com and get the book, The Four Sacred Gifts, at foursacredgifts.com
Joseph Goldstein explores wisdom from the Tao and talks about how we can learn to settle back into each moment and establish ourselves in the rhythm of experience.This podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp. Click to receive 10% off your first month with your own licensed professional therapist: betterhelp.com/insighthour“When we can settle back and allow the change, allow the process of change to unfold without interfering, without pushing the river, then we establish ourselves in the rhythm of experience. And the rhythm carries us, just as in any activity, in music, in sport, in nature; the rhythm carries the experience when it’s not interfered with. And in that, there’s a grace, there’s a harmony, there’s a balance.” – Joseph GoldsteinIn this episode, Joseph explores:Learning to settle back and become one with each moment of experienceHow the appreciation of rhythm has to do with the full awareness of change and how we can establish ourselves in the rhythm of experienceThe difference between non-action and inactionHow the simplicity of the Buddha’s teachings leads to great spaciousnessSome of the wisdom from the Tao Te ChingThe obstacles in the way of the simple practice of settling back into each moment, including our sense of selfThis dharma talk from December 7, 1986, was originally published on Dharma Seed.
In this vintage Dharma Talk, Jack illuminates Buddhism's Three Characteristics of Life: stress, non-self, and impermanence.Today's podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp. Click to receive 10% off your first month with your own licensed professional therapist: betterhelp.com/heartwisdom "Somehow we believe our concepts, that we'll be here forever, that our life is really going to go on and on. Or we believe our advertising, the idea from the culture that if you get 'this' you'll be able to hold onto it and it will make you happy. It's just not true. Happiness is a matter of the heart; not something we can grasp or hold." – Jack KornfieldIn this episode, Jack mindfully explores:- Knowledge, love, patience, and a spirit of constancy- Being here now and living in mindfulness in the present moment- Buddhism's Three Characteristics of Life- - Anicca: impermanence- - Anatta: non-self- - Dukkha: stress/suffering- True happiness as a matter of the heart- How you can't stop the waves, but you can learn how to surf- The original truth of self and freedomThis teaching is part of a 4-week long Yoga of Heartfulness online course featuring teachings from Ram Dass and friends. Learn more about this 10 hour course: Ram Dass' Yoga of HeartfulnessThis flowing lecture from 4/18/1985 was originally published on DharmaSeed
Discussing the intensity of painful emotions, Krishna Das describes how practicing letting go can allow us to live at home within ourselves.Today's podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp. Click to receive 10% off your first month with your own licensed professional therapist: betterhelp.com/beherenow“Right now, we’re programmed to hold onto everything. But over time, we can let go of our identification with the negative states of mind, the negative self images, and the negative stories we tell ourselves. But you can’t push those away. We have to train ourselves to release them.” – Krishna Das This episode features a special kirtan with Krishna Das and friends, Benjy and Heather Wertheimer and Steve Gorn, as well as a conversation on: - How regular practice allows us to habituate to the feeling of letting go to allow intense emotions to run through us- Maharaj-ji’s response to the death of a devotee- A miracle story about Swami Nityananda- The lila when Ram Dass gave Maharaj-ji the first copy of Be Here Now - Maharaj-ji sending Krishna Das back to America to deal with his desires- Learning to trust yourself as the most important part of the spiritual pathThis teaching is part of a 4-week long Yoga of Heartfulness online course featuring teachings from Ram Dass and friends. Learn more about this 10 hour course: Ram Dass' Yoga of HeartfulnessIf you enjoyed the episode, dive into the heart work of Benjy and Heather Wertheimer at shantalamusic.com, and Steve Gorn at stevegorn.com.
In this special episode, Raghu, RamDev (Dale Borglum), and Jackie Dobrinska weave the tapestry for heartfulness as a way of life.Sign up for Ram Dass's Yoga of Heartfulness Course, starting May 15th, at RamDass.org/heart“The development of heartfulness will help—we expect—to transform the polarity that we’re living in within ourselves and in our society and culture.” – Raghu MarkusIn this episode of Mindrolling, Raghu, RamDev, and Jackie tap into:- The path for cultivating heartfulness- The abundance of ways that one can be in the presence of the divine- Raghu meeting Ram Dass for the first time- Navigating suffering with an open heart- Practices for developing the heart-mind- The antidote for isolation and separateness- A heart-awakening meditation guided by RamDev“The heart begins to reveal how spacious it is, how connected it is. It's as vast as the sky. It's boundless.” – RamDev“To hold our humanity in the context of our divinity, that’s the work.” – RamDevAbout RamDev:Dale Borglum is the founder and Executive Director of The Living/Dying Project. He is a pioneer in the conscious dying movement and has worked directly with thousands of people with life-threatening illness and their families for over 30 years. In 1981, Dale founded the first residential facility for people who wished to die consciously in the United States, The Dying Center. He has taught and lectured extensively on the topics of spiritual support for those with life-threatening illness, on caregiving as a spiritual practice, and on healing at the edge, the edge of illness, of death, of loss, of crisis.Learn more about The Living/Dying Project at livingdying.orgAbout Jackie Dobrinska:Jackie Dobrinska is the Director of Education, Community & Inclusion for Ram Dass' Love, Serve, Remember Foundation and the current host of Ram Dass’ Here & Now podcast. She is also a teacher, coach, and spiritual director with the privilege of marrying two decades of mystical studies with 15 years of expertise in holistic wellness. As an interspiritual minister, Jackie was ordained in Creation Spirituality in 2016 and has also studied extensively in several other lineages - the plant-medicine-based Pachakuti Mesa Tradition, Sri Vidya Tantra, Western European Shamanism, Christian Mysticism, the Wise Woman Tradition, and others. Today, in addition to building courses and community for LSRF, she leads workshops and coaches individuals to discover, nourish and live from their most authentic selves. Learn more about Jackie’s work at asimplevibrantlife.com.
Joseph Goldstein examines what happiness is and how we get it, plus he outlines the very ordered stages of progress that occur on the path of insight and wisdom. “There’s another kind of happiness, which is higher even than the happiness of concentration, and that’s the happiness of insight, the happiness of wisdom, when we really come to a deep and profound understanding of who we are, of what this life is about.” – Joseph GoldsteinIn this episode, Joseph explores:- The happiness born from sense pleasures, not only in this realm but in the higher realms- How purity of conduct, through both generosity and understanding virtue, can bring sense pleasures- The happiness that comes from concentration- The happiness that comes from insight and wisdom- The very ordered way that the progress of insight unfolds: psychological insights, purity of view, vipassana happiness, fear of the process of existence, the urge for deliverance, the stage of equanimity, and finally, opening to the unconditioned, that which is beyond the mind.This dharma talk from October 14, 1982, was originally published on Dharma Seed.
Jack returns with a cosmic Dharma Talk exploring expansion and contraction in relation to impermanence as the root of spiritual practice."The law of change is the brown rice and vegetables of spiritual practice, it's the root of our direct experience of life." – Jack Kornfield In this episode, Jack takes us on a cosmic journey through:The basic fundamentals of Dharma teachings on how to live wisely in our practiceA trippy interstellar perspective flip through a simple intergalactic thought experimentLife—this capacity to be conscious and aware—as a process of expansion and contractionThe law of change, impermanence, as the "brown rice and vegetables" of spiritual practiceSpiritual practice as a way to find freedom and compassion within ourselvesLearning to live in the present of how it is, rather than how we wish it would be This Dharma Talk from Spirit Rock Meditation Center on 6/20/1994 was originally published on DharmaSeed.
Discussing the inevitability of suffering, Krishna Das guides us on returning to our true, present nature.Today's podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp. Click to receive 10% off your first month with your own licensed professional therapist: betterhelp.com/beherenow“There's no escaping suffering, that is the number one truth. This world is filled with it. We can develop a way to live in a world that changes the way we react to difficult and painful circumstances.” – Krishna Das This episode features a virtual kirtan with Krishna Das and a discussion on:Allowing love to show its faceThe grace of the saints and the guruThe Ramayana The inevitability of sufferingPresence and our true nature
In this episode, Joseph Goldstein leads a powerful practice around cultivating equanimity and talks about why it’s important not to confuse equanimity with its near enemy, indifference.This podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp. Click to receive 10% off your first month with your own licensed professional therapist: betterhelp.com/insighthour“Equanimity is the mind state of impartially, not indifference. So it’s like space which contains everything impartially. And one way of coming to this space of impartiality is understanding that things, in this world, are happening lawfully. They’re not happening by accident. And so the equanimity phrase, and the development of equanimity, is closely tied in with wisdom.” – Joseph GoldsteinIn this episode:Joseph talks about the concept of equanimity, explaining why it’s important not to confuse equanimity with its near enemy, indifferenceJoseph explores the wisdom aspect of equanimityJoseph leads a powerful equanimity practice focused around offering phrases to a neutral person, a benefactor, a good friend, and a difficult person“All beings are the heirs of their own karma. Our happiness or unhappiness depends on our actions, not upon our wishes.” This dharma talk from December 7, 2004, was originally published on Dharma Seed.
Author, musician, and astrologist, Ahad Cobb dissects his new memoir, Riding the Spirit Bus, with Raghu Markus.“The very fact of living in cooperative community on the earth together is itself a gift to many people in our culture.” – Ahad CobbThis time on mindrolling, Raghu Markus and Ahad Cobb discuss:Ahad Cobb's background with Ram DassMaharaj-ji's graceWriting Riding the Spirit BusThe Lama Foundation and becoming groundedCommunal livingWalking in the forest as meditationAbout Ahad Cobb:Ahad is the author, editor, and publisher of six books, including Image Nation and Early Lama Foundation. A musician and leader of Dances of Universal Peace, he has also served as a continuing member, officer, and trustee of the Lama Foundation. He studies and teaches Jyotish (Vedic astrology). He lives in Albuquerque, New Mexico.Check out Ahad's new memoir about spiritual awakening and Ram Dass, Riding the Spirit Bus at www.ahadcobb.com
This week, Jack joins Michael Krasny for a conversation diving into mindfulness, loneliness, compassion, gratitude, suffering, meditation, and the Dharma.Today's podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp. Click to receive 10% off your first month with your own licensed professional therapist: betterhelp.com/heartwisdom"With mindfulness you learn to live in the present. If you walk down the street and you're spending all your time thinking about that conversation you had and the tasks you have to do, you miss the people walking by, you miss the clouds after that rainstorm, the colors of the sunset—the lavender, red, and orange that's reflected in the windows and puddles—you miss your life. Mindfulness becomes liberating in that way." – Jack KornfieldIn this episode, Jack and Michael discuss:- Ram Dass and the idea of "being here now" in regards to suffering, depression, and suicidal thoughts- Overcoming loneliness, isolation, and grief by reaching out and connecting with others- Wrapping ourselves in the infinitely compassionate cloak of of Quan Yin or Mother Mary- How compassion and mindfulness practices regulate our body away from the 'fight, flight, freeze' response- Vipassana meditation, the mindful loving witness, and bringing it back into the world- Planting seeds with your conscious effort and peaceful heart, but not being attached to the outcome- How mindfulness liberates us to be fully present for the beautiful nuances of our lives- The difference between pain (inevitable) and suffering (optional)- The various meanings of the word "Dharma," and it's relation to truth- Making friends with our inner-critic and judging mind- Consciousness, gratitude, and the Great Mystery"We have the capacity to hold our sorrows and our measure of suffering with compassion rather than judgment, rather than fear, almost as if you could wrap yourself with the cloak of Quan Yin—the Goddess of Infinite Compassion—or Mother Mary, so that you know that you're not alone, and that we've done this." – Jack Kornfield
Joseph Goldstein explores the Buddha’s concept of the Five Iddhis, which are the five elements of the teachings we need to bring to completion in order to truly awaken our hearts and minds.“This Iddhi of psychic power is inferior to the Iddhi of understanding. When the Buddha was asked what the true miracle was, he said the real miracle is the awakening of people’s minds, it’s not the flying through the air or the diving in the earth, it’s the awakening of the mind, the awakening of the heart.” – Joseph GoldsteinIn this episode, Joseph shares his insight into:The Sanskrit term, Iddhi, which refers to the particular power of something, bringing to completion a particular situationThe difference between psychic Iddhis and Iddhis of understanding and insightThe Buddha’s concept of the Five Iddhis, which are five elements of the teachings we need to fulfill to truly awaken our hearts and minds: fulfillment of special knowledge of the Dhamma; coming to a full understanding of the truth of suffering; bringing to completion the abandoning of the causes of suffering; the fulfillment of coming to the end of suffering; and the development of the path of practiceThe Buddha’s concept of the four Iddhipadas, which are characteristics that are the road to success in our practice: zeal, effort, love of the Dhamma, and inquiry.This dharma talk from October 9, 1989, was originally published on Dharma Seed.
Teacher, translator, and Rumi Scholar, Kabir Helminski, gets together with Raghu to discuss Sufi mysticism and his new book, The Mysterion."In Sufism, sincerity would be understood to be something like doing whatever you do for the sake of God; not for anyone's approval, not for attention, not for pleasure." – Kabir HelminskiIn this episode of Mindrolling, Raghu Markus and Kabir Helminski chat about:Kabir's encounter with Ram DassThe tradition of RumiSufism and sincerity The sense of self in the Sufi traditionPresence as a single field of awarenessRelief from judgment and the power of laughterAbout Kabir Helminski:Kabir has been translating Rumi and writing about spirituality for more than forty years. He is a respected teacher, a Shaikh of the Mevlevi Order, which traces back to Rumi. Kabir Helminski is co-director, with his wife, Camille Helminski, of the Threshold Society, a nonprofit organization dedicated to sharing the knowledge and practice of Sufism. He is the author of Living Presence and the translator of four volumes of Rumi’s poetry, including Love Is a Stranger and Rumi: Daylight. His most recent book, The Mysterion: Rumi and the Secret of Becoming Fully Human, can be purchased at https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/717906/the-mysterion-by-kabir-helminski/
Making friends with death, David Silver and Raghu Markus explore Tibetan Traditions and the wisdom of death and dying."'Mindfulness is the path to the deathless, headlessness is the path to death. The mindful do not die, but the headless are as if dead already.' If you are not mindful through the flow of your earthly life, that will bring death and its fury." – David Silver quoting/commenting on the Dhammapada In this episode, David Silver joins Raghu Markus to explore:Death and dying in the Tibetan traditionIndividual success within the collective Viewing death as an adventureThe ego as a servant instead of a masterSurrendering the bubble of separation "Certainly a cause of sickness is the way we guard ourselves and the way we act in the world from this separated place. That's why you do not need to be old to get any benefit from some of the incredible wisdom of the Tibetan culture." – Raghu Markus 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.Watch Brilliant Disguise at www.ramdass.org/brilliantdisguise
Joseph Goldstein talks about how the tides of conceiving continually condition our lives and explores the ways we can directly experience the reality of Nibanna, the unconditioned.This podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp. Click to receive 10% off your first month with your own licensed professional therapist: betterhelp.com/insighthour“Do we buy in? Do we buy into the content? Do we get lost in this mind-created world of ‘future,’ or can we see it as being as light as a momentary thought, a momentary image? Just like a sound arises. But it takes a great deal of vigilance because these thoughts, these tides of conceiving, are tremendously seductive. You know, we’ve been doing this for years, and perhaps lifetimes. But awareness is very powerful, we can actually free ourselves from this prison.” – Joseph GoldsteinIn this episode, Joseph talks about:- How the tides of conceiving continuously arise in our mind and condition our experience- The different concepts that we solidify and make real, including our bodies, time, and the mental construct of the self- Why the concept of the self is so deeply held and why we’re so attached to it- The four realities that can be experienced directly, including that of Nibbana, which is also known as the unconditioned- The wide range of expressions of the experience of the unconditioned that is available in different Buddhist traditionsThis dharma talk from December 5, 1995, was originally published on Dharma Seed.
Jack returns for an illuminating Dharma Talk exploring the deep human longing for the wedding of body and spirit.Today's podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp. Click to receive 10% off your first month with your own licensed professional therapist: betterhelp.com/heartwisdom"The invitation of spiritual life, of awareness or mindfulness—we could call it a sacred attention—is not to hurry up, fix, or make this human realm perfect or better. Nor is it to ignore it, but rather to awaken to what is each day as we meet it in our bodies, in our hearts, in our minds, in our family, in our community on this earth – to see it how it is, and to illuminate it with the heart, to illuminate it with our understanding and compassion, to find the basket of spirit that is here, and let that spirit shine in this human realm." – Jack KornfieldIn this episode, Jack dives into:- An old African wisdom story of a shepherd, his cattle, a dark forest, a lover, and a magic basket- Life, death, void, silence, and opening to the great mystery- Perception, consciousness, and Buddha's wisdom that mind is the principle element of creation- Listening, truth, timelessness, and The One Who Knows- The balance and connection between spirit and form- Rumi and the deep human longing to wed body and spirit- Buddha and the teachings of compassion- Breath, wholeness, and the eternal present- Moving past the fear body by breaking through the myth of seperationThis Dharma Talk from Spirit Rock Meditation Center on 09/11/2000 was originally published on DharmaSeed.org
This week, Krishna Das helps us notice the gradual, positive changes that come from maintaining practices like chanting.Today's podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp. Click to receive 10% off your first month with your own licensed professional therapist: betterhelp.com/beherenow"Live your life. Go after the things you want. Hopefully, that will include some spiritual practice which will ripen you to become the love that lives within you." – Krishna Das In this episode, Krishna Das leads us in devotion and discusses:Connecting to an individualized practiceChanging fate through chantingThe Guru within and allowing grief Devotion through serviceThe Kundalini of an Open Heart
Integrating the self, identity, and belonging; mindfulness researcher, Dr. Dan Siegel, joins Raghu Markus to explore his new book, IntraConnected."From a mathematical point of view, the modern construction of a separate solo self is actually a violation of a complex system's ability to adapt and learn." – Dr. Dan SiegelIn this episode Raghu Markus and Dr. Dan Siegel ponder:The integration of self, identity, and belongingRadical Trauma and losing the sense of selfScience and contemplative wisdomThe Optimal Flow of HarmonyDeath as a space of possibility Being a part of a wholeAbout Dr. Dan Siegel:Dr. Siegel is a Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at the UCLA School of Medicine and the founding co-director of the Mindful Awareness Research Center at UCLA. An award-winning educator, he is a Distinguished Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association and recipient of several honorary fellowships. Dr. Siegel is also the Executive Director of the Mindsight Institute, an educational organization, which offers online learning and in-person seminars that focus on how the development of Mindsight in individuals, families, and communities can be enhanced by examining the interface of human relationships and basic biological processes. His psychotherapy practice includes children, adolescents, adults, couples, and families. He serves as the Medical Director of the LifeSpan Learning Institute and on the Advisory Board of the Blue School in New York City, which has built its curriculum around Dr. Siegel’s Mindsight approach.Keep up with Dr. Dan Siegel and purchase his books on www.drdansiegel.com
In this episode of Heart Wisdom, Jack Kornfield connects with lifestyle expert Sarah Grynberg to talk about a life of greatness. "Really, meditation is about deep listening. You sit and what needs to be understood will come if you sit quietly. It is like going into the forest and finding a little clearing and sitting down. If you're quiet for a while the animals, the birds, they all resume their life and you see all the things you would never see before. " – Jack Kornfield In this episode Jack Kornfield and Sarah Grynberg discuss:What it was like for Jack to grow up in Judaism Ajahn Chah and being ready for suffering Surrender in meditationThe catharsis of emotional release Deep Listening Buddhism as a practice versus a religionThe Psychology of Heart and Mind About Sarah GrynbergSarah Grynberg is a well-renowned interviewer, well-being expert, keynote speaker, and host and producer of the highly-rated lifestyle and internationally successful podcast, A Life of Greatness, where she’s engaged some of the world’s biggest names. Through her years of research studying the links between the facets of human behavior, personal growth, and happiness, Sarah formulated her own blueprint for cultivating greatness. This powerful blueprint has become the touchstone of Sarah’s courses, talks & writing. You can keep up with Sarah on Instagram or on SarahGrynberg.com
Joseph Goldstein covers the basics of metta, which he calls the generosity of the heart, and shares ways we can cultivate deeper feelings of loving-kindness in our practice.“Metta, as most of you are familiar, is a word from the Pali language, the language of the Buddha’s time, and it means loving-kindness or friendliness. And it refers to that basic quality or that basic feeling of generosity of the heart. It’s an expression of the generous heart that is simply wishing well, simply wishing or expressing goodwill to ourselves and others.” – Joseph GoldsteinIn this episode, Joseph shares his insight on:The basics of metta, or loving-kindness, and how it refers to the feeling of the generosity of the heartHow metta can become the ground for wisdom to growThe difference between metta and desire, and why those two feelings are often confused for one anotherDifferent ways we can nurture our practice and cultivate deeper feelings of metta, including reflecting on forgiveness and gratitude This dharma talk from February 6, 1999, was originally published on Dharma Seed.
Learn how to access wisdom through intentional action and radical honesty with Buddhist teacher Trudy Goodman.Today's podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp. Click to receive 10% off your first month with your own licensed professional therapist: betterhelp.com/beherenow"When we're honest we can look at ourselves directly. We can look at our own behavior. We can admit when we made a mistake and we can learn how to change at least some of our ways so that we do not cause that particular kind of harm again." – Trudy GoodmanIn this episode, Trudy Goodman lectures on:Discontinuing harmful activities Honesty and being directThe Dharma as our safetyThe consequences of our actionsIntegrity and looking at our motivationsThe coexistence of Love and HateAbout Trudy Goodman:Trudy is a Vipassana teacher in the Theravada lineage and the Founding Teacher of InsightLA. For 25 years, in Cambridge, MA, Trudy practiced mindfulness-based psychotherapy with children, teenagers, couples and individuals. Trudy conducts retreats and workshops worldwide.
In a discussion on transcendence, Raghu Markus and Zen Priest Hozan Alan Senauke describe embodying zen practices and having a stable mind."What really impressed me about the Chinese/Japanese poetry was that there was a sense of the ordinary. There was something marvelous and transcendent in ordinary perceptions." – Hozan Alan SenaukeIn this episode Raghu Markus and Hozan Alan Senauke explore:The practice of ZenMagic within the ordinary Meeting spiritual teachers and guidesSeeing both sides of everything and finding balanceEmbodiment and putting our practice into the worldBeing Happy and being in the moment Hozan Alan Senauke:Hozan Alan Senauke is a Soto Zen priest, folk musician, poet and the Abbot of Berkeley Zen Center in California. As a socially engaged Buddhist activist, Hozan has worked closely with the International Network of Engaged Buddhists and Buddhist Peace Fellowship since 1991. In 2007, he founded Clear View Project, developing Buddhist-based resources for relief and social change in Asia and the U.S. He is author of The Bodhisattva’s Embrace: Dispatches from Engaged Buddhism’s Front Lines. In another realm, Hozan has been a student and performer of American traditional music for more than fifty years.For Alan Senauke dharma talks, click here
In this deep exploration of the union between compassion and emptiness, Joseph Goldstein breaks down the relative and absolute levels of Bodhicitta, the heart-mind of awakening.This podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp. Click to receive 10% off your first month with your own licensed professional therapist: betterhelp.com/insighthour“The ultimate nature of Bodhicitta – the relative level is compassion – the ultimate level of Bodhicitta, is the empty, aware nature of the mind itself. And as one Tibetan teacher said, ‘When compassion and emptiness are both present, enlightenment is unavoidable.’ So this is what we practice. This what we come to realize, to cultivate: the relative Bodhicitta of compassion, the ultimate Bodhicitta of emptiness.” – Joseph GoldsteinIn this episode, Joseph explores:Relative Bodhicitta, absolute Bodhicitta, and how these two levels are expressions of each other, not polaritiesThe different ways in which we can understand emptiness, including dropping into the effortless flow of experience, being reminded by our teachers, seeing the insubstantial nature of the self, and seeing that things are not amenable to our willThe nature of the mind, which is empty like space, has an innate wakefulness, and it is inherently pureHow the activity of emptiness is compassion This dharma talk from July 9, 2003, was originally published on Dharma Seed.
Dr. Robert Thurman and Krishna Das lecture on chanting, Maharaj-ji, embodiment, and purpose in this devotion-filled episode. Today's podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp. Click to receive 10% off your first month with your own licensed professional therapist: betterhelp.com/beherenow"Human beings are such a precious embodiment...it's a great opportunity to become enlightened That's what you do when you attain freedom. You don't stop living; you become infinite life, you become one with everybody's infinite life." – Dr. Robert Thurman"I would try to find the thing that you really want to do, and really do it. When I heard chanting in India, the first time I heard it I knew 'this, I could do.' And I'm still working at it." – Krishna DasIn this episode, Krishna Das chants and responds to questions with Dr. Robert Thurman on:Experiences with Maharaj-jiEnlightenment and Embodiment Having a less rigid spiritual practiceFinding purpose How mantras are holographicGiving up your will to the divine About Dr. Robert Thurman:Known in academic circles as Professor Robert A.F. Thurman, Bob is a talented popularizer of the Buddha’s teachings and the first Westerner Tibetan Buddhist monk ordained by His Holiness the Dalai Lama. He is the author of many books on Tibet, Buddhism, art, politics, and culture and was named by The New York Times as the leading American expert on Tibetan Buddhism. Bob is a Professor of Indo-Tibetan Buddhist Studies at Columbia University and the Co-Founder and President of Tibet House US/Menla in service of HH Dalai Lama and the people of Tibet. A close friend of the Dalai Lama’s for over 50 years, he is a leading worldwide lecturer on Tibetan Buddhism and a passionate activist for the plight of the Tibetan people. In August of 2021, he released his most recent book, “Wisdom is Bliss” from Penguin Random House.
Scholar Michael Meade sits down with Raghu Markus for a mythical episode on storytelling, symbolism, and human nature."Myth is about vertical imagination. Myth opens up the connections we have to the heavens and the connections we have to the underworld... On the surface a myth is false, but it carries deeper truths than you can find anywhere else." – Michael MeadeIn this episode Raghu Markus and Michael Meade converse about:Michael's induction into the realm of myth Storytelling with musical instrumentsOral and literary traditions in mythologyFinding truth within imaginationLife, death, and renewalThe mythic nature of humans and dreamsA connection between endings and beginnings The African myth of the eagle and the child About Michael Meade: Michael Meade is a renowned storyteller, author, and scholar of mythology, anthropology, and psychology. He combines hypnotic storytelling, street-savvy perceptiveness, and spellbinding interpretations of ancient myths with a deep knowledge of cross-cultural rituals.He is the author of Awakening the Soul, The Genius Myth, Fate and Destiny: The Two Agreements of The Soul, Why the World Doesn't End, The Water of Life: Initiation and the Tempering of the Soul; editor, with James Hillman and Robert Bly, of Rag and Bone Shop of the Heart; and the creator of the Living Myth Podcast.Michael Meade is the founder of Mosaic Multicultural Foundation, a nonprofit network of artists, activists, and community builders that encourages greater understanding between diverse peoples.
Joseph Goldstein talks about how wisdom arises from an understanding of the true nature of impermanence, and how experiencing the truth of change can be our doorway to freedom.In this episode, Joseph explores:The nature of impermanence and why going from an intellectual understanding of it to a direct experience of it can be our doorway to freedomThe different ways we can gain liberating insights into the truth of impermanence, including reflecting on death and relationshipsHow, when we begin to see the true nature of change, we start to cultivate Bodhicitta The two levels of Bodhicitta – the relative level and the ultimate level – and how Bodhicitta manifests as responsive compassion“So this is really important because in talking about the impermanent nature of all this and how ultimately unsatisfying it all is, the implication is not that we pull back from experience, as some people might assume. Rather, it’s learning to not hold on. That is the implication, and that is the doorway to freedom.” – Joseph GoldsteinThis dharma talk from March 25, 2004, was originally published on Dharma Seed.
Describing three levels of surrender, RamDev shows us how to receive the blessings of an open heart.Today's podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp. Click to receive 10% off your first month with your own licensed professional therapist: betterhelp.com/beherenow"The first level of surrender that allows us to receive is giving up a wish that things be different." – RamDev In this episode we hear RamDev Dale Borglum discuss:Transforming pain into cosmic joy Openheartedness and grace Global catastrophe and sufferingAbsolute Goodness and our intrinsic natureEnlightenment and Vulnerability Surrender in the various stages of practice
Professor Jon Kabat-Zinn joins Sharon Salzberg for a discussion on present moment awareness, radical love, and freedom from pain.For episode 203 of the Metta Hour Podcast, we have the first in a special series celebrating Sharon’s new book, “Real Life.” This interview features a conversation between Sharon and Jon Kabat-Zinn, pulled from the Living An Authentic Life Summit. Jon is Professor of Medicine emeritus at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, where he founded the Center for Mindfulness in Medicine, Health Care, and Society, and its world-renown Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Clinic. He is the author of 15 books, including the bestseller Full Catastrophe Living. His latest book published in 2023 is Mindfulness Meditation for Pain Relief: Practices to Reclaim Your Body and Your Life.The conversation begins with Jon leading a guided meditation practice, followed by a dynamic interview in which Jon and Sharon discuss:• Jon’s first exposure to meditation• mindfulness as a love affair• what is authentic living• translating ancient teaching of the Buddha• Jon’s early teaching at UMass• freeing ourselves from delusion• waking up in every moment• the compassion in mindfulness• finding freedom from painTo learn more about Jon’s work, teaching schedule, and latest book, Mindfulness Meditation for Pain Relief, you can visit his website. To hear this interview in its entirety, you can sign up right here for the Living an Authentic Life Summit which runs online from March 29th – April 2nd and it is free to join.“When you tune into yourself, you’re actually tuning into the entire universe, of which you are an intimate and insanely beautiful and mysterious part.” – Jon Kabat-Zinn
Teaching us about breath work and presence, Jack Kornfield guides a mindfulness meditation and discusses the beauty of listening."You are not the body, you are the mindful loving awareness that notices this body with kindness and care." – Jack Kornfield In this episode Jack Kornfield offers us:A guided mindfulness meditation Tools to relax and experience presence Breathing techniques for full body awareness Ways to develop the capacity to listenAdvice on working with trauma Ways to thank our fears
Moving out of constriction and into connection with reality, Sharon Salzberg reunites with Raghu to talk about her new book, Real Life."When we are out of harmony with the truth, we are not realistic. Everything is distorted, we reach for happiness in all the wrong places, we let other people define us instead of finding out who we truly are." – Sharon SalzbergIn this episode we hear Sharon Salzberg and Raghu Markus explore:How to 'get real' and see the truth Constriction versus connectionBeing bound by habitual patternsOne-pointedness Dealing with greed, hatred, delusionHow to avoid spiritual bypassing Toxic optimismA reinterpretation of DharmaAbout Sharon Salzberg:Sharon Salzberg is a meditation pioneer, world-renowned teacher, and New York Times bestselling author. She is one of the first to bring mindfulness and lovingkindness meditation to mainstream American culture over 45 years ago, inspiring generations of meditation teachers and wellness influencers. Sharon is co-founder of The Insight Meditation Society in Barre, MA, and the author of twelve books, including the New York Times bestseller, Real Happiness, now in its second edition, and her seminal work, Lovingkindness.Her forthcoming release, Real Life: The Journey from Isolation to Openness and Freedom, is set for release in April of 2023 from Flatiron Books. Her podcast, The Metta Hour, has amassed five million downloads and features interviews with thought leaders from the mindfulness movement and beyond.Learn more about Sharon and pre-order her new book at www.sharonsalzberg.com
After swaddling listeners in devotional chanting, Krishna Das describes thinning the ego and diving into the ocean of love.Today's podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp. Click to receive 10% off your first month with your own licensed professional therapist: betterhelp.com/beherenow"That's what these practices are for, ultimately, so we can experience the depth of love and peace within us. There is no button to push, it is a question of developing trust in yourself, confidence in yourself, and practicing regularly." – Krishna DasIn this episode, Krishna Das chants and explores:Suffering, Relativity, and SubjectivityThinning out the EgoThe wisdom of Neem Karoli BabaSlowing down and practicing self-careLetting go of separateness in the ocean of loveAttachment versus the field of love
Jack Kornfield, Sharon Salzberg, and Joseph Goldstein explore the emergence of Western Buddhism and balancing faith with wisdom.Today's podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp. Click to receive 10% off your first month with your own licensed professional therapist: betterhelp.com/heartwisdom"In the Buddhist tradition it's said that one of the prayers one might make is: May I be born in circumstances that I may experience the Dharma that will bring me to awaken the heart of boundless compassion and discover inner freedom." – Jack Kornfield"That kind of questioning which isn't cynical and isn't arrogant but is really wondering, really wanting to know the truth for oneself, I think of as an essential component of faith." – Sharon Salzberg "Even in those first few minutes, what I discovered was there was a way to look into the mind as well as looking out through it. To me that was revelatory." – Joseph GoldsteinIn this episode Jack Kornfield, Sharon Salzberg, and Joseph Goldstein touch on:The formation of the Insight Meditation SocietyThe emergence of Western BuddhismThe balance of faith and wisdom Starting small with meditationBeing the product of our conditioningHaving compassion for the human predicament
Joseph Goldstein helps us understand the quality of samadhi, which he describes as embodied presence, and talks about the different methods we have available for cultivating it. This podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp. Click to receive 10% off your first month with your own licensed professional therapist: betterhelp.com/insighthour“We settle back into the body, into the awareness of the body, and we allow the tensions and the knots, we allow them to unfold. We create the space, we create the space of awareness in which they will unwind. And this becomes a great healing process.” – Joseph GoldsteinIn this episode, Joseph talks about:Understanding the meaning of the quality of samadhi, which is also known as concentrationHow the development of samadhi is the cultivation of embodied presenceHow ethical conduct is the foundation of samadhiDifferent ways to cultivate and deepen the quality of samadhi, including through direct awareness of a single object and through an open, choiceless awarenessThe many methods he has used in his own practice to develop samadhi, including slowing down and being mindful of your body movementWays we can contemplate the body both internally and externally, which can help us understand how our practice is for the benefit and welfare of all beingsThis dharma talk from October 6, 2004, was originally published on Dharma Seed.
Centering on her new book, The Laugh of Love, Dr. Sabrina N'Diaye and Raghu discuss forgiveness and the wisdom we gain from our ancestors."The older I get, the more I realize being a good therapist has nothing to do with all these acronyms behind my name. I know my grandmother didn't even graduate from high school, but she had a degree in the soul." – Dr. Sabrina N'DiayeIn this episode Dr. Sabrina N'Diaye and Raghu discuss:Understanding trauma Dialoguing with our ancestorsDr. Sabrina's writing processThe magic of forgivenessDeriving lessons from painful experiencesApplying ancestral wisdom to therapy practiceMaking a commitment to compassionAbout Sabrina N'Diaye:Dr. Sabrina N’Diaye is an integrative psychotherapist and founder of the Heart Nest Center for Peace and Healing in Baltimore. There, she lovingly serves women, couples, other healers, and small groups. Her approach to healing is a blend of wisdom, science, and ancient spiritual practices. She is a student of the late Sufi Master Sidi Muhammad al-Jamal of Jerusalem and incorporates Sufi healing into her with individuals, families, and communities. Keep up with Dr. N'Diaye on Instagram or her website and stay tuned for her upcoming book, The Laugh of Love.
Illuminating the stories of Rama and Sita, Dr. Robert Svoboda offers a thorough explanation of the esoteric Ramayana.This podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp. Click to receive 10% off your first month with your own licensed professional therapist: betterhelp.com/beherenow"That very ego that Kundalini is now trying to transform into pure Shakti that will focus on the soul, is being corrupted by that remnant of the ego that wants to maintain a limited individuality." – Dr. Svoboda In this episode Dr. Robert Svoboda gives a comprehensive talk on:- The spiritual progress of an individual soul- The trials and tribulations of Rama and Sita- Focusing on the Supreme Reality - Shakti and the Ego- The esoteric meaning in ancient texts- Awakening Kundalini
In this episode of Insight Hour, Joseph Goldstein explores what compassion is, the wisdom that gives rise to it, and how we can manifest it in the world.This podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp. Click to receive 10% off your first month with your own licensed professional therapist: betterhelp.com/insighthour“When compassion and wisdom are both present in our lives, even to a small extent, there’s really a remarkable transformation, because they bring a creative power to the way we live, the way we act, the way we relate. When wisdom and compassion are both there, they help us go beyond the conventional response.” – Joseph GoldsteinIn this episode, Joseph talks about:- How wisdom and compassion work together- What compassion is and the wisdom that gives rise to it- The four insights that can help us keep our hearts open in the midst of the great suffering in the world- How compassion grows and deepens within us- The different ways compassionate action manifests in the world- The Bodhisattva Vows and the act of dedicating one’s life and practice to the benefit of all beingsThis dharma talk from July 23, 2004, was originally published on Dharma Seed.
In this episode of Heart Wisdom, Jack Kornfield teaches us about fostering femininity in our dharma practice."Part of what's happening to practice is that it is becoming balanced with a greater emphasis of the feminine...instead of independence there's more teaching of interdependence, of relationship to one's body, relationship to the earth." – Jack KornfieldIn this episode Jack Kornfield discusses:- The relationship of birth and death- Loving deeply by opening our hearts, bodies, and mind- Moving from the masculine to the feminine - The power of forgiveness
Devotional Musician Jai Uttal joins Raghu to chat about his new album which explores the deepest spiritual longings of the human psyche."The Bhakti's of the past, their songs are so deeply personal and intimate in their relationship to God; it's stepping into that stream, as gracefully as possible." – Jai UttalIn this episode Jai Uttal and Raghu weave together:Devotional MusicThe art of translationInherited sentiments and emotionsThe beauty of expressing our deepest experiencesIntimacy with GodThe Yoga of DevotionFollowing the path of the heart
Through non-attachment and mantra repetition, Krishna Das teaches us that we can invoke presence and find our true nature.Today's podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp. Click to receive 10% off your first month with your own licensed professional therapist: betterhelp.com/beherenow"Because Ram, Sita, Radha, all these beings are rooted in a deeper consciousness than we have, by repeating their names we invoke that presence, that place within us that is deeper than our thoughts, emotions, and physicality. That's the real meaning of these names, they are real love. The same love that is within us. – Krishna Das In this episode, Krishna Das mindfully shares:- The “Om Namo Bhagavate Vaasudevaayaa” chant on harmonium to begin the episode- A reflection on the impermanence of feelings and the body- How everything is accomplished through repeating mantras - Maharaj-ji's interpretation of attachments- The importance of practice
RamDev dives into the Tantra of delight, wonder, and astonishment to help us surrender with love into our sacred fundamental nature.Today's podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp. Click to receive 10% off your first month with your own licensed professional therapist: betterhelp.com/beherenow"In this crazy 21st century in which we're living, for me, the most available and exciting practice is this notion of Tantra—of being able to be with anything and immediately go to its fundamental nature." – RamDev Dale BorglumIn this episode RamDev Dale Borglum explores:- Wisdom from classic books Zen Flesh Zen Bones by Paul Reps, and The Yoga of Delight, Wonder, and Astonishment, translated by Jai Deva Singh, both on ancient Vijñāna Bhairava—the 112 instructions from Shiva to the Goddess on how to immediately awaken- The connection within Tantra between love, emptiness, self, devotion, and compassion- Maharajji's statement that "the best form to worship God is every from" and how everything is grace- Tantra, the Divine Mother, and devouring and digesting emotions- Yoga versus Tantra- Embodied mindfulness for transmuting emotion into the sacred- Guru Yoga and identifying oneself with God/Deity and mantraSurrendering into love through non-grasping
Llewellyn returns with a microdose of poetic wisdom exploring the space between stories, between the known and unknown worlds, a space that is also present with each and every breath.This podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp. Click to receive 10% off your first month with your own licensed professional therapist: betterhelp.com/beherenowLlewellyn Vaughan-Lee, Ph.D. is a Sufi teacher in the Naqshbandiyya-Mujaddidiyya Sufi Order. He is the author of Sufism, the Transformation of the Heart, and the founder of The Golden Sufi Center. Check out his new podcast Working With Oneness.
Joseph Goldstein explores the path to freedom that the Buddha laid out for all of us and talks about the importance of developing and sustaining the quality of ardor in our practice. This podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp. Click to receive 10% off your first month with your own licensed professional therapist: betterhelp.com/insighthour“What is ardency? I think we all have some sense of it in our very worldly lives. Just think of the feeling of ardor in the great love of your life, or in the first days of the great love of your life. What is that feeling of ardor like? There’s this powerful and sustained energy that is just so full in us. And it’s characterized by tremendous warmth of feeling and passion and enthusiasm and interest. That’s what ardor means. So can we cultivate that kind of ardor in our love of the Dhamma? In our love of the truth? That’s the quality that the Buddha is saying we need that, we need that passionate interest, that passionate energy to explore and discover.” – Joseph GoldsteinIn this episode, Joseph talks about:- The path to freedom that lies in Vipassana practices and how these practices are rooted in the Buddha’s discourse, the Satipatṭhāna Sutta- The deeper meaning of some of the Pali words used in that discourse and why the Buddha frequently repeats some phrases- The importance of developing and sustaining the quality of ardor in our practice- How reflecting on the preciousness of human birth and understanding impermanence can help cultivate ardor- How Metta practice works together with Vipassana practice- How we begin to see that practice is not just for ourselves, but for the benefit of the whole worldThis dharma talk from September 27, 2004, was originally published on Dharma Seed.
