Ep. 188 – Suffering & Self-Created Stories

Ep. 192 – From Turmoil to Tenderness: Lessons in Devotion and Release

In this extended Q&A special, Krishna Das offers powerful insights on navigating the turmoil of the human experience through devotional practice. This week on Pilgrim Heart, Krishna Das offers down-to-earth advice on: * The name of God as an echo of our own being * Tuning ourselves into the mantra  * Replacing greed and anxiety with compassion and kindness * The delusion of self and other * Depression and falling into the trap of self-obsession * Building up the strength to let go through daily practice  * Coming back home to ourselves, to our breath * The lingering connection we have to those we have lost * Looking for love within ourselves instead of outside ourselves "Depression expresses itself in many different ways. In general, through regular practice, we obsess about ourselves less and less. Over time, how we feel retreats into the background. It’s no longer the most important thing in your life. You wake up ‘How am I now? How am I now?’. All day long, all life long, we are always judging how we feel. As time goes on, you don’t give a shit about your state of mind anymore. You’re here now, which is where we are.” –Krishna Das 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: [http://krishnadas.com/]https://krishnadas.com/ [https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbVFkZnlTdHd4akstbXN1STk1NXpJc3dZZEdtUXxBQ3Jtc0tuaEo5aHoycDIzQ0JhbGZjUW5oTFRqaFRIY1NoN0llWHgwazV3T3VOSjl2enRyNlpzSmdCX09TTlBieUxFS2liM1BrSGptaXFVUW03aEFaTjdhdU5vZ2NLRHlWT2JfM1JmbFRhVXE0bDYyZUhPbUZlVQ&q=https%3A%2F%2Fkrishnadas.com%2F&v=qK8BPDj6LAw] KRISHNA DAS ON SOCIAL: FACEBOOK: facebook.com/KrishnaDasMusic [http://facebook.com/KrishnaDasMusic] INSTAGRAM: instagram.com/krishnadasmusic [http://instagram.com/krishnadasmusic] YOUTUBE: / krishnadasmusic [https://youtube.com/krishnadasmusic] X: @krishnadas #KrishnaDas [https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/krishnadas] See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy [https://art19.com/privacy] and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info [https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info].

Ep. 191 – Trauma, Healing & Permission to Start Over

Krishna Das shares wisdom on overcoming trauma, transforming negative patterns, and continually beginning again in the grace of the present moment. This week on Pilgrim Heart, Krishna Das offers down-to-earth advice on: * The incredible life of Garchen Rinpoche, a Tibetan Lama who spent 20 years in prison and labor camps in Communist China  * Overcoming trauma & tragedy with gratitude for the present moment  * Holding beings we have lost in our hearts and helping their spirit through prayer * Negative thought patterns and the stories we tell ourselves  * Liberating the mind from suffering through practice  * Remembering that we can always start again and create better habits * Finding the quiet space within ourselves that is non-reactive  * Naturally arising compassion and not taking things too personally Check out this free documentary on Garchen Rinpoche, For the Benefit of All Beings [https://garchen.net/for-the-benefit-of-all-beings-temp/].  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: [http://krishnadas.com/]https://krishnadas.com/ [https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbVFkZnlTdHd4akstbXN1STk1NXpJc3dZZEdtUXxBQ3Jtc0tuaEo5aHoycDIzQ0JhbGZjUW5oTFRqaFRIY1NoN0llWHgwazV3T3VOSjl2enRyNlpzSmdCX09TTlBieUxFS2liM1BrSGptaXFVUW03aEFaTjdhdU5vZ2NLRHlWT2JfM1JmbFRhVXE0bDYyZUhPbUZlVQ&q=https%3A%2F%2Fkrishnadas.com%2F&v=qK8BPDj6LAw] KRISHNA DAS ON SOCIAL: FACEBOOK: facebook.com/KrishnaDasMusic [http://facebook.com/KrishnaDasMusic] INSTAGRAM: instagram.com/krishnadasmusic [http://instagram.com/krishnadasmusic] YOUTUBE: / krishnadasmusic [https://youtube.com/krishnadasmusic] X: @krishnadas #KrishnaDas [https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/krishnadas] "Our emotions are like clouds. We can't see the sun when we're stuck in our emotions. But has the sun gone anywhere? Have we gone anywhere? It is our minds that create the suffering and our minds that liberate us from suffering. You will always be right here where you are every minute. So how do we free ourselves? Practice. It's not about being high, having bliss or love all the time; it's about dealing with what's here. We can always start again." –Krishna Das See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy [https://art19.com/privacy] and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info [https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info].

