Mindrolling with Raghu Markus

Ep. 618 – Love at First Sight: A Mindrolling Anthology Featuring Duncan Trussell

This episode of Mindrolling is a collection of some of the best moments from Raghu’s conversations with his podcast guru, the one and only Duncan Trussell. In this Mindrolling Anthology: * Clip 1 (Ep. 4) [https://beherenownetwork.com/mindrolling-with-raghu-markus-ep-04-a-chat-with-duncan-trussell/]: From the very beginning, it was love at first sight. In their first Mindrolling conversation, Duncan and Raghu talk about how they met. * Clip 2 (Ep. 94) [https://beherenownetwork.com/mindrolling-with-raghu-markus-ep-94-open-your-heart-in-paradise-with-duncan-trussell/]: Recorded live at the 2014 “Open Your Heart in Paradise” retreat in Maui, Duncan explores his crippling video game addiction, his early connection to Ram Dass, and a beautiful moment he shared with his mother before she passed away. * Clip 3 (Ep. 144) [https://beherenownetwork.com/mindrolling-with-raghu-markus-ep-144-the-pope-returns/]: From Sartre to Skinner to Gurdjieff, Raghu and Duncan get philosophical about gratitude, ego structures, and premeditated murder. Get your insanity defense ready! * Clip 4 (Ep. 297) [https://beherenownetwork.com/mindrolling-with-raghu-markus-ep-297-liminality-and-the-turn-with-duncan-trussell/]: In this conversation about identity, personality, and motivation, Duncan and Raghu invoke the wisdom of Trungpa Rinpoche and his lack of glue when it came to his Trungpa-ness. * Clip 5 (Ep. 385) [https://beherenownetwork.com/mindrolling-with-raghu-markus-ep-385-mischief-man-with-duncan-trussell/]: Everybody watch out, the mischief man is here. Duncan expresses some of his frustrations with the spiritual path, while Raghu talks about how honest intention allows for transformation. * Clip 6 (Ep. 518) [https://beherenownetwork.com/mindrolling-with-raghu-markus-ep-518-the-movie-of-me-with-duncan-trussell/]: What is the movie of me? Raghu and Duncan discuss an idea so essential to their ongoing conversation that they wrote a book about it [https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-movie-of-me-to-the-movie-of-we-raghu-markus/1144154705]. Just don’t tell Krishna Das! Pick up a copy of There Is No Other, a new book of essential wisdom from Ram Dass & Friends for an age of disconnection: Click To Learn More [https://shop.ramdass.org/products/there-is-no-other?srsltid=AfmBOorEdQskUfca8qbpu42RWf5AjHZpTCA6jAE2r82fGFPUYoJYy8gZ] About Duncan Trussell: Duncan Trussell is a stand-up comedian, podcaster, and actor. His popular podcast, The Duncan Trussell Family Hour [https://www.duncantrussell.com/], 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 [https://www.netflix.com/title/80987903], which he co-created with Pendleton Ward in 2020. To learn more about Duncan’s work, visit his website at duncantrussell.com [https://www.duncantrussell.com/]. “When my mom was dying, I said to her, ‘What do you want me to do?’ Something you ask your mom when they’re dying. And she had a spiritual practice, a real spiritual practice; she was very dedicated to it. Every morning, she would wake up and meditate for a long time. And you see, when someone’s dying, holy cow, you see how incredible that practice can be, because the grace with which she left the universe was just stunning. It’s beautiful. I was like, ‘What do you want me to do?’ And she said to me, ‘Expand.’” – Duncan Trussell 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. 617 – Your Brain On Art with Susan Magsamen and Ivy Ross

Merging art, science, and spirit, authors and intellectuals Susan Magsamen and Ivy Ross illuminate why creativity is essential for humanity. Grab a copy of Susan and Ivy’s Book: Your Brain on Art: How the Arts Transform Us [https://www.yourbrainonart.com/your-brain-on-art-book#where-to-buy-anchor] 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 detail Listen to Sit Around the Fire [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3G4kCi_ldr8], a collaborative musical journey with Jon Hopkins, East Forest, and Ram Dass About Susan Magsamen: Susan Magsamen is the founder and director of the International Arts + Mind Lab [https://www.artsandmindlab.org/people/susan-magsamen/], 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 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. 616 – The Truth of Emptiness with Susan Piver

