Volume 27, Spring Number 1 2020

Babaji’s Kriya YogaO Journal Prayer versus By M. G. Satchidananda Prayer is not an activity which is help, forgiveness or an expression ritual dimension where the yogin mentioned in the Yoga Sutras, the of thanks addressed to God or an experiences absolute being, consci- , nor the Yoga Upan- object of worship. It has four main ousness and bliss. ishads. Why? This is an intriguing types: adoration, contrition, thanks- An autosuggestion is a positive question whose answer requires an giving and supplication. It is also an statement of change to motivate the understanding of not only the nature earnest hope or wish, and therefore subconscious, expressed in the pre- of prayer, and how it differs from the contains an element of doubt as to its sent tense, and repeated when one is yogic practice of meditation, auto- efficacy. It is one of the principle ac- in a state of deep relaxation. Patanja- suggestion and , but also tivities of any religion. It is a mental li tells us in Yoga Sutra II.33: “When the purposes of Yoga, how you ans- activity often mixed with emotion. bound by negative thoughts, cultiva- wer the questions “Who Am I?” and Its absence in the literature of Yoga te their opposite.” To use an analogy, “What is my relationship to God?” In distinguishes Yoga from religion. if the subconscious is like a compu- our tradition of Yoga, it also requi- Meditation in Yoga does not inclu- ter filled software or analogously, res an understanding of the word de any request for help, forgiveness, with mental habits, conditioning and “Guru.” nor any petition directed to God or a memories that direct ones thoughts, Supreme Being. It does not include words and actions, then an autosug- What is prayer? How does it dif- an expression of hope or desire, nor gestion is a program which is instal- fer from the yogic practices of any feeling of doubt. Concentration led deliberately by the owner of the meditation, autosuggestions and brings stillness and penetration of computer to effect a positive change. mantras? the ordinary mental and emotional Much of what fills the subconscious Prayer is a solemn request for activities to the eternal, infinite spi- was not put there deliberately. Life experiences leave impressions or memories automatically. When of- Inside ten repeated these impressions be- 1. Prayer versus Yoga, by M. G. Satchidananda come stronger and become habits. So, if you want to remove them, the 6. Divine Inner Alchemy of Yoga, by M. G. Satchidananda best way is not to fight them or try to suppress them, but to simply replace 9. News and Notes them with new programming. Many persons believe in the po- bB wer of prayer. Its effectiveness has published quarterly by Babaji’s Kriya Yoga and Publications, Inc. been studied by science. Scienti- 196 Mountain Road P.O. Box 90 fic studies at Duke University have Eastman, Quebec, Canada J0E 1P0 confirmed that prayer is effective in Telephone (450) 297-0258; fax: 450-297-3957 email: [email protected] Internet home page: http://www.babajiskriyayoga.net Continued on Page 2 Prayer versus Yoga continued accelerating the time required for someone to recover on the skin etc. In ordinary dream consciousness, which from surgery. But few make the connection between the includes daydreaming, your consciousness is also con- power of suggestion and the effectiveness of prayer. tracted and absorbed in memories and imaginations like The yogic practice of autosuggestion makes no appeal anxiety, desire, judgments. To gain the benefit of man- to a higher power, a Supreme Being. Prayer does. Prayer tra practice, therefore, you need to concentrate on the often implies a feeling of helplessness or even doubt, de- sound or pronunciation of the in order to pene- spair, fear, regret, guilt or unworthiness. As such, it may trate the ordinary movements of the mind to the spiri- be sabotaging the very power of suggestion. Like auto- tual dimension. The benefit will be even greater if you suggestion, prayer is most effective when it is expressed can remember the sacred, higher state of consciousness without any hint of doubt. For this reason, the preacher’s experienced during the initiation into the mantra. That admonition to pray with full faith, even certainty, that state of consciousness is a wide calm, and energy rich the Lord will do what is best, protects the prayer from with presence, love, peace and silence. the effects of doubt on the subconscious mind. The purpose of Yoga is to weaken the causes of suffering and to cultivate Self-realization, or sa- Mantras madhi according to Patanjali’s in his Yoga Sutras II.2. While autosuggestions work at the level of the sub- The original cause of suffering, he states, is ignorance conscious, they can help remove many of the bad habits of our true identity. and negative thinking which make your life difficult. From this, originate However, there are spiritual practices such as mantras, the other kleshas, or that link us to superconscious levels, and which ena- causes of suffering: ble you to align yourself with the Will of your higher egoism, attachment, Self. By “superconscious” I mean the capacity to receive aversion and fear knowledge without of death. (Yoga Sut- using the five sen- ras II.3-9) Your ans- ses or memory. By wer to the question “spiritual,” I refer “Who