Kriya-Yoga and the Modern
Man
Chapter by Chapter:
The Kriya Yogi's Daily Routine
Advice of Sri Sanjay Krishna Shastri
The Energy in the Heart
A sage of old stated:
From the Self he draws strength.
Each of us bears in the innermost recesses of his being a fountain of Light and Energy, a living well of joy and fulfilment, and to no one is this inner kingdom inaccessible. Only, modern man is so frantically immersed in his activities and so-called responsibilities, that he is no more clearly conscious of himself, of his own sense of living, meaning and inner world. What is the solution? If there were an upright yet potent method by which this veil of insubstantial penetration could be removed, everything would be well. Man would see himself and others in a meaningful, more perceptible light, he would take from within the strength and wisdom to live, and accordingly, his entire life and environment would be by far improved.
There is a story about this. The great sage Narada, whose spiritual personality was very strong and developed, and whose heart was very pure and innocent, went to God and asked him what the value of Satsanga is. Satsanga means contact (Sanga) with good people (Sat). God smiled and showed him a small plant. The moment the sage looked at the plant, it faded. The sage, whose heart was full of compassion, felt disturbed. God brought him to a worm. The moment the sage came near it, its life faded. Next was a fox, and then a lion. When God told him to go to a certain house to visit a baby, the shaken sage opposed. He said: "If every creature I meet dies, then I shall surely not cause the death of a baby. What is the meaning of all this? I asked you about the benefit of Satsanga, good contact, not about Duhsanga, painful contact." God smiled and enlightened the holy man about the matter: "In your holy presence, the plant faded and its soul took birth as a worm. Again by your divine radiation, the same soul became a fox, the fox a lion, and the lion finally became a human being. Do you see now the value of your inner Light? Wherever you go, people's lower nature is purified and elevated."
This story tells us how help and service to others must not always be material or visible. The divine light dwelling in our heart is enough to kindle other people's spiritual consciousness. Only, if we want to share our light with others, we must also possess it. What is this light? It is the Energy created by Kriya, the Energy created by meditation and communion with God.
The Divine, who is the very Consciousness, the very Life, dwelling in our being, is not an abstract concept, an archetype of our unconscious expressing itself from time to time, but a living Existence, a conscious Personality, a vibrating Energy wishing only to reveal Itself to us. There is no perfection of personality without opening ourselves to this fountain of infinite possibilities. It is the Grace of the Divine that brings us on the path, but we must be ready to receive it, we must be pure enough to treasure it in our heart. What is the fire burning away all impediments and wrong perceptions? What is the torch lightening the candle of divine love in us? It is Kriya.
Kriya is one of the most practical of all approaches to spiritual life, it is a tool, a treasure, beyond description. Automatically, Kriya develops all the aspects of our personality. Latent qualities and talents suddenly reveal themselves to the conscious mind of the Kriya-Yogi, bringing along the energy and dynamism to use them. We are filled with a new sense of life, a new aim, and above all, we are never alone, for daily Kriya brings us the consciousness of God's Personality and Life.
Kriya is not the goal, as often misunderstood, but the means to the goal. The goal is the manifestation of Light and Energy in our own life, centred around the daily experience of the Divine. Also, we bring peace and joy to others, and thereby we reflect God's universal love.
Saints and sages of all parts, races and creeds of the world have proved by living example that all this is possible. A higher Truth bringing only joy and peace is approachable, it is knowable and it is possible to manifest Its light in daily life. Important to know is that every sage possessed some type of Kriya - even if not a classically listed one - by the help of which he developed his personality and lost himself in God. Never think that the Kriya discludes other possibilities of evolution. Kriya powerfully inspires you, awakens in you subtle energies resulting in higher consciousness and direct awareness of the Divine, but it only adds to your life, in no way does it take anything away.
Kriya-Yoga in General
A Kriya-Yogi is conscious of a structure in his spiritual life. The first two of a series of factors are: the Kriya, and the Paravastha, the effect of the Kriya. Paravastha is the change in the energy-level and awareness taking place immediately after Kriya-practice. It is best to meditate during this time, otherwise the energies released cannot evolve rightly. Thus, from Kriya emerges meditation. The fruit of meditation is inspiration, and from inspiration comes efficiency in work.
The Kriya
The word ‚Kriya' comes from the over seven thousand year-old language Sanskrit. Originally it denoted any kind of action, basically physical, but also conventional. When the sages of ancient India discovered special exercises of the body, the breath and the mind, resulting in extraordinary experiences, an accelarated evolution of consciousness, and above all, strength and light, they called them ‚Kriya' and arranged them in the form of a system. This system is called Sadhana, lit. the tool. The techniques can be divided into two types, Upa-Kriyas and Kriyas. Upa-Kriyas are simple, but effective techniques preparing the seeker physically, mentally and vitally for the practice of higher Kriyas. Often an Upa-Kriya may appear to be very simple, even crude, but when practised with sincerity, it bears immediate fruit. Upa-Kriyas can be categorized as physical, respirational and mental. Although, modified for the Kriya-Yogis of today, they may also be a combination of these three.
