For the 89th episode of the Metta Hour Podcast, Sharon speaks with her longtime friend and colleague, Krishna Das.
Sharon and KD originally met in India sitting an S.N. Goenka retreat together in the early 70s. Krishna Das is a Grammy nominated musician, who has released 15 albums to date, as well an autobiography, “Chants of a Lifetime” released in 2010 and “Flow of Grace” released in 2006. He is also the subject of the award-winning documentary, “One Track Heart: The Story of Krishna Das” released by Zeitgeist Films. For many years Sharon and KD have taught together combining their respective traditions of Bhakti Yoga and Buddhist practices. In this conversation, these two friends speak about their early time together in India, as well as the KD’s relationship to his Guru, Neem Karoli Baba, and the concept of the teacher/guru. The conversation closes with KD leading a guided meditation practice. This podcast also includes a special discount code for Sharon and KD’s Power of the Loving Heart Course, which is now available online here: krishnadas.com/loving-heart.
Show Notes
Finding Direction (Opening) – Krishna Das shares the feeling of disconnection that led him to his spiritual practice of chanting. He shares the life changing moment that awakened him to the possibilities of the inner life. Sharon and KD talk about the transformative periods of time they spent in the East and the teachers who guided their way.
“We already know what we want, everybody wants the same thing. You don’t need to wait for something to happen for us to go for it and try to find that missing piece in our heart that will make it alright.” – Krishna Das
Maharaj-ji Stories (19:05) – What was it like being a devotee of Maharaj-ji while he was still in the body? Krishna Das tells some of the more memorable moments he shared with Maharaj-ji and the many doors that were opened for his Western devotees.
“We asked Maharaj-ji how to find God and he said to serve people. What does that mean? We wanted practices, but his main teaching to us was to not think about yourself – think about others.” – Krishna Das
Sharon, Krishna Das and Lama Surya Das come together for a conversation about the role of the Guru in Ep. 61 of the Pilgrim Heart Podcast
The Metta Cleanse (28:00) – Sharon and Krishna Das discuss the importance of Metta meditation for Western practitioners. They reflect on how enriching it can be to combine practices of the heart from various traditions.
“I always tell people, as far as I am concerned, the Metta practice, the loving-kindness meditation, is the most powerful practice for us Westerners. If we can’t even sit down at ease with ourselves for two seconds, how are we going to ever be at ease with other people.” – Krishna Das
Ram Naam Karne Se Sab Pura Ho Jata (38:20) – We close with a 5-minute mantra practice with Krishna Das.
