Kriya Yoga of Mahavatar Babaji
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Prescribing Yoga to Supplement and Support Psychotherapy
12350-11_CH10-rev.qxd 1/11/11 11:55 AM Page 251 10 PRESCRIBING YOGA TO SUPPLEMENT AND SUPPORT PSYCHOTHERAPY VINCENT G. VALENTE AND ANTONIO MAROTTA As the flame of light in a windless place remains tranquil and free from agitation, likewise, the heart of the seeker of Self-Consciousness, attuned in Yoga, remains free from restlessness and tranquil. —The Bhagavad Gita The philosophy of yoga has been used for millennia to experience, examine, and explain the intricacies of the mind and the essence of the human psyche. The sage Patanjali, who compiled and codified the yoga teachings up to his time (500–200 BCE) in his epic work Yoga Darsana, defined yoga as a method used to still the fluctuations of the mind to reach the central reality of the true self (Iyengar, 1966). Patanjali’s teachings encour- age an intentional lifestyle of moderation and harmony by offering guidelines that involve moral and ethical standards of living, postural and breathing exercises, and various meditative modalities all used to cultivate spiritual growth and the evolution of consciousness. In the modern era, the ancient yoga philosophy has been revitalized and applied to enrich the quality of everyday life and has more recently been applied as a therapeutic intervention to bring relief to those experiencing Copyright American Psychological Association. Not for further distribution. physical and mental afflictions. For example, empirical research has demon- strated the benefits of yogic interventions in the treatment of depression and anxiety (Khumar, Kaur, & Kaur, 1993; Shapiro et al., 2007; Vinod, Vinod, & Khire, 1991; Woolery, Myers, Sternlieb, & Zeltzer, 2004), schizophrenia (Duraiswamy, Thirthalli, Nagendra, & Gangadhar, 2007), and alcohol depen- dence (Raina, Chakraborty, Basit, Samarth, & Singh, 2001). -
Kriya-Yoga" in the Youpi-Sutra
ON THE "KRIYA-YOGA" IN THE YOUPI-SUTRA By Shingen TAKAGI The Yogasutra (YS.) defines that yoga is suppression of the activity of mind in its beginning. The Yogabhasya (YBh.) by Vyasa, the oldest (1) commentary on this sutra says "yoga is concentration (samadhi)". Now- here in the sutra itself yoga is not used as a synonym of samadhi. On the other hand, Nyayasutra (NS.) 4, 2, 38 says of "the practice of a spe- cial kind of concentration" in connection with realizing the cognition of truth, and also NS. 4, 2, 42 says that the practice of yoga should be done in a quiet places such as forest, a natural cave, or river side. According NS. 4, 2, 46, the atman can be purified through abstention (yama), obser- vance (niyama), through yoga and the means of internal exercise. It can be surmised that the author of NS. also used the two terms samadhi and yoga as synonyms, since it speaks of a special kind of concentration on one hand, and practice of yoga on the other. In the Nyayabhasya (NBh. ed. NS. 4, 2, 46), the author says that the method of interior exercise should be understood by the Yogasastra, enumerating austerity (tapas), regulation of breath (pranayama), withdrawal of the senses (pratyahara), contem- plation (dhyana) and fixed-attention (dharana). He gives the practice of yoga (yogacara) as another method. It seems, through NS. 4, 2, 46 as mentioned above, that Vatsyayana regarded yama, niyama, tapas, prana- yama, pratyahara, dhyana, dharana and yogacara as the eight aids to the yoga. -
Swami Vivekananda
Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda Volume 9 Letters (Fifth Series) Lectures and Discourses Notes of Lectures and Classes Writings: Prose and Poems (Original and Translated) Conversations and Interviews Excerpts from Sister Nivedita's Book Sayings and Utterances Newspaper Reports Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda Volume 9 Letters - Fifth Series I Sir II Sir III Sir IV Balaram Babu V Tulsiram VI Sharat VII Mother VIII Mother IX Mother X Mother XI Mother XII Mother XIII Mother XIV Mother XV Mother XVI Mother XVII Mother XVIII Mother XIX Mother XX Mother XXI Mother XXII Mother XXIII Mother XXIV Mother XXV Mother XXVI Mother XXVII Mother XXVIII Mother XXIX Mother XXX Mother XXXI Mother XXXII