The Benefits of Practicing Kriya Yoga

By Swami Hariharananda Giri

At the present time, the people of the whole world, especially in the western countries, are extremely busy with money, sex and food. That is good, very good. But they should know, "Who is earning money? Who is enjoying sexually, and who is taking food?" All worldly people, rich and poor, educated and illiterate, business people and scientist, all are thinking, "Our body is doing work." But practically that is not true.

If the power of God does not inhale breath from within, then no one can earn money, no one can enjoy sexually, no one can get rich or eat delicious food. If the indwelling Self does not inhale breath, they are dead bodies. So they should know that the indwelling Self who is remaining within is the sole doer of the human body. And He is doing all types of work through our body by the breath. As the sun does not rise in the darkness, so no one can do work without the presence of the soul (sun) in the body. The presence of the soul in the body allows us to work. The soul is more important than the sun because without the soul no one can even see the sun. Without soul we are a dead body, and a dead body cannot do any work. That soul-sun is doing all work through our body. But everyone ignores the soul, thinking only the body is working.

In each human body there are two bodies, one is the gross (physical) body, and the other is the indwelling Self. Self is constantly inhaling breath. It is why we can see, we can hear, we can talk, we can smell, we can work, and we can walk. Everything is done by the indwelling Self. In the scriptures, Bhagavad-gita, chapter 2, verse 40, it is said:

svalpam apy asya dharmasya
trayata mahato bhayat

If all human beings—rich and poor, educated and illiterate, business people and scientist, and all types of people—would meditate for a short period, only 5 to 10 minute's time, then they'll be free from all troubles, worries, anxieties, pitfalls, and shortcomings. They'll be free from fear of poverty, fear of loss of prestige, fear of disease, and fear of death. All human beings are born for God-realization. God is all-pervading and omnipresent, so He's remaining everywhere, in every human being, even in the vacuum, air, fire, water and earth.
The detailed meaning of the verse is:

svalpam apy asya dharmasya
trayata mahato bhayat

savelpam means very little
apy means also
asya means of it
trayata means saves or make you free
mohato means from great
bhayat means fear
dharmasya means religion.

The translation of the verse is: If you meditate for a very little time, 5 to 10 minutes, then surely you will be free from great frustration, fear of money, fear of loss of prestige, fear of diseases and fear of death (These four fears are mohato bhayat).

The real meaning of dharmasya is this. Dharma is dheri dhatu-man, which means the power of breath which is inhaled by the power of God-it is called dharma. The power of God, Who is inhaling breath through our nostrils, is the reason why our body is still in the world. If the power of God does not inhale breath, then we are dead bodies and we cannot do anything. He is protecting and preserving our body. So whenever He is the sole doer, we should watch Him in our every action. This is called dharmasya, religion, meditation. It means to be free from mind, thought, body sense and world sense. You will only feel the living power of God moving in your whole system. You are constantly hearing divine sound, and you will always remain in the cosmic conscious stage. This means you are in light and you are not in ignorance.
So, svalpam apy asya dharmasya, a very little meditation, trayata mahat bhyat, make you free from fear of death, worries, anxieties, pitfalls, troubles, poverty, disease, and loss of prestige.

There are many ways for God-Realization, but Kriya Yoga is the short-cut technique, the quickest technique by which within 4 to 5 minute's time you'll be free from your mind, thought, intellect, ego, body sense and worldly sense. These will not remain and you will get real formless stage, peace and extreme calmness which is Godliness. You have never felt this in your life but you should come and perceive it and taste it. Only the Kriya Yoga technique, which is taught by Babaji, Lahiri Baba, and Sri Yukteswarji is the authentic and original technique. We are teaching that technique.

What is Kriya Yoga. Any work you are doing is called "kri", and "ya" means your indwelling soul, who is doing all types of works. So by the practice of this Kriya Yoga technique you will get constant alertness of the inner self. Many persons are meditating, worshipping, and searching God in many ways. But when they sit for meditation, they are getting many thoughts and anxieties. This is adulterated meditation, so they can never get single-minded meditation. God-realization is not possible if the mind is not completely absorbed in self. Those who are in adulterated meditation, they should ask their consciousness what is their gain from their meditation. They have no gain, so their practical life is unpleasant, full of anger, pride and anxiety. They have no sweetness, kindness, purity, and perfection. Only they have frustration and disharmony. Love does not flourish; the bond between two friends is not strong. So they have no spiritual change in their life.

