The Initiation - Diksha - to Shakti Kriya Yoga

By ~Gurudevi Ma,
Satguru Shri Mahashaktiananda

History

Diksha - initiation to Shakti Kriya Yoga is the same Kriya Yoga brought forth through
the dark ages by Mahavatar Babaji of the Himalayas. Shakti Kriya Yoga; according to
traditional rules; is given by God and also through a Guru with a physical body or
without a physical body as a gift of love from God.

Mahavatar Babaji

Kriya Yoga, as taught by Lahiri Mahasaya, is traditionally exclusively learned via the
Guru-disciple relationship. He recounted that after his initiation into Kriya Yoga, "Babaji
instructed me in the ancient rigid rules which govern the transmission of the yogic art
from Guru to disciple."
 Lahiri Mahasaya (1828 - 1895)

According to Yogananda, Kriya Yoga was well known in ancient India, but was
eventually lost, due to "priestly secrecy and man’s indifference".

Paramahansa Yogananda (1893-1952)

As Yogananda describes Kriya Yoga, "The Kriya Yogi mentally directs his life energy to
revolve, upward and downward, around the six spinal centers (medullary, cervical,
dorsal, lumbar, sacral, and coccygeal plexuses) which correspond to the twelve astral
signs of the zodiac, the symbolic Cosmic Man. One half-minute of revolution of energy
around the sensitive spinal cord of man effects subtle progress in his evolution; that half-
minute of Kriya equals one year of natural spiritual unfoldment."
Yogananda says that Krishna refers to Kriya Yoga in the Bhagavad Gita:
Offering inhaling breath into the outgoing breath, and offering the outgoing breath into
the inhaling breath, the yogi neutralizes both these breaths; he thus releases the life force
from the heart and brings it under his control.

Yogananda also stated that Krishna was referring to Kriya Yoga when "Lord Krishna …
relates that it was he, in a former incarnation, who communicated the indestructible yoga
to an ancient illuminato, Vivasvat, who gave it to Manu, the great legislator. He, in turn,
instructed Ikshwaku, the father of India’s solar warrior dynasty." Yogananda says that
Patanjali was referring to Kriya Yoga when he wrote "Kriya Yoga consists of body
discipline, mental control, and meditating on Aum." And again when he says,"Liberation
can be accomplished by that pranayama which is attained by disjoining the course of
inspiration and expiration." A direct disciple of Yukteswar Giri, Sailendra Bejoy
Dasgupta has written that, "Kriya entails several acts that have evidently been adapted
from the Gita, the Yoga Sutras, Tantra shastras and from conceptions on the Yugas."

Kriya Yoga Center Europe. Sw. Mangalananda Giri talking on principles. Tattendorf
2012.
The story of Lahiri Mahasaya receiving initiation into Kriya Yoga by the yogi Mahavatar
Babaji in 1861 is recounted in Autobiography of a Yogi. Yogananda wrote that at that
meeting, Mahavatar Babaji told Lahiri Mahasaya, "The Kriya Yoga that I am giving to
the world through you in this nineteenth century, is a revival of the same science that
Krishna gave millenniums ago to Arjuna; and was later known to Patanjali, and to Christ,
St. John, St. Paul, and other disciples." Yogananda also wrote that Babaji and Christ were
in continual communion and together, "have planned the spiritual technique of salvation
for this age."

Through Lahiri Mahasaya, Kriya Yoga soon spread throughout India. Yogananda, a
disciple of Yukteswar Giri who was himself a disciple of Lahiri Mahasaya, then brought
Kriya Yoga to the United States and Europe during the 20th century.

Lahiri Mahasaya's disciples included his sons, Dukouri Lahiri and Tincori Lahiri,
Yukteswar Giri, Panchanan Bhattacharya, Pranabananda, Kebalananda, Keshabananda,
and Bhupendranath Sanyal (Sanyal Mahasaya).

Shakti Kriya Yoga is given by God to all mankind during the golden ages. Due to
limitations of communication in earlier millennium, it always has been given through a
physical Guru. The main reason was to make sure that only the true original technique is
forwarded from Guru to chela - Chela is a spiritual disciple. While at the same time each
Guru has and had the right to adapt the entire system and techniques to the very
individual need of their Chela - the main part of Shakti Kriya Yoga has always remained
and remains the very same. Some additional techniques may vary; as there are several
techniques available to achieve the very same goal to meet the individual need of a
particular Chela.
Teaching

To recieve Shakti Yoga initiation, the Chela needs to fully devote all of their life to God
by thoroughly following and realizing all of the Divine rules of life.

To receive Diksha - initiation to Shakti Kriya Yoga - the Chela needs to sincerely affirm
God as the only goal and priority of life in this present and any future incarnation. Love
should be the single most important factor in life. Love in its highest and most Divine
manifestation always leads to God.

Diksha to Shakti Kriya Yoga consists of explaining to the God-seeker several exercises.
The Chela practices them the first few times under supervision - physical or spiritual
supervision. The technique of Shakti Kriya Yoga is only given and explained by a Guru
to the disciple upon personal request.

Kriya Yoga is called a "scientific method of self-realization" because the technique or

practice leads the Chela to God-Union or Self-realization and oneness with God.

Divine Rules of Life:

Love all
Forgive all
Reconcile with all
Help all
Share with all
Pray to God

Techniques:
Maha Mudra
Navi Kriya
Kriya Pranayama
Yoni Mudra
Meditation Techniques

Spiritual Life:
Purification of chakras and energy system
Understanding Yama and Niyama
Divine rules of life
Relationship of Love with God
Spiritual teachings and Service to life

Reference: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kriya_Yoga

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