Coming together at the 2023 Love and Renewal Retreat, Raghu Markus, Jack Kornfield, Duncan Trussell, and Krishna Das discuss alleviating suffering and finding grace.
“The basic math is first to tend with your own attachments, your identity, or an exploration of your identity potentially being the root of suffering. Then, after that, we can start dealing with saving all sentient beings.” – Duncan Trussell
In this recording from the 2023 Love & Renewal retreat, Raghu, Jack and Duncan, and Krishna Das come together to discuss:
- Samsara and returning home to family
- Working with cynicism
- How depression blocks us into one side of a story
- Humor as a coping mechanism
- Personal and collective responsibility
- The Bodhisattva vow
- Exploring our own identity and suffering
- Emotional Pyromania
- Liberating ourselves from the movie of me
- Ram Dass’ lesson on serving others while fixing our own heart
“We’re each in a certain mysterious place in this universe, born into this culture, this family, this moment, and so forth. And you have the capacity to make something beautiful of it, make something better, to alleviate suffering, to bring something of benefit. That’s the game. Well why should I do that? Because it brings happiness. There’s nothing that brings more satisfaction than uplifting us all together and letting it come through what’s unique in you.” – Jack Kornfield
About Jack Kornfield:
Jack Kornfield trained as a Buddhist monk in the monasteries of Thailand, India, and Burma, studying as. a monk under the Buddhist master Ven. Ajahn Chah, as well as the Ven. Mahasi Sayadaw. He has taught meditation internationally since 1974 and is one of the key teachers to introduce Buddhist mindfulness practice to the West. Jack co-founded the Insight Meditation Society in Barre, Massachusetts, with fellow meditation teachers Sharon Salzberg and Joseph Goldstein and the Spirit Rock Center in Woodacre, California. His books have been translated into 20 languages and sold more than a million copies. Learn more about Jack at www.jackkornfield.com.
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.
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. For more on Krishna Das events, music, and other offerings visit: KrishnaDas.com