But by the power of a realized master you will get extreme calmness, which is Godliness. Within 2 to 5 minute's time you will surely perceive the living movement sensation of God in your 50 body parts. On the day of initiation you will have a new divine perception to your life.

Kriya Yoga is so nice a technique. Only by magnetizing the spine you can change your life force into radiant all-accomplishing divine force, which, in turn, hastens your physical change, mental change, intellectual change and spiritual change. And in every step of your life you will feel that two persons are working through you. One is your soul, the indwelling Self, another is your gross body. Any work which you are doing according to your destiny, you will get homogeneous consciousness. That means you will feel you and your indwelling Self are doing work together. When you will feel the soul is the sole doer, then automatically when you practice this technique, within 2 minutes time, you'll be free from all mind, thought, intellect, ego, body sense and world sense, and you will get the real formless stage and peace. You'll feel the living movement sensation of the power of God moving in your whole system, from top to bottom, in your 50 body parts, in your 108 body parts, everywhere He is moving and moving and moving up to infinity. And, along with this, you will get extreme calmness that is Godliness. And you will hear the divine sound—the real talk of God—everywhere. The mantra which you received from your Guru that you will hear always within you. That mantra you are not to chant by the mouth, but you will hear it automatically. You will hear spontaneous God sound.

In the scriptures it is said:

naeva bacha, na monosa pratum saka, na, chakshusa
(Katha Upanishada 2:3:12)

You cannot know God by talk, because if He does not inhale the breath, you cannot talk. You cannot see, you cannot hear, you cannot touch. Only by the practice of Kriya Yoga, you can lock your 5 sense organs within two minutes. You can get God-Realization. The formless cannot be perceived by the form. When you have anger, at that time you have no sex sense. When you have sex sense, at that time you have no anger. Similarly, whenever you have the worldly sense-mind, thought, intellect and ego-then it is not meditation. It is formal meditation. You are practicing the technique mechanically and not receiving the divine perception.

The word meditation means dhyana. The meaning of dhyana is dhyana samlina ntonasa nibisayam manaha. This means that your mind, thought, intellect, and ego will completely disappear and you will never get any sense of the world. This is called the real dhyana, meditation. But generally people are chanting, singing, talking, or doing worship by throwing flowers, and they are saying/This is our dhyana, this is our meditation." But practically they cannot get formless stage quickly. It will take years.

But the Kriya Yoga technique is so nice a technique. One ounce of practice is worth tons of theories. When people are sleeping, at that time they have no thought, they do not know where they have sat. Similarly, if they practice Kriya Yoga, then within 2 minutes time they will feel no worldly sense. Only they will feel the divineness within.

By magnetizing your spine you can change your life force into radiant all-accomplishing divine force, which in turn hastens your physical change, mental change and spiritual change. By the practice of this Kriya Yoga millions of cells will rejuvenate and regenerate. Your whole system will be new and fresh. You will never get heart failure and paralysis. In our cardiovascular system there are millions of cells dying within 2 minutes time. Your frontal lobe is where your education and experiences are stored by which you are getting prompt understanding and ready wit. This is your status, your degree and your brain power are remaining. So by the practice of this technique, by touching your forehead on the ground, immediately all the cells that have died will get power, they will rejuvenate their power and regenerate their power. So this Kriya Yoga technique will enable you to avoid drugs, intoxication. Don't whip the tired horse.

