Melvin McLeod, editor of Lion’s Roar, shares his new vision of mindfulness as a complete way of living, from cultivating concentration and awareness to understanding our place in the universe.

Check out Melvin’s podcast series, The Complete Path of Mindfulness, where he talks with leaders in the field about a groundbreaking new advance in mindfulness practice. Melvin and his guests explore mindfulness as not only a helpful meditation technique, but as a complete, transformative path of life.

This time on Mindrolling, Melvin and Raghu explore:

• Looking into what this life and universe is all about
• Leading happier and more meaningful lives
• Seeing mindfulness as a complete path of life
• Melvin’s four identified keys of mindfulness
• Inspiration from Thich Nhat Hanh, one of the most important spiritual teachers of this age
• Developing the power of concentration
• Following a path without adopting a formal religion
• Recognizing our deep, intimate connection with all things
• Investigating the nature of awareness
• Taming the mind and the RAIN method taught by Tara Brach
• Be Here Now: Inhabiting the moment with loving-awareness
• Melvin’s interview with Joanna Macy, renowned Buddhist thinker, environmental activist, and author

About Melvin McLeod:

Melvin McLeod is the editor-at-large of Lion's Roar, the largest media organization in the English language devoted to Buddhist meditation and mindfulness, and co-founder of Mindful magazine. He has been practicing for more than 40 years and is a well-known and respected authority on mindfulness and meditation. His ground-breaking teaching on the Complete Path of Mindfulness has been praised by leaders in the field as an important advance in how mindfulness is defined and practiced. Check out his new book to learn more about this innovative work: With a Single Breath: The Complete Path of Mindfulness.

“When mindfulness is seen not simply as a helpful meditation technique but as a complete path of life, it can offer the same powerful tools for personal and societal transformation traditionally only offered by religion in an evidence-driven, common-sense format, for all of those people who are not especially interested in following a capital ‘R’ religious path.” –Melvin McLeod

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Challenging our perceptions of reality, Samuel Bercholz and Raghu discuss loosening the ego’s grip through meditation and opening to the humor beneath it all.

Click HERE to preorder Samuel’s upcoming book, Rude Awakenings: An Unconventional Guide to the Buddhist Path

This time on Mindrolling, Samuel and Raghu explore:

• Dipping a toe into all religions and learning how to meditate
• The humble beginnings of Shambhala Publications
• Addictions to ego and so-called reality
• Witnessing the beautiful emptiness within Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche
• How Ram Dass moved within many different spiritual circles
• Entering the mind of Buddha through meditation
• Stepping out of the bureaucracy of ego
• Not being too serious / blending love and humor

About Samuel Bercholz:

Sam Bercholz is a senior teacher in the Nyingma and Kagyu lineages of Tibetan Buddhism and the founder of Shambhala Publications. He was a close disciple of Kyabje Thinley Norbu Rinpoche and Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche, and was empowered by them to teach and given the title Acharya (religious instructor). He has taught extensively in North America, Europe, and Australasia. He was particularly empowered by Kyabje Thinley Norbu Rinpoche to teach from A Cascading Waterfall of Nectar.

“What I’ve learned through Buddhist practice and being with great teachers is that the fixed ideas of reality and viewing the world were 180 degrees off. We experience things exactly backwards. Our habit of reality is so skewed that it makes all perceptions backwards. We choose our realities, and we become addicted to keeping that reality going.” –Samuel Bercholz

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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 John

About 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

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Philosopher-artist and psychotherapist Todd Fink joins Raghu to trace the threads that connect art, science, and mysticism.

Grab a copy of Todd’s first book, Losslessness: reflections on impermanence, glimpses of forever, HERE!

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 practice

About 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

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Psychotherapist and author David Richo shares how to move past the destructive urge to retaliate through principles of psychology, Buddhism, and more.

Grab a copy of David’s newest book, Sweeter than Revenge: Overcoming Your Payback Mind and Achieving Real Connection in all Your Relationships

This time on Mindrolling, David and Raghu discuss:

• Retaliation and separateness as the ego’s favorite sports
• Rolling with the punches and not expecting full acknowledgment from everyone
• Expanding our ability to handle whatever happens in life
• Saying ‘yes’ to the opportunity of grace
• Righteousness versus healthy communication
• Forbearance: how long-term mindfulness practice can help us be less reactive
• Opening the path to enlightenment through forgiveness

About David Richo:

David Richo, PhD, MFT, is a psychotherapist, teacher, workshop leader, and writer who works in Santa Barbara and San Francisco, California. He combines Jungian, poetic, and mythic perspectives in his work with the intention of integrating the psychological and the spiritual. His books and workshops include attention to Buddhist and Christian spiritual practices. Check out David’s website to learn more.

“What is ego? The insertion of our entitlement to be treated with honor, respect, and full acknowledgment by everyone. Some people like us and some people don’t. You gotta roll with those kinda punches rather than take revenge on anyone that doesn’t come through positively for you.” –David Richo

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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.

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

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Duncan Trussell joins Raghu Markus and Kelly Rego for a heartfelt conversation on Ram Dass’s enduring legacy and the auspicious experiences that brought the Be Here Now Network team together.

In this episode, Duncan, Raghu, & Kelly discuss:

• Duncan’s introduction to Ram Dass: swimming, playing, and seeing the light again
• How Ram Dass helped Duncan process the loss of his mother
• Spreading Ram Dass’s love and legacy through the Be Here Now Network
• How the universe guides us right to where we need to be
• Moving through a dark night of the soul
• The lasting love we have for those we have lost
• The profound generosity of giving our full attention to another

About Kelly Rego:

Kelly Rego is an Integrated Marketing & 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.

About 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.

“At the time, I was living in a roach motel. Literally roaches everywhere, sleeping on a mattress on the floor, super depressed. I would just lie on this mattress listening to Ram Dass; it was really helping a lot. LA can be so lonely and weird. On the website, it said you can arrange these phone calls with Ram Das—I signed up. All of a sudden, Ram Dass is on the screen...beaming out from Hawaii into this garbage apartment” –Duncan Trussell

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Meditation master and teacher Orgyen Chowang Rinpoche explores tools for success from Tibetan wisdom on mindfulness, gratitude, and more.

Get your own copy of The Tibetan Book of Success HERE.

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 reject

About 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

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