In this episode, Jack Kornfield helps us discover how the ocean of breath can lead to greater compassion for all.Today's podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp. Click to receive 10% off your first month with your own licensed professional therapist: betterhelp.com/heartwisdom"With the opening of breath comes a spaciousness or a healing quality which is that we can allow ourselves to hold in compassion, with a kindness of heart, all that arises." – Jack KornfieldIn this episode Jack Kornfield discusses:- Breath as the movement of spirit- The cycle and rhythms of life- Developing awareness of the breath- Noticing our sensesThis 1994 talk was originally published on Dharmaseed
Krishna Das offers flowing kirtan and explores mantras as the Divine Names which help us uncover the love that lives within us.Help others improve their mental and emotional well-being, reduce stress, improve focus, increase self-awareness and self-regulation — all while deepening your own practice and understanding.Join Buddhist teacher David Nichtern and special guest Professor Robert Thurman for a free online program on Tuesday, February 14th at 6:00pm ET. Visit dharmamoon.com/beherenow for more info and to reserve your spot for the free info session! "Sanskrit is considered to be a revealed language. What that means is that the sound is actually the sound form of the Divine. It's called 'The Name.' So, these Names, these sounds, are actually the form of that blissful reality that we all are already, the love that lives within us." – Krishna DasIn this episode, Krishna Das dives into:A flowing "Hare Ram / Sita Ram" chant on harmonium to kick off the episodeSanskrit mantras as the Divine Names that help us uncover the love that lives within usExperiencing Maharaj-ji, not as something separate, but as the love that lives within usCultivating our inner strength in order to stay strong, open, and extend our heart to the suffering of the worldThe transformational effects of psychedelics on KD's life, and Maharaj-ji's advice around themAn uplifting Hanuman Chalisa (4 A.M. Chalisa), as well as a resonant chant to Lord Shiva to close out the podcast
ZaChoeje Rinpoche joins Raghu for a talk on being recognized as a Tulku (reincarnated Tibetan master) by His Holiness the Dalai Lama, and the true nature of struggling.Help others improve their mental and emotional well-being, reduce stress, improve focus, increase self-awareness and self-regulation — all while deepening your own practice and understanding.Join Buddhist teacher David Nichtern and special guest Professor Robert Thurman for a free online program on Tuesday, February 14th at 6:00pm ET. Visit dharmamoon.com/beherenow for more info and to reserve your spot for the free info session!"The difference between the enlightened being and the un-enlightened being is: we are all struggling, but an enlightened being stops struggling over the struggles; and we struggle over the struggles. That is the truth of suffering." – ZaChoeje RinpocheIn this episode ZaChoeje Rinpoche and Raghu dive into:- Growing up in India as a Tibetan refugee child, and becoming a monk- Being recognized as a Tulku (reincarnated Tibetan master) by His Holiness The Dalai Lama- Moving to the U.S. and founding Emaho Foundation a Tibetan Buddhist center serving the greater Phoenix area- The retranslating the Buddha's First Noble Truth (the truth of struggling)- Disentangling from getting caught in the story of the "Movie of Me" – the fixed idea of who we are- The role of devotion, faith, and guru in spiritual development through the lens of Tibetan Buddhism- Connecting with the true nature of the mind as clear light- An illuminating guided meditation practice on the sky like nature of mind and heart
By telling stories of the Buddha, Jack Kornfield directs us on the purpose of practice and the laws of Dharma."What we repeatedly direct our mind to in this society is consumerism and materialism and addictions of different kinds. What we direct ourselves to, we get. For better or for worse." – Jack KornfieldIn this episode Jack Kornfield discusses:- The will to do- Skillful action- The mind as a mirror- Birth stories of the Buddha- Renunciation- Awakening to the law of DharmaThis talk from Jack Kornfield 1/4/1994 was originally published on DharmaSeed.
The Spirit Underground's Lama Rod Owens offers a guided benefactor practice and chanting of the Tibetan Buddhist mantra, 'Om Mani Padme Hum.'Today's podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp. Click to receive 10% off your first month with your own licensed professional therapist: betterhelp.com/beherenow"As we move through really difficult situations, it's so important that we call into our practice help, support, and care. That's always a part of my practice. I think so much of my practice is really just asking for help over and over again, and asking to see the love, the care that I deserve, that we all deserve." – Lama Rod OwensIn this talk, Lama Rod Owens offers:Insights around help, support, love, and care within our practice along the spiritual pathA guided "benefactor practice" – a metta practice focused around a source of refuge, love, and careChanting of and meaning behind the resonant Tibetan Buddhist mantra, "Om Mani Padme Hum"This episode sourced from DharmaSeed was recorded at the Spirit Rock Meditation Center retreat for Deepening into the Heart of Love and Freedom on 11/3/2020.
In a conversation about fallibility and self-honesty, spiritual advisor Jaymee Carpenter and Raghu Markus talk about surrender and transcending victimhood."When I was younger I was getting high on my identity of being a victim and I got high on drugs. Then I got sober and I got high on this new identity of a sober person. It was just a transference of ego." – Jaymee Carpenter"We all have that generational karma in one way or the other that we are dealing with." – Raghu Markus In this episode Jaymee Carpenter and Raghu Markus discuss:- Overcoming the lies we tell ourself- Coming back from rock bottom- Kinship and mentorship- Meditation and miracles- Recovery from drug and alcohol addiction- Identity and being nobody
Joseph Goldstein and Sharon Salzberg recall their early lives and initial years of mindfulness practice and share what drew them to meditation in the late sixties and early seventies.This podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp. Click to receive 10% off your first month with your own licensed professional therapist: betterhelp.com/insighthourThis podcast is being released in tandem with Sharon Salzberg’s Metta Hour Hour Podcast. Sharon is a meditation pioneer, world-renowned teacher, and New York Times bestselling author. She and Joseph are co-founders of The Insight Meditation Society in Barre, MA. Sharon is the author of numerous books, including the New York Times bestseller, Real Happiness, and her seminal work, Lovingkindness.“This lasted for two years, and they were the worst two years of my practice, the most difficult. And it took me that long to realize that it wasn’t about getting something, it was about opening to what was there. But I was so attached to that wonderful experience that it was really subverting the deeper understanding of what meditation really is. So it took me such a long time, but finally, after two years of struggle, something released, let go, and I just settled back and opened to whatever was presenting itself.” – Joseph GoldsteinIn this conversation, Joseph shares about:Growing up in the Catskills and his early encounters with death and loss • Studying philosophy at Columbia University and living in New York City during his college years • Joining the Peace Corps and living in Thailand • His first encounters with Buddhist monks and the resonance of finding the spiritual path • The ups and downs of his initial years of practice and finding his teacher, Munindra • Meeting Sharon at her first retreat with S.N. Goenka • The community that emerged out of the Goenka retreats • The parallels of the evolution of his and Sharon’s pathSharon shares about:The difficulty of her childhood • Her first encounter with Buddhist Philosophy in college and creating a study abroad program to take her to India • Receiving Chögyam Trungpa’s advice on where to learn meditation • Searching for meditation instruction across India as a young woman • The scene at her first retreat led S.N. Goenka • Learning how to navigate her inner life • Meeting Joseph for the first time • Her and Joseph’s different practice needs in their early years • Crafting a spiritual path before there was a model for that life in the WestThis episode is part of a continuing series of interviews between Sharon Salzberg & Joseph Goldstein about their lives and contributions to Buddhism. For more like this, subscribe to Sharon's Metta Hour Podcast.
In simple, heartfelt presence, Jack Kornfield teaches us about coming into the dharma body.Today's podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp. Click to receive 10% off your first month with your own licensed professional therapist: betterhelp.com/heartwisdom"You can see it in your life. It's helpful to be aware when you drive, or if you paint or you do computer programming or you make love, or you write poetry, or you garden. Mindfulness, I declare, is all helpful. With that presence is the path to freedom, to awakening." — Jack KornfieldIn this episode Jack Kornfield discusses:- Stories of Thich Nhat Hanh- Becoming the Buddha- Cosmic Breakthroughs- Navigating Death- Mindfull Awareness
Exploring how to open the heartmind, RamDev, offers insight into love, devotion, suffering, boundaries, resistance, and equanimity.Today's podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp. Click to receive 10% off your first month with your own licensed professional therapist: betterhelp.com/beherenow"In Sanskrit there's not two words for heart and mind, there's one word. The heart is really the depth of the mind; the mind is the surface of the heart." – RamDev Dale BorglumIn this episode RamDev Dale Borglum explores:- The inherent connection between heart and mind- Loss, grief, embodied mindfulness, trust, and boundaries- Devotion and the qualities of an open heart- Suffering, resistance, presence, and healing- Love, attachment, equanimity, and compassion- Spiritual practices for opening the heart- A guided meditation on opening the heartmind
Krishna Das describes the first step of any mindfulness practice: calming the mind. When the mind is serene, we can handle it all.Today's podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp. Click to receive 10% off your first month with your own licensed professional therapist: betterhelp.com/beherenow"Not only are you singing, you're using your breath, you're hearing the sound of your voice and other voices, and that all helps you pay attention. It all helps you stay home, here, where we are supposed to try to be." – Krishna DasIn this episode, we learn about:Staying focused and presentMantras and chantingGrief and lossBeing at home in our beingDetachment and relationshipsThe true nature of real love
In this unique offering from the Love Serve Remember Foundation archives, Joseph Goldstein joins Ram Dass for a conversation around love, emptiness, soul, the notion of self, and much more.NEW Meditation Series: Pause, Breathe, Be Here Now with Ram Dass, Sharon Salzberg, Jack Kornfield, Tara Brach, Joseph Goldstein, John Lockley, Ram Dev, Trudy Goodman, Lama Tsultrim Allione—FREE January 16 to 25. Sit in true peace, love, and tranquility. Join thousands of people around the world for this collective meditation experience: onecommmune.com/ramdass“And let’s not forget joy. In you is joy. In you is compassion. Peace. Emptiness. And love. Those are all in you. In you. Now, manifest them in your behaviors. And your thoughts.” – Ram DassIn this episode:- Joseph and Ram Dass reminisce about the early days of their friendship and how their relationship has evolved over the years- They respond to a question about whether there’s a relationship between love and Tao, exploring the concepts of self (and no self), emptiness, and soul- Ram Dass asks Joseph about the concept of dharma and they discuss the way of nature- The conversation veers into karma, free will, and whether or not everything is predetermined- They touch the mysterious forces at work in the universe and the power of imagination- Joseph and Ram Dass respond to a question about developing compassion amidst intense polarization- Ram Dass ends with a brief guided meditation
Jack Kornfield describes the Buddha's vow to awakening and how we too can set a daily intention to awaken. NEW Meditation Series: Pause, Breathe, Be Here Now with Ram Dass, Sharon Salzberg, Jack Kornfield, Tara Brach, Joseph Goldstein, John Lockley, Ram Dev, Trudy Goodman, Lama Tsultrim Allione—FREE January 16 to 25. Sit in true peace, love, and tranquility. Join thousands of people around the world for this collective meditation experience: onecommune.com/ramdass"An intention creates our life. Thought manifests or leads to deeds, deeds develop into habit, habit hardens into character and character shapes our world." – Jack KornfieldIn this episode Jack Kornfield discusses:The small, intimate choice to awakenCollective awakeningIntention in practiceThe interplay of mind and body
Through a mixture of storytelling and conversation, Raghu Markus, Krishna Das, and David Silver all describe their experiences with K.C. Tewari.NEW Meditation Series: Pause, Breathe, Be Here Now with Ram Dass, Sharon Salzberg, Jack Kornfield, Tara Brach, Joseph Goldstein, John Lockley, Ram Dev, Trudy Goodman, Lama Tsultrim Allione—FREE January 16 to 25. Sit in true peace, love, and tranquility. Join thousands of people around the world for this collective meditation experience: onecommune.com/ramdass "As I recognized that I didn't need to keep secrets and I didn't need to pretend to be anybody—I could just be me. It was so liberating." – Krishna Das"When I was looking at Tewari in this film, every single time I saw him it had a flashy effect on me. It did something to me just like when I met him." – David Silver."With everything else, his incredible deep spiritual nature, his wisdom, but the delight of just hanging out with him. We would look forward to going to India and just hanging out even if he'd be doing his all night puja" – Raghu Markus
Exploring the dharma of liberation, Joseph invite us beyond delusion and into the true nature of mind as innate wakefulness.This podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp. Click to receive 10% off your first month with your own licensed professional therapist: betterhelp.com/insighthourNEW Meditation Series: Pause, Breathe, Be Here Now with Ram Dass, Sharon Salzberg, Jack Kornfield, Tara Brach, Joseph Goldstein, John Lockley, Ram Dev, Trudy Goodman, Lama Tsultrim Allione—FREE January 16 to 25. Sit in true peace, love, and tranquility. Join thousands of people around the world for this collective meditation experience: onecommmune.com/ramdass“Sudden awakening is not a state of mind that is developed—it's the innate wakefulness of mind, it's the nature of mind that is free of delusion. When delusion is not present, there is the experience of awareness, of wakefulness.” – Joseph GoldsteinThis dharma talk from February 16, 2000, was originally published on Dharma Seed.
Moving beyond our small sense of self, Jack Kornfield introduces us to the ways intention, love, and acceptance can transform us.Amidst our ever-changing lives, we can find the patterns which form from our hearts and realize the source of who we are.Today's podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp. Click to receive 10% off your first month with your own licensed professional therapist: betterhelp.com/heartwisdomNEW Meditation Series: Pause, Breathe, Be Here Now with Ram Dass, Sharon Salzberg, Jack Kornfield, Tara Brach, Joseph Goldstein, John Lockley, Ram Dev, Trudy Goodman, Lama Tsultrim Allione—FREE January 16 to 25. Sit in true peace, love, and tranquility. Join thousands of people around the world for this collective meditation experience: onecommune.com/ramdass"Our heart is the garden into which we plant seeds and nourish them. Depending on our intention, gradually, we shape the patterns of our lives. What's important then is not so much what we say or do, but what is the intention with that? " – Jack Kornfield
Telling tales of Ram Dass and psychedelic escapades, Raghu Markus and Jeff Krasno discuss that which is beyond our rational mind.Discover integrating transcendent experiences into daily life using a process versus product mentality, learn about the Bhakti path, and enjoy many stories of our spiritual teachers.NEW Meditation Series: Pause, Breathe, Be Here Now with Ram Dass, Sharon Salzberg, Jack Kornfield, Tara Brach, Joseph Goldstein, John Lockley, Ram Dev, Trudy Goodman, Lama Tsultrim Allione—FREE January 16 to 25. Sit in true peace, love, and tranquility. Join thousands of people around the world for this collective meditation experience: onecommune.com/ramdass "To have a different experience of yourself or of consciousness—not as a separate self but as a feeling, as a sensation of being completed integrated into the universe—to taste that, even if you just taste it for a moment and you come back down, it sparks something." – Jeff Krasno
Drawing on the availability of grace, Krishna Das explores being a good person to ourselves and others in this virtual Satsang.In this episode, you will learn about remembering the truth, having patience with yourself, and connecting to the guru.NEW Meditation Series: Pause, Breathe, Be Here Now with Ram Dass, Sharon Salzberg, Jack Kornfield, Tara Brach, Joseph Goldstein, John Lockley, Ram Dev, Trudy Goodman, Lama Tsultrim Allione—FREE January 16 to 25. Sit in true peace, love, and tranquility. Join thousands of people around the world for this collective meditation experience: onecommune.com/ramdass"Until we love ourselves enough, until we learn to give ourselves a break and not judge ourselves so harshly, we will always be comparing, judging, evaluating and trying to buy affection...you just have to do the work on yourself." — Krishna Das
In ‘On Being God,’ Alan shares on therapy, religion, mystical experiences, & Jesus, before playing the hilarious and light-shedding role of a clinical patient who realizes they’re God.This series is brought to you by the Alan Watts Organization and Ram Dass’ Love Serve Remember Foundation. Visit https://Alanwatts.org for full talks from Alan Watts.Mystical Experiences // Humanity & Nature // Psychiatry & Religion (0:00)Jesus & The Great Heresy // Democracy in the Kingdom of Heaven // Karma & Responsibility (23:23)On Being God: Alan Watts Clinical Experience (38:38)“To know that you are God is another way of saying that you feel completely with this universe, you feel profoundly rooted in it and connected with it, you feel that the whole energy which expresses itself in the galaxies, is intimate. It is not something to which you are a stranger, but it is that with which you are intimately bound up, that in your seeing, your hearing, your talking, your thinking, your moving, you express that which it is that moves the sun and other stars.” – Alan WattsAlan Watts – Being in the Way – Ep. 6 – On Being God: https://beherenownetwork.com/alan-watts-being-in-the-way-ep-6-on-being-god/
Alan Watts illuminates the nuances of Zen and the Unspeakable World in this dynamic ‘Zen Bones’ talk adorned with Buddhist chanting, chimes, and gongs.This series is brought to you by the Alan Watts Organization and Ram Dass’ Love Serve Remember Foundation. Visit https://Alanwatts.org for full talks from Alan Watts.Zen Bones (0:00)10,000 Things, One Suchness (10:08)The Unspeakable World (22:22)“Zen is a way of life, a state of being that is not possible to embrace in any concept whatsoever. So that any concepts, any ideas, any words that I shall put across to you this evening will have as their object showing you the limitations of words and of thinking.” – Alan WattsAlan Watts – Being in the Way – Ep. 5 – Zen Bones: https://beherenownetwork.com/alan-watts-being-in-the-way-ep-5-zen-bones/
Alan Watts illuminates the connections between Taoism and relativity, technology and human evolution, culture and seperation, Saints and rascals, you and not-you, as well as difference and unity.This series is brought to you by the Alan Watts Organization and Ram Dass’ Love Serve Remember Foundation. Visit https://Alanwatts.org for full talks from Alan Watts.Taoism & Relativity, Technology & Human Evolution (0:00)Seperation & Culture, Saints & Rascals (15:25)You & Not-You, Difference & Unity (28:10)“The principle of relativity is absolutely fundamental to an understanding of Taoist philosophy. That is to say, that wherever you are, whoever you are, and whatever you are: you’re in the middle.” – Alan WattsAlan Watts – Being in the Way – Ep. 3 – In Your Own Way: https://beherenownetwork.com/alan-watts-being-in-the-way-ep-3-in-your-own-way/
In the second episode of Being in the Way – an Alan Watts podcast exclusively on the Be Here Now Network – Alan’s son, Mark Watts, shares background on Alan’s early life, before introducing two of his father’s specially curated dharma talks: Taoist Way of Dropping Out From Karma (Part III), and Wisdom of the Ridiculous.This series is brought to you by the Alan Watts Organization and Ram Dass’ Love Serve Remember Foundation. Visit https://Alanwatts.org for full talks from Alan Watts.Beginners Mind, Zen Mind (0:00)Taoist Way of Dropping Out From Karma (7:40)Wisdom of the Ridiculous (34:45)“The whole conception of nature is as a self-regulating, self-governing, democratic organism. But it has a totality; it all goes together. This totality is the Tao.” – Alan WattsAlan Watts – Being in the Way – Ep. 2 – Dropping Out From Karma: https://beherenownetwork.com/alan-watts-being-in-the-way-ep-2-dropping-out-from-karma/
Joseph Goldstein explores the tendency of desire, how we can understand this driving force of Samsara, and how we can practice being free of it.“Desire is not an insignificant conditioning in us, and it takes many forms. And it’s really not the form or even the object that’s terribly important or interesting. It’s that force, it’s that energy, it’s that habit pattern of wanting. When we don’t see it, when we’re caught, when we’re identified with that wanting mind, it obscures the natural freedom of mind. It obscures the recognition of the open, empty, selfless nature of awareness.” – Joseph GoldsteinNEW Meditation Series: Pause, Breathe, Be Here Now with Ram Dass, Sharon Salzberg, Jack Kornfield, Tara Brach, Joseph Goldstein, John Lockley, Ram Dev, Trudy Goodman, Lama Tsultrim Allione—FREE January 16 to 25. Sit in true peace, love, and tranquility. Join thousands of people around the world for this collective meditation experience: onecommmune.com/ramdassIn this episode, Joseph shares his insight on:- The clear, unobstructed nature of the mind, and how deeply habituated patterns such as desire can obscure our natural wisdom- The craving for sense pleasures- Desires that manifest in our meditation practice in the forms of the expecting mind, the comparing mind, and trying to hold on to a past experience- The desire for existence, and the craving for non-existence- How we can better understand the powerful conditioning of desire in all of its forms and free ourselves from identification with itThis dharma talk from January 3, 2005, at the Insight Meditation Society, was originally published on DharmaSeed.
Reflecting on impermanence, Jack Kornfield explains that despite our physical frailty our spirit can never truly die.Where can we go when we die? Jack Kornfield explores the recycling of energy, our limitlessness beyond death, and how death enables us to live more presently.NEW Meditation Series: Pause, Breathe, Be Here Now with Ram Dass, Sharon Salzberg, Jack Kornfield, Tara Brach, Joseph Goldstein, John Lockley, Ram Dev, Trudy Goodman, Lama Tsultrim Allione—FREE January 16 to 25. Sit in true peace, love, and tranquility. Join thousands of people around the world for this collective meditation experience: onecommune.com/ramdass "There's this amazing thing with death that there is both less of someone and yet more of them. There's some way in which you can walk in the woods and they are there to speak too. Being with death slows us down, it softens us, it makes us more gracious." — Jack Kornfield
On a journey to release the stories that hold us back from our true selves, Dharma teacher Judith Ragir and Raghu Markus review healing wounds and changing karma for generations.In this episode they discuss family trauma, moving beyond our conditioning, and how to repair our hearts.NEW Meditation Series: Pause, Breathe, Be Here Now with Ram Dass, Sharon Salzberg, Jack Kornfield, Tara Brach, Joseph Goldstein, John Lockley, Ram Dev, Trudy Goodman, Lama Tsultrim Allione—FREE January 16 to 25. Sit in true peace, love, and tranquility. Join thousands of people around the world for this collective meditation experience: onecommune.com/ramdass Judith Ragir (also known as Byakuren in Buddhist circles) is a Dharma teacher in the Zen lineage of Katagiri Roshi. She was instrumental in founding the Clouds in Water Zen Center in St. Paul, Minnesota, where she was the Guiding Teacher for nine years and is currently Senior Dharma Teacher Emeritus. An accomplished artist, Ragir makes Buddhist-inspired quilts which are on display in Buddhist Centers around the United States. Her written pieces have appeared in many anthologies, including The Eightfold Path, Zen Teachings in Challenging Times, The Hidden Lamp, The Path of Compassion, Seeds of Virtue-Seeds of Change and Receiving the Marrow. Check out her newly released book, Untangling Karma: Intimate Zen Stories on Healing Trauma."The woundedness gets healed both psychologically but also through spiritual practice, through God consciousness entering you. Then you feel like something larger than yourself is holding you, helping you, and giving you love." – Judith Ragir
Joseph Goldstein explores the 10 unwholesome activities and actions of the body, speech, and mind that the Buddha advises us all to refrain from for our own happiness and well-being.NEW Meditation Series: Pause, Breathe, Be Here Now with Ram Dass, Sharon Salzberg, Jack Kornfield, Tara Brach, Joseph Goldstein, John Lockley, Ram Dev, Trudy Goodman, Lama Tsultrim Allione—FREE January 16 to 25. Sit in true peace, love, and tranquility. Join thousands of people around the world for this collective meditation experience: onecommune.com/ramdass This dharma talk from October 29, 1995, at the Insight Meditation Society, was originally published on Dharma Seed.“The whole path of practice of understanding is realizing that we actually have choices all along the way. We don’t simply need to be acting out the patterns of our conditioning. And this is the great gift of awareness, it gives us the possibility of choice.” – Joseph GoldsteinIn this episode, Joseph explores:How the Buddha’s motivation was compassion for all beings, and how this led to him explicitly spelling out the 10 unskilled and unwholesome actions to refrain fromThe four unwholesome actions of the body: killing, stealing, and sexual misconductThe four unwholesome elements of speech: lying, harsh speech, gossiping, and frivolous and useless talkingThe three unwholesome activities of the mind: covetousness, ill will, and wrong viewHow the great power of awareness is the way to work with all of these actions and activities as they arise
Mindfully navigating death, we learn from Jack Kornfield how to appreciate the vulnerability of one's final moments on earth.Jack Kornfield describes the truth death pushes us to face and how keeping an awareness of the inevitable aids us in living fully while we can.NEW Meditation Series: Pause, Breathe, Be Here Now with Ram Dass, Sharon Salzberg, Jack Kornfield, Tara Brach, Joseph Goldstein, John Lockley, Ram Dev, Trudy Goodman, Lama Tsultrim Allione—FREE January 16 to 25. Sit in true peace, love, and tranquility. Join thousands of people around the world for this collective meditation experience: onecommune.com/ramdass "Mindfulness of death is powerful because it begins to bring abut a deep questioning, a profound shift of identity. In the face of death, who are we?" — Jack Kornfield
Anthropologist and psychotherapist, Geral T. Blanchard, LPC, joins Raghu to discuss how to awaken the soul with indigenous wisdom for today's world.Geral (Gerry) Blanchard, LPC, is university trained in psychological and anthropological approaches that can address a variety of mental health issues including trauma and addictions in a holistic fashion. He has decades of experience addressing matters of interpersonal violence, traumatization, as well as behavioral and substance addictions. Geral has served as a consultant and trainer for scores of social service agencies, prisons, and chemical dependency treatment centers. Geral has lectured widely throughout the U.S. and additionally in Sweden, Canada, Ecuador, and Nicaragua. He has authored a variety of books on the subjects of sexual abuse, post-traumatic growth (PTG), and the incorporation of indigenous healing traditions in today’s psychotherapeutic settings. Gerry is a regular contributor to the UK Shamanism magazine, Sacred Hoop. Order his new book Awakening the Soul: Indigenous Wisdom for Today's World. For more info please visit Geralblanchard.com"One of the basic tenants of shamanism is that the first thing you do with any patient is you remove all obstacles to healing, and almost always fear is the number one obstacle." – Geral T. Blanchard
Enter the heart space with Krishna Das and learn about self-growth, humility, and non-judgement in order to build beautiful connections.Krishna Das ponders transforming painful relationships and connecting to our inner strength through practices like chanting, meditation, and acceptance.Today's podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp. Click to receive 10% off your first month with your own licensed professional therapist: betterhelp.com/beherenow"We need more love is what it comes down to, but it has to be real love which means not being judgmental about others and allowing others to be who they are." – Krishna Das
Joseph Goldstein explores the suffering that comes with wanting, the three types of desire, and why our investigation is to notice the ways the mind gets caught and the ways it can be free.This dharma talk from October 10, 1999, at the Insight Meditation Society, was originally published on Dharma Seed.This podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp. Click to receive 10% off your first month with your own licensed professional therapist: betterhelp.com/insighthour“When we’re lost in the wanting mind, in the mind of desire, it solidifies and strengthens the sense of self, the sense of ‘I,’ and it obscures the natural clarity, the recognition of the natural clarity and lucidity and emptiness of our own minds. So it’s a great obscuring force when we’re not paying attention.” – Joseph Goldstein
Jack Kornfield describes finding a light in the dark via Buddhist wisdom on forgiveness, transience, and a profound sense of freedom.Through ancient storytelling and dharmic conversation, Jack Kornfield helps us grasp forgiving ourselves and others, keeping a connection to our senses and instincts, and resting in our Buddha nature. Today's podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp. Click to receive 10% off your first month with your own licensed professional therapist: betterhelp.com/heartwisdom “To forgive means simply that we will not put anyone out of our heart because to do so closes us. It reduces us from being human.” – Jack Kornfield
Traversing the receptive energy of water, Jack Kornfield details the power of fluidity, serenity, and gentleness.This lecture was originally uploaded on DharmaSeed.orgA spiritual journey is often quite gradual. It is not typical to one day wake up and have a deep relationship with God or become enlightened. That gradual deepening we feel as we tune into our practice is much like a body of water. We are open, receptive, and vast. The mystery of being is that we do not know our destiny or how our spiritual journey will form, but like water, we can yield to the mystery."Do you have the constancy to wait until your mud settles and the water is clear? Can you remain unmoving and present until the right action arises by itself?"
In an inspiring conversation on serving the next generation with sacred rites and mindful guidance, director Frederick Marx joins Raghu Markus.Frederick Marx is an internationally acclaimed, Oscar and Emmy-nominated director/writer with 40 years in the film business. He was named a Chicago Tribune Artist of the Year, a Guggenheim Fellow, and a recipient of a Robert F. Kennedy Special Achievement Award. His film HOOP DREAMS played in hundreds of theaters nationwide after winning the Audience Award at the Sundance Film Festival and was the first documentary ever chosen to close the New York Film Festival.“I’ve always been looking for ways to bring the sacred back into the every day and to make our lives that much more meaningful.” – Frederick Marx
In this devotional space with Krishna Das, we learn that we can always come back home to the chant.Today's podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp. Click to receive 10% off your first month with your own licensed professional therapist: betterhelp.com/beherenow“Every once in a while we notice that we are not paying attention and that is when we simply let go of that thought and come back to the chant. That’s why the chant is there, to give you something to come home to.” – Krishna Das
Ethan Nichtern welcomes David Nichtern back to the show for an extremely moist conversation around communication, community, interdependence, aging, and much more. David Nichtern is the Founder of Dharma Moon and the host of the Creativity, Spirituality & Making a Buck podcast on Be Here Now Network.Today's podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp. Click to receive 10% off your first month with your own licensed professional therapist: betterhelp.com/beherenowRegister now for Dharma Moon’s Yearlong Buddhist Studies Info Session with Ethan Nichtern on December 20th from 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm ET“When there’s good communication, you build community. It’s no accident those two words have the same root. You’re communing.” – David Nichtern
Joseph Goldstein provides an uncommon sense view of selflessness to help us understand the often vexing notion of no-self and talks about how we can be free from the illusion of self.This podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp. Click to receive 10% off your first month with your own licensed professional therapist: betterhelp.com/insighthour“Self is like the Big Dipper. It’s a name, it’s a designation for a constellation of experiences. So when we say there’s no Big Dipper, does anything change in the sky? Everything is as it always was. In exactly the same way, our realization of selflessness does not change anything. Our experience is as it always was and will be. We’re simply seeing it in a truer way, we’re seeing it not limited by the conceptual overlay. We’re seeing it as it is. Then we can use the concept when it’s useful, but we’re not imprisoned by it, and we’re not limited by it, and we don’t contract in our identification with it.” – Joseph GoldsteinThis dharma talk from February 11, 2003, at the Insight Meditation Society, was originally published on Dharma Seed.
Through catalysts of compassion and acceptance, Jack Kornfield guides us into a life of lasting transformation.Today's podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp. Click to receive 10% off your first month with your own licensed professional therapist: betterhelp.com/heartwisdom“We are a pattern, a process, that is never the same. In this process of our life, the patterns that continue for us flow out of our intentions.” – Jack KornfieldThis dharma talk was originally published on DharmaSeed.org
Enter into the luminous darkness as author and educator, Deborah Eden Tull, joins RamDev for this yin-focused dharma talk.Deborah Eden Tull is a zen meditation and engaged dharma teacher, public speaker, author, and sustainability educator. She is also the founder of Mindful Living Revolution. She trained for seven and a half years as a Buddhist monk at a silent zen monastery and has taught engaged dharma for over 20 years. Deborah has lived in sustainable communities and as an organic gardener/farmer for decades and celebrates the essential wisdom of nature. She currently resides in the mountains of western North Carolina, originally Cherokee land, with her husband. She offers retreats, workshops, classes, and consultations nationally and internationally, integrating presence and partnership with nature. Her newest book, Luminous Darkness: An Engaged Buddhist Approach to Embracing the Unknown, is now available for purchase.“There is power and resilience and love that awaits us when we are willing to turn towards and meet our shadows rather than push them away.” – Deborah Eden Tull
Dr. Sará King and Duncan Trussell join Raghu at the Ram Dass retreat to talk trust, interbeing, vulnerability, loneliness, and getting contact high.Dr. Sará King is a UCLA-trained neuroscientist, political and learning scientist, social entrepreneur, public speaker, and yoga and mindfulness meditation instructor. She has over 20 years of experience as a research scientist, and specializes in the study of the relationship between mindfulness, complementary alternative medicine, and social justice. She is the scientific consultant for Peace in Schools, a dharma teacher with Presence Collective, a Postdoctoral Fellow in Neurology, and the founder of MindHeart Consulting, a scientific consultancy offering seminars, research and development, and trauma healing circles.For more on Sará’s offerings, please visit mindheartconsulting.com and follow her at @mindheartcollective."That feeling of being in our heads with our egos is part of the experience of being human. So you can have great compassion for yourself around that experience—it's natural, it's okay, and it's part of the practice of recognizing in that moment and bringing yourself that compassion." – Dr. Sará King
Through bearing witness, love and service, Llewellyn shares how we can collectively heal the crisis of disconnection & ecological devastation.Llewellyn Vaughan-Lee, Ph.D. is a Sufi teacher in the Naqshbandiyya-Mujaddidiyya Sufi Order. He is the author of Sufism, the Transformation of the Heart, and the founder of The Golden Sufi Center. Check out his new podcast Working With Oneness."What matters is what we bring to this intimate exchange, whether our prayers are heartfelt or just a mental exercise. It is always through the heart that our prayers are heard. – Llewellyn Vaughan-Lee
Joseph Goldstein takes a deep dive into the law of karma, how it affects us in our practice and daily lives, and how can we apply it in a way that it becomes the condition for our happiness.This dharma talk from November 11, 2003, at the Insight Meditation Society, was originally published on Dharma Seed.“So we can see these are karmic results of one thing or another coming as impressions in the mind. But when we bring awareness to them, when we bring a certain compassionate understanding, then our practice becomes a great purifying process.” – Joseph Goldstein
Sharing the wisdom of beloved Buddhist teacher Ajahn Chah, Jack Kornfield describes experimenting with life and accepting things as they are.This Dharma Talk from Jack Kornfield was originally published on DharmaSeed.org"What he was pointing to was that we can see with great honesty our circumstance, with great compassion, and in the middle of it laugh. This too is a part of our humanity...there is a wisdom that is so much greater than the things we get caught up in." – Jack Kornfield
Multidimensional artist, podcaster, and comedian Ramin Nazer rejoins Raghu for an episode on wisdom givers, death, and the eternal 'I am'. Ramin Nazer is a multi-talented artist, podcaster, comedian, game creator and musician based out of LA. He is best known for his consistent stream of unique, psychedelic-spiritual, bite-sized art for the social media age, as well as his podcast, with comedian Shane Mauss, Mind Under Matter, where they take a hilarious and scientific approach to human behavior. You can tap into Ramin’s steady flow of art on his Instagram, tap into his solo podcast Rainbow Brainskull, and peer into his myriad offerings at RaminNazer.com.“It’s all about the giving, the spreading, the charging others with it. And it’s not like it leaves you, it can only grow. It’s not by giving it away that you are losing the crystal—it’s helping it multiply. A positive virus in a way.” – Ramin Nazer
In a discussion on materiality, willpower, and desires, Krishna Das plants seeds of wisdom for us to find balance.Today's podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp. Click to receive 10% off your first month with your own licensed professional therapist: betterhelp.com/beherenowWillpower is what directs our energy. Many of us have issues with directing our energy and going after things. We usually use willpower to go towards things we desire or to steer away from the things we think might hurt us. This, however, is actually just reactive. It is not really conscious willpower. Krishna Das says that developing willpower is a part of becoming more aware and taking accountability for all of our actions. Practice definitely helps us open up and find our inner strength.“Every time we come back from dreamland to the chant or the mantra or to our breath, or whatever our object of concentration is, we recommit to being with the mantra, to listening to the mantra, to hearing the mantra. That is an act of will.” – Krishna Das
Joseph Goldstein talks about the nature of fear, how it’s conditioned in the mind, how we can work with it, and embracing the possibility of transforming fear into wisdom and freedom.
This podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp. Click to receive 10% off your first month with your own licensed professional therapist: betterhelp.com/insighthour
This dharma talk from October 11, 2000, at the Insight Meditation Society Retreat Center, was originally published on Dharma Seed.
“At these times, great courage is needed. And courage here is not an absence of fear. Courage does not mean an absence of fear, it means an acceptance of fear.” – Joseph Goldstein
Leaning into the qualities of an awakened heart, Jack Kornfield teaches us the perfection of truthfulness and how it will set us free.
Today's podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp. Click to receive 10% off your first month with your own licensed professional therapist: betterhelp.com/heartwisdom
In a society that does not promote the truth among its citizens, government, or economy, we have to work hard on our individual honesty. Sometimes that may mean something quite surface-level. Jack says that there are levels of truth. We may see the truth of someone's personality, their job, and their costume. Or, we may see a deeper, soul level of truth. Meeting someone in their true spirit, from our true spirit, allows everyone to be fully seen.
"The truth really becomes married with compassion and our words then become a part of something that awakens not just ourselves but everybody else." – Jack Kornfield
Joseph Goldstein explores the mental factors of doubt, restlessness, and sloth, which are three hindrances that can cause a lack of vision and knowledge, and lead us away from Nibbana.
This dharma talk from November 2002 at the Insight Meditation Society Retreat Center was originally published on Dharma Seed.
“This skeptical doubt, this indecision, this bewilderment, in terms of our meditation practice, is actually quite a dangerous mind state. Because unnoticed, if we’re not mindful of it, it brings our practice to a standstill.” – Joseph Goldstein
Exploring relativity and ultimate truth, Ethan Nichtern and Author Caverly Morgan discuss reconciling what we learn in our practice with the noise of the world.
Caverly Morgan is a meditation teacher, author, speaker, and nonprofit founder. She is the founder and Lead Contemplative of Peace in Schools—a nonprofit which created the nation's first for-credit mindfulness class in public high schools. She is also the founder of Presence Collective, a community of cross-cultural contemplatives committed to personal and collective transformation, creating spaces for wisdom exchange and belonging. Caverly is the author of A Kid’s Book About Mindfulness. Her new book for adults, The Heart of Who We Are: Realizing Freedom Together, will be released through Sounds True November 29th and is now available for pre-order.
“I knew intuitively that the relative experience of reality was not separate from the absolute and that I longed for a pathway that could allow me to articulate how that is so.” – Caverly Morgan
Word Woman, Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer, returns with Raghu to dive deep into poetry, spirituality, silence, grief, love, trust, and listening.
Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer lives in Southwest Colorado with her family, served as the third Colorado Western Slope Poet Laureate (2015-2017) and was a finalist for Colorado Poet Laureate (2019). Her poetry has appeared in O Magazine, on A Prairie Home Companion and PBS New Hour, in Ted Kooser’s American Life in Poetry, in back alleys and on river rocks. Rosemerry is the co-host of Emerging Form, a podcast on creative process; and teaches and performs poetry for addiction recovery programs, hospice, mindfulness retreats, women’s retreats, teachers and more. For more info, poetry books, and daily poetry offerings please visit, WordWoman.com
"To be a wide open listener, that's the real invitation of any poem. People say they need to find their voice; actually we need to be wide open listeners. That's what's really being asked of us. How widely can you listen? How openly can you listen?" – Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer
Closing the gap between ourselves and God, RamDev shows us the tantra of loving one thing so much that we can not help but love it all.
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“Our true nature, the nature of everybody, and the true nature of everything is what we were invoking in the first place. Everything is the play of pure consciousness.” – RamDev
Krishna Das helps us sift through emotional reactions, dust off our hearts, and remember the vital importance of having a spiritual practice.
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“How important is taking the name, how important is spiritual practice? It is about as important as breathing. Without the breath you've got no life and without practice, without turning towards the spirit in one way or another and calming the mind or emotions, your heart will never open.” – Krishna Das
Joseph Goldstein explores the quality of Metta, or lovingkindness, and offers advice on preparing the ground from which Metta can grow and flourish.
This podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp. Click to receive 10% off your first month with your own licensed professional therapist: betterhelp.com/insighthour
This dharma talk from February 5, 2000, was originally published on Dharma Seed.
“Something very beautiful begins to happen when we click onto the Metta channel, which comes by focusing on the good qualities in people, and that is: we become increasingly open to feelings of gratitude.” – Joseph Goldstein
Welcome to the final episode of this special guest mini-series where host David Devine speaks with the founders of The Holistic Life Foundation – Ali Smith, Atman Smith, and Andres Gonzalez – about all the synchronicities that lead to their new book: Let Your Light Shine.
The Holistic Life Foundation is a Baltimore-based nonprofit organization committed to nurturing the wellness of children and adults in underserved communities. It was founded by Ali Smith, Atman Smith, and Andres Gonzalez. Through a comprehensive approach that helps children develop their inner lives through yoga, mindfulness, and self-care. HLF demonstrates a deep commitment to learning, community, and stewardship of the environment. HLF is also committed to developing high-quality evidence-based programs and curriculum to improve community well-being.
Order their new book, Let Your Light Shine, to learn more about how mindfulness can empower children and rebuild communities: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/671333/let-your-light-shine-by-ali-smith-atman-smith-and-andres-gonzalez-foreword-by-bessel-van-der-kolk-md/
Proceeding with the practice in daily life series, Jack Kornfield plunges into right concentration and mindful breathing.
Today's podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp. Click to receive 10% off your first month with your own licensed professional therapist: betterhelp.com/heartwisdom
"Concentration isn't a forcing of your mind on the breath or on the pain, the pleasant sensation or on the thought. It's much more a sense of the opening, the softening, the receiving—that's what allows the mind to settle." – Jack Kornfield
Writer, speaker, and traveler, Ann Tashi Slater, returns with Raghu to talk the bardos, the Tibetan Book of the Dead, trust, travel, NDE's, letting go, Padmasambhava, and faith.
Ann Tashi Slater is a writer, speaker and traveler, born on a summer evening in Andalusia to an American father and a Tibetan mother. Ann lived in Spain for two years, Darjeeling and Kathmandu for a year, and then moved to the States. Her fiction, essays, and interviews have been published by The New Yorker, The Paris Review, The New York Times, The Washington Post, Catapult, Guernica, Tin House, AGNI, Granta, Kyoto Journal, and the HuffPost, among others, and she is a contributing a contributing editor at Tricycle. Her writing also appears in Women in Clothes (Riverhead) and American Dragons (HarperCollins); a translation of fiction by Reinaldo Arenas was published in Old Rosa (Grove). She speaks and teaches workshops throughout the world. More info at AnnTashiSlater.com
"One thing we know for sure is that things are going to change and end, including us. We dread this, of course, but in the Tibetan Buddhist way of thinking, it's really an opportunity to find meaning and think about the things that matter to us." – Ann Tashi Slater
Writer, speaker, and traveler, Ann Tashi Slater, returns with Raghu to talk the bardos, the Tibetan Book of the Dead, trust, travel, NDE's, letting go, Padmasambhava, and faith.
Ann Tashi Slater is a writer, speaker and traveler, born on a summer evening in Andalusia to an American father and a Tibetan mother. Ann lived in Spain for two years, Darjeeling and Kathmandu for a year, and then moved to the States. Her fiction, essays, and interviews have been published by The New Yorker, The Paris Review, The New York Times, The Washington Post, Catapult, Guernica, Tin House, AGNI, Granta, Kyoto Journal, and the HuffPost, among others, and she is a contributing a contributing editor at Tricycle. Her writing also appears in Women in Clothes (Riverhead) and American Dragons (HarperCollins); a translation of fiction by Reinaldo Arenas was published in Old Rosa (Grove). She speaks and teaches workshops throughout the world. More info at AnnTashiSlater.com
"One thing we know for sure is that things are going to change and end, including us. We dread this, of course, but in the Tibetan Buddhist way of thinking, it's really an opportunity to find meaning and think about the things that matter to us." – Ann Tashi Slater
In this dharma talk, Joseph Goldstein describes the art of carrying our practice into the world through training in the areas of Right Effort, concentration, and wisdom.
This dharma talk from February 1994 at the Insight Meditation Society Retreat Center was originally published on Dharma Seed.
"You know, the Dharma's so beautiful because it's like everything feeds into everything else. And we can really begin to be leading our life with this kind of integration. Dharma practice is not a hobby that we do occasionally, it's really how we're living our life." – Joseph Goldstein
Continuing his survey of the Eightfold path, Jack Kornfield teaches listeners about Right Effort and how we can apply ourselves in spiritual practice.