If you practice Kriya Yoga for 5 minutes, your power will rejuvenate and you will get all-round development, your liver and all glands will remain perfect. You will live long without any liver trouble, heart trouble and disease. Your Guru will remain your own guru. Your mantra will remain the same. I am not your Guru. I will only purify your 108 body parts, and within 5 minutes time you will feel divine vibration movement sensation of your istadeb in your whole body. You will get calmness which is Godliness, and you will always feel divine change in you. Kriya Yoga is based on breath control. There are many types of breaths. In passion, anger and sleep you have different breath. Similarly, mediation has also a different type of breath. Chala batha chalat cittam. If your breath is long then you are restless. Nish-chala, nishchalo bha-bet: It is written in the Vedas, and when your breath will be very feeble, then you'll get meditation. So during the time of meditation your breath will be very feeble and you'll get extreme calmness, as if you do not know where you have sat and what you are doing. Only divine qualities. The movement sensation of the power of God will be perceived in your whole system, even in the whole world, and with that power you can get God-realization. Breath control is self control. Breath mastery is self mastery. Breathlessness stage is death-lessness stage.

By the practice of this technique you can purify your whole body and you'll get constant alertness of your inner self. When you will earn money, you'll feel the power of God is earning money through your body; when you will enjoy sexually, then you will feel God is so kind to you that He allows you to get sex joy. Even when you will take food, you can judge what food and drink you will take. As without the sun, you cannot do any work in the darkness, so without your soul-sun you cannot do any work. By the power of this technique, you will be able to avoid your bad food, bad drugs and bad propensities. You will do work and will always feel that the power of God is doing. This is constant alertness of God in your practical life and this is also constant liberation to you. Work is worship.

Whoever you may be, you should think very deeply about your sound health and long life. To get 100 years' life you require constant alertness of your 7 centers. The first center, second center, and third center, that means money, sex and food, give human beings various troubles, such as diseases, stomach trouble, intestinal disorder, indigestion. Also drinking alcohol gives some abnormal brain and liver trouble. Through excessive food many are getting heart failure within a short time and, at the age of 40, 45, are dying. Many are very rich: They have multistoried buildings, they are watching the television and immediately they die. The heart center, the 4th center, is full of pride, anger, vanity, ego, crookedness and selfishness. Through this, people they are getting heart trouble. You may be rich but you can remain 100 years divinely if you practice Kriya Yoga.

About spiritual food it is written in Bhagavad-gita, Chapter 17, verse 8, that you will take ghee, fruit, milk, honey, cream, protein, curd. Also about food control it is written in Bhagavad-gita Chapter 6, verse 17, that you should take only moderate food drink, enjoyment, sleep and contemplation - what you can tolerate easily-that is health giving.

In scriptures, Isa Upanisada, 2nd verse, it is written

kurvan eva iha karmini
jijivesec chatim samah

This means you are to survive 100 years. The power of God is remaining within you. If you take short breath, then you will live long. The elephant is taking 3 breaths in one minute, so the elephant lives 200 years. The alligator also, and the crocodile, tortoise, they are taking 2-3 breaths. The dog is always running and taking many breaths, so they live only 12 years. So if you control your breath and you practice this technique, then you'll be really educated, you'll be really happy, and you'll get money at the same time. Everywhere you will feel the power of God—whether breath control is there or not you are to watch. So through this breath control you will also avoid all bad qualities. Even many unnecessary things people can avoid.

To get 100 years' life you require constant alertness of your 7 centers. So if you practice this technique only 5 minutes, then surely you will get long life, sound health, peace, prosperity, prompt understanding, ready wit and constant alertness of the inner Self. This is the principle thing of life. But you see, human beings they have no peace, only restlessness. By the practice of this Kriya Yoga authentic technique, within 5 to 10 minute's time, if you practice it daily, you will get everything. In your every step and in every moment you will feel, "I am not I, I am that real I, He and I are one and always have been one." And this is enough. You will always feel that the power of God remaining in the whole world is "Only for me, only for my jcy. God is so kind. He's all-pervading, omnipresent, omniscient." So in the food you can see Him. In everything you can feel the living power of God, so you'll always watch two things at a time. The body and soul are one: ham and sa are one. Gu and ru are one.

Kriya Yoga is a very simple technique. There is no hardship. You are not to do any rigorous exercise. It will keep your body sound and beautiful and lustrous, and you will live long with sound health. Thank you very much.

AUM