Carried by a discourse on The Heart Sutra, teacher and author Susan Piver joins Raghu to explore the truth of emptiness. Grab your copy of Susan’s book: Inexplicable Joy: On the Heart Sutra [https://www.amazon.com/dp/1736943936?ref=cm_sw_r_ffobk_cp_ud_dp_2HYQNGSZPN8415J7JWVJ&ref_=cm_sw_r_ffobk_cp_ud_dp_2HYQNGSZPN8415J7JWVJ&social_share=cm_sw_r_ffobk_cp_ud_dp_2HYQNGSZPN8415J7JWVJ&bestFormat=true&previewDoh=1] 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 [https://plumvillage.org/about/thich-nhat-hanh/letters/thich-nhat-hanh-new-heart-sutra-translation] from Plum Village “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 About 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 [https://www.amazon.com/dp/1736943936?ref=cm_sw_r_ffobk_cp_ud_dp_2HYQNGSZPN8415J7JWVJ&ref_=cm_sw_r_ffobk_cp_ud_dp_2HYQNGSZPN8415J7JWVJ&social_share=cm_sw_r_ffobk_cp_ud_dp_2HYQNGSZPN8415J7JWVJ&bestFormat=true&previewDoh=1], is now available. You can keep up with Susan on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/susan.piver/?hl=en] or on her website [https://openheartproject.com/about/#]. Join Susan for a 5-day Kripalu meditation retreat [https://openheartproject.com/event/inexplicable-magic-meditation-and-the-path-of-the-mystic-a-kripalu-retreat-with-susan-piver/] this November 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. 615 – Stoic Empathy with Author Shermin Kruse

Author and changemaker Shermin Kruse examines the timeless principles of Stoicism and their power to foster mindful, intentional, and empathetic living. Grab a copy of Stoic Empathy HERE [https://www.amazon.com/Stoic-Empathy-Influence-Self-Leadership-Integrity/dp/1401979947/ref=sr_1_1?crid=356M2PQE2RC3P&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.0Rty4Yy3sWxdVvb06XUqYyFcPTuYCjIQ3WJo1YmA0mWY1c150omBi5z4R4w-l9bQarJ_QDy2WKEzYLiahcPw7e88rjaP6w6iv4wKT9JnLUnsMqqAnRWQ0_u_Nm7S-f6D1e11-129sqms8bU3FC-OkhLMOkny0Q5REpPtJ6NB45CIUSJVm4pl1jBliONDzFBSuUg0ZifI1YgtIxtC3S-hKVTQLBZEInxC7Re-Kr4TOug.PocJ5B8R1DQMUQ7Grz81h-7DIaZ7BicZO85mVrm9ilo&dib_tag=se&keywords=stoic+empathy&qid=1734268988&sprefix=stoic+empathy%2Caps%2C353&sr=8-1] to learn more about living a Life of Influence, Self-Leadership, and Integrity This week on Mindrolling, Raghu and Shermin Kruse: * Embracing discomfort and challenges as catalysts for personal and spiritual growth * Shermin’s powerful story of growing up in Iran during the wartime of the 1980s and 90s * How Stoic philosophy transformed Shermin’s approach to work, meditation, therapy, and daily life * The profound relationship between Stoicism and empathy * Shermin’s Stoic inspiration mother, aunt, and cultural roots * Understanding the Stoic ideal of the dichotomy of control * Shermin’s mystical, otherworldly experience while giving birth * Practicing intentional pause and mindful response to life’s stimuli * Moving beyond the ego and awakening to loving awareness About Shermin Kruse: Shermin Kruse is an award-winning idea curator, global change-maker, complex-system negotiator, lawyer, speaker, and storyteller. Shermin has nearly two decades of experience working in competitive strategy and game theory applications, corporate and community advocacy, brand protection and augmentation, as well as dispute resolution for individuals, public-company boards of directors, international corporations, and Fortune 500 Companies. Shermin also has a decade of parallel experience producing thought-leadership events, including TEDx conferences and a network of salon series. She teaches Negotiating with Tactical Empathy, Global Transactions, Cross-Border Deals, and Leadership at Northwestern Pritzker School of Law. In addition to her professional accomplishments, Shermin is a mother of four, living in the heart of Chicago. Her personal journey from the war-torn streets of her native Tehran to the elite corporate boardrooms of the world informs her deep commitment to fostering empathy, control, justice, and global understanding. Learn more on Shermin’s website [https://www.sherminkruse.com]. “It’s a kind of resilience and a kind of Stoicism that is very counter to the image of the statue, stoic, white, male figure that we think about when we imagine Greek Stoicism. The interesting thing about Stoicism is all that it has in common with Buddhism, meditation, dance, passion—all of those things.” –Shermin Kruse 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. 614 – Gurdjieff’s Philosophy of Consciousness with David Silver

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  Pre-order your copy of There Is No Other: The Way to Harmony and Wholeness a profound collection of newly gathered writings from Ram Dass and edited by Parvati Markus. Ram Dass shows us how a house divided against itself—whether that “house” is our individual self or the society in which we live—can come together in wholeness. Learn more: There Is No Other Way Pre-Order [https://shop.ramdass.org/products/there-is-no-other?srsltid=AfmBOorNFR5gYBjr4hPHcwW1RsRob09z7HWL3sctO0dwYvUipU6GGAcZ] About George Ivanovich Gurdjieff Gurdjieff, 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 about Gurdjieff HERE [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Gurdjieff] and pick up some of Gurdjieff’s most famous work, Meetings with Remarkable Men [https://www.amazon.com/Meetings-Remarkable-Men-G-Gurdjieff/dp/1578988934]. 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. “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 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].