“In the end, you have to let go. No matter how much effort you make and where it takes you, it doesn't take you all the way. Because it is not your effort that makes you free, but your discovery of what's true about yourself and life.” – Jack Kornfield
Raghu is back fresh from an India trip to talk with OG Mindroller, David Silver, about life, death, Pema Chödrön, and the way you live.
"I took my first acid trip and experienced groundlessness as if I was dead. I was terrified. Working through that—as everybody does who does psychedelic transformative substances in the right way—I realized there was groundlessness in my life as if I were dead. I was shocked. Going through that, I began to notice this was worth massive focus." – David Silver
Experience virtual kirtan and community as Krishna Das transmits the wisdom of unconditional love, grace, and presence.
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“Real love is what lasts 24 hours a day 365 days a year. You don't get it from someone, you can't give it to anybody, you can't fall in it, you can't fall out of it. It's who we are.” – Krishna Das
In helping us with understanding desire, Joseph Goldstein explores the three types of desire that the Buddha spoke of and offers several ways of working with desire in our practice.
This podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp. Click to receive 10% off your first month with your own licensed professional therapist: betterhelp.com/insighthour
This recording was originally published on Dharma Seed
“Usually we think that what we want is the object. But really what we want is the pleasant feeling that we think is going to come with that experience.” – Joseph Goldstein
Jack Kornfield delves into Right Livelihood, one of the key practices on the Eightfold Path that can help us find joy in our occupation.
oday's podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp. Click to receive 10% off your first month with your own licensed professional therapist: betterhelp.com/heartwisdom
"Find something, and really give yourself to it. That is a happiness." – Jack Kornfield
This talk from Jack Kornfield was originally published on DharmaSeed.org
Mirabai Starr, award-winning author, teacher, and grief counselor, chats with Ram Dev about mysticism and how to harness our grief for self-transformation.
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 latest book, Wild Mercy: Living the Fierce and Tender Wisdom of the Women Mystics, and learn more at MirabaiStarr.com.
Noah Markus hijacks this episode to present an anthology of the practical Buddhist wisdom he has received during his Mindrolling conversations with Sharon Salzberg, Jack Kornfield, and Joseph Goldstein.
Joseph Goldstein explores the fabricated concept of self, the secret name of things beneath our perception, the illusion of solidity, and the deeper reality that exists beyond our concept of self.
This dharma talk from October 1999 at the Insight Meditation Society Retreat Center was originally published on Dharma Seed.
This week on Pilgrim Heart, Krishna Das speaks about purifying the heart via connecting to Maharaj-ji and recognizing your awareness.
"Maharaj-ji is like the sun, and I am just a fruit hanging on the tree. I ripen at my own rate according to the way the sun shines on me and my own karmas. It is up to him to keep my heart open and it is up to me to keep remembering him.” – Krishna Das
Dr. Svoboda shares the Hindu mythological story of Daksha's Yaga – the sacrifice of Daksha – involving the leela (play) of Shiva, Sati, & more.
"If you're trying too much to be too holy, you're going to get in trouble." – Dr. Robert Svoboda
Learn more and sign up for Dr. Svoboda's illuminating online courses at DrSvoboda.com
On the cusp of crucial midterm elections in America, Ethan Nichtern talks about finding the middle path between complacency and being a control freak, and why we need to let go of attachment to outcomes.
Comedian, Duncan Trussell, and mindfulness teacher, David Nichtern, join Raghu to explore the intersection of Bhakti and Buddhism.
This recording is originally from the LSRF 2022 Summer Mountain Retreat in Boone, North Carolina.
Take an online course with David at Dharma Moon & check out Duncan Trussell's podcast The Duncan Trussell Family Hour
Joseph Goldstein talks about the nature of struggle and why working with experiences of pain and difficult states of mind can be a boon for our mindfulness practice.
This podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp. Click to receive 10% off your first month with your own licensed professional therapist: betterhelp.com/insighthour
This recording was originally published on Dharma Seed
Welcome to the second episode of three special episodes where guest host David Devine speaks with the founders of The Holistic Life Foundation – Ali Smith, Atman Smith, and Andres Gonzalez – about empowering yourself and others with the help of mindfulness and meditation.
This podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp. Click to receive 10% off your first month with your own licensed professional therapist: betterhelp.com/beherenow
The Holistic Life Foundation is a Baltimore-based nonprofit organization committed to nurturing the wellness of children and adults in underserved communities. It was founded by Ali Smith, Atman Smith, and Andres Gonzalez. Through a comprehensive approach that helps children develop their inner lives through yoga, mindfulness, and self-care. HLF demonstrates a deep commitment to learning, community, and stewardship of the environment. HLF is also committed to developing high-quality evidence-based programs and curriculum to improve community well-being. Order their new book, Let Your Light Shine, to learn more about how mindfulness can empower children and rebuild communities.
Exploring Right Action and the Five Precepts, Jack offers modern Buddhist insight on ahimsa, virtue, happiness, drugs, sex, and samadhi.
Continuing a series of talks illuminating the Noble Eightfold Path, Jack sheds light on a prominent aspect of Buddhism: Right Action. Taking you on a journey through the Five Precepts by sharing deep and entertaining stories and insights, Jack offers wisdom around ahimsa (non-harming), reflects on witnessing a transformation prayer from Mad Bear of the Iroquois Nation, and relays down-to-earth Middle Way guidance around drugs, sex, and samadhi.
"Look in your life at what it is that makes you more conscious rather than less conscious. Rather than running away or deluding yourself, what brings you face to face with life and wakes you up? Cultivate that." – Jack Kornfield
Llewellyn offers clear reflections on the state of humanity in the modern world through the lens of Ram Dass and the living present moment.
This time on Set and Setting, Ben Belgrad joins Madison Margolin to talk about flow-states, glassblowing, and more.
Ben Belgrad is a multi-media artist who specializes in glass flameworking. He began blowing glass over a decade ago while in college, and has spent the last ten years developing his skills and building his business. Through his company Drinking Vessels, Belgrad represents over 50 artists making handmade drinkware. His studio is based in the mountains of Colorado near Vail, where he creates his art and distributes handmade cups for many of the top glass pipe makers in the world, along with artists of other mediums. He is using his platform to promote the glass pipe art movement and share that underground art movement with the masses. In his free time, you can find Belgrad snowboarding at Vail or working on his art, while most of his time is spent curating and collaborating with the artists he represents.
David Nichtern and Michael Kammers weave tangible Buddhist perspectives on working with desire in the modern world.
In this focused mini-episode of the CSM Podcast, everyone's favorite pod-kick and monologist, Michael Kammers, rejoins David for an illuminating conversation around how Buddhists address desire. Tapping into the spontaneous wisdom of the moment, the Dharma Moon Duo dive into spontaneity, desire, the Buddhist Wheel of Life, ignorance, reality, Bubble Theory, polarization, and compassion.
Speaking about chanting and meditation, Krishna Das helps us in navigating constricting systems and releasing childhood pain. Watch these full sessions live on the official Krishna Das channel: youtube.com/c/KrishnaDasMusic
RamDev explores the four different stages on the path of devotion – the invocation stage, the loving-kindness stage, the Tantric stage, and the nondual stage.
Find out more about RamDev’s work at the Living/Dying Project: livingdying.org
Joseph Goldstein continues unfolding his map of wisdom by touching on the magic show of consciousness, the law of karma, dependent origination, and cultivating compassion.
This recording was originally published on Dharma Seed
There is never a bad time to open ourselves to the spirit of the holidays! Reflecting on the ‘season of generosity’, Jack shares holiday Dharma stories on quieting the mind and opening the heart. jack
In this Dharma talk stemming from Spirit Rock’s Monday Night Dharma Class on 12/14/2015, Jack Kornfield focuses on the holiday season, relating various stories and perspectives to how we can move about human incarnation and our daily lives in a compassionate and generous way.
This talk from Jack Kornfield was originally published on DharmaSeed.org
In this episode of Set and Setting, Dr. Benjy Epstein and Madison Margolin explore Jewish Mysticism, psychedelic medicine, and embodying all as one.
Learn more about how you can support Be Here Now Network podcasts like Set and Setting through our 6th-Anniversary Fundraiser Drive - win tickets to the Ram Dass Legacy retreat in Maui, shop limited edition BHNNxBrunofsky merch and more: beherenownetwork.com/fundraiser
Rabbi Benjamin Epstein, Ph.D. is an experienced psychologist, author, and speaker who blends traditional Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) with spiritual and acceptance techniques. In addition to his private practice, Dr. Benjy leads mindfulness and psychedelic integration seminars and sessions for trippy.vc. He recently received his certificate in Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy from Reconcious Medical. Dr. Beny also has the distinct privilege of being Duncan Trussel's Rabbi. He is the author of Living in the Presence: A Jewish Mindfulness Guide for Everyday Life. This book is designed to provide a practical roadmap to the discovery of purpose and to capture/experience some of the benefits of the world-to-come, right now, in this world. Dr. Benjy lives in Jerusalem with his wife and four children.
You can keep up to date with Dr. Benjy on Twitter or Instagram.
Ram Dev returns with Raghu to discuss Maharaj-ji as a Satguru, disagreeing with Ram Dass, honesty, Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche, and if sake can be spiritual.
Ram Dev founded and directed the Hanuman Foundation Dying Center in Santa Fe, New Mexico, the first residential facility in the United States to support conscious dying. He has been the Executive Director of the Living/Dying Project in Santa Fe and since 1986 in the San Francisco Bay Area. He is the coauthor with Ram Dass, Daniel Goleman and Dwarka Bonner of Journey of Awakening: A Meditator’s Guidebook, Bantam Books and has taught meditation since 1974. Dale lectures and gives workshops on the topics of meditation, healing, spiritual support for those with life threatening illness, and on caregiving as spiritual practice. Learn more about Ram Dev’s work via the Living/Dying Project, tune into his Thursdays with Ram Dev on Instagram, and subscribe to Dale’s Healing at the Edge
"Maharaj-ji didn't have one path – he was all paths." – Ram Dev (Dale Borglum)
Dr. Svoboda and Paula Crossfield discuss finding purpose with the help of planets in the great game of cosmic pinball.
Planetary Indications (Opening) Follow your Prana (7:52) Personality and Karma (18:14)
“It’s sort of like cosmic pinball; we're living our purpose based on these forces that we can’t always understand, pushing us in different directions at different times based on what the influences are.” – Paula Crossfield
Using the experience of her mother’s recent death, Trudy talks about ways to practice with emotional reactivity and pure strong emotion.
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Originally recorded by the Insight Meditation Society.
Ep. 117 – Siddhi Ma & The Essence of Maharaj-ji Krishna Das shares stories of Siddhi Ma and taps into the essence of Maharaj-ji in another chanting-forward Heart Space session.
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In this Hanging Out in the Heart Space session from May 13th, 2021, Krishna Das offers chants to the Divine Mother and Sri Hanuman-ji, answers a stream of questions about his guru Maharaj-ji, uncovers the before-hidden power and love emanating from Sri Siddhi Ma, and further taps into the essence of Maharaj-ji.
The “Essential Buddhism” series continues with this 1974 dharma talk focused on the Four Noble Truths and how we must face the truth of suffering to walk the path of freedom.
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This dharma talk from the Naropa Institute Summer Sessions in 1974 was originally published on Dharma Seed.
Jack Kornfield guides a “Here and Now” meditation focusing on connecting to the present moment, and receiving the breath and waves of experience with loving awareness.
In this Q&A session from 1987, Ram Dass answers questions about meditation, service, and his relationship with his guru, plus he talks about the way we help each other get free.
Want to be part of the discussion about this episode of Here and Now? Join the Ram Dass Fellowship virtual meetup on August 2nd at 8 pm EDT. Sign up for the General Fellowship group to receive more information.
The Way We Help Each Other Get Free (8:52) Speaking Truth Without Attachment (17:30) Clearer and Lighter (29:42)
“As you can taste this evening that a lot of what we have to cultivate is really beyond questions and answers. And yet, we also have to get our act together on every plane, and a lot of it involves just keep asking the questions and answering them to ourselves until we’ve run out. So, this part is where we do that and we just keep reaching for the truth together because that’s really the highest thing we can offer each other, that’s the way we help each other get free.” – Ram Dass
In this week’s episode of Set and Setting, Madison Margolin welcomes Psychology Professor, Dr. Carl Hart, to talk about the psychological effects of recreational drug use. Dr. Carl Hart is the Ziff Professor of Psychology in the Departments of Psychology and Psychiatry at Columbia University. He is also a Research Scientist at the New York State Psychiatric Institute. Professor Hart is one of the world’s preeminent experts on the effects of so-called recreational drugs on the human mind and body. He has published numerous scientific and popular articles in the area of neuropsychopharmacology. He is co-author of the textbook Drugs, Society and Human Behavior (with Charles Ksir). His book High Price was the 2014 winner of the PEN/E.O. Wilson Literary Science Writing Award. Professor Hart’s latest book Drug Use for Grown-ups has changed the national conversation on responsible drug use.
The “Essential Buddhism” series returns with a talk from Joseph Goldstein about karma and dependent origination, and a Q&A session that reminds us to look at the moon, not at the finger.
This dharma talk from the Naropa Institute Summer Sessions in 1974 was originally published on Dharma Seed
Jack Kornfield offers wisdom on awakening in the midst of life, sharing insight on navigating life’s joys and sorrows with a fearless heart. In this Dharma Talk stemming from January 4th, 1991, Jack Kornfield speaks to the process of awakening in the midst of life. Exploring the cycle of return, life’s 10,000 joys and sorrows, and what role time and the present moment play in relation to Bodhisattvas and enlightenment, Jack elucidates the intricacies of life, death, fearlessness and the heart.
“To make one’s activity sacred is to do it for that which is your deepest love, for that which you most deeply value.” – Jack Kornfield
Michael Kammers & David Nichtern offer perspectives on the nature of freedom and how mindful leadership affects the systems we live within. In this timely David’s View episode, Michael Kammers joins David for a discussion that dives into the importance of mindful leadership. Taking an honest look at our current leadership models in the United States, the Dharma Moon Duo offers insight into dancing and conflict resolution, ego and intention, capacity and dysfunction, as well as discernment, communication, and freedom.
“Leadership to me is also recognizing what people’s natural capacity is, which is totally interwoven with their dysfunction.” – David Nicthern
Welcome to this week’s episode of Pilgrim Heart where we find ease of heart with Krishna Das through devotional music and bites of wisdom.
Jamie Kilstein returns with Raghu to talk breaking up, f*cking up, standup comedy, music, following your passions, and being true to yourself.
Explore the intersection of Buddhism & Bhakti with Raghu and an eclectic group of dharma teachers and mindful artists at the inaugural Love Serve Remember Summer Mountain Retreat August 25th - 29th in Boone, NC!: https://www.ramdass.org/event/lsrf-summer-immersion-mountain-retreat/
Jamie Kilstein is a comedian, writer, musician, fighter, and podcaster who hosts, A F*ckup’s Guide to the Universe, where he talks about culture, self-improvement, drugs, mental health, Jiu-Jitsu, spirituality, and being an outcast. He also hosts Jamie made his debut tv appearance on Conan and has been seen on MSNBC’s Up with Chris Hayes, Countdown with Keith Olbermann, Showtime, and BBC America. For more info visit JamieKilstein.com, for more awesome content sign up for his Patreon, and to keep up to date with music and offerings, check out his Instagram and Twitter.
Sending out good vibes on the radio waves once again, Ram Dass takes calls from a live radio audience and answers questions about how he keeps his head straight, the dharmic potential of virtual reality and telecommunications, and more!
This episode is a continuation of the recording from Here and Now Ep. 202. Don’t miss Ram Dass’ conversation with Duncan Campbell, the host of the radio show, “Connections,” on KGNU in Boulder, Colorado.
This week on Heart Wisdom, Jack Kornfield lectures on false gurus, cults, and finding true teachers along our spiritual path. Tune in every Monday for new talks and meditations with Jack, check out the 7-week The Power of Awareness with Jack & Tara Brach and subscribe for free practices, videos and meditations at JackKornfield.com
Continuing to explore the themes discussed in our previous episode, Joseph is back with an enlivening discourse on concepts and realities, the root cause of suffering, and how mindfulness connects with free-falling.
In this Dharma Talk soured from April 17th, 1983, Jospeh Goldstein offers clarity and insight into the important distinction between our concepts—our ideas and thoughts about things—and the experience itself. Shining the light of reality onto the shadow of concepts, he helps us spelunk the depths of samsara for what is true and real in this ever-changing universe.
This dharma talk from Joseph was originally published on DharmaSeed.org
In this recording from 1972, Alan Watts lectures on mystical vision via art, aesthetics, and Buddhist and Daoist philosophy.
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“You and I have all conspired with ourselves to pretend that we are not really God, but of course we are. That is perfectly obvious. We are all apertures through which the universe is looking at itself. Only it is so arranged that we don’t know that in exactly the same way as we don't look at our own eyes.” – Alan Watts
Plant medicine activist and educational entertainer Brooke Burgstahler joins Madison to talk cannabis, psychedelics, and daily wellness. Fully believing you can help uplift the world through conscious content, Brooke Burgstahler is a woman on a mission to spread enlightening information and good vibes! Brooke has appeared on MTV, ABC, AMC, Oxygen, TBS, and Covergirl, and is creator/producer of Prisoners of Prohibition docu-series cannabis advocate and activist, Brooke is currently a reporter/producer for Merry Jane, Snoop Dogg’s cannabis media company. Following the latest in cannabis culture and legislation for the past two years has inspired Brooke to educate broad audiences about the medicinal, environmental, and economical benefits of the marijuana plant. More info at BrookeBurgstahler.com
In this specially curated anthology episode of the Mindrolling Podcast, Raghu explores the many ways that music can become a vehicle for spiritual transformation with his musically inspired guests – David Silver, John Forté, Justin Boreta, East Forest & Trevor Hall.
In this recording from the Insight Meditation Society, Joseph Goldstein focuses on the third foundation of mindfulness: the mindfulness of mind.
“Mindfulness means being aware of all of these different weather patterns of the mind without greed, without hatred, without delusion, without identification, even when those are the states we are being mindful of.” – Joseph Goldstein
In this talk from 1993, Ram Dass explores how spiritual practice helps us escape the prison of our egos, then leads a 20-minute practice with the breath as the primary object of meditation.
Reminding us of our luminous true nature, Jack invites us into the war-free zone of the heart, and leads a chant of the mantra 'Namoh.'
In this Dharma Talk from Spirit Rock Meditation Center on 12/10/2007, Jack Kornfield shares reflective wisdom pointing to our innate capacity for love, compassion, metta, and joy. Exploring how our heart can be a war-free zone no matter the outside circumstances, he offers insight around the modern human predicament, before closing with a powerful and harmonic group chanting of the mantra 'Namoh.'
Explore the intersection of Buddhism & Bhakti with Be Here Now Network teachers and guests at the inaugural Love Serve Remember Summer Mountain Retreat August 25th – 29th in Boone, NC: https://www.ramdass.org/event/lsrf-summer-immersion-mountain-retreat/
"We each have a capacity for love, compassion, generosity, forgiveness... In some way, we can develop these qualities, but in another more fundamental way they are our true nature, and when the stuff that gets in the way of them is released, they shine." – Jack Kornfield
In this talk from 1974 at Naropa University, Joseph Goldstein gets into the essentials of Buddhism such as dharma, insight meditation, and developing our field of awareness.
“Wisdom does not come from any object, any particular state, we are not striving to attain anything special. It is in the balance of mind and the observation of the process of things that wisdom arises.” – Joseph Goldstein
Welcome to this week's episode of Mindrolling, where Raghu Markus is joined by Jai Uttal for a music-filled talk on opening our hearts through the magnitude of melodies.
Jai Uttal is a grammy-nominated sacred music composer, recording artist, multi-instrumentalist, and ecstatic vocalist. Having traveled extensively in India, he met many great saints and singers and Bhakti Yoga became his personal path. Jai has been leading, teaching, and performing kirtan around the world for nearly 50 years. He creates a safe environment for people to open their hearts and voices.
“Music is way more vast than any one human person can understand.” – Jai Uttal
This talk is from a vipassana meditation course taught by Joseph Goldstein in 1978 at The Insight Meditation Society. Joseph takes us on a comically honest exploration of his spiritual awakening and commitment to practice.
“I was totally fascinated by the whole process. It was the first time that I had, in any systematic way, sat down and tried to look at my mind, tried to concentrate it. It really aroused tremendous interest and fascination in me.” – Joseph Goldstein
In this episode of Living with Reality, Dr. Robert Svoboda takes us on a journey through the divine play of Krishna from his birth through adulthood.
Explore the intersection of Buddhism & Bhakti with Be Here Now Network teachers and guests at the inaugural Love Serve Remember Summer Mountain Retreat August 25th – 29th in Boone, NC: https://www.ramdass.org/event/lsrf-summer-immersion-mountain-retreat/
In this Episode of Brown Rice Hour, Konda Mason talks with Thanissara about Buddhist nunhood, the patriarchy, and daring to do.
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.
Explore the intersection of Buddhism & Bhakti with Be Here Now Network teachers and guests at the inaugural Love Serve Remember Summer Mountain Retreat August 25th – 29th in Boone, NC: https://www.ramdass.org/event/lsrf-summer-immersion-mountain-retreat/
Buddhist renaissance man, Kevin Townley Jr, joins Ethan Nichtern for a conversation spanning the potent intersection of art and Dharma. Kevin Townley is a writer, filmmaker, actor, singer, museum guide, Buddhist teacher, and meditation instructor trained in the Sokuko-Ji Zen community under Kyoun Sokuzan. His film and television work includes appearances in My Super Ex-Girlfriend, Men in Black 3, The Detour, and Law & Order. With his band, Bambï, Townley adapted Judith Rossner’s ‘Looking for Mr. Goodbar’ into the rock opera GOODBAR, performed at The Public Theater. Check out his new book Look, Look, Look, Look, Look Again: Buddhist Wisdom Reflected in 26 Artists. For more info, please visit KevinTownley.nyc and his Linktree
To learn more about Ethan & uncover a myriad of Buddhist offerings, please visit EthanNichtern.com
This time on Healing at the Edge, Ram Dev discusses dying. We learn how we can see death as a mirror and how to cope with the bittersweetness of life.
Explore the intersection of Buddhism & Bhakti at the inaugural Love Serve Remember Summer Mountain Retreat August 25th - 29th in Boone, NC: https://www.ramdass.org/event/lsrf-summer-immersion-mountain-retreat/
In this dharma talk from 1975, Ram Dass talks about how a taste of awakening makes it possible for us to tune into the continuity of consciousness that builds through our incarnations.
Explore the intersection of Buddhism & Bhakti at the inaugural Love Serve Remember Summer Mountain Retreat August 25th – 29th in Boone, NC:
This week on The Road Home Podcast we hear from Ethan Nichtern and Osho Zenju Earthlyn Manuel. They discuss the overlap of science and spirit, the systems that oppress us, and the importance of ceremonies.
Osho Zenju Earthlyn Manuel is a poet, author, ordained Zen priest, and medicine woman of the drum. She is the dharma heir of Buddha and the late Zenkei Blanche Hartman in the Shunryu Suzuki Roshi lineage through the San Francisco Zen Center. Osho Zenju’s practice is influenced by Native American and African indigenous traditions. She holds a Ph.D. and worked for decades as a social science researcher, a development director for non-profit organizations and those serving women and girls, cultural arts, and mental health.
Explore the intersection of Buddhism & Bhakti at the inaugural Love Serve Remember Summer Mountain Retreat August 25th - 29th in Boone, NC: https://www.ramdass.org/event/lsrf-summer-immersion-mountain-retreat/
This time on the BHNN Guest Podcast, Trudy Goodman offers wisdom on how to use mindfulness when working with difficult emotions.
“This is sometimes not so easy, to recognize what we’re feeling. Often our feelings are hidden under repetitive thought loops that are kind of our minds' way of protecting or defending against feelings that might seem hard to bear. But actually, it is more painful to be caught in the looping, obsessive, repetitive thinking than to simply take a breath and let that attention drop down and sense what the feeling is under them.” —Trudy Goodman
For episode 181 of the Metta Hour Podcast, Sharon welcomes Pastor, author, and theologian Nadia Bolz-Weber.
This podcast is brought to you by BetterHelp. Click to receive 10% off your first month with your own licensed professional therapist: betterhelp.com/mettahour
JoAnna Hardy returns to shares discussion and guided practice around imbibing choiceless awareness in the present moment.
This podcast is brought to you by BetterHelp. Click to receive 10% off your first month with your own licensed professional therapist: betterhelp.com/beherenow
In this unique Dharma talk stemming from the Insight Meditation Society's Retreat for 18 - 32 Year Olds, JoAnna Hardy offers a potent guided practice for opening to the state of choiceless awareness. From there, she discusses the connection between anxiety and excitement, before opening to audience questions on sleep, metta, imagery, and dropping thoughts.
This talk from JoAnna Hardy was originally published on DharmaSeed.org
This time on The Road Home, we learn about the ethics and roles of spiritual teachers. Ethan Nichtern shares his wisdom on how we can empower both teachers and students through mutual consent and clarity of roles.
Practice with Ethan at the Garrison Institute in-person silent meditation retreat: https://www.garrisoninstitute.org/event/in-person-becoming-bodhisattvas-a-silent-meditation-retreat-with-ethan-nichtern/
In this special anthology episode of the Mindrolling podcast, Raghu explores the brimming intersection of science and spirituality with an assortment of wise and insightful friends. We are excited to introduce a special anthology episode peering into how the topics of science and spirituality connect in our modern age, sourcing hand-selected clips from previous Mindrolling podcasts with David Silver, Ananda Danielle Krettek Cobb, Dr. Bruce Damer, Lisa Broderick, and Dennis Mckenna.
Check out a new Spring season of the Ram Dass Soul Land Music Series featuring artists such as Gone Gone Beyond, David Starfire, & Jai Uttal!: https://www.ramdass.org/music/
Gil Fronsdal returns to the Guest Podcast to share illuminating spiritual lessons learned along the journey of parenting.
This talk from Gil Fronsdal was originally published on DharmaSeed.org
Check out a new Spring season of the Ram Dass Soul Land Music Series featuring artists such as Gone Gone Beyond, David Starfire, & Jai Uttal: https://www.ramdass.org/music/
This time on the Being in the Way podcast, Alan Watts explores the concepts of identity and consciousness, looking at the role we play in the greater ‘Cosmic Drama’. Before the talk from Alan, we invite you to listen to an insightful conversation between Mark Watts and his guest, Cory Allen, about getting in touch with the core ideas of Alan Watts’ teachings.
Cory Allen is an author, mindfulness teacher, and music producer. He uses his podcast The Astral Hustle to ask leading experts in mindfulness, neuroscience, music, and philosophy to share their wisdom. Check out his book titled Now Is the Way and his online meditation course called Release into Now.
Spring Washam applies wise metta to our daily lives—offering us the potential of recognizing our innate inner radiance. In this Dharma Talk from Spirit Rock Meditation Center’s Yucca Valley Spring Retreat on May 6th, 2009—Spring Washam explores the potential of loving ourselves and others through the practice of lovingkindness.
This talk from Spring Washam was originally published on DharmaSeed.org
On this episode of The Road Home Podcast, Ethan Nichtern and Maud Newton discuss personal and collective origin stories, and how ancestral spirituality can help us heal generational trauma.
Maud Newton is a writer and critic. She has written personal essays, cultural criticism, and fiction. Maud was born in Dallas, grew up in Miami, and graduated from the University of Florida with degrees in English and law. Eventually, she moved to Brooklyn, and for the past five years, she’s lived on Lenape Land in Queens. She started blogging in 2002 with the aim of finding others who were passionate about books, culture, and politics, and establishing an informal place to write about her life and family. Ancestor Trouble: A Reckoning and a Reconciliation (Random House, March 29, 2022), her first book, has been named one of Esquire’s best books of 2022.
Visionary artist, John Speaker, joins Raghu to talk Ram Dass, psychedelics, depicting deities, live painting at music festivals, and the spiritual path of art.
Welcoming visionary artist, John Speaker, to Mindrolling, Raghu shares about the Ram Dass portrait John jammed on live during Random Rab's Soul Land Music Series performance. After Raghu inquires into what sparked John onto the spiritual path of creating psychedelic art, John reflects on how two tabs of acid, a pen, and a piece of paper transformed his life from gloomy suicidal ideations to inspired creative artistry. Check out John's mind-expanding work at JohnSpeaker.com
Check out a new Spring season of the Ram Dass Soul Land Music Series featuring artists such as Gone Gone Beyond, David Starfire, & Jai Uttal: https://www.ramdass.org/music/
Jack Kornfield addresses the grief of the war in Ukraine, talking about how to have a peaceful heart in a time of war, and then explores the legacy and teachings of Thich Nhat Hanh.
This meditation was originally live-streamed by Spirit Rock on 2/28/22
In this Bhakti-infused episode, Krishna Das shares kirtan and relays insights into connecting with Maharajji to navigate 'from the many to the one.'
In this episode sourcing kirtan, dharma discussion, and Q&A from an intimate Hanging Out in the Heart Space session from March 25th 2021, Krishna Das explores how to overhaul your life through consistent practice, illuminates the differences between Ram and Krishna, discusses how to maintain contact with Maharajji, and offers devotional chants to Shiva, Ma Durga, & Hanumanji.
Check out Krishna Das & Michael Sternfeld's brand new intensive course on the Ramayana - Hanuman's Leap of Faith: https://www.krishnadas.com/blog/hanumans-leap-of-faith/
In this 1996 broadcast from KPFK Los Angeles, Ram Dass takes over Talk Radio From the Heart and answers questions about romantic relationships, racism, finding a guru, and more.
For episode 179 of the Metta Hour, Sharon speaks with Certified Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) Teacher, Margaret Cullen. Margaret Cullen is a licensed psychotherapist and was one of the first to become a Certified Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction teacher. For over 25 years, she has pioneered secular contemplative programs for various populations, developing and teaching contemplative interventions for research studies at Stanford, UCSF, Portland State, Penn State, University of Michigan, and the University of Miami. Margaret has contributed to the development of the Compassion Cultivation Training at Standford and become Founding Faculty for the Compassion Institute.
The conversation begins with Margaret sharing more of her history and how she came to meditation practice in her late 20s. They discuss how mindfulness is defined in different traditions and the implicit quality of compassion that exists in it, and how Margaret’s mentor, John Kabat Zinn, folded compassion into the teaching of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction. They discuss “emotional balance” in Margaret’s early work doing research at UCSF. Margaret shares her definition of compassion and the ways her definition has evolved over her time. She also shares some of the common misconceptions about compassion that she had encountered in her work. They also discuss Margaret’s views on compassion fatigue and collapse and the relationship between self-compassion and compassion for others. The conversation closes with Margaret leading a guided Compassionate Image Practice.
Spiritual theologian and author, Matthew Fox, joins Raghu for a conversation on Creation Spirituality, Original Blessing, Thomas Merton, Hildegard of Bingen, and Jesus and the feminine.
Matthew Fox is a spiritual theologian, author, Episcopal priest, and activist for gender and eco-justice. With nearly 40 books translated over 70 times, he has contributed much to the rediscovery of Hildegard of Bingen, Meister Eckhart, and Thomas Aquinas as pre-modern mystics and prophets. Matthew holds a doctorate in the history and theology of spirituality from the Institut Catholique de Paris. The founder of the University of Creation Spirituality in California, he conducts dozens of workshops each year and is a visiting scholar at the Academy for the Love of Learning. Learn about his new book, Essential Writings on Creation Spirituality and more at MatthewFox.org
In this guided meditation, Jack Kornfield helps us settle into an embodied awareness where we can simply let the breath breathe itself and become the loving witness, consciousness itself.
This meditation was originally live-streamed by Spirit Rock on 8/23/21: https://www.youtube.com/c/JackKornfieldChannel
David Nichtern and his ‘pod-kick’ Michael Kammers return for a conversation about reactivity, how it is usually governed by the three Kleshas, and what it means to respond rather than react.
Discover more from David at Dharma Moon – a website offering Workshops/Courses, Teacher Trainings, Mentoring & more.
Ethan Nichtern and Heather Coleman have a discussion on the many forms of grief and what healing may look like.
Heather Coleman, LCSW has been providing Buddhist-informed psychotherapy in New York City for the past 15 years in various settings, including outpatient care and private practice. She has provided quality and compassionate care to New Yorkers struggling with anxiety, depression, trauma (and now Covid related trauma!), relationship & codependency issues, health concerns, parenting and life transitions. Her main specialty is working with Adult Children of Alcoholics and those from dysfunctional family systems (with narcissistic parents or those with mental illness).
Building from the previous episode, Dr. Svoboda offers insight into the positive, negative, and neutral forms of possession we experience throughout our daily lives.
Introducing the second part of this illuminating discussion on the senses, sight, fire, & possession; host, Paula Crossfield, sets the stage, opening the curtains to reveal Dr. Robert Svoboda mid Dharma talk in the atmospheric setting of Costa Rica in 2018.
Madison Margolin talks with Seth Ferranti about growing as a person while in prison, the joys of legal cannabis, and how the acid counterculture is really about family and community.
Seth Ferranti is an ex-con filmmaker who did 21 years in federal prison for a first-time, nonviolent LSD/cannabis offense. While in prison he: earned three college degrees, including a Master's degree; wrote 22 books on gangsters, drug lords, and prison gangs; founded a publishing house and website, Gorilla Convict; and started a career as a journalist writing for VICE, Penthouse, and others. After being released he started making films, including White Boy, which is currently on Netflix. He currently has numerous projects in production and development. Learn more about Seth on his website, plus follow him on Twitter and Instagram.
Zenju Earthlyn Manuel joins Raghu to discuss Buddhism, Shamanism, Indigenous ceremony, the Vodou–Zen connection, taking Earth's 'strong medicine,' and religion's mystical roots.
Osho Zenju Earthlyn Marselean Manuel is a poet, author, Zen priest, medicine woman of the drum, and dharma heir of Buddha and the late Zenkei Blanche Hartman in the Shunryu Suzuki Roshi lineage through the San Francisco Zen Center. Zenju’s practice is influenced by Native American and African Indigenous traditions. She participated in ceremony with Ifá diviners from Dahomey, Africa, and briefly studied Yoruba. She was raised in the Church of Christ, holds a Ph.D, and worked for decades as a social science researcher, development director for non-profit organizations serving women, girls, cultural arts, and mental health. For info, offerings & books, please visit, Zenju.org
Sign up for an in-depth reworking of Ram Dass' infamous '74 Naropa Lectures, in our new Bhagavad Gita Course starting March 14th: https://www.ramdass.org/gitacourse/
Dharma-driven tattoo artist, Robert Ryan joins David for a Bhakti-infused discussion on tattooing Hindu Deities, and art as a spiritual access point.
Robert Ryan is a tattoo artist, painter, musician, business proprietor, and Dharma practitioner. A highly regarded tattoo artist, Robert has created a distinct and sought-after style merging the foundations of American tattooing with the style of Indian Kalighat painting – an approach to Deity depictions done quickly with simple lines and bold iconic images practiced by artists outside of the Kali temple in Calcutta. Building from his stunning first book of artwork, The Inborn Absolute, Robert recently released a mystical art tome entitled, Deity, featuring incredible paintings of Hindu Deities adorned with Dharma commentaries. To dive deeper, visit Robert's Instagram, or book a tattoo.
Discover more from David at Dharma Moon – a website offering Workshops/Courses, Teacher Trainings, Mentoring & more: https://www.dharmamoon.com/
Krishna Das answers questions about dealing with button pushers, setting boundaries, surrendering to a guru, and leads a chant to Neem Karoli Baba, his own guru. This episode of Pilgrim Heart is from Krishna Das’ Hanging in the Heart Space session on March 18th, 2021. Join Krishna Das in virtual Satsang every Thursday at 4 pm PST for the live recordings of Hanging in the Heart Space – featuring music, conversation, and live Q&A with Krishna Das.
For episode 178 of the Metta Hour, Sharon welcomes her friend and colleague, Omid Safi. Omid is a teacher in the Sufi tradition of Radical Love and the Founder of Illuminated Courses & Tours. He is a professor at Duke University specializing in Islamic spirituality and contemporary thought. The author of several books, his most recent release from 2018 is “Radical Love: Teachings from the Islamic Mystical Tradition.” Omid is also the host of his own podcast, The Sufi Heart Podcast, on the Be Here Now Network.
In this conversation, Sharon and Omid discuss the nature of Radical Love and the many forms that love can take outside of romantic bonds. Omid also shares some of the factors and practices that support greater access to states of Radical Love. They contemplate what Rumi would do in a pandemic and what it looks like to flow to where the greatest needs and suffering are to be found in life. Sharon asks Omid about the cultivation of curiosity and humility in life and their roles in life. Lastly, they speak about accountability and restorative justice in the collective as a form of love in the public sphere. The conversation closes with Omid sharing about the power and sanctity of presence and Omid leading a Sufi meditation practice.
Nina Rao and Keli Reddy interview author Vrinda Sheth about Sita’s Fire, a retelling of the Ramayana that brings Sita and the other female characters from the story to center stage. Vrinda Sheth was raised in the Gaudiya Vaishnava tradition in Sweden. She is an alumnus of the reputed Kalakshetra institute, holding a First Class Diploma in Bharata Natyam, Indian classical dance. She remains devoted to tradition while exploring ways to bridge the gap between the modern and the ancient. Vrinda is passionate about bringing women’s voices and stories center stage and is the author of the award-winning Sita’s Fire Trilogy. She has a B.A. in English from the University of Florida and is pursuing a Masters in Literature. She lives in Florida with her husband and three children.
Check out the Sita’s Fire Trilogy at sitasfire.com
In this special episode of Here and Now, Ram Dass and Alan Watts offer their thoughts on some of the essential teachings from the Bhagavad Gita and how we can apply them to everyday life.
This episode of Here and Now is a primer for the upcoming course, Finding Harmony in Today’s World: Ram Dass on the Mystical Wisdom of the Bhagavad Gita. This is a 6-week course reimagined from Ram Dass’ 1974 Naropa University Course.
Sign up today: https://www.ramdass.org/gitacourse/
Ram Dass joins Alan for a look at the tools that the Bhagavad Gita offers us to face life's most difficult challenges.
This episode of Here and Now is a primer for the upcoming course, Finding Harmony in Today’s World: Ram Dass on the Mystical Wisdom of the Bhagavad Gita. This is a 6-week course reimagined from Ram Dass’ 1974 Naropa University Course.
Sign up today: https://www.ramdass.org/gitacourse/
In this Q&A session from his legendary 1974 Naropa University course, Ram Dass answers questions about the Bhagavad Gita, the pitfalls of meditation, dealing with loneliness, and more. This episode of Here and Now is a special preview of Finding Harmony in Today’s World: Ram Dass on the Mystical Wisdom of the Bhagavad Gita. This 6-week virtual course, reimagined from Ram Dass’ 1974 Naropa University course, begins March 14th. Sign up today:https://www.ramdass.org/gitacourse/
Uprooting conflict avoidance as a primary spiritual obstacle in modern times, Ethan Nichtern navigates from false neutrality to loving conflict. Diving back in for another focused and flowing solo-cast applying Buddhist themes to the modern zeitgeist, Ethan Nichtern explores the all-too-pertinent topics of conflict and conflict avoidance. Using the current state of the world as an easy case-study, he shares how we can move away from present-day spirituality’s harmful habits of avoidance and false neutrality, to instead engage in mindfully chosen participation and loving conflict based in truth and compassion.
To learn more about Ethan & uncover a myriad of Buddhist offerings, please visit EthanNichtern.com
Ram Dev and Christiane Wolf share a conversation about how pain does not cause suffering, how mindfulness can help us deal with chronic pain, and the connection between grief and pain.
Christiane Wolf, MD, Ph.D., is a physician turned mindfulness and compassion teacher and a senior teacher at InsightLA. She trains teachers and teaches Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) and Mindful Self-Compassion to groups and individuals in the US and across Europe. Christiane is the author of Outsmart Your Pain: Mindfulness and Self-Compassion to Help You Leave Chronic Pain Behind. Learn more about her at christianewolf.com.
Dr. Connie Zweig and Raghu investigate the lifelong process of aging through the lens of 'shadow awareness' and 'shifting from role to soul.'
Connie Zweig, PhD, is a bestselling author who has retired from clinical practice, and has been initiated into Elderhood as a Certified Sage-ing Leader. She is extending her work into late life for Baby Boomers with The Inner Work of Age: Shifting from Role to Soul. As co-author of Meeting the Shadow: The Hidden Power of the Dark Side of Human Nature and Romancing the Shadow: Illuminating the Dark Side of the Soul, Dr. Connie has come to be known as a guide who can go where others fear to tread. For more info and to join Dr. Connie's Wisdom Circle communities, please visit, ConnieZweig.com.
Investigating resilience as a factor of mindfulness, David Nichtern & Michael Kammers offer tangible thought experiments for uncovering our relationship with attention. David Nichtern and his self-proclaimed “pod-kick” Michael Kammers are back for another David’s View uncovering the ‘Three R’s of Mindfulness.’ Moving on from last episode’s discussion on resonance, the Dharma Moon duo explore the intricacies of this week’s topic—a key one for the times—resilience.
Discover more from David at DharmaMoon.com – a website offering Workshops/Courses, Teacher Trainings, Mentoring & more.
From Big Mind to granular attention, Trudy Goodman illuminates how to live simultaneously from universal and personal truths, staying present with it all. In this Dharma talk from Spirit Rock’s Monthlong Retreat on March, 20th, 2011, Trudy Goodman explores the two truths—the two major facets of this one jewel called life—absolute and relative; or, as Trudy eloquently paints them: universal and personal. Peering through the lens of these two simultaneous planes of truth, Trudy shares reflective stories and Buddhist insight exploring wisdom as a factor of awakening.
This talk from Trudy Goodman was originally published on DharmaSeed.org
Krishna Das continues his celebration of Mahashivratri by chanting the Shiva Stuti and answering questions about meditation, abstinence, emotional attachments, and much more.
In the conclusion of this “Hanging in the Heart Space” session from March 11, 2021, Krishna Das continues his celebration of Mahashivratri, which is a Hindu holiday in honor of Lord Shiva. Listen to part one of this session in Pilgrim Heart Ep. 106.