Kriyas themselves are considered very sacred. A yogic Scripture says:
When kept secret, the Kriya bears power. When revealed [unnecessarily,] it is rendered powerless.
Thus, Kriyas and preferrably also Upa-Kriyas, are not revealed to undeserving, insincere characters.
The Paravastha
What is the effect of a Kriya? The effect of Kriya is divine Energy. In many people, the Energy created by the Kriya is first either not feelable, or then unbearable. This is where Upa-Kriyas come into play. They develop Prajna- or Medha-Sakti, the power of sensibility. It is one of the greatest gifts of the ancient sages. Medha-Sakti is important for meditation, since it allows the abstract to become real. After a session of Kriya-practice, a special Energy flows in the body, sometimes intensively, sometimes passively. Through this Energy we touch the Divine, we commune with the Divine, for this Energy is the divine Radiance. The Yogi does not excuse extraordinary events, visions or intuitions with coincidence, hallucinations or sharp understanding. Instead, he appreciate with all his heart the play of the divine Energy in his daily life. Through Kriya-Yoga, you can commune with that Energy, you can feel it and you can use it is a ladder to elevate your consciousness. It is not a lifeless Energy, but one full of personality and consciousness, enthusiasm and possibilities. In this Energy, the Yogi rests, he enjoys it, and is strengthened by it. The aim of his life is to build up this Energy so far that it overcomes his entire being. His body, mind and heart become drenched in it, and his individual consciousness is carried by it to the heights of God-consciousness.
A Meaningful Life
As a natural result, we are able to infuse a higher value into our life and activity. Often spontaneous ideas are inspired from above, and such ideas can never fail in their aim when realized. A Kriya-Yogi has to develop not only the divine Energy but also his virtues, otherwise his inner achievement is useless for the world without. He has to manifest self-control, openheartedness, honesty to himself and to others, and so on. This he does by praying to the Divine for these qualities. The Divine is a fountain of infinite possibilities. Whatever we ask the Divine for, from the depths of our heart, we get.
The Kriya-Yogi's Daily Routine
Morning: During normal working days, he gets up at around 5 a.m. Either before or after his bath, he completes a full session of Kriya-practice and then sits for meditation. He enters a state of higher consciousness of God for at least twenty minutes. If at all he eats a light breakfast, then not before 9.00 clock. At 7 or 7.30 he is ready for work. Before he starts his work, he offers it to God, thus letting it be inspired by His Will.
Noon: Around 12 midday, at least half an hour before taking lunch, he does a few simple respirational Kriyas for energization and spends a few minutes in meditative consciousness of the Divine. Then he takes a healthy lunch, and afterwards continues his work.
Evening: Then, in the evening, two hours after taking a light dinner &endash; which is approximately at 8.30, he again does a full session of Kriya-practice and meditation. After that, if he has time and inspiration, he sings devotional songs or recites spiritual texts, or he reads a spiritually inspiring book or scripture. At 10 or 10.30 he goes to bed, ending the day with another respirational Kriya combined with and consumating in God-consciousness.
The Kriya-Yogi's Meditation
The Kriya-Yogi has an all-inclusive heart, for everywhere he sees the activity and play of the Divine. When he meditates, he surrenders himself fully to the divine Energy sustaining his personality, he is carried by it. He is disciplined and yet creative in his meditation.
For example, when he meditates, he may feel his sense of individual existence, the sense of ‚I' resting as the backdrop and sustainer of the mind's activity, overwhelmed by an expansion of unimpeded Awareness, flooded by a wave of living Energy, emerging from behind the ‚I', from behind his person, first enclosing it, and then embracing his feelings, his thoughts, his whole individual consciousness. Slowly he lets it exceed his individual consciousness, proceeding on to the surroundings, to the distant horizon, all the while feeling himself carried along, further and further, deeper and deeper, until it merges with the infinite space.
Meditation is the means to a better life. It was through meditation that the sages of old and new discovered their inner vastness, and it was through the awareness and love of God sprung from meditation that they became what they were. For all, for the beginner and for the advanced Yogi, meditation is an absolute essential.
Benefits
Often people are very impatient. If they do not experience a transcendental state of consciousness after the first Kriya-practice, they think it has no substance, and leave it aside. The effect of every Kriya-practice can be felt in the form of the Energy it releases, even in the beginning stages. At the start it is important to develop one's sensibility, feeling and awareness. The Yogi is able to be aware of something that is not visible to the senses. This special ability is called Prajna-Sakti. Although there are Kriyas to develop it, the interest and discipline has to come from the practitioner.
