Pilgrim Heart with Krishna Das 2m5n63

In this heart-led exploration, Krishna Das shares how mantra, willpower, and grace guide us from the illusion of ego and into the freedom of real love. This time on Pilgrim Heart, Krishna Das offers wisdom on: Inspiration from Maharaj-ji’s picture, dream visits, and more How the soul pulls us towards real love and freedom Why meditating/chanting/any form of practice is a good idea The jungle guru who helped Krishna Das with his will power Using our will in a constructive way to free ourselves from suffering Solving the problem of what is really holding us back Repeating the name of God as a gradual method to purify our minds and hearts Falling out of the ‘movie of me’ through mantra  “There's mantras for everything. There's mantras for robbing banks, for finding buried treasure, for controlling snakes, for becoming president of the United States, but kirtan is the chanting of the names, which is only good for one thing, finding real love. It's not good for controlling other people, getting rich, anything except finding real love and connecting deeply to our own true nature” – Krishna Das See at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Discussing how to work through afflictions like addiction, heartbreak, and self-hatred, Krishna Das gives spiritual guidance to listeners.  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. This week on Pilgrim Heart, Krishna Das explains: Learning to chant the Hanuman Chalisa  Working with addiction as a part of the spiritual path  Developing the ability to stop hurting ourselves  Looking within, not without, in order to do spiritual work in all parts of our daily lives Comparing Hanuman with the Holy Spirit  ing that nothing lasts in this world Relationships as a neurotic need rather than true, deep love The universal experience of heartbreak and all situations as impermanent  Opening the heart, quieting the mind, and connecting to a deeper place within ourselves  Considering others and doing what we can to help  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. MORE INFORMATION and OFFERINGS VISIT: https://krishnadas.com/ KRISHNA DAS ON SOCIAL: FACEBOOK: facebook.com/KrishnaDasMusic INSTAGRAM: instagram.com/krishnadasmusic YOUTUBE: / krishnadasmusic X: @krishnadas #KrishnaDas “We have to develop the ability to stop hurting ourselves because we have the soul. If we’re just hurting ourselves and engaging in addictive, dangerous, destructive behavior, it’s like we’re beating ourselves up. This program that’s running, this self-hatred program that’s causing this behavior, it is spiritual work to try to free yourself from that.” – Krishna Das See at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Revealing the true Buddha nature, which rests beyond ego, Krishna Das shows how regular practice can unveil the inherent purity within us all. 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. This time on Pilgrim Heart, Krishna Das gets into Desireless action and other teachings of the Gita The ‘evil’ within us all (selfishness, greed, anger, etc.) How our ego tries to protect itself from others The ways we feed our hungry desires at the expense of anything in our way Buddha nature and finding the pureness within each soul Developing both internal and external repetition of the name Balancing ultimate and relative reality in our daily lives Finding faith in the stories of the great beings that came before us Making the world a better place through practice The Hungry Hearts Prayer and working to relieve suffering MORE INFORMATION and OFFERINGS VISIT: https://krishnadas.com/ KRISHNA DAS ON SOCIAL: FACEBOOK: facebook.com/KrishnaDasMusic INSTAGRAM: instagram.com/krishnadasmusic YOUTUBE: / krishnadasmusic X: @krishnadas #KrishnaDas “It’s not that we're intrinsically evil. Actually, it’s the opposite. We’re intrinsically good. Our essence, our Buddha nature, is within everyone. The soul is absolutely pure, it is untouched by all this stuff.” – Krishna Das See at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Providing mantra and mentorship, Krishna Das explores how we can heal our heavy hearts and manage both personal and global suffering. In this episode of Pilgrim Heart, Krishna Das explores: Mantras to use during wartimes or other painful experiences Hanuman, the remover of all difficulties and negative energy Tibetan philosophies of the transition between life and death Best wishes for all who are suffering across the globe Keeping our hearts open and available to all beings, all the time A story of how KC Tewari saw Maharaj-ji as Shiva The extraordinary beauty of the devotee and the beloved Escaping from the habit loop through regular practice Managing a heavy-heart and freeing ourselves from suffering Committing to being a good human and caring for others MORE INFORMATION