Join Krishna Das live every Thursday for his free Hanging in the Heart Space Online Satsang on Youtube
Psychedelic therapist and yoga instructor, Lauren Taus, joins Madison to discuss how to live a fully embodied psychedelic life. Lauren Taus is actively working to offer ketamine assisted psychotherapy to accelerate healing for individuals who suffer from depression, anxiety and trauma; and is trained by Multidisciplinary Association of Psychedelic Studies (MAPS) for MDMA assisted psychotherapy for complex PTSD. She teaches yoga and meditation classes, facilitates teacher trainings, offers immersive wellness experiences globally, and has been featured in Yoga Journal, Women’s Health, and USA Today. As an activist and advocate for a safer world dedicated to building bridges in the Middle East, she co-curated a delegation of Israeli and Palestinian peace activists to travel to Dharamshala and meet with the Dalai Lama to learn how to integrate non-violent approaches to conflict. For more info please visit, InbodiedLife.com & PsychedelicCoalitionForHealth.com
Check out Lauren Taus’ Inbodied Life Podcast: https://www.inbodiedlife.com/podcast
Dr. Ellen Vora joins Raghu for a conversation on the connection between mind and body—exploring psychedelics, anxiety as grace, and our personal hotline to intuition. Ellen Vora, MD received her B.A. from Yale University and attended Columbia University medical school. She’s a board-certified psychiatrist, medical acupuncturist, and yoga teacher. Dr. Vora takes a functional medicine approach to mental health—considering the whole person and addressing imbalance at the root, rather than reflexively prescribing medication. In addition to her private practice and speaking engagements, Dr. Vora consults for healthcare startups and has a book called The Anatomy of Anxiety coming out in March 2022. Fore more info, please visit EllenVora.com
Gil Fronsdal explores how cultivating dharmic confidence helps us keep our practice steady and understand the distinction between wholesome and unwholesome actions.
This dharma talk was originally published on Dharma Seed
The author of Peak Mind, Amishi Jha PhD, joins David for a chat around the perfect marriage of neuroscience and mindfulness meditation. Amishi Jha, PhD is Director of Contemplative Neuroscience and Professor of Psychology at the University of Miami. Prior to her current post, she was an Assistant Professor at the Center for Cognitive Neuroscience at the University of Pennsylvania. She received her B.S in Biological Psychology from the University of Michigan, her Ph.D in Psychology (Cognitive Neuroscience) from the University of California–Davis, and her post-doctoral training at the Brain Imaging and Analysis Center at Duke University in functional neuroimaging. Discover her new book, Peak Mind: Find Your Focus, Own Your Attention, Invest 12 Minutes a Day, and find more offerings at Amishi.com
This podcast is brought to you by BetterHelp. Click to receive 10% off your first month with your own licensed professional therapist: betterhelp.com/beherenow
Dr. Robert Svoboda takes listeners on a journey through the sense of sight, the Fire Element, and how possession is everywhere.
In this episode of Living With Reality, host, Paula Crossfield, presents part one of an illuminating discussion from a Costa Rican Retreat in 2018, in which Dr. Svoboda offers an introduction to the sense of sight, the fire element, and the nuances of possession.
This podcast is brought to you by BetterHelp. Click to receive 10% off your first month with your own licensed professional therapist: betterhelp.com/beherenow
Jack Kornfield engages the topic of how and why we become enlightened, talking about how we can experience the qualities of enlightenment at different times and in different ways. This Jack Kornfield dharma talk was originally published on Dharma Seed
For episode 177 of the Metta Hour, Sharon speaks with Bonnie Pitman.
Bonnie is a nationally recognized leader in the museum community. Her museum career spans 50 years of service in the museum, education, and university fields. Since 2008, Bonnie has been living with chronic illness. In 2011 began her daily practice to “Do Something New,” inviting the exploration and celebration of making an ordinary day extraordinary while dealing with chronic illness.
In this episode, Bonnie shares about her work in the art world and how she sees art as a doorway to contemplative practice. She and Sharon talk about how differently art is looked at in Eastern culture and what role suffering has to play in the creation of art. They discuss the history of Bonnie’s “Do Something New” initiative and what that looks like for her today while still facing chronic illness. Lastly, they discuss the role gratitude has played in her well-being and, in particular, her chronic disease. Bonnie closes the conversation with a guided lovingkindness meditation.
This podcast is brought to you by BetterHelp. Click to receive 10% off your first month with your own licensed professional therapist: betterhelp.com/metta
Learn more about Bonnie and try the "Do Something New" practice at dosomethingnew.org
Highlighting the deeply penetrating aspects of Metta, Joseph Goldstein explores how love, kindness, Right Thought, desire, gratitude and friendship can revolutionize our lives.
This podcast is brought to you by BetterHelp. Click to receive 10% off your first month with your own licensed professional therapist: betterhelp.com/insighthour
This dharma talk was originally published on Dharma Seed
Helping us past our endless wanderings on the hamster wheel of samsara, Spring Washam illuminates Buddha’s way to freedom and lasting happiness. In this Dharma talk from the Insight Meditation Society’s People of Color Retreat on June 16th, 2010; Spring Washam explores the Buddha’s Second Noble Truth in an illuminating discussion on desire, craving, and clinging.
This talk from Spring Washam was originally published on DharmaSeed.org
In this episode of The Road Home, Ethan Nichtern explores the dharma of Lego and how doing small things can help with the often insurmountable feeling of being overwhelmed by the world. Get more Buddhist wisdom from Ethan at ethannichtern.com
David Nichtern and Michael Kammers have a free-flowing conversation around the theme of resonance, touching on loving awareness, clear seeing, compassion, and more along the way.
Find more from David at DharmaMoon.com – a website offering Workshops/Courses, Teacher Trainings, Mentoring, and more
Joseph Goldstein offers a guided meditation and continued reflection on how we can free ourselves from Papanca – the three proliferating tendencies of mind: craving, conceit, and wrong view. This dharma talk was originally published on Dharma Seed
In the conclusion of this Ram Dass Q&A from 1992, he answers questions and offers wisdom about how life is our practice, how to deal with the anxiety of being in the void, and much more.
Don’t miss the first part of this Ram Dass Q&A session in Here and Now Ep. 192: https://soundcloud.com/beherenownetwork/the-possibility-of-unconditional-love-ram-dass-here-and-now-ep-192
Duncan Trussell joins Nikki for a conversation on comedy, spirituality, service, Ram Dass, confidence, being yourself, and starting where you are.
Welcoming new friend, Duncan Trussell, to the New Growth podcast, Nikki shares the string of synchronicities which brought them together, before diving into Duncan's present moment experience of traversing fatherhood and fear amidst the pandemic. From there, Nikki prompts Duncan to explore his life-journey into comedy, podcasting, the Midnight Gospel, spirituality, Buddhism and Ram Dass.
For episode 176 of the Metta Hour, Sharon is joined by Neal Allen and Anne Lamott.
Neal Allen is a coach and writer who studies and practices traditional and contemporary spiritual paths. He is the author of the 2021 release Shapes of Truth: Discover God Inside You. Anne Lamott is the New York Times best-selling author of 19 books, including collections of essays, novels, and long-form non-fiction, including the classic writing manual Bird by Bird and childrearing memoir Operating Instructions.
In this conversation, Neal shares his impetus for writing Shapes of Truth and how the book played a role in his first date with his now-wife, Annie Lamott. The three converse about the different ways they define the term and the experience of God or the divine, and how that interfaces with daily life. The episode ends with Neal leading a short guided reflection to bring the conversation to a close.
Dr. Svoboda shares the cosmic and internal lessons to be learned from the layered Indian myth – The Churning of the Ocean of Milk. In this special episode of Living With Reality, Dr. Svoboda—through the blessing of his mentor, the Aghori Vimalananda—invites us into a lively telling of the richly layered Indian myth: The Churning of the Ocean of Milk. Grokking this sweet and useful story from both the external cosmic vantage, as well as the microcosmic internal perspective, Dr. Svoboda lifts the veil to a holographic understanding of this astronomy-steeped foundational Vedic story.
In this Q&A session from 1992, Ram Dass answers questions about synchronicity, purification, fear, compassion, how his guru showed him the possibility of unconditional love, and more.
Highlighting the importance of storytelling in Buddhism as a direct and meaningful way to engage the Dharma, Gil Fronsdal shares classic Buddhist tales. This talk from Gil Fronsdal was originally published on DharmaSeed.org
Madison Margolin and Sukina Pilgrim explore different gateways to the Divine, including poetry and creativity, along with how we can remember our oneness and access the voice of the heart. Sukina Pilgrim is a Poet, Spoken-Word artist, Playwright, Workshop Facilitator and Event Organiser, and co-founder of Muslim female Hip Hop duo, Poetic Pilgrimage. She has facilitated creative writing workshops across the world, empowering communities to use the written word as a tool for dialogue and engagement. Connect with Sukina on Instagram, where she shares her poetry and reflections.
Helping us past discursive thought and separation, Ram Dev lays the bridgework to the path of Embodied Love and Devotional Vipassana. Find out more about Dale’s work at the Living/Dying Project: livingdying.org
Helping us past discursive thought and separation, Ram Dev lays the bridgework to the path of Embodied Love and Devotional Vipassana. Find out more about Dale’s work at the Living/Dying Project: livingdying.org
David Chernikoff joins Raghu Markus for a ‘Mindrolling’ conversation around aging, dealing with polarity, and how to become at ease with the mystery that is life. David Chernikoff is the author of Life, Part Two: Seven Keys to Awakening with Purpose and Joy as You Age. He began the study and practice of meditation in 1971, and started teaching Insight Meditation in 1988. David has also studied and practiced with spiritual guides such as Ram Dass and Father Thomas Keating, and previously taught psychology and meditation at Naropa University. Learn more about him at davidchernikoff.com.
David Nichtern and Michael Kammers connect the lineage traditions of Buddhism and music in a conversation spanning from Maharaj-ji to John Coltrane.
Find more from David at DharmaMoon.com – a website offering Workshops/Courses, Teacher Trainings, Mentoring & more.
In this episode of Living with Reality, Dr. Robert Svoboda explores urges, why we shouldn’t suppress them, and the difference between cultural urges and physiological urges.
This podcast is brought to you by BetterHelp. Click to receive 10% off your first month with your own licensed professional therapist: betterhelp.com/beherenow
MAPS founder, Rick Doblin, joins Madison to talk psychedelic legalization, MDMA assisted psychotherapy, and to dive into his personal spiritual experiences and practices.
This podcast is brought to you by BetterHelp. Click to receive 10% off your first month with your own licensed professional therapist: betterhelp.com/beherenow
Rick Doblin, Ph.D., is the founder and executive director of the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS). He received his doctorate in Public Policy from Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government, writing his dissertation on the regulation of the medical uses of psychedelics and marijuana. His undergraduate thesis at New College of Florida was a 25-year follow-up to (Ram Dass’ and Tim Leary’s) classic Good Friday Experiment. Rick studied with Dr. Stanislav Grof, and was among the first to be certified as a Holotropic Breathwork practitioner. His professional goal is to help develop legal contexts for the beneficial uses of psychedelics and marijuana. He currently resides in Boston with his wife, dog, and empty rooms from three children.
For more on Rick Doblin’s psychedelic research, visit MAPS.org. To learn about Madison Margolin, head over to MadisonMargolin.com.
For episode 174 of the Metta Hour, Sharon speaks with psychologist Scott Barry Kaufman, PhD.
Scott is a cognitive scientist and humanistic psychologist exploring the mind, creativity, and the depths of human potential. He is the founder and director of the Center for the Science of Human Potential and the author of several books, including “Transcend: The New Science of Self-Actualization.” Scott is also the host of The Psychology Podcast, with over 17 million downloads.
This podcast is brought to you by BetterHelp. Click to receive 10% off your first month with your own licensed professional therapist: betterhelp.com/beherenow
In this conversation, Scott and Sharon speak about Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs and Scott’s revamp of the model in his recent book, “Transcend,” which was released in 2020. Scott discusses the metaphor of a sailboat to represent his model of self-actualization. Sharon asks Scott his thoughts about the overarching processes of moving from contraction to expansion in life and his approach to personal growth and transcendence from a modern psychological point of view. They also discuss the popular wellness trend, Toxic Positivity, and Scott’s response to this phenomenon, Tragic Optimism: the ability to find meaning in any form of suffering. The episode ends with Scott leading a short guided growth challenge exercise to bring the conversation to a close.
Francesca Maximé and Sandor Iron Rope talk about the need for mindfulness and awareness around the use of sacred plant medicine in the psychedelic decriminalization movement. Sandor Iron Rope is the President of the Native American Church of South Dakota, and also a board member of the Indigenous Peyote Conservation Initiative. Learn more about and donate to the IPCI at ipci.life.
Spiritual Renaissance Man, Stephen Cope, joins David for a wide-spanning conversation connecting art, music, meditation, yoga, Trungpa Rinpoche, and dealing with critics. Stephen Cope, MSW, Scholar-in-Residence and Kripalu Ambassador, is the founder and former Director of the Kripalu Institute for Extraordinary Living. He is the author of several best-selling books, including Yoga and the Quest for the True Self; The Great Work of Your Life: A Guide for the Journey to Your True Calling; Soul Friends: The Transforming Power of Deep Human Connection; and his new release due out January 2022, The Dharma in Difficult Times: Finding Your Calling in Times of Loss, Change, Struggle, and Doubt. For more info please visit StephenCope.com
David recently launched Dharma Moon – a website offering Workshops/Courses, Teacher Trainings, Mentoring & more, at www.DharmaMoon.com
Omid Safi offers us a sense of the significance of Christmas, the birth of Jesus, and the sacred experience of Mary in the Islamic tradition.
In this dharma talk from 1969, Ram Dass plays the hollow bamboo game, which is an exercise to help us enter into a place within ourselves where we are one with everything and everyone. This podcast is brought to you by Eaton Hemp – go to eatonhemp.com/beherenow for an exclusive discount!
Planting seeds of faith, Jack weaves together Buddhist Sutta, teaching advice from Ram Dass, & an unknowing koan from his daughter—inviting us into the sacred pause of mystery & eternity.
Jack Kornfield shares a dharma talk on 'The Sacred Pause' – originally airing 3/22/21 from his ongoing Spirit Rock Monday night livestreams: https://www.spiritrock.org/programs/monday-night
In this virtual Q&A with some chanting sprinkled in, Krishna Das answers questions about faith, focus, forgiveness, unconditional love, discipline on the spiritual path, and more.
This episode of Pilgrim Heart is from Krishna Das’ Hanging in the Heart Space session on February 25th, 2021. Join Krishna Das in virtual Satsang every Thursday at 4 pm PST for the live recordings of Hanging in the Heart Space – featuring music, conversation, and live Q&A with Krishna Das.
Ananda Danielle Krettek Cobb, founder of Google’s Empathy Lab, returns to the Mindrolling podcast for a conversation that circles the intersection of technology, empathy, cynicism & magic. Ananda Danielle Krettek Cobb is the Founder of Google’s Empathy Lab — Google’s resident expert on human understanding and flourishing. Danielle is an award-winning creative force with work across design, technology, film, art, architecture and social impact. With her work for Nike, Apple and Google, as well as Ram Dass’ Becoming Nobody documentary, Danielle has brought vibrant heart, humanity and beauty to products and culture for nearly 20 years.
In this episode of the ReRooted Podcast, Dr. Colin Ross joins Francesca Maximé for a conversation about working with trauma survivors, including combat veterans.
Dr. Colin Ross is an internationally renowned clinician, researcher, author and lecturer in the field of dissociation and trauma-related disorders. He is the founder and President of The Colin A. Ross Institute for Psychological Trauma. Dr. Ross has been running a hospital-based Trauma Program in Dallas, Texas since 1991. He has authored more than 30 books and 250 professional papers. Learn more about Dr. Ross and his work at rossinst.com.
In this pseudo-kōan of an episode, David and Michael ask us to start poking holes in our conception of reality and offer a healthy recipe for 'getting there'.
Two seemingly simple questions, "Where are we trying to get and where are we if we are not already there", lead Michael and David down the deeper rabbit hole of how we conceptualize our experiences.
Find more from David at DharmaMoon.com – a website offering Workshops/Courses, Teacher Trainings, Mentoring & more.
In this intimate session, Alan Watts shares distinctive philosophical vantage points outlining humankind’s relationship to nature. Welcoming listeners into a seminar session from SMU in 1965, Mark introduces the pivotal Alan Watts lecture, ‘Man and Nature,’ which he describes as one of his father’s most engaging talks, positively focused on ecology and our relationship with the natural world and ecosphere.
Ethan Nichtern talks with Shelly Tygielski about her new book, Sit Down to Rise Up, and the incredible work being done by her mutual aid organization, Pandemic of Love.
Shelly Tygielski is a trauma-informed mindfulness teacher, self-care activist, and the founder of the global grassroots mutual aid organization Pandemic of Love. Her work has been featured by over one hundred media outlets, including CNN Heroes. Shelly’s new book, Sit Down to Rise Up: How Radical Self-Care Can Change the World, is now available. Learn more about her work at shellytygielski.com.
Meditation teacher and author, Amanda Gilbert, joins Raghu to talk about living with kindness, mindfulness, freedom, intention, and compassion.
Amanda Gilbert is a modern day meditation teacher, writer and speaker. She has been a meditator for over 15 years and teaches from coast to coast in the US, including in Los Angeles, New York City, San Diego, Miami and San Francisco, as well as online. She is a professor of mindfulness at the University of Southern California and the author of Kindness Now: A 28-Day Guide to Living with Authenticity, Intention and Compassion. For more info, please visit AmandaGilbertMeditation.com
"Can we allow kindness to be synonymous with being brave, being courageous, being outspoken, being in alignment with the values and change we want to see in the world? Being kind does not mean rolling over into passivity, it doesn't necessarily mean niceness or being a doormat. Being kind is sometimes the hardest thing we are being called to do, especially in the face of our close inner circle triggers, family and friends." – Amanda Gilbert
In this deeply personal episode of Sufi Heart, Omid Safi shares some lessons for the heart by remembering the events of 9/11, and reflects on how we can carry these teachings forward.
Offering wisdom at the spiritually potent merging point of boredom and nonduality, Ram Dev explores how we can become aware of subtle feelings to ‘mind the gap’ and rest in the wholeness of nature of mind.
In this episode of Healing at the Edge, Ram Dev illuminates the deep connection and opportunity of awakening encased within the spiritual overlay of boredom and nonduality. Teaching us how to ‘mind the gap,’ trust our subtle emotions, and rest in the true nature of mind, Ram Dev invites us into the ‘abyss of radical surrender’ to remember who we are as consciousness, awareness, and love itself.
“Right now you’re sitting in your body, your butt’s on the chair, cushion, or sofa. What does that feel like? Can that be the portal to resting in nature of mind? Can we use boring sensation to take us directly to that place?” – Ram Dev (Dale Borglum)
Krishna Das takes on a wide range of subjects, from Maya and monkey gods to karma, desire, and judgment, plus invites us to simply let go of everything with some chanting.
This episode of Pilgrim Heart is from Krishna Das’ Hanging in the Heart Space session on February 18th, 2021. Join Krishna Das in virtual Satsang every Thursday at 4 pm PST for the live recordings of Hanging in the Heart Space – featuring music, conversation, & live Q&A with Krishna Das: youtube.com/c/KrishnaDasMusic
In celebration of the paperback book release of Sharon Salzberg’s latest book, Real Change, in November of 2021, the Metta Hour is releasing an anthology of interviews exploring the themes from the book.
These interviews originally aired on the podcast in 2020, with Sharon speaking to various teachers and activists about the intersection of mindfulness and lovingkindness practice with social action. For Episode One of the Real Change Anthology, the Metta Hour Podcast explores the theme of “Agency in Action” with interview clips featuring Jack Kornfield, Sylvia Boorstein, and Yung Pueblo. They each share their unique experiences as activists and how that work intersects with their spiritual life.
Sharon hosts an 8-Day Real Change Challenge Dec 6-13th, featuring daily lessons, meditations, & calls to action. Register at SharonSalzberg.com
The Be Here Now Network welcomes the Mindshift podcast to our Guest Podcast channel!
In this first episode, meditation teacher Light Watkins joins Shira Lazar and Jordana Reim for a discussion on how to find inspiration in stagnation.
Bill Duane & Elizaveta Solomonova PhD join Mirabai for a chat about the intersection of ancient Buddhist wisdom and cutting-edge A.I. technology.
Bill Duane blends 12 years at Google and 10 years of consulting experience in healthcare, manufacturing, finance, telecom and media with studies in neuroscience, team effectiveness, mindfulness and the latest in well-being science. Elizaveta Solomonova PhD is an interdisciplinary cognitive scientist focusing on sleep, dreaming, contemplative studies and social neuroscience, who teaches Psychiatry at McGill University. Together they are integrating Buddhist Philosophy, Cognitive Science, & Artificial Life at The Center for the Study of Apparent Selves hosted by Kathmandu University's Centre for Buddhist Studies.
In this special dharma talk, Ethan Nichtern illuminates the importance and meaning of taking refuge in the Three Jewels – the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha.
This episode of The Road Home Podcast is from a recent lecture Ethan Nichtern gave to a group of students about to take their Buddhist Refuge Vows, which is the formal step of a student entering the Buddhist path.
Visit ethannichtern.com for more information on how you can step onto the path and enter the yearlong study program for 2022.
On episode 111 of the Insight Hour Podcast, Joseph Goldstein offers responses to 11 questions on topics such as selflessness, Right Effort, shame, cravings, and obsessive thoughts.
This week’s Joseph Goldstein dharma talk, 11 Questions and Responses, was originally published on Dharma Seed: https://dharmaseed.org/
Physicist, musician, & author, Dr. Stephon Alexander, joins Francesca in a conversation bridging physics, jazz music, race, inspirational teachers, and why it’s important to think outside the box. Dr. Stephon Alexander is a theoretical physicist, musician and author whose work is at the interface between cosmology, particle physics and quantum gravity. He works on the connection between the smallest and largest entities in the universe, pushing Einstein’s theory of curved space-time to extremes, beyond the big bang with subatomic phenomena. Alexander is a professor of physics at Brown University and the president of the National Society of Black Physicists. In his critically acclaimed book The Jazz of Physics, Alexander revisits the ancient interconnection between music and the evolution of astrophysics and the laws of motion. In his new book Fear of a Black Universe, he invites the field of physics to embrace the unknown. More info: StephonAlexander.com
In this unique recording from 1975, Ram Dass explores the concept of reference groups, how they can affect our identity, and what it means when we enter into the community of the spirit.
Legendary artists, Allyson and Alex Grey join Chris in conversation around Ram Dass, psychedelics, spirituality, and Entheon—their new visionary art sanctuary & interfaith temple.
Visionary artists, wise psychonauts, and podcasters, Allyson and Alex Grey are co-founders & Ministers of CoSM, the Chapel of Sacred Mirrors, a transformational art based non-profit which grew into an interfaith church and thriving artist community. Allyson and Alex are currently in the process of constructing Entheon, a sanctuary for visionary art, and sacred, nondenominational temple and hub for visionary artists and inner-seekers. Allyson and Alex host Sunday Art Church events, fusing creativity and dharma; as well as Full Moon Gatherings, which bring together artists, musicians, wisdom teachers, and free-thinkers to honor our cosmic alignment with nature and the creative forces. For a deep dive into their minds, check out their new podcast, The CoSM Podcast, and for updates on Entheon, CoSM, their art and events, visit their website CoSM.org
A flowing and mystical Jack Kornfield opens our hearts to the vast spiritual mystery of death and impermanence.
Just in time for Halloween and the transition into the winter season, Jack Kornfield shares a timely lecture on death from his ongoing Spirit Rock Monday night livestreams.
For episode 166 of the Metta Hour Podcast, Sharon speaks with Reverend Cathy Bristow.
Rev. Cathy is an ordained Interfaith Minister and the founder and principal of Bridges, a consulting firm whose mission is to re-language and initiate fresh conversations about race, gender, and diversity. She is deeply involved in social justice work and provides free seminars on Brain Health and the impact of spirituality.
Rev. Cathy and Sharon begin the conversation together, speaking about how New York City is recovering from the effects of COVID-19. Rev. Cathy then shares her history of how she organically found her ongoing prayer life through the practice of “going quiet.” She talks about the power and purpose of storytelling as a healing vessel in her mentorship work and how she is embarking on the research of storytelling as a contemplative practice as connected to brain science for women who identify as black. They discuss the power of love (and self-love) as a force for change and personal resilience. Rev Cathy shares the importance of leadership training in her mentorship programs for black women and the modeling of vertical and horizontal inclusion. They also dive into a few of the topics of Sharon’s yet to be titled new book: the life cycles of expansion and contraction. The episode closes with Rev. Cathy leading a Gratitude Practice to close out the conversation.
Can you get mysticism in a bottle? Alan Watts explores the drug question, in this psychedelically infused episode of Being in the Way.
In this talk at San Jose State during the counterculture bloom and LSD peak of the mid 1960s, Alan shares a nuanced and well-rounded approach to the psychedelic experience, sharing personal antidotes of his first two LSD trips, as well as outlining the benefits and pitfalls of taking drugs on both cultural and spiritual levels.
Psychologist and author, Dr. Mitch Abblett, joins Raghu to share about ‘Prizing’ – his mindfulness protocol for parents to connect with their children in the present moment.
Dr. Mitch Abblett is a clinical psychologist, author, consultant, podcaster, and national and international speaker with publications including: Prizeworthy and The Five Hurdles to Happiness, among others. He speaks and trains nationally and internationally on the applications of mindfulness for enhancing professional and personal communication patterns, and he has served as the Executive Director of the Institute for Meditation and Psychotherapy. For more offerings, and info on his new Prize of Possibility podcast, please visit, DrMitchAbblett.com
“Prizing is the reward in and of itself for the parent and the child in that moment—that moment of inter-being—the interpenetration and dropping even for just a moment of the narrative. There’s a reinforcement in that it’s positive, it connects, so you can at least temporarily drop out of fixation on outcomes that you can’t control.” – Mitch Abblett PhD
Hawaiian spiritual leaders and musicians, Lei'ohu Ryder and Maydeen 'Iao join Mirabai to talk Ram Dass and share blessings of Aloha from Maui.
Lei‘ohu Ryder is a Hawaiian spiritual leader, visionary, singer/songwriter, healer, and educator. Along with her partner Maydeen ‘Iao, they are Kumu Aloha (emissaries of aloha) and advocates for the Indigenous Soul in all people. Their love and knowledge of Hawai‘i, help us connect with our selves, with Spirit, and the essence of Aloha. They offer their services, in person, on Maui, in Hawai'i, and online through blessings, music, public speaking, intensives, counseling, healing work, wedding ceremonies, and funeral services... all with Aloha. Lei'ohu's talents and knowledge are honored and acknowledged throughout her extended Global Ohana. She has received the Gandhi-King Peace Hero Award, the Peace Educator Award from the United Nations, the Woman of Honor Award from Women's History Month, the Educator Award from the Peace Corps, and the Malama Ka'Aina Award from the Sierra Club. Lei'ohu and Maydeen have shared the legacy teachings of Aloha throughout Asia Pacific, the Middle East, Europe and North America. More info: LeiohuRyder.com
"Lei'ohu and Maydeen created the vessel of Aloha spirit at the beginning and ending of each five-day retreat, allowing us to absorb the Spirit of Aloha while we were meditating, doing yoga, listening to Ram Dass, and chanting with Krishna Das. It was all held in Aloha. They made that gift to us" – Mirabai Bush
Ethan Nichtern speaks with Oliver Burkeman about his new book, Four Thousand Weeks, and how a constant emphasis on productivity prevents us from being in the present moment.
Oliver Burkeman is the author of The Antidote: Happiness for People Who Can’t Stand Positive Thinking. His new book, Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals, is now available. Oliver wrote a long-running weekly column on psychology for The Guardian, "This Column Will Change Your Life," and his work has also appeared in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Psychologies, and New Philosopher. Learn more about him at oliverburkeman.com, plus be sure to follow him on Twitter.
Beatriz & Terry Sheldon MD join Francesca to explore Complex Integration of Multiple Brain Systems, their new innovative psychotherapy paradigm.
Beatriz Sheldon M.Ed, Psych, has practiced psychotherapy for forty years in four languages. She has received specialized post-graduate training in short-term dynamic psychotherapy at McGill University in Montreal, and is director of a psychotherapy training program for advanced clinicians in Vancouver. She and Albert have researched and taught psychotherapy together for 20 years. Albert Sheldon, MD, a clinical professor of psychiatry at the University of Washington, Seattle, has specialized in the research, practice, and training of psychotherapy for 35 years. Dr. Sheldon received a Bush Medical Fellowship to study psychotherapeutic processes from a psychophysiological perspective. The development of the CIMBS paradigm is a result of the Sheldon’s research and teaching experiential psychotherapy to clinicians throughout North America and Europe. More info: ComplexIntegrationmbs.com
Krishna Das shares stories about his guru, Maharaj-ji, gives suggestions for dealing with loneliness and offers a rare ektara bhajan sung by Sita in The Ramayana.
This time on the Here and Now podcast, Ram Dass helps us better understand the mechanics of the mind.
Recorded in the summer of 1989, Ram Dass offers us some very useful methods for recognizing and avoiding the entrapments of our mind.
Join Love Serve Remember Foundation to Honor Ram Dass and Celebrate the 50th Anniversary of 'Be Here Now' with an Immersive Experience and Concert at WISDOME LA on October 24!
For episode 164 of the Metta Hour Podcast, Sharon talks with her longtime friend and colleague, Bob Thurman. Known in the academic circles as Professor Robert A.F. Thurman, Bob is a talented popularizer of the Buddha’s teachings and the first Westerner Tibetan Buddhist monk ordained by His Holiness the Dalai Lama. He is the author of many books on Tibet, Buddhism, art, politics, and culture and was named by The New York Times the leading American expert on Tibetan Buddhism. Bob is a Professor of Indo-Tibetan Buddhist Studies at Columbia University and the Co-Founder and President of Tibet House US/Menla in service of HH Dalai Lama and the people of Tibet. A close friend of the Dalai Lama’s for over 50 years, he is a leading worldwide lecturer on Tibetan Buddhism and a passionate activist for the plight of the Tibetan people. In August of 2021, he released his most recent book, “Wisdom is Bliss” from Penguin Random House.
In this episode, Sharon and Bob reflect on when they first met in the early 70s, and Bob shared his story of what drew him to the east, and ultimately Tibetan Buddhism. They discuss Bob’s new book at length, the teachings of the Four Noble Truths, and how they can be helpful, fun, and friendly. The conversation closes with Bob leading a guided meditation practice.
Learn more about Bob’s work and offerings at bobthurman.com
In ‘On Being God,’ Alan shares on therapy, religion, mystical experiences, & Jesus, before playing the hilarious and light-shedding role of a clinical patient who realizes they’re God. Following in the fashion of the last episode (Zen Bones), Mark Watts introduces another big-hall presentation from Alan Watts which creatively and colorfully explores western therapy and religion in relationship to the eastern mystical or altered state experience.
This talk, aptly titled, ‘On Being God,’ was recorded in 1971 in New York City at a conference for western therapy and eastern religion, and features a unique experiment in which Alan positions himself as a clinical patient who believes themself to be God, giving way to lively, hilarious, and enlightening responses to a stream of audience questions.
For episode 163 of the Metta Hour Podcast, Sharon speaks with Vlada Bortnik.
Vlada is co-founder and CEO of Marco Polo, the popular video communication app that so many have relied on in this past year and a half of covid! Vlada is an immigrant from the former Soviet Union, and her path to Silicon Valley has been one of determination and steadfast passion for making the world a happier place. Vlada’s approach to life as a busy mom and tech CEO is grounded in mindfulness and meditation.
The conversation starts with Vlada and Sharon discussing Marco Polo and how the app has connected folks, especially during COVID. Vlada shares her observations about how the development of email, text, and social media has changed the way that people connect in the last twenty years and how the evolution of public-facing connections has increased loneliness for so many. They talk about the Marco Polo app and the different features it offers to promote real connection. Vlada shares about her early life and how her family immigrated to the United States from the Soviet Union. Sharon tells some stories about her covertly teaching meditation in the Soviet Union in the late 1980s with Joseph Goldstein. They talk about how Vlada came to meditation practice and how it has affected her life as a mother, her work life as a CEO, and the culture she has built at Marco Polo.
This time on the Living with Reality podcast, Dr. Robert Svoboda speaks with Paula Crossfield about living our dharma, the Eighth House in astrology, and their journey to finding Ayurveda. This conversation on finding Ayurveda, between Dr. Svoboda and his media manager, Paula Crossfield, first appeared on Paula’s podcast, Weave Your Bliss.
For more great teachings from Dr. Svoboda, please visit drsvoboda.teachable.com.
Jack Kornfield shares how we can apply parenting wisdom to our personal spiritual practice to heal and train our inner child. This dharma talk was recorded on Jan 1st, 1988 at Spirit Rock Meditation Center, and originally published on Dharma Seed.
In this Q&A session from 1989, Ram Dass answers questions about addiction, greed, and lust, and talks about the chain of reactivity that fuels our deepest attachments.
Robert Thurman and Raghu Markus embark on a Mindrolling conversation that touches on why wisdom is bliss and passes along four friendly fun facts that can change your life.
Robert Thurman is the Jey Tsong Khapa Professor of Indo-Tibetan Buddhist Studies in the Department of Religion at Columbia University and President of the Tibet House U.S., and is the President of the American Institute of Buddhist Studies. His new book, Wisdom Is Bliss: Four Friendly Fun Facts That Can Change Your Life, is now available. Keep up with Robert at bobthurman.com.
David and Michael begin a multi-part exploration between student and teacher around the basics of mindfulness practice.
Join an online weekend workshop with David that offers a comprehensive introduction to the foundational Buddhist meditation practices of mindfulness and meditation - INTRO TO MINDFULNESS & THE PATH OF MEDITATION OCTOBER 15th - 17th: https://www.dharmamoon.com/intro-to-mindfulness
Exploring the question ‘Why do we sit?’ JoAnna Hardy takes us on a Buddhist journey through nature, Dharma, wandering forest monks, facing fear, the Second Arrow, & The Four Noble Truths. JoAnna Hardy is an insight meditation (Vipassanā) practitioner and teacher; She is on Faculty at the University of Southern California, Founding member of the Meditation Coalition, a teacher’s council member at Spirit Rock Meditation Center, iBme, visiting retreat teacher at Insight Meditation Society, and collaborator on many online meditation apps and programs. For more information, upcoming events, offerings, or to book a one-on-one session, please visit JoannaHardy.org
In this guided meditation from 1977, Joseph Goldstein plays the Big Mind Game, which is a practice of establishing a very still and deep balance of the mind. This Joseph Goldstein selection from April 14, 1977, at a two-week meditation retreat in Julian, California, was originally published on Dharma Seed.
In this episode of the Brown Rice Hour, Konda Mason welcomes Carol Cano for a conversation around hands-on healing, cross-cultural mindfulness, and the importance of our origin stories. Carol Cano brings a unique combination of Basque, Native American and Buddhist influences into her teaching. She is the founder of Braided Wisdom, a non-profit that empowers diverse communities by fostering transformational change through integrating indigenous wisdom teachings and cross-cultural mindfulness practices. Carol also co-founded Philippine Insight Meditation Community in the Philippines and is a teacher at Spirit Rock Meditation Center. You can learn more about her at carolcano.com.
Tibetan Master, Mingyur Rinpoche returns with Raghu and Krishna Das to illuminate how we can move from fear and self-hatred to the love and compassion of our innate Buddha Nature.
Born in 1975, Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche is a much-loved and accomplished Tibetan Buddhist meditation teacher. From a young age, he was drawn to a life of contemplation. In addition to extensive training in the meditative and philosophical traditions of Tibetan Buddhism, Rinpoche has maintained a lifelong interest in Western science and psychology. Rinpoche currently teaches throughout the world, with centers on four continents. His candid and often humorous accounts of his own personal difficulties have endeared him to Buddhist and non-Buddhist students alike. Learn more about Rinpoche and find his worldwide teaching schedule at tergar.org.
Celebrate Be Here Now's 50th anniversary with an in-depth look at the Cookbook For A Sacred Life in our new Ram Dass 21 Day E-Course starting Sept. 13th.
Rock Climbing Pioneer, Arno Ilgner joins David to share how to face our fears, follow our inspirations, and become more authentic human beings by following the mental training of The Warrior's Way.
Arno Ilgner distinguished himself as a pioneering rock climber in the 1970s and ‘80s when the top climbs were bold and dangerous first ascents. These personal exploits are the foundation for his unique mental training program – The Warrior’s Way – inspired through warrior-based spiritual traditions and literature from notables like Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche. Arno has authored The Rock Warrior's Way, as well as, Espresso Lessons, as written guides for rock climbing, mental training, motivation, and alchemizing stress into comfort. For more information on his training programs and offerings, please visit: WarriorsWay.com
David recently launched Dharma Moon – a website offering Workshops/Courses, Teacher Trainings, Mentoring & more, at www.DharmaMoon.com
Ethan Nichtern welcomes back Kate Johnson for a conversation around ways that the Buddha’s teachings on friendship offer the potential for personal and communal transformation.
Kate Johnson is a meditation teacher, facilitator, and author of Radical Friendship: Seven Ways to Love Yourself and Find Your People in an Unjust World. She teaches classes and retreats integrating Buddhist meditation, somatics, social justice and creativity at Spirit Rock Meditation Center, the Kripalu Center, the Omega Institute, the Rubin Museum NYC, and the Institute of Contemporary Art in Philadelphia. Kate also works as a culture change consultant, partnering with organizations to help them achieve greater equity and sustainability in their inner and outer work. Learn more about her at katejohnson.com.
In this practice-steeped dharma talk, a hilarious and engaging Mingyur Rinpoche invites the audience into an array of guided meditations and thought experiments around relaxed open awareness. Born in 1975, Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche is a much-loved and accomplished Tibetan Buddhist meditation teacher. From a young age, he was drawn to a life of contemplation. In addition to extensive training in the meditative and philosophical traditions of Tibetan Buddhism, Rinpoche has maintained a lifelong interest in Western science and psychology. Rinpoche currently teaches throughout the world, with centers on four continents. His candid and often humorous accounts of his own personal difficulties have endeared him to Buddhist and non-Buddhist students alike. Learn more about Rinpoche and find his worldwide teaching schedule at tergar.org.
In this episode of Healing at the Edge, Ram Dev dives deeply into the subjects of devotion and faith, plus leads a guided meditation that incorporates a practice called guru yoga.
In celebration of the 50th anniversary of Be Here Now, electronic producers Jon Hopkins and East Forest join Raghu to talk, Sit Around The Fire, their new Ram Dass music meditation experience.
Jon Hopkins is a Grammy-nominated electronic music producer who has created alongside Brian Eno, Coldplay, & David Holmes. In celebration of the 50th Anniversary of Be Here Now, Jon has come together with digital music shaman, East Forest, in creation of Sit Around The Fire, a dynamic music-meditation featuring Ram Dass, and accented with moving art from the original brown pages of Be Here Now. This special track, dropping Sept 2nd, will be part of Jon Hopkins’ new album Music For Psychedelic Therapy available everywhere November 6th 2021.
“It’s not a simple piece, but it was writing itself. And never have a felt so much just like a vessel. This place was pouring it’s wisdom into the sound.” – Jon Hopkins
Watch the music video here: Jon Hopkins with Ram Dass, East Forest - Sit Around The Fire (Official Video)
Nikki Walton welcomes Sharon Salzberg for a conversation around dealing with fear, the path to happiness, staying in the heart space of lovingkindness, and much more.
Sharon Salzberg is a meditation pioneer, world-renowned teacher, and New York Times bestselling author. Get more about fear, happiness, and lovingkindness from Sharon on her Metta Hour Podcast, plus check out all her offerings at sharonsalzberg.com.
Reflecting on our intrinsic Basic Goodness, Jack outlines how acceptance, trust, meditation, and faith in the heart can help us navigate life’s 10,000 joys and sorrows.
This dharma talk was recorded on March 3rd, 1986 at Spirit Rock Meditation Center and was originally published on Dharma Seed.
David Silver returns to interview grammy-nominated recording artist, John Forté, about his upcoming album – Vessels, Angels & Ancestors – featuring Ram Dass, and debuting on Soul Land Records.
This episode of the Mindrolling Podcast with Raghu Markus is brought to you by BetterHelp.
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About this episode's guest:
Grammy-nominated recording artist, filmmaker, writer, and activist John Forté was first recognized for his work with the multi-platinum hip-hop group The Fugees. Since then, Forté has been involved in a number of creative and advocacy-based projects. As a classically trained hip-hop and pop veteran, Forté blends sleek rhythms and catchy hooks – in the process turning some difficult life experiences into introspective, uplifting music. His new album Vessels, Angels & Ancestors will release this autumn on Soul Land Records.
Advaita scholar, Acharya Shunya, joins Raghu to talk nonduality, growing up in Ayodhya, reinventing tradition, wholeness over holiness, maryada, The Ramayana, & the guru.
Acharya Shunya is a wisdom teacher and a catalyst for empowering health and elevating consciousness worldwide. She is an award-winning and internationally renowned author, speaker and scholar of nondual wisdom (Advaita), and a classically-trained master of Yoga and Ayurveda. She recently released Sovereign Self: Claim Your Inner Joy and Freedom with the Empowering Wisdom of the Vedas, Upanishads, and Bhagavad Gita. For more information, please visit AcharyaShunya.com
"My tradition is asking me to lead the boldest version of my life possible. From inner peace, from dharma, and from authenticity." – Acharya Shunya
Uncovering how we arise mutually with all things, Alan Watts examines our place in the universe and how very natural it is to be human. Continuing the last episode’s dharma talk on Taoism, relativity, and the connections between you and not-you; Mark introduces part two of his father’s classic talk, Being in the Way – a fundamental lecture by Alan explaining mutual arising within the context of a human-populated, yet ever-changing universe.
“You can be untaught. In other words, your mind can be wiped clean, and you can experience yourself as a whirlpool of energy in a stream which is the Tao, which is the total course of nature, the energy field of the whole cosmos.” – Alan Watts
In this Guru Purnima dharma talk, Dr. Robert Svoboda shares stories of Dattatreya exemplifying how everything is the Guru.
In this special Hindu-holiday Story Time episode of Living With Reality introduced by Paula Crossfield. Dr. Svoboda tells dharma stories of Dattatreya, who was said to be an emanation of the Trinity, and who first developed the spiritual path called Aghora, with Lord Shiva as his first disciple. Exploring these colorful, bhav-steeped, timeless lilas, Dr. Svoboda shares the innate, intuitive wisdom of Dattatreya – who learned from 24 gurus who didn't actually know they were his guru. Jai Gurudev.
"Dattatreya—Datta + treya—he is the one who has given up the three. The three being: the three Maha Gunas – Sattva, Rajas, and Tamas... the coverings the keep us from recognizing the supreme reality." – Dr. Robert Svoboda
With a little help from Carlos Castaneda and Don Juan, Jack Kornfield explores the Seven Factors of Enlightenment and how we can all become impeccable warriors.
This episode of the Jack Kornfield's Heart Wisdom Podcast is brought to you by BetterHelp.
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“One of the wonderful things about practice is each moment, in each thing we do in our life, is a new opportunity to be mindful, to be complete, to be whole. It’s never too late, and it’s never lost. It’s just now, again.” – Jack Kornfield
This Jack Kornfield talk from June 16, 1982 at the Insight Meditation Society Retreat Center was originally published on https://dharmaseed.org.
Author & spiritual coach, Neal Allen, joins Raghu to vulnerably discuss facing our defenses head-on to discover God inside, and shares personal dharma stories involving his wife, Anne Lamott.
This episode of the Mindrolling Podcast with Raghu Markus is brought to you by BetterHelp.
