Gist of “Kriya Yoga" His Holiness Swamiji Sri Selvam Siddhar Kriya Yoga was first introduced by Lord Shiva. The word “Kriya” means “action” and the word “Yoga” means to “enjoin” or “connect”. Lord Shiva introduced this to his wife Umadevi. From Lord Shiva couple, the Kriya Yoga was passed on to the Brahma couple and Vishnu Couple. They all passed these Kriya Yoga techniques to the sages and Rishis. The great Sage Agasthya brought it to this earth and spread it. Due to some reasons nobody after Sage Agasthya tried this great thing. The sage Agasthya says about Kriya Yoga as follows, "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." A yogi who faithfully follows its technique is gradually freed from karma or the universal chain of causation. “Kriya yoga has found a place in some people who are looking for a deeper, more spiritual relationship with their lives. It is a kundalini oriented yoga and meditation technique that also teaches certain spiritual and esoteric principles. Unfortunately, like many similar "spiritual" power structures, it teaches you that essentially your power lies outside of yourself - that is, that you need a 'guru', or 'master' to access your own innate spirituality. Kriya yoga has some aims which sound both appealing and promising. They aim to eliminate "obstructions" and "obstacles" from the mind and body. Point of view is a very interesting thing here, however. Because what is an obstacle or obstruction to one person, may not be to another. This assumes a very interesting light in reference to power structures and belief systems, and highlights why it is important to maintain your own self sovereignty in mind and action. Kriya yoga is the SelfRealization Fellowship as a 'total yoga' system that tried to address spiritual as well as physical aspects of self. Kriya yoga is derived mainly from three other yoga techniques - karma yoga, Bhakti yoga, and Jnana yoga. Karma yoga focuses on the movement of the soul both inside and outside of the mind. Jnana yoga focuses on wisdom, allowing the mind freedom. Bhakti yoga focuses on love, as it allows you to come to terms with everything around you. The aim in combining them was to "purify" the mind and soul, and proponents of Kriya yoga believe that they can achieve self realization more quickly this way than following the other disciplines. Kriya Preparation The first step in Kriya is to 'prepare' one’s body, and that is done in one of a couple of ways. For many, Hatha yoga is the perfect preparation exercise. For others, though, who may not be as flexible, alternatives are provided. Next in Kriya, the mind is prepared. General conduct is studied as part of the mental process in this discipline. This is done to ensure that the mind is correctly focused and it is essential. Additionally, the Kriya yoga technique pushes one to study overall wellness, cleanliness, purity, and even metaphysical principles. Together, though, they help to 'prepare' the mind for later techniques, which use the body's life force currents ostensibly to "refine" the brain and nervous system. Mantras are also taught in Kriya yoga techniques. They are believed to deepen the meditative experience. This sound technology undoubtedly tunes the body, like a tuning fork, as will any sound that is repeated and focused on. The question is, of course, to what frequency is the body being tuned? If self realization is a journey, whose journey are we undertaking? Ours or someone else's? Kriya yoga undoubtedly resonates with some people. The secret behind the success of the above title in reorienting its readers’ outlook and lifestyle in general is nothing.
