The Spiritual Battle

Spiritual seekers (sadhaks) are brothers and sisters in arms in the battle of life. They come together in satsang (spiritual company), and their very company acts as an invisible buffer against the downward forces that drown the masses. Any time there is a gathering of sadhaks, have no doubt that they are joined by the unseen ascended Yogis. Even when one practices in solitude, they are also present unseen to guide and encourage the seeker – there is no doubt about this. They are aware of the difficulties of navigating out of this world and bestow their grace and blessings.

Time is Short

How many more days we will have left to practice? Death often comes with no warning at all.

” Any person can expire at any time.”

Parahmahamsa Hariharananda

The yogi is the brave hero who chooses to face this now rather than later. When through his deepening experience of the bodiless state he reaches, via spiritual practice, the state in which he is dead while living (jivanmukta), then when the time comes for the body to drop away, it is like nothing at all – for he has already come to perceive himself as Spirit.

And fear is one of the main reasons why we do not take to the spiritual path in the first place – we are afraid to transcend the mortal coil in meditation. We are like the bird who has become so accustomed to its cage that he is hesitant to fly free even when the door has been opened.

Yet fear is not the only restraint that restricts us from our flight – our attachments and desires are also a great weight…

Lightening Our Load

How does the hot air balloon ascend in flight? It begins with so many sand bags, but in order to go higher, it must begin to release more and more bags. The more bags are released, the higher it is able to ascend. So it is with our desires and attachments which serve as the weight that keeps us earthbound. If we destroy them, realizing that they only result in pain, then we lighten our load, so to speak.

In the same way that one who sees clearly will not chase after a desert mirage, knowing it to be unreal, the wise sage does not chase after worldly objects.

“O Raghava, abandon all desires inwardly, be free from attachments and latent impressions, do everything outwardly and thus play your part in the world.”

“O Raghava, adopt a comprehensive view, characterised by the abandonment of all objects of contemplation, live in your innate Self, liberated even while alive (jivan-mukta), and thus play your part in the world.”

“Eliminate one concept by another and the mind by the mind and abide in the Self. Is this so difficult, O holy man?”

-Vasistha (Vasistha Sara, 7:2, 3, 10)

But how do we rid ourselves of the weight of our attachments when they are so strong?

Sages such as Vasistha instructed that viveka and vairagya (discrimination and dispassion) are the means. Discrimination is keeping the mind focused on the truth that the Self alone is real – all else is fleeting, transistory, a passing dream.

Vairagya will also result if we remain fixed on the above contemplation, and if we duly reflect on the short-lived nature of sense pleasures. If the mind stubbornly remains filled with thoughts of the world, it will continue to appear as a solid reality and Self-realization will not dawn…

“Why do people not visualize the atma? (perceive the Self) It is because the mind of the being is so pre-occupied with its false images that it is busy in collecting them. If he mangages to get them, he is overjoyed, but if he is unsuccessful in his efforts then he gets heart-broken. Whatever the case may be, the truth is, that it is not the truth, but, alas! at that time the capability of understanding the reality is not there. Therefore the mind keeps swinging from branch to branch or happiness to unhappiness and the being cannot get peace unless he rids himself of his illusive imaginations.”

Spiritual Gita Bhupendranath Sanyal

XIII, 10

There is no unmixed happiness in life, yet the mind vainly and stubbornly ignores this fact, holding out hope that it is possible. Duality is part and parcel of relative existence. The only way to permanent happiness is Self-realization (the “Kingdom of Heaven” referred to in the Bible). Until then, happiness and unhappiness, pleasure and pain, etc. will continue changing hands – and this continuing oscillation is in itself suffering. Yet when the joy of the Self is reached one becomes like Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa’s sailor who, after much toil and effort, is at last successful in erecting the mast and can sit back, light a smoke, and enjoy the ride. He continues to function in the world and to others looks like a normal man, but they cannot comprehend his divine Joy…

“These saints of the paravastha – after their achievement of the same are not totally cut out from worldly acts, but since they have subjugated all worldly desires, nature cannot bring them down from their high post. They are out of this world in the paravastha or advanced stage or kriya, where rajoguna or tamoguna cannot even approach them.”