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About today's guest:
Neal Allen is a spiritual coach and writer, who after careers as a journalist and corporate executive, has spent his time studying and exploring spiritual traditions, both traditional and new age. He just released Shapes of Truth: Discover God Inside You, which reveals a recent, spectacular discovery about the human soul, and contains a special introduction from his wife, bestselling author, and no stranger to Be Here Now Network, Anne Lamott – who he lives and gardens with in Northern California.
"All I have to do is spend time in the screwed up defenses that I have established for myself, and simply by watching them in operation and questioning their assumptions and motivations – all the good stuff will show up. I don't have to point myself ever to the good stuff. I don't have to point myself to nirvana. I don't have to fake it till I make it. I don't have to do anything except for remove my defensive systems, then nirvana just pours in." – Neal Allen
For Episode 160 of the Metta Hour, Sharon speaks with Gala Narezo.
Gala is a mother, artist, educator, and consultant whose work focuses on weaving awareness and reflection into all aspects of life. As a meditator for over 20 years, she believes that time spent reflecting on and integrating our experience helps us understand our context, know who we are, and manifest our purpose. Her work celebrates mindful change-making through the arts and has focused on youth advocacy, plastic bag legislation, immigration, and women’s rights. She has taught students of all ages in various venues, including the Art Center College of Design, Pratt Institute, The Hotchkiss School, The Shambhala Center, MNDFL, and many more.
The conversation starts with Gala sharing how she came to meditation, after experiencing mental health challenges as a teen. They speak at length about how creativity can serve as a vessel for mindfulness and how to bring creativity into different aspects of our lives. Sharon discusses the ways many folks feel inherently non-creative due to conditioning and how to overcome those barriers to find greater self-expression. Gala speaks about her perspective as a mother and how to integrate mindfulness practice into parenting, especially during the pandemic. Lastly, the conversation moves toward social action, Gala’s long history as an activist, and tips for those looking to become more involved in social change. Closing the conversation, Gala leads a guided pranayama breathing meditation.
Learn more about Gala's work at galanarezo.net
Sharon Salzberg joins Joseph Goldstein to talk about how Metta (lovingkindness) is an expression of generosity, and to answer questions from the audience at the 2018 Open Your Heart in Paradise Retreat on Maui. Don’t miss Joseph and Sharon’s previous conversation about generosity as a practice on Insight Hour Ep. 107
Krishna Das answers questions about raising Kundalini, how chanting can help us deal with suffering, and the influence of great beings on our lives, plus he leads a round of chanting.
This ‘Hanging in the Heart Space’ session was recorded live on January 28th, 2021. Join KD in virtual Satsang every Thursday at 4 pm PST for the live recordings of ‘Hanging in the Heart Space‘ – featuring music, conversation, & live Q&A with KD. Livestream airs on Instagram, Facebook and Youtube.
Raghu Markus welcomes fellow podcaster Brandon Beachum to Mindrolling for a conversation encircling the concepts of abundance and power.
Brandon Beachum is the author of The Golden Key and host of The Positive Head Podcast. To learn more about Brandon and his work, follow him on Instagram.
Head to GoldenKey.Gift and download Brandon’s book (audio or e-book) as a gift using the code ‘mindrolling’
Trevor Hall returns with Raghu to talk fatherhood, touring again, his new album In and Through the Body, the Soul Land Music Series, and staying at home in yourself.
In this special, music-filled episode of Mindrolling, Raghu and Trevor Hall invite you into a virtual hang session – kicking back and listening to specially curated Trevor Hall tracks, live performances, remixes, and a moving kirtan – amidst catching up with Trevor about touring post-pandemic, his new album, and life as a new father.
Listen to Trevor Hall’s new album, In and Through the Body, and check out his upcoming live tour dates, on TrevorHallMusic.com
My Own: Meeting in Soul Land Welcoming longtime friend and soulfully talented musician, Trevor Hall, back to the Mindrolling podcast, Raghu divulges both of their ‘secret dharma names’ and reveals their spiritual meanings. After sharing Trevor’s synchronistic connections to Maharajji and the Ram Dass satsang; Raghu introduces a live performance of ‘My Own‘ from the inaugural autumn season of the Soul Land Music Series: Songs & Stories Inspired by Ram Dass.
“The song ‘My Own’ was greatly inspired by Sri Sarada Devi, who was affectionately referred to as the Holy Mother, and was the wife of Sri Ramakrishna. One of the things she instructed in one’s relationship toward spirit or the divine, is that – that thing, that space – is one’s very own. She stressed this point more than once, that to be one’s very own is the most intimate of relationships.” – Trevor Hall
In and Through the Body: Fatherhood, Pandemic, & Live Music (18:01) After chatting spiritual longing and sharing devotional poetry, Raghu asks Trevor to dig into the bevy of changes washing through his life over the past year. Describing the multifold change of pace brought about by the joys of becoming a father, as well as the difficulties of being a musician during the pandemic, Trevor talks the emotions of returning to live performances at Red Rocks, as well as the energy surrounding his ongoing & upcoming tours and new album In and Through the Body
“Red Rocks? A month away? I haven’t played with my band for like two years… But we pulled it together, made it happen. It was wild to be up there again – the craziest feeling. In some ways it was like we never left, and in other ways it was like, ‘What the fuck is going on right now?’ It was just so many emotions.” – Trevor Hall
Staying at Home in Yourself: Soul Family (36:00) Sharing on the importance of finding home within oneself, Trevor relays a storied lila surrounding Maharajji’s instructions about ‘staying at home’ to one of his closest devotees, Dada. Tuning back to the sound waves, Raghu plays a rework of Trevor Hall’s track: ‘her,’ featuring Trevor’s wife, Emory, and remixed by Soul Land alumni, East Forest.
“If we can all get to a place where we are home, we’re relaxed, we’re present, we’re being here now, and we understand ‘that thing there’ is gonna take care, and we take care alongside of it, then you really have a sense of home, and a sense of perspective that’s not from the story you tell yourself.” – Raghu Markus
Rampriya Kirtan (1:02:06) To close the podcast, Raghu reads a devotional poem and shares a recording of a powerful live kirtan from Trevor Hall to the Divine Mother.
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Mindrolling – Raghu Markus – Ep. 401 – In and Through the Body with Trevor Hall: https://youtu.be/qdlAteu4ck0 Mindrolling – Raghu Markus – Ep. 401 – In and Through the Body with Trevor Hall: https://beherenownetwork.com/mindrolling-raghu-markus-ep-401-in-and-through-the-body-with-trevor-hall/
On this episode of Here and Now, Ram Dass breaks down the history of psychedelic use and helps us in understanding the risks and the rewards of these consciousness-altering chemicals.
This episode of Ram Dass’ Here & Now Podcast is brought to you by BetterHelp. A professional counseling service done securely online. A convenient and affordable way to find the particular expertise you need – wherever you are worldwide. BetterHelp will assess your needs and match you with your own licensed professional therapist.
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In this timeless dharma talk from 1977, Jack Kornfield explores working with wisdom, power, and knowledge on your spiritual path, and why it’s so important to walk the Middle Way.
This Jack Kornfield talk from the Insight Meditation Society Retreat Center was originally published on Dharma Seed.
This episode of Jack Kornfield’s Wisdom Hour is brought to you by BetterHelp. A professional counseling service done securely online. An affordable and convenient way to find the particular expertise you need – wherever you are worldwide. BetterHelp will assess your needs and match you with your own licensed professional therapist.
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Dr. Sará King joins Raghu Markus for a conversation around cultivating perspective, working through trauma, and how we can become the embodiment of intergenerational healing.
This episode of the Mindrolling Podcast with Raghu Markus is brought to you by BetterHelp. A professional counseling service done securely online. A convenient and affordable way to find the particular expertise you need – wherever you are worldwide. BetterHelp will assess your needs and match you with your own licensed professional therapist.
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From the 2018 Open Your Heart in Paradise Retreat on Maui, old friends Joseph Goldstein and Sharon Salzberg join forces to explore generosity as a form of mindfulness practice.
Don’t miss out on Sharon’s Salzberg’s Metta Hour Podcast on the Be Here Now Network!
This episode of Joseph Goldstein’s Insight Hour is brought to you by BetterHelp. A professional counseling service done securely online. A convenient and affordable way to find the particular expertise you need – wherever you are worldwide. BetterHelp will assess your needs and match you with your own licensed professional therapist.
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For episode 158 of the Metta hour, Sharon is joined by Michael Schauch.
Michael is a mountaineer, entrepreneur, and author. With early success as an entrepreneur at age 15 and over 20 years of global financial investment experience, Michael brings his business acumen and altruistic heart to lead and support local and international mentorship, fundraising, and educational initiatives. These include girls' and student mentorship education in Nepal, outdoor youth leadership training, and holistic Indigenous leadership development in British Columbia. In 2020, Michael released his first book, A Story of Karma: Finding Love and Truth in the Lost Valley of the Himalaya.
In this conversation, Michael shares about his 2012 expedition to a remote valley that had been previously closed off to outsiders in the Himalayas of northern Nepal. His journey resulted in the meeting of a little girl named Karma, which was the most profound encounter of Michael's life. Michael shares how this chance encounter changed the trajectory of his life and eventually inspired him to write his book, A Story of Karma. The episode closes with Michael leading a guided visualization and meditation to finish the conversation.
Learn more about Michael's story and his book A Story of Karma at michaelschauch.com
This episode of Sharon Salzberg’s Metta Hour is brought to you by BetterHelp. We’re honored to partner with a platform that brings confidential and convenient therapy wherever you are. BetterHelp will assess your needs and match you with your own licensed professional therapist. Start living a happier life, explore your inner world with a professional therapist in under 48 hours.
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Larry Ward Ph.D. joins Francesca to uncover 'America's Racial Karma,' exploring the healing intersection of Buddhism and race in America.
Exploring how to keep an open heart in difficult times, Ram Dev shares a Tibetan Tonglen guided meditation for cultivating compassion for all suffering beings. Frightened of Finishing Netflix...
Opening the podcast by sharing a list of short coronavirus memoirs written by people during the height of the pandemic, Ram Dev invites us to feel the poignancy of the suffering people are going through. Pointing to spiritual practice as a true anchor of wellbeing during difficult times, he speaks to the potency of global practices, like Tonglen and Loving Kindness, which compassionately encompass all sentient beings.
"You have to have a deep enough connection with self, with God, with practice, that you can realize that your heart is boundless and you can take in all that suffering." – Ram Dev (Dale Borglum)
For episode 157 of the Metta hour, Sharon speaks with meditator, writer, and speaker, Yung Pueblo - aka Diego Perez.
Widely known by his pen name Yung Pueblo, Diego's practice of Vipassana meditation has given him a deeper understanding of liberation and inspires him to reach hundreds of thousands of people online every month through his writing. He is the author of several books, including Clarity & Connection, which was just released in April 2021, instantly becoming a New York Times bestseller.
This conversation begins with Diego reflecting on the release of his new book, Clarity & Connection, and some insight into his writing process for the book. They speak about the unique moment that much of the world is in now, starting to transition from the pandemic lockdown and the new definition of resilience that is being asked of us. They also share about the role that grief has played in the past year and how to take the wisdom of grief forward into daily life. They go on to discuss how meditation practice can serve as a basis for healthy relating to others, as well as ourselves. Diego shares about the role that trauma can have in our relationships and how that affects the way we shape our lives. They also discuss some of the nuances of relating to those we do not share the same morals with and cultivating a greater capacity for extending our love beyond those who are similar to us. Diego asks Sharon her perspective on the concepts of healing versus liberation in the context of the Buddhist traditions. The conversation closes with Diego leading a reflection on reconnecting to the bigger picture of your path as it unfolds in your life.
Author and spiritual teacher, Stephen Jay, joins Nikki to discuss the Infinite Way, Herb Fitch, Joel Goldsmith, and discovering your true identity by remembering who you are.
Stephen Jay is an author and spiritual teacher whose lifework alongside his wife, Lynn Jay, is aimed at sharing the wisdom teachings of transformational 20th century mystic, Herb Fitch. Chosen to carry the Infinite Way teachings lineage started by Joel Goldsmith; Stephen, alongside Lynn, has written three volumes of the Condensed Wisdom of Herb Fitch, and continues to share the deep wisdom encased in discovering one's spiritual identity.
Wake up when you wake up: Join Nikki for a daily new morning podcast dharma series: Go(o)d Mornings with Curly Nikki
B. Alan Wallace joins Raghu to reconcile science and spirituality within the context of Tibetan Buddhism's Great Perfection.
B. Alan Wallace PhD is a frequent translator and contributor to meetings between the Dalai Lama and prominent scientists and philosophers, and he has written and translated more than 40 books, including Minding Closely: The Four Foundations of Mindfulness. He is the founder and director of the Santa Barbara Institute for Consciousness Studies and of the Centers for Contemplative Research in Castellina Marittima in Tuscany and in Crestone, Colorado. For more info, please visit AlanWallace.org
In this dharma talk from 1986, Jack Kornfield explores a few truths about life that are really all we need to know, and how our direct experiences of these truths lead to freedom.
This Jack Kornfield talk given at Spirit Rock in 1986 was originally published on Dharma Seed.
Sharing the lila of Rama & Sita in the Ramayana, Krishna Das helps free us from the gravity of separateness orbiting the 'Planet of Me.'
In this 'Hanging in the Heart Space' session from January 21st 2021, Krishna Das answers audience questions exploring the lila of Rama & Sita in the Ramayana, freeing oneself from the gravity of the 'Planet of Me,' devotion's relationship to emotion, Siddhi Ma's connection to Maharajji, facing obstacles to practice, motivation for chanting, Hanuman, being here now, and being '"real fakes" with Ram Dass.
Join KD in virtual Satsang every Thursday at 4 pm PST for the live recordings of ‘Hanging in the Heart Space‘ – featuring music, conversation, & live Q&A with KD. Livestream airs on Instagram, Facebook and Youtube
Spring Washam shares Buddhist wisdom on planting seeds of happiness, remembering who you are, and awakening for the benefit of all beings. In this dharma talk exploring the Buddhist quality of Bodhicitta—the awakened heart-mind—in relation to the Way of the Bodhisattva—awakening for the benefit of others—Spring Washam offers optimism and hope on the spiritual path. Sharing funny personal stories and enlightening Buddhist legends on cultivating seeds of happiness for the future by remembering who you truly are now, Spring uncovers the selfless, compassionate heart of the awakening Bodhisattva.
Adam Gust joins Francesca Maximé for a conversation about trauma, healing, and how incorporating the tools of somatic experiencing can help pave a new path in life. Adam Gust is a Los Angeles based drummer, producer, and educator. Head to his YouTube channel to learn more about Adam and check out his work as a drummer and a teacher.
Zen priest and poet, Zoketsu Norman Fischer, returns with Raghu to discuss God, death, time, and relationship at the intersection of Buddhism and Judaism. Zoketsu Norman Fischer is a poet and Zen Buddhist priest. For many years he has taught at the San Francisco Zen Center, the oldest and largest of the new Buddhist organizations in the West, where he served as Co-abbot from 1995-2000. He is presently a Senior Dharma Teacher there as well as the founder and spiritual director of the Everyday Zen Foundation, an organization dedicated to adapting Zen Buddhist teachings to Western culture. His new book, When You Greet Me I Bow: Notes and Reflections from a Life in Zen explores practice, relationship, social engagement, and spiritual creativity.
For more info please visit NormanFischer.org
For episode 156 of the Metta Hour Podcast, Sharon speaks with friend and colleague Tara Brach. Tara Brach has been practicing and teaching meditation since 1975, as well as leading workshops and meditation retreats at centers throughout North America and Europe. She has a PhD in clinical psychology, is the founder of the Insight Meditation Community of Washington and is the author of several beloved books: Radical Acceptance, True Refuge, and Radical Compassion. Her most recent book, Trusting the Gold: Uncovering Your Natural Goodness, has just been released by Sounds True in June of 2021.
In the conversation, Sharon and Tara speak about the inspiration for Tara’s new book, Trusting the Gold, and how it came into form as an illustrated project. They discuss the Buddhist concept of Basic Goodness, and how controversial this idea can be in the West.
Tara shares about her early years as a practitioner living in an Ashram, and how she struggled to be a perfect student while slowly opening to the truth of her own basic goodness. They discuss many different aspects of Basic Goodness, from the personal level, relational and communal levels, and how it is even more relevant as an antidote for isolation from the pandemic. Tara shares a breakdown of the practice of RAIN as a tool for when we’re triggered, and they both share different tactics for working with the feeling of powerlessness in the pandemic. To close the conversation, Tara leads a seven-minute guided meditation on Basic Goodness.
Find a wealth of resources, online courses, and practices with Tara at tarabrach.com
Chris-Anne Donnelly joins David Nichtern for a free-flowing conversation about creativity and muses, tarot cards, archetypal energy, and why magical thinking is highly strategic.
Chris-Anne Donnelly is a deck creator, artist, and magic-maker, as well as a marketing strategist. She has successfully Kickstarted three independent decks – The Sacred Creators Oracle, The Light Seer's Tarot, and The Muse Tarot – and offers unique courses for creators that combine marketing and branding with manifestation and intuition. Learn more about her at chris-anne.com and send her a DM on Instagram.
Zoey Markus, Raghu’s wise, talented, and entrepreneurial granddaughter, shares her Generation Z perspective on the pandemic, polarizing politics, racism, and kindness as a cure. In this special episode of Mindrolling, after elucidating classic wisdom from Ram Dass about the process of going from “somebody training,” to “becoming nobody,” Raghu introduces an interview with his multi-talented granddaughter, Zoey Markus. Exploring a Generation Z view on issues of hatred, racism, the pandemic, and polarizing politics; Zoey and Raghu offer wise solutions and antidotes swathed in creativity, mindfulness, and kindness.
Touching on the wave of collective grief cresting the planet, Dr. Svoboda offers practical Ayurvedic wisdom on working with negative emotions like loss and fear in the body. In this episode of Living With Reality, Paula Crossfield introduces a timely dharma talk from Dr. Robert Svoboda outlining both the collective and personal nuances of working through grief. Shedding light from the Ayurvedic perspective on how to transmute feelings of loss, fear, and emptiness into feelings of wholeness and fullness through proper breathing, eating, and acceptance, Dr. Svoboda relays wisdom of growth through the discomfort.
Check out Dr. Svoboda’s Online Courses & Satsangha for teachings and community around Ayurveda, the Senses, Vastu, our Microbiome, Hanuman, Ganesh, and more. Learn more about Paula Crossfield’s new podcast and ongoing offerings in Astrology, Ayurveda, Essential Oils, & more, at WeaveYourBliss.com
In this episode of Healing at the Edge, Ram Dev looks at meditation as a spiritual path itself, leads two different guided meditations, and explores the concept of emptiness.
Iconic drummer John Densmore joins Raghu Markus for a Mindrolling conversation that touches on the primal drumbeat of life, the poetry and complexity of Jim Morrison, and why silence is golden. John Densmore is best known for his iconic work as the drummer for the American rock and roll band, The Doors. On top of his musical successes, John is also an accomplished author, poet, playwright, and actor. His most recent book, The Seekers: Meetings with Remarkable Musicians (and Other Artists), investigates his own relationship with creativity and explores the meaning of artistry with other artists and performers.
In the premiere episode of Being in the Way – an Alan Watts podcast – Mark Watts and Raghu introduce a dharma talk on Taoism, the interdependence of nature, and dropping out of karma.
In this inaugural episode of Being in the Way - an Alan Watts podcast exclusively here on the Be Here Now Network - Alan's son, Mark Watts, introduces the show, uncovering the recorded treasure trove of wisdom collected of his father over the years, and stating the deep intention of Being in the Way: to 'see how his words resonate with current events and how they are changing our outlook as we emerge from a deep sleep as a culture.'
From the infamous 1974 Naropa summer sessions, Joseph Goldstein answers audience questions on love, wisdom, practice, perspective, metta, impermanence, silence, and cultivating loving thought.
In this vintage July 5th, 1974 dharma talk from Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche's Naropa University, nestled in the mountains in beautiful Boulder, Colorado, a young Joseph Goldstein shares meditation instructions for the Yogas of the Bhagavad Gita course he was invited to teach alongside Ram Dass during the Naropa grand opening summer sessions. Having first met and impressed Ram Dass with his deep practice and wisdom cultivation in Bodh Gaya in the early 1970's, this invitation and opportunity would open the door for Joseph's life path of teaching meditation and mindfulness.
Humble the Poet joins Nikki Walton to discuss how he builds up authentic confidence, why service is essential on the spiritual path, and the importance of having a spiritual guru.
Humble the Poet, AKA Kanwer Singh, is a Canadian-born rapper, spoken-word artist, poet, international bestselling author, and former elementary school teacher. He has performed at concerts and festivals including Lollapalooza, and been featured in major media including Buzzfeed and Huffington Post. His latest book is called Things No One Else Can Teach Us. Visit him at HumbleThePoet.com.
For episode 155 of the Metta Hour, Sharon speaks with Mark Nepo. Mark is an author, poet, and spiritual teacher with over 40 years of teaching experience.
Mark Nepo has published twenty-two books, including the New York Times bestseller The Book of Awakening, and his most recent release from 2020, The Book of Soul.
In this episode, Mark shared his personal journey that brought him to the spiritual path and writing. They discuss the coronavirus through stages of grief, and how the different stages of denial, anger, bartering, depression, and acceptance are reflective of different aspects of the collective. They talk about loss and grief as a process of destruction and reconstruction and how to honor each aspect of that process. They also discuss of the importance of meaning in mental health and in life in general. Mark offers some ideas for how to recover meaning for ourselves when we have lost it. He shares how we can individually and collectively determine what needs repair, what needs reimagining, and what needs to be left dismantled now that it’s been broken. Sharon asks Mark how he counsels people who are grappling with feelings of failure and brokenness, and how we can embrace the entirety of our experience. The episode closes with Mark reading a poem and offering a short reflective journaling prompt.
Find poetry and online offerings from Mark at marknepo.com
Shirley Turcotte, RCC, joins Francesca to discuss how Indigenous Focusing-Orientation Therapy techniques are medicine for remembering our collectivity.
Shirley Turcotte, RCC, is founder of the Indigenous Focusing-Orientation Therapy (IFOT), a Métis knowledge keeper and registered clinical counselor, working internationally with survivors of childhood abuses, torture, and complex traumas, including Residential School Syndrome. A pioneering activist in the areas of complex trauma therapeutic treatment and program development for Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal communities, she has received awards, including British Columbia’s Woman of Distinction Award in Health and Education. She is the lead instructor and clinical supervisor of two Aboriginal Programs with the Centre for Counseling and Community Safety at the Justice Institute of British Columbia. For more info please visit: Focusing Initiatives' IFOT page
This week on the Mindrolling podcast, Raghu shares a conversation with author James Nestor about the underestimated power of our breath and how we can work with it. James Nestor is an author and journalist who has written for Outside Magazine, The Atlantic, National Public Radio, The New York Times, Scientific American, Dwell Magazine, The San Francisco Chronicle, and more. His New York Times bestselling book Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art explores how the human species has lost the ability to breathe properly over the past several hundred thousand years and is now suffering from a laundry list of maladies — snoring, sleep apnea, asthma, autoimmune disease — because of it.
Visit mrjamesnestor.com to learn more about the book, start practicing with a collection of breathing exercise videos and find a comprehensive guide to breathing and Q&A with experts on how breathing relates to different medical conditions.
In this episode of the Be Here Now Guest Podcast, Nina Rao and Devadas Labrecque speak with Japna Tulsi about her film, Windfall of Grace, which details the story of Neem Karoli Baba. Japna Tulsi is a keen spiritual traveler. She has a background in Rural Development and has worked as a consultant with various NGOs in the field of environment and sustainable livelihoods. Responding to a deep desire to fulfill her higher calling, she embarked on a film project on Neem Karoli Baba in August 2017 as an amateur filmmaker. The result is Windall of Grace.
Devadas Labrecque is a devotee of Mata Amritanandamayi, a kirtaniya, a composer, and an artist hailing from Brooklyn, New York. He leads kirtans throughout the world and has produced a wide variety of recordings, including Nina Rao’s chant album, Antarayaami.
Go to windfallofgrace.com now to stream the film today.
Sharing a guided meditation and dharma talk, Jack explores the transformative power of Mudita – our innate sympathetic joy – through the childlike wonder of the Buddha. This meditation & dharma talk were originally streamed live by Spirit Rock on 4/12/21.
For more livestreams, meditations, & offerings, visit JackKornfield.com
Mirabai Bush welcomes Rhonda V. Magee for a conversation around the importance of narrative in social justice, the connection between love and justice, and much more. Rhonda V. Magee is a Professor of Law at the University of San Francisco, and has spent more than twenty years exploring the intersections of anti-racist education, social justice, and contemplative practices. She is an internationally recognized innovator, storyteller, thought and practice leader on integrating Mindfulness into Higher Education, Law and Social Justice, and author of The Inner Work of Racial Justice: Healing Ourselves and Transforming Our Communities Through Mindfulness. Learn more about Rhonda at rhondavmagee.com.
Illuminating the path to resting in embodied nonduality, Ram Dev leads a guided meditation & shares on bhakti devotion, emptiness, mindfulness, non-grasping, Kali, surrender, & unconditional love. Recognizing how disembodied so many of us have become in western culture through our relationship to media, the internet, electronics, and even all-too-heady spiritual practices; Ram Dev highlights a path to liberation and healing through engagement with our human body. Illustrating the steps to resting in nonduality through bhakti devotion, embodied mindfulness, and surrendering into the spacious heart, Ram Dev prepares us for the tantric realization of finding out who we really are.
“For most of us, healing happens by being in the body, being in the emotions, and bringing a meditative viewpoint to being with what it is that might be difficult” – Ram Dev (Dale Borglum)
On this episode of Living with Reality, Dr. Robert Svoboda covers the three Da’s: Dama (self-control), Daya (compassion) and Dāna (generosity). Subscribe to Dr. Svoboda’s Satsanga for access to over 70 hours of online classes and a new live class each month!
Mindfulness teacher Larry Yang joins Konda Mason for a conversation about the power of the immigrant experience, creating opportunities in the realm of mindfulness, and much more. Larry Yang teaches mindfulness and loving-kindness retreats nationally and has a special interest in creating access to the Dharma for diverse, multicultural communities. He is the author of Awakening Together: The Spiritual Practice of Inclusivity and Community, and is also a senior advisor in Mindfulness and Healing Justice for the Kataly Foundation. Learn more about him at larryyang.org.
In this virtual journey through 1970s India, Raghu, Krishna Das, Daniel Goleman, and Rameshwar Das compare roadmaps and share stories of Ram Dass, LSD, Maharajji, and miracles.
Joining together to help percolate memories and recollections as sustainable fuel for Daniel Goleman's anticipated memoir; Krishna Das, Rameshwar Das, and Daniel join Raghu in this special episode of Mindrolling, outlining their journey to India with Ram Dass in the 1970s, and the life-changing time spent with their mystical guru Neem Karoli Baba, Maharajji. Sharing stories, lilas, darshans, wisdom, jokes, and revelries from years of steeping together as satsang – it's nice to have 'the band back together.'
Dr. Michael Beckwith joins Nikki to discuss manifestation, abundance, formlessness, receptivity to grace, cultivating spiritual faculty, emotional alchemy, and being an ambassador of the invisible.
Dr. Michael Bernard Beckwith is a meditation teacher, author, speaker, and the Founder and Spiritual Director of Agape International Spiritual Center in Los Angelos. He has addressed audiences at the United Nations, TEDx, and Oprah's SuperSoul Sessions. As co-founder and president of the Association for Global New Thought, Dr. Beckwith has hosted His Holiness the Dalai Lama, and presented to Nelson Mandela the Gandhi King Award. Check out his new book, Prosperity, Plentitude, and Infinite Possibilities, among others, like the award winning Life Visioning and Spiritual Liberation. His new app, Beckwith Inspires, much like his weekly Instagram series, features essential spiritual tools, technologies, and practices to help shift perceptions and transform lives. Tune into his Sunday Services & Meditations at AgapeLive.com. For more info, visit MichaelBeckwith.com
On this episode of Insight Hour, Joseph Goldstein explores how it’s helpful to have a comprehensive view of our direction as we set out on the spiritual path.
Francesca Maximé welcomes jazz pianist Emmet Cohen to ReRooted for a conversation about how music truly comes from the heart, the importance of practice, and much more.
Leader of the "Emmet Cohen Trio" and creator of the "Masters Legacy Series," Emmet Cohen is an internationally acclaimed jazz pianist and dedicated music educator. He has performed, recorded, or collaborated with Ron Carter, Benny Golson, Jimmy Cobb, George Coleman, Jimmy Heath, Tootie Heath, Houston Person, Christian McBride, Kurt Elling, Billy Hart, Herlin Riley, Lea DeLaria, and Bill T. Jones. Learn more about Emmet and sign up for his newsletter at emmetcohen.com.
Hare Krishna or Jai Hanuman—which mantra is best? Krishna Das explores chanting practice, longing, delusion, depression, and being a good person, before sharing a Hanuman Chalisa.
In this 'Hanging in the Heart Space' session from Dec. 3rd 2020, Krishna Das welcomes us to re-perceive longing as our saving grace - the pull from within to be whole. From this vantage point, Krishna Das answers a flowing river of audience questions pertaining to dealing with deluded family members, working with depression, how to choose which mantra is best for you, and shares the key secret ingredient to chanting practice: Sing and be a good person.
Buddhist teacher, Judy Lief, joins Raghu to discuss training under Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche, sharing transformative stories of Tibetan Masters and crazy wisdom from the 1970s.
Judy Lief is a Buddhist teacher who trained under the Tibetan meditation master, Ven. Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche. She has been a teacher and practitioner for over 35 years, and she continues to teach throughout the world. Judy is known for offering insights and practices stemming from the Buddhist tradition as a support for ordinary people facing the difficulties and challenges of modern life. Judy leads retreats and workshops as well as presenting online teachings. For information, offerings, and to listen to her Dharma Glimpses Podcast, please visit JudyLief.com
In this dharma talk, Jack Kornfield explores seeing the world with the heart of wisdom and what it means when we rest in the One Who Knows. This dharma talk was originally live-streamed by Spirit Rock on 2/8/21.
Hardcore Zen master, Brad Warner, rejoins Chris for a talk on death, discernment, cosmic meaning, Zen Buddhism, and making sure your crazy wisdom isn’t too crazy. Brad Warner is the author of Letters to a Dead Friend About Zen and numerous other titles including Don’t Be a Jerk, Hardcore Zen, and Sit Down and Shut Up: Punk Rock Commentaries on Buddha, God, Truth, Sex, Death, and Dogen’s Treasury of the Right Dharma Eye. A Soto Zen teacher, he is a punk bassist, filmmaker, and popular blogger who leads workshops and retreats around the world. In addition to his books, his writing appears in Lion’s Roar, Tricycle, Buddhadharma, and Alternative Press. He lives in Los Angeles where he’s the founder and lead teacher of the Angel City Zen Center. You can learn more about Brad at HardcoreZen.info
Letters to a Dead Friend About Zen: Cosmic Meaning Welcoming Hardcore Zen master, Brad Warner, to the show, Chris invites him to share on the intentionality and process behind his transformative new book, Letters to a Dead Friend About Zen. Exploring the existential nature of human existence, Brad explains—through a Zen lens—the process of working through the loss of a childhood friend through the deep, vulnerable, and illuminating spiritual practice of writing raw, candid, letters to the newly deceased.
“It’s not all just meaningless. I think there is a great meaning and purpose, there’s a direction things are going that we can align ourselves with, and there’s a great cosmic meaning. But I also don’t think you can ever encompass all that great cosmic meaning into a nice easy formula.” – Brad Warner
Join Raghu and Ram Dev (Dale Borglum) in a conversation on death, spirituality, Maharajji, and Hanuman, on Ep. 390 of Mindrolling Hardcore Zen: Questions With No Answers (18:52) Speaking to the unique path of Zen, Brad shares the initially frustrating notion that zen teachers ask questions that have no answers. Explaining that the question’s use is as a directional guide, Brad and Chris talk koans and the mindful emptiness in applying the mantra, ‘That’s not it,‘ to even our most intoxicatingly enlightening experiences.
“The Zen process—one of the things I like about it, is it asks a lot of questions and provides almost no answers to those questions.” – Brad Warner
For more Chris Grosso and Brad Warner on hardcore zen and not being a jerk, tune into Ep. 41 of The Indie Spiritualist Skeptical, Not Cynical: Death, Discernment, & Buddhism (41:32) What is death? What happens after you die? Brad and Chris discuss approaching the many philosophies around death with healthy skepticism, but not cynicism. Talking death and discernment on the spiritual path, the two examine religion, Buddhism, the zen approach to dying, finding legitimate teachers, and how to make sure your crazy wisdom isn’t too crazy.
“I’m a Buddhist, but it’s not that I’m dedicated to Buddhism. I just find Buddhism to be a really useful way to get at the things that I’m really interested in. I’m really interested in the truth about reality, and how to have an ethical life and do things that are gonna help promote and sustain humanity over the long run… In that sense, I’m not that interested in Buddhism as much as I’m interested in the truth that Buddhism is addressing.” – Brad Warner
For episode 153 of the Metta Hour, Sharon speaks with mindfulness teacher and author, Scott Shute.
Scott Shute is the Head of Mindfulness and Compassion at LinkedIn and blends his lifelong practice and passion with his practical leadership and operations experience. His mission is to change work from the inside out and he is the author of the new book “The Full Body Yes,” released in May of 2021. In this episode, Scott shares what brought him to meditation practice in his early life and how that eventually led him to bring that to his work. They discuss the role that compassion plays in the workplace, both in leadership and relationships. Scott shares some research about the primary factors that contribute toward developing a high-performance team, and the importance of psychological safety in the workplace. Sharon and Scott talk about his book, and what constitutes the experience of a “full-body yes,” especially given the inequities in life and our culture. Scott speaks about the role that optimism can play to harness greater agency and a sense of choice, especially when the circumstances of our lives are limited. They speak about the complexities in navigating agency and compassion when we face difficulty in life, and some common misconceptions about mindfulness in this realm. Sharon asks Scott about how compassion practices are helping companies in the corporate sphere are responding to COVID and the mental health crisis many are facing. The episode closes with Scott leading a guided meditation on self-compassion.
Find online learning resources and offerings from Scott at scottshute.com
Journalist, Abdhul-Rehman Malik, from This Being Human Podcast interviews Omid on the commercialization of spirituality, Rumi's Guest House, reframing emotions, and embracing radical love like Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Abdul-Rehman Malik is an award-winning journalist, educator, and organizer. He is a frequent contributor to BBC Radio, offering contemporary perspectives on spirituality. His recent documentary work includes the "The Muhammadan Bean: The Secret History of Islam and Coffee." Since 2019, Malik has served as a lecturer and associate research scholar at the Yale Divinity School. He is also the program coordinator for Yale University's Council on Middle East Studies and the director of the Muslim Leadership Lab, an innovative program being incubated at Yale’s Dwight Hall Center of Social Justice.
This podcast was is a part of the Aga Khan Museum’s new series - This Being Human, hosted by Abdhul-Rehman Malik. Check out interviews with Ginella Massa, Sultan Al Qassemi and other cultural leaders who explore what it means to be Muslim in today’s world: https://agakhanmuseum.org/programs/thisbeinghuman/
Conscious Marketer, Kylie Slavik, joins David to discuss channeled creativity and purpose-driven storytelling at the mindful intersection of spirituality and marketing. As a former spoken word artist, Kylie Slavik discovered that grabbing attention and winning hearts works the same way in marketing as it does in art. Since then she’s worked with Hollywood story consultants to better understand structure, and neuroscientists to learn how the brain responds to story. She’s generated over $22,000,000 in revenue with clients in the transformation space, including Sounds True, Astrology Hub, Heartmath Institute, and more. Kylie currently serves as the Director of Storytelling & Brand Development at Conscious Marketer. For more info, please visit ConsciousMarketer.com
David just launched Dharma Moon – a website offering Workshops/Courses, Teacher Trainings, Mentoring & more, at www.DharmaMoon.com
Ram Dev rejoins Raghu for a conversation on love, fear, death, faith, grief, compassion, and becoming somebody; sharing mind-blowing Karmapa, Hanuman, & Maharajji darshan stories.
Ram Dev (Dale Borglum) founded and directed the Hanuman Foundation Dying Center in Santa Fe, New Mexico, the first residential facility in the United States to support conscious dying. He has been the Executive Director of the Living/Dying Project in Santa Fe and since 1986 in the San Francisco Bay Area. He is the coauthor with Ram Dass, Daniel Goleman and Dwarka Bonner of Journey of Awakening: A Meditator’s Guidebook, Bantam Books and has taught meditation since 1974. Dale lectures and gives workshops on the topics of meditation, healing, spiritual support for those with life threatening illness, and on caregiving as spiritual practice.
Mapping the physical, causal, and astral planes of existence, Ram Dass reconciles time within the paradox of ‘being here now,’ inviting us into the freedom of limitless awareness. Illuminating the interconnected nature of the various planes of existence we inhabit throughout our journey of awakening, Ram Dass draws a roadmap of consciousness through responding to a well-structured, organic build of audience questions. Contemplating the notion of time in relation to his famous statement and book, ‘Be Here Now,’ Ram Dass shares Maharajji stories to tie together paradox, welcoming us into the freedom of living within the illusion, but without being caught by it.
Dr. Lenwood W. Hayman Jr. joins Mirabai for a conversation on cultivating radical self-love for breaking cycles of oppression and healing our beloved community from the inside out. Dr. Lenwood W. Hayman, Jr. is an Associate Professor of Behavioral Health Science in the School of Community Health and Policy at Morgan State University. As a teacher, Dr. Hayman offers radical love by working to inspire social-justice-minded scholars to critically analyze course content to develop a skillset for disrupting the incomplete narratives established about the communities from which they come. As a researcher, Dr. Hayman engages radical love by using a resilience-informed lens to address the social, psychological, structural, and environmental influences of well-being in underprivileged and marginalized populations. As an activist, Dr. Hayman offers radical love by using his mindfulness training to initiate and cultivate safe spaces for engaging in meaningful dialogue around health and well-being–both in the classroom and beyond.
Tying together meditation's basics—steady awareness & non-clinging—with the intentionality of careful investigation of thought, body, and emotion, Joseph lines a path toward mindful liberation.
Author & poet, Sitaram Dass, joins Raghu to share on caretaking for Ram Dass, doubt and faith on the path of Guru Kripa, and the wisdom behind his new book: From and For God.
Sitaram Dass spent several years serving his beloved teacher Ram Dass on Maui, where he was shown the path of Bhakti, the yoga of service and devotion to God. Through writings, music, teachings, workshops, and one-on-one counseling, he works to strengthen our sense of the Timeless Sacred in today’s modern and fast-paced world. His new book, From and for God, is available now at all online retailers. For more info go to: www.fromandforgod.com
The author donates 100% of his profits to Hanuman Maui, a 501(c)3 nonprofit with a mission to preserve Ram Dass’s legacy on Maui and foster community through the teachings of love, service and devotion.
Half of those proceeds are specifically designated for Kripa’s service projects through the Sacred Community Project, a program under the direct fiscal sponsorship of Hanuman Maui. Kripa works to lower the barriers of access to contemplative and devotional practices through affordable, free, and donation-based offerings, spiritual support, and prison outreach. Learn more about Kripa at: https://kripa.guru
Learn more about Sitaram Dass and contact him at: https://sitaramdass.com
XO Higher Self podcast's, Bunny Michael, answers questions on fear, attachment, relationships, boundaries, & romancing our spirits into the unapologetic beauty of the wholeness of who we are.
Host of the XO Higher Self podcast, Bunny Michael, is a femme presenting non-binary rapper, actor, author, and visual artist best known for their Higher Self meme project on Instagram. Their work has been featured in The New York Times, HuffPost, Paper Magazine, Dazed and Confused, and Vice - where they host a digital show for the Broadly Channel called “Broadly Hotline.” Beyond their transformative books, Love Notes From You Higher Self, and, Me and My #HigherSelf, Bunny also played the role of Bea on Season 2 of HBO’s hit show, “High Maintenance.” Keep up with their upcoming projects at bunnymichael.com.
Dr. Bruce Lipton joins Nikki for a conversation on replacing our negative unconscious programs of mind through mindfully reorienting to the creative love of the present moment.
Bruce H. Lipton, PhD is an internationally recognized leader in bridging science and spirit. Stem cell biologist, bestselling author of The Biology of Belief and recipient of the 2009 Goi Peace Award, he has been a guest speaker on hundreds of TV and radio shows, as well as keynote presenter for national and international conferences. For more information, please visit BruceLipton.com
For episode 152 of the Metta Hour Podcast, Sharon speaks with Dani Shapiro.
Dani is the author of the New York Times best-selling memoir, Inheritance, published in January 2019 by Knopf. Her other books include the memoirs “Hourglass,” “Still Writing,” “Devotion,” and “Slow Motion,” and five novels. She is also the host of her own podcast, Family Secrets. Dani teaches writing workshops worldwide, has taught at Columbia and New York University, and is the co-founder of the Sirenland Writers Conference in Positano, Italy.
The conversation begins with Dani sharing how she came to writing in her early life and how her father’s tragic death shaped her path. She shares how she came to formal spiritual practice after becoming a mother and finding the meditation teachings of Sylvia Boorstein in 2007. Dani reflects on how her meditation practice has become intertwined with her writing practice and how she approaches writing as a spiritual path. They discuss how different aspects of formal meditation practice can act as a training ground for writing. Sharon reflects on some of the challenges she faces as a writer and how she has used mindfulness to work with them. Dani speaks about her what led her to start her podcast, Family Secrets, after finishing her most recent book, “Inheritance” which now has 40 episodes to date. The episode closes with Dani reading a short excerpt from her book, Inheritance.
Judy Ryde PhD joins Francesca for a conversation around diversity, whiteness, mindfulness of racial thoughts, and overcoming blocks of guilt and shame with compassion and commitment.
Judy Ryde Phd, a psychotherapist for 40+ years and one of the Founders of the Bath Centre for Psychotherapy and Counseling, for much of her professional life has been very concerned about the lack of diversity in psychotherapy, leading to her doctoral research into whiteness within a racialized society, as well as her books: Being White in the Helping Professions and White Privilege Unmasked: How to Be Part of the Solution. Judy is founder and director of Trauma Foundation South West, which provides counseling and psychotherapy for refugees and asylum seekers, as well as training and supervision for those working with traumatized refugees and asylum seekers in other agencies. For more info, please visit JudyRyde.com
Dr. Judson Brewer joins Ethan in an uplifting conversation on unwinding anxiety, illustrating how to break cycles of fear, uncertainty, and worry in order to heal our minds.
