Reminding us that there's no need to escape our daily life in search of spirituality, Krishna Das explains that our relationships, struggles, joys, and routines are the spiritual path. 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 opens our hearts to:The divine play (Leela) and mysterious grace behind Maharaj-ji Neem Karoli Baba’s actionsKrishna Das’ experiences with the Dalai Lama Embracing aging with grace, staying rooted in present-moment awareness, and living in truthThe story of Neem Karoli Baba and the haunted treeOffering the positive karma and merit from chanting practices for the healing of all beingsHolding space for global peace, collective happiness, and the end of suffering and warWorking skillfully with sexual energy as a natural part of the human experienceLearning through our relationships with others and all thingsUsing daily life, with all its challenges, as our spiritual practice instead of seeking escapeAbout 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 “When we’re not here, when we’re lost in dreamland, busyness, distraction, we don’t experience time going by, and then boom, a breath does not come in and we’re gone out of this body. To age gracefully is with awareness, to be aware of what’s going on in your life every minute.” – Krishna Das See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Krishna Das gives insights on continual grace and transforming our self-limiting inner narratives through spiritual practice. This episode is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/insighthour and get on your way to being your best self This week on Pilgrim Heart, Krishna Das thoughtfully discusses:What it means for the guru to have a key to our mindsTeachings from Siddhi Ma: knowing that everything is grace, but acting like it isn’tPutting effort into loving everyone, serving everyone, and remembering GodThe story of Maharaj-ji in England with a military devotee Our subjective reality as the product of our karmic cycleReconciling our faith with spiritual practice and seeing God in many formsKrishna Das’ take on Buddhism and dealing with the afflictions of the mindUsing chanting and mantra to release shame and stay rooted in the present momentLetting go of the stories we tell ourselves and reclaiming the power to change our livesAbout 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 make our effort to open to that grace, calm the mind, repeat the name, think of others. Like Maharaj-ji said, ‘serve everyone, love everyone, remember God’. There's not one of those three things that I can do completely, and so, my effort is required to open to the space where that's reality." – Krishna Das See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Sharing personal stories of his time with Maharaj-ji, Krishna Das walks us down the path of recognizing grace, loving all beings, and keeping the heart open—no matter how hard it gets.

Krishna Das shares a realistic path for resting in the true nature of love that is always accessible to us all.

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.

Discussing how to work through afflictions like addiction, heartbreak, and self-hatred, Krisha Das gives spiritual guidance to listeners.

