This time on Pilgrim Heart we listen to Krishna Das respond to viewer questions about chanting, Maharaj-ji and more. We also receive the delight of hearing him perform two chants at the start and end of this podcast.
The Presence of Maharaj-ji
Krishna Das carries us into this episode with a beautiful chant called Jaya Jagatambe. Afterwards, he responds to questions. The first question is in regards to how he still feels Maharaj-ji’s presence despite it being many years since he passed on. Krishna Das finds this amusing, because to him it is so obvious that he would feel Maharaj-ji. Not only in his room or in a temple but everywhere all of the time.
“Maharaj-ji is not a person like you and me. He is an eternal presence, always here. If we knew how to look, if we knew how to see and to feel, he is here. He is available 24/7.” – Krishna Das
Open to Krishna Das & Michael Sternfeld’s new Bhakti course on the Ramayana:Hanuman’s Leap of Faith.
Connecting to Maharaj-ji (21:10)
How can we stay connected to Maharaj-ji? Krishna Das says that we get caught up in the world and forget the everlasting presence of Maharaj-ji, but Maharaj-ji does not forget. Eventually, it is possible to reach a place where awareness is going on inside of you all the time. It can take a lot of practice through mindfulness or chanting in order to function in the world while still holding Maharaj-ji in our hearts. Krishna Das advises us this:
“Do the best we can and allow ourselves to ripen through practice. And in the meantime, become good human beings and treat everybody the way we would like to be treated and then we will see him in every being. We will see the light everywhere.” – Krishna Das
Tune into Ep. 126 of Ram Dass’ Here and Now to hear more about Maharaj-ji and bringing his light into the world: The Miracle of Maharaj-ji with Larry Brilliant.
Taking Action (40:00)
Towards the end of this podcast, Krishna Das responds to a question on how to act out of compassion in the face of suffering or oppression. Krishna Das tells listeners that we can open our hearts to the pain that people experience and we can sit with that pain. We should not pretend that negative social or cultural situations do not exist. Krishna Das says:
“It starts with not running away from pain. It starts with recognizing that there is pain everywhere, that there is death everywhere.” – Krishna Das
We have to open our eyes to suffering, be there for others, and take action if we are able to help change the bigger picture. After Krishna Das responds to a few more questions, we wrap up with a final chant.
To hear more about how to be less reactive and more present when navigating suffering, check out Ep. 17 of the BHNN Guest Podcast w/ Gil Fronsdal: Working with Suffering.
