Alle Episoden
Ram Dass: The Mainline Reality Trip | Here & Now Podcast Ep. 310
10.08.2026, 18:40
Take a trip up and down the subway stairs with Ram Dass as he explores the seven chakras, why this moment in history is ripe for fourth chakra work, and how he escaped the mainline reality trip. This episode is supported by Omega Institute. Like the Be Here Now Network, Omega believes that personal transformation can change the world—one heart at a time. Discover immersive retreats, workshops, and gatherings in New York's Hudson Valley. Learn more at https://www.eomega.org/ This episode of Here and Now is from a retreat at Roger Williams University in Bristol, Rhode Island, in June 1976. Check back soon for the conclusion of this talk. Ram Dass begins with a story of how a trip to the subway provided him with a useful metaphor for the spiritual path. He explores the seven chakras to help us understand who incarnates on this physical plane. Ram Dass digs into why primarily first, second, and third chakra people incarnate onto this plane. He talks about why the conditions that exist in society at this moment make it appropriate for beings with fourth chakra work to take birth. Ram Dass talks about escaping from the mainline reality trip and how the age of technology impacted people’s perception of reality. He touches on rebellion, revolution, evolution, and the state of the mystical experience in America. The Ram Dass community gathers regularly to engage in meaningful discussions about the podcast. We invite you to join us and share your curiosities, insights, and wisdom. Sign up for the General Fellowship to receive event invitations directly in your inbox: https://www.ramdass.org/fellowship “My experience was primarily that I was on the mainline of reality, and that there were all these kind of weird trips on either side, but that I, as a super scientist, rational mind, power, control, house full of antiques, my airplane, my motorcycle, gratification, more and more sex, more better food, more power, more intellect, I was doing the mainline reality trip. And I was hired to tell everybody else what reality was, okay, that’s what a Harvard professor does. And there was no doubt in my mind at all that that’s what reality was, alright, until I took psilocybin.” – Ram Dass
Ubuntu: Connecting to our Common Humanity with John Lockley & Raghu Markus | Mindrolling Podcast Ep. 658
07.08.2026, 15:11
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
BHNN Guest Podcast with Gil Fronsdal | Ep. 267
07.08.2026, 14:51
Gil Fronsdal explores how Vipassana practice helps us embrace change and release attachment, transforming the way we experience ourselves and the world. This week on the BHNN Guest Podcast, Gil Fronsdal shares: - Change as the heart of Vipassana practice - Delusions of permanence and having an ‘upside down’ perception of reality - The freedom in holding things more lightly - The juxtaposition of perfection with room for improvement - Breaking down our attachment to the way things are supposed to be - Being challenged in the dharma and questioning our identity - Individual culture versus collective culture - Watching thoughts arise and pass away - The problem with retrospective thinking - This recording was originally published on Dharmaseed About Gil Fronsdal: Gil Fronsdal is the co-teacher for the Insight Meditation Center in Redwood City, California; he has been teaching since 1990. He has practiced Zen and Vipassana in the U.S. and Asia since 1975. He was a Theravada monk in Burma in 1985, and in 1989 began training with Jack Kornfield to be a Vipassana teacher. Gil teaches at Spirit Rock Meditation Center where he is part of its Teachers Council. Gil was ordained as a Soto Zen priest at the San Francisco Zen Center in 1982, and in 1995 received Dharma Transmission from Mel Weitsman, the abbot of the Berkeley Zen Center. He currently serves on the SF Zen Center Elders’ Council. In 2011 he founded IMC’s Insight Retreat Center. He is the author of The Issue at Hand, essays on mindfulness practice; A Monastery Within; a book on the five hindrances called Unhindered; and the translator of The Dhammapada, published by Shambhala Publications. You may listen to Gil’s talks on Audio Dharma. “People tend to see permanence in what is impermanent. They tend to find self in what is not self. They tend to find happiness in things that are not really that happy. The path of practice is to perceive things in a way that things aren’t distorted. The task of mindfulness practice is to break through distortions so we can see more directly.” –Gil Fronsdal