Neuroscientist, psychiatrist, and bestselling author, Judson Brewer MD PhD—affectionately, Dr. Jud—is the Director of Research and Innovation at the Mindfulness Center and associate professor in psychiatry at the School of Medicine at Brown University, as well as a research affiliate at MIT. Before that, he held research and teaching positions at Yale University and the University of Massachusetts’ Center for Mindfulness. He recently published his New York Times Bestseller: Unwinding Anxiety: New Science Shows How to Break the Cycles of Worry and Fear to Heal Your Mind. For more info please visit DrJud.com
In celebration of Chaitri Navaratri, join Dr. Svoboda in a vibrant trip through India, worshipping the Divine Mother and learning the myths and traditions of Navaratri—festivals honoring the Goddess.
In honor of Chaitri Navaratri—nine nights celebrating the Goddess this April 13th – 22nd 2021—Paula Crossfield introduces a dharma talk from Dr. Robert Svoboda highlighting the astrological and spiritual significance of this spring Navaratri. Illuminating various aspects of the Divine Mother, Dr. Svoboda shares myths and traditions from five important Navaratri celebrations throughout the year, before offering insights on practice and intention during this potent time for worship and prayer.
Offering timeless wisdom, Jack Kornfield elucidates pertinent lessons on the topics of freedom, gratitude, trust, and the buoyancy of hope.
In the adjoining talk to last episode's 'Just Like Me' Guided Meditation—from a November 23, 2020 Jack Kornfield & Friends session from Spirit Rock‘s ongoing Monday Night Dharma Talk & Meditation—Jack shares pertinent wisdom on to aid the trying times we find ourselves in. Offering lessons learned of freedom, he shares the example of Nelson Mandela. In teaching on gratitude, he recounts a ceremony with Iroquois Medicine Man, Mad Bear. And sharing on trust, Jack offer's Martin Luther King's 'buoyancy of hope,' to keep us afloat on turbid waters.
Peace educator, Dr. David Ragland, joins Konda Mason for deep truth-telling, exploring the heart-level spiritual change needed for true reparations and transformation of a racist system.
David Ragland, PhD, is the co-founder and co-director of the Truth Telling Project and director of the Grassroots Reparations Campaign. An educator, thought-leader, human rights, racial justice, and anti-war advocate; Georgetown University's Advocacy Lab included his research as part of the most important research on advocacy in the past 40 years. Dr. Ragland was recently inducted into the MLK Collegium of Scholars at Morehouse College, and has served as the Sr. Bayard Rustin Fellow at the Fellowship of Reconciliation, and as a Board Member for the Peace and Justice Studies Association.
Dr. Christian Conte joins Chris to share life lessons on knowing yourself, stepping towards conflict, facing wounds, emptying your cup, understanding, and walking through anger with non-attachment.
Dr. Christian Conte is one of the country’s most accomplished mental health specialists in the field of anger and emotional management. A familiar figure on TV and radio, he is also a prolific writer, powerful communicator, and sought-after media expert. He was co-host of Coaching Bad and The Secret Life of Kids, and was the resident therapist for Family Therapy. Dr. Conte produces daily Emotional Management Minutes for over 300 radio stations, as well as hosting his own weekly show in Pittsburgh. He discussed his prison outreach in the TEDx talk, “Why I Chose to Go to Prison.' His latest book, "Walking Through Anger" is out now. For more info, please visit, Dr.ChristianConte.com
Dr. Larry Brilliant joins Mirabai Bush to share wisdom about public and spiritual health, eradicating smallpox in India, the miracle of Maharajji, and the centripetal force of love.
Dr. Larry Brilliant has engaged with some of the most prominent thought leaders, spiritual masters, heroes, and icons in the world, including Neem Karoli Baba, Martin Luther King, Jr., Steve Jobs, Mikhail Gorbachev, Wavy Gravy, the Grateful Dead, the Dalai Lama, and Barack Obama. His life’s journey across continents has resulted in the direct involvement of some of the most significant medical, spiritual, and social achievements of the past century: the eradication of smallpox in India, curing blindness in over 4 million people, introducing Maharajji's teachings to the Woodstock Generation, and launching Google’s philanthropic enterprises, and more, outlined in his book, Sometimes Brilliant: The Impossible Adventure of a Spiritual Seeker and Visionary Physician Who Helped Conquer the Worst Disease in History. For more info, please visit LarryBrilliant.com
Redefining emotions as healing messages, Ram Dev shares the tantra of emotions, illustrating how spacious mindfulness towards our feelings opens gateways to wholeness. Sharing insights into working with our wide variety and volume of our emotional states, Ram Dev explores, through a tantric lens, how we can begin to open up to our inner feelings, rather than shying away from them and projecting outwardly. Defining our emotions and laying a tiered pathway for working with them, Ram Dev imbibes wisdom of the Divine Mother, inviting us to ‘devour, or be devoured,’ by this world of dancing form, beckoning us inward past our nuanced gateways of fear, and into the blissful joy of wholeness beyond separation.
Yoga innovator, Jocelyn Kay Levy, is joined by kirtan wallah, Nina Rao, to share Mothers’ perspectives on spiritual practice, offering personal stories and advice from Siddhi Ma.
Krishna Das explores longing, letting go, being here now, and the uniqueness of the Hanuman lineage for liberating us while satisfying our beneficial desires and fulfilling our karmas. In this fun and directed question and answer session, Krishna Das illuminates longing as the base for devotional practice, and describes how releasing our thoughts and fears to surrender into the present moment during meditation is a microcosm of the ultimate goal of the spiritual journey. Sharing from the spacious present, Krishna Das expresses how the Hanuman lineage is not a renunciate path, offering juicy descriptions of Hanuman from India, and sharing stories of miracles and unconditional love of his Guru, Maharajji.
Bestselling author, Neale Donald Walsch, joins Nikki to share how to start a conversation with God—your highest intuitive faculties of wisdom, clarity, & pure love—through earnest asking & listening.
Neale Donald Walsch is a modern-day spiritual messenger whose words continue to touch the world in profound ways. With an early interest in religion and a deeply felt connection to spirituality, Neale spent the majority of his life thriving professionally, yet searching for spiritual meaning before experiencing an awakening dialogue outlined in his bestselling series, Conversations with God. For info on new works, like The God Solution, and to keep up to date with his free offerings, please visit NealeDonaldWalsch.com
With springtime in bloom, Ethan Nichtern offers a mindful optimism for thawing this bardo, nourishing the soil for rebirth. The question is: Rebirth of What? In this special solo episode of The Road Home, Ethan Nichtern builds from a podcast released this past January, Into the Bardo: What Happens Now, which illuminated the painful collective gap experienced this past winter in regards to coronavirus, politics, uncertainty, and fear. As spring thaws away the ice, moods shift, politics hopefully become less volatile, and vaccines begin to roll out, Ethan shares a cautiously optimistic sentiment, exploring the metaphor of spring through the Buddhist lens of rebirth, investigating the very direct question: the rebirth of what?
Jazz pianist, Miki Yamanaka, joins Francesca to share about her musical upbringing, food as spirituality, Asian allyship, and how play makes perfect.
Miki Yamanaka is a New York-based pianist from Kobe, Japan. She moved to New York City in 2012 and has studied Piano with Jason Lindner, Jeb Patton, and Fred Hersch, and Organ with Sam Yahel and Larry Goldings. In 2015 she was one of three pianists selected to participate in “Betty Carter’s Jazz Ahead”, an intensive composition residency at the Kennedy Center. She earned her Master of Music degree from Queens College, receiving the Sir Roland Hanna Award. She holds residencies at Smalls and Mezzrow Jazz Clubs in NYC, and is the current pianist in the Philip Harper Quintet, the Roxy Coss Quintet, and the Antonio Hart Group. One of her newest compositions is a 5-part suite entitled “Human Dust Suite." For more information, please visit MikiYamanaka.com
Duncan Trussell returns to talk fatherhood, harmonizing the home, and confusion as a condition of enlightenment; in this psychic arm-wrestling match with Krishnamurti's concept of a mischievous me.
In this special episode, Sikh Activist, Simran Jeet Singh, joins Omid Safi for conversation exploring anti-racism as a spiritual practice.
Recognized among TIME Magazine’s 16 people fighting for a more equal America, Simran Jeet Singh is Senior Adviser for Equity and Inclusion at YSC Consulting and a Visiting Professor at Union Seminary. He is a 2020 Equality Fellow with the Open Society Foundations, a Racial Equity Media Fellow with Interfaith Youth Core, and a Senior Fellow for the Sikh Coalition. Simran holds a PhD, MPhil, and MA from Columbia University, an MTS from Harvard University, and a BA from Trinity University. He is the author of a best-selling children's book, Fauja Singh Keeps Going: The True Story of the Oldest Person to Ever Run a Marathon, and is in the process of writing a non-fiction book for adults, titled, More of This Please: Sikh Wisdom for the Soul. For more information, please visit SimranJeetSingh.org
In this episode, Jack Kornfield leads his ‘Just Like Me’ guided meditation, a practice designed to work past our individual differences by seeing through the eyes of wisdom and heart of compassion. Heralding from a November 23, 2020 Jack Kornfield & Friends session from Spirit Rock‘s ongoing Monday Night Dharma Talk & Meditation, Jack offers a potent guided meditation inviting us to work past our individual differences by celebrating our similarities and seeing the world through the eyes of wisdom. Encouraging us to bring a “difficult” person to mind, Jack walks us through a deep meditation aimed at peeling back our personal veils, so we can rest in the compassionate understanding, metta, and loving awareness of our unity. When we are truly seeing with the heart, we recognize that all others are…just like me.
For episode 150 of the Metta Hour, Sharon speaks with Karen Stewart.
Karen is a Mental Health Psychosocial Support Specialist and Licensed Clinical Social Worker with over thirty years of working in a wide variety of mental health settings. Ten of those years have been working with Doctors Without Borders throughout Asia and Africa. Learn about Karen's offerings at karenstewart.org.
To start the conversation, Karen shares what brought her to social work after a traumatic childhood. They discuss the meaning of the word “trauma” and the different forms of trauma: acute, chronic, and complex trauma. They discuss the difference between trauma and PTSD and the concept of Post-Traumatic-Growth. Karen shares some of her experience working with Doctors Without Borders in catastrophic environments and how she provides mental health resources to those communities. They speak at length about resilience and how to bolster our stress response in a more balanced way. Sharon reflects on the epidemic of loneliness that so many experienced before the pandemic and how it has evolved a year into the COVID-19 pandemic. Karen shares some breathing, grounding, and gratitude techniques to counteract pandemic fatigue and loss stressors. The episode closes with a discussion on resilience and a healthy lifestyle for individuals and those in the personal or professional caregiving roles and a Containment Practice led by Karen.
Exploring the factor of enlightenment known as Viriya—our energetic capacity—Joseph Goldstein shares how we can cultivate courageous effort within our lives and daily practices.
In this recording from 1989, Ram Dass talks about looking through the veil of role and personality in the business world, and offers his unique perspectives on work and money.
Mirabai Bush welcomes Bidisha Banerjee to share stories of the Ganga River, which invite us into the re-enchantment and allyship of devotional ecology with our environment's sacred landscapes.
Bidisha Banerjee has been fascinated with the Ganga ever since she pretended, as a child, that the Kolkata municipal bathwater was Gangajal. Trained in ethnicity, race, and migration and climate change policy at Yale, she started following India's "dirty, sacred river" from its source to the sea in 2009. A former program and curriculum director for the Dalai Lama Fellows, and now a somatic leadership coach, she lives with her family in Oakland, California, the midpoint between her two homes--Kolkata and Kansas. Her first book, Superhuman River: Stories of the Ganga, was published by Aleph Book Company in 2020. For more information, please visit Bidisha-Banerjee.com
With deep vulnerability and humor, Krishna Das answers questions on the benefits of daily spiritual practice, like mantra chanting, for releasing us from the whirling thought-tornadoes of our minds.
Continuing last episode's Q&A session from a 2018 workshop in Miami, FL, Krishna Das answers audience questions digging into what a 'typical Monday' looks for him, the benefits of a daily spiritual practice, creating a spacious gap for buffering intense reactions through using techniques like mantra repetition, and how we can better imbibe surrender and will within our beings. Exploring these questions through vulnerably sharing his deep personal experiences with Maharajji and other respected Babas in India, Krishna Das helps us move past our mind's whirling thought-tornados, and into the present being of loving awareness.
Patricia Gift of Hay House joins David Nichtern for a conversation about her work in publishing, the remarkable beings she’s met on her journey, and the concept of mixing mind with space. Patricia Gift is Vice President, Editorial, at Hay House, one of the world’s leading publishers of self-help and transformational books. Bestselling authors and thought leaders she has worked with include Deepak Chopra, Anthony William, Gabrielle Bernstein, and Robert Thurman. With several decades of publishing experience, she has held positions in sales, marketing, and editorial. Patricia joined Hay House in 2007 to open and run their New York office.
Anthony Thogmartin, of Papadosio and EarthCry, joins Raghu to discuss the inseparability of music and spirituality, at the brimming intersection of nature and technology. Anthony Thogmartin is a consciousness, technology, and ecologically minded multi-instrumental musician, producer, and teacher best known for his work with the jamtronica outfit Papadosio, and his solo electronic act, EarthCry, aimed at “healing the planet and its people.” Anthony recently stepped into the teaching role with his Seed to Stage Academy, where he shares lessons, both digitally and in group settings, to help up-and-coming musicians and producers learn the art, technology, and fundamentals so they can begin tapping their imaginations, creating music, and playing shows. You can find information about his upcoming offerings, like his newest album Identity Mitosis, at EarthCry.net
Don’t Miss Anthony performing as EarthCry to kick off this spring’s Soul Land Music Series: Songs and Stories Inspired by Ram Dass on March 19th! For the full artist lineup, dates, and details visit RamDass.org/Music
On this episode of New Growth, Nikki Walton speaks with music artist and producer Maejor about how he’s bringing the power of intentional healing frequencies into mainstream music.
Maejor is a music producer, rapper, singer, and songwriter who has worked with Justin Bieber, Trey Songz, Monica, Frank Ocean, and many more. Check out his latest video, Tell Me That You Love Me Again, right now on YouTube. Learn more about Maejor and his music at maejor.com.
In episode 149 of the Metta Hour, Sharon speaks with Tim Desmond.
Tim is a psychotherapist, author, Distinguished Faculty Scholar at Antioch University New England, and student of Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh. He is the founder of Peer Collective and co-founder of Morning Sun Mindfulness Center in Alstead, NH. He was also a co-organizer of Occupy Wall Street. Tim's publications include Self-Compassion in Psychotherapy, The Self-Compassion Skills Workbook, and the 2019 release, How to Stay Human in a Fucked Up World.
In this conversation, Tim shares his history and what led him to become an activist and student of meditation, and eventually professional psychology. He shares about the impetus for the Morning Sun Mindfulness Center as well as the Peer Collective. They discuss the role of faith and love in psychotherapy and what the x-factor is in therapeutic healing. Tim reflects on the power of self-compassion and how to cultivate it and its transformational effects. They also discuss the role of suffering in happiness and how to work with suffering in a forward-leading way. Tim shares about his most recent book, How to Stay Human in a Fucked Up World, and the circumstances around the writing of that book. The episode closes with Tim leading a five-minute guided meditation.
Dr. Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz joins Francesca Maximé to talk about her work as a scholar and activist, the history of settler colonialism, and the cult of the Constitution.
Dr. Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz has been active in the international Indigenous movement for more than four decades and is known for her lifelong commitment to national and international social justice issues. Her 1977 book, The Great Sioux Nation, was the fundamental document at the first international conference on Indigenous peoples of the Americas. Dr. Dunbar-Ortiz is the author or editor of seven other books, including An Indigenous Peoples’ History of the United States. Learn more at reddirtsite.com.
Konda Mason invites Nwamaka Agbo to the Brown Rice Hour for conservation around the concept of Restorative Economics, the pros and cons of philanthropy, and much more.
Nwamaka Agbo is the CEO of the Kataly Foundation. With a background in community organizing, electoral campaigns, policy and advocacy work on racial, social and environmental justice issues, she is deeply committed to supporting projects that build resilient, healthy and self-determined communities rooted in shared prosperity. Prior to joining Kataly, Nwamaka built an independent consulting practice guided by her framework on Restorative Economics. Learn more about Nwamaka and Restorative Economics at nwamakaagbo.com.
Restorative Economics
Social psychologist, Mary M. Clare, Ph.D, & science writer, Gary Ferguson, join Raghu to help us past the seperation myth, & into a restored balance of full ecology, environment, & human nature.
Mary M Clare, Ph.D., brings her lifelong passion for the natural world together with a 30-year career as a social and cultural psychologist. A fellow in the APA with 100+ scholarly articles and two books, she opens doorways for considering how the natural world around and inside of us can be tapped as a guiding force for creating more contented and fruitful lives. For info on her new book with Gary, Full Ecology, please visit FullEcology.com. For Mary's personal offerings, please visit, ClaseConsultation.com.
Gary Ferguson, a best-selling science writer and keynote speaker, began his career chronicling the tracks humans leave in nature. Today, he’s working “to portray the tracks nature leaves in us,” with books like, The Eight Master Lessons of Nature, which shines a powerful new light on the dazzling processes that nourish the creative powers of nature. For info on his new book with Mary Full Ecology, please visit FullEcology.com. For Gary's personal offerings, please visit, WildWords.net
Mingyur Rinpoche joins the BHNN Guest Podcast, sharing a dharma talk exploring meditation, open awareness, making friends with your problems, and overcoming the monkey mind. Born in 1975, Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche is a much-loved and accomplished Tibetan Buddhist meditation teacher. From a young age, he was drawn to a life of contemplation. In addition to extensive training in the meditative and philosophical traditions of Tibetan Buddhism, Rinpoche has maintained a lifelong interest in Western science and psychology. Rinpoche currently teaches throughout the world, with centers on four continents. His candid and often humorous accounts of his own personal difficulties have endeared him to Buddhist and non-Buddhist students alike. Learn more about Rinpoche and find his worldwide teaching schedule at tergar.org.
Author Laura McKowen talks with Chris Grosso about the process of addiction and recovery, her resistance to defining herself as an alcoholic, and working with guilt and shame. Laura McKowen is the author of We Are The Luckiest: The Surprising Magic of a Sober Life. She had a successful career in public relations and the Mad Men–esque drinking culture of advertising. After getting sober, Laura became recognized as a fresh voice in recovery, beloved for her soulful and irreverent writing online and in print. She now leads sold-out retreats and courses, teaching people how to say yes to a bigger life. Learn more about her at lauramckowen.com.
In this episode of Heart Wisdom, Jack Kornfield explores how conflict is natural for human beings and covers the Buddha’s seven-step process of reconciliation.
Writer, Anne Lamott, rejoins Raghu with her unparalleled honesty and humor, to shine twilight's mystical light through the dark of night, exploring the illuminating dawn of hope, faith, forgiveness, repentance, revival, and courage.
In this collection of clips from his core teachings on death and dying, Ram Dass explores love, loss, and soul, elucidates the art of grief, and encourages us all to make peace with death.
In this debut episode, Mirabai Bush invites John Densmore of The Doors, to share about music, poetry, spirituality, Ram Dass, the silence between notes, and channeling the pulse of the universe.
John Densmore is best known for his iconic work as the drummer for the American rock and roll band, The Doors. On top of his musical successes, John is also an accomplished author, poet, playwright, and actor. His recently released book, The Seekers: Meetings with Remarkable Musicians (and Other Artists), investigates his own relationship with creativity and explores the meaning of artistry with other artists and performers.
Joseph Goldstein explores the hallucinations of perception that keep us bound to the wheel of conditioned existence and teaches us how to train our noble supernormal powers.
In this episode of Healing at the Edge, Ram Dev explores the path of love and devotion, sharing stories of Maharajji and outlining practices for dying into love.
For episode 148 of the Metta Hour, Sharon celebrates the 45th anniversary of the Insight Meditation Society in Barre, Massachusetts. Founded by Sharon, Joseph Goldstein, and Jack Kornfield on February 14th, 1975, this year marks 45 years since IMS opened doors to the public. Sharon reflects on this special anniversary and shares one of her earliest archival recordings from IMS from 1983. Since its inception, IMS has proven a wellspring of spiritual wisdom and a refuge of practice for individuals interested in meditation, mindfulness, lovingkindness, and self-inquiry.
“I think about this running river, and I’m a part of it. It’s just this incredible feeling to watch it go on and spread in the way that it has…It’s hard to even believe what has happened, that IMS has become a refuge of practice for so many.” – Sharon Salzberg
Information on IMS and its ongoing offerings can be found at Dharma.org. For a catalog of dharma talks shared at IMS from a wide assortment of spiritual teachers, please visit: DharmaSeed.org.
JoAnna Hardy returns to the BHNN Guest Podcast to give a dharma talk centered on the first foundation of mindfulness, the breath and the body, and offer some meditation instructions.
Find upcoming events and content from Joanna, or even book a one-on-one session at joannahardy.org.
Teacher, David Harshada Wagner, joins Raghu to discuss the intersection of selfless service with becoming nobody, depict the importance of keeping a loving inner guru, & share poetry of Kabir.
David Harshada Wagner is a creative mindset consultant, teacher, author, artist and proud father who has dedicated more than 30 years of his life to the path of selfless service, spiritual awakening, and radical self-transformation. His training is vast and varied, from 12 Step Recovery training, to the Indian wisdom traditions of Yoga, Bhakti, Vedanta, and Tantric Shaivism. David has served on the faculties of YogaGlo, Kripalu, and Omega, and is the author of Backbone – the Modern Man’s Ultimate Guide to Purpose Passion and Power. David currently is based in in Ojai, California and travels widely serving his worldwide community. For more info, please visit DavidHWagner.com
Krishna Das explores tending our inner-garden; planting seeds of spiritual practice now to harvest blossoms of real change in the future. In this 2018 workshop from Miami, FL, Krishna Das invites us to get our hands dirty in the garden of our inner-being. Theming the talk around Sri Ramakrishna’s compelling and vibrant allegory of spiritual practices being seeds of compassion and love planted for the future, Krishna Das tills through the process of uprooting our separate sense of me-ness, laying out the proverbial Farmer’s Almanac for a blossoming harvest of real change from earnest, intentional, and consistent spiritual practice.
Author and healing teacher, Dr. Frank J. Kinslow, joins Nikki to share Quantum Entrainment techniques for moving past the duality of fear and into Eufeeling, the blissful fullness of nothing.
Dr. Frank J. Kinslow has been researching and teaching healing and happiness techniques for more than 55 years, drawing from his clinical experience as a chiropractic physician, in-depth studies into Eastern esoteric philosophies and practices, and an ardent love of relativity and quantum physics. In 2007, out of a deep personal crisis, Frank discovered the fountainhead of healing and happiness, which he came to call Eufeeling. Frank's seminars, webinars, and writings have introduced tens of thousands of people worldwide to Quantum Entrainment, a technique that quietly activates the autonomic nervous system to spontaneously and naturally create an atmosphere in which deep healing takes place. Dr. Kinslow has written several international bestsellers, which can be found among other offerings at his website www.KinslowSystem.com
This episode of Living with Reality is about determining what is real, as Dr. Robert Svoboda looks at the Indian system of thought as a way to understand truth.
Get more wisdom from Dr. Svoboda with his offerings at drsvoboda.teachable.com
On this episode of The Road Home, Ann Gleig joins Ethan Nichtern for a conversation about her book, American Dharma, and the state of postmodern Buddhism in the Western world.
Ann Gleig is an associate professor of religion and cultural studies at the University of Central Florida. She is the author of American Dharma: Buddhism Beyond Modernity
Multi-instrumental musician, Warren Wolf, joins Francesca to celebrate the transformative nature of joy, music, authenticity, discipline, and the creative spirit.
Warren Wolf is a multi-instrumentalist from Baltimore, MD. From the young age of three years old, Warren has been trained on vibraphone/marimba, drums/percussion, and piano/keyboard. Under the guidance of his father Warren Wolf Sr., Warren has a deep background in all genres of music. He is a faculty member at Peabody Institute and teaches part-time at the San Fransisco Conservatory of Music. For more information on Warren, among music and other offerings, visit WarrenWolfMusic.com
Lama Tsultrim Allione rejoins Raghu to share rare, behind the scenes, Ram Dass stories, and explore how to work with afflictive emotions by feeding your demons, rather than running from them.
One of Mindrolling’s favorite reoccurring guests, Lama Tsultrim Allione, returns to join Raghu for an illuminating, fun, and healing conversation. Beginning the talk by sharing exceptionally rare stories of Ram Dass, involving Bhagavan Das and Allen Ginsberg; they naturally flow into potent Maharajji lilas before subtly weaving the conversation into the main topic of the podcast: feeding your demons. Laying down a path away from polarization, and into the oneness of interconnected love, Lama Tsultrim and Raghu brainstorm how to cultivate a new paradigm of being, starting from the inside out.
Financial disruptor Jessica Norwood talks with Konda Mason about her practice of friends and family capital, and how to bring the concept of right relationship into the world of finance.
Bestselling author, Gary Renard, joins Chris to discuss training the mind, Jesus’ and Buddha’s lifetimes together, and how to communicate with the Holy Spirit. Gary R. Renard is the best-selling author of The Disappearance of the Universe, Your Immortal Reality, Love Has Forgotten No One, and the newly released The Lifetimes When Jesus and Buddha Knew Each Other. Gary is a winner of the Infinity Foundation Spirit Award, among the likes of Ram Dass, Byron Katie, and Neale Donald Walsch; and has been featured on Gaia TV‘s, “Open Minds.” Combining a disarming sense of humor with radical, cutting-edge metaphysical information and experiential exercises, Gary is well versed and well traveled in the spiritual community. For more info visit www.GaryRenard.com
On this episode of Heart Wisdom, Jack Kornfield leads a guided meditation that focuses on the practice of deep listening as we breathe love in, and breath love out.
For episode 147 of the Metta Hour, Sharon speaks with her longtime friends and colleagues Rameshwar Das and Roshi Joan Halifax Ph.D. about the new book, “Being Ram Dass.”
This intimate conversation begins with Rameshwar Das and Roshi reflect on the first time they met Ram Dass and their early friendships in the 60s. They discuss the role that Ram Dass played in their community, as well as his formative inspiration in some of their first teaching experiences. Roshi shares about Ram Dass’s pioneering work in the prison systems and end-of-life care. Rameshwar Dass speaks at length about the process of working with Ram Dass to create “Being Ram Dass” and closes the episode by leading a loving awareness meditation. Learn more about the new book at beingramdass.com
David Nichtern and Daniel Aitken share a conversation around the creative process and meditation, manifesting our visions, and Trungpa Rinpoche’s Shambhala teachings.
Daniel Aitken is the CEO and publisher of Wisdom Publications, a non-profit charitable publisher of books, podcasts, and online courses on contemporary and classical Buddhism, mindfulness, and meditation. This conversation about the creative process and meditation was originally recorded on Daniel’s The Wisdom Podcast.
Author Cuong Lu drops by Mindrolling to talk about his new book, share stories of studying with Thich Nhat Hanh, and explore how we can all stop the fighting within ourselves.
Cuong Lu, a Buddhist teacher, scholar, and writer, was born in Vietnam in 1968 and emigrated to Holland with his family in 1980. In 1993, he was ordained a monk at Plum Village in France under the guidance of Thich Nhat Hanh. Cuong is the founder of the Mind Only School, where he teaches Buddhist philosophy and psychology. His latest book, Wait: A Love Letter to Those in Despair, is available on February 9, 2021.
In this exceptional and unique offering, the Be Here Now Network along with our friends at the Alan Watts Organization, have specially curated a podcast featuring words of wisdom from Ram Dass, and legendary, contemporary spiritual teacher, Alan Watts.
Alan Watts offers his far-reaching Buddhist, Taoist, and meditative wisdom; playing off of and complementing Ram Dass’ deep inquiry and presence on topics pertaining to identity and separate self, unity and interdependence, surrender and trust, intuition and grace, faith and freedom, and meditation and the eternal now.
Brought to you by LSRF and AlanWatts.org
In this episode of Healing at the Edge, Ram Dev lays out a pathway to move past the ego’s fear and suffering, using concentration, mindfulness, devotion, love, and wisdom to expand our sense of self.
In this episode of Healing at the Edge, Ram Dev lays out a pathway to move past the ego’s fear and suffering, using concentration, mindfulness, devotion, love, and wisdom to expand our sense of self.
Writer, Chenxing Han, joins Ethan to discuss the intersection of race and privilege within Western Buddhism, focusing on giving voice to the Asian American Buddhist minority. Chenxing Han is a Bay Area-based writer whose publications have appeared in Buddhadharma, Journal of Global Buddhism, Lion’s Roar, Pacific World, Tricycle, and elsewhere. She holds a BA from Stanford University and an MA in Buddhist Studies from the Graduate Theological Union. After studying chaplaincy at the Institute of Buddhist Studies in Berkeley, California she worked in spiritual care at a nearby community hospital in Oakland. Her first book, Be the Refuge: Raising the Voices of Asian American Buddhists, was published by North Atlantic Books in January 2021.
This episode is dedicated to Chenxing’s friend and inspiring fellow crusader in Buddhism and race relations; the late, great, Angry Asian Buddhist, Aaron J. Lee:
“The real issue for young Buddhists in the Asian-American community is that there are very few Buddhist communities that they can go to without having to suppress part of their identity.” – Aaron J. Lee
Kelly Carlin joins Chris Bashinelli for a conversation around the journey to authenticity and being in the moment, humanity and transparency, and the trappings of fame and celebrity.
Kelly Carlin is a writer, speaker and broadcast host. She is also a practitioner of Zen Buddhism, has a Masters in Jungian/Archetypal psychology, and is a producer on-screen and in the theater. Daughter of comedian George Carlin, Kelly comes from a family steeped in comedy, full of big ideas and warm hearts. Learn more about Kelly’s work, find her podcast, radio show and more at thekellycarlinsite.com.
Visionary artists, Allyson and Alex Grey join Raghu to share their deep connection with Ram Dass, Be Here Now, Maharajji, psychedelics, Dzogchen Buddhism, and creativity.
Visionary artists, wise psychonauts, and podcasters, Allyson and Alex Grey are co-founders & Ministers of CoSM, the Chapel of Sacred Mirrors, a transformational art based non-profit which grew into an interfaith church and thriving artist community. Allyson and Alex are currently in the process of constructing Entheon, a sanctuary for visionary art, and sacred, nondenominational temple and hub for visionary artists and inner-seekers. Allyson and Alex host Sunday Art Church events, fusing creativity and dharma; as well as Full Moon Gatherings, which bring together artists, musicians, wisdom teachers, and free-thinkers to honor our cosmic alignment with nature and the creative forces. For a deep dive into their minds, check out their new podcast, The CoSM Podcast, and for updates on Entheon, CoSM, their art and events, visit their website CoSM.org
On this episode of Living with Reality, Dr. Scott Blossom joins Dr. Robert Svoboda for a conversation about Ayurveda and the microbiome, and why the mouth is the gateway to health.
Dr. Scott Blossom is a Traditional Chinese Medical practitioner, Shadow Yoga teacher, and Ayurvedic Consultant. He lives in Berkeley, CA, with his wife and their two children. Learn more about him at doctorblossom.com.
This episode of Living with Reality is a preview of an online course Dr. Svoboda is teaching with Dr. Scott about Ayurveda and the microbiome – go to drsvoboda.teachable.com to learn more.
On this episode of ReRooted, Buddhist meditation teacher Scott Tusa joins Francesca Maximé to talk about toxic masculinity, spiritual bypassing, and getting real about fake woke bros.
Konda Mason and Charles Eisenstein discuss the response to the Covid-19 pandemic, and the more beautiful world our hearts know is possible.
Dr. Robert Svoboda rejoins Raghu, with special guest Noah Markus, to share ancient Ayurvedic wisdom elucidating how to navigate our incarnations within the law of karma.
Legendary hip-hop artist, R.A. The Rugged Man joins Chris to talk about writing albums, emotions and mental health, how storytelling can heal traumas, and how to stay true to yourself.
R.A. The Rugged Man is one of the most fascinating figures in hip-hop history. His career spans decades, and defies simple narratives. The Rugged Man has been an up-and-coming star, an industry outcast banished and forgotten, an underground cult hero, an independent success story, and an influential master of the art form. Check out his newest album All My Heroes Are Dead, and for more music, blogs, and offerings, visit his website RAtheRuggedMan.net
In this dharma talk, Jack Kornfield offers wisdom and inspiration amidst the chaos of today’s world and explores how suffering is not the end of the story, but the beginning.
Through the lenses of dharma & collective karma, Ethan Nichtern explores the polarizing political climate & extremism that stoked the January 6th, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol.
In this episode of Pilgrim Heart, Krishna Das answers questions about dealing with addiction, how to pick the right daily practice, and what it means to truly follow your heart.
On this special episode of Here and Now, Raghu Markus and Rameshwar Das celebrate the release of Being Ram Dass by reflecting on some of Ram Dass’s most important teachings. Rameshwar Das is the coauthor of Being Ram Dass, which is now available! Order your copy and leave a message about how Ram Dass influenced you.
Aubrey Marcus returns with Raghu to share poetry and dig into topics of navigating collective karma with intuition, the unconditional love of the mother, and the nature of time and free will.
For the 145th episode of the Metta Hour, Sharon speaks with teacher, author, and facilitator Thomas Hübl.
Thomas has been facilitating large-scale events and courses that focus on the healing and integration of trauma. Over the last decade, he has facilitated dialogue with thousands of people around healing the collective traumas of racism, oppression, colonialism, genocides in the U.S., Israel, Germany, Spain, and Argentina. In November of 2020. In the Fall of 2020, Thomas authored his first English book, “Healing Collective Trauma,” published by SoundsTrue.
In this conversation, Thomas shares his perspective on what constitutes trauma, whether it be acute, complex, or chronic forms and how trauma causes simultaneous over-activation and freezing within us, leading to internal fragmentation. They discuss the difference between personal trauma and collective trauma, as well as the genealogical trauma that is now being verified by the study fo epigenetics. Thomas also shares some wisdom about the trauma that many are currently facing due to COVID and closes the conversation with a 7-minute guided meditation practice. Learn more about Thomas’ work at thomashuebl.com.
Chris Bashinelli talks with race relations expert Daryl Davis about his philosophy for engaging with white supremacists, and why it takes the collective voice to create lasting change. Daryl Davis is a musician, bandleader, actor, author, and race relations expert. He is well known for his work with engaging Ku Klux Klan members, many of whom wind up leaving and denouncing the KKK. Learn more about Daryl and all of his work at daryldavis.com.
Joseph Goldstein continues his series of talks on the Satipatthana Sutta, this time focusing on mindfulness of the six sense spheres and the fetters that arise dependent on them.
Performer, magician, and spiritual inquirer, Chris Britt returns to tap Ram Dev's vast wisdom surrounding working with our shadow, and embodying the Beloved.
Aubrey Marcus returns with Raghu to share poetry and dig into topics of navigating collective karma with intuition, the unconditional love of the mother, and the nature of time and free will. Aubrey Marcus (IG: @aubreymarcus) is the founder of Onnit, a lifestyle brand based on a holistic health philosophy he calls Total Human Optimization. Onnit is an Inc. 500 company and an industry leader with products optimizing millions of lives, including many top professional athletes around the world. Aubrey is the author of the NYT bestseller Own The Day, Own Your Life, with a follow-up Master Your Mind, Master Your Life due out 2021. He currently hosts the Aubrey Marcus Podcast, providing a motivational destination for conversations with the brightest minds in athletics, business, science, relationships, and spirituality. Connect mind, body, and spirit at aubreymarcus.com.
In this episode of Living with Reality, Dr. Robert Svoboda focuses on Rahu, a shadow planet that causes eclipses, and how we are experiencing Kalasarpa yoga at the beginning of 2021.
Francesca welcomes, friend and teacher, Jack Kornfield to illuminate the mindful path of embodied anti-racism through the lens of the Buddha, the dharma, & mindfulness. Jack has compiled an ongoing catalogue of crucial Anti-Racism Resources, as well as a list of helpful Pandemic Resources on his website, JackKornfield.com
Neuroscientist, Dr. Sará King joins Konda to discuss embodying liberation through overcoming prejudice, the connection between mental health and systemic racism, and the science behind how social justice is synonymous with wellbeing.
Dr. Sará Yafah King is a UCLA-trained neuroscientist, political and learning scientist, social-entrepreneur, public speaker, and yoga and mindfulness meditation instructor. She has over 20 years of experience as a research scientist, and specializes in the study of the relationship between mindfulness, complementary alternative medicine, and social justice. She is the scientific consultant for Peace in Schools, a dharma teacher with Presence Collective, a Post Doctoral Fellow in Neurology, and the founder of MindHeart Consulting, a scientific consultancy offering up seminars, research and development, and trauma healing circles based on the framework she developed called the 'Science of Social Justice' - a way of both studying (researching), teaching (facilitating), and healing individuals and communities from the dis-ease of othering and systemic oppression. For more on Sará's offerings, please visit mindheartconsulting.com and follow her at @mindheartcollective.
VoyageLA Magazine recently put out a timely and insightful article showcasing Dr. Sará King and her ongoing work on The Science of Social Justice.
In this episode of Heart Wisdom, Jack shares poems and stories to help us bask in the wonder and mystery of life, meet cosmic pain with compassion and reflect on gratitude.
For episode 144 of the Metta Hour, Sharon speaks with Zindel Segal, Ph.D. Zindel is a Distinguished Professor of Psychology in Mood Disorders at the University of Toronto Scarborough. He has written over ten books, and 180 scientific publications, including The Mindful Way Through Depression, and recently co-founded MindfulNoggin.com, a website for mindfulness-based clinical care for managing depression and anxiety. In this conversation, Sharon and Zindel discuss the nuanced relationship between mindfulness practice and mental health. Zindel shares some of his research about when and how Mindfulness practice can aid recovery from clinical depression, and anxiety, as well as some of the new challenge folks are facing now from the pandemic. The episode closes with Zindel leads a 3-minute guided meditation practice on the breath. Learn more about Zindel’s work, visit mindfulnoggin.com
Get your copy of Sharon's newest book, Real Change, at sharonsalzberg.com or your favorite place to get books or audiobooks!
In this dharma talk from 1982, Ram Dass tackles the problem with personality, exploring how we need to honor the power of our personality without identifying and being attached to it.
As we crest the anniversary of Ram Dass leaving his body, Sharon Salzberg visits Raghu to share stories about Ram Dass and his amazing capacity to both give and receive love.
In this episode of Insight Hour, Joseph Goldstein continues his discussion of mindfulness of the dhammas by exploring the mental formation of volition and the aggregate of consciousness.
Exploring the nature of empowered compassionate service, Spring Washam shares inspirational stories of selflessness and interconnection. What does it mean to take an open heart into the world? Spring Washam takes a clear and insightful look into how we can meet each moment with an openhearted joy of compassionate service. Sharing a handful of stories from inspirational beings that represent the discernible truths of interconnectedness and interdependence, Spring elucidates how we can more fully offer our compassionate heart to the world.
For more information on her teachings, personal sessions, book, upcoming retreats, and digital offerings, visit SpringWasham.com
Anthropologist, Alberto Villolda, PhD, joins David to illuminate ancient shamanic wisdom to heal our modern world through imbibing the natural, intuitive flow of consciousness, nature, and service. Dubbed the ‘Indian Jones of the Spirit World,’ Alberto Villoldo, PhD, is a medical anthropologist who has studied the shamanic healing practices of the Amazon and Andes for more than 25 years. He is the founder of the Four Winds Society, an organization dedicated to the bridging of ancient shamanic traditions with modern medicine and psychology. The Four Winds Society Light Body School is internationally recognized as the Gold Standard in shamanic education, preparing wise and ethical energy medicine practitioners. For more information about Alberto and his books, such as The Four Insights, Grow a New Body, and Shaman, Healer, Sage, visit thefourwinds.com
This time on Living with Reality, Dr. Robert Svoboda talks about moving beyond 2020 and provides tips and insights into how we can open ourselves to a better reality in 2021.
As we approach the anniversary of Ram Dass leaving his body, Jack Kornfield visits Mindrolling to share stories about Ram Dass and how he ultimately became transparent to love.
For episode 143 of the Metta Hour, Sharon speaks with Sarah Jones. Sarah is a Tony® Award-winning performer, writer, comedian and activist. Called “a master of the genre” by The New York Times, Sarah is known for her multi-character, one-person shows, including Broadway hit Bridge & Tunnel, and the critically-acclaimed show Sell/Buy/Date. She has given multiple main-stage TED Talks garnering millions of views and performed for President and First Lady Obama at the White House. Sarah recently launched Foment Productions, a social justice-focused entertainment company aligned with her progressive, intersectional activism. She has appeared in film and TV projects ranging from Sesame Street to Marriage Story, and she will next be seen in an upcoming Netflix dramedy series, On the Verge.
This is the sixteenth episode of the Real Change Podcast series. In this conversation, Sarah and Sharon speak about Sarah’s path and how contemplative practices have informed her work as a writer, director and actor. They discuss the idea of creativity as an act of social action, as well as some of the themes from “Real Change.” Sarah shares about her journey with self-love, and how she find resilience and joy.
Francesca Maximé welcomes Ruth Lanius for a conversation about how racialized trauma lives in the body and can ultimately lead to a lesser sense of self.
Ruth Lanius, MD, PhD, Professor of Psychiatry, is the director of the posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) research unit at the University of Western Ontario. She established the Traumatic Stress Service and the Traumatic Stress Service Workplace Program, services that specialize in the treatment and research of PTSD and related comorbid disorders. She has written more than 100 published papers and chapters in the field of traumatic stress and is an author of the book, Healing the Traumatized Self.
Inspirational underground hip-hop artist, Sage Francis, joins Chris to discuss music as a teacher, the resonance of truth, cultural shifts, and the magic of writing.
Sage Francis is CEO of Strange Famous Records, and half of the Epic Beard Men. He is widely considered one of our generation's greatest lyricists. His gifted wordplay creates vivid narratives to instigate as well as inspire, often deriving from an accumulation of public disdain and personal turmoil. Dubbed the forefather of Indie Hop, Francis originally earned worldwide acclaim in the 2000s by winning highly coveted titles in the MC battle circuit. At the advent of file-sharing, Francis' unique brand of music spread like wildfire and he gained a cult following. In 2005 Sage Francis was the first hip-hop artist signed to Epitaph Records and soon became one of the highest selling independent artists of his genre. Sage Francis has returned to releasing music independently and has a podcast in the works. For more info check out StrangeFamousRecords.com
Author, journalist, & activist, Sarah Wilson joins Raghu to discuss balancing the inner spiritual journey with outer action, sharing, and sacrifice in order to be of service to the collective. Sarah Wilson is a former journalist and TV presenter, author and activist, who wrote the New York Times bestsellers I Quit Sugar and First, We Make the Beast Beautiful, which Mark Manson described as, “the best book on living with anxiety that I’ve ever read.” Previously she was editor of Cosmopolitan Australia, host of Masterchef Australia and founder of the largest wellness website in Australia, IQuitSugar.com. In May 2018, Sarah closed the business and gave all money to charity. She now builds and enables charity projects that “engage humans with each other” and campaigns on mental health and climate issues. Sarah ranks as one of the top 200 most influential authors in the world and has a combined digital audience of 2.5 million. Sarah’s latest book, This One Wild and Precious Life, is a soul’s journey through the complexities of climate change, coronavirus, racial inequalities and our disconnection from what matters. For more info, visit SarahWilson.com
In the face of these divisive times, Jack Kornfield offers some timely wisdom on equanimity, karma, maintaining a vast perspective and planting the seeds of goodness.