Mother XXXIII Mother XXXIV Mother XXXV Mother XXXVI Mother XXXVII Mother XXXVIII Mother XXXIX Mother XL Mrs. Bull XLI Miss Thursby XLII Mother XLIII Mother XLIV Mother XLV Mother XLVI Mother XLVII Miss Thursby XLVIII Adhyapakji XLIX Mother L Mother LI Mother LII Mother LIII Mother LIV Mother LV Friend LVI Mother LVII Mother LVIII Sir LIX Mother LX Doctor LXI Mother— LXII Mother— LXIII Mother LXIV Mother— LXV Mother LXVI Mother— LXVII Friend LXVIII Mrs. G. W. Hale LXIX Christina LXX Mother— LXXI Sister Christine LXXII Isabelle McKindley LXXIII Christina LXXIV Christina LXXV Christina LXXVI Your Highness LXXVII Sir— LXXVIII Christina— LXXIX Mrs. Ole Bull LXXX Sir LXXXI Mrs. Bull LXXXII Mrs. Funkey LXXXIII Mrs. Bull LXXXIV Christina LXXXV Mrs. Bull— LXXXVI Miss Thursby LXXXVII Friend LXXXVIII Christina LXXXIX Mrs. Funkey XC Christina XCI Christina XCII Mrs. Bull— XCIII Sir XCIV Mrs. Bull— XCV Mother— XCVI Sir XCVII Mrs. -
The Role of the Ramakrishna Mission and Human
TOWARDS SERVING THE MANKIND: THE ROLE OF THE RAMAKRISHNA MISSION AND HUMAN DEVELOPMENT IN INDIA Karabi Mitra Bijoy Krishna Girls’ College Howrah, West Bengal, India sanjay_karabi @yahoo.com / [email protected] Abstract In Indian tradition religious development of a person is complete when he experiences the world within himself. The realization of the existence of the omnipresent Brahman --- the Great Spirit is the goal of the spiritual venture. Gradually traditional Hinduism developed negative elements born out of age-old superstitious practices. During the nineteenth century changes occurred in the socio-cultural sphere of colonial India. Challenges from Christianity and Brahmoism led the orthodox Hindus becoming defensive of their practices. Towards the end of the century the nationalist forces identified with traditional Hinduism. Sri Ramakrishna, a Bengali temple-priest propagated a new interpretation of the Hindu scriptures. Without formal education he could interpret the essence of the scriptures with an unprecedented simplicity. With a deep insight into the rapidly changing social scenario he realized the necessity of a humanist religious practice. He preached the message to serve the people as the representative of God. In an age of religious debates he practiced all the religions and attained at the same Truth. Swami Vivekananda, his closest disciple carried the message to the Western world. In the Conference of World religions held at Chicago (1893) he won the heart of the audience by a simple speech which reflected his deep belief in the humanist message of the Upanishads. Later on he was successful to establish the Ramakrishna Mission at Belur, West Bengal. -
Mahavatar Babaji
Mahavatar Babaji "Babaji has been chosen by God to remain in his body for the duration of this particular world cycle. Ages will come and go—still the deathless master, beholding the drama of the centuries, shall be present on this stage terrestrial." So began the legend of the immortal sage Babaji. These words were published in 1946, in the classic spiritual tale Autobiography of a Yogi by Paramahansa Yogananda—a book that was destined to have a major impact on the then just emerging East-West spiritual dialogue. It was a book that introduced thousands, if not millions, of aspiring seekers in the Western world to a man who, legend tells us, is perhaps the greatest of ancient saints, an immortal deathless yogi of India watching over this earthly plane like a benevolent omniscient spiritual parent —Babaji. To read Autobiography of a Yogi and absorb Yogananda's lucid, almost otherworldly descriptions of the spiritual life is to embark upon a journey to a place that exists far beyond the borders of our materialistic Western worldview—a realm where miracles are commonplace and where physical laws, in the hands of the great yogis, seem as malleable and as changeable as clay in the hands of great artists. By any standard, the book is a work of genius, a masterpiece that combines an inspiring introduction to the ancient yogic path with a philosophical inquiry into the underlying unity of Eastern and Western religions, weaving it all together with the remarkable story of Yogananda's own pioneering life and teachings. Upon publication it captured the hearts of thousands and introduced Americans to the esoteric world of the Himalayan sages, inviting hungry spirits to believe in undreamed-of possibilities in the evolution of consciousness—possibilities, the yogic masters say, that lie dormant in each of us. -