Kriya Yoga is a novel science comprising of all the best techniques available in different traditional oriental systems of yoga for control of the innate breathing exercise or Pranayama. Yoga, in its totality prepares the mind as well as the body for the ultimate goal of life. This is the association and assimilation of the individual consciousness with the Supreme Consciousness. The path described for such a marvelous journey is same, simple and secret in every religion. This is the control of the senses and concentration of the mental faculty through control over the respiratory process. Kriya Yoga is mentioned in the ancient renowned philosophy of the great sage Patanjali, as a mean for communication with the Absolute by way of certain significant practices and it is intensely secret. My Guruji revived that sacred tradition and presented to us as the most advanced, up-to-date way of spiritual practice, which is suitable for both the family men and renunciants, for any human soul beyond any barrier of religion, caste, age, sex or nationality. As in every art, practice of Kriya Yoga too has to be performed under the supervision of an able Master, a self-realized Guru ‘in living’, who himself has crossed all the stages of yogic sublimity. He is the sole origin and medium of transfer of spiritual energy to an obliged and obeisant disciple. Only He holds the key to self-realization for the disciple. The insurmountable restlessness of human mind has to be focused in the way taught and tutored by the Guru. Any attempt to sail alone in spiritual practice is totally prohibited. Some scholar have commented Kriya Yoga as the most essential to satiate one’s inquisitiveness, it is for an insight into the knowledge necessary to allay all misgivings and also to help one to appreciate his journey through newer stages of spiritual upliftment during sadhana. The first one is Pranayama. PRANAYAMA AND ITS NECESSITY Pranayama does not merely mean some breathing exercise. When the prana rests at the sushumna (central channel), the chittha leaves unrest and becomes tranced and destituted of the sense of timing. The physical degeneration of a yogi is also kept suspended. His lifetime, as a rule, increases accordingly. By the practice of Kriya Yoga a yogi can keep up his physical existence or can give it up according to his sweet will. Thus the sushumna makes a yogi conqueror of time." "Following the advice of Sri Guruji and by practicing pranayama the chittha attains placidity in the sushumna and as such shuns all other facts and attains Samadhi. At that time it becomes oblivious of any sense of timing, be it day or night or anything else. One may visualize his inner self whenever the prana is unmoved. The prana destituted of restlessness is none other than the Absolute. The mind is an inseparable part of the prana. It is no different than the restless state of life force. Rendezvous of the mind and life force by maneuvering the breathing is called Kriya yoga." Another famous yogi comments as “If you want to see the Gods, enter into the interior of beholden breath, the practitioner who keeps himself absorbed in the supramental sky by transcendental meditation, can transform himself into God and meets God face to face. To meet God face to face, Kriya Yoga is the best”. YOGA AND ITS NECESSITY "Yoga practice brings in concentration from which germinate the serene knowledge of divinity. Knowledge of 'self' comes out of this wisdom which ultimately conveys the blessings of salvation. By the yoga practice the truest and effulgent features of the Absolute which is the bright and brilliant aroma of ecstasy is manifested to become conspicuous to us. Gradually it comes to the direct and supreme aspect of wisdom that the Ultimate Reality is omniscient, existing absolutely with every atom of the cosmos. The individual gets itself lost in the Absolute. This is the identification with the Supreme Being, the mingling of life's little existence into the ocean of unmixed pleasure. This is Kriya yoga, the zenith of perfection of sadhana."
KRIYA YOGA AND GENERAL CLASSIFICATION OF YOGA Kriya Yoga is a combined creation of raja yoga and other branches of yoga. The great sage Agasthya has given directions on the easiest ways of yoga practice in the name of Kriya Yoga. The yoga is of four types: hatha, raja, mantra, Laya. Raja yoga fails to attain perfection without hatha yoga. Hatha yoga also vacillates without raja yoga. It may be said that each of the four types of yoga are complementary to each other. They are never contradictory. Truly speaking, only a few have succeeded perfectly in the four yogas. THE CONCEPT OF COMMUNICATIVE TRIBUTARIES. (NADIS) The human body comprises of three hundred and fifty thousands of communicative channels (nadis or meridians). Amongst them fourteen are of chief importance. They are named as sushumna, ida, pingala, gandhari, hastijihva, sarasvati, pusha, sankhini, payasvini, varuni, alamvusha, visvodari and yasasvini. Sushumna is the supreme and essential for yoga practices. It is this path which is famous as the divine avenue. It affords immense pleasure and immortality. The yogi escapes all possible vices by transcendental meditation on sushumna. THE ENTITY OF SERPENT POWER (KUNDALINI) The opening through which one has to travel the orifice of the Absolute is covered by the dormant serpent power, the Goddess of “kulakundalini." The great power kundalini in the shape of a serpent is nothing other than the prana. She is spread in the whole body in the shape of air-like prana etc. When this prana wakes up and creeps into sahasrara (crown