Spiritual Gita Bhupendranath Sanyal

XIV, 22

Body is a Sinking Ship

The sages and saints who have found the life vest of God have taught this truth in many ways through the ages, all expressing the same fact – God is the only constant, and all else is but a passing dream. This is why the wise sadhaks, the spiritual seekers of clear vision, toil and labor for God alone. The financial investor works extremely hard, seeking to build capital, as if material wealth, even if he is able to get it, will grant him eternal life. Yet if, owing to his prarabdha karma, ill health or death is his destiny at a given time, no amount of wealth will be of any use. Remember the words of Lord Christ – “For what shall it profit a man if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?” (Mark 8:36) Also, Sri Shankara wrote that life is ever as unstable “as a water droplet on a leaf.” We should keep this ever in mind and know that true wealth lies with God alone. We should fight on with faith and courage. The true yogi must be a warrior. It is not by accident that the setting of the Bhagavad Gita is a battlefield.

Despite life’s uncertainty and instability the yogi, knowing the Self to be indestructible, should have no fear:

“Without the sea there are no waves. Without waves, the sea still exists. When the wave of an individual body and personality perishes, the soul remains. The soul is immortal; the wise do not lament for the dead. Seek your immortality.”

The Bhagavad Gita in the Light of Kriya Yoga, II:12 Paramahamsa Hariharananda

Please Lord, lift up, protect, and guide all seekers of Truth. Watch over us and guide us in our journey. Enable us, through your grace, to emerge victorious in the battle of life.

OM

The Psychophysiology of Kriya Yoga

“My religion is the religion of breath. The breath is the link. Through this link of breath, one can achieve calmness, peace and divinity. When one speaks of breath, there is no sectarian belief. There is no religious boundary, which obstructs, because everyone breathes.”                  

– Paramahamsa Hariharananda

Kriya Yoga is based on breath. “Kri” (to act) and “ya” (soul) means that the Soul is the true actor, performing all activities – eating, sleeping, breathing, working, and sexual activity – are all done by the soul. Baba Hariharananda emphasized time and again that the body cannot perform anything without the Soul animating it, for without the Soul, a body is just a dead body. So we should all be very grateful to God, who is very kind. We cannot even experience pleasure or pain without the power of the Soul.

For too long, sectarian differences based on the illusory attributes of the body (class, caste, etc.) and in the name of religion have divided humanity resulting in bloody wars and needless suffering, thus undermining the very purpose for which religion(s) were established (love and unity).

For this reason, it is vital that we understand the critical role that the breath plays in spiritual development, evolution, and indeed, our very physical well-being. Changing our perspective and learning to view the breath as a divine, ongoing gift from and act of God will, no doubt, have a unitive effect as it is not dependent upon any divisive beliefs, symbols or sectarian practices.  Despite the fact that breathing is an act we all perform an average of 21,600 times daily, so many take this act for granted.  Most are like warriors on the battlefield of life unaware that in their very possession lies the ultimate weapon to ensure victory, so most suffer and die needlessly. This is indeed tragic.

The Vital Air

With the exception of anaerobic organisms, oxygen is vital to life. Even water contains one atom of oxygen (per molecule), though not enough to sustain human life. Not surprisingly, statistics clearly and consistently demonstrate a correlation between high levels of smog/pollution and elevated cancer rates in cities where air pollution is more prevalent. Having lived many years in Los Angeles, I can attest to the fact that this smog can be startlingly apparent on final approach into the city from a commercial jet.

From a physiological standpoint, high levels of toxic pollutants such as carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide and methane in the atmosphere have a degenerative and mutative effect on the body’s cells and tissues, depriving them of vital oxygen and resulting in accelerated cellular attrition.  Red blood cells, rich in the iron-containing biomolecule called hemoglobin, which plays a key role in oxygen tranport, are vital for life. Smog and pollution aside, even in optimal conditions, the aging process of the body results in an ever- increasing gap between the rate at which cells die and that at which new cells are created. Yet while there are clearly negative factors that affect the body’s cells and overall health, yoga, and for the purpose of this article, Kriya Yoga in particular, has a very potent and dynamic rejuvenative effect on the cells and tissues which we shall shortly examine further.

