The Path of Kriya Yoga

 

There is an ancient saying in Tamil which literally translates into ‘It is a rarest opportunity to be born as a human being, and still rare to be born without any disabilities’. These words were said by the ancient mother saint known by the name of ‘Avvaiyaar’. The reason she quotes for her above words is that, only the human body is endowed with special faculties and physiology to think and reason beyond our physical, material plane of existence. And the soul can thus transcend this temporal world into the realm of God and reach the inexhaustible state of ever new bliss which is denoted by the word ‘Satchitananda’ or Sat-Chit-Ananda. ‘Sat’ means eternal, ‘Chit’ denotes consciousness, and ‘Ananda’ means bliss.

This state of ever new bliss being the ultimate goal of our existence, and the highest possible achievable for soul, it is also known by the terms God Realization or Self Realization. There are four paths defined in out ancient systems of philosophy to reach this state. They are: Bakthi yoga, Karma yoga, Gnana yoga, and Raja yoga. The last mentioned path of Raja yoga is termed as one of the fastest routes to God Realization / Self Realization, and involves the regular performing of certain yogic techniques.

 

 Many great masters have incarnated in India to promote the path of Raja yoga. Foremost among them can be concluded as Swami Vivekananda and Paramahansa Yogananda. Both of them incarnated in the present state of West Bengal during the pre-independence days. While Vivekananda was the illustrious disciple of the illumined master ‘Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa’, Paramahansa Yogananda was the last in a lineage of much hallowed Gurus, starting from Mahavatar Babaji, and descending to Lahiri Mahasaya, Swami Shri Yukteshwar, and Paramahansa Yogananda himself. The main mission of Swami Yogananda and the primary purpose for his incarnation is to disseminate the lost practice of Kriya yoga - which is a form of Raja yoga, in India as well as the west. Kriya yoga is a most ancient and secret yogic technique that was even mentioned in the Bhagavat Gita by Sri Krishna. Then, it got obscured in the present yuga and lost wide spread practice. By divine will, Mahavatar Babaji mercifully took the initiative to revive this most wonderful and ancient technique for the sincere and aspiring souls of the current yuga that are seeking ‘Enlightenment’. Babaji first taught this technique to his chief disciple Lahiri Mahasaya and then through him to many other sincere devotees. It was Babaji who secretly oversaw the grooming of a young Yogananda and sent him to Swami Yukteshwar, who was one of the famous disciples of Lahiri Mahasaya.

Swami Yogananda started the Yogoda Satsang Society (YSS) in India in 1917. He was then instructed by Babaji to travel to the West in the year 1920. Thus, by divine ordaining, Paramahansa Yogananda sailed to the shores of America to take part in the ‘International Congress of Religious Liberals’ in Boston in 1920. It was destiny that he spent the rest of his earthly sojourn in that strange distant land and away from his most beloved homeland of India. The same year, he founded the Self-Realization Fellowship (SRF) in America to grant Kriya yoga initiation to sincere seekers. Today, the SRF is a global organization with a widespread presence across the Americas, Europe, Asia, and elsewhere. In India it has retained the original name of YSS, and today the global fraternity comprising the YSS and SRF has made great strides in disseminating the once lost Raja yoga technique of Kriya yoga.

New entrants to the path of Kriya yoga can begin by reading the ‘Autobiography of a Yogi’ by Paramahansa Yogananda, which is an international bestseller that was first released in 1946. The book has transformed the lives of millions of people throughout the world, including myself, the humble writer of this article. It has also influenced a vast number of celebrities like Steve Jobs (Apple Inc.), and the Beatles (British Rock band), to name a few. After having read the book, seekers can apply for YSS / SRF lessons which are sent bi-monthly by either ordinary post or courier. The devotee has to follow certain exercises and meditation techniques for a period of time before becoming eligible for Kriya yoga diksha / initiation. There are also numerous YSS Kendras / mandalis throughout India, and SRF centers over the rest of the world, to guide the sincere follower in his path.

 

Vijay Ramalingam