What is Chitta Suddhi?

Chitta = Consciousness Suddhi – Purification

Chitta Suddhi has many synonyms or equivalent terms.

Naadi Suddhi – purification of inner nerve channels or arterial channels
Antara Suddhi (Antara Nyaas) – inner purification
Bahir Matrika Nyasa – external purification.

Chitta means the Pure Consciousness or Principle of Awareness, devoid of all thoughts, or mental modification. It is the basis of all life or Creation. The ego principle which gives the feeling and expression of I and Mineness is the mind which originates in the Chitta. The mind is the aggregation of all thoughts. Superficially speaking life including thoughts, speech and actions are originating from the Chitta Vritti or modification or ripples or waves on the surface of the Chitta or Chetana Shakti or Power of Consciousness. The great Master of Yoga, Patanjali, in his definition of Yoga has mentioned,

योगः चित्त वृत्ति निरोधः
yoga chitta vritti nirodha

English Translation:

When all waves or ripples or modification on the surface of the infinite ocean of the consciousness is removed or prevented from occurring, you to the State of Pure Consciousness or Yoga. You can compare it to the mighty ocean with waves and turbulence in the mind or Maya or relativity or Sansara or Impure State. If there is no wave at all, no turbulence, the ocean is very calm and resting upon itself, all its restless energy is gathered into itself, is the Pure State or Suddha condition. Freedom from irregular or restless chaotic thoughts is Inner Purity or Chitta Suddhi or Yoga. By attaining this state you have achieved awareness of your Inner Infinite, Immortal Real Self, or Atman or Swa. All relativity Maya or Avidya or ignorance has been removed.

What is Sat-Chitta-Ananda?

You are in the Truth about everything. You get a special kind of peace, calmness, joy, wisdom, and confidence. this is also known as Sat+Chit+Ananda or Satchitananda, an expression used to denote God.

Sat – Absolute Truth (God only exists, to feel otherwise is ignorance)
Chit – Awareness of the pure, unmodified consciousness (no thoughts)
Ananda – Pure Inner Joy

These 3 together are known as Self Realization or Chitta Suddhi or Inner Purification or Nadi Suddhi. Self Realization or God-Realization are different aspects of the same process of experience. One is in the beginning, graduating or intensifying to the Final or The Ultimate.

What is re-conditioning and de-conditioning

In order to achieve Self Realization or God-Realization one has to start with Chitta Suddhi or Inner Purification. This necessarily means deconditioning your mind and reconditioning with God Awareness and then going beyond both de-conditioning and reconditioning and realize your oneness with the One, Absolute, the only One which is expressed as Sat Chitta Ananda.

How to attain Chitta Shuddhi?

I shall tell you one of my most important and significant childhood experiences. At that time I was a student of Puri Zilla School, Puri, Orissa, India. I accompanied the old private tutor monk to have darshan of this great Saint, Totapuri Baba. It was believed that he lived for more than 120 years. As I bowed at his Lotus colored fine feet, he blessed me by touching the top of my head. It was a wonderful spiritual experience. He was my Satguru. It was his opinion that Inner Purification or Chitta Suddhi is the first requirement to obtain Divine Knowledge, which gives Self or God-realization.

Methods for obtaining Chitta Suddhi

To obtain this Chitta Shuddhi one has to practice Yoga, Yoga practice as such can’t give God Realization but will prepare the field (Kshetra, i.e body, mind, intellect and ego) to understand in due course of time (God’s Grace). By sincerely, daily, lovingly practicing the following types of Yoga, with inner detachment from rewards and results, will give Chitta Suddhi:

Our classical and original Kriya Yoga of Babaji, Yogiraj Lahiri Mahasaya, Sri Yukteswar Ji, Paramahansa Yogananda, Swami Narayan Giri (Prabhuji Maharaj) and Swami Satyananda Giri, as taught by us and our authorized Acharyas of Kriya Yoga Meditation Centre, Rourkela and its centers worldwide.
Mantra Yoga learned from a Master who has attained the stage of Mantra Chaitanya
Japa Yoga learned from a Master
The Vedic rituals performed correctly, daily, lovingly without selfish interest for worldly gains and understanding its inner significance
Positive prayers which are done silently with inner surrender to God for removing obstacles and negatives and obtaining God’s mercy and grace.
By performing one’s duties, selflessly sincerely as an offering to God Karma Sanyasa Yoga of Bhagavad Gita.
By daily practicing, correctly, lovingly of Hatha Yoga and Raja Yoga (should be learned personally from a Master)
By constantly thinking of God or His symbol, Om, with love and faith.
By Sravana (listening), Manana (mental Japa) and Nidhidhyasana (Swadhyaya) on the Vedic Mahavakyas.
By practicing different methods of Yagnyas as prescribed in the Holy Bhagavad Gita. The inconvenience of practicing our classical original Kriya yoga is that it includes and contains the essence of all the above methods

What are the evidences of Chitta Suddhi?

By regular daily, a sincere and loving practice of the previously described methods either anyone or in combinations will give Chitta Suddhi and qualification for Self Realization. The quickest result is obtained by the daily practice of our original Kriya yoga

You will perceive the divine sounds without closing the ears, either one, two, three, or any combination of the common 12 types of those soothing, comforting, rejuvenating inner sound or tones.
You will be able to perceive the different aspects of the Inner Divine Light or Atma Surya or Soul Sun.
You can feel the Divine Vibrations in the Chakras or face or forehead or on the top of the head
You will be calm and unperturbed but active under all circumstances.
The negative quantities will become less and less
Your love, faith in God, and in His Creation will increase

Role of food and drink in Chitta Suddhi

Satvik food as mentioned in the Holy Bhagavad Gita, help and accelerate and maintain Chitta Suddhi
Food should be of limited quantities, 2 or 3 times a day and at regular intervals. Half the stomach should be filled with the right food, a quarter of the stomach should be filled with water, and the rest quarter of the stomach should be empty.
Weekly half fasting or juice fasting and monthly once fasting is also helpful
After the Sunset, it is wise to avoid a main or major meal
Common sense and paying attention to traditional wisdom can help a lot in this regard to food and drink
Avoid alcoholic beverage, which contains more than 5% of alcohol
If you can abstain from alcohol, tobacco, narcotics, and other habit-forming drugs, it is good for you.

Om Tat Sat Om

May the Almighty, working through Lord Krishna and Arjuna, Bless, Guide, Protect and Inspire you and remove your troubles.

With Love and Blessings to you. Humbly,
Paramahansa Atmananda Ji

Chitta Suddhi (Inner Purification)