The Vital Energy

Prana is a Sanskrit word which literally translated means “vital life.” It refers to the very subtle and vital life-sustaining energy pervading the entire universe. As it is more subtle than air or space, present day scientists have not yet constructed instruments capable of measuring or detecting this energy, nor may they be inclined to admit its existence at present, yet exist it does – it is perceptible to the yogi. What our scientists have been able to determine is that everything in the universe is energy, as evidenced by the First Law of Thermodynamics, also referred to as the Law of Conservation of Energy, which states that energy is neither created nor destroyed – only changes form. This law verily supports the spiritual premise that there is really no such thing as death – only transformation (or metamorphasis) from one form of energy to another.Everything in the universe is energy, or prana, and oxygen is a grosser manifestation of prana. The illustration often given is that prana is akin to the unseen electrical force that moves the blades of a fan. The Sanskrit word “yama” means restraint (or control) and pranayama is one of key practices by which this is achieved. Because prana and the breath are inextricably linked, the yogi, by mastering the latter, also masters the former. That is to say, he uses the breath to master prana, for by stilling one, the other is also stilled and comes under his control. This practice of pranayama is integral to Kriya Yoga, which posits that the individual soul is a microcosm of the entire universe.

Now as he gains some proficiency in the practice of pranayama, the yogi notices the arising of a kind of unconditional spiritual happiness or joy. This blissfulness is, he notices, quite independent of any external cause, circumstance, or condition. He begins to understand the key role that the breath plays in his spiritual development and the expansion of his awareness – as the distinction between the inner and outer cosmos begins to dissolve.

With the dawning of this knowledge, he continues his practice, persevering at all costs; for he knows that life is ever unstable and ebbing, and comes to appreciate the rare opportunity that this life affords him.

When cells recharged with prana/oxygen via the deep breathing process of pranayama, the process of cellular degeneration and risk of mutation (as in cancer) is greatly mitigated, and in the case of very advanced yogis, arrested altogether. It is for this reason that those who engage in even the most basic yoga practices begin to exude a more youthful appearance. Suddenly there is a luster to the face and a vitality to the body. Charisma is acquired. The voice becomes smoother, more resonant and more harmonious. These effects ensue rather quickly, but the physiological effects of Kriya Yoga are even more dynamic and pronounced. Paramahamsa Yogananda:

“Kriya Yoga is a simple, psychophysiological method by which the human blood is decarbonized and recharged with oxygen. The atoms of this extra oxygen are transmuted into life current to rejuvenate the brain and spinal centers. By stopping the accumulation of venous blood, the yogi is able to lessen or prevent the decay of tissues; the advanced yogi transmutes his cells into pure energy. Elijah, Jesus, Kabir and other prophets were past masters in the use of kriya or a similar technique, by which they caused their bodies to dematerialize at will.”

(The Science of Kriya Yoga, Chapter 26, Autobiography of a Yogi)

This effect can even linger after death…

On March 7, 1952, after giving a speech at a banquet at the Biltmore Hotel In Los Angeles, Paramahamas Yogananda, who had been hosting Consul General Ahuja, and Indian Ambassador B.R. Sen and his wife, recited a brief poem entitled “My India,” and sailed into mahasamadhi (a yogi’s final conscious exit from the body). Weeks after his death, Yogananda’s body remained in a remarkable state of incorruptibility. The following is an excerpt of the notarized letter regarding the condition of Paramahansa Yogananda’s body from then Mortuary Director Harry T. Rowe to the Self-Realization Fellowship which Yogananda founded.

