Mindrolling with Raghu Markus

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. 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 centuryTulku Urgyen Rinpoche’s sons and how they continue to spread Dzogchen wisdom to the WestCore principles of Dzogchen philosophy, including the nature of mind and nondual awarenessUnderstanding cognitive emptiness and the illusion of a solid identityWhy contemplating death and impermanence can be a path to liberationWorking consciously with loss and mortality before the end of lifeNot falling into the trap of believing this life is permanentViewing dreams and meditation as parallel practices for awakeningThe patience and discipline required to form new spiritual habitsLiving fully while recognizing the inevitability of deathLearn 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 RinpocheAbout 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. “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 SilverSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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!In this episode, Raghu and Jai Uttal discuss:The formation of melodic structures and how music is as boundless as an oceanLetting go of the idea that we must master an instrument in order to create musicGetting into the flow of devotional music and honoring God through our presence rather than perfectionThe friendship between Jai Uttal and Ram Dass and Jai’s journey to IndiaThe Baul’s of Bengal and mystical, spontaneous verseJai’s single, Holy Mad Men, inspired by Bengali-style musicMore Bengali-influenced music by The BandThe dotara, an Indian folk instrument Jai frequently usesMusical creation as the legacy of satsang and a path to continued connectionCheck 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 UttalSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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.This week on Mindrolling, Raghu, Anne, and RamDev hold a talk on:Standing in presence with change and impermanenceRam Dass’ eye-opening story of a farmer and his son How investing in that which changes leads to sufferingCollective healing through all the grief in the world The negative emotions that arise when we resist changeCreating an intimate, compassionate relationship with the sense of lossAnne’s experiences of radicalizing change in her own lifeWise 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.” –RamDevSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Looking through a Jungian lens, Psychologist Dr. John Price and Raghu Markus have a discussion on the mechanics of awakening.This week on Mindrolling, Raghu and John chat about:What we can learn from the book Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance Jungian philosophy and creating balance within the psyche Attraction to the arts, music, and alternative ways of beingComparing youth and coming of age today versus in the pastThe growth and learning that happens through adversity Cultivating trust with those who are woundedMaking compassionate response our default state, especially when dealing with childrenLeaving one’s culture to truly understand where we come fromVarious ways of cultivating non-ordinary statesHow society often stifles our experiences of mystical eventsThe current psychedelic revolution and therapeutic utility of entheogens Check out William Blake’s The Book of Urizen for a deep dive into mystical literature“That’s obviously one’s religious and spiritual experience that is totally, uniquely yours. We know the definition of a mystical experience: it’s ineffable, it’s transitive, it’s a unitive experience. I’m willing to say that most of us have had these kinds of experiences, and yet because our culture doesn't support that world view, we write them off as what you can call the ‘nothing but’.” –Dr. John PriceAbout Dr. John Price:Dr. John Price is a Jungian psychotherapist, co-founder of The Center for Healing Arts & Sciences, and host of The Sacred Speaks podcast. John’s journey from touring musician to single fatherhood reshaped his understanding of human transformation. John’s work bridges ancient wisdom with modern psychology—offering tools for shedding the adaptations that once saved us but now imprison us. Learn more about John’s offerings on his website.“Jung would call this the inferior function given that I’m so feeling-oriented and intuitive. To actually get into the thinking and sensing function is something that I’m very much trying to counterbalance. That’s my inferior function. From his philosophical orientation, it’s a way to create wholeness where you counterbalance the one-sidedness of our psyche.” –Dr. John PriceSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Discussing the loving-kindness lessons in Kind Karl, Sharon’s first children’s book, Raghu, Duncan, and Sharon chat about raising mindful kids who can become mindful adults. Kind Karl will be released on 12/9! 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. This time on Mindrolling, Duncan, Sharon, and Raghu connect over:Sharon’s upcoming children’s book on mindfulness and loving-kindness, Kind KarlUnderstanding how habits like greed and fear begin in early childhoodHow issues like greed have roots in early childhoodLearning from Karl the Crocodile: navigating big feelings, mistakes, and emotional complexityKarl the Crocodile as an inspiration for parents dealing with guilt and stressMaking mindfulness accessible and engaging for children of all agesPutting our thoughts onto clouds and allowing them to float awayLoving-kindness meditations for kids: getting the whole family into mindfulness practiceAbout 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. “It’s not a small thing to have even a little act of kindness because of what’s happening to us inside. That’s something Karl the Crocodile gets into. He really decides to change when he makes that experiment, which can be kind of radical: help them instead of hurt them, help yourself, and forgive yourself. How does it feel inside when we choose that?” –Sharon SalzbergAbout Duncan Trussell:Duncan Trussell is a stand-up comedian, podcaster, and actor. His popular podcast, The Duncan Trussell Family Hour, has been downloaded over 25 million times and is known for its blend of humor, fringe ideas, eclectic guests, and great interviews. The DTFH is the foundation for Duncan’s Netflix animated series, The Midnight Gospel, which he co-created with Pendleton Ward in 2020. To learn more about Duncan’s work, visit his website at duncantrussell.com. "It starts right at the beginning, they want each other's toys. This is built into us. Whenever you look out into the world at the stuff going on and the big picture, it really isn't that different from siblings, except the problem is that these are adults and there isn't anyone to tell them, okay, you're getting a time out." –Duncan TrussellSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.