Shedding light on how chanting practice can help us move beyond our egos, Krishna Das explores how Saints only see God everywhere all the time.
In this Hanging in the Heart Space session originally live-streamed on April 29th, 2021, Krishna Das shares personal stories and answers questions around what it means to meet a Saint in a dream, how to work with attachment as a parent, what it was like meeting Maharaj-ji’s recently passed son Dharm Narayan Sharma, why he doesn’t always listen to Ram Dass’ relationship advice, how we can offer love to others through chanting, if it’s possible to ‘destroy’ the ego, and how practice is like planting seeds of enlightenment. To close, he shares kirtan of Narayana/For Your Love, as well as the Hanuman Chalisa.
Dive into Krishna Das & Michael Sternfeld’s new devotional course on the Ramayana: Hanuman’s Leap of Faith
Maharaj-ji, Children & Attachment // God Everywhere, All the Time
Opening this episode of Pilgrim Heart, Krishna Das answers questions from the digital audience around what it means to meet a Saint or Deity in one’s dreams, how a Great Being like Maharaj-ji could father children yet not be attached to them, why he doesn’t listen to Ram Dass’ advice on romantic relationships, and shares a rare story of meeting Neem Karoli Baba’s second son—Dharm Narayan Sharma—who recently just dropped his body.
“Our attachment for our children and our loved ones and the people close to us is based on the fact that we believe that we are separate beings, and we need to keep those separate people close to us. But a Great Saint does not see separate beings, even his own children. He recognizes the souls that have incarnated as those people through his physicality so to speak, but he always sees God everywhere all the time—the one God, not little pieces of God—God everywhere all the time.” – Krishna Das
Sharon Salzberg & Bethany Saltman talk parenting & attachment, on Ep. 127 of the Metta Hour
Love & Ego // Chanting & Planting (28:01)
Digging into the pressing questions like how he keeps his throat lubricated during long kirtan sessions, Krishna Das offers insight around the nuances of chanting the Names of God, offering merit, and sending love. From here, he tackles inquiries about holding back tears, as well as destroying the ego, before reflecting on the healthy and enlightening seeds we plant when we do spiritual practice.
“There’s no button to push to make the ego go away – that’s what spiritual practice is for, that’s what it’s about. The names that we chant are the names of our true being, which is not separate from everybody else, which is the same as everybody else. The essence within us is the same essence that’s in everybody. What’s looking out of my eyes right this moment is the same thing that’s looking out of your eyes.” – Krishna Das
Jack Kornfield helps us tend to the garden in our heart, on Ep. 149 of Heart Wisdom
Narayana (For Your Love) // Hanuman Chalisa (1:42:00)
Next, Krishna Das picks up the harmonium and kicks on the drum machine to help blast us beyond our rational thinking minds with a lively and graceful kirtan session. He begins with a bounding version of Narayana/For Your Love from his album Heart as Wide as the World, before segueing into a deep and always powerful Hanuman Chalisa.