Krishna Das – Pilgrim Heart – Episode 09 – Desire, Discernment, Love and Practice

“Love is our true nature.It’s who we are, real love. Real love is that unconditional love. It doesn’t come, it doesn’t go.”

Letting go begins when we get what we want, and realize we are still dissatisfied. We learn to work with our desire systems, moving through them, and cultivating a greater discernment for our actions in the world. We slowly move towards Love and come to understand that it is all around us, never coming, never going.

  • Desire (Letting go) – When our desires are fulfilled, and we still feel unhappy – this is the moment we begin the process of letting go. If we fear the loss of connection, in fulfilling a desire, then we’ve already lost the thread. Often we must move through the desire system in order to understand it. Practice gives us the foundation from which to operate, by pulling the plug on the reaction mechanism
  • Love (Lose/find/immerse yourself) – Dissolve your separateness in the oneness of Love. There is no coming or going, it is our natural state. We tend to see objects, of which Love is not
  • We Are Included – The idea that we are separate from God is a cultural phenomenon. Compassion is not limited to others – we are welcome to partake in the bounty, but it often takes time to move in that direction
  • Discernment (Moderating energy) – We can sometimes become protective our freshly cultivated calmness. It’s great to have clarity, but that doesn’t mean we have to shut off the world to maintain it. Notice when you slip into defensive mode, but don’t judge it. This is just the next step in the process. Enjoy the spaciousness without attachment – there is always room to go deeper
  • Practice (Chipping away at fear) – Practice brings presence, to all aspects of our lives -from the drama to the dharma – we can show up, and assist as needed.
  • It’s all Ego – Most everything we do has some element of personal motive. It’s not wrong or selfish, just the way of the natural world. Mindfulness allows us to recognize our true passions, and commit to the necessary course of action

 

Photo via Krishna Das