Trudy Goodman Kornfield returns to the BHNN Guest Podcast to share stories about awakening and offer wisdom around being present for each and every moment – because this is it.
In this dharma talk from 1983, Ram Dass looks at the context of reality from the perspectives of both the social and political domain, and the domain of spiritual awakening.
Strategist, Designer, Writer, & System-Nudger, Micah Daigle, joins Konda to explore reimagining our systems around what makes us come alive.
Micah is a designer and movement builder working to redesign our world to work for everyone. He started his career advocating against the racist war on drugs as the executive director of Students For a Sensible Drug Policy, before shifting from working against the existing system, to creating better systems. As a designer, he's worked on software tools like Asana and Hackpad, helping millions of people collaborate. As a campaigner, Micah crowdfunds projects like Impact Hub Oakland, and as a strategist, he's helped dozens of founder teams clarify their purpose, story and voice. Micah is part of an emerging movement to redesign the foundations of our society, such as the economy or government, and is currently focused on forming land based collectives to experiment with new and ancient ways of living together. For more info, visit micahdaigle.com
Comedian & Podcaster, Jamie Kilstein joins Raghu to talk about honesty, vulnerability, fcking up, atheism, suicide, psychedelics, and spirituality. Jamie Kilstein is a comedian, writer, musician, fighter, and podcaster who hosts, A Fckup’s Guide to Self-Help, where he talks culture, self-improvement, drugs, mental health, and being an outcast. He describes it as a magical journey of self-discovery, self-loathing, fcking up, and learning from those fck ups. Jamie made his debut tv appearance on Conan and has been seen on MSNBC’s Up with Chris Hayes, Countdown with Keith Olbermann, Showtime, and BBC America. For more info visit JamieKilstein.com
In this Dharma talk, Joseph investigates the mindfulness of the dhamma, focusing in on the aggregates of perception and mental formations.
For episode 142 of the Metta Hour, Sharon speaks with mindfulness and meditation teachers Devon and Craig Hase. Devon has been committed to meditation since 2000, spending years in retreat in the Insight and Vajrayana traditions, and has been mentored by Joseph Goldstein, Tara Brach, Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche. Craig began intensive meditation training in 1994, living in a Zen monastery for six years before getting his Ph.D. in counseling psychology. Together they are teachers and mentors in the spiritual community, and they just released their new book, How Not To Be A Hot Mess. You can find about more their offerings at DevonandCraigHase.com
This is episode fifteen of the Real Change Podcast series. In this episode, Devon and Craig examine the ways that the practices of mindfulness can make it through the difficulties we face day-to-day. They speak with Sharon about some of the themes from “Real Change” and how we can embody our best selves through the practices of mindfulness and meditation. The episode finishes with three-minute breath meditation guided by Sharon to close the conversation.
Chris Britt returns to Healing at the Edge to ask Ram Dev about some of the remarkable teachers he has received wisdom from, including Suzuki Roshi, Anandamayi Ma, and the Dalai Lama.
Chris Britt is a speaker and performer who blends storytelling with hands-on magic and theatrical arts. He makes great events even better by engaging audiences with a custom program of interactive activities, improvisational play, magic, and other theatrical tools that he has honed throughout his career. Learn more at chrisbritt.com.
Author and podcaster Daniele Bolelli drops by Mindrolling for a conversation around dealing with fear and suffering, facing loss, and balancing toughness and kindness as we go through life. Daniele Bolelli is a writer, martial artist, university professor, and podcaster. He was born in Italy and currently lives in Los Angeles. Learn more about Daniele at his website, follow him on Twitter, and check out his podcasts, The Drunken Taoist and History on Fire.
Dr. Svoboda & Paula Crossfield illuminate how to find and interpret omens, discussing how to use our attention & intention to open an intuitive communication with nature.
Gil Fronsdal returns to the BHNN Guest Podcast for a dharma talk centered on dependent origination and its connection to emptiness, suffering, and the notion of self.
Ian Haney López joins Francesca to discuss how dog whistle politics and media perpetuate the socially constructed, hierarchical story of racial identity.
Ian Haney López is a law professor who specializes in race and racism. The Chief Justice Earl Warren Professor of Public Law at the UC, Berkeley, Ian's focus has been on the use of racism in electoral politics. From writing, to public polling and message testing, to accessible videos, Ian develops and promotes a race-class praxis. His books White By Law: The Legal Construction of Race and Dog Whistle Politics: How Coded Racial Appeals Have Reinvented Racism and Wrecked the Middle Class showcase how powerful elites exploit social divisions, imploring that no matter our race, color, or ethnicity, our best future requires building cross-racial solidarity. Discover more at IanHaneyLopez.com
In this dharma talk, Jack Kornfield explores why it’s so important to listen with the heart, both to yourself and to others, during these very chaotic and divisive times.
Alastair McIntosh rejoins to explore climate change through Ram Dass' lens of karma & grace, reframing it as a dangerous opportunity to cultivate a resilient, loving, interconnected future.
Writer, speaker, and activist, Alastair McIntosh has been described by BBC TV as “one of the world’s leading environmental campaigners.” A pioneer of modern land reform in Scotland, he helped bring the Isle of Eigg into community ownership. His work focuses on advancement in human ecology, land reform, urban regeneration, and spiritual activism. He just released a new book, Riders on the Storm: The Climate Crisis and the Survival of Being. Learn more about Alastair’s work at AlastairMcIntosh.com
Author, musician, and transformational speaker, Justin Michael Williams joins Chris to discuss using meditation and mindfulness techniques to help discover your passion and fulfill your life’s purpose.
Justin Michael Williams is an author, speaker, and top-twenty recording artist who is using music and meditation to wake up the world. By working at the intersection of music, mindfulness, and social justice, Justin has become a pioneering millennial voice for diversity, inclusion, and wellness. He has been featured by Billboard.com and Yoga Journal, shared the stage with Deepak Chopra, and presented at events such as Wanderlust and SXSW. Justin just released his new book, Stay Woke: A Meditation Guide for the Rest of Us, and is committed to using his voice for change. His greatest wish is to empower people from all walks of life to wake up to their life’s purpose and accomplish the dreams they once thought were impossible. For more information please visit www.StayWokeGiveBack.com and follow @wejustwill on Twitter and Instagram.
Krishna Das explores the sky of consciousness and how practice uncovers the love within us, plus answers questions about chanting, spiritual bypassing, and dealing with teenagers.
For episode 141 of the Metta Hour, Sharon speaks with Ellen Agler.
Ellen serves as the CEO of the END Fund, a private philanthropic initiative working to see an end of the suffering caused by five neglected tropical diseases affecting 1.7 billion of the world’s most impoverished people, including more than 1 billion children. The END Fund actively supports programs with dozens of partners in more than 25 countries, focusing on sub-Saharan Africa. Her book, “Under the Big Tree” was released in January of 2019.
This is episode fourteen of the Real Change Podcast series. Ellen starts the conversation by sharing how COVID has impacted the END Fund. They discuss the cycles of systems change and individual change and how the two inform each other. They also discuss some of the themes from “Real Change” and how meditation practice has been essential to balance Ellen’s work in the Public Health Sector. The two share a few of the individuals who inspire them and model how to live with a lightness of being in the midst of great suffering, including Dipa Ma and H.H. the Dalai Lama. The episode finishes with three-minute breath meditation guided by Sharon to close the conversation.
David Nichtern and Michael Carroll share a conversation around what they learned from Trungpa Rinpoche and how that translates into the concept of the authentic colleague in the modern-day workplace. Michael Carroll is an authorized teacher in the Kagyu-Nyingma and Shambhala lineages in the tradition of Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche. He is the author of Awake at Work, The Mindful Leader, Fearless at Work, and Mindful Leadership Training. For over two decades Michael worked on Wall Street and in the publishing industry, and he has taught mindfulness-awareness meditation at numerous Fortune 500 companies and universities. For more information on Michael and his offerings, visit Awake at Work and The Wisdom Seat.
Insight Meditation teacher JoAnna Hardy returns to the BHNN Guest Podcast for a dharma talk about the five hindrances and why they are like dust in our eyes that keeps us from seeing clearly.
Daniel Goleman joins Raghu to celebrate the 25th anniversary of his paradigm-shifting book, Emotional Intelligence, and discuss the intersection of science and spirituality through the lens of Ram Dass, mindfulness, neuroplasticity, and intuition.
Daniel is an internationally known psychologist and author. His New York Times bestselling book, Emotional Intelligence, was named one of the 25 “Most Influential Business Management Books” by TIME Magazine. Daniel is also a board member of the Mind & Life Institute, an organization that fosters dialogues and research collaborations among contemplative practitioners and scientists. Daniel has organized a series of intensive conversations between the Dalai Lama and scientists, and further merged Dharma and science, coauthoring Altered Traits: Science Reveals How Meditation Changes Your Mind, Brain, and Body. Learn more about Daniel's work at danielgoleman.info
In this dharma talk, Joseph Goldstein begins an exploration of what the Buddha called the five aggregates of clinging, and how we can become imprisoned by the concept of self.
Sarah Peyton joins Francesca Maximé for a conversation about the effect of white supremacy on people’s neurobiology, and how we need to let go of the unconscious contracts we make with ourselves.
Sarah Peyton, an international speaker and facilitator, has a passion for weaving together neuroscience knowledge and experiences of healing that unify people with their brains and bodies. Sarah offers healing experiences of hearing ourselves and others deeply, and body-centered explorations of families over generations. She is the author of Your Resonant Self and the Your Resonant Self Workbook. Learn more about Sarah and check out her free offerings at empathybrain.com.
Cultural strategist Anasa Troutman joins Konda Mason for a conversation around intentional communities, white supremacy, and what freedom really looks like.
As CEO & Founder of The BIG We, Anasa Troutman works to build and execute strategies for artists and organizations that are aligned with her vision of a loving world and her belief in creativity as a pathway to personal, community, and global transformation. Best known for her work as the strategic advisor and executive producer for her longtime friend - Grammy-winning singer and songwriter India Arie. Anasa recently stepped into leadership as the first Executive Director of the historic Clayborn Temple in Memphis. Learn more about Anasa and her work at anasatroutman.com.
Marc Lesser joins Raghu to discuss bringing Zen Buddhism to Google, working with evolutionary fear, cultivating humor and courage, and reclaiming mindfulness as a warmhearted practice.
Marc Lesser is a speaker, facilitator, workshop leader, and executive coach, known for his engaging, experiential presentations that integrate mindfulness and emotional intelligence practices and training. He is the author of four books, including his 2019 release, Seven Practices of a Mindful Leader: Lessons from Google and a Zen Monastery Kitchen. Marc was the co-founder and CEO of the Search Inside Yourself Leadership Institute, featuring a mindfulness program he helped develop within Google. Prior to his business and coaching career, he was a resident of the San Francisco Zen Center for 10 years, and director of Tassajara, Zen Mountain Center.
Illuminating the path of Oneness, Ram Dev embarks on an exploration of nonduality and shares a guided meditation practice inviting us into the spacious, blissful essence of the non-grasping mind.
Nikki Walton welcomes non-duality teacher Rupert Spira to the New Growth Podcast for a conversation around the true nature of experience and the presence of awareness. From an early age, Rupert Spira was deeply interested in the nature of reality. He studied and practiced the classical Advaita Vedanta tradition for 20 years before he met his teacher, Francis Lucille, in 1997. Francis introduced Rupert to the Direct Path teachings and, more importantly, directly indicated to him the true nature of experience. Rupert lives in the UK and holds regular meetings and retreats in Europe and the United States.
For episode 140 of the Metta Hour, Sharon speaks with friend and colleague Mallika Dutt.
Mallika is a leading innovator in storytelling and culture change, bringing together the power of ancient wisdom and spiritual practices with contemporary technologies and tools for creative connection and transformation. She combines her creative advocacy for a thriving world with a coaching, speaking and strategy practice that connects planet, people, and purpose.
This is the thirteenth episode of the Real Change Podcast series. In this conversation, Mallika shares what brought her to the path of activism and human rights, and how contemplative practices have informed her life. She and Sharon discuss some of the themes from “Real Change,” that have been relevant to Mallika’s journey: how identity plays a role in our engagement, working with anger and rage, and how Mallika cultivates resilience in an ongoing way. The episode closes with Mallika leading a guided Metta meditation practice.
Krishna Das explores the possibility of cultivating presence & compassion through spiritual practice and answers questions about Maharajji, working with longing, fostering generosity, & dealing with people at their worst.
Jack Kornfield explores how the Buddhist concept of Right Effort is about the effort to be present and bring more loving awareness to ourselves and the world around us.
Actor and musician, Michael Imperioli, joins Chris to discuss finding Tibetan Buddhism, teaching meditation, acting his final scenes for The Sopranos, and playing live music fronting a rock band. Michael Imperioli is best known for his Emmy Award winning acting performance as Christopher Moltisanti on The Sopranos, as well as writing five episodes of the show. Co-screenwriter for the Spike Lee film, Summer of Sam, Michael has appeared in six of Lee’s films, and has also acted in films by Martin Scorsese, Abel Ferrera, Walter Hill, Peter Jackson, and the Hughes Brothers. Michael has also been involved in New York’s rock ‘n roll scene since the mid 1980s, playing guitar in the post-punk band Black Angus with filmmaker Tom Gilroy. Currently Michael is the guitarist and lead singer for the band, Zopa, and shares a steady stream of meditation tutorials and Dharma on his Instagram.
In this timely talk, Dr. Robert Svoboda shines a light on the quality of resilience, using the story of Harriet Tubman as an example of a person who is resolute and resilient.
Mindrolling alumni, David Silver, rejoins to share epiphanies inspired by incredible encounters he has had with cultural icons from around the world.
From elephant parties with John Lennon, a mixtape request from Gaddafi, to his friendship with Bob Marley, to meeting Malcolm X - David's stories are truly ones of grace, humor, compassion, & wonder.
For episode 139 of the Metta Hour, Sharon speaks with Jana Kiser.
Jana Kiser is a social entrepreneur and Harvard-trained educator. She has more than twenty years of experience partnering with youth, adults, and communities in their pursuit of equity, justice, and peace. Jana founded Global Learning, an international nonprofit organization dedicated to education for peace and justice, and served as Global Learning’s Executive Director for thirteen years. She has also served for six years as the Executive Director of Redwood City 2020. This collective impact organization addresses inequity and the effects of poverty through health and wellness programming.
This is episode twelve of the Real Change Podcast series. In this conversation, Jana and Sharon speak about Jana’s work in Puerto Rico to support community healing in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria. They talk about Jana’s history and what brought her to the path of meditation and activism. They speak about some of the themes from “Real Change,” particularly how Jana has cultivated resilience throughout her activism career and what tools she uses to remain balanced and grounded. The episode closes with Jana leading a thirteen-minute body scan meditation practice. Learn more about Jana's offerings at janakiser.com
Dr. Michael Yellow Bird rejoins Francesca to discuss Indigenous mindfulness, anti-racism, and the neuroscience of healing through dance.
Michael Yellow Bird, MSW, PhD is Dean and Professor, Faculty of Social Work, University of Manitoba and is a citizen of the Three Affiliated Tribes, the Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara Nations. He works with Tribal and Indigenous Peoples to bring mindfulness and neurodecolonization approaches to communities for the purposes of healing and improving wellness. He uses neuroscience research to examine how mindfulness approaches and traditional Indigenous contemplative practices can train the mind and positively change the structure and function of the brain.
In this dharma talk, Joseph Goldstein continues his exploration of the five hindrances, this time offering remedies to deal with the mental factors of sloth and torpor.
Looking at life as a series of lawfully unfolding events, Ram Dass shares rare stories and Eastern wisdom that elucidate the concepts of karma and reincarnation.
Comedian, actor, and writer Pete Holmes rejoins Raghu to reflect on his experiences with Ram Dass, sharing rare and hilarious stories exemplifying his deeply personal, spiritual transformation. This special episode of Mindrolling is part of a series of conversations for an upcoming book project on remarkable experiences with Ram Dass. Recorded just months after his Dec 22, 2019 passing on Maui, Raghu invites Pete to share about his personal spiritual journey with Baba Ram Dass. Diving into the cascading catalysts which led him to read Be Here Now, his travels alongside Duncan Trussell to the Love Serve Remember retreats, and his deeply loving and humorous relationship with Ram Dass on Maui, Pete elucidates the unique lilas (divine plays), in his life, which brought him to Ram Dass, Hanuman, and Maharajji.
Ram Dev (Dale Borglum) discusses spiritual practice as a preparation for dying, how to work with the suffering of physical pain, and the best practices for compassionate, conscious caregiving.
Multidimensional artist, podcaster, and comedian, Ramin Nazer, joins Raghu to discuss his high-podcast diet, talk Frank Zappa’s idea of expanding through contrasting material, and dive into the topics of art, eternity, practice, creativity, & death. Ramin Nazer is a multitalented artist, podcaster, comedian, game-creator and musician based out of LA. He is best known for his consistent stream of unique, psychedelic-spiritual, bite-sized art for the social media age, as well as his eclectic podcast, The Rainbow Brainskull Hour, where he chats with guests about subjects like creativity, spirituality, psychedelics, music, meditation, and death. You can tap into Ramin’s steady flow of art on his Instagram, and peer into his myriad offerings at RaminNazer.com
For episode 137 of the Metta Hour, Sharon speaks with Killian Noe. Killian is the Founding Director of Recovery Café, providing a beautiful, safe, warm, drug and alcohol-free space and loving community to anchor Members in the sustained recovery needed to gain and maintain access to housing, social and health services, healthy relationships, education and employment. Before starting Recovery Café in 2004, Killian co-founded Samaritan Inns, a non-profit in Washington DC, which provides transitional and longer-term drug and alcohol-free, community-oriented housing for individuals recovering from homelessness, addiction and other mental health challenges.
This is the tenth episode of the Real Change Podcast series. In this conversation, Killian and Sharon speak about Killian’s longtime work as a change-maker and what role compassion has played in her work. They discuss the role that contemplative practice and service have played in Killian’s personal life and how it has informed her career as an activist. They also speak about how to maintain balance and joy when helping others through practice and leaning into community. The episode closes with Killian leading a guided practice from the contemplative tradition: the “Welcoming Practice.”
Francesca Maximé welcomes Jacqueline Battalora for a conversation around how the invention of the idea of “white people” became the foundation of America’s institutionalized racism.
In this much-needed dharma talk, Trudy Goodman Kornfield and Jack Kornfield share their wisdom on working with polarization, and how we can all quiet our minds and steady our hearts. Trudy Goodman Kornfield, Ph.D., is a Vipassana teacher in the Theravada lineage and the Founding Teacher of InsightLA. She also teaches residential retreats at Spirit Rock Meditation Center in Woodacre, CA, Vallecitos Mountain Retreat Center, and Insight Meditation Society in Barre, MA, among others. Learn more at trudygoodman.com.
Horror icon Ken Foree joins Chris to discuss his legendary acting career, African Americans in cinema, helping his mom heal with yoga, and his experiences facing discrimination.
Dr. Robert Roeser joins Raghu to explore how Buddhism and mindfulness practices merge with modern neuroscience and developmental psychology.
In this virtual hangout, Susan Piver and David discuss making friends with yourself, overcoming unworthiness, the weaponization of egolessness, and expanding our definition of Sangha. Susan Piver is a New York Times bestselling author of nine books, including The Hard Questions, the award-winning How Not to Be Afraid of Your Own Life, and The Four Noble Truths of Love: Buddhist Wisdom for Modern Relationships. Piver, who has been practicing Buddhism since 1995, is an internationally acclaimed meditation teacher known for her ability to translate ancient practices into modern life. Her work has been featured on the Oprah show, TODAY, CNN, and in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, MONEY, and others. In 2011, she launched the Open Heart Project, the largest virtual mindfulness community in the world. You can find more information at SusanPiver.com
Spring Washam explores the essence of embodiment, and how by coming home into our bodies we can restore the connection to our intuition and personal power.
In this dharma talk, Joseph Goldstein uses the teachings of the Satipatthāna Sutta to explore how we can deal with aversive states of mind such as hatred, anger, and ill-will.
Race relations expert Daryl Davis joins Mindrolling to share the incredible story of his work engaging with Ku Klux Klan members and bringing down their walls of ignorance and fear.
Daryl Davis is a musician, bandleader, actor, author, and race relations expert. He is well known for his work with engaging Ku Klux Klan members, many of whom wind up leaving and denouncing the KKK. Learn more about Daryl and all of his work at daryldavis.com.
Richard Lang joins Nikki to experiment in The Headless Way, a simple, yet profound self-inquiry methodology for boundless consciousness.
Through a Buddhist lens, Shannon Watts and Ethan discuss harnessing the ancient and cultural power of motherhood to enact change in 2020. Shannon Watts, a mother of five, social activist, and Buddhist practitioner; is the founder of Moms Demand Action, a leading force for gun violence prevention, and is an active board member of Emerge America and Rise to Run, two of the nation’s leading organizations for recruiting and training women to run for office. Watts is a contributor to The Huffington Post and Medium, and her writing has appeared in Vogue, Time, and The Washington Post. Shannon recently authored, Fight Like a Mother: How a Grassroots Movement Took on the Gun Lobby and Why Women Will Change the World.
For episode 135 of the Metta Hour, Sharon speaks with one of her oldest friends and colleagues, Jack Kornfield.
Jack Kornfield is a beloved author and meditation teacher who trained as a Buddhist monk in the monasteries of Thailand, India, and Burma. He has taught meditation internationally since 1974, and his books have been translated into 20 languages and sold more than a million copies.
A longtime activist, Jack discusses with Sharon the role of an engaged life in the spiritual path, as taught in the Buddhist tradition. They share an intimate conversation with stories since meeting and becoming friends in 1974, and how activism has shaped their teaching and lives. They also discuss voting as a spiritual act and the organization that Jack is supporting to help get out the vote for the 2020 U.S. Presidential election: Buddhists & Yogins United. The conversation closes with Jack leading a guided meditation on Loving Awareness. Learn more about Jack's offerings at jackkornfield.com
Dr. Bruce Perry and Francesca explore how the physiology of belonging heals the colonized traumas of cultural fragmentation and implicit bias.
Jakada Imani and Konda explore the intersection of spirituality and social justice in relation to the ongoing movement for racial justice. Jakada Imani is a spiritually rooted coach and trainer with 30 years’ experience working for racial, social and economic justice. He is the Chair of the Board of OneLife Institute, which serves at the intersection of spirituality and social action. Over the last three decades, Jakada has worked for organizations and or supported movements working on campaigning to close youth prisons, fight for workers’ rights, tenant organizing and green jobs. In 2013 he received a ChangeMaker Fellowship from Pacific School of Religion, where he served for two years leading The Ignite Institute, a center for spiritual and social transformation. Current Rev. Jakada serves as the Board President of Greenpeace U.S. You can find more information about Jakada at OneLife Institute and LinkedIn
Ram Dev explores how to move past delusion to work with strong emotions like anger through the all-encompassing lens of Tantra Yoga.
Acclaimed musician SIMRIT joins Raghu to talk growing up adopted, her influences in music and yoga, the practicality of mantra, and trusting your intuition. Chart-topping and world-renowned musician and vocalist, SIMRIT, has been studying and working with the science of sound and consciousness for two decades. SIMRIT creates vibrationally powerful and healing music to impact both positive internal & external change. Decades of study and experimentation with the quantum technology of Naad Yoga (the ancient science of using sound to impact the brain’s neural pathways and chemicals, eliciting altered states of reality) deeply influences her music. For more information head over to SimritKaurMusic.com
For episode 134 of the Metta Hour, Sharon speaks with social change agent, Marc Solomon. Marc is a nationally recognized political strategist and campaign leader with 25 years of experience in strategy, campaign management, policy development and execution, messaging and communications leadership, and field mobilization. Marc was one of the key architects of the marriage equality movement and has applied lessons from the marriage equality movement to help secure impactful criminal justice reforms, pass laws enacting automatic voter registration, advance pro-immigrant policies, and build bipartisan support for ending partisan gerrymandering. Learn more about Marc’s public affair’s work at civitaspublicaffairs.com
In this episode, Sharon and Marc discuss his work as an activist, in particular, cultivating resilience working on long-term civil rights movements, and the role that meditation has played in his own life. Marc closes the conversation by leading a guided lovingkindness meditation practice.
Dr. Diane Goodman joins Francesca to talk about why it is important to distinguish our different experiences.
Jack Kornfield leads an equanimity meditation to help us be steady and balanced in the midst of constant change, then follows with a meditation that goes straight into the heart of compassion.
Dr. Sabrina N’Diaye joins Mindrolling for a conversation around grief and gratitude, working with trauma, and the extraordinary healing power of listening. Dr. Sabrina N’Diaye is an integrative psychotherapist and founder of the Heart Nest Center for Peace and Healing in Baltimore. She is a student of the late Sufi Master Sidi Muhammad al-Jamal of Jerusalem, and incorporates Sufi healing into her work with individuals, families, and communities. Dr. Sabrina is also a proud faculty member of the Center for Mind-Body Medicine, where she teaches the art of self-care to healthcare professionals around the globe. Learn more about her at drsabrinandiaye.com.
Dr. Svoboda elucidates the four aims of life, explaining how path, wealth, desire, and freedom from delusion apply to stages of development.
Ralph De La Rosa joins Ethan to talk Western psychology meeting Buddha Nature, mindfulness as psychic survival, and normalizing dharmic rage.
Ralph De La Rosa, LCSW, is an author, psychotherapist, meditation teacher, Buddhist philosopher, and student of Amma. He leads healing retreats at Omega Institute, Spirit Rock, and Kripalu, and his work has been featured in the New York Post, CNN, GQ, SELF, Women's Health, and many more. For information on Ralph's ongoing work and his new book, Don't Tell Me to Relax: Emotional Resilience in the Age of Rage, Feels, and Freak Outs, head over to ralphdelarosa.com
For episode 133 of the Metta Hour, Sharon speaks with Anu Gupta. Anu Gupta is a scientist, educator and lawyer. He is the Founder of Be More with Anu, a science-backed, compassion-based approach, after conducting decade-long research on the causes of and solutions to racial and gender inequality.
In this episode, Sharon and Anu speak at length about Anu’s personal journey to becoming a meditator, and his work as a facilitator in breaking bias, healing trauma, mending policies, and channeling resources equitably. Anu closes the conversation by leading a guided meditation practice. Learn more about Anu’s offerings at bemorewithanu.com.
Evangeline Weiss and Kari Points join Francesca to discuss finding freedom and taking on racism, patriarchy, and white supremacy as white women. Evangeline Weiss and Kari Points are the founders and facilitators of Finding Freedom: White Women Taking On Our Own White Supremacy. Evangeline is the founder of Beyond Conflict Inc, a social justice consulting firm, and the Leadership Programs Director at the National LGBTQ Task Force. Kari is a member of the Leadership Team of Showing Up for Racial Justice and the Poor and Working Class Crew of Triangle SURJ. Together, they are working to undo the entrenched legacy of white supremacy to help cultivate collective liberation.
Ram Dass explores how spiritual practice helps us find a home in the domain of spirit and root ourselves in presence, even amidst all the suffering and pain of this world.
Gil Fronsdal explores the Buddha’s teachings on beauty and care, sharing their relationship to karma, meditation, the witness, and the Dharma.
Joseph Goldstein shares Buddhist insight into using mindfulness and meditation to be present with our thoughts and emotions.
Tezra and Koa join Raghu to share their spiritual catalysts, explore victimhood vs empowerment in allyship, and talk self-inquiry and forgiveness. Tezra and Koa are the hosts of the ‘I AM Not that’ podcast, an exploration of how to become liberated from our limiting thoughts, ideals and beliefs, and reclaim our unlimited power of potentiality. They join Raghu to share their own unique sparks of finding the spiritual path, along with their personal journeys in embodying this uncovered wisdom. After sharing their synchronistic story of falling in love, Tezra and Koa dive into the intention behind their podcast, explain the difference between a well-wisher and an ally, and offer advice for self-inquiry and spiritual liberation.
Author Byron Katie joins Nikki Walton for a conversation around the power of self-inquiry practice and the four questions that can help us not identify with our thoughts. Byron Katie’s simple yet powerful process of self-inquiry, which she calls The Work, consists of four questions and the turnaround, which is a way of experiencing the opposite of what you believe. Katie has been bringing The Work to millions of people for more than thirty years. Her books include the bestselling Loving What Is, A Thousand Names for Joy, and A Mind at Home with Itself. Visit thework.com for more information and free resources for doing The Work.
For episode 132 of the Metta Hour Podcast, Sharon speaks with Diego Perez, known more commonly as Yung Pueblo, for the Real Change Podcast Series.
Diego is a meditator, writer, and speaker who is widely known on Instagram and various social media networks through his pen name Yung Pueblo. Online he reaches hundreds of thousands of people every month through his written works that focus on the reality of self-healing, the movement from self-love to unconditional love, and the wisdom that comes when we truly work on knowing ourselves.
This is the fifth episode of the Real Change Podcast series. In this conversation, Diego shares his journey of coming to Vipassana meditation. They share stories about the influence that S.N. Goenka has had on both their lives, as well as the role Dipa Ma has okayed for them both. Diego shares about his life as a community organizer and activist before becoming a writer, and they discuss at length the relationship between inner transformation and outer transformation. The conversation closes with Diego leading a reflection on practice and transformation.
Krishna Das answers questions about spiritual practice, the Guru, mantra chanting, our relationship to time, and the nature of oneness.
In this episode of Healing at the Edge, Ram Dev explores the nature of compassion and forgiveness, especially in the face of divisiveness, suffering, and difficult emotions.
Dr. David Grand joins the ReRooted Podcast to talk about the Brainspotting approach to therapy.
Civil rights attorney Fania Davis shares a conversation with Konda Mason around how we can heal the deepest of wounds with the loving power of restorative justice.
Fania Davis is a leading national voice on restorative justice. She is an author, educator, restorative justice practitioner and a long-time social justice activist and civil rights trial attorney with a PhD in Indigenous Knowledge. Coming of age in Birmingham, Alabama during the social ferment of the civil rights era, the murder of two close childhood friends in the 1963 Sunday School bombing crystallized within Fania a passionate commitment to social transformation. Studying with indigenous healers, particularly in Africa, catalyzed Fania’s search for a healing justice, ultimately leading her to goal of bringing restorative justice to Oakland, California. Founding Director of Restorative Justice of Oakland Youth, her numerous honors include the Ubuntu award for service to humanity, the Dennis Maloney Award for excellence in Youth Restorative Justice, the Tikkun award, the Ella Baker Jo Baker Award, the Bioneers’ Changemaker Award.
Devon and Craig Hase join Raghu to talk tangible mindfulness, finding authenticity through meditation, and dismantling racism in spiritual communities.
Devon has been committed to meditation since 2000, spending years in retreat in the Insight and Vajrayana traditions, and has been mentored by Joseph Goldstein, Tara Brach, Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche. Craig began intensive meditation training in 1994, living in a Zen monastery for six years before getting his Ph.D. in counseling psychology. Together they are teachers and mentors in the spiritual community, and they just released their new book, How Not To Be A Hot Mess. You can find about more their offerings at DevonandCraigHase.com
Committed yogi and political strategist Reggie Hubbard joins Ethan Nichtern for a conversation about the union of politics and spirituality, and the sacred importance of voting. Reggie Hubbard is currently a senior political strategist for MoveOn, managing their relationships, impact and communications with Capitol Hill. He has previously worked on presidential campaigns for John Kerry and Bernie Sanders. In addition to his political work, Reggie is a certified yoga teacher who has taught members of Congress, sharing techniques for growing peace and ease as a foundation, not an afterthought. Learn more about Reggie at activepeaceyoga.com and follow him on Instagram.
For episode 131 of the Metta Hour, Sharon speaks with her close friend, Sylvia Boorstein for the Real Change Podcast Series. Sylvia Boorstein has been teaching Dharma and mindfulness meditation since 1985 and is the author of five books. She is a founding teacher of Spirit Rock Meditation Center, a psychotherapist, wife, mother and grandmother. In this conversation Sharon and Sylvia talk about their initial meeting in the 1980s through lovingkindness practice, and how that practice has shaped Sylvia’s practice and teaching. They discuss their experiences in the pandemic, and what is still true: the three characteristics of existence from the Buddhist framework. Sylvia shares about her experiences working with worry or other unstable mind energies through the five hindrances.
This is the fourth episode of the Real Change Podcast Series, and Sylvia shares her experiences as a longtime activist, and why she considered her spiritual practice in her 20s and 30s to be activism. She also speaks about her arrest in 2003 with Jack Kornfield for the peaceful protest of the invasion of Afganistan. They also discuss Sylvia’s involvement with the Peace Alliance. The conversation closes with Sylvia leading an eight-minute guided meditation practice on lovingkindness.
Dr. Manuel X. Zamarripa joins Francesca to discuss destigmatizing mental health, healing intergenerational trauma, and decolonizing language. Dr. Manuel X. Zamarripa, LPC-S is the director and co-founder of the Institute of Chicana/o Psychology based in Austin, TX where he works with educators and mental health professionals on issues related to Chicanx/Latinx wellness, cultural identity, and mental health from a cultural strengths framework. He is also the Associate Dean of Counseling at Austin Community College District where he coordinates the delivery of mental health services to the student population, assists with the Behavioral Intervention Team, and leads the district’s suicide prevention and crisis response efforts.
Actor Michael Berryman joins Chris Grosso for a conversation around the gift of light, the masks we all wear, and how the horror genre connects to social consciousness.
Veteran actor and horror/sci-fi genre icon Michael Berryman is a native of Los Angeles, California. He was born prematurely with Hypohidrotic Ectodermal Dysplasia, a rare condition leaving him with no sweat glands, hair, fingernails, or teeth. Michael has appeared in films such as One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, The Hills Have Eyes, and Weird Science.
Paula Crossfield interviews Dr. Svoboda about possession, personality, channeling deities, worshipping ancestors, and cultivating good habits.
For episode 130 of the Metta Hour Podcast, Sharon speaks with Joel Leon. Joel is a performer, author, and storyteller who writes and tells stories for Black people. Born and raised in the Bronx, Joel specializes in moderating and leading conversations surrounding race, masculinity, mental health, creativity and the performing arts, with love at the center of his work and purpose. He is the author of “Book About Things I Will Tell My Daughter” and “God Wears Durags, Too”.
This is the third episode of the Real Change Podcast series. In this conversation, Joel and Sharon discuss love as an agent of change in the world, reclaiming it from its more often romantic definitions. Joel shares how he came to Buddhist teachings and how they have affected his life and art – especially now, during the Coronavirus quarantine in NYC. They discuss many of the themes in Real Change, especially the role that art plays in social change movements, and how differently that is viewed in eastern versus western cultures. The conversation closes with Joel leading a 5-minute guided meditation practice.
In this shared Dharma talk, Ethan Nichtern and Sharon Salzberg share insight and practices for taking refuge in the Three Jewels of Buddhism: the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha.
Sharon Salzberg is the host of the Metta Hour podcast. Her newest book, Real Change: Mindfulness to Heal Ourselves and the World is now available for pre-order. Learn more about Sharon at sharonsalzberg.com.
In this 1992 session, Ram Dass explores patriarchy and the Ramayana, dharmic roles, planes of consciousness, and being a good adversary. In this question and answer session from July 17th, 1992 in Rhinebeck, NY at the Omega Institute, Ram Dass answers questions surrounding the topics of patriarchy in religion, dharmic roles, relationships, the value of extended family, karma, planes of consciousness, self-love, mindfulness, personality, politics, and going a good adversary in social justice.
Joseph Goldstein dives deep into the heart of faith, exploring how it connects us and why it needs the balance of wisdom.
Francesca Maximé welcomes Dante King for a conversation around the history of systemic racism and white supremacy that leaves Black people with no exit from oppression.
Dante King is a Workforce, Learning & Organizational Development professional, specializing in the implementation of equity, diversity, inclusion, social justice, and implicit/unconscious bias educational training, with more than 15 years of experience. Throughout his career he has gained expertise in designing, developing, and delivering a combination of retreats, classes, and seminars. Learn more about Dante and his work at danteking.com.
For episode 129 of the Metta Hour Podcast, Sharon speaks with friend and colleague, Sebene Selassie for the Real Change Series.
Sebene Selassie has been teaching meditation workshops, courses and retreats for over a decade and her first book, “You Belong” was released in August of 2020 by HarperOne. She has studied Buddhism for over 30 years and received a BA from McGill University in Religious and Women’s Studies and an MA from the New School where she focused on cultural studies and race. Her work has taken her everywhere from the Tenderloin in San Francisco to refugee camps in Guinea, West Africa. Sebene is proud to have served on the boards of New York Insight Meditation Center, the Barre Center for Buddhist Studies, and Sacred Mountain Sangha.
This is the second episode of the Real Change Podcast series. In this conversation, Sebene and Sharon discuss some of the overlapping themes from their new books, Real Change and You Belong, exploring the ways meditation practice can inform social action such as agency, cultural conditioning, inherent bias, self-love and balance. Sebene closes the conversation with a 10 -minute meditation practice on grounding and belonging.
Learn more about Sebene’s offerings at sebeneselassie.com.
Robert Thurman returns to share stories about Ram Dass, discuss his psychedelic years, and explore the topics of reincarnation, identity and activism. Robert Thurman is the Jey Tsong Khapa Professor of Indo-Tibetan Buddhist Studies in the Department of Religion at Columbia University and President of the Tibet House U.S., and is the President of the American Institute of Buddhist Studies. Keep up with Robert at bobthurman.com
Visit BeHereNowNetwork.com for more podcasts like this!
Krishna Das talks about the importance of knowing the meaning of the words in a chant, the connection between Maharajji and Christ, and how we can always go back to the breath.
John Stephenson joins Nikki for a conversation around cultivating oneness, tapping into the ethereal, and seeing beyond Maya’s illusion.
Find more mindfulness and meditation podcasts at beherenownetwork.com!
Trudy Goodman discusses cultivating inner-strength, finding inspiration in unity, and selflessly radiating love and awareness like Ram Dass.
Exploring compassion and the spacious heart, Ram Dev discusses the possibility of fierce tenderness of the present moment.
David Nichtern and Danny Goldberg talk about honoring your intuition in your work, what it really means to manage an artist, and setting up a spiritual practice that works for you.
Spring Washam joins Chris Gross for a conversation about working with the fertile grounds of suffering, cultivating the fierce heart, and how plant-based medicine can help with trauma.
Author Pamela Weiss joins Ethan Nichtern for a conversation about fierce feminine Buddhism, patriarchy in spiritual traditions, and what it means to be a lay practitioner in the world.
The Venerable Tenzin Priyadarshi Rinpoche joins Raghu to discuss joyful effort, karma, first-hand experience, and his new book Running Toward Mystery.
Joseph illuminates how witnessing the arising and passing away of phenomena can break the spell of enchantment and reorient our minds towards freedom.
Be Here Now Network presents a classic talk from 1986 that captures one of Ram Dass' core teachings around identity and the planes of consciousness.
In this talk, Ram Dass offers a method for envisioning the planes of consciousness as different TV channels analogy, understanding ineffable spiritual experiences, and appreciating our differences while seeing our oneness.
Dr. Robert Svoboda explores Samkhya, which is the underlying philosophy of Ayurveda, and leads a meditation on Prana and the Five Elements.
In this dharma talk, Lama Surya Das explores the similarities and differences of the Mahamudra and Dzogchen practices, and how we can start to cultivate a ‘nowness awareness.’
Danny Goldberg returns to the Mindrolling Podcast to honor the life of civil-rights leader and former United States House Representative John Lewis.
John Robert Lewis (February 21, 1940 – July 17, 2020) was an American politician and civil-rights leader who served in the United States House of Representatives for Georgia’s 5th congressional district from 1987 until his death in 2020.
John Lewis fulfilled many key roles in the civil rights movement and its actions to end legalized racial segregation in the United States. Lewis was one of the “Big Six” leaders of groups who organized the 1963 March on Washington. In 1965, Lewis led the Selma to Montgomery marches across the Edmund Pettus Bridge. In an incident that became known as Bloody Sunday, armed Alabama police attacked unarmed civil rights demonstrators, including Lewis, Hosea Williams, and Amelia Boynton.
A member of the Democratic Party, Lewis was first elected to Congress in 1986 and served for 17 terms in the U.S. House of Representatives. Due to his length of service, he became the dean of the Georgia congressional delegation. He was a leader of the Democratic Party in the U.S. House of Representatives, serving from 1991 as a Chief Deputy Whip and from 2003 as Senior Chief Deputy Whip. Lewis received many honorary degrees and awards, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
Dr. Janet E. Helms joins Francesca to explore the historical roots of whiteness and systemic racism, and offer perspective on privilege and racial identity.
Spring Washam gives a dharma talk around the concept of Samsara and the freedom provided by the Eightfold Path, which is like the Yellow Brick Road that leads us away from suffering.
Ethan brings back guests Aarti Tejuja, Dr. Shanté Paradigm Smalls and David Perrin to follow up on where they are at nearly two years after the Shambhala community was transformed by scandal and an opportunity for growth.
This is the continuation of a conversation held in November of 2018 around the impact that allegations against Shambhala leader Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche had on themselves and their community.
Jeannie Mai joins Nikki to discuss faith, finding confidence in our divine purpose, respecting differences, and mindfulness as a practice of presence.
In this post-election dharma talk from 2016, Jack offers spiritual sanctuary and human possibility to a zeitgeist of fear, anger, and uncertainty.
Ram Dev leads a practice on working with fear, and talks about using centered awareness as a means of integrating practice into daily life.
Mehcad Brooks joins the Mindrolling Podcast for a conversation around how we can navigate the challenges of the world with inner work and raise our consciousness together.
Mehcad Brooks is a multi-talented actor, musician and model. Featuring lead roles in many movies and television shows, Mehcad is most known for his roles in Super Girl, Desperate Housewives and True Blood. Look out for Mehcad in 2021 starring as Jax in the upcoming Mortal Kombat movie. You can keep up with Mehcad online on Instagram and Twitter @MehcadBrooks
Bill Barbot joins Chris to discuss his punk rock beginnings, embracing the mystery, Alan Watts, Buddhism, and finding wisdom in insecurity.
David Nichtern welcomes Danny Goldberg to talk about the Zen concept of not knowing and the brilliance of Bernie Glassman, plus Danny lends his business expertise to David’s ideas of clarifying your offering and taking it to the marketplace.
