The King has spoken and his words are true. Love beyond words.

For me, Shyamdas was the Chant Master, the person who really sang like the old poets who chanted in the style of devotion. Singing in English, as KD is wont to do, does not create the same mood for me, and the haunting tones can not be duplicated in our language. Shyam spoke the language and his chanting felt authentic, as if he were an embodied spirit of the ancient Hindu tradition.

Thank you for listening, Nancy. Yep, KD is the man. I started chanting with him right at the start and he was great back then. He is also a very honest and unpretentious person…

Yes, Shyam was deeply authentic, but I think the Times was referring to KD’s global reach and how that has affected millions of people who might never have even heard of kirtan. Also, KD’s knowledge of the original is massive. He simply adapted the sacred words so that more people would be able to get into it…not a bad thing, when you think about it. I mean, Muddy Waters was the master of Chicago blues, but the Stones (who are equally masterful) managed to spread the blues to multitudes and still do. Much love to you, Rhoney, and thank you for listening and giving us valuable feedback.

Thank you Raghu and KD for sharing yourselves with me/us here on Mindrolling!
HT

Proud supporter, I got an audible book of Yogananda Autobiography of a Yogi, and turned on my lady, we listen to mindrolling together. I went to see Krishna Das and Ram Dass and Sharon Salzberg in 2004 as a present from my grandma who actually heard Ram Dass many years ago and thought it would help me because of my powerful psychedelic and meditation experiences… Like you said, as a young person I have that trust with Ram Dass without even the slighest doubt and became a devottee of Maharajji, and Krishna Das’s chanting, I went into a state of ecastasy one night, in which I buried my head in a pillow and laughed and laughed and laughed… Krishna Das walked by and two people were concerned about me, He smiled and said this stuff can happen at times, just walk him back to his room… I felt like I was on 3 hits of acid all that night… the room was pulsating, glowing with Ram, everything was Ram, and Maharajji’s giggle overwhelmed me… Since that year in 2004 I work, every moment, with my sadhana, and although I am beginner, there is a glimmer of my being, that I am slightly identified with, that is One with the guru. Thanks for this delightful podcast, got a lot of great wisdom… its funny also, I was an athiest at 17, and took LSD like Krishna Das took peyote, and overnight, I found the spiritual…

I love this! Thank you! You touched on so many of my questions in this conversation. I never did psychedelics but had many dreams and experiences from a very young age that set me on the path toward finding what is real. I began reading Ram Dass in my teens (I am 51 now) and all that he said resonated deeply and I felt a connection that I now know was a thread from Maharj-ji’s blanket. As I held onto that thread I was lead to meditation …then to yoga and kirtan. A beautiful unfolding by his grace. I have struggled with feeling confused by …on the one hand …feeling I have found my satsang family…and on the other hand …feeling I am only looking in because I didn’t come to it in the way so many of you did. But when I hear KD explain what the guru is, I know the feelings in my heart are real. Love to you all and thank you again.

I don’t think you can make a competition between KD and Shyam. They were spiritual brothers who loved each other with a depth and breadth that most people would not understand. Shyam would find a competition for “master of chant” incredibly self defeating to his path of egoless ness. KD would feels the same way. They are different and beautiful souls drunk on the love of their Guru and his love for them. To be blessed with being in the Bhav, each in their own way,makes them equally special. No one who,lives under Baba’s blanket would want to see a competition of greatness. That’s almost laughable. Honor the Guru, God and Self as one; and let the Kirtan Wallahs help open your heart to that path no matter how your wind blows. I knew Shyam and he would have been way above the authentic sentiment. Ram, Ram.

MindRULING! Great job guys.

Jagadamba Dasi:

SIMPLY COULD NOT AGREE WITH YOU MORE!

This is not an awards show. To compare Shyam and KD is not viable, for reasons you already know. They, and others too of course, are channeling bhav which is a gift, a seva, a blessing, no matter what.

Come to think of it, I don’t even approve of any competitive nonsense with movies and musicians either. Can anyone say with any sanity that Lincoln is more valuable and “better” than “Life of Pi”? Is Rihanna superior to Mariah? Ridiculous. Is Picasso better than Matisse? The so-called free market rationalized competitive mentality has polluted the collective consciousness, so that folks have to compare constantly. Doing it with channels of sacred sound is clearly silly…

Thanks for listening. Your feedback is appreciated and we hope you keep on checking us out.

Love,

David

THANK YOU, THANK YOU, Sue, for listening. Yeah, it absolutely does not matter how we find the channel, how we absorb the bhav, whether we were there with a guru or not. If we follow the lucid principle that the Divine exists within us, then there is no limit to what we can find. Yes, it’s lovely to have been present with an Ascended Master or even a good and sincere teacher, but we all have the ability to find the feeling and the wisdom if we want to.

We appreciate your listening and your kind and wise words, much love, David

Thank you big time, John. Your short missive means a lot to me, knowing you a little and having had the distinct pleasure of working with you. Glad you found some time to listen to something you actually did! Huge love to you and Monika…hope to speak soon, David

Wow, Eric. Love your candor and directness. Direct experience is where the deepest immersion occurs. Very thrilling to hear bits of your journey. Thanks soooo much for buying something via our Audible portal – this is how we can survive to be honest…

Always lovely to hear from you,

love and safety,

David

I was honored to spend part of my New Year’s Eve 2011 with Krishna Das in San Francisco. We were at IYI. He was lovely as ever. Thank God/Buddha/Goddess for being able to be in his presence and sing with him.