Kriya Yoga – A Doorway to the Eternal Age of Self Realization

Kriya Yoga In the New Age: We come to understand the Eternal Age as the soul comes into complete consciousness one realizes Omnipresent God. Kriya Yoga offers a doorway, in eternal technique, to go within where all can come to realize self.

For those science hungry, yoga is a pure science--a spiritual science. Quantum physics now reinforces these eternal spiritual truths. When we connect our clear intention with word and action with the consciousness we perceive in this moment, we change the cellular consciousness (cosmos) within and therefore throughout. A single thought, an infinite wave spawning throughout the universe. Beneath the physical and energetic bending and stretching of yoga lies the yogic mind, a mind focused on the feeling of God union. Often the yoga science taught within "mainstream" teachings focus on the alignment of body and behavior of mind--the branch of Kriya that re-teaches one to love everything the mind perceives (from head to toes)--as everything we perceive and experience is God. Control leaves the mind--as there is more than nothingness to control or watch--we can only conceive this nothingness as everything, the ultimate...immortal...infinite cosmic creator as the omnipresent light within and throughout.

"The Sanskrit root of Kriya is kri, to do, to act and react; the same root is found in the word karma, the natural principle of cause and effect. Kriya Yoga is thus "union (yoga) with the Infinite through a certain action or rite... By Kriya, the outgoing life force is not wasted and abused in the senses, but constrained to reunite with subtler spinal energies. By such reinforcement of life, the yogi's body and brain cells are electrified with the spiritual elixir." (AOY, 1946, p.243)

When one speaks of history of an idea--a form, a system, a being--we come to understand the basic principle that there is no definite time line. History is subject to the wonders of dynamic context. Eastern glasses have a tendency to record events in circles of the infinite God and avatars there of record in societal ties of war, economy, art, and so on.

In honoring all perceived time the transcribe of realized saint, Paramhansa Yogananda, traces the lineage of Kriya back to the script of the Bhagavad-Gita, to Lord Krishna passing it to Arjuna, and following a river of "royal seers." He explains that it was eventually lost in what he describes as, "priestly secrecy and man's indifference."

In age of recent recorded history, Kriya Yoga resurfaced in 1861 where in a mountain cave in northern India, "Supreme Yogi," immortal Mahavatar Babaji projected in human form to Lahiri Mahasaya to reintroduce the lost ancient yogic science, to be called Kriya Yoga.

Though the grace and spiritual power of the lineage of Masters from Lahiri Mahasaya, Kriya Yoga soon spread throughout India. The divine blessing of Paramhansa Yogananda, incarnate of love, was a disciple of Swami Sri Yukteswar Giri who was himself a disciple of Lahiri Mahasaya and is responsible for transferring Kriya Yoga to the United States and Europe in the 20th century.

Yogananda's divine message and guidance is world renowned in through print and vocal literature he humbly guides one through the purity of experience. Since this time the form of Kriya has returned throughout the planet through various Guru lineages, most of which claim descent from Lahiri Mahasaya. As sages, there are many stages and arms of Kriya Yoga. In honor of tradition and the movement of spiritual attainment, the actual practice can only truly be learned through the initiation of a Kriya Yogi and/or through the passing of instruct through energetic spirit. In heart, to remain purest to form, to follow are subsections from the holy prescription of great Yogananda.

Kriya Yoga is referred to by Krishna, India's greatest prophet, in a stanza of the Bhagavad-Gita: "Offering inhaling breath into the outgoing breath, and offering the outgoing breath into the inhaling breath, the yogi neutralizes both these breaths; he thus releases the life force from the heart and brings it under his control... Kriya Yoga is a simple, psycho physiological 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. (1) 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." (AOY, 1946, p.244)

When it comes to practicing anything in life it is never to early or late to begin, for the soul knows no time...no age...only infinite...immortality. There is truly no beginning or ending as the soul brings into this incarnation the energetic print of the mental field from all of the past stored efforts (karma). Therefore whenever one chooses to begin again they truly continue in the circle of their efforts towards their intention of realization.

The practice of Kriya Yoga short cuts soul evolution and this can be only understood as one moves through practice and initiation steps. Kriya Yoga meditation is simple as it takes one to focus on the cosmos within, the infinite self, the wholeness, the perfection, the divine power, the love, all that is God. Repeated practice allows one to realize that there is no distance between all of our being and all creation of the cosmos. There is only light and the bend of it through momentary perception. It is not through reading script or listening to another's voice that we can come to realize self and truth. Only through deep practice can we bring the consciousness into full awareness, which ultimately is carried forth into all moments of our "waked" state.

It is equally important before applying such intentional manifestation for the soul to come from a place of core realization, a state that is often reached through intuition, reason, and reflection. Yogananda explores, "Thoughts have to be understood and applied rightly before they are effective. Ideas first enter man's mind in a crude or undigested form; they need to be assimilated by deep reflection. A thought without soul conviction behind it has no value. That is why persons who use affirmations without comprehending or reasoning the truth on which they are based--man's inseverable unity with God--get poor results and complain that thoughts have no healing power."

When we purify our being with God realization and true conscious action, our words move with lightening as our understanding and belief in devotion and passion, bring a deeper and deeper embodiment. May all who speak and sense feel the truth ring out from the core of their being. PY page 16 Scientific Healing Affirmations.

There are many mountain pathways of spiritualism and there is ultimately no divide in this omnipresent divine. How one chooses to rediscover that heaven is here, within, and throughout is ultimately refound within the awakening drive of the soul. I encourage all to open to ask, to practice, to experience. For when we experience truth, we eternally embody it and can only share this with all who we are blessed to connect with. To go within, one ultimately experiences the infinite divine throughout.

To follow are a few Internet links that can connect you to books and further web links of Kriya Yoga. Please note that many beautiful teachers are available. Online books (free read) by Paramhansa Yogananda

Whispers from Eternity http://www.whispersfrometernity.org A Book of Answered Prayers (1949 Edition)

Audio Biography of Yogi http://www.crystalclarity.com/yogananda

Self Realization Fellowship http://www.yogananda-srf.org

SRF International Catalogue Books and Gifts http://www.yogananda-srf.org/catalog/index.html

The Lineage of Kriya Yoga Masters http://www.hariharananda.org/english/who_we_are/kriya/kriya_linage.htm

References

Yogananda, Paramhansa. Audio Biography of Yogi. New York: Jaico Publishing House: 1946

Yogananda, Paramhansa. Scientific Healing Affirmation. Los Angeles CA: Self Realization Fellowship: 2003

By Erin Dixon