and OFFERINGS VISIT: https://krishnadas.com/ KRISHNA DAS ON SOCIAL: FACEBOOK: facebook.com/KrishnaDasMusic INSTAGRAM: instagram.com/krishnadasmusic YOUTUBE: / krishnadasmusic X: @krishnadas #KrishnaDas “These practices free us from all negative emotions, ultimately. They free us from the very things within us that cause us suffering, whether it’s the way we react to the outside world or the inside world. One has to commit to wanting to be a good human being and to care about others.” – Krishna Das See at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Explaining the fruits of dedicated practice, Krishna Das urges listeners to move past instant gratification and artificial forms of awakening. This episode is brought to you by Dharma Moon.  Buddhist teachers David Nichtern and Professor Robert Thurman for a free online event on Tuesday, March 4th at 6pm ET. Together, they'll explore the power of lineage, tradition, and the evolution of mindfulness practices. They’ll also discuss Dharma Moon’s renowned mindfulness meditation teacher training program. Visit dharmamoon.com/lineage for more info and to reserve your spot for the free online event with David Nichtern and Professor Robert Thurman! This time on Pilgrim Heart we hear Krishna Das explain: Following our hearts and praying for guidance Fully giving ourselves to practice Letting go of the need for immediate gratification How Krishna Das started chanting with others Krishna Das’ experience almost being drafted into Vietnam Psychedelics and getting out of our self-imposed jails The transient and artificial nature of substances Developing our consciousness overtime through practice Opening our hearts to all beings Spiritual practice as the path to love within us all MORE INFORMATION and OFFERINGS VISIT: https://krishnadas.com/ KRISHNA DAS ON SOCIAL: FACEBOOK: facebook.com/KrishnaDasMusic INSTAGRAM: instagram.com/krishnadasmusic YOUTUBE: / krishnadasmusic X: @krishnadas #KrishnaDas “We’re so scattered and fragmented and distracted. It’s so hard to focus on something other than immediate pleasure. If it’s a movie or a good meal we seem to be able to focus, but when it comes down to doing something that doesn’t get immediate gratification, it’s very hard.” – Krishna Das See at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Sharing insight from Maharaj-ji, Krishna Das discusses reaching higher states of consciousness through service, repetition, and purification. This episode includes wisdom from Krishna Das on: Shedding our belief system of ego and separate self The importance of regular practice and finding time everyday Learning from Maharaj-ji through dreams and meditation Finding Maharaj-ji in our world Reaching higher states of consciousness through service, mantra, and purification Doing spiritual work in our daily lives and seeing it all as God Looking at humanity with honest eyes and letting go of how we think things should be The book Love Everyone by Parvati Markus “Higher states of consciousness can’t be created by your own personal will. But, through service to others, repetition of the name, and purification of the heart, those states will arrive and arise when you’re ready.” – Krishna Das MORE INFORMATION and OFFERINGS VISIT: https://krishnadas.com/ KRISHNA DAS ON SOCIAL: FACEBOOK: facebook.com/KrishnaDasMusic INSTAGRAM: instagram.com/krishnadasmusic YOUTUBE: / krishnadasmusic X: @krishnadas #KrishnaDas See at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Through devotional chanting and conversation, Krishna Das offers guidance on living out our practice both on and off the mat. 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, Krishna Das answers questions on: The deep intuition that develops over time Making our practice a way of life Rebirth and ensuring we create positive karma Dealing with conflict in parental relationships Accepting others fully as an act of pure love Widening our hearts and noticing when we are being judgmental Struggling with thoughts that haunt us Continuously letting go of our experiences Showing up in our practice to work with our emotions What happens when the body es on A mantra to Maharaj-ji “Love means letting someone be who they are. We can’t change people. Our parents, we don’t know what made them the way they are. We know them only as our parents. We don’t see what life was like when they grew up, what they went through, their hearts being broken. We don’t understand what brought them to this moment. All we know is that they’re our parents and most of the time they just piss us off. We have to develop a little comion. If you really love someone, you don’t need to change them in order to love them.” – Krishna Das MORE INFORMATION and OFFERINGS VISIT: https://krishnadas.com/ KRISHNA DAS ON SOCIAL: FACEBOOK: facebook.com/KrishnaDasMusic INSTAGRAM: instagram.com/krishnadasmusic YOUTUBE: / krishnadasmusic X: @krishnadas #KrishnaDas See at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Closing the year, Krishna Das explores the transformative power of deepening our awareness and how practice helps us navigate life’s challenges. This time, on Pilgrim Heart, Krishna Das speaks on: Going within and deepening our awareness Subjective versus objective experiences Advice that Krishna received from Maharaj-ji How repeating the name gives us strength Practicing awareness and breaking bad habits How to work through heartbreak Coming back into an object of concentration Learning to trust your own heart “There’s really no within and without except in the sense of physicality. Consciousness is not within or without. It permeates everything. Everything exists inside of awareness, of pure being.” – Krishna Das See at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Krishna Das teaches listeners all that is possible through total sincerity of the heart and self-awareness. This week on Pilgrim Heart, Krishna Das holds a talk on: How Krishna Das’ bar mitzvah transformed his outlook on organized religion What initially struck Krishna Das about Zen Buddhism and Indian philosophy Sensing an ongoing connection to Ram Dass Sitting down and chanting without over-intellectualizing everything Having sincerity of heart and being kind to ourselves The inner and outer blanket of Maharaj-ji The difficult process of forgiving those who have hurt us Letting others be who they are and learn their own lessons Recognizing that the problems we have with others are often about ourselves “Try to be kind to yourself. That’s all. You don’t need a mantra to be kind to yourself. You just need to recognize what that means and try to figure out why you’re not kind to yourself. You don’t need magic for that, you just need to pay attention. You need sincerity of heart. That’s what we need.” – Krishna Das See at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Contrasting the physical, impermanent world with the ever-present spiritual world, Krishna Das shares insights from the heart space. This time on Pilgrim Heart, Krishna Das shares insights on: How each situation has its own parameters Practicing the principle of non-harm Giving yourself 100% to whatever you are doing Conceptualizing our approach to religion The love that exists in the non-physical reality within us Real love versus conditional love Allowing people to be who they are ing the impermanent nature of pleasure The pressure from the times we live in “Everything in your life can serve the spiritual side if you are ripe enough to pay attention. But most of us, including myself, we just want what we want when we want it and if we don’t get it, we don’t like it. We’re not going to learn a lot in that state of mind.” – Krishna Das See at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Krishna Das guides listeners to develop the strength to overcome painful situations through regular practice and surrendering to what is. 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. This week on Pilgrim Heart, Krishna Das dives into: Chanting for a balance between light and dark The inner strength to not identify with negative emotions Working through fear surrounding death of a loved one Krishna Das’ hot spring story Being kind to ourselves and allowing situations to normalize in due time Finding out ‘what is’ instead of just ‘want we want to be’ Coming back to the chant to be in the present moment The continuous process of letting go For more on Krishna Das events, music, and other offerings visit: KrishnaDas.com “When somebody that we know and love is very ill and soon to leave the body, it brings up a lot of stuff in us. If you’re not doing regular practice, those moments are going to knock you out. They’re going to roll over you like a steam roller. You’ve got to be doing regular practice over time. That’s the only way to develop the strength to deal with these situations.” – Krishna Das See at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Exploring the many fruits of making time for spiritual practice, Krishna Das shares the beauty of forgiving those who have hurt us. This week, Krishna Das responds to questions on: The ways we nurture our wounds and carry our pain Forgiving those who have hurt us How hurt people hurt others out of their own pain The power of loving-kindness mediation for forgiveness Maturing and realizing that pain is just a part of life Forgiveness and kindness as the fruit of spiritual practice How the poison of attachment ruins love The Hanuman Chalisa as an offering to Maharaj-ji Chanting as a meditation practice Finding the time for practice in our busy lives Listening to our hearts and discovering what we really want in life Suspending disbelief and connecting