Be Here Now Network

The Deathless with Buddhist Teacher, Gil Fronsdal | BHNN Guest Podcast Ep. 226

Buddhist teacher Gil Fronsdal explores the concept of the deathless and examines ways to experience life without clinging to impermanent things. Today’s podcast is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/beherenow and get on your way to being your best self. In this episode of the BHNN Guest Podcast, Gil discusses: - What the Buddha said about attaining the deathless - Seeking after things that are eternal rather than prone to aging and impermanence - Three forms of clinging/craving that lead us to suffering: beliefs, becoming, and sensual pleasure - Considering if there is a ‘you’ beyond thought - Letting go of our attachments to concepts - How a fixation on ‘becoming somebody’ prevents us from being - Avoidance of the reality of suffering due to personal discomfort - Developing mindfulness over time and having compassion for ourselves when we notice grasping - The timeless present and the end of separation - Attentiveness as the path to the deathless - The American notion of freedom versus the Eastern notion of liberation - The ultimate goal of Buddhism: to be open-handed, to have a mind without grasping 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. This recording was originally published on Dharmaseed.org “The deathless is a synonym for Nirvana, for enlightenment, the great peace, the great happiness, for that which is unconditioned, the unborn, the ultimate security, the ultimate safety.” – Gil Fronsdal

Ram Dass On The Secret Of Compassion | Here & Now Ep. 287

In this powerful lecture on responding to suffering, Ram Dass draws on the wisdom of the Buddha, Trungpa Rinpoche, and Wavy Gravy, and offers his insight into the secret of compassion. 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/ This episode of Here and Now comes from a lecture Ram Dass gave at the Omega Institute on June 28th, 1983. Ram Dass talks about how suffering is everywhere. He examines the different kinds of reactions to it, including denial, pity, cynicism, or trying to “do something about it.” Ram Dass invokes the wisdom of the Buddha and Wavy Gravy to provide a path for us to open to suffering, and offers some insight into the secret of compassion. After a brief review of the Four Noble Truths, Ram Dass explores the concept of being nobody. He discusses the predicament of identifying with anything in form and how we aren’t who we think we are. We exist behind form. In the final part of the talk, Ram Dass introduces the rascally Trungpa Rinpoche, sharing stories of their early meetings. He recalls a dialogue between Trungpa and Wavy about responding to suffering and how they were representing two parts of the same dance. Sponsors Of This Episode: Ram Dass Here & Now is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/ramdass and get on your way to being your best self. This episode is also sponsored by Magic Mind. Go to magicmind.com/ramdass or use the code RAMDASS for up to 48% off your first subscription or 20% off one-time purchases at checkout You can support this podcast and listen to episodes AD-FREE on our Patreon. Sign up for a free 7-day trial: patreon.com/RamDassPodcast About Ram Dass: Ram Dass’s spirit has been a guiding light for generations, carrying millions along on the journey. Ram Dass teaches that through the Bhakti practice of unconditional love, we can all connect with our true nature. Through these teachings, Ram Dass has shared a little piece of his guru, Maharaj-ji, with all who have listened to him. “Because part of the secret of compassion is being able to embrace darkness into light. It’s being able to embrace suffering into yourself. It’s being able to acknowledge and allow. And then, the impeccable warrior hears what to do about it.” – Ram Dass

Remembering Lady Diana J. Mukpo & Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche | Mindrolling Ep. 612

Holding grief alongside wise teachings on death, Jaymee Carpenter and Raghu Markus discuss the great loss of Lady Diana J. Mukpo, wife of Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche. Listen to Jaymee’s interview with Lady Diana J. Mukpo: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/love-is-the-author/id1515059329?i=1000726692886 This week on Mindrolling, Raghu and Jaymee chat about: - Remembering Lady Diana J. Mukpo, the wife of Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche, the great Tibetan Lama - Chogyam Trungpa’s leadership out of occupied Tibet, through the Himalayas, and into India - Raghu’s experience meeting Chogyam Trungpa and having an instant connection - Living in two planes at once: holding grief while realizing that death is ultimately just a concept - How clinging and even subtle attachments can pull us away from the present moment - Jaymee’s practice of looking at things three different ways - Transforming the polarity that exists inside of ourselves - Turning even the worst of situations into an opportunity for growth and something beautiful - ‘The mere eye’ where we hold our sense of self lightly - Watching out for spiritual bypassing and practicing loving awareness From This Episode: Look deeper into Pema Chödrön, the renowned Buddhist nun mentioned by Jaymee and Raghu: https://pemachodronfoundation.org/about/ Get a copy of Why We Meditate, a guidebook that will help you not only break free from negative patterns of thought and behavior but radically embrace your very being: https://www.amazon.com/Why-We-Meditate-Practice-Compassion/dp/1982178450 About Jaymee Carpenter: Jaymee Carpenter is a highly revered spiritual teacher and psychospiritual counselor based in Ojai, CA, with a background of 13 years of multi-faceted professional experience in the field of addiction and mental health treatment. He is a 16-year meditation practitioner and teacher within the oldest lineage of Tibetan Buddhism (Nyingma), which is his primary source of his own recovery and mental clarity. Jaymee spent 3 years recently as an apprentice to a Lakota shaman, co-facilitating sweat lodge ceremonies for hundreds of participants on sacred land blessed by His Holiness The Dalai Lama. He is additionally a master-level communicator and storyteller, and one of the world’s great listeners. Follow Jaymee Carpenter on Instagram and check out his podcast, Love is the Author, on YouTube and wherever you listen to podcasts. “I start to cry. I cry for the normal reasons one cries. Loss, the sadness around not having another chance to say something to her. Then, I’m immediately greeted with how long she lived, all the accomplishments she made in this lifetime, that she studied the way out of the notion of death alongside Chogyam Trungpa…I’m met both with my grief and my teachings.” – Jaymee Carpenter