Kriya Babaji Nagaraj
Kriya Babaji Nagaraj by Marshall Govindan In 1946, Paramahansa Yogananda, one of modern India’s greatest yogis, revealed in his classic “Autobiography of a Yogi” the existence of a Christ-like saint, an immortal yogi, Mahavatar Babaji. Yogananda related how for centuries, Babaji lived in the Himalayas guiding many spiritual teachers at a distance, usually without their ever knowing about it. Babaji was a great siddha, one who had overcome ordinary human limitations and who worked silently for the spiritual evolution of all humanity, from behind the scenes. Babaji was revealed to be who, in1891, taught Lahiri Mahasaya, a powerful series of yogic techniques, known as “Kriya Yoga.” Babaji also taught Lahiri’s own Christ-like guru, Sri Yukteswar, some thirty years earlier. Yogananda says that he spent 10 years with is guru before Babaji himself appeared to him and directed him to bring the sacred science of Kriya to the West. Yogananda fulfilled this sacred mission from 1920 to 1952, when he attained mahasamadhi. In the year 203 A.D. a boy born under the same star as Lord Krishna some 3,500 years earlier, was given the name Nagaraj. Nagarja was born in what is now the seaport of Porto Novo (Parangipettai), in Tamil Nadu, on the eastern coast of India. The name Nagaraj means “serpent king” and refers to kundalini, our great divine potential power and consciousness. His parents were Nambudri Brahmins who had immigrated there from the Malabar coast on the western side of South India. His father was the priest in the Shiva temple in the village, which is today dedicated to Muruga. -
SWAMI YOGANANDA and the SELF-REALIZATION FELLOWSHIP a Successful Hindu Countermission to the West
STATEMENT DS213 SWAMI YOGANANDA AND THE SELF-REALIZATION FELLOWSHIP A Successful Hindu Countermission to the West by Elliot Miller The earliest Hindu missionaries to the West were arguably the most impressive. In 1893 Swami Vivekananda (1863 –1902), a young disciple of the celebrated Hindu “avatar” (manifestation of God) Sri Ramakrishna (1836 –1886), spoke at the World’s Parliament of Religions in Chicago and won an enthusiastic American following with his genteel manner and erudite presentation. Over the next few years, he inaugurated the first Eastern religious movement in America: the Vedanta Societies of various cities, independent of one another but under the spiritual leadership of the Ramakrishna Order in India. In 1920 a second Hindu missionary effort was launched in America when a comparably charismatic “neo -Vedanta” swami, Paramahansa Yogananda, was invited to speak at the International Congress of Religious Liberals in Boston, sponsored by the Unitarian Church. After the Congress, Yogananda lectured across the country, spellbinding audiences with his immense charm and powerful presence. In 1925 he established the headquarters for his Self -Realization Fellowship (SRF) in Los Angeles on the site of a former hotel atop Mount Washington. He was the first Eastern guru to take up permanent residence in the United States after creating a following here. NEO-VEDANTA: THE FORCE STRIKES BACK Neo-Vedanta arose partly as a countermissionary movement to Christianity in nineteenth -century India. Having lost a significant minority of Indians (especially among the outcast “Untouchables”) to Christianity under British rule, certain adherents of the ancient Advaita Vedanta school of Hinduism retooled their religion to better compete with Christianity for the s ouls not only of Easterners, but of Westerners as well. -
Paramahansa Yogananda and the Self-Realization Fellowship