to powers beyond ourselves Difficult familial relationships and doing the best we can “As the fruit of our hearts is ripened and gets sweeter, those pains are left behind. But, there’s no button you can push; it’s the fruit of practice, that forgiveness, kindness, and comion open us up.” – Krishna Das See at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Krishna Das explains how we can serve our parents and release their karmas along with our own as a labor of love. This episode is brought to you by Betterhelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/heartwisdom and get on your way to being your best self. This week, Krishna Das responds to questions on: What Maharaj-ji said about service to our parents Praying for people from afar and working through traumas Freeing our parents from their karmas Doing healing work on our own hearts Detaching from the ego and loving the soul instead of the role Seeing the boundless love and purity in everyone How negative mind-states can block us from sensing the guru How trying to hold onto pleasant feelings causes more suffering Maintaining equanimity no matter what we are receiving from the outside world “While your parents are alive, if possible, one should try to release the negative energy in that relationship somehow. It’s something that we’ll carry with us for our whole lives and we will be hurt by those emotional knots within us.” – Krishna Das See at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Amidst global and individual suffering, Krishna Das teaches listeners how to move forward even when our spirit is heavy. This episode is brought to you by Betterhelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/heartwisdom and get on your way to being your best self. This week on Pilgrim Heart, Krishna Das offers advice about: Coping when we are worn out from global and individual pain Honoring all of our feelings Using the handshaking practice for difficult emotions Recognizing that we are separate from our feelings Having a chanting practice to work on releasing feelings Why we cannot neglect our inner world Creating peace in the world through our own serenity Allowing ourselves to say no sometimes and building healthy boundaries Finding a balance between helping others and taking care of ourselves Developing a heart as wide as the world “It’s possible to honor all of our feelings, even the heavy, negative feelings, and not allow them to destroy us.” – Krishna Das See at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Dissolving our erroneous beliefs of separateness, Krishna Das shares the importance of continuous service and devotional practice. This episode is brought to you by Betterhelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/heartwisdom and get on your way to being your best self. In this episode of Pilgrim Heart, Krishna Das speaks about: Service anytime and anywhere Planting seeds for the fruits of our practice Clearing out blockages in the body with asana practice Krishna Das' deep friendship with Maharaj-ji Samadhi and emerging into deeper states of consciousness How mantra can uncover the presence of spiritual beings Realizing that we are not our egos The principal of Sub Ek, or, All One KC Tewari and the film Brilliant Disguise “Service can be done anytime and anywhere. It doesn’t have to be your job, it doesn’t have to be a big deal, it doesn’t have to make you money. Real service is learning how to treat other people with the same love and respect that we would like to be treated. You can do that now.” – Krishna Das See at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Gracefully describing the truth of love that unites all people, Krishna Das shares how self-comion can extend into the world. This episode 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. This week, Krishna Das responds to questions on: The concept of Sub Ek, or, all one Making peace with the many paths to God How relationships help us see where we need to work on ourselves Having comion for ourselves so we can extend kindness to others Recognizing the impact of our actions on the world Freewill versus the karmic seeds that we are born with Dealing with discomfort instead of seeking out pleasure Choosing whichever practice feels right to us Being open to whatever arises during our practice The subtle transformations that occur throughout our spiritual journey “If we’re hard on ourselves, if we don’t have kindness and comion for our own selves and our own stuff, we really can’t be kind for other people. We can pretend to be kind, which is what most of us do, but real kindness comes from recognizing that we’re all in this together. We’re all here together in this world and all of our actions are very powerful.” – Krishna Das See at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Explore new