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It’s difficult to explain
Kriya Yoga before defining yoga. Regrettably,
there is a great deal of misinformation in the west
about the true nature and purpose of yoga. Most
people associate yoga with the physical practice of
postures, called “asanas”. But this is like
saying that your hand is your thumb without any regard
for the other four fingers. The physical practice of
asanas is just one of eight limbs that constitute
the entire practice of yoga.
But what is yoga?
Yoga is a state of
consciousness that is free of thoughts and emotions.
In this state, we perceive our true Self – the source of
all creation – the knower of the known. This
source of creation has different names depending upon
the religious tradition. For example, among its
names are: “God,” “Reality,” “Self,” “Brahman,” “the
Hidden Essence,” and the “Buddha nature.”
So the ultimate goal of
yoga is to attain a direct experience with the source of
creation. Of course, there are interim goals as
well, like more peace, balance, and happiness.
Kriya Yoga is the process –
the action steps that you take to attain yoga. The
Sanskrit word “Kriya” is derived from the root “kri”
meaning “to do.” In Sanskrit grammar, verbs are
called “kriyas.” So Kriya Yoga is fundamentally an
action; it is not a religion. Rather, it is a set
of techniques that have been transmitted orally from
teacher to student for thousands of years. The
Indian sage, Patanjali, documented and organized these
techniques in four short books, known as the Yoga
Sutras.
Patanjali offers the
following definition of yoga:
“Yoga is the cessation or
inhibition of the fluctuations and variations of the
mind.”
The only type of yoga that
is mentioned in the Sutras is Kriya Yoga. In Book
II, Patanjali says:
“Kriya Yoga is
self-discipline, self-study and attunement to the
indwelling Reality.”
He describes yoga as an
eight-step process, known as the eight limbs. In
Sanskrit, the eight limbs are called Ashtanga (ash=eight
and anga=limbs). They involve disciplining
the mind and body to break one’s identification with the
false self (the ego mind) so you can awaken to your true
Self.
Though Kriya Yoga
encompasses all eight limbs, its emphasis is on karma.
Karma is defined as the law of causation.
Everything you experience in your life is the result of
something you have thought, said, or done. In
order to attune to “the indwelling Reality” we must
first bring ourselves into balance. To bring
ourselves into balance, we practice the eight limbs of
yoga and other kriyas (actions) to help us neutralize
our karma and gain control over the creative forces of
our mind. This is the practice of Kriya Yoga.
The practice of Kriya Yoga
is linked to an Indian philosophy of how the universe is
wired, called “Shankya Yoga.” Thus, Kriya Yoga is
the practice; Shankya Yoga is the theory. Though
Kriya Yoga is linked to this philosophy, it is important
to note that Kriya Yoga recognizes that there is Truth
in each religious tradition and that each soul is where
it needs to be to evolve.
Kriya Yoga, however, does
not require submission to a set of doctrines or to a
particular individual or temple. Instead, it
strives to develop independence in the individual,
rather than dependence upon something that is external.
The only dependence should be to the Truth, which is
within each and every individual. It’s just eclipsed by
our thoughts and emotions. We need to get our
selves out of the way so we can see our true Self.
And the method for doing so is Kriya Yoga!
Other Articles
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Svolos:
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