PARAMAHANSA YOGANANDA AND THE SELF-REALIZATION FELLOWSHIP ___________________ A Paper Presented to Dr. Phil Fernandes Veritas International University ___________________ In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Course Advanced New Religious Movements (AP905) ___________________ by Shawn Nelson November 2018 PARAMAHANSA YOGANANDA AND THE SELF-REALIZATION FELLOWSHIP Introduction Most people in North County San Diego have seen the Self-Realization Fellowship in Encinitas, California. For those driving the coast on a beautiful San Diego day, it would be difficult to miss the prominent gold Lotus Flowers that top the unusual walled towers along Highway 101 (see photo 1). Just to the south, Swami’s Beach is a favorite surf area (photoset 2). To the north sits the Meditation Gardens, arguably one of the most beautiful garden/ocean views in the area (photoset 3). Yet few locals know the story behind this iconic local landmark, and its founder, Paramahansa Yogananda, whose name appears throughout its complex. This short paper is an attempt to explain who Yogananda was and what he taught. It is not an attempt to refute his teaching, but simply to show that he was a Hindu teacher, and to show what his particular emphases were as a counter-Christian missionary. Christians who are familiar with good theology will see for themselves how there is nothing compatible between what Yogananda taught and biblical Christianity. About Paramahansa Yogananda (1893-1952) Yogananda’s given birth name was Mukunda Lal Ghosh. He was born in India in 1893.1 -
Newsletter for July - Aug - Sept 2017
Newsletter for July - Aug - Sept 2017 Schedules Monastiic Viisiit Sunday Mornings Two Self-Realization Fellowship monks, Brother Devananada Energization Exercises 9am - 9:15 and Brahmachari Andy, visited our group, holding services Personal Meditation 9 - 9:30 and other activities at the chapel during June. We are Meditation Service 9:30 - 10:15 grateful for the guidance they provided as to best practices Reading Service 10:30 - 11:30 for SRF groups and for the conflict resolution workshop they Sunday School 10:30 - 11:30am conducted. Their visit was a joyful blessing for all. Below are some pictures from their visit. Wednesday Evenings Lessons Study Group 7:30pm - 8:30pm Saturday Mornings 5-hour Meditation 7am - Noon Group practice of Energization Exercises 7:00am & 9:30am First Saturday of month - Guided Meditation 10am-Noon Last Saturday of month - Kirtan 10am - Noon Social Gatherings Vegetarian Potluck after Sunday Reading Service the first Sunday of every month. Special Services July 25, 7:30-8:30 p.m. Babaji Commemoration Day August 14, 7:30-8:30 p.m. Janmashtami (birth of Bhagavan Krishna) September 26, 7:30-8:30 p.m. Mahasamadhi of Lahiri Mahasaya September 30, 7:30-8:30 p.m. Birthday of Lahiri Mahasaya (1828) Sunday Readings Schedule July 2 Seeing God as the Sole Doer 9 Building World Unity 16 Understanding Reincarnation 23 The Spiritual Science of Kriya Yoga 30 Why We Suffer August 6 How to Develop True Intuition 13 Who Made God? 20 Miracles: The Working of Higher Laws 27 The Battle Between Good and Evil September 3 Meditation: Direct Perception of God 10 How to Spiritualize Business 17 The Unlimited Power of the Mind 24 Be a Smile Millionaire Quote From Master "Your greatest necessity is God. -
The Rise of Bengali Yoga (Excerpt from Sun, Moon and Earth: the Sacred Relationship of Yoga and Ayurveda)
The Rise of Bengali Yoga (Excerpt from Sun, Moon and Earth: The Sacred Relationship of Yoga and Ayurveda) By Mas Vidal To set the stage for a moment, the state of Bengal is an eastern state of India and is one of the most densely populated regions on the planet. It is home to the Ganges river delta at the confluence of the Brahmaputra and Meghna rivers. Rivers have always been a sacred part of yoga and the Indian lifestyle. The capital of Bengal is Kolkata, which was the center of the Indian independence movement. As yoga began to expand at the turn of the century through the 1950s, as a counter-cultural force opposed to British occupation, the region also struggled against a tremendous set-back, the Great Bengal Famine of 1943- 44, which took an estimated two to three million lives. India battled through this and eventually gained independence in 1947. Bengal managed to become a womb for bhakti yogis and the nectar that would sustain the renaissance of yoga in India and across the globe. Bengali seers like Sri Aurobindo promoted yoga as an integral system, a way of life that cultivated a dynamic relationship between mind, body, and soul. Some of the many styles of yoga that provide this pure synthesis remain extant in India, but only through a few living yoga teachers and lineages. This synthesis may even still exist sporadically in commercial yoga. One of the most influential figures of yoga in the West was Paramahansa Yogananda, who formulated a practical means of integrating ancient themes and techniques for the spiritual growth of people in Western societies, and for Eastern cultures to reestablish their balance between spirituality and the material. -