Ram Dass Fellowship with Amy Buetens, Julie Weinstein & Jackie Dobrinska | BHNN Guest Podcast Ep 225

Highlighting the fact that we can define our own reality, Amy Buetens & Julie Weinstein pull from the wisdom of Ram Dass to discuss navigating turbulent times. Today’s podcast is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/beherenow and get on your way to being your best self. In this episode, hosted by Jackie Dobrinska, Amy Buetens & Julie Weinstein discuss: - Utilizing beginner's mind as a tool for approaching the chaos of our world - Keeping our hearts open in hell and holding multiple truths at once. - Embracing change and uncertainty rather than seeing it as a threat - Increasing our equanimity in order to support ourselves and others - Being in the presence of suffering without creating more suffering - Looking at what is as a heartfelt service to ourselves and humanity - Meditation as an opportunity to explore our identity - Teen mental health struggles and overwhelm from the weight of the world - Compassionate action and working towards the end of suffering - Ram Dass’s recurring examples of self-love and self-acceptance - Leaving room for all of life’s unknown possibilities, the full spectrum of joy and suffering Grab a copy of You are the Universe, an impactful graphic novel arranged and illustrated by Amy & Julie. This vibrant hand-drawn book chronicles the unconventional journey and self-discovery of Ram Dass: https://shop.ramdass.org/collections/books-and-media/products/you-are-the-universe About Amy Buetens: Amy Buetens is an artist, illustrator, and art educator. She is a certified integrative thanatologist and death educator. Her work includes performing final rites of passage, and she serves as a leader in her Jewish burial society. She has been a dedicated student of Ram Dass for over 20 years, and is a co-leader for the Love Serve Remember Foundation’s International Women’s Satsang and leads her local Ram Dass Fellowship. About Julie Weinstein: Julie Weinstein’s professional career is devoted to advancing environmental and social justice. She also serves as both a Jewish and Buddhist chaplain in the jails, within the justice movement and for people experiencing loss, grief and trauma. She is a death educator, burial society leader, and artist, and is pursuing ordination as a rabbi. She’s been practicing Ram Dass’s teachings for over two decades, and co-leads community initiatives for the Love Serve Remember Foundation. About The Host, Jackie Dobrinska: Jackie Dobrinska is the Director of Education, Community & Inclusion for Ram Dass’ Love, Serve, Remember Foundation and the current host of Ram Dass’ Here & Now podcast. She is also a teacher, coach, and spiritual director with the privilege of marrying two decades of mystical studies with 15 years of expertise in holistic wellness. As an inter-spiritual minister, Jackie was ordained in Creation Spirituality in 2016 and has also studied extensively in several other lineages – the plant-medicine-based Pachakuti Mesa Tradition, Sri Vidya Tantra, Western European Shamanism, Christian Mysticism, the Wise Woman Tradition, and others. Today, in addition to building courses and community for LSRF, she leads workshops and coaches individuals to discover, nourish and live from their most authentic selves. “You and I are the force for the transformation in the world. We are the consciousness that will define the nature of the reality we are moving into. Shifting our consciousness has the power to change our inner and outer universe. That’s why you work on yourself. That’s what help you offer. You work on yourself through everything in your life.”– Ram Dass

Dying to Live with Andy Chaleff, Author and Speaker | Raghu Markus Mindrolling Ep. 611

Author Andy Chaleff speaks to personal and collective grief, teaching listeners that embracing loss can help us live a more fulfilling life. Get your copy of Andy’s book, Dying to Live: Finding Life’s Meaning Through Death: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/dying-to-live-andy-chaleff/1147787972 This week on Mindrolling, Raghu and Andy have a conversation on: - Andy’s early experiences with fear, existential dread, and childhood loss - Andy’s emotional and intellectual process of writing - Childhood grief, losing a parent, and losing a pet - Breaking free from a victimhood identity by reframing life’s challenges - Shifting perspective to see the world with gratitude and compassion - Processing collective grief in the face of global crises, politics, and inequality - How to live in love instead of living in fear - Finding the blessings in difficult circumstances - The wisdom of Stoicism and learning to “live with death on the shoulder” - Laughing at the dance between life’s seriousness and absurdity - Finding the heart-mind in ourselves and providing service to others About Andy Chaleff: Andy Chaleff is an author, mentor, and speaker whose life and work are grounded in radical emotional honesty. At eighteen, Andy’s mother was killed by a drunk driver just hours after receiving a deeply personal letter he had written — a soul-baring message he never imagined would be his last to her. That moment became the start of a lifelong inquiry into grief, love, and what it means to live without holding back. Today, Andy works privately with a select group of clients, from cultural icons to global leaders, offering mentorship rooted in vulnerability, clarity, and deep presence. His work invites people to reconnect with themselves and embrace the parts of life we’re taught to avoid. His books, often called spiritual memoirs, blend raw personal storytelling with existential insight. His newest, Dying to Live, explores how coming to peace with death can open us to the full beauty of life. Originally from California, Andy now lives in Amsterdam, where he directs Amsterdam's Welvaren, a center for coaching and leadership. “It’s the recognition of fear that is a prime ingredient. It always goes back to fear of death, or, you can say it a different way, impermanence.” –Andy Chaleff