Ep. 556 – Mindfulness and Metta: A Mindrolling Anthology w/ Joseph Goldstein and Sharon Salzberg

Daniele Bolelli contrasts the beauty of community and selfless leadership in Native culture with the epidemic of loneliness in America.In this episode, Daniele and Raghu roll through: Native American history and lessonsDaniele’s first exposure to Native culture through his journalist motherHow the Sundance ceremony shifted Daniele’s entire worldThe purpose of Sundance ceremony and praying for the welfare of all living beingsThe beauty and power of community we can see in Native American cultureLoneliness in America as an epidemicDiscussing a few of the great Native American chiefs, like Crazy Horse and Sitting BullThinking collectively for the well-being of an entire villageWhy a functioning community or tribe is essential for collective ideologies to workThe Native American myth of the Wendigo as a metaphor for insatiable cravingGrab the book Daniele suggests, Black Elk Speaks, for more Native American wisdom and stories.About Daniele Bolelli:Daniele Bolelli is an Italian writer, philosopher, and professor of comparative religion. Currently living in Los Angeles, Danielle Bolelli is also a martial artist and podcaster. Learn more about Danielle Bolelli and his published works as well as his suggested reading list on Daniellebolelli.com.Be sure to subscribe to Danielle’s podcast, History on Fire.“Loneliness is one of those epidemics that is killing us on a mental health level. When you see functioning communities, it’s a beautiful thing because that sense of relation that exists with this group of people that are not just your nuclear family but extend beyond that.” – Daniele BolelliSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Sharing inspiration from the monk Thomas Merton, James Finley explains what he has learned about God, healing, and mystical paths.Grab James Finley’s Memoir, The Healing Path, HEREThis week, James and Raghu have a deep conversation about: How James discovered a connection to God through Thomas MertonJames’ time living in the Abbey of Gethsemani immediately after high schoolThe resonance that happens between awakened peopleThe secret, safe place that God can commune with usNever forgetting what we learn from dark timesHaving empathy for others through our own sufferingSeeing children as our mentorsBecoming an act of acceptance for the unexplainable mysteryThe healing stories in the gospelsAbout James Finley:James Finley is an author, clinical psychologist, and spiritual director. He is one of the core faculty members of the Center for Action and Contemplation (with Richard Rohr) and is host of the CAC podcast “Turning to the Mystics.” A former novice under Thomas Merton at the Abbey of Gethsemani, he is the author of the classic book Merton’s Palace of Nowhere: A Search for God through Awareness of the True Self. A leading figure in the integration of psychology and spiritual direction, he has led workshops and retreats around the country.“Often, when the terror is overtaking us, it isn’t until later that we reflect on it. We realize it isn’t that it wasn’t terrible, but it wasn’t just terrible. That precisely because it got so dark I was able to see a light shining in the darkness that had come in looking for me, or it was there all along and I didn’t know it.”– James FinleySee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Turning to Celtic wisdom, author and teacher John Philip Newell chats with Raghu about reconnecting to our home, Mother Earth.Pick up your copy of John’s new book, The Great Search: Turning to Earth and Soul in the Quest for Healing and Home, HERE.This week, John and Raghu get into: John’s upbringing and being drawn to the natural worldThe Celtic lineage and having awareness for the sacredness of natureKnowing that wisdom resides deep within us, not outside of usSeeing the universe as an expression of the divineWhat we can learn from native traditionsA radical new beginning through humility and relation to earth and one anotherAddressing the divine in one another and in every life formBreaking cycles of war and repetitionThe contributions of Carl Jung on the collective and individual unconsciousMerging Eastern and Western traditionsCheck out The Marriage of East and West to learn more about the topics John and Raghu referenceAbout John Philip Newell:John Philip Newell is a Celtic teacher and author of spirituality who calls the modern world to reawaken to the sacredness of Earth and every human being. In 2016 he began the Earth & Soul initiative and teaches regularly in the United States and Canada as well as leading international pilgrimage weeks on Iona in the Western Isles of Scotland. His PhD is from the University of Edinburgh and he has authored over fifteen books, including his award-winning publication, Sacred Earth Sacred Soul, which was the 2022 Gold Winner of the Nautilus Book Award for Spirituality and Religious Thought of the West. His new book, also with HarperOne (and published in the UK by Wild Goose), is The Great Search (August 2024), in which he looks at the great spiritual yearnings of humanity today in the context of the decline of religion as we have known it.Join senior meditation teachers David Nichtern and Rebecca D’Onofrio for a free online discussion on the path of developing one's own meditation practice and supporting others who wish to explore this transformative path. Register for free today: The Journey of Becoming a Meditation Teacher | Sep. 19th @ 6:00pm ET“For me, it was the introduction to Celtic wisdom that awakened me to knowing that wisdom is deep within us and the divine is at the very heart of our beings. We don’t have to somehow invoke or implore a distance presence.” – John Philip NewellSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Connecting the inner world and the outer world, physicist Federico Faggin reveals his work studying the physics of spirituality.Follow this link to order your copy of Federico's book: Irreducible: