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Here are some of the most common questions asked by students about Kriya Yoga. They are likely to be ones that you yourself might have as well.
Table of Contents
Your Questions on Kriya Yoga Answered ................................................................................................ 1 Why hasnt kriya been published in book form, so that all might learn it? ....................................... 1 Is there more than one kind of Kriya? ................................................................................................. 2 Which is the best Kriya? ...................................................................................................................... 3 Which guru is best? ............................................................................................................................. 3 How can I know which guru has been chosen for me? ....................................................................... 3 Can I practice Kriya if Jesus is my guru? .............................................................................................. 4 Do I need to renounce my religion to receive Kriya initiation? ........................................................... 4 Do I need to become a disciple to receive Kriya initiation?................................................................. 4 I already have a guru, but he doesnt teach Kriya. Can I get it through Ananda? .............................. 5 I have received Kriya initiation from another teacher. Can I come to your initiations and receive support from your teachers?............................................................................................................... 5 If I take Kriya initiation, what am I committing myself to?................................................................. 5 Is there some way of trying out the Kriya path before I make a discipleship commitment? .............. 5 How long must I wait before I can receive Kriya initiation? ............................................................... 5 Why is so much preparation necessary? Cant I just learn the technique now? ................................. 6 How many levels of Kriya are there and when are they taken? ......................................................... 6 Do I have to come to Ananda Sangha in person to be initiated? ........................................................ 6 Once I receive Kriya, can I return for the initiation ceremony when my friends are receiving it for the first time? ...................................................................................................................................... 6
Why hasnt kriya been published in book form, so that all might learn it?
Swami Kriyananda responds to this important question: A reasonable question, certainly. The masters themselves, however, have said it should not be published precisely because it is a teaching that transcends reason itself. Right understanding of it depends on the unfolding intuition. Kriya Yoga, in order to be wholly effective, must be received not only intellectually (in written or spoken form), but vibrationally, in the form of initiation. A magnet is created either by electrical
realignment of the molecules, or by close proximity to another magnet. Attunement with a Godawakened guru influences the samskaras (comparable to the material molecules) to flow upward to the brain. We are dealing here with a reality subtler, and much more difficult to master, than mere metallic molecules. Without an experienced guide, even mountain climbing can be fatal though death, in this case, only ends a single incarnation. Spiritual mistakes can be costlier in terms of long-range suffering. Guidance from the guru is not only helpful: It is essential. This does not mean that Kriya Yoga is dangerous. Far from it. But to take up Kriya Yoga signifies entering seriously onto the path to God. It is not a game, and should certainly be treated as a lifetime commitment. Any yoga initiation, and especially into the ancient science of Kriya Yoga, should be looked upon as a very sacred step in ones life. - Swami Kriyananda The Essence of the Bhagavad Gita, Explained by Paramhansa Yogananda, As Remembered by His Disciple Swami Kriyananda
The Kriya that has come to the western world through Paramhansa Yogananda, and that is also being taught today in the East by his disciple Swami Kriyananda, is one of the branches that comes through Lahiri Mahasayas disciple Swami Sri Yukteswar. The word Kriya, being a generic term that refers to many practices of Raja and Hatha Yoga, is used today by many teachers to refer to practices similar but distinct from those taught by Lahiri Mahasaya. Searching the internet will bring up thousands of references.
How can I know which guru has been chosen for me?
The guru will make himself known to his disciples at that moment in their lives when they are ready to perceive and receive him. In one way or another they draw their disciples. The ways are as many and varied as the disciples: By seeing the master in person, or through reading his written words, such as the Autobiography of a Yogi, into every word of which Yoganandaji said he had infused his vibrations. Through the spiritual practices that the master teaches.
Through the magnetism of the fellowship of the masters disciples, or at least those who carry their vibrations and message to others. Through the masters spiritual work, which attracts those who are in tune with him. In dreams or visions of the master, by hearing his voice, or by seeing his photograph.
The important thing for you as an aspiring disciple is to put yourself in tune with the vibrations of a master, using all means available to you, then feeling inwardly for a response in your heart. The response can manifest as deep love, joy, or the simple awareness that you have found your home.
widespread literacy has had one unfortunate effect: the dissemination, not only of knowledge, but of ignorance! True understanding comes not by intellectual reasoning, but by intuition. Inner, intuitive attunement with the consciousness of the guru is what most surely and directly brings spiritual awakening. - Swami Kriyananda The Essence of the Bhagavad Gita, Explained by Paramhansa Yogananda, As Remembered by His Disciple Swami Kriyananda
I already have a guru, but he doesnt teach Kriya. Can I get it through Ananda?
In some cases this may be possible. You would need to talk with one of our Kriyacharyas.
I have received Kriya initiation from another teacher. Can I come to your initiations and receive support from your teachers?
We would be happy to help you with your practice if possible and would need to speak with you personally to see if Kriya initiation through Ananda Sangha would be appropriate.
Is there some way of trying out the Kriya path before I make a discipleship commitment?
Yoganandaji has given preparatory practices that can be used by everyone in daily life: the Energisation Exercises and the Hong-Sau technique of concentration. Practicing them along with studying the writings of Yoganandaji and Kriyanandaji and coming whenever possible to an Ananda teaching centre to participate in courses on the path of Kriya will be greatly beneficial. As you use the principles and do the practices, you will begin to have your own relationship with the gurus and your own experience of the benefits that the techniques bring to your consciousness, your inner state of well-being, and your daily life. To help you know if the Kriya path and masters are right for you, why not try including them in every aspect of your life and see how it feels?
Why is so much preparation necessary? Cant I just learn the technique now?
For Kriya Yoga Initiation, you need time to establish a regular, consistent meditation routine. You also need time to gain understanding of and attunement with the path of Kriya Yoga and the channels through which it comes. Lastly, Yoganandaji also recommended that in order to practice Kriya Yoga properly, the nervous system must be prepared.
How many levels of Kriya are there and when are they taken?
On the path of Kriya Yoga as taught in the line of Lahiri Mahasaya, there are four. When you have been meditating regularly with the basic Kriya technique for several years and feel ready to increase your meditation time, you can request permission to receive higher Kriya preparation and initiation into the advanced Kriyas.
Once I receive Kriya, can I return for the initiation ceremony when my friends are receiving it for the first time?
Come, if you can, to all the initiation ceremonies, especially those in the first year! The blessings we receive during Kriya ceremonies help us enormously in our spiritual progress. And at each initiation, we are able to understand the practices more deeply.