chakra), its own abode, piercing sushumna, many exquisitely melodious sounds are heard. All the powers of Prana, as if converging into the serpent power is lying latent above the anal area. This kundalini pushes the life force or the upward air (pranavayu) vertically and immerses the basal air (apanavayu) downwards and thus it exerts respiration moving like a snake. Perfect habituation in pranayama awakens the serpent power of our life force, which is lying latent in the first plexus. Kundalini, flowing through sushumna reaches its destination in sahasrara where the Lord of the Absolute is enthroned. The practitioner then attains supreme and absolute wisdom. The second base of Kriya Yoga is the purification of the Shatchakra (six base chakras of the human body). These are called as six mystical nerve plexuses. SHATCHAKRA A Kriya yogi admits the concept that there lies a potential power at the spino-cerebral axis, extending from the coccygeal level to the topmost center, the brain. The extinction of individuality and absorption into the Supreme Spirit is possible only by the knowledge of the Highest Reality or the Absolute and it is to be obtained by the direct control of the mind by various mystical methods along the line of this spinocerebral axis. Finally, there is sahasrara, the lotus situated at the summit of sushumna. The yogi, who can uplift kundalini to this lotus after awakening it from muladhara and penetrates all the six nerve centers, becomes always overwhelmed with eternal bliss. He drinks the nectar dripping from the center of this chakra. The practice of Kriya yoga has another important part. That part is called as “Mudra”. Even though there are thousands of Mudras refered to in the Vedas, only a few are considered as the most important of all the Mudras. Now let us see about these important Mudras. MAHAMUDRA One, who practices this Mudra properly, attains perfection in spite of miserable fortune. All the channels of the body are enlivened by the practice as such. The serpent power (kundalini), being awakened, and moves towards the final goal. All the physical maladies are ameliorated, the appetite increases as also the lifespan. The mahamudra of Sri.Agasthya requires the Kechari mudra at the very outset. By means of this exercise the breathing air is held through pranayama. In this context it is to be remembered that
according to the precepts of revered Sri.Agasthya, kumbhaka does not necessarily mean holding of respiratory air by puraka. However, in this way the finer aspect of prana lodged in the spinal canal is extolled to the cephalic area following the external respiration. At such a stage the expiration of prana ceases spontaneously. It is also to be remembered that the tranquility of mahamudra and that of the avian exercise (Kechari) are identical by nature. The difference lies only in the definite state emanated out of yoga practice. The Kechari mudra presents the flow of pleasure where as mahamudra represents more of spirit. The goal of mahamudra is up to the tranquility of spirit. The next is Sambhavi Mudra. SAMBHAVI MUDRA Owing to personal experience of Kriya Yoga, this much I can say that, by sambhavi mudra, or by riveting fixed attention on the glabellas, the supreme Self can be gazed at and with half-closed eyes one can stay in that state. Following the procedures advised by Sri Guruji every day, after practicing pranayama and yoni mudra for two hours while envisaging the haloed being at the kutastha, the attention concentrates there at that time. In this way one can approach the gunatita state. The individuality of the sadhaka then transforms into Godliness. YONI MUDRA The motto of yonimudra is to envisage that Supreme Consciousness from which emanates out to this world of ours. The Absolute Consciousness is called the light of divine light. This divine light is exposing everything created. One can experience that divine light by means of practicing this mudra. The method of revered Sri.Agasthya needs the involvement of Kechari mudra in unabridged execution of this yoni mudra. By means of the Kechari mudra the sadhaka will draw the finer and subtle prana methodically in the sixth plexus (ajna chakra). Then by the method of yoni mudra as per the dictates of scriptures, the divine light of the Absolute is to be perceived. According to the great scholars, the anatomy of this mudra comprises of Kechari mudra, pranayama and observation of the divine light. By means of yoni mudra the sadhaka observes in the kutastha an exquisite circle of blue light bristling within an aroma of brilliant yellow or white color. This is considered as the dual image of the Supreme Self, and his force and energy, the personified will of the Supreme Self. This is the third stage of the practice of divine light. At that time the sadhaka enters into a kingdom where there is no darkness in spite of conspicuous absence of any light. It is an inexplicable state. What appeared earlier as dark is now transformed, as it was into as serene tranquility? When the sadhaka identifies his soul with this tranquility, his ultimate goal is attained. The next is a kind of spiritual Bandage. MULABANDHA The dormant kundalini seared by that heat awakens and straightens and entering into the sushumna moves through the channel of the Absolute. These feelings one can experience in the first Kriya of revered Sri.Agasthya. The next is the visuals. ATMADARSANA AND NADASRAVANA With all austerity, when the yoga practitioner goes on practicing sadhana slowly and steadily, he starts listening to exquisite words and sounds hitherto unheard of. This words and sounds well up from the depths of his heart. The Vedic scriptures say that these sounds are identical with the Absolute. Listening to the sound OM one's intellectual faculty will cease wayward movement and reside permanently in the serene tranquility of the Supreme Reality. The achievement of yoga will then be complete. This resonance of OM is spontaneous. This resonance in the form of OM is the Absolute and the state beyond this resonance is the supreme state of ecstasy. When the prana reaches the sahasrara at the vertex after crossing the ajna chakra the sadhaka loses his identity. At that time the real non-dual state
