Currently my favorite spiritual book is Chants of a Lifetime: Searching For a Heart of Gold, by Krishna Das. The quote on the back cover, by Daniel Goleman (author of Emotional Intelligence), says it all: “Krishna Das offers a gift of love – this candid, lively, and helpful guide to the path that opens the heart. Chants of a Lifetime is an instant spiritual classic.” Indeed! Even though I finished reading the book while visiting Amma, I continue to read through the parts I highlighted with red pen. As I read those parts again and again (and take notes down from them), I realize that this book is most definitely an instant spiritual classic.

I have read quite a few books by various Neem Karoli Baba devotees, and they are all good in their own ways, but this book by Krishna Das outshines them all because he brings Neem Karoli Baba through in a way that only he could do – with his own unique “Krishna Das-ness”! He not only transmits the Presence of Neem Karoli Baba, but he also conveys brilliant spiritual wisdom of his own… and whether he’s exposing his raw, heartwrenching dark times, or creating wonderful metaphors, he expresses it all with a hilarious and earthy sense of humor.

There are so many great parts I’d like to share, but then I would just be copying down most of the book here… so I’ll close this little book review blog with one section that really captures his delightful writing style:

“It’s as if we’re living on the front lawn of our own home. We’ve been locked out of ourselves for so long that we forget there is a house to live in. We buy all kinds of stuff and put it on the lawn. Yes, all that furniture and that expensive flat-screen HDTV are on the lawn. Then when they get rained on and ruined, causing us unhappiness, we think that that’s the way it has to be. We’ve forgotten what a house is for. We’ve forgotten that there even is a house. We’ve forgotten that there is shelter inside of our own hearts. The guru calls us up from the phone inside the house, “Hey! Look in the window! I’m inside here. Come on in!” We know all the right words – “God is within,” “Guru, God, and Self are one” – but we’re talking from outside of ourselves, sitting on the front lawn. That’s why we Westerners can do so much practice without it actually changing our lives. It’s relatively easy to do practice; we’re great at doing stuff, but we’re even better at making sure that it doesn’t have any real effect on us. Why? Because we’ve lost that connection to our simple inner being. We don’t trust ourselves, and we don’t know how to be good to ourselves…. In the case of chanting, the medicine of the Name removes the illness of looking outside for love, and awakens an inner strength and confidence and a feeling of well-being as we move deeper into our own hearts.”

After chanting along with Krishna Das’ CDs for more than eight years, I can attest to the Truth of that – I definitely feel much stronger now, and I am super grateful to Krishna Das for how much he has helped me on the path. I bow down with Infinite Gratitude for all of the good seva (service) that he offers this sacred planet.

May all beings everywhere know Happiness.

Om Shanti (Peace),

Yogini Tejaswini

Photo of Chants of Lifetime on Teja’s coffee table taken by Teja Shankara.