Raghu Markus Mindrolling Podcast

Lily Cushman drops by the Mindrolling Podcast to talk with Raghu Markus about the meaning of mantra and her book, “A Little Bit of Mantras.”

Raghu welcomes Lily to the show and asks about her spiritual journey. Lily talks about some of the amazing teachers she’s worked with along the way, including Krishna Das and Sharon Salzberg. She tells the story of being introduced to mantra and chant at a Krishna Das concert, where she found herself in shock at the feeling that ‘om’ produced in her. 

“I just spontaneously wept in that moment when I heard the whole room ‘om.’ It was this really cathartic experience for me. And it took me years to understand that.” – Lily Cushman

The Meaning of Mantra (22:18)

Lily helps define the meaning of mantra, which literally translates to “a crossing over of the mind.” Raghu talks about the many efficacies of mantra, including how it can diminish self-referencing. They discuss kirtan, which is a combination of music and mantra, and how a spoonful of music can really help the medicine of mantra go down.

“That definition of mantra, the word itself, is basically pointing to the mechanism of moving past just the limited sense of self, the mind or the ego structure. That’s really what that’s referring to.” – Lily Cushman

The Maha Mantra and More (48:58)

Raghu brings up some of the mantras covered in Lily’s book, A Little Bit of Mantras. They key in on the Maha Mantra, which Raghu has recently reconnected with. Lily talks about how the book came together, and how it’s really a handbook to empower you to practice.

“The power of mantra is self evident.” – Raghu Markus