steps into being. For no subject or object denoting the name or the named one remains there. The name and the named object lose difference at that time. The knowledge, the knower, and the knowledgeable melts into Oneness. My Guruji used to say "omkara is here in the corporeal abode. To know Him is to know everything. The yoga practice (kriya) is gayatri. The post-practising state of placidity (paravastha) is allied to the state of salvation." The resonance of omkara is audible by omkara Kriya (the second Phase of Kriya yoga). It is audible after concentration in the spinal process. Flash of transcendental light comes after this resonance. After this light when the mind gets lost into it, the Supreme Reality ascends. The individual self rests in the area covered by the twelve petalled lotus in the chest. THE BASE OF KRIYA The first Kriya is also known as the bhutasuddhi Kriya or the practice of corporeal purification or the practice for meditation. At this stage there should be an effort to prepare the tongue for Kechari mudra. One cannot deserve higher grades of Kriya until the tongue is prepared for Kechari mudra. It may be perceived that if a sadhaka performs 'perfectly' only twelve Kriya pranayama as mentioned above, his mind enters into the interior world leaving the external attractions. This inward feeling is called pratyahara. The sadhaka, after performing pranayama 12 x 12 or 144 in number 'perfectly' arrives at the state of dharana. At this stage the inward mind can be steadfast in the interior plexuses (chakras) of divine lights. The sadhaka attains the state of dhyana after performing 'perfectly' 144 x 12 or 1728 number of pranayama. At this stage only the mental faculty of the sadhaka goes on flowing in the shape of sublime egoism (asmita). To be more precise, deep thinking of the inner soul of the Supreme Self ceaselessly by the mental faculty is known as dhyana. In the aforesaid method 1728 x 12 or 20736 number of pranayama when performed 'perfectly', the sadhaka attains that Consciousness. The perfect union between the Individual Self and the Supreme Self is called as Samadhi. In other words when the individual self rests completely in the absolute, such a state is called Samadhi. At this state the external air is retained in the nostrils, the eyes are tethered to the glabella, the pranavayu and apana vayu is unmoved, the samanavayu does not come out of the nostrils. The state of Samadhi can be achieved as such, but it is next to impossible for anyone. To solve this problem Sri.Agasthya prescribes an easy way. In this method the state coming out of pranayama is given more attention than the number of pranayama. He has classified the course of pranayama into four divisions. The four types of Kriyas narrated above include all the states of pranayama resulting from the performances of 20736 number of first Kriya pranayama. Now let us see the second phase of Kriya. THE SECOND PHASE OF KRIYA According to revered Sri.Agasthya, the second Phase of pranayama is often named as omkara Kriya. This practice helps one to perceive the omkara (the ineffable primordial resonance which stands for the Absolute). A course of 144 numbers of pranayama as said in the first Phase or resting in the paramount state in the aftermath of twelve pranayama, a performance of omkara Kriya numbering twelve will lead one to the same pulpit (i.e. 144 first Kriya is equal to 12 second Kriya). The omkara Kriya makes the spontaneous resonance (pranava) far more conspicuous. A practice of attachment to the paramount state in the aftermath (paravastha) dissolves into the Absolute. THE THIRD PHASE OF KRIYA Venerable Sri.Agasthya has named the third Kriya as 'thokkarer Kriya' (pecking i.e. the device of striking repeatedly). This Kriya should also be performed along with Sambhavi Mudra and Kechari mudra. In the anahata chakra this Kriya renders repeated thrust of respiratory air along with mystic syllables. In this Kriya tranquility manifests all the more as compared to the earlier two pranayams. It is the characteristic of the Kriya of thokkar (pecking) as the Kriya of dharana. If twelve number of such Kriya of dharana is performed, it will be equal to 1728 number of bhutasuddhi Kriya and the state of meditation will
emerge in the mind. Staying in this meditation if twelve number of pranayama is performed, the state of Samadhi will ensue. THE FOURTH PHASE OF KRIYA Revered Sri.Agasthya has described this fourth pranayama as the practice of meditation also. If only twelve number of pranayama (fourth Kriya) is performed with a steady mind, then the small cover which veils the supreme state of tranquility is removed. Then only the Absolute, the great unchangeable one is realized. The other phases Fifth to Twelfth Phases are to be learnt personally from a Guru only. To learn the exact Kriya Yoga and to lead a happy and trouble free life, please call His Holiness Swamiji Sri Selvam Siddhar in USA Toll Free 1-888-808-1418 or E mail to: svtemple@aol.com