Welcome to this week’s episode of Pilgrim Heart where we find ease of heart with Krishna Das through devotional music and bites of wisdom.
Accessing the Guru
Krishna Das serenades us with the harmonium to kick off this episode. After we are lulled into the heart space through the power of his devotional music, Krishna Das begins responding to viewer comments. The first comment shares a story of a little boy who believes Maharaj-Ji lives inside Krishna Das’ heart because he can hear him when he sings. We then talk about gurus and separateness. We may be physically separated from our guru, but the guru is really not outside of us. Krishna Das says that just thinking about a guru implies that we are connected to them, even if we have never known them personally.
“Many people have not met their guru in a body, but that does not mean the guru is not guiding them and always available to them, just like their own self. You can never be away from yourself.” – Krishna Das
Check out Ep. 2 of Living With Reality to hear Dr. Robert Svoboda and Krishna Das discuss The Grace of the Guru.
Love Everyone and Tell the Truth (34:29)
Krishna Das is asked if his life would be the same without meeting Maharaj-Ji. He explains that Maharaj-Ji had a way of bringing things out of people, and his life likely would not have been the same. He tells us a story about Ram Dass and Maharaj-Ji. Ram Dass was feeling a bit annoyed at all of the visitors in India. He wanted his guru back to himself. In a spell of anger, he threw a bowl of sweets at everyone. Having all those visitors around surfaced this part of Ram Dass. It forced him to notice his struggles with the impurities of others and of himself. Maharaj-Ji said that he saw no impurities and instructed Ram Dass to love everyone and tell the truth. Ram Dass proceeded to then share the sweets with everyone.
“This is the way that Maharaj-Ji would bring things out of people, so they could be dealt with, so they could be kind of cut loose or lightened to some degree.” – Krishna Das
Jaya Bhagavan (43:44)
We listen to Krishna Das sing Jaya Bhagavan, a song requested by an audience member. This devotional song is like quietly singing a love song to a beloved, but the beloved is God. Krishna Das closes out by thanking all of the great teachers before us. The spiritual path that exists in our lives exists because of their love and kindness. In the same way that the great beings of the past left that path for us, we too should extend grace to everyone. May we all live with peace and ease of heart.
To continue sending grace into the world, try out this loving-kindness guided meditation w/ Joseph Goldstein: Entering the Heart with Metta Meditation