Consciousness, Life, Computers and Human NatureThis episode of Mindrolling with Federico and Raghu includes these topics: Federico's life growing up in ItalyNeuroscience and studying consciousnessHow physical feelings come from electrical processes in the brainConnecting spirituality and physicsConsidering if a computer could be programmed for consciousnessFaggin's experience recognizing the inner love that comes out of usHow quantum physics proves the interconnection within the universeFederico's perspective on freewill and determinism in our livesGoing beyond what science has doneThe limited freedom we have while incarnatedPredicting our behavior and how our consciousness is watching allGrace and the unpredictability of free willThe divine mystery and why it will never be resolvedAbout Federico Faggin:Federico Faggin is an Italian-American physicist, engineer, inventor and entrepreneur. He is best known for designing the first commercial microprocessor, the Intel 4004. He led the 4004 project and the design group during the first five years of Intel's microprocessor effort. Federico Faggin is one of the greatest luminaries of high technology alive today; his work underlies the modern world's entire information technology. His new book, Irreducible: Consciousness, Life, Computers and Human Nature, was just published in May of 2024.“I eventually ended up deciding that I was going to spend the rest of my life studying consciousness and trying to connect spirituality and physics. In other worlds, connect the other inner world of experience and meaning with the outer world of symbols and matter in space and time.” – Federico FagginJoin senior meditation teachers David Nichtern and Rebecca D’Onofrio for a free online discussion on the path of developing one's own meditation practice and supporting others who wish to explore this transformative path. Register for free today: The Journey of Becoming a Meditation Teacher | Sep. 19th @ 6:00pm ETSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Focusing on curiosity, patience, and self-compassion, Cortland Dahl joins Raghu to go over his new book, A Meditator's Guide to Buddhism.This week, Cortland and Raghu discuss: The mystical practice of making aspirationsTuning into ourselves and trusting ourselvesLearning through our relationshipsRecognizing that the next Buddha is the sanghaNurturing sparks of inspiration through practiceHow meeting teachers helps us realize our own inner depthWhy curiosity can move us along the spiritual pathPatience, creating space, and being vs. doingSelf-compassion in a world of chaos and uncertaintyDiscomfort as a zone of growthExpanding our motivations for doing our practiceSeeing the awakened nature in everyone and everythingPick up a copy of A Meditator's Guide to Buddhism HEREAbout Cortland Dahl:Cortland Dahl is a Buddhist scholar and translator, author, meditation teacher, and a collaborator on various scientific studies. After receiving a Master’s Degree in Buddhist Studies, he lived for eight years in India and Nepal, where he spent long periods in solitary retreat in the Himalayan foothills and taught courses on Buddhism, meditation, and Tibetan language at Kathmandu University’s Center for Buddhist Studies and at the Tergar Institute, which he co-founded in 2007. He went on to study at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he was mentored by the renowned neuroscientist Dr. Richard Davidson and received a Ph.D. in Mind, Brain, and Contemplative Science, the first ever degree of its kind awarded by the university. Cortland's current work focuses on studying the psychological and neural mechanisms of different families of meditation practice. He is also the creator of the Healthy Minds program, a well-being training program that integrates insights from scientific research with a comprehensive path of contemplative training. Keep up with Cortland HERE or check out his books HERE.“We have no clue of this depth and richness that is inside of us. How we stumble through life completely oblivious to these amazing qualities of mind and somehow we just haven’t learned to see it. Then, you meet a teacher and it gets cracked open a little bit and you start getting a glimpse just by being in their orbit.” – Cortland Dahl See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week's Mindrolling is a collection of some of the best moments from Raghu’s interviews with mindfulness and metta experts Joseph Goldstein and Sharon Salzberg.In this special episode:Clip 1 (Ep. 65): Raghu and Joseph explore the foundations of mindfulness, the influence of habits, and how everything hinges on the tip of motivation. Clip 2 (Ep. 44): Raghu and Sharon discuss metta practice and practical ways to connect with others through loving-kindness. Clip 3 (Ep. 224): Raghu and Joseph delve into the realities of mindfulness and how the craving for becoming can hijack our meditation practice. Clip 4 (Ep. 225): Raghu and Sharon touch on the Eightfold Path, the balance of equanimity and effort, and the universal truth of starting over. Clip 5 (Ep. 457): Joseph leads a meditation on awareness, beautifully punctuated with a haiku poem.“And we can suffuse the whole field of mindfulness with the feeling of loving-kindness. Friendliness towards our own experience and well-wishing for all others. May all beings be at peace.” – Joseph GoldsteinSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

