THE ESSENCE OF KRIYA YOGA
THE NECESSITY OF CONCENTRATION
All of us have potential that is beyond even our wildest dreams, but most of this potential remains untapped.Each person has the capacity to experience different planes of consciousness. Yet most of us live in the lower planes, without experiencing higher levels of existence or even believing that they exist. Unfortunately, a significant number of individuals are dissatisfied with their circumstances and are uncertain as to what they are missing. What is the basis for this terrible situation? The basic reason for this unhappiness is our attachment to the material plane of existence.Once we gain a glimpse of higher spheres of consciousness, then our unhappiness and discontent automatically fade away. The objective of all systems of yoga is to achieve transcendental states, which allow everyone to establish a connection with their inner being. Most of the systems stress the importance of concentration as a technique of isolating consciousness from the outside world. Concentration implies the focusing of one’s consciousness towards one point, either external or internal, to the exclusion of all other subjects or thoughts. Now, this is not a simple task. It is because our consciousness, in conjunction with our mind, is conditioned to move from one place to the next, from one thing to another.Any effort on our part to subdue consciousness and make it stay in a single spot puts pressure on the mind.It causes stress and frustration because no matter how hard we try, we can’t stop it from wandering.
Concentration is possible only if a person is very relaxed mentally and physically. Concentration is something that occurs spontaneously in a very relaxed mind and body. Until relaxation is achieved, concentration, real concentration that is, remains impossible. Therefore, it is necessary to have a system that progressively guides a person to more profound states of relaxation. Then, concentration gradually evolves into a spontaneous activity of consciousness. The path that leads to this state is referred to as the Kriyayoga system.
A SPIRITUAL SYSTEM PAR EXCELLENCE
Kriyayoga is the most ancient spiritual system that ever existed. Throughout the millennia, thousands of spiritual aspirants have practiced Kriya Yoga for self-realization. It is considered one of the most reliable methods for achieving the state of Supreme Consciousness, or Turiya Avastha. There are numerous yoga organizations that refer to their practices or systems as Kriyayoga. However, what the deathless Guru, Mahavatar Babaji, imparted to Shri Lahiri Mahasaya is commonly known throughout the world by the name Kriyayoga. With the creation to escape from the illusionary consciousness, God himself gave a complete system to mankind. This system is known as Kriyayoga. This is what Kriya yogis believe. That is why Paramahamsa Yogananda narrated the history of Kriyayoga in this famous Autobiography of a Yogi in the following manner. He said: Bhagavad Gita is the first text that refers to Kriya Yoga. The life of Bhagawan Krishna as a Kriya-Guru alone would be enough to make Kriya history unforgettable. It was Sri Krishna who introduced Vivasvan to Kriya Yoga in a previous incarnation. Vivasvan taught his son Manu, who is also the great lawmaker of India. Eventually, Manu initiated his son Ikshwaku into Kriyayoga. Paramahamsa Yogananda quotes verses from 1-5 of chapter 4 of B.G, to authenticate his claim. This is how Kriya Yoga was guarded by “Royal Rishis” and sages until the advent of materialism. As a result of secrecy prevailing in the system and man’s indifference, the sacred knowledge gradually became unavailable. In this age, Sri Krishna (or God or Cosmic consciousness) revived it once again in the form of Mahavatar Babaji. In 1861, the immortal Guru Mahavatar Babaji initiated Yogiraj Sri Shyamacharan Lahiri Mahasaya into Kriya yoga. This is the point at which Babaji made the following statement to Sri Lahiri Mahasaya: “This Kriya Yoga is the same science that Krishna taught Arjuna millennia (muh-leh-nee-uh) ago, as well as the science that Patanjali and a number of other great masters also mastered. Its Sanskrit root of Kriya is ‘Kri’, which means ‘to act’, ‘to do’, and ‘to react’. Kriya Yoga refers to union with the Absolute through a specific act or technique. Pratyahara, the withdrawal of senses, is the immediate result of practicing Kriya yoga. Practice over time brings all voluntary and involuntary functions of the body under control, resulting in complete stillness. When a person experiences this level of silence or stillness, he is undoubtedly a spiritual being. Kriya Yoga is a simple psychophysical method for decarbonizing human blood and increasing its oxygen content. The practice of Kriyayoga converts the oxygen absorbed by the breath into its basic constituents of atomic energy. It is subsequently converted into subtle life energy known as prana. The consistent practice of the Kriyayoga system eliminates the entire carbon waste produced by body cells. By doing so, there is no more dark, impure, poisonous blood to flow in the body and no more impure blood to be pumped into the heart for purification. The result of this process is the neutralization of upward-moving Prana and downward-moving Apana, which causes the breath to cease.When the body is in a state of being breathless, the life force or prana is liberated from its enslavement to oxygen This makes it possible for prana to move towards the spirit rather than manifesting in the body through the activity of breathing. This is the process by which the transformation of material consciousness into divine consciousness takes place.