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 intoDesireless action and other teachings of the GitaThe ‘evil’ within us all (selfishness, greed, anger, etc.)How our ego tries to protect itself from othersThe ways we feed our hungry desires at the expense of anything in our wayBuddha nature and finding the pureness within each soulDeveloping both internal and external repetition of the nameBalancing ultimate and relative reality in our daily livesFinding faith in the stories of the great beings that came before usMaking the world a better place through practiceThe Hungry Hearts Prayer and working to relieve sufferingMORE 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 Privacy Policy 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 experiencesHanuman, the remover of all difficulties and negative energyTibetan philosophies of the transition between life and deathBest wishes for all who are suffering across the globeKeeping our hearts open and available to all beings, all the timeA story of how KC Tewari saw Maharaj-ji as ShivaThe extraordinary beauty of the devotee and the belovedEscaping from the habit loop through regular practiceManaging a heavy-heart and freeing ourselves from sufferingCommitting to being a good human and caring for othersMORE 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 Privacy Policy 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. Join 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 guidanceFully giving ourselves to practiceLetting go of the need for immediate gratificationHow Krishna Das started chanting with othersKrishna Das’ experience almost being drafted into VietnamPsychedelics and getting out of our self-imposed jailsThe transient and artificial nature of substancesDeveloping our consciousness overtime through practiceOpening our hearts to all beingsSpiritual practice as the path to love within us allMORE 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 Privacy Policy 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 selfThe importance of regular practice and finding time everydayLearning from Maharaj-ji through dreams and meditationFinding Maharaj-ji in our worldReaching higher states of consciousness through service, mantra, and purificationDoing spiritual work in our daily lives and seeing it all as GodLooking at humanity with honest eyes and letting go of how we think things should beThe 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 Privacy Policy 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 timeMaking our practice a way of lifeRebirth and ensuring we create positive karmaDealing with conflict in parental relationshipsAccepting others fully as an act of pure loveWidening our hearts and noticing when we are being judgmentalStruggling with thoughts that haunt usContinuously letting go of our experiencesShowing up in our practice to work with our emotionsWhat happens when the body passes onA 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 compassion. 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 Privacy Policy 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 awarenessSubjective versus objective experiencesAdvice that Krishna received from Maharaj-jiHow repeating the name gives us strengthPracticing awareness and breaking bad habitsHow to work through heartbreakComing back into an object of concentrationLearning 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 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 Privacy Policy 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 religionWhat initially struck Krishna Das about Zen Buddhism and Indian philosophySensing an ongoing connection to Ram DassSitting down and chanting without over-intellectualizing everythingHaving sincerity of heart and being kind to ourselvesThe inner and outer blanket of Maharaj-jiThe difficult process of forgiving those who have hurt usLetting others be who they are and learn their own lessonsRecognizing 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 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 Privacy Policy 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 parametersPracticing the principle of non-harmGiving yourself 100% to whatever you are doingConceptualizing our approach to religionThe love that exists in the non-physical reality within usReal love versus conditional loveAllowing people to be who they areRemembering the impermanent nature of pleasureThe 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 Privacy Policy 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 darkThe inner strength to not identify with negative emotionsWorking through fear surrounding death of a loved oneKrishna Das’ hot spring storyBeing kind to ourselves and allowing situations to normalize in due timeFinding out ‘what is’ instead of just ‘want we want to be’Coming back to the chant to be in the present momentThe continuous process of letting goFor 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 Privacy Policy 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 painForgiving those who have hurt usHow hurt people hurt others out of their own painThe power of loving-kindness mediation for forgivenessMaturing and realizing that pain is just a part of lifeForgiveness and kindness as the fruit of spiritual practiceHow the poison of attachment ruins loveThe Hanuman Chalisa as an offering to Maharaj-jiChanting as a meditation practiceFinding the time for practice in our busy livesListening to our hearts and discovering what we really want in lifeSuspending disbelief and connecting to powers beyond ourselvesDifficult 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 compassion open us up.” – Krishna Das See Privacy Policy 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 parentsPraying for people from afar and working through traumasFreeing our parents from their karmasDoing healing work on our own heartsDetaching from the ego and loving the soul instead of the roleSeeing the boundless love and purity in everyoneHow negative mind-states can block us from sensing the guruHow trying to hold onto pleasant feelings causes more sufferingMaintaining 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 Privacy Policy 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 painHonoring all of our feelingsUsing the handshaking practice for difficult emotionsRecognizing that we are separate from our feelingsHaving a chanting practice to work on releasing feelingsWhy we cannot neglect our inner worldCreating peace in the world through our own serenityAllowing ourselves to say no sometimes and building healthy boundariesFinding a balance between helping others and taking care of ourselvesDeveloping 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 Privacy Policy 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.

Gracefully describing the truth of love that unites all people, Krishna Das shares how self-compassion 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 oneMaking peace with the many paths to GodHow relationships help us see where we need to work on ourselvesHaving compassion for ourselves so we can extend kindness to othersRecognizing the impact of our actions on the worldFreewill versus the karmic seeds that we are born withDealing with discomfort instead of seeking out pleasureChoosing whichever practice feels right to usBeing open to whatever arises during our practiceThe subtle transformations that occur throughout our spiritual journey“If we’re hard on ourselves, if we don’t have kindness and compassion 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 Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.