David Silver and Raghu sit down for a conversation about maintaining equanimity in the face of multiple humanitarian and ecological crises around the world.Join comedian Duncan Trussell and Buddhist teacher David Nichtern on September 3rd for a free online talk: Imposter Syndrom & Teaching MeditationThis week, David and Raghu discuss: The divided state of our countryDealing with negative emotions like depression and lonelinessAdjusting our internal behavior in order to help others and ourselvesLooking to spiritual practitioners for answers and guidanceThe current political landscape of our worldThe necessity of having both wisdom and compassionRemaining equanimous in the face of global crisesBeing aware of spiritual materialismWhy a sitting meditation practice is integral for self-understandingOvercoming the afflictions and distortions of the mindSending loving kindness to all corners of our heartsTransforming ourselves to make the world a better placeAbout 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.“We are overwhelmed in so many different ways. This, everybody, is the first thing to do. Many people will say ‘I find it difficult. My mind wanders. I can’t really meditate.’ It’s called practice. You start with 3 minutes, you go to 5, 10, 15, 20. You do it because this overwhelm is absolutely untenable for us without some practice.” – Raghu MarkusSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Using modern tools to support inner transformation, ServiceSpace founder Nipun Mehta offers innovative solutions for turning artificial intelligence into collective heart intelligence.Learn more about ServiceSpace’s unique model of organizing small acts of service at servicespace.org.In this episode, Nipun and Raghu chat about: Nipun’s upbringing and finding the infinity behind each momentLiving a life of serviceUsing artificial intelligence for inner transformation and the emergence of compassionFear of AI versus it’s potential positive usesCollective heart Intelligence versus today’s artificial intelligenceTaking care of others as others take care of youNipun and his wife’s pilgrimage through IndiaLooking at what we can do to offer kindness to the worldBeing sustainable through being relatedThe physical and emotional rewards of being generousShifting from transaction into relationshipAbout Nipun Mehta:Nipun Mehta is the founder of ServiceSpace (formerly CharityFocus), an incubator of projects that works at the intersection of volunteerism, technology, and the gift economy. What started as an experiment with four friends in Silicon Valley has now grown to a global ecosystem of over 400,000 members that has delivered millions of dollars in service for free. Mehta has received many awards, including the Jefferson Award for Public Service, the President’s Volunteer Service Award, and Wavy Gravy’s Humanitarian award. He serves on the advisory boards of the Seva Foundation, the Dalai Lama Foundation, and the Greater Good Science Center. Check out some of Nipun’s TedTalks HERE and HERE.“Can we bring in this vision, this intention, this possibility? Can our modern tools support our inner transformation, which then can out of a heart of service flow out into the world through a very different design pattern?” – Nipun MehtaSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Discussing her new book, Ordinary Mysticism, Mirabai Starr breaks free from religious institutions and shares heart-opening mystical wisdom.Mirabai’s upcoming book, Ordinary Mysticism: Your Life as Sacred Ground, will be released in September 2024. Preorder your copy HERE!This time on Mindrolling, Mirabai and Raghu converse about: How beginner’s mind and humility help us cope with the worldOur capacity to feel the pain of the world as our superpowerThe dark night of the soul and Saint John of the CrossMirabai’s loss of her daughter and the transformational power of sufferingThe broken, open heart and expanding our heart to contain grief and realityBeing with ‘what is’ – as an act of devotion and loveReligious ‘polyamory’ and intimate encounters with numerous spiritual traditionsMirabai’s baptism and dedication to peace in the Middle EastWhy mystical experiences do not need to happen in the container of religionAbout Mirabai Starr:Mirabai Starr is an award-winning author of creative non-fiction and contemporary translations of sacred literature. She taught Philosophy and World Religions at the University of New Mexico-Taos for 20 years and now teaches and speaks internationally on contemplative practice and inter-spiritual dialogue. A certified bereavement counselor, Mirabai helps mourners harness the transformational power of loss. Check out her many books and learn more at MirabaiStarr.com.“Often, organized institutionalized religious spaces and belief systems (this is my belief) can be an obstacle, an impediment to an actual mystical experience, if by mystical experience we mean an experience of intimacy with the sacred as love.” – Mirabai StarrSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Author and artist Scott Snibbe visits Mindrolling to teach listeners how to train the mind for long-lasting happiness.Get your copy of Scott’s book, How to Train a Happy Mind: A Skeptic’s Path to Enlightenment, HERE.This week on Mindrolling, Scott and Raghu discuss: How being in tune with reality leads to happinessScott’s childhood and sensing the feeling of infinitySelfishness/self-centeredness as an antagonist to joyHappiness through cherishing othersAnalytical meditation and filling your mindRemembering how precious every day isStabilizing the mind through meditation to be less reactiveConnecting with ourselves first thing in the morningHow cell phones externally define our world and lead to unhappinessLooking at who we are beneath our thoughts, feelings, and personalitySmall shifts in our daily lives such as smilingEmbodying human rights in our thoughts and behaviorAbout Scott Snibbe:Scott Snibbe is an interactive media artist, author, entrepreneur, and meditation instructor who hosts the Skeptic’s Path to Enlightenment meditation podcast. His first book, How to Train a Happy Mind, was released in 2024. Keep up with Scott on his website.“The Buddhist view on happiness is really the reality view on happiness. The better word might be satisfaction, contentment, or well-being. It is not the temporary things like having an ice-cream cone, or a nice walk, or someone kiss-you, which are all lovely. That’s a pleasure. It doesn’t last. Happiness really can be long-lasting.” – Scott SnibbeSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.