Mindrolling with Raghu Markus

Ep. 629 – In Memory Of John Forté: A Conversation On The Spirit Of Music

This week, we pause to remember the life, presence, and artistry of a friend of the show who will be deeply missed. Recorded in 2021, this conversation features Grammy-winning artist John Forté in his first appearance on the podcast. John and Raghu talk about the spirit of music, the highs and lows of success, and John’s experience headlining the Ram Dass Soul Land Music Series. John Forté (January 30, 1975 – January 12, 2026) is survived by his wife and two children. If you’d like to offer support, a donation link is available here: Honoring John Forte by Supporting His Family [https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-for-john-fortes-children] This special episode features an inspired conversation on: * Community as the spirit of music: John Forté’s Brooklyn upbringing in the economic downturns of the 70s and 80s * The emotional, mental, and physical hardships of struggling to get by in an underserved community * Perseverance through love: John’s inspiration for his musical career * John’s highest highs, lowest lows, & what it is like to start over  * John’s friendship with the iconic Ms. Lauryn Hill, linking up with The Fugees, and their co-creation of a Grammy-winning, multi-platinum record, The Score [https://open.spotify.com/album/7m1r9h3wfPRm3Iv8uvq9vQ] * John's stint in prison, where in his cell, his refuge and musical rebirth came in the form of an acoustic guitar * Music as internal alchemy and Ram Dass’s influence on John’s song Gong Guru [https://soundcloud.com/john-forte/gong-guru] from his album Riddem Drive [https://open.spotify.com/album/1B2jrQhi37NPGhnoQB0xKA] * Venturing further into spirituality: John’s deep affinity for wisdom teachers like Ram Dass, Terence McKenna, Alan Watts, and Abraham Hicks Listen to John’s other visit to the Mindrolling Podcast on Ep. 405 [https://beherenownetwork.com/mindrolling-with-raghu-markus-ep-405-vessels-angels-ancestors-w-john-forte-david-silver/] and a conversation about resonance, integration & catharsis on this special Ram Dass Fellowship with host, Jackie Dobriska [https://beherenownetwork.com/bhnn-guest-podcast-ep-124-ram-dass-fellowship-resonance-integration-catharsis-with-john-forte-and-jackie-dobrinska/], available on Ep. 124 of the Be Here Now Network Guest Podcast. About John Forté: John Forté is a Grammy-winning recording artist best known for his work with the hip-hop group, The Fugees, writing and producing songs on their multi-platinum record The Score. After a stint in prison while riding the volatile waves of success and failure, John coupled his refuge of music with messages of wisdom and love from inspirational spiritual teachers. Listen to John’s album Riddem Drive [https://open.spotify.com/album/1B2jrQhi37NPGhnoQB0xKA], and don’t miss him on the Soul Land Music Series: Songs & Stories Inspired by Ram Dass [https://www.ramdass.org/music/?gclid=CjwKCAjwu5CDBhB9EiwA0w6sLYwefupoHs8clBTi_oxthTFEiSJgfYEpdKov2T_xeZr-cXWlFNatahoC454QAvD_BwE]. “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 See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy [https://art19.com/privacy] and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info [https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info].

Ep. 628 – Fierce Vulnerability and Other Tools for Transformation with Kazu Haga

Author and nonviolence practitioner Kazu Haga explores why fierce vulnerability is a vital practice for inner and outer transformation. Read an excerpt of Kazu’s book, Fierce Vulnerability, and purchase your own copy HERE [https://www.kazuhaga.com/fiercevulnerabilitybook]. 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  Check out the book Hospicing Modernity [https://www.amazon.com/dp/1623176247/?bestFormat=true&k=hospicing%20modernity&ref_=nb_sb_ss_w_scx-ent-bk-ww_k0_1_19_de&crid=GBU9GTM15W1X&sprefix=hospicing%20modernity] for more powerful insights on social action About 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 [https://www.kazuhaga.com/healingresistance] and Fierce Vulnerability: Healing from Trauma, Emerging from Collapse [https://www.kazuhaga.com/fiercevulnerabilitybook]. 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 [http://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 See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy [https://art19.com/privacy] and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info [https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info].

Ep. 627 – The Extraordinary Family of Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche with David Silver

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 [https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Blazing-Splendor/Tulku-Urgyen-Rinpoche/9781614298434], for a deeper look into his magnificent life.  This 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 [https://www.amazon.com/Love-World-Journey-Through-Bardos/dp/0525512535] by  Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche or hop into The Bardo Guidebook [https://www.amazon.com/Bardo-Guidebook-Ch%C3%B6kyi-Nyima/dp/B0054SNT8S] by Chokyi Nyima Rinpoche 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 [https://www.ramdass.org/brilliantdisguise/]. 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. “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 Silver See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy [https://art19.com/privacy] and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info [https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info].

Ep. 626 – Mindrolling Revisited: The Magnitude of Melodies w/ Jai Uttal

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 [https://ffm.to/jaiuttal-holymadman], inspired by Bengali-style music * More Bengali-influenced music by The Band [https://open.spotify.com/album/2gk3n2FxGLtIkT7pmq9NxH] * 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 [https://open.spotify.com/track/5CMW3bF5enCbAFV4aZTbec?si=ZhD0Lm5XQm2s93JRBt6_hQ] to hear some classical Indian Ragas and the sarod instrument that Raghu and Jai discuss. About Jai Uttal: Jai Uttal [https://jaiuttal.com/about/] 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 See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy [https://art19.com/privacy] and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info [https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info].

Ep. 625 – Love Amidst Impermanence With Anne Lamott and RamDev

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://www.ramdass.org/events/]. This 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 should About 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 [https://www.amazon.com/Bird-Some-Instructions-Writing-Life/dp/0385480016] and child-rearing memoir Operating Instructions [https://www.amazon.com/Operating-Instructions-Journal-Sons-First/dp/1400079098/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3D3VQA08SGR81&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.4MMd42q0aRRydjZSiI6FYGyilwmEAZwGMiB19ZDxqLlCaPW6_89Mbp9okWVYI57W3Su3ahKxGBLMU8jKgeYKrcX1fxdXNrCgcDM1j0koG8pS3uihQkqlKd7l0P7PWyMVHRN0tBiVrHoAfp27N-oYsgf3LDrdsrCXj8AanNFWiMU.sjNhnHXCx4PDakxPidIYlz1fDoAVmdA6NqsofETJcdU&dib_tag=se&keywords=operating+instructions+anne+lamott&qid=1724182269&s=books&sprefix=operating+instructions+anne+lamot%2Cstripbooks%2C152&sr=1-1]. 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 [https://www.instagram.com/annelamott/?hl=en]. “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 Lamott 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 [https://beherenownetwork.com/category/ramdev/], on the Be Here Now Network. Learn more about The Living/Dying Project at livingdying.org [https://beherenownetwork.com/bhnn-guest-podcast-ep-197-ram-dass-fellowship-tools-for-spiritual-healing-during-uncertain-times-with-ramdev/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 See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy [https://art19.com/privacy] and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info [https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info].