ways to overcome life’s challenges! In this episode of the Pilgrim Heart Podcast, Krishna Das shares powerful teachings that empower you to take control of your own liberation from suffering. This time on Pilgrim Heart, Krishna Das guides listeners through: Developing the quality of bodhicitta Staying present through tragedy and suffering Changing how the present moment feels rather than being lost in the past The impossibility of avoiding pain Coping with the loss of a loved one Dealing with reality rather than seeking constant bliss Creating positive habits and releasing destructive emotions Practicing coming back to our breath Putting ourselves in others shoe’s when they hurt us “It is our own minds that create the suffering and it is our minds that liberate us from suffering.” – Krishna Das See at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Diving into principles of karma, Krishna Das describes how we can serve all beings and follow our own path, shares stories about his guru, Maharaj-ji, and much more. Today’s episode originally aired on Krisha Das’ “Hanging Out In the Heart Space” online satsang on September 8th 2022. Be sure to subscribe to Krishna Das on Youtube to get new episodes of “Hanging Out In the Heart Space”, fresh music from KD and more: Krishna Das Music This episode 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, Krishna Das chants and answers questions on: Why and how he started singing kirtan Maharaj-ji’s guidance for Krishna Das to return to America The many ways that we can help people Finding our path and following it The many causes of disconnection from other people and ourselves Paying attention instead of being lost in our feelings Doing concentration practice and breath-awareness The many forms of one God and how this life shapes our future “If you find your path and your practice and your heart’s love, then you’re in a different place. By following that, you’re actually serving all beings because you find your way of living in the world in a good way, and that includes everybody.” – Krishna Das See at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This time on Pilgrim Heart, Krishna Das explores the experience and manifestation of enlightened beings and answers questions on Maharaj-ji, devotion, and more. Today’s episode originally aired on Krisha Das’ “Hanging Out In the Heart Space” online satsang on August 18th 2022. Be sure to subscribe to Krishna Das on Youtube to get new episodes of “Hanging Out In the Heart Space”, fresh music from KD and more: Krishna Das Music This week on Pilgrim Heart, Krishna Das holds a talk on: The experience and manifestation of enlightened beings Maharaj-ji’s guidance on chanting and repeating the name of God Cleaning our hearts so that there is room for Maharaj-ji Recognizing everything as grace but still continuing to do our practice Understanding what a real guru is versus what a disciple is Defining the soul as the way we can experience consciousness Becoming a pure servant to the guru through seeing them in everyone Training our minds to think of others instead of only ourselves Being aware of what we are singing when chanting so that our practice is truly devotional Finding light in the darkest moments 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 “The experience of all enlightened beings is all the same but the manifestation can be very different. Some sit up in a cave and nobody ever sees them and they do all their work silently, invisibly, from wherever they are. Others are more visible.” – Krishna Das See at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In between devotional chants, Krishna Das guides listeners on the path of radical self-honesty and self-examination. This episode 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. This time on Pilgrim Heart, Krishna Das teaches us about: Facing our own egoistic desires Maharaj-ji’s guidance on chanting and repeating the name of God Surrendering by grace and being kind to ourselves Finding out what we really want to do Being honest with ourselves and examining ourselves closely The usefulness of therapy and spiritual practice in exploring our feelings How the state of the world feeds depression and anxiety Engaging with life fully and with an open heart The love that we have within ourselves as our true nature Helping ourselves so that we can help others Today’s episode originally aired on Krisha Das’ “Hanging Out In the Heart Space” online satsang on June 9th 2022. Be sure to subscribe to Krishna Das on Youtube to get new episodes of “Hanging Out In the Heart Space”, fresh music from KD and more: Krishna Das Music “Don’t be afraid, be honest with yourself, examine yourself as closely and as openly as you can, and see what comes up.” – Krishna Das See at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.