Kriya Yoga Jagat

spirituality of the millenium

Spirituality of the Millenium

Yogacharya Ratna De and Manisha Paul

(Based upon teachings of Paramahansa Atmananda)

Introduction

We are living in a world that conditions us to believe that outer attainments can give us what we want. Yet again and again our experiences show us that nothing external can completely fulfill is Spirituality. Nowadays, as the pace of life is being faster, meditation helps to relax the body and mind to reduce the stress and give us that something more. Nowadays, as the pace of life is being faster, meditation helps to relax the body and mind to reduce the stress and give us that something more. Meditation is the highest form of Yoga and it is the unifying force connecting the body, the mind, and the soul leading towards the perfect lifestyle. Kriya Yoga meditation is a timeless technique that can be a guide to living in the 21st century and beyond. It is the scientific way of achieving simultaneous benefits to body, mind, intellect, and Soul.

Purpose of Spirituality

The ancient spiritual masters of India realized that unending continuous happiness is the goal of creation. To enjoy absolute happiness, one has to realize Oneness with the Creator who is the source of Absolute Bliss. Spirituality is the core of the heart of all religions. Yoga in general and Kriya Yoga, in particular, is an art and science of spirituality. Kriya Yoga is a scientific technique, non-sectarian and free from dogmatic view. Religions teach how to serve God. Kriya Yoga can show us how to concentrate, calm the mind, to have a healthy and strong body, sharp and penetrating intellect, excellent memory, the power of understanding, and above all, God-Realization or Self Realization. To speak the truth, our goal in the new era of the 21st century is to find peace and happiness in this complicated world of dualities, to have material gains and prosperity, and to live in harmony with family, friends, and co-workers. How do we do it? The only simple answer is true meditation and mentally surrendering to God.

Meaning

The name Kriya comes from the Sanskrit word Kri and Ya. Kriya means any activity done by a human being – may be any thought, speech, or action. Ya means Soul. Together it means the process and mechanics of performing actions while remembering the inner invisible Self or Soul. The idea is that in every action of ours we will and perceive that the Almighty God is working through us leading us towards perfection. Kriya Yoga is a positive scientific technique to realize Inner Self– free from the conflicts of dualities without burdening the philosophical view of the Soul. To make it clear, Kriya Yoga is not a religion; it doesn’t belong to a group, sect, or cult, neither it is confined to a limited caste or a society, not to a fixed idea or tradition. It doesn’t restrict a healthy lifestyle or pure and balanced food habits nor it dos impose any rules against any religious beliefs. It is simply a spiritual technique through which one can reduce stress, strain, fatigue, and diseases of the body and remove anxiety, fear, and negative thoughts of the mind, and maintain the inner connection with the Spirit and the Lord.

History of Kriya Yoga

The history of Kriya Yoga goes back to most ancient times in India when God revealed it to human beings through the royal sages of the Sun (Solar) Dynasty of kings. Then in the era of Dwapara Yuga, God as Lord Krishna revealed it to Arjuna. In the 2nd Century B.C., the great Master Patanjali mentioned Kriya yoga which denotes 3 groups of Yogic practices. Mahavatar Babaji Maharaj made Kriya Yoga into a more specific and systematic practice. In the 19th century AD. it was given through his disciple, Yogiraj Lahiri Mahasaya to the whole of humanity. His foremost disciple, Sri Yukteswar made it more popular, and Paramahansa Yogananda, one of the closest disciples of Sri Yukteswar made it well known in the western world and by Swami Narayan Giri, in India and at present Paramahansa Atmananda in India & abroad.

Benefits

Kriya yoga is the most effective method of stress management in our day to day busy life. By practicing Kriya Pranayam (inhaling and exhaling breath), one can free from fear of the unknown and anxiety. It also rejuvenates the energies of the brain and whole body and strengthens the thought process, increasing thinking power and whole knowledge. Kriya Yoga involves some simple physical exercises like Mahamudra which is a great healer and cure of many diseases. The Mahamudra has 3 main postures and exercises which when practiced correctly, energizes, vitalizes, purifies, and refines different parts of the entire body. It also prevents many diseases, early aging, and early death. Mahamudra suppresses and destroys all evil and negativity of the mind thus promoting a happy and joyous life.

The exercises of the Kriya Yoga technique can improve the blood circulation, the energy of the brain and the spinal cord, and thereby of the whole body. Love harmony, health, a sense of fulfillment, understanding, and wealth all are within us. If we search for them outside we will not get them. We need to search within and get hold of our Divine Right and inheritance through Kriya yoga meditation, this can help us in obtaining these noble goals of life. There are many courses and programs for stress management and meditations, etc. But most of them are not really effective, they overlook some basic scientific truths. These are:

  • Stress causes depression of various grades – which in turn cause the same depressed activities of internal organs too. As a result compensatory mechanisms over react and cause further imbalance and loss of health and happiness.
  • When we get bogged down in our biological ego the above mentioned psychological changes and their negative effects will keep on occurring re-ocurring.
  • The mind usually tends to over react to situations which again brings in associated psycho-physiological adverse effects, thus aggravating and perpetuating stress. So in order to remove these sufferings, one has to prevent the internal effects of stress. Most stress management programs fail to do so. Thus, Kriya yoga Meditation can help calming down the restlessness in the mind and in the body to relieve stress.

Brain and Breathing

Everything is in the brain and breathing. The yogis realize it. The brain controls our system through the spinal cord. The Spinal cord is the continuation of Medula – Oblongata, the seat of the vital center of the brain. From the brain and spinal cord, the network of nerves goes around the body. Even if a mosquito is biting, we feel it. What we really feel is not on the spot, but in the brain through the Thalamus, in the sensory cortex. The brain controls and regulates the entire body and every point on it and in it.

Conclusion

Kriya yoga is a set of advanced and scientific Yoga techniques that reinforce and revitalize subtle currents of the life energy in the body, enabling the activities of the heart and the lungs to calm down naturally which in turn improves longevity, health, and efficiency and quality of life. Since yoga is based on practice and experience rather than on adherence to a particular set of beliefs, followers of all religions can benefit from these techniques. Thus by practicing Kriya Yoga meditation sincerely and faithfully one can be free from stress and anxiety of day-to-day strenuous life, can attain material gain, prosperity, fame, and integrity through prayer, meditation, and right action, and most importantly can find happiness joy, absolute peace and be united with the Inner Self, or God.