Immediate benefits of Kriya-practice are:
- The body radiates a warm, pleasant energy, having a pleasing effect on the environment and people.
- The uncomfortable sluggishness that overcomes us so often is replaced by a feeling of lightness and fineness.
- The ability to concentrate oneself increases.
- We become visibly relaxed in attitude, but firm in action.
Basic Spiritual Benefits:
- Through the divine Energy released by the Kriya, we daily we come in direct contact with the Divine.
- Later, according to our temperament, we are blessed by extraordinary visions, experiences of the divine Personality, or by higher dimensions of consciousness; all according to our own temperament.
- Our relation to the Divine becomes stronger and stronger, until that special, most blessed turn in consciousness comes, when our life, ideas, thoughts and words, are directly inspired by the divine Energy, the cosmic Will.
A sense that life has an integral value is infused in us, making our whole outlook pleasant and ambitious.
Advice of Sri Bhaskaracarya
Kriya-Yoga
The most important activity going on in this universe is breathing. If breathing will stop, everything will stop. So, this breathing, this Prana-power, is of highest importance. Kriya-Yoga deals with the mastery of this breathing. By the help of this, stability is achieved. The pure intelligence comes, which gives you the understanding to analyse the difference between the material and the awakened consciousness. These are very subtle breathing techniques, directly affecting the particular energy-centres present in the body. In the normal state, these energy-centres are not working. But with the help of Kriya they can be awakened and can be used in elevating oneself to a divine consciousness - you become an enlightened soul. This is the only purpose of life.
Spirit and Body
The soul is like electricity. The body is like the wire. Although you cannot see the electricity, the lamp glows only due to its presence.
Ego
The water in a pond, when quiet, reflects the face. When a stone is thrown in, the ripples hide it. The same is with the ego. When the waves of the ego are not in action, when the ego is not there, one's true and divine nature is easily revealed.
One-Pointedness
When a river is directed into many channels, it cannot reach the sea. To reach the sea it has to go in one direction, with full force. The same is with the mind. When the thought-waves are many, it is not possible. Sadhana is to stop this.
Work and Spiritual Life
Hold on to God with one hand, do your work with the other. God will then take hold of you with both His hands.
Problems
If you concentrate on a problem, finished. Is it possible to paint a picture on a canvas full of colours. No. What do you have to do then? You have to paint it white. In the same way, you cannot paint over your character just like that. You have to make it white, pure, first.
Virtues
The most important thing is always to follow the higher virtues, to discover what good you can do. Everything else will come automatically. You do not have to concentrate on Kundalini and all this, only on how you can be good.
Discipline
Everything in nature, the seasons, the ocean and so on, keeps discipline. Have you ever seen a year with the summer coming before spring? Everything keeps discipline. And the same is in spiritual life. You can develop only if you keep discipline &endash; in Kriya, meditation and also love &endash; always the same.
Possessions
One man has nothing, only spiritual power. The others have everything, only not power.
True Faith
The aim of all philosophies, all Sadhanas, is in fact to remove doubts. When all doubts are removed, true Sraddha, true faith, shines forth and reveals the Self.
Using the Mind
Question: To what extent should the aspirant use his mind?
Master: The mind is twofold, the higher and the lower, the normal. Only the higher mind is permanent, the lower mind cheats you. Therefore a truly wise person takes refuge in the higher mind. The lower mind is where you yourself are thinking, depending on a pattern you have formed over many lives. The higher mind is the condition when you have fully surrendered your ego to the Divine. Using this mind is absolutely necessary. Whatever you think or feel is inspired by the divine Power.
Advice of Sri Sanjay Krishna Sastri
Different Paths
There are different paths to go up a mountain. The higher they go up, the closer they come together. In the same way, at the bottom of the mountain of spirituality, the various paths seem far from each other. However, the higher one comes, the closer they come together, and finally, when one reaches the top, they become one.
Spirituality and the Brain
Question: What is the relation between divine experiences and the brain?
Babaji: The brain also plays a role in it, since it is the physical manifestation of the mind. Up to a certain level, as far as the physical can reach, the brain is involved, but later, when the quality of mind becomes extremely subtle, it outgrows the brain and enters the higher mind.
Hunger for Sadhana
If a person is hungry, he eats to become satisfied. In the same way worldly people need Sadhana. You cannot become satisfied by sitting only for fifteen minutes, only through long practice.
Quotations versus Inspiration
Question: What is more valid, quotations or own inspiration?