Sharon Salzberg's Metta Hour Podcast with Paul Raushenbush | Engaged Compassion Series Ep. 292
06.08.2026, 13:16
The Buddha taught a path of awakened living, but how does that manifest in today’s world of constant connectivity and widespread suffering? How do we keep our hearts open without being defined or hardened by the pain that surrounds us, whether personal, collective, or historical? How do we navigate the paradox of holding both pain and joy, without mistaking suffering for punishment or personal failure? Can we infuse our compassion with wisdom and perspective to find the agency to take meaningful action in our communities? In her new series, Engaged Compassion, Sharon delves into these questions and more, engaging in candid conversations with a diverse group of teachers, activists, and changemakers. For the eighth episode in the series, Sharon speaks with Rev. Paul Raushenbush. This is his first appearance on the Metta Hour Podcast. Rev. Raushenbush is President and CEO of Interfaith Alliance. An ordained Baptist minister, Rev. Raushenbush is a longtime interfaith leader and renowned advocate for civil rights and religious freedom. Rev. Raushenbush has published two books and contributed essays to several volumes on faith in public life. He also hosts the weekly podcast and radio show “The State of Belief,” in partnership with Religion News Service. In this conversation, Sharon and Paul speak about: • How Rev. Raushenbush came to service • The Social Gospel • Rev. Raushenbush’s interfaith family • How spiritual practice can fuel activism • Insisting on joy in moments of great sorrow • Embodying the future we hope for now • Rev. Raushenbush’s POV that we are all neighbors • Figuring out how to help • What inspired this Engaged Compassion series • How art can be resistance • Where Rev. Raushenbush turns for inspiration • The work of Interfaith Alliance • The possibilities of lovingkindness • Rev. Raushenbush’s husband’s new book, “Good Morning Moon” Related Metta Hour Episodes Episode 281: The first episode of the Engaged Compassion Series with Jerry Colonna, released in March of 2026.
Descent into the Heartspace with Krishna Das | Pilgrim Heart Podcast Ep. 195
05.08.2026, 17:05
Enjoy this descent into the heartspace where Krishna Das connects us to our true nature of pure awareness and unity with God. This week on Pilgrim Heart, Krishna Das explores: - Different translations of the Ramayana - Bhakti and repetition of the name as one of the easiest paths to follow - Descending deeply into the mind and heart - How Maharaj-ji instructed Krishna Das to wear red - Union with god alongside worldly enjoyments - Remembering to orient ourselves to our true nature - Watching the breath, separating breathing from awareness of breathing “The eye receives information from the outside world. But, the eye has no consciousness—it’s a physical thing. What has consciousness is our true nature, which is aware of all the sense input that comes in. Who we truly are underneath all our thoughts, emotions, objects of experience, we are that awareness.” –Krishna Das About Krishna Das: Layering traditional Hindu kirtan with instantly accessible melodies and modern instrumentation, Grammy nominee Krishna Das has been called yoga’s “rock star.” With a remarkably soulful voice that touches the deepest chord in even the most casual listener, Krishna Das – known to friends, family, and fans as simply KD – has taken the call-and-response chanting out of yoga centers and into concert halls, becoming a worldwide icon and the best-selling chant artist of all time. His album ‘Live Ananda’ (released January 2012) was nominated for a Grammy in the Best New Age album category. KD spent the late ’60s traveling across the country as a student of Ram Dass, and in August 1970, he finally made the journey to India, which led him to Ram Dass’ own beloved guru, Neem Karoli Baba, known to most as Maharaj-ji. Krishna Das now travels the world sharing his kirtan practice and wonderful stories of his life, of Maharaji-ji, of his life on the Path and discusses bringing chanting into our lives through retreats and workshops. To date, KD has released 15 well-received albums, most recently Trust in the Heart released in October 2017.