The Space Between — Spiritual Friendship, Listening, and Living from the Heart
Podcast Recap: Do You Feel Heard? – Episode 25
Guest: Raghu Markus, Executive Director of the Love Serve Remember Foundation
Theme: Friendship as a spiritual path, deep listening, Ram Dass teachings, and creating space for truth to emerge
Some conversations feel like a warm cup of tea—comforting, grounding, and exactly what you didn’t know you needed. This episode of Do You Feel Heard? with guest Raghu Markus is one of them.
From his decades of work alongside Ram Dass to his role at the Love Serve Remember Foundation, Raghu brings stories, humility, and laughter into a conversation that’s as much about being human as it is about being spiritual.
The Role of Spiritual Friendship
Raghu describes friendship as a central pillar of spiritual life—not in the casual sense, but as deep, soul-level companionship where truth can be spoken without fear.
“The most important thing we can offer each other is presence. No answers. Not fixing. Just being here.”
These friendships hold space for our messiness, our longing, and our contradictions. They remind us of our shared humanity.
Listening as a Spiritual Practice
Derrick and Raghu explore the art of listening without agenda—a rarity in a culture obsessed with quick replies and personal branding.
Raghu points to Ram Dass’s ability to simply be with someone in their experience, without inserting his own narrative.
“Listening isn’t waiting for your turn to talk. It’s emptying yourself enough to actually hear.”
The Mirror of Relationship
The conversation turns to the way relationships—spiritual or otherwise—reflect our inner state. When we’re triggered, when we’re impatient, when we feel unheard… it’s often revealing something we haven’t yet resolved in ourselves.
“The other person is showing you yourself. That’s the gift and the challenge.”
By approaching these moments with curiosity instead of defensiveness, relationships become powerful arenas for growth.
Ram Dass, Neem Karoli Baba & the Path of Love
Raghu shares stories from his time with Ram Dass and the Indian guru Neem Karoli Baba—moments that revealed the simplicity and depth of spiritual love.
- Ram Dass’s humor and humility: never taking himself too seriously, even when teaching profound truths.
- Neem Karoli Baba’s directness: dissolving pretension with a single glance or simple act of kindness.
These teachings weren’t abstract—they were embodied in how they treated people.
The Practice of Remembering
The heart of Raghu’s work at the Love Serve Remember Foundation is in the name:
Love. Serve. Remember.
- Love: Lead with compassion.
- Serve: Act in the world without expectation of return.
- Remember: Stay connected to the truth of who you are, even in the noise.
These aren’t lofty ideals—they’re daily practices, often tested in small, ordinary interactions.
Favorite Quotes from Episode 24
“Friendship is a spiritual practice when it’s rooted in truth and love.”
“Listening is the rarest gift you can give someone.”
“The other person is not your problem—they’re your mirror.”
“We’re not here to fix each other. We’re here to remember together.”
“Service without love is an obligation. Service with love is liberation.”
Final Reflection
The spiritual path isn’t just meditation cushions and retreat centers.
It’s phone calls with old friends.
It’s pausing before you speak.
It’s noticing when you’ve closed your heart—and opening it again.
Friendship, listening, love—
These are not side roads on the journey.
They are the path.