Learn Kriya Yoga Meditation
LEARN KRIYA YOGA MEDITATION Mahavatar Lahiri Swami Bhupendranath Paramahamsa Swami Paramahamsa Paramahamsa Babaji Mahasaya Shriyukteshwar Sanyal Yogananda Satyananda Hariharananda Prajnanananda Australia Kriya Yoga Association invites you to learn the authentic Kriya Yoga passed on by an unbroken lineage of realised Masters. For generations Kriya teachings have been handed Kriya Yoga provides a very powerful technique of down a lineage which was started by Mahavatar Babaji meditation that greatly enhances all spiritual practice. in 1861, when he re-introduced Kriya Yoga to modern The Kriya Yoga techniques are passed on only by word times through his disciple Lahiri Mahasaya. of mouth from an authorised teacher directly to the Kriya yoga is a relatively quick and easy non-sectarian student. path to reach higher states of consciousness and change During Kriya initiation the chakras are purified and your life by developing mind, body, intellect and infused with the triple divine qualities of light, sound awareness of the soul. Based on the science of breath, and vibration before the techniques are taught. INITIATION PROGRAMME An initiation programme comprises of a free information evening followed by a two day programme of initiation, teaching and practice. Programmes and weekly meditation are held regularly in major capital cities. Visit our website for full details. Web address and contact details are at the bottom of the page. The initiation programme will be conducted by Swamis Gurupriyananda and Sarvatmananda under the authorisation of the Kriya Yoga master, Paramahamsa Prajnanananda. Paramahamsa Prajnanananda is a Swami Gurupriyananda an Swami Sarvatmananda an realised yogi and current head of the authorised teacher of Kriya Yoga, authorised teacher of Kriya Yoga, Kriya Yoga International will be conducting the initiations will be conducting the initiations and teaching the technique. -
Sri Ramakrishna Math
Sri Ramakrishna Math 31, Ramakrishna Math Road, Mylapore, Chennai - 600 004, India & : 91-44-2462 1110 / 9498304690 email: [email protected] / website: www.chennaimath.org Catalogue of some of our publications… Buy books online at istore.chennaimath.org & ebooks at www.vedantaebooks.org Some of Our Publications... Sri Ramakrishna the Great Master Swami Saradananda / Tr. Jagadananda This book is the most comprehensive, authentic and critical estimate of the life, sadhana, and teachings of Sri Ramakrishna. It is an English translation of Sri Sri Ramakrishna Lila-prasanga written in Bengali by Swami Saradananda, a direct disciple of Sri Ramakrishna and who is deemed an authority both as a philosopher and as a biographer. His biographical narrative of Sri Ramakrishna Volume 1 is based on his firsthand observations, assiduous collection of material from Pages 788 | Price ` 200 different authentic sources, and patient sifting of evidence. Known for his vast Volume 2 erudition, spirit of rational enquiry and far-reaching spiritual achievements, Pages 688 | Price ` 225 he has interspersed the narrative with lucid interpretations of various religious cults, mysticism, philosophy, and intricate problems connected with the theory and practice of religion. Translated faithfully into English by Swami Jagadananda, who was a disciple of the Holy Mother, this book may be ranked as one of the best specimens in hagiographic literature. The book also contains a chronology of important events in the life of Sri Ramakrishna, his horoscope, and a short but beautiful article by Swami Nirvedananda on the book and its author. This firsthand, authentic book is a must- read for everyone who wishes to know about and contemplate on the life of Sri Ramakrishna.