A SEEKER’S SYSTEM

HISTORY OF KRIYAYOGA

Kriya yoga is a tradition that has always been passed directly from guru to disciple. Kriya yoga has no history to share. Its origins and evolution are hidden by the ancient past. There is not even a story to explain the humble beginnings of this system because it has stayed so secretive. Kriya yoga maintains both its purity and its effectiveness by staying devoid of any superficialities. It appears that the only well-known yogic path not specifically addressed in traditional scriptures is kriya yoga. We can only speculate that kriya yoga is some sort of ancient, closely guarded method passed down from teacher to student. The legendary name of Yogiraj Sri Sri Shyamacharan Lahiri Mahasaya must come first in any meaningful discussion of his Kriya Yoga. On September 30, 1828, Sri Shyamacharan Lahiri was born in the former Bengali district of Nadia. Sri Shyamacharan started working for the British government in the railways in 1851. A few years later, he was moved to Ranikhet, which is in the Himalayan foothills close to Nainital. As he went about his official duties, he heard someone say, “Shyamacharan… Shyamacharan, I am waiting for you, come to me. He was not expecting anyone to know his name, so this shocked him. He regarded it as a mere illusion of the mind. But the call grew increasingly urgent. It said, “You come to me.” “Shyamacharan, I am waiting for you.” Days later, Sri Shyamacharan made the decision to find the source of this voice. He finished his formal duties for the day and walked up a lonely path, following the voice. As the sun began to drop, Sri Shyamacharan followed the speaker up the hill close to Dronagiri. Sri Shyamacharan saw the surrounding region lighted by a dazzlingly brilliant ray of light that came from one of the caves in the hills. As Sri Shyamacharan followed the light, he came to the cave and saw a saint who was gloriously young sitting inside.
Sri Shyamacharan was greeted by the saint, who called him Gangadhar, the name he had used in a past life. With some anxiety, Sri Shyamacharan went into the cave. How the saint knew his name baffled him. The saint asked Sri Shyamacharan whether he could identify an Asana (seat) and a Kamandal (holy water dispenser) inside the cave. The all-knowing saint then came up to Sri Shyamacharan and gave him a back pat. Sri Shyamacharan remembered his eternal celestial Gurudev Sri Babaji, as well as his former birthplace and place of meditation. He recalled being a Sanyasi in a past life who, before departing from his physical body, engaged in intense meditation in front of his guru. The propagation of Kriya Yoga among the general public is crucial for the welfare of humanity, Babaji informed Sri Lahiri Mahasaya. Babaji initiated Sri Lahiri Mahasaya after purifying his body in a matter of days. The initiation of Sri Shyamacharan in 1861 was a significant and auspicious event, not only for him but for all of humanity. Almost extinct at the time, Kriya Yoga came down to earth from the Himalayas to satisfy the thirst of people seeking the right path and salvation. After a short time, Sri Lahiri Mahasaya went back to Benaras and gave his entire attention to the cause of initiation for those who wanted to follow Kriya. People from diverse backgrounds were brought to the Kriya path by Lahiri Mahasaya, who did not discriminate on the basis of caste, creed, or community. Lahiri Mahasaya was not a big believer in organized religion. Instead, he held the belief that the captivating influence of Kriya, or its aromatic essence, would naturally disseminate on its own.

WHY SHOULD SOMEONE PRACTICE KRIYAYOGA?

Transforming each moment of your life into a consistent manifestation of love, bliss, and wisdom is the main objective of Kriyayoga. Specifically, it seeks to transform tamas into sattwa. It is intended to improve all aspects of your existence.

The following changes can be seen as a result of Kriyayoga practice:

  • Phobias, conflicts, depressive disorders, erroneous beliefs, and conditioning are gradually eliminated through Kriyayoga.
  • It also gets rid of other problems that are hidden deep in the subconscious. 
  • Kriya Yoga develops balance on all levels of the mind, including the deepest and most superficial.
  • It makes it easier to maintain a relaxed state all day long.
  • This is dynamic relaxation, not passive relaxation.
  • People who relax in this way are able to work much more efficiently and vigorously than they could otherwise.
  • Kriyayoga makes transcendence possible by facilitating the study and comprehension of the psyche. 
  • It increases the degree of spontaneous awareness and awakens the state of dhyana.

These gradual improvements will transform your body and mind into an amazing instrument for action and understanding. Kriya yoga is an advanced method for integrating and balancing one’s inner forces and energy. Through practicing it, one can direct their most distinctive abilities in a positive direction without suppressing them. It doesn’t matter if someone is primarily emotional, intelligent, peaceful, aggressive, or has another dominant trait—these energies can be directed in constructive and beneficial ways. When one’s physical, mental, and psychic energies are in harmony, they flow as a single, powerful current that increases one’s sensitivity to their innermost being. One begins to vibrate and unite with underlying forces, which leads to a refined perception that was not previously experienced. Fundamentally, Kriyayoga uses, purifies, and channels the innate energy to help people discover their actual selves. What already exists is given the chance to grow and develop; nothing new is created. All yoga traditions aim to improve refined and direct perception. By bringing the energies of the body and mind into harmony, kriya yoga helps to improve one’s understanding and brings about a more intuitive experience. Through the practice of kriya yoga, individuals begin to perceive the deeper dimensions of their inherent nature, specifically the prana shakti emanating from the underlying substratum of consciousness. An individual goes profoundly inward to find the origins of the endless phenomena of the mind. One observes the emergence of thought bubbles originating from the primordial depths. Cultivating refined perception necessitates profound inner reflection, a thorough examination of the mind, and a methodical inquiry into the origin of thought processes. It is asserted that upon cultivating genuine sensitivity, the entire universe shall become an open book accessible to you. It will disclose new secrets and amazing knowledge on each page. A person’s attitude and understanding of the outside world will therefore completely change as a result of a subtle perception of one’s own being. Hence, Kriyayoga is a great place to start for anybody looking to gain wisdom.

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