Krishna Das shares stories about his guru, Maharaj-ji, gives suggestions for dealing with loneliness and offers a rare ektara bhajan sung by Sita in The Ramayana.
This episode of Pilgrim Heart is from Krishna Das’ Hanging in the Heart Space session on February 11th, 2021. Join Krishna Das in virtual Satsang every Thursday at 4 pm PST for the live recordings of Hanging in the Heart Space – featuring music, conversation, & live Q&A with Krishna Das.
Keys to the Mind // Maharaj-ji & Siddhi Ma // India & The Bible
Opening the Q&A section of his February 11th, 2021 Hanging in the Heart Space virtual session, Krishna Das contemplates Maharaj-ji’s statement, “I have the keys to the mind,” and Siddha Ma’s response, “It’s all grace, but you have to act like it isn’t.” He then drops a rare story potentially connecting Maharaj-ji with Paramahansa Yogananda’s mystical guru, Lahiri Mahasaya; before sharing a surrender-themed encounter with Maharaj-ji and The Bible in India.
“Meditation is chanting, and chanting is meditation. It’s sneaky because when you sit down to meditate you get very serious. But when you chant you don’t have any of that heavy egoist overlay. You just chant, and pay attention, and the chant keeps bringing you back when you’re gone—that’s meditation.” – Krishna Das
Open yourself to the mystical life of Paramahansa Yogananda, on Ep. 76 of The Indie Spiritualist
Dealing With Loneliness // Maharaj-ji’s Darshan (19:00)
Krishna Das answers a question pertinent to our current times: how to deal with loneliness? Outlining the subtle, yet powerful distinction between ‘lonely’ and ‘alone,’ he shares how spiritual practice can save us from ‘being devoured by our minds.’ Prompted to describe Maharaj-ji’s darshan, Krishna Das depicts his immense sweetness and beyond-the-body presence while sharing a hilarious story of offering him apples in India.
“If you imagine in your heart of hearts what it is you want to feel—what would be the feeling that is #1, the feeling you long for, whatever you want to call it—that’s what it was like with Maharaj-ji.” – Krishna Das
Krishna Das answers questions about loneliness, motivation, and meeting Shiva, on Ep. 99 of Pilgrim Heart
Ramayana Ektara Bhajan // ‘Hey Mata Durga’ Kirtan (31:21)
Krishna Das shares a story from the Hindu Epic, The Ramayana, before offering on Ektara (an Indian one-stringed instrument) the same devotional bhajan/prayer that Sita sang to The Goddess to express her love for Ram.
“Sita looks down from her bedroom window and she sees Ram for the first time and completely falls in love with him. This is like the soul getting a glimpse of the Supreme Soul. After that, the soul only wants to merge with the Supreme Being.” – Krishna Das