The Essence of Kriya Yoga

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Foreword Life is a journey, and we travel it with the help of many. The role of the guide is particularly important. In childhood, the parents are the guides; in school and college there were teachers, but throughout our entire lives the guru-preceptors are guiding us. As the result of our karma or the grace of the Divine, we are born into a certain family. We cannot change this destiny. While passing through many educational institutions, we received the support of family and friends. We learned a lot in the field of secular education. Our skills and understanding became more refined. However, despite all this there is something missing; our lives are not complete or mature unless we experience more love, more peace, and more joy. The question is, how can we attain more love, peace, and joy? It is possible through spiritual training and education. To acquire this, it is beneficial to have a good guide. Unfortunately, finding a good guide is not so easy. Shri Acharya Shankara, a great philosopher and spiritual guide of India, stated in the Viveka Chudamani that finding a spiritual guide is one of the three rarest gifts of the Divine, along with attaining human birth and the desire for liberation. Just as spiritual seekers are on a quest to find a worthy teacher, brilliant teachers are seeking perceptive, receptive students. Life is momentary and passes like a flash. Within no time at all, our lives are gone, like bubbles dissolving in the water. Who knows when our life will end? Therefore, within the limited span of time that we have been given, we have to bring a complete change and transformation into our lives, which tends to entail going through difficulties and problems in order to gain the fruit of human life. Despite the human body being fragile and prone to death, the body is the vehicle or means for our sadbana (spiritual practice), and through the body alone one has to progress in sadhana. That is why it is essential that we plow the body-land properly.

However, only just plowing the land is not enough. In order to get a good harvest, the soil has to be given water and fertilizer. Depending upon the climate and condition of the soil, seeds must be sown and weeds need to be removed regularly In the same way, cultivating the body land requires removing the weeds of negative qualities and monitoring the inhalation and exhalation (fertilizer and water). Our goal is to proceed from the muladhara chakra to the sabasrara chakra- this is why sadhana is required.

Many different paths have been prescribed by different spiritual masters. While some masters prescribe japa, chanting mantras or reciting verses, in order to attain Self-realization, others reach the same goal by concentration and meditation. Although there are various names of God and ways to remember and chant the name of God, the goal is the same; only the paths differ. Whether the path is straight or windy, every path takes the practitioner to the same ultimate goal. Kriya Yoga zadbana is prescribed to reach the goal.

In the same way that a solid and strong foundation is required for the construction of a house to be strong, Kriya Yoga provides a strong foundation for sadhana. Kriya Yoga is a scientific technique based on breath control and its practice incorporates an integration of karma (action), jnana (knowledge), and bhakti (devotion). This spiritual practice does not require ritualistic forms of worship, like offering flowers, ha or tuls leaves, and sandalwood paste, chanting or worshiping deities. It is not necessary to have a special room for worship, wearing special ritualistic clothing, or taking a bath before practicing this sadhana. God is within us, and through meditation we are to seek Him.

**Contents and Sample Pages**