Krishna Das dives into how practice helps mantra become our home base, and shares a Ram Dass story about the powerful mantra to Hanuman, the Bajrang Baan.
“After a few weeks of singing everyday so many hours, the mantra became home base, and the thoughts were like hawks that came and grabbed you and pulled you away, only to drop you back on yourself after some period of time. You’d be chanting, but going off in your mind while you’re singing, and you don’t even know you’re not there until you go, ‘Oh,’ and you realize you’ve been gone.” – Krishna Das
In this episode of Pilgrim Heart, Krishna Das opens up a conversation around:
- The story of how Maharaj-ji first got the Westerners to sing kirtan and bhajan, and how that forced them to face their minds and learn how to let go and come back to the chant
- How practicing singing for long periods consistently helps the mantra become your home base to always come back to when we notice we’ve been lost in our thoughts and emotions
- The importance of spiritual perspective, practice, and paying attention in our lives
- Interconnection and offering the intention and merit of practice to all beings
- The meaning behind the powerful mantra to Hanuman, the Bajrang Baan, the instructions Siddhi Ma gave to Ram Dass surrounding it, and how Krishna Das tried to teach it to him
About 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.
In February 2013, Krishna Das performed at the Grammy awards in Los Angeles, CA streamed online to millions of viewers. The award-winning film ‘One Track Heart: The Story of Krishna Das’ has been in over 100 US cities, and over 10 countries worldwide and is available on DVD everywhere. To date, KD has released 15 well-received albums, most recently Trust in the Heart released in October 2017.
Krishna Das formed the Kirtan Wallah Foundation in 2014. This 501c3 is dedicated to spreading the teachings of KD’s guru and spiritual teacher, Neem Karoli Baba, Lovingly called Maharajji, his teachings can be summed up by his saying: “Love Everyone. Serve Everyone. Remember God”
For more on Krishna Das events, music, and other offerings visit: KrishnaDas.com