Babaji: For your own things, personal things, take inner inspiration. You have no business with the others. Your inspiration is more authoritative than quotations. But your inspiration is only for yourself, not for others. One pill is good for you, but not for another.
Kundalini
Question: What is the nature of Kundalini?
Babaji: Kunda means Adhara, foundation. When fully active, all Samskaras, all experiences, are burnt up. The body has to be Paripakva, completely mature, otherwise, like a dam which is not built strongly, it is crushed, when the flow of the Sakti comes.
Just as, when a dam is built, you have to wait for the cement to dry, otherwise the water will break through, so too, for Kundalini to come, the body etc has to be made strong.
Steady Faith
One shouldn't give up one's faith and love even if troubles are present, like a farmer who keeps on ploughing his field even if a storm destroys it. A false farmer will give up and go to find some other business. The lowest category of Sadhakas is like this.
Receive
The vibrations are always around you; you have to make your receiver strong. This comes only through love, deep love, self-giving love.
Clean Again and Again
Like a dirty shirt, you should clean your mind again and again. Human nature should be transformed into divine nature. It is not a one-day work, but a whole life. Give up everything and do your work for the Divine.
Using our Personality
Our body is a jet-plane, but we are using it as a bullock-cart. We have a mind, an intellect, an ego etc, but we should use them properly.
Living in a Good Community
There are many crabs in a bucket. If one crab tries to get out, the others pull it down. Similarly, even if there is a good person, if he is in the wrong community, it is very difficult for him to get out.
To be Strong
To be strong means to think oneself weak and God all-powerful; to be weak means to think oneself strong. That is the difference between the thinking of the spiritual and the worldly person.
Empty Yourself
Once a saint said that if you are full the Divine cannot give you anything; but if you empty yourself then It comes.
Difficulties on the Path
Difficulties and troubles are quite natural for a spiritual aspirant, since he is transforming his own nature. To go in the opposite direction is always troublesome. The flow of the outer consciousness is downwards and you have to go upwards to attain that higher consciousness. So you have to get over these impediments.
Thus, as Sri Bhaskaracharya and his disciple Sanjay Krishna Sastri show us, Kriya-Yoga requires not only concentration and discipline, but also cultivation of virtues, clear understanding, and above all, love of the Divine.
Kriya-Yoga and Spiritual Development
(Speech by Sanjay Krishna Sastri, on 8.3.2001)
Suppose there is a human being without any idea of the spirit, astral level or any other extra-mundane experience. He has no interest in the spiritual field, no sense of the existence of a God-like thing. Totally unaware, he is busy with his work, happy with his ‚wife and life'. In this state he thinks he does not need any spiritual inspiration. But is it true? We see that when things are in the hands of the human race, they say "yes, we have done this and we will do that." But this never comes to a fulfilment - like breathing, if one breathes in, one also has to breathe out. He has no other option. Denying it makes no difference, since breathing is essential for life's sustenance. So, for carrying on a nation's progress, for maintaining a society, one is conditioned by responsibilities and duties which require hard work and which never come to an end. Similarly, in family life, requirements and duties are always repeated: good clothes, passing time in a film, a nice dinner in a restaurant, and so on; the son needs money to spend on friends, he wants a bike or a good car for his stocial status, and so on. This is a cycle which never comes to an end: the same life, the same work, the same exhaustion, eating, sleeping, again going to work. Even animals are equal in this. They too work all the day to get their food. Is it not a good example?
But the human is more intelligant than the animal. The psychic faculty of the human being is much more developed. The mind alone is such a powerful thing that if it is developed it can be used in composing music, learning different arts, ruling over a nation, doing new creative things and knowing the working of the mind itself.
How is it that even though the human being possesses higher powers of the mind, they often do not to come to expression? Because it is not silent, not quiet. When a river is directed into many channels, it cannot reach the sea. To reach the sea it has to go in one direction, with full force. This is called stillness of mind. The mind's higher faculties are awakened when it becomes still. When the mind's kinetic energy is turned or transformed back into potential energy, it enters into a subtle, non-human plane (Loka). There one can work with the speed of light, experience the divine Energy and come face to face with the innermost source of one's own being, the Kutastha. The great seers stated that the human body is the best medium for attaining this extra-mundane state of mind. With the help of special techniques, we can enter into a higher, divine consciousness. Once you know the flow of the different energies in your own body, you can withdraw all the energy into one place and use it for various purposes. You can change something with only will-power.
Make your life a paradise, based on nobility, morality, higher values, higher realities; it is only then that the divine Energy dormant in your own being, which has the nature of a child, is curious to rise up and enlighten you. It then sees that your whole life and environment is a heaven of purity, love and light, and so it comes to full expression, bringing along with it all the treasures of the Divine.