LOS ANGELES, CLEVELAND 6-3131

GLENDALE. CITRUS 1-4151

CABLE ADDRESS HUBERT. LOS ANGELES

May 16, 1952

Self-Realization Fellowship

3880 San Rafael Avenue

Los Angeles, 65

California

Gentlemen:

“The absence of any visual signs of decay in the dead body of Paramahansa Yogananda offers the most extraordinary case in our experience. Had the muscle protein and blood stream of the deceased not been comparatively free of bacteria, deterioration of the body could have set in as early as six hours after life had departed. No physical disintegration was visible in Paramahansa Yogananda’s body even twenty days after death.

The body was under daily observation at the Mortuary of the Forest Lawn Memorial-Park Association from March 11, 1952, the day of the last rites, until March 27, 1952, when the bronze casket was sealed by fire. During this period no indication of mold was visible on Paramahansa Yogananda’s skin, and no visible desiccation (drying up) took place in the bodily tissues. This state of perfect preservation is, so far as we know from mortuary annals, an unparalleled one.”

Harry T. Rowe

Mortuary Director

Breath is verily the secret weapon of the yogis. By harnessing the breath, they are able to reclaim their divine birthright – cosmic consciousness…

“By the definite science of meditation known for millenniums to the yogis and sages of India, and to Jesus, any seeker of God can enlarge the caliber of his consciousness to omniscience – to receive within himself the Universal Intelligence of God.”Paramahansa Yogananda                  

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Brahma Muhurta and the Junctures of Day

Just as a surfer waits for the right wave, or an eagle rides rising currents of air (thermals) to effortlessly reach higher altitudes, so too does the intelligent yogi utilize favorable times of day when possible to reach higher states during his sadhan.  The junctures of day – dawn and dusk, as well as the period preceding dawn, known as Brahma Muhurta (or “Hour of God”), are particularly favorable times to engage in spiritual practices.  During such times the atmosphere is serene and spiritually charged.

At dawn the atmosphere is yet free from the accumulation of dense, worldly thoughts and vibrations.  All is calm, still, and peaceful, and aids the mind in becoming so.  The stillness and serenity of meditation in the morning will carry into the day and will help one to maintain equanimity during the trials one may encounter.

During the dusk period, the restless energies of the day are quieting down and settling into the peacefulness of evening. One can also observe that animals and pets are affected by this change in atmosphere as well and become calmer.  The favorable period around dusk is specifically an hour and a half prior to sunset, and a half hour following.  Therefore if dusk occurred at 7 pm, this spiritually favorable period would fall from 5:30 to 7:30 pm.  Meditating during dusk allows one to ride the descending arc into calmness.  This will also result in peaceful and restful sleep as well.

Brahma Muhurta, or the 3 hour period preceding dawn, is an especially auspicious time to practice one’s sadhan.  It is a divine and magical period.  If, for example, sunrise is at 6 am, Brahma Muhurta period would be from 3 am to 6 am.  The vibrations in the atmosphere are particularly high during this time.  The sadhak who takes advantage of this period for spiritual practice is meditating with very advanced yogis, siddhas (perfected beings), and ascended sages all over the world whether or not he is aware of it.

One should not allow the mind to make excuses, however.  If it is not possible to practice specifically during theses times, it would be foolhardy to reason that one should not practice at all on a given day.  Life is ebbing away every moment, and this rare and divine gift of a human incarnation is dwindling.  Practice your sadhan whenever you are able – at least once a day as long as you can comfortably do so.

May God and Gurus bless and guide us in our spiritual endeavors.

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“Opportunity must not be neglected, for it may never return”

~ Paramahamsa Hariharananda

Souljourns – Paramahamsa Prajnananda

The Science of Kriya Yoga

http://kriya.org/about__kriya.php – A sincere spiritual seeker who follows the path of Kriya Yoga with love and devotion and a desire for spiritual growth can attain Self-realization — even within one lifetime. This powerful yoga is a manifestation of the many yogas described in the Bhagavad Gita, but primarily it derives from:

• Karma Yoga — detachment from the fruits of actions in the world, and more importantly, from the inner activity of the mind
• Jnana Yoga — a disciplined intellect acquires spiritual knowledge, and this wisdom creates freedom through detachment from the fruits of actions
• Bhakti Yoga — unconditional love is awakened by gratitude and by the joy arising from the oneness with all creation, which is cosmic consciousness

A Simple, Non-Sectarian Technique

Kriya Yoga is non-sectarian. Its simple technique causes no hardship, requires no austerities, and suits aspiring householders as well as monks.  From the principles of Karma Yoga, Kriya Yoga teaches that all action, kri, is done by the indwelling soul, ya. Continuous awareness of the power of the indwelling soul can transform all activity into worship. Awareness that the soul must inhale every breath leads to mind control and liberation.

The Kriya technique emphasizes the relationship between breath and mind. The breath influences the mind and vice-versa. This reciprocal relationship reveals the secret of controlling the mind: “Breath control is self-control. Breath mastery is self-mastery. Breathlessness is deathlessness.”  The breathless state of samadhi is the realization of the Absolute.

Direct Transmission From Teacher to Student

Kriya Yoga is a golden opportunity to reach higher states of consciousness and change your life, by developing the body, mind, intellect, and awareness of the soul. It is a quick and easy path. Kriya Yoga techniques are passed down from master to disciple, master to aspirant, teacher to student.

No written document records when the ancient tradition of Kriya Yoga began. This spiritual technique has been practiced by saints, seers, and sages from time immemorial. The rishis (seers) of the Upanishads, Shri Krishna in the Bhagavad Gita, Maharshi Patanjali in his Yoga Sutra, and many other masters of yoga practiced and taught this scientific method through the ages. Kriya Yoga is a powerful tool to be used by seekers of all religions in order to hasten spiritual development. Adi Shankara in the Viveka Chudamani described three things that are very rare in this world: to have a human birth, to have desire for liberation, and to have the company of a great soul and realized master.

Technique Origins

In modern times, in 1861, an elusive and mysterious master, Mahavatar Babaji, re-introduced the ancient Kriya technique to the general public through his able disciple, Shri Shyamacharan Lahiri, a pious householder. Lahiri Mahasaya, as he was popularly known, had many realized disciples. Foremost among them were Swami Shriyukteshwar Giri, who was well versed in the scriptures of both the East and West, and who attained the highest state of realization, and Shrimat Bhupendranath Sanyal Mahasaya, a householder yogi most noted for his metaphorical interpretation of the Bhagavad Gita in the light of Kriya Yoga. Among the many disciples of Swami Shriyukteshwar were Paramahamsa Yogananda, author of Autobiography of a Yogi, and Swami Satyananda Giri, who was the president of Karar Ashram until 1971, which had been founded by Swami Shriyukteshwar in 1903. Paramahamsa Hariharananda, who was president of Karar Ashram from 1971 as well as the president of the Kriya Yoga international organizations he founded, was also a direct disciple of Swami Shriyukteshwar. Both Paramahamsa Yogananda and Paramahamsa Hariharananda were Self-realized and instrumental in spreading the teachings of Kriya Yoga around the world.

Until the time of his mortal transition into spirit, December 3, 2002, at the age of 95 (1907-2002), Paramahamsa Hariharananda oversaw each student’s spiritual development. Lovingly called “Baba” by thousands of disciples and students around the world, his divine love and compassion remain unparalleled.

  Paramahamsa Hariharananda

Today, Paramahamsa Prajnanananda, the realized disciple and successor of Paramahamsa Hariharananda, travels the world as a powerful spiritual master, loving teacher, prolific author, and speaker. Under his loving direction, the Kriya Yoga international organizations, supported by its monks, yogacharyas, and devotees, continue to thrive.

Paramahamsa Prajnananda

How To Get Started

At Kriya Yoga ashrams and centers throughout the world, guided meditations are open to those initiated by authorized teachers. Introductory programs and initiations are offered regularly.

We are happy for the opportunity to help you in any way we can with your Kriya practice. To learn more about Kriya Yoga, please see the listing of the ashram or center nearest you and call the contact person directly.