For episode 126 of the Metta Hour, Sharon speaks with civil rights activist, filmmaker, lawyer and innovator, Valarie Kaur. Valarie is the founder of The Revolutionary Love Project and has won policy change on multiple fronts – hate crimes, racial profiling, immigration detention, solitary confinement, Internet freedom, and more. Her new book, See No Stranger: A Memoir and Manifesto of Revolutionary Love was just released in June of 2020. In this conversation, Valarie talks about her roots growing up as a Sikh woman in the United States, and the experiences that shaped her life as an activist. She and Sharon discuss the role of love in activism, forgiveness, and self-care, and Valarie leads a guided meditation practice to close the conversation. Learn more about Valarie’s work at seenostranger.com.
Dr. Svoboda explores the principles of Sādhanā and how we can balance spiritual practice with social action and our modern lives.
Krishna Das shares his thoughts on what compassionate loving kindness really means, and tells the story of travelling to India and learning how to get out of his own way in life.
Old friends of the show Duncan Trussell and Natasha Leggero join Raghu to celebrate the Be Here Now Network's fourth annual anniversary and share a conversation around how the Indian concept of Kalyānamitra - unconditional spiritual friends - may offer our best hope in these troubled times.
Joseph Goldstein shares his insight into the seductive mind states of doubt and aversion, which are two of the Buddha’s five hindrances.
In this talk from 1989, Ram Dass shares his thoughts on how innocence is very much a part of the spiritual journey, the importance of humor and lightness on the path, and much more.
Gil Fronsdal gives a dharma talk around encountering truth in a retreat setting, letting go of attachments, and developing skills on the path of cultivation.
Dr. Amer F. Ahmed joins Francesca to discuss the roots of institutionalized racism under capitalism, and how individualization leads to forced assimilation to white culture.
Keri Hilson sits down with Nikki for a chat about cultivating presence, love and awareness in our lives.
Lama Surya Das explores the natural great perfection of sky mind, or panoramic awareness, and talks about the difference between the Mahamudra and Dzogchen traditions.
MAPS founder Rick Doblin returns to Mindrolling for a reality-altering conversation about the psychedelics renaissance happening around his work with MDMA and trauma.
For episode 125 of the Metta Hour, Sharon is re-releasing a previously released episode of the podcast from 2018, featuring a conversation with colleague Rhonda V. Magee. Rhonda is Professor of Law at the University of San Francisco, and is an internationally-recognized thought and practice leader on integrating Mindfulness into Higher Education, Law and Social Justice. She is the author of the 2019 book, “The Inner Work of Racial Justice: Healing Ourselves and Transforming Our Communities Through Mindfulness.”
In this conversation, Rhonda and Sharon discuss a holistic approach for compassionate and restorative justice in underserved communities and the different levels of social change that exist– and how to work in those levels for real growth. The episode closes with an eight-minute guided meditation led by Rhonda. Learn more about Rhonda’s work at www.rhondavmagee.com.
Ram Dev gives a dharma talk about cultivating enough faith to face things as they are, and leads a meditation centered on the power of the grounding breath.
In this talk, Jack illuminates how the history of racism and prejudice in this nation directly contradicts our instilled ideals of freedom and independence.
Konda Mason, Mirabai Bush, and Raghu Markus come together for a conversation on Cultivating Resilience in the Face of Racial Injustice and Disparity.
Dissecting the lie of "not seeing race" and the “Privilege of not knowing”, our speakers examine the intersections of land, race, money, and spirit, and the roles they play in the framework of our society. Through compassion and finding ways to accept unsavory truths, we can learn to open our hearts and realize our interconnection with everyone.
Dan Cortese joins Chris to discuss finding yourself amidst fame, becoming the narrator of your own story, and the innate wisdom programmed into parenthood.
Joseph Goldstein shares his insight into different aspects of Right Speech, including the commitment to truthfulness, and refraining from gossip and useless talk.
Mindfulness and meditation teacher Oren Jay Sofer returns to the Road Home Podcast for a conversation with Ethan around what they as white men still have to learn about unseen bias and the roles they play in systemic injustice.
Krishna Das joins David Nichtern for some chanting and a little chatting about transforming negative karmas, the path of surrender, and the connections between Hinduism and Buddhism.
In this talk from 1987, Ram Dass illuminates the path of awakening that is waiting for each of us.
Valarie Kaur joins Raghu to discuss revolutionary love, divine rage, joy as resistance, and seeing the world with a warrior’s heart and a Saint’s eyes.
Francesca Maximé shares her thoughts about the Black Lives Matter protests and explores how American culture was founded around the concept of white body supremacy.
How can the principles of Ayurveda bring healing in this time of pandemic and social turmoil?
Dr. Robert Svoboda offers a reflection on why we need Ayurveda right now to restore balance to our being and the world we inhabit.
For episode 124 of the Metta Hour, Sharon is re-releasing a previously released episode of the podcast from 2018, featuring a conversation with author, teacher, and activist, Ruth King. Ruth King is an international teacher in the Insight Meditation tradition, blending mindfulness and meditation principles with an exploration of racial conditioning and its impact. She is the author of “Mindful of Race,” published in June of 2018. In this conversation, Ruth and Sharon speak at length about racial conditioning and racial justice, the nuance of identity, and Ruth’s work rebuilding communities with new understanding and connection. The episode includes a new introduction by Sharon and a ten-minute guided meditation by Ruth. Learn more about Ruth and her work at https://ruthking.net.
Show Notes
Nikki Walton joins Raghu to discuss her beginnings as a spiritual seeker, the process of letting go, and how to tune into the silence to find love.
In this episode of Awakening Now, Lama Surya Das explores the Four Immeasurables, looks at the concept of emptiness as openness, and extols the virtues of the Middle Way.
Multi-talented sisters Tracee Ellis Ross, star of ABC’s hit sitcom Black-ish, and Rhonda Ross, singer-songwriter and Emmy nominated actress, join Nikki Walton for a conversation about navigating life and the role that self-empowerment, mindfulness, and spiritual practice have played in their growth.
Steve-O joins the Indie Spiritualist Podcast for a conversation about his journey with searching for identity, struggling with addiction, and finding a new life through recovery.
How can we find the path of liberation through our anger? Lama Rod Owens speaks with Ethan about ways we can work with anger as a healing energy in our practice.
Considered one of the leaders of the next generation of Dharma teachers, Lama Rod Owens has a blend of formal Buddhist training in the Kagyu school of Tibetan Buddhism and life experience that gives him a unique ability to understand, relate and engage in a way that’s spacious and sincere. He invites you into the cross-sections of his life as a Black, queer male, born and raised in the South and heavily influenced by the church and its community. Learn more about Lama Rod’s offerings and upcoming teaching events at lamarod.com.
Dr. Richard Schwartz joins Francesca to discuss legacy burden, implicit racism, privilege, social activism, and healing the planet.
Therapist Ralph De La Rosa returns to the Mindrolling Podcast for a conversation about finding freedom through the wisdom and practices of both Eastern and Western psychology.
Jack Kornfield explores the need we have right now for acts of truth, and shares some timeless teachings to help us in this time of pandemic.
In this special session for the Ram Dass Fellowship, Ram Dev talks about how the Covid-19 pandemic is uncovering so many opportunities for practice.
Omid Safi shares wisdom on expanding our circle of compassion, redefining success, the dis-ease of busyness, and how love is synonymous with social justice.
Dr. Rick Hanson visits Sharon to explore resiliency, lasting traits, and the intersection of neuroscience and spirituality.
In this episode of the Metta Hour, Sharon is joined by Dr. Rick Hanson, the author of the new book Neurodharma. In this joyful and bright conversation, these two teachers uncover and elucidate core themes from the book, sharing anecdotal experiences to bring to life concepts and lessons which are both timely and insightful. Would you like to find out how to reach your highest happiness, foster resiliency in difficult situations, and create lasting positive traits in your life? Dr. Hanson has you covered with his fresh and contemplative approach to bridging together the worlds of neuroscience and spiritual tradition.
Rick Hanson, Ph.D., is a psychologist, senior fellow of UC Berkeley’s Greater Good Science Center, and New York Times best-selling author. Founder of the Wellspring Institute for Neuroscience and Contemplative Wisdom, he’s lectured at NASA, Google, Oxford, and Harvard, and taught in meditation centers worldwide. Learn more about Dr. Rick Hanson, his available courses, and his podcast, Being Well, at rickhanson.net.
Krishna Das answers questions about handling desire on the spiritual path, dealing with fear-based behavioral patterns, and dismantling the ‘house of me’ we each build.
Joseph Goldstein answers questions about relative truth versus ultimate truth, how compassion is related to Metta, dealing with hurtful people, and much more.
In this talk from 1989, Ram Dass leads an exploration into what it takes to be present with our hearts, present with the moment, and to have compassion for the suffering in the world.
David Silver, Mindrolling alumni and longtime friend, joins Raghu to share wisdom on finding silver linings within the dangerous opportunity of coronavirus. Catching up for the first time since the start of the novel coronavirus pandemic, David and Raghu trade stories and thoughts on how they have been dealing with the the changing times and uncertain future. Each of them have been able to find silver linings amongst the heavy clouds of our current predicament, paving a way for light to enter, no matter the circumstances.
Nina Rao talks with tiger conservationists Dr. Ullas Karanth and Dr. Krithi Karanth about their work at the Centre for Wildlife Studies in India.
Are you living with reality? Paula Crossfield sits down with Dr. Robert Svoboda to talk about learning to live with reality as it is. In this conversation, Dr. Svoboda speaks about how he came to study at the Ayurvedic College in India, he explores what Ayurveda has to offer the modern world, and looks back on some of the lessons he learned from his mentor, the revered Aghori teacher Swami Vimalananda.
Krishna Das joins Dr. Robert Svoboda and Paula Crossfield to discuss chanting practice, the Guru's grace, and Hanuman. They share stories about their encounters with Great Beings, most notably Neem Karoli Baba, Vimalananda, and Anandamayi Ma. Weaving through this focused and delightful conversation, Krishna Das and Dr. Svoboda open up about their personal singing practices, their relationship to Hanuman, and offer guidance on how to tell if someone is a true saint or Guru.
Ethan invites Shelly Tygielski to the podcast for a timely conversation surrounding topics pertinent to life in modern times. Ranging from Shelly's meditative beginnings and first meetings with Buddhist teachers like Sharon Salzberg and Robert Thurman, to her decision to quit her corporate job to find ways to bring mindfulness to her community, this episode of The Road Home explores how we can offer true service through imbibing our authentic self.
Roshi Joan Halifax returns to Mindrolling to remember her unique and playful relationship with Ram Dass, and talk about how wise hope is rooted in the radical uncertainty we face today.
David Ellner, the multidimensional entrepreneur, joins David Nichtern to discuss new beginnings, embracing uncertainty, and letting go.
Many are experiencing loneliness and deep feelings of disconnect during this period of quarantine due to the Coronavirus pandemic. Sharon Salzberg offers wisdom for being with ourselves in these difficult emotional states, and how to tap into a more rooted truth of our authentic self, as well as the interconnection that surrounds our lives. Sharon also leads a guided meditation centered around the breath with an emphasis on counteracting the biological effects of quarantine stressors.
In this episode of Awakening Now, Lama Surya Das explores the transformative practices of Tibetan Buddhism and how we can begin integrating those teachings into our daily lives.
Omid Safi shares a conversation with Marilyn Shannon about listening from the heart, dealing with suffering as we face a pandemic, and the powerful wisdom of the poet Rumi.
Jack Kornfield elucidates the mysteries of death, birth, identity, and awareness on this episode of the Heart Wisdom Podcast.
Keep up with Jack's at home Monday Night Dharma Talks and find resources for dealing with the Novel Coronavirus pandemic at JackKornfield.com
The Indie Spiritualist interviews his friend and former band mate, Darrell Tauro, about music, addiction, recovery, sexuality, and getting punk as f##k.
In this dharma talk, JoAnna Hardy breaks down the three levels of delusion, and explores how we can move from the grogginess of delusion to the bright light of wisdom.
If you enjoy the Creativity, Spirituality & Making a Buck Podcast, we think that you will appreciate this conversation around the intersection between love, creativity and music with Grammy award-winning musician Rosanne Cash and meditation teacher Sharon Salzberg.
You can subscribe to the Metta Hour Podcast with Sharon Salzberg in your podcast player to receive bi-weekly podcasts from Sharon and her guests that explore different ways we can cultivate love and take a modern approach to Buddhist teachings.
Dr. Rick Hanson visits Ethan Nichtern for a conversation around the intersection of neuroscience and the contemplative traditions. Rick Hanson, Ph.D., is a psychologist, senior fellow of UC Berkeley’s Greater Good Science Center, and New York Times best-selling author. Founder of the Wellspring Institute for Neuroscience and Contemplative Wisdom, he’s lectured at NASA, Google, Oxford, and Harvard, and taught in meditation centers worldwide. Learn more about Rick, available courses and his podcast, Being Well, at rickhanson.net.
Krishna Das explores how the sun of love and awareness arises in our hearts through spiritual practices such as chant and meditation.
In this dharma talk, Joseph Goldstein explores connecting to our capacity for Metta, or loving kindness, and how we can work skillfully with fear as it arises.
In this riveting Q&A session from a 1989 retreat, Ram Dass answers questions around making the transition from somebody to nobody, right effort, doubt versus faith, and much more.
Psychologist and author Dr. Rick Hanson visits the Mindrolling Podcast for a conversation around cultivating resilience, healing trauma and the practices that are available for training our reactivity. Rick Hanson, Ph.D., is a psychologist, senior fellow of UC Berkeley’s Greater Good Science Center, and New York Times best-selling author. Founder of the Wellspring Institute for Neuroscience and Contemplative Wisdom, he’s lectured at NASA, Google, Oxford, and Harvard, and taught in meditation centers worldwide. Learn more about Rick, available courses and his podcast, Being Well, at rickhanson.net.
Mindfulness teacher and grassroots community organizer Shelly Tygielski joins Sharon Salzberg for a conversation around supporting one another through community and integrating mindfulness into social activism.
Shelly Tygielski is the founder of Yuru Meditation and the mutual aid community Pandemic of Love, which was started in response to the COVID-19 epidemic. Pandemic of Love began on March 14th, 2020 with the humble intention of helping people in Shelly’s local community. However, that act of love and kindness spread quickly. It is now a beautiful movement made possible by hundreds of volunteers and tens of thousands of donors who are helping those in need throughout the world.
Are you in need due to the recent Covid-19 pandemic? Do you have the resources to help another individual or family who is running out of hope? Visit pandemicoflove.com to find out how you can give or receive aid quickly, discretely and directly.
In this episode of Awakening Now, Lama Surya Das explores how the timeless wisdom of Dzogchen can help open our eyes to what Jack Kerouac called the Golden Eternity.
Nicholas Petricca, lead singer of the rock band Walk the Moon, joins Raghu for a conversation about healing with music, connecting with others and bringing awareness to our suffering.
Robin Mallison Alpern of the Center for the Study of White American Culture joins Francesca Maximé for a conversation about the work involved in decentering whiteness.
Sharon Salzberg returns to The Road Home for a conversation with Ethan Nichtern around how the coronavirus pandemic has revealed the truth of interconnection and interdependence.
Jack Kornfield offers a guided practice and Dharma talk that reminds us of the inner refuge that is available to us in the most hopeless of times.
Sharon Salzberg shares a reflection and guided practice around how we relate to suffering and better recognizing when we are swept away by thought, pain and emotion.
Legendary singer-songwriter Steve Earle drops by Mindrolling for a conversation around Rock and Roll, LSD, 12-step programs, and his son’s very special connection with Ram Dass.
Psychotherapist Linda Graham joins the Indie Spiritualist for a discussion around the importance of strengthening our resilience, and creating new patterns of response to trauma.
Ethan Nichtern, David’s number one and only son, visits the CSM podcast to talk about what lessons we can learn from the current viral pandemic and maintaining a dharmic perspective through it all.
Joseph Goldstein reflects on the connection between art, science, and the meditative journey, and how we can move from the world of concepts to the world of direct experience.
The great Sharon Salzberg returns to Mindrolling to provide Raghu Markus some guidance on grief and emotional resilience, and talk about her new book on change and social action.
Roshi Wendy Egyoku Nakao and Joseph Bobrow talk about spiritual practice during the Coronavirus pandemic and what these chaotic circumstances might reveal about ourselves and the world.
In this episode of Awakening Now, Lama Surya Das explores Dzogchen practices such as co-meditation and naked awareness, and why too much emptiness is not a good thing.
With the Coronavirus raging worldwide, Raghu Markus calls on James Gordon, MD, to provide some tools to help us transform trauma and embrace hope.
Ram Dev shares a dharma talk on how we can ease our suffering by offering compassion to our fear.
James Doty, MD, joins Francesca Maximé for a conversation around compassionate action, building healthy self-esteem, and making the shift from fear mode to love mode.
Recorded live at the University of Virginia’s Contemplative Sciences Center, Sharon offers her perspective on the evolving role of contemplative practice in modern life and how we can find the middle way through all things with the help of mindfulness.
Lead singer of the band Dissolve, Paul Thorstenson, visits Chris Grosso on the Indie Spiritualist Podcast for a conversation about his journey as a musician and how music can offer a deeper connection to ourselves.
Jack Kornfield shares his thoughts on the value of spiritual practice, and leads a guided meditation designed to use the breath to cultivate a steadiness of presence.
In this special session from the 2015 Spring on Maui Retreat, Ram Dass and Duncan Trussell join Raghu Markus for a playful and thought-provoking conversation on courage, trust, and love.
Ram Dev shares a guided meditation practice that focuses on our relationship with God and our connection with the many forms in which The Divine appears.
On this episode of The Road Home, Ethan Nichtern offers some thoughts on working with anxiety and fear, and how we can continue practicing in the world as it is during the COVID-19 pandemic.
How can we work with the neverending flow of thoughts, emotions, and sensations as they arise in the mind? Trudy Goodman Kornfield shares a meditation and words of wisdom around cultivating the ability to work with the thinking mind.
Would you like to be part of the next generation of mindfulness meditation instructors? If so, we invite you to take a unique opportunity to study with Trudy, Jack Kornfield, Tara Brach and many more of today’s leading mindfulness and meditation teachers. Learn how you can become a certified instructor to guide others in their practice: The Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Certification Program: https://mmtcp.soundstrue.com/#a_aid=5d7923a34996f&a_bid=aaed7515
On this episode of Insight Hour, Joseph Goldstein offers a collage of reflections and practices to help us tap into the realization of non-self.
In this interview from 1980, Ram Dass shares a mind-bending conversation with physicist Amit Goswami about the intersection of science and spirituality.
Speaking directly to the global crisis presented by the Coronavirus pandemic, Omid Safi offers a reflection on how we can find refuge in love and our spiritual practice even through the most difficult times of change.
Lily Cushman drops by Mindrolling to talk about the meaning of mantra, and how a spoonful of music can help the medicine of mantra go down.
For Episode 118 of the Metta Hour Podcast, Sharon sits down with professor, clinical psychologist, and author Dr. Shauna Shapiro. Shauna is an internationally recognized speaker in mindfulness and self-compassion and has spent two decades studying the benefits of mindfulness and compassion, publishing over 150 papers and three critically acclaimed books. In this episode, Sharon and Shauna discuss how Shauna found the practices of mindfulness and lovingkindness, and how that led to her work. They discuss the science behind compassion and meditation practice and how these practices change the brain. They speak at length about Shauna’s newest book, “Good Morning, I Love You,” released in January of 2020 from Soundstrue. The conversation closes with Shauna leading a 5-minute guided meditation. To learn more about Shauna Shapiro’s work, you can visit her website at drshaunashapiro.com.
In this episode of Awakening Now, Lama Surya Das gives a dharma talk about the relationship between Sunyata and subjectivity, and how there are no prerequisites for enlightenment.
Author Duncan Ryūken Williams and Joseph Bobrow look at what the struggle of Japanese Americans during World War II can teach us about how community and faith can offer liberation during difficult times.
Tara Brach joins Mindrolling for a discussion around awakening from the grip of fear, RAIN-ing on blame and judgment, and breaking the trance of unworthiness.
Author, public speaker, and musician Justin Michael Williams visits the Road Home Podcast for a conversation around making mindfulness and meditation more relatable and accessible to all people.
From growing up with gunshot holes outside of his bedroom window to sharing the stage with Deepak Chopra, Justin Michael Williams knows the power of healing to overcome. He is an author, top 20 recording artist, and transformational speaker whose work has been featured by The Wall Street Journal, Grammy.com, Yoga Journal, Billboard, Wanderlust, and South by Southwest. With over a decade of teaching experience, Justin has become a pioneering millennial voice for diversity and inclusion in wellness. Learn more at StayWokeGiveBack.com
Francesca Maximé offers a reflection on the opportunity for healing and repair that is available when we bring awareness to destructive systemic patterns, our attachment to our small sense of self and the traumas that inhibit us.
Virtuoso guitarist and meditation practitioner Julian Lage joins David Nichtern for a conversation around creating a vision for what we have to offer the world and how we can hone our creativity with meditative practice.
Award-winning guitarist Julian Lage has been widely acclaimed as one of the most prodigious guitarists of his generation. The New York-based musician boasts a long resumé as a desired sideman with legendary artists like Gary Burton, Chris Eldridge, and Fred Hersch, to name just a few. Equally important is his reputation as a soloist and bandleader. He is equally versed in jazz, classical, pop, and show tunes, and has spent more than a decade searching through the myriad strains of American musical history via an impeccable technique and a gift for freely associating between styles, tempos, keys, and textures that adds to his limitless improvisational spirit.
Find music and find tour dates at julianlage.com.
Author and environmentalist Paul Hawken joins Jack Kornfield for a riveting dharma talk on climate change and how we can come together to spur the regeneration of our world.
Author Norma Levine visits the Mindrolling Podcast for a conversation about her experiences and lessons learned through her relationship with Zhabdrung Rinpoche, the exiled spiritual king of Bhutan.
Dr. Omid Safi continues to explore the teachings of Rumi, this time focusing on religious pluralism, the essentials for prayer, and returning to a state of presence.
Podcaster and author Cory Allen joins the Indie Spiritualist to talk about modern mindfulness, dealing with anxiety and depression, and transcendence through music.
In this dharma talk from 1993, Ram Dass looks at how each of us can get stuck in our transition between the fear-driven social institutions that we were born into and the love-driven paths of the heart that we are re-discovering for ourselves.
Danny Goldberg returns to Mindrolling to chat about the current landscape in politics and how we can deal with the polarization caused by our fear driven social structures.
Ethan Nichtern shares a conversation with author and meditation teacher Jay Michaelson around integrating The Dharma into our modern lives.
Jay Michaelson is a meditation teacher and editor at Ten Percent Happier, a leading meditation platform, and a weekly columnist at the Daily Beast covering religion, the Supreme Court, and LGBTQ issues. Jay has been leading meditation retreats in Buddhist, Jewish, and secular contexts for fifteen years. In addition to this work, Jay is also the author of seven books on contemplative practice; including his newest release, Enlightenment by Trial and Error. He has a JD from Yale Law School, a PhD in Jewish Thought from Hebrew University, and nondenominational rabbinic ordination. Find articles and conversations with Jay that touch on a variety of topics at jaymichaelson.net.
In this dharma talk, Spring Washam explores the Prajnaparamita, also known as the mother of the Buddhas, and why it’s so important to establish self-compassion.
Lama Surya Das offers a dharma talk around the essence of Buddhism and cultivating the ability to be here now.
We go back into the archives to just a few weeks after the events of 9/11 for a lesson on how we can better respond to fear, tragedy, and injustice by cultivating a peaceful heart. Join Jack Kornfield & friends every Monday night at Spirit Rock meditation center spiritrock.org
Zen meditation teacher Deborah Eden Tull drops by Mindrolling for a conversation around turning towards pain and suffering, processing fear, and cultivating ‘we’ consciousness.
For Episode 117 of the Metta Hour Podcast, Sharon speaks with teacher and activist, Carla Goldstein.
Carla Goldstein, JD, is president of Omega Institute and cofounder of the Omega Women's Leadership Center. An attorney with 25 years of experience in public interest advocacy, she has contributed to more than 100 city, state, and federal laws, and has worked extensively in city and state government on issues related to women’s rights, poverty, public health, and social justice. She is a commentator for WAMC’s show, 51%, writes a column and serves on the advisory board for Feminist.com, and serves as an advisor to Women Without Borders. She teaches a variety of workshops at Omega, including Omega’s Women & Power conferences and retreats, which inspire thousands of women from around the world. Carla Goldstein also appears regularly on local and national radio and television and makes public presentations on issues related to women’s empowerment, holistic and sustainable living, activism, and spiritual activism.
In this episode, Sharon speaks with Carla about integrating the practices of mindfulness and meditation with our social action in the world. Together they look at what we can do to connect the dots between practice and action. Carla closes the podcast with a short insight meditation practice.
This time on the ReRooted podcast, Francesca is joined by Héctor Sánchez-Flores for a discussion around cultivating a deeper connection with our community.
Dr. Omid Safi begins a series of discussions around the teachings of Rumi that illuminates the path of our spiritual journey.
Therapist Sarah Buino joins the Indie Spiritualist for a discussion around addiction, speaking your own authentic truth, and working with shame and self-compassion.
Raghu is joined on the Mindrolling Podcast by spiritual teacher, activist and social entrepreneur Konda Mason for a conversation around becoming whole through love, mindfulness, and spiritual practice.
Konda Mason is a social entrepreneur, earth and social justice activist and spiritual teacher. Konda is the Co-Founder and founding CEO of Impact Hub Oakland, a beautiful co-working space that supports socially engaged entrepreneurs and changemakers. She is the Strategic Director of the Runway Project Oakland, a micro-lending fund for African American entrepreneurs intended to close the “Friends & Family” gap funding that is often unavailable to them. Additionally, Konda is the co-founder of the annual COCAP (Community Capital) conference in Oakland, with a focus on “Building the We Economy” and a co-founder of Jubilee Partners.
Konda is also a certified Kripalu yoga teacher and a Vipassana meditation teacher. She sits on the Board of Directors of the Good Work Institute, The On Being Project, United Roots and Spirit Rock Meditation Center, where she is in a four-year Dharma Teacher Training with Jack Kornfield as her personal mentor. Keep up with Konda on Twitter @swamikondananda.
Writer and meditation practitioner Steve Silberman joins Ethan Nichtern on The Road Home Podcast for a conversation that touches on turning our imperfections and the challenges we face into fuel for our Dharmic growth. Steve Silberman is an American writer based in San Francisco, California. Silberman is best known as the author of NeuroTribes: The Legacy of Autism and the Future of Neurodiversity, which became a New York Times bestseller and was awarded the 2015 Samuel Johnson Prize. His next book, The Taste of Salt, will be a history of cystic fibrosis. Silberman’s article “The Placebo Problem” won the AAAS “Kavli Science Journalism Award for Magazine Writing.” Silberman’s Wired article “The Geek Syndrome”, which focused on autism in Silicon Valley, was one of the first articles about autism in the technology industry. Learn more about Steve’s work and find insightful articles and blogs from Steve at stevesilberman.com.
David Nichtern welcomes music producer David Kahne for a conversation around sharing creative resonance, connecting with the flow of the world, and the one long song of our lives.
On this episode of Insight Hour, Joseph Goldstein examines the many nuances of Right Effort, and how that effort can help us build real momentum in our spiritual practice.
In this dharma talk from 1978, Ram Dass looks to the example set by The Shakertown Pledge as a model for committing ourselves to inner and outer social action.
Raghu Markus welcomes author and journalist Krista Tippett onto the Mindrolling Podcast for a loving remembrance of Ram Dass’ teachings and an exploration of how we can get free through love, acceptance, and inner inquiry.
On this episode of Healing at the Edge, Ram Dev (Dale Borglum) talks about how compassion is not an emotion, but a state of being; it is keeping an open heart amidst suffering.
For Episode 116 of the Metta Hour Podcast, Sharon shares a conversation with Dr. Sona Dimidjian. Dr. Sona Dimidjian is a professor in the Department of Psychology and Neuroscience at the University of Colorado Boulder. Her research focuses on cultivating mental health and wellness among women, children, and families. She develops and studies programs and practices in education and healthcare settings, with an emphasis on navigating key developmental transitions, such as the perinatal period, early childhood, and adolescence. She also has a longstanding interest in expanding access, scaling, and sustaining effective programs, using both digital technology and community-based partnerships.
In this episode, Sharon speaks with Sona about cultivating resilience with meditation practice, managing our overwhelming emotions with mindfulness and nourishing a mother’s well being while expecting and during postpartum. Sona closes the podcast with a short breathing practice that originates from her research in mindfulness-based therapy.
On this episode of Awakening Now, Lama Surya Das explores the fun practice of Emaho and other advanced Dzogchen teachings, including integrated dharma into daily life.
Robert Thurman joins Nina Rao for a conversation around strategies we can use to restore our balance with nature.
Joseph Goldstein drops by Mindrolling for a conversation around investigating and uncovering afflictive emotions such as grief, loss, and anxiety, and how we can turn up the dial of intentionality.
On this episode of The Road Home, journalist Simran Sethi joins Ethan Nichtern for a conversation about her work with environmentalism and agricultural biodiversity.
Dharma instructor Lama Rod Owens joins Francesca Maximé for a conversation around the importance of showing up to difficult experiences and holding our love and trauma in balance.
Jack Kornfield shares stories of his dear friend and teacher, Ram Dass, and then explores how we can overcome the obstacles of climate change by honoring our interconnectedness.
In this episode of the Healing at the Edge Podcast, Ram Dev unfolds the teachings behind his favorite quotes from Ram Dass.
Chris Grosso speaks with author Neale Donald Walsch about his new book and how the biggest problem in the world today is the belief that we are separate from everything and everyone.
Musician, writer, and artist Bunny Micheal joins Raghu on the Mindrolling Podcast to talk about how we can bring awareness and acceptance to all aspects of ourselves.
For Episode 115 of the Metta Hour Podcast, Sharon is in conversation with teacher, Leslie Salmon Jones.
Leslie Salmon Jones is a professional dancer, yoga instructor, wellness coach, public speaker, and community activist. She is the founder of Afro Flow Yoga, connecting African spirituality, yogic principals, the intrinsic expression of movement through nature's elements and a transformational journey throughout Africa and the Caribbean. Leslie is also a co-creator and faculty member for the annual Omega Women's Leadership Intensive and at the Omega Women's Leadership Center. In this episode, Sharon speaks to Leslie about her journey as a practitioner, and path as a teacher. The conversation closes with Leslie leading a 10-minute guided meditation. To learn more about Leslie’s work, you can visit her website at www.afroflowyoga.com.
Joseph Goldstein examines the true nature of craving, how sense pleasures provide a false sense of happiness, and how we can practice the end of desire on a moment-to-moment basis.
In this dharma talk from 1982, Ram Dass illuminates how happiness, boredom, suffering, past and future, life and death, it’s all right here in every moment we experience.
Dr. Bruce Damer drops by Mindrolling for a conversation around why evolution is about lifting and gifting, the origin of life and consciousness, and creating a spacious awareness.
Duncan Trussell joins David Nichtern for a conversation about navigating success and contentment in our spiritual and career paths.
In this dharma talk, Lama Surya Das looks at ways we can overcome common obstacles that present themselves along our journey of awakening.
This talk was recorded at the Garrison Institute during Dzogchen Center’s Natural Great Awakening 2019 Summer Meditation Retreat. Visit garrisoninstitute.org to learn more about upcoming retreats at Garrison with Lama Surya Das and other Be Here Now Network teachers like Sharon Salzberg, Ethan Nichtern and Joseph Goldstein.
Gil Fronsdal explores the different ways we can approach the Buddhist concept of emptiness, and how letting go of attachment to the self can feel scary but is actually very safe.
In this special episode of the Mindrolling Podcast, Raghu and guest host Noah Markus speak with director Jamie Catto about creating the film Becoming Nobody with Ram Dass.
Recorded shortly after the passing of Ram Dass, this episode celebrates Ram Dass' teachings around death and looks at how the film Becoming Nobody can be a valuable tool in our journey of awakening. Becoming Nobody is available now on DVD and digital download.
On this episode of The Road Home, Ethan Nichtern talks about making a sustainable meditation practice and overcoming some of the obstacles that can block your progress.
In this episode of the ReRooted Podcast, Francesca Maximé shares a conversation with Dr. Michael Yellow Bird about decolonizing from the inside out. Michael Yellow Bird, Ph.D., is a Professor of Sociology and the Director of Indigenous Tribal Studies at North Dakota State University. Dr. Yellow Bird uses neuroscience research to examine how mindfulness approaches and traditional Indigenous contemplative practices can train the mind and positively change the structure and function of the brain. Learn more about Dr. Michael Yellow Bird and his work at indigenousmindfulness.com.
In this new episode of The Indie Spiritualist Podcast, Colin McEnroe joins Chris Grosso for a conversation about our spiritual health, how we are shaped by faith, and staying connected beyond death. Colin McEnroe hosts the daily WNPR show, The Colin McEnroe Show. He is a weekly columnist and blogger for The Hartford Courant and a contributing editor at Men’s Health. He is the author of three books and one play. His work has appeared on the New York Times Op-Ed Page and in Bicycling magazine, Best Life, Cosmopolitan and Forbes FYI.
Be sure to subscribe to The Colin McEnroe Show on your favorite podcast player to check out Colin’s exploration of Ram Dass’ life and legacy with Chris, Sharon Salzberg, and Mirabai Bush on the Jan 9th Episode of The Colin McEnroe Show.
Jack Kornfield illuminates the fertile darkness of winter solstice as he talks about why it’s the perfect time to start anew and let what truly matters in your heart come into the light.
David Silver joins Raghu Markus to talk about Ram Dass’s journey into the mystery of death, and reflect on an interview they did with Ram Dass around the power of self-honesty.
For Episode 115 of the Metta Hour Podcast, Sharon sits down with Mirabai Bush and Raghu Markus in remembrance of the life and teachings of Ram Dass, who passed away on December 22, 2019.
In this intimate conversation, these three longtime friends speak candidly about their personal loss in Ram Dass’ death and the loss the larger community is experiencing. They share old stories about knowing Ram Dass since the 1970s, and how his friendship has shaped each of their lives. They also discuss the book that Mirabai co-wrote with Ram Dass, “Walking Each Other Home: Conversations on Loving and Dying” which was released in 2018.
David Nichtern welcomes legendary manager and supermensch Shep Gordon for a conversation around the practice of service, power and fame, and shooting Alice Cooper out of a canon.
On this episode of Insight Hour, Joseph Goldstein explores how understanding the relationship of dukkha and non-self can help open the doorway to greater freedom.
Dale Borglum shares stories of his time with Ram Dass from the early days of the Satsang, and reflects on what Ram Dass meant to him as a teacher and friend.
In this dharma talk from 1981, Ram Dass looks at how we can let go of our fears about change and dying by understanding our true nature.
For Episode 113 of the Metta Hour Podcast, Sharon is in conversation with Dr. Steven C. Hayes, PhD.
Steven C. Hayes is a professor of psychology at the University of Nevada, Reno. He is the author of over 40 books and hundreds of scientific articles and has served as president of the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapy and the Association for Contextual Behavioral Science. Dr. Hayes initiated the development of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and of Relational Frame Theory and his latest book, A Liberated Mind was released in the summer of 2019 from Avery Books. In this episode, Sharon and Steven discuss the ACT method, and how this related to mindfulness practice. Steven closes the conversation with a ten minute guided practice.
Lama Surya Das shares a reflection on how we can bring greater balance and awareness into our lives through the practices of Dzogchen.
Duncan Trussell and Dr. Robert Svoboda continue their Mindrolling conversation with Raghu around trust and surrender, decentralized gurus, and the complexity of everyday karma.
Insight Meditation teacher JoAnna Hardy returns to the BHNN Guest Podcast for a dharma talk about reframing the idea of love, and cultivating self love through Metta practice.
Psychotherapist Janina Fisher joins Francesca Maximé for a conversation around defining trauma, working with mindfulness in therapy, and encouraging curiosity.
Duncan Trussell and Dr. Robert Svoboda join Raghu for a conversation about karma and rewriting our false narratives.
This podcast was recorded live on stage at the 2019 Open Your Heart in Paradise Retreat in Maui. Sign up for the Ram Dass mailing list to get information about upcoming retreats, exclusive free teachings and announcements at RamDass.org
In this dharma talk, Jack Kornfield reminds us to bring loving-awareness to all our actions in life as he ties together the concepts of Right Livelihood and redemption.
The Indie Spiritualist sits down with musician East Forest to talk about the auspices of working with Ram Dass, and how his album for mushrooms works as a digital shaman.
For Episode 112 of the Metta Hour Podcast, Sharon speaks with meditation teacher Adreanna Limbach. Adreanna Limbach is a meditation instructor, personal development coach, and the author of the book, “Tea and Cake With Demons.” In this episode, Sharon and Adreanna speak about how Adreanna came to the path of meditation, and how that led her to teaching and coaching work. They speak at length about Adreanna’s new book “Tea and Cake With Demons” which was recently released in July of 2019 by Sounds True, discussing how Buddhist principles and practice can help us to cultivate self-esteem and self-worth. The episode closes with Adreanna leading a ten-minute guided meditation. To learn more, visit adreannalimbach.com.
It’s what’s happening when fast friends Pete Holmes and Michael Gungor drop by Mindrolling to talk about becoming nobody, non-duality, and the intersection of wisdom and heart.
Ram Dass shares a dharma talk exploring the complex relationships we form through devotional yoga that become doorways leading to inner liberation.
In this dharma talk, Joseph Goldstein reflects on the nature of craving and how our desire for sense pleasures can be one of the biggest roadblocks on the path to liberation.
Krishna Das shares stories of Maharajji and his great devotees as he explores how spiritual practice is all about cleaning the heart.
reuploaded The CEO and publisher of Wisdom Publications, Daniel Aitken, shares a conversation with David Nichtern around bringing the wisdom and practices of the Dharma into our daily lives. Daniel Aitken is the CEO and publisher of Wisdom Publications, a non-profit charitable publisher of books, podcasts, and online courses on contemporary and classical Buddhism, mindfulness, and meditation. Daniel holds a Ph.D. in Buddhist studies, with a focus on the Tibetan language. Discover Wisdom Publications’ rich collection of offerings available at wisdomexperience.org.
This time on the Road Home Podcast, Ethan Nichtern is joined by leadership coach Jerry Colonna for a conversation around balancing leadership and wealth with the principles of mindfulness and spiritual practice.
Jerry Colonna is the CEO, and co-founder, of Reboot.io, an executive coaching and leadership development firm whose coaches and facilitators are committed to the notion that better humans make better leaders. For nearly 20 years, he has used the knowledge gained as an investor, an executive, and a board member for more than 100 organizations to help entrepreneurs and others to lead with humanity, resilience, and equanimity. Learn more about Jerry’s offerings at Reboot.io.
Elizabeth Mattis Namgyel joins Raghu Markus for a conversation around the roles that grace and faith play in our journey of awakening.
Elizabeth Mattis Namgyel has studied and practiced the Buddhadharma for 35 years under the guidance of her teacher and husband Dzigar Kongtrul Rinpoche. She is the retreat master of Samten Ling in Crestone, Colorado and teaches throughout the U.S., Australia, and Europe. Learn more about Elizabeth and her offerings at elizabethmattisnamgyel.com.
Author and sex educator Emily Nagoski joins Francesca Maximé for a conversation around bringing balance to the structural systems of oppression and patriarchy that harm women.
A gifted and engaging speaker, Emily Nagoski, Ph.D., is an expert on women's sexual wellbeing, healthy relationships, and the prevention of sexual violence and harassment. Emily is the award-winning author of the New York Times bestseller, Come As You Are: The Surprising New Science that Will Transform Your Sex Life. Her new book, Burnout, explains why women experience burnout differently than men. Learn more about Emily and her offerings at emilynagoski.com.
In this dharma talk, Lama Surya Das explores some of the principles of Dzogchen non-meditation as he reminds us to ride the cresting wave of now-ness.
Spring Washam offers a Dharma talk that explores the power of faith on the spiritual path.
For Episode 111 of the Metta Hour Podcast, Sharon interviews Dr. Christian Conte, PhD. Christian is a licensed professional counselor, a certified Domestic Violence Counselor, and one of a handful of top-level Certified Anger Management Specialist in the world.
Dr. Christian Conte currently applies his Yield Theory in maximum-security prisons throughout Pennsylvania and speaks to Law Enforcement officials around the country. In this episode, Sharon and Christian speak about his extensive work in prisons, and how he came to his path. They also discuss Christian’s new book “Walking Through Anger” recently released by Sounds True in 2019. The episode closes with Christian leading a guided meditation practice. To learn more, visit www.DrChristianConte.com.
The multi-talented Kelly Carlin joins Raghu on the Mindrolling Podcast for a conversation around working with our suffering and waking up to our true selves. Kelly Carlin is a writer, speaker and broadcast host. Kelly is also a practitioner of Zen Buddhism, has a Masters in Jungian/Archetypal psychology and a producer on-screen and in the theater. Daughter of comedian George Carlin, Kelly comes from a family steeped in comedy, full of big ideas and warm hearts. Learn more about Kelly’s work, find her podcast, radio show and more at thekellycarlinsite.com.
Jack Kornfield offers a reflection on our Buddha-nature and the wisdom of ‘The One Who Knows’.
Author Christina Rasmussen joins the Indie Spiritualist for a conversation about her book on the afterlife and the many people she’s guided on their journeys to reconnect with lost loved ones.
Dharma teacher and author Ruth King joins Ethan Nichtern for a conversation around diversity in spiritual communities, white privilege and guilt, and understanding racial conditioning.
Family therapist Terry Real joins Francesca Maximé for an exploration of how we relate to ourselves and others.
Terry Real is an author, speaker and psychotherapist who focuses on men’s issues and couples therapy. In this episode of the ReRooted podcast, Terry shares lessons he has learned about showing up in life, confronting trauma and becoming more relational with himself and others. Learn more about Terry and his unique method of relational therapy at terryreal.com.
Lama Surya Das and Raghu Markus share stories about their gurus as they explore the Bhakti-Buddhist connection, a meeting point of warm compassion and cool wisdom.
Joseph Goldstein illuminates the need to fix our wise attention to the five aggregates, which serves as a path to liberation from attachment to the notion of self.
In this blast from the past, Ram Dass is the ringmaster for some astral fun and games as he takes on miracles, psychedelic powers, and connecting across different planes of existence.
On this episode of Healing at the Edge, Dale talks about the practice of tantra, and how to use sensation and gratitude as gateways to the qualities of presence and openness.
Yoga instructors Rodney Yee and Colleen Saidman Yee join David for a conversation around nurturing creativity and integrating our spiritual calling with our livelihood.
Buddhist teacher Shantum Seth joins Mindrolling to talk about his time with Thich Nhat Hanh, using the breath as an anchor to the present, and the power of the Sangha.
Trudy Goodman Kornfield explores devotion as a path to wisdom, and how to approach spiritual practice with pure devotion while still being mindful of impermanence.