Mindrolling with Raghu Markus

American Lama Surya Das talks with us about his sixties influences such as folk music, John Lennon, and his early questioning of the meaning of life. He carefully compares these times for the current youth generation to our own, where crises often happen along with optimistic youth outreach.  He tells us more about the Dzogchen Buddhist Mindrolling tradition. He remembers being with Neem Karoli Baba and how he absorbed the Buddhist wisdom.  Surya Das gets into the path to authentic life balance and letting be.  He discusses his “WOW” suggestion – Wishing Others Well and the loving kindness practice.  He mentions how H.H. The Dalai Lama encouraged him to practice “compassionate action.” See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This podcast explores the positive and negative aspects of media, including social media. Raghu recalls playing Ram Dass tapes on the radio back in the day and meeting Maharaji. David compares 1960’s media to 1980’s cable explosion to the 2012 vastly expanded current global Internet. The potential abuse of social media is weighed along with its progressive and humanitarian communication quantum leaps. Spirituality via media is analyzed. Does instant information actually make us happier, more relaxed, and more truly connected? See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Our friend Danny Goldberg is a music industry legend, former Chairman of Warner Brothers Records and President of Atlantic Records, Danny discovered and managed Kurt Cobain and Nirvana and was the head of Led Zeppelin’s record company, "Swansong" amongst other things. The conversation revolves around Danny’s experience in combining great worldly success and a spiritual path. We get into the sixties and the origins of expanded consciousness via Ram Dass and the teacher Hilda Charlton. Remembering Martin Luther King’s words “Although we live in the colony of time, we owe our allegiance to the empire of eternity.” See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

How do we achieve balance in our life in a practical way? Dave and Raghu talk about the Tibetan leader of the Mindrolling lineage, Jetsun Khandro Rinpoche and her wise words...loving the present...combatting stressors...talking about everyone wanting happiness...practicality and practice...transcending the “monkey mind”...adventures with Chogyam Trungpa. And “how to be in this world?” See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Raghu and David chat with Duncan Trussell, Los Angeles based conscious stand up comedian and podcaster about humor, awareness and the parallels between the late sixties and the Millennial generation, comparing boomer and echo-boomer predicaments and solutions. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Music can actually transform our consciousness, thereby changing our life, song by song, chant by chant. We discuss the sixties and the momentum created during that time. David tells us about his extensive work with Bob Marley. We hear a couple of tracks from the unique Triloka world music label and examine trance as experienced through being open to and listening to music of all kinds from John Coltrane to Ali Akbar Khan. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

A dual biographical podcast.  “From our past and your future,” David’s many experiences with Timothy Leary...his film biopic with Tim and his feelings about death and dying.  Ram Dass and Leary.  David’s amazing altered consciousness experience in Tim’s house, a few weeks after Tim died.  Raghu’s magnetization to Ram Dass while a FM program director in Montreal and his progression to India and the guru.  David in Morocco with the Jajouka Master Musicians.  The experiencing of Neem Karoli Baba.   See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The first podcast traces the history of the awakening process for the two hosts via culture and intensified awareness - the sixties were the engine of the movement towards consciousness, via the Vietnam War, psychedelics, music, and community.  David and Raghu look back on “going through the changes” and emerging from the repressive atmosphere of the early sixties into the radical, healing effects of the Beat Generation, The Beatles and Bob Dylan.  Early inner and outer encounters with Transcendental Meditation, the Hare Krishna movement and Meher Baba are explored, plus willing aping of the behavior of icons John Lennon, George Harrison and Pete Townshend. This podcast draws parallels between experiences and learning curves of the sixties and seventies and those of the present. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.