Ep. 190 – The Essence of Karma

Exploring the essence of karma, Krishna Das explains how conscious spiritual practice and selfless living can transform the patterns that guide our incarnation. Check out Krishna Das’s book and CDs, Flow of Grace [https://krishnadasmusic.com/collections/books/products/flow-of-grace-book-cds], for an expansive explanation of the Hanuman Chalisa and more! This week on Pilgrim Heart, Krishna Das gives wisdom on: * The essence of karma and the seeds that we plant for the future * Individual karma, global karma, cultural karma and ancestral karma * Transforming our reactions to all that arises in the moment * What perpetuates negative karma * The spiritual law of cause and effect: how love generates love, anger generates anger, and intention shapes reality * Knowing that we are here in this incarnation for a reason * The many forms that spiritual practice can come in and finding what resonates with you * How to live selflessly and cultivate compassion, even when feeling lost or searching for meaning "Every action, every thought, is a karma which has an effect at one point or another. Whatever it is right now is a result of the past of our own karmas, the karmas of the world, the karmas of our culture, our family, and our own particular personal stuff. That can't be changed because it is here, it's in the moment. What can be changed is how See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy [https://art19.com/privacy] and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info [https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info].

Ep. 189 – Maharaj-ji Behind the Scenes

Discussing the divine mystery of Maharaj-ji, Krishna Das explains all of the spiritual workings that are going on ‘behind the scenes’ of our daily lives, bringing us exactly where we need to be. This week on Pilgrim Heart, Krishna Das explores: * How Maharaj-ji works in our lives, often without us directly noticing  * When Maharaj-ji sent Krishna Das back to America  * The moment that Krishna Das ‘got with the program’ and realized he had to chant with others in order to purify his own heart * Serving Maharaj-ji through being true to oneself and figuring out what we want out of life * Doing activities that bring one closer to peace and compassion * Turning inward and getting to the root of depression and unhappiness * Seeing Hanuman and Jesus Christ as one in the same * Freeing ourselves from egoistic suffering  Grab a copy of KD’s favorite version of the Ramayana HERE [https://www.amazon.com/Tulsidas-Ramayana-Charit-Manas-English/dp/8184823215]! “Finally, I blurted out, ‘Maharaj-ji, how can I serve you in America?’ Now come on, I wasn’t at all concerned with how I was going to serve. I was concerned with how I was going to live in America. He looked like he bit a pickle. That’s when he said, ‘Asking about service, then it’s not service. Just do what you want.’ So what did he mean…you can help people, you can do many things to help, but Maharaj-ji was saying that I had to figure out what I wanted and that would be a service to him.” –Krishna Das 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: [http://krishnadas.com/]https://krishnadas.com/ [https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbVFkZnlTdHd4akstbXN1STk1NXpJc3dZZEdtUXxBQ3Jtc0tuaEo5aHoycDIzQ0JhbGZjUW5oTFRqaFRIY1NoN0llWHgwazV3T3VOSjl2enRyNlpzSmdCX09TTlBieUxFS2liM1BrSGptaXFVUW03aEFaTjdhdU5vZ2NLRHlWT2JfM1JmbFRhVXE0bDYyZUhPbUZlVQ&q=https%3A%2F%2Fkrishnadas.com%2F&v=qK8BPDj6LAw] KRISHNA DAS ON SOCIAL: FACEBOOK: facebook.com/KrishnaDasMusic [http://facebook.com/KrishnaDasMusic] INSTAGRAM: instagram.com/krishnadasmusic [http://instagram.com/krishnadasmusic] YOUTUBE: / krishnadasmusic [https://youtube.com/krishnadasmusic] X: @krishnadas #KrishnaDas [https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/krishnadas] See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy [https://art19.com/privacy] and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info [https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info].

Ep. 188 – Suffering & Self-Created Stories

Guiding us toward balance, connection, and freedom from suffering, Krishna Das explores letting go of our numerous self-created stories. This week on Pilgrim Heart, Krishna Das responds to questions on: * Devotional literature and poetry * What to do when feelings of boredom arise during practice * Using pain as an object of awareness * How mantra practice helps us remain balanced in daily life * Detaching from our thoughts and feelings rather than identifying with them * Freeing ourselves from the stories we tell ourselves, about ourselves * The difference between letting go and pushing away * The illusion of separation and how recognizing our connection to all beings releases us from suffering  Check out this Tibetan devotional poem mentioned by Krishna Das, Life Beyond Time [https://learning.tergar.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/NOP201612-ST-Shabkar-Life-Beyond-Time.pdf] “When there is a lot of physical pain, it is really hard to be present, which is why they always say practice when you can. It is inevitable that people get sick and suffer and die. People we know will get sick, suffer, and die, and we’re going to have to deal with those situations. We must find a way to live everyday in the best way we can.” –Krishna Das See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy [https://art19.com/privacy] and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info [https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info].