- Published on
Krishna Das & Neem Karoli Baba - Story of Devotion
- Authors
- Name
- Ritiesh Kumar
Who is Krishna Das
Krishna Dass, also known as Jeffrey Kegel or KD to friends, was born on May 31, 1947, in Long Island, New York, to Jewish American parents. Since childhood, Jeffrey had been very fond of music and used to sing and play guitar, which led him to form a hard rock band with his friends called Soft White Underbelly, in which he was the lead singer. The band later evolved into Blue Öyster Cult, a successful group that sold 7 million records in the United States and 25 million records worldwide.
How Krishna Das was Introduced to Neem Karoli Baba Ji
Although he was doing what he loved most—music—at that point in his life, Jeffrey felt somewhat depressed by what he perceived as a lack of greater meaning and a sense of worthlessness. This was during a time when America, the UK, and a major part of Europe were experiencing a counterculture movement, commonly known as the hippie movement, when the youth were disillusioned with their place in the grand scheme of things. For young KD, psychedelics, music, and spending time with hippies and Western yogis provided an escape from these feelings of worthlessness and melancholia.
How Ram Das introduced Krishna Das to Baba Ji
One such friend, a yogi of sorts, introduced him to Ram Dass (a former Harvard psychology professor turned spiritual seeker) who had just returned from his first trip to India. Although Jeffrey was initially disinterested in meeting Ram Dass—whom his friend had already seen—when he finally did, he was profoundly impacted, as if he had caught a glimpse of the meaning he had been so frantically searching for. In his own words, he felt as though he had met Maharajji (Neem Karoli Baba) when he first encountered Ram Dass; it was as if the long, cold, harsh winter had finally ended and he was experiencing a pleasant, warm summer.
Krishna's Trip to India
This crucial moment in KD’s life greatly altered his trajectory. As he grew closer to Ram Dass—listening to him recount tales of miracles and the love radiated by this reclusive Indian saint—his longing to meet him in person intensified, eventually leading him to decide that he needed to go to India. Drawn by this intense devotion, he arrived in India in August 1970, leaving behind his musical career and selling all his beloved possessions except for a small cardboard box that he left in his mother’s basement, so that he could remain close to this saint.
The small temple near Bhowali, Kainchi Dham Ashram became his home for two and a half years. During that period, he practiced playing the harmonium and singing devotional chants known as keertan, getting his start by first trying to sing the Hanuman Chalisa as an offering to his guru. Doing keertan was also a way for him to spend more time with his guru—as all he wanted was to be under his guru’s guidance. He was also briefly appointed as the priest of the Durga Temple by Maharajji.
His visa was initially valid for only a year and a half, and it was extended by Maharajji when it was nearing its expiration on the first occasion. However, when it was nearing expiration a second time, Maharajji instructed him to return to America, stating that he still had attachments he needed to work out.
During his last months at the temple, Krishna Dass asked Maharajji what he could do as a spiritual practice in service to him. Maharajji asked him what he thought he should do. If he needs to be told what to do, that isn’t seva (spiritual service); he must figure it out on his own.
Why did Krishna Das chose music?
Later in America, he had a realization—as if a voice had been coming from deep within him, saying, "I'll sing for you.” This would become Krishna Dass’s lifelong spiritual pursuit—to perform keertans and sing as if he were singing to his guru, whether he was alone or among thousands.
How the departure of Baba Neem Karoli Maharaj impacted Krishna Das
Neem Karoli Baba left his physical body within six months of Krishna Dass’s return to America. The death of his guru sent him into a downward spiral of drug addiction and hopelessness. An Indian disciple of Maharajji, Mr. K. C. Tiwari, visited Canada, and Krishna Dass went to see him, considering Tiwari as his Indian father. Mr. Tiwari asked him to promise that he would give up crack, sensing with a supernatural instinct that Krishna Dass was addicted to it and going through a rough patch. This encounter awakened Krishna Dass from his slumber and dark state, prompting him to return to India—to the temple near Bhowali. Once there, he underwent a mystic experience that made him feel as though he had built a wall around his heart to shelter him from the wear and tear of a regular lifestyle. With that experience, the wall broke down, revealing the error of his ways and helping him come to peace with his life.
Since then, he has become a celebrated singer, releasing 17 albums, winning multiple awards—including a Grammy—working with musical titans like Sting and Rick Rubin, and attracting listeners in many countries. Yet none of this is what he considers most valuable. His singing serves as an offering of flowers at the feet of his beloved guru and is his sadhana.