1968年冬天,Krishna Das遇到了Ram Dass,当时Ram刚从印度旅游回来。在美国和Ram Dass生活并旅行了一段时间以后,对Ram Dass的关于Maharaj-ji的传闻促使Krishna Das也去了印度,在那里他遇到了他的导师,并接受了导师的祝福。
在印度住了近3年后,Krishna Das的心被印度教的瑜伽术所深深吸引。意识到他内心深处的渴望,Maharaj-ji带领他逐步掌握了kirtan,一种对神的名字的咏颂。作为喜马拉雅山脚下Durga庙指定的咏颂者,Krishna Das深深地沉浸入对Divine Goddess的崇拜中。
在印度的几年中,Krishna Das几乎一直跟随着Maharaj-ji,把自己献给神,并净化自己的内心。在1973年上半年,Maharaj-ji让他回到了美国。
Krishna Das 说道, “当我意识到这将是我离开Maharaj-ji的时候,我被吓呆了,离开美国这么多年,我已经很长时间没有穿过牛仔裤或者是谢了,我都不能想象穿上他们是什么感觉了,我不想问Maharaj-ji我在美国应该做什么,当时我下意识的反应就是:Maharaj-ji!,我在美国怎么能为您效劳?
“他带着嘲笑的表情看着我,说,‘这是什么意思?如果你问你怎样才能为我效劳,那就没有任何必要了,做你自己想做的吧。’我简直不能相信自己的耳朵,我做我自己想做的事情怎么是为他效劳呢?我完全想象不出,我只是呆坐着。过了大概1分钟,他看着我,微笑着问我:‘那么,你怎样为我效劳呢?’“我的思路完全是空白,按计划当时我应正准备离开德里,搭乘飞机赶回美国,他看着我,大笑,我最后一次跪在他面前,亲吻他的脚,当我仰视他的时候,他微笑着看着我,“那么,你在美国如何为我效劳呢?”我感觉我当时好像在做梦,我飘过院子,并在此远远地向他鞠躬,此时,传来一句话“我将在美国为你而歌唱”。
这之后不久,在9月的月圆之夜,Neem Karoli Baba坐化了,他必须找到转世的人。颂唱,沉思,礼拜还有其他和Maharaj-ji在一起的快乐时光都变成了他在我心中播种的种子,这些种子将在他的感化下生根发芽。
在过去几年中,Krishna Das在印度作了不尽其数的朝拜,拜访了很多导师和精神圣人,以求得自身心灵的开放和纯净。他在印度各地的丛林中,修行所,圣地居住,并得以有机会可以去吸收印度几千年文化中所蕴含的远古的真理。他曾经向Anagarika Munindra和S.N. Goenka学习佛教的沉思,并得到了不同教派的喇嘛关于藏传佛教的真传。
Krishna Das过去曾定期在世界各地的瑜伽中心举行咏颂。他也曾和Ram Dass一起,为美国和印度的许多圣人和瑜伽练习者进行咏颂。
The spirituality of India is blended with modern, electronic influences by Long Island, New York-raised Krishna Das (b. Jeffrey Kagel). The founder of Triloka Records, Das continues to update the musical accompaniment to traditional Hindu chanting and satsong. Influential spiritual leader Ram Dass described Das as an example of someone whose heartsongs open the channels to God. Das connections to Indian spirituality developed in his early 20s. Having grown up on jazz, blues and rock and roll, Das was working as a school bus driver when friends inspired him to visit Ram Dass in 1968. Driving six hours through snow, Das arrived at his destination in New Hampshire. Although he only visited with Ram Dass for a few hours, the experience completely altered the course of his life. Two years later, Das traveled to northern India where he spent two years as a devotee of Guru Mahara-ji (Neem Karoli Baba). While in India, Das became involved with the spiritual aspects of the countrys music. With his visa expiring, Das returned to the U.S. in March 1972. In 1990, Das founded Triloka Records. The label has become a leading distributor of world music recordings. His debut album, One Track Heart, released in 1996, focused on updated chants from the ancient tradition of Bhakti Yoga (Yoga of Devotion). His second album, Pilgrim Heart, released in 1998, featured a guest appearance by Sting, who sang on the tune Mountain Hari Krishna and played bass on Ring Song. Das continues to conduct intensive seminars, workshops and chanting sessions, issuing Live on Earth...For a Limited Time Only in early 2000.