KD’s trademark humor helps balance the darker themes discussed in this Q&A session. He describes his often-simple approach to life’s many challenges and encourages others to start where they are, in working with what is. Practice is highlighted as a means for creating space around the difficulties that we inevitably encounter
- Practice – An endless invitation to let go. Ultimately, everything that is not you dissipates
- Age of Aquarius? – KD expresses his hope for change but explains that he simply tries to do his part and stays out of the details. Find out how to be the best you that you can be, and watch the ripples. It’s less about what you do and more about how you do it
- Dealing with Chronic Pain – What choices do we have in approaching discomfort, and can we respond from a place of peace? We acknowledge our predicament and choose to work with it, rather than against it. It’s important to keep in mind the things that are going well in our lives. What happens to us doesn’t define who we are
- Gurus (Who needs em’?) – Guru, God and Self are all one. Pure being is inside all of us, and we don’t have to wait for any physical being to validate that. All sorts of interesting things unfold when we commit to the practices
- Depressed (Still?) – Habits of thought don’t quickly disappear, but our reactions to them change when we practice. The dark clouds don’t hover for nearly as long. We can also find peace when we stop the constant self-evaluation process and learn to be less consumed by the immediate conditions of our lives – there is so much more going on around us
- Must I Sing? – Silent repetition is just as important as singing – it’s all part of practice
- Additional Practices – KD describes his other practices, including asanas and pranayama, which he does, ‘as often as I can’. Try not to beat yourself up when you forget – it’s not about being a master, just keep practicing
- What Makes a Great Yogi? – ‘He who’s heart breaks with the pain of others’ – Krishna
- Chanting to Heal – KD doesn’t typically direct his practice toward any specific end, but would simply ask to be in the presence of Love, no matter what happens, to himself or anyone else
“Illness is grist for the mill in the sense that it gives us a chance to get real about things.”
Download a new track from Krishna Das, “Sundara Chalisa” for free.
Stuff from this episode:
Krishna Das – Heart As Wide As The World<
Krishna Das Live in New York City Vol. 1
Krishna Das – Chants of a Lifetime: Searching for a Heart of Gold
Photo via Flickr