am I?” evolves to that dimension as you identify less of one‘s existence, with the physical which transcends body, personality, time and space; that thoughts, emotions, which is a constant, our past, and more which never chan- with a witnessing ges. It is formless consciousness. As and limitless. It is your identity evol- pure consciousness. ves your conception It is the ground of of God also evolves. your existence. All The practice of Yoga thought and events brings about an evo- have their ultimate Govindan giving mantra diksa. lution in your identity: from I am my body, I am a mo- origin and destina- ther, father, professional, male, female, fan of that team, tion there. member of that political party, I am cold, I am hungry, Unlike prayers, mantras are not petitionary. You ask to simply I am. You identify with the Seer, or Self, not for nothing, save the Lord or “That” itself. As such they the Seen. You identify with That which never changes. help to free you from the grasping nature of egoism, the You experience more and more a sense of unity with habit of identifying with the body-mind complex and all everything. I am in everything, everything is in me is ex- of its inherent movements. By definition, mantras are perienced. As your identity so evolves, you realize that sound vehicles of consciousness, which can transmit a egoism, with its attendant attachments or desires, and higher level of consciousness to the recipient in a pro- aversions or fears, is the cause of your suffering, and you cess referred to as initiation. learn to “let go” of them. Mantras are a language between levels of conscious- In the ordinary egoistic state of consciousness, God ness, so it is important to repeat them with so much con- is viewed as one who can help me to satisfy my desires centration that your consciousness both deepens and wi- or to avoid what I fear. Prayer is a means to communi- dens, like a seed, which grows into a tree. You suspend cate these wants. But when your aim is no longer to try ordinary mental movements while repeating the mantra. to satisfy the ego’s manifestations, but rather to rise ab- In ordinary physical consciousness, your consciousness, ove these and to identify with your true Self, to let go of even your identity is absorbed in the phenomena being them, to remain as a Witness, and merely to fulfill your experienced through the five senses. You are preoccu- pied with what we are seeing, reading, hearing, feeling Continued on Page 3

Page 2 Babaji’s Kriya Prayer versus Yoga continued duties and follow a path which will enable you to remain the effect of a “desire” or “feeling” – for God can have in a higher state of awareness, then your relationship neither desires nor emotions – but of a “metaphysical with God changes. Meditation replaces prayer. Seeking sympathy” between the Lord, Ishvara and the soul, pu- for a state of spiritual communion with the Lord or see- rusa. In essence, Ishvara is a purusa that has been free king guidance or wisdom replaces petitionary prayer. since all eternity, never touched by the causes of suffe- You trust that the Lord loves you and is guiding you. ring. Commenting on this verse, the sage Vyasa tells us Therefore, you seek to listen to the Lord’s wisdom and that God does not submit to being summoned by rituals guidance by turning inwards. or devotion, or faith in his mercy, but that his essence, consciousness, collaborates with us the Self that seeks What is my relationship with God? emancipation through Yoga. This relationship is therefo- This is the subject of theology, the study of the re- re one of sympathy, born of Nature’s purpose or design, lationship between God, the soul, and the world. The to collaborate in the deliverance of the many “selves” belief in their reality is referred to as theism. The be- (purusa) entangled in the illusory meshes of existence. lief that these distinctions are not real, but illusionary, (Note 2: Eliade). and that there exists only However, what is for first importance in the Yoga Su- One, referred to often as tras is technique and the yogins will and capacity for Brahma, in the Indian li- self-mastery and concentration. Why, you may ask, did terature of Vedanta, is re- Patanjali, nevertheless, feel the need to introduce Ish- ferred to as monism. The vara? The answer is because Ishvara corresponds to an former is dualistic, and experiential reality: Ishvara can in fact, bring about sa- is embraced by all Wes- madhi, on condition that the yogin practices complete tern religions, Yoga, Tan- surrender or Ishvaraprahnidhana or devotion to Ishvara. tra and the major sects Yoga Sutras II.45. of : Saivism, Having collected and classified all the yogic techni- Vaishnavism, and Shak- ques whose efficacy had be confirmed by the classic tra- tism. The latter is non- dition, he could not ignore the experiences made pos- dualistic, is referred to as sible by the single process of concentration on Ishvara, Advaita, and is embraced (and affirmed in the Bhagavad Gita.) In other words, as by the ten major Hindu Eliade points out: “alongside the tradition of a purely renunciant orders, the Ramana Maharshi magical Yoga – one that called upon nothing but the will dasami, founded by Adi and personal powers of the ascetic – there is another, a Sankara, as well as by Ramana Maharshi, and a growing “mystical” tradition, in which the last stages of Yoga prac- number of Westerners. In these nondualist traditions, as tice were at least made easier by devotion – even though in , there is no God, no soul, and the world is an extremely rarefied, extremely ‘intellectual’ devotion illusionary. – to God….All in all, Ishvara is only an archetype of the Patanjali clearly answers the above question in Yoga yogin – a macroyogin.” (Note 3). Unconditioned by time, Sutra I.24: Ishvara is the guru of the most ancient gurus.” Yoga Su- Ishvara is the special Self, untouched by any afflictions, tra I.26. actions, fruits of actions or by any inner impressions of de- sires. What is my relationship to God according to And he tells us the purpose of this relationship in the Yoga Siddhantha, the teaching of the Yoga ? previous verse, I.23: (Note 1). Siddhantha, as expressed in the Tirumandiram, tea- Or, because of one’s surrender to the Lord, one successful- ches that your conception of the Lord evolves as your ly achieves , that is cognitive absorption. psychological identity evolves. (Note 4). Unlike both Samkhya, much of Vedanta, and Budd- These relationships include the following stages: hism, Classical Yoga, as expressed in Patanjali’s Yoga Sut- Charya: the servant, who is seeking, serving, and ras, affirms the existence of God, Ishvara. This God is no beginning to associate with others who are seeking the creator. The cosmos, life, and man are created by prakri- Lord; ti, or Nature, from primordial substance. But Ishvara can Kriya: the friend, one who has found a path to the hasten the process of realizing samadhi. He is therefore Lord, familiar with the Lod, and who performs rituals, a god of . He can come to the help of only a , either external ceremonies or internal practices; that is, one who has already chosen Yoga as his or her Yoga: the son or daughter, the yogi, in which one be- path. But Ishvara’s role is comparatively small. He can gins to manifest the qualities of the Lord; and bring samadhi to the yogin who takes him as the object Jnana: oneness; the sage, the wise one, or , the of his concentration. In the Bhagavad Gita, Krishna ma- perfected one, with knowledge of unity with the one, kes similar assertions, and exhorts Arjuna to concentrate eternal, blissful, Siva. on “Me” alone. According to the above verse, reaffirmed in verse II.45, Patanjali tells us that this divine aid is not Continued on Page 4

Babaji’s Kriya Yoga Journal Page 3 Prayer versus Yoga continued These relationships the Good, and the Beautiful. all include aspiration His cosmic form no one can grasp; for grace, and a pro- But the body composed of the five elements gressive purification He pervades so finely like milk in water, of the stains or impu- The wonderful bliss I learnt to experience tirelessly.” rities: ignorance, ego- – Tirumandiram verse 450 (Note 7) ism, karma and delu- sion or maya. They are As long as obscuration lasts, one is unable to perceive represented metapho- the presence of the Lord within. But through the grace rically in the change of the Lord, as one turns away from attachment to the in your perspective as body-mind-personality and purifies oneself of the stains, you look at a distant one begins to have spiritual experiences. With these, and mountain (charya), the bliss they confer, one turns more and more towards then find a path up the the Lord within, in union. Ultimate bliss is found by the mountain (kriya), be- Lord’s grace. come familiar with the The Siddhas never praised any of deities, mountain as climb hig- nor encouraged the “half way” houses of temple wors- her (yoga), and finally Gopuram with 5 Siddhas. hip. They were radical, in the truest sense of the word, reach the top of the and encouraged everyone to seek the Lord within, and mountain (jnana). The seeker of God or Truth initially to manifest That. Their great sayings included Anbu Si- “sees” God as remote and unknowable, but after finding vam or “Love is God,” and Jiva (the individual soul) is a spiritual path, and concentrating on its discipline, one becoming Siva, and “They are not two”. Their favorite finally realizes union with That. This expresses monistic conception of the Lord was as vettavveli, or “vast lumi- theism, in which one begins by considering God to be nous space”. (Note 8). other than oneself, and ultimately to being the essen- ce of oneself, Conscious-Energy, Siva-Shakti. The Tiru- Babaji’s Kriya Yoga is a “guru yoga” mandiram refers to a progressive descent of divine grace “Guru, God and Self are One,” is a great saying or ma- through these stages of purification. (Note 5). havakya in the tradition of Yoga. It is one that I perso- The Tirumandiram nally embraced from the moment that I glimpsed the describes the five func- greatness of and Yogi S.A.A. tions of the Lord: crea- Ramaiah. It became crystal clear to me when I heard the tion, preservation, dis- verse of the Siddha : solution, concealment, The ignorant say love and Siva are two; and grace. These mani- Love is Siva, they know not; fest through His Shakti Love is Siva, once they know this; or power, according to Love abides as Siva. 36 tattvas or principles – Tirumandiram 270 of Nature, as well as through karma. Grace pervades all of the five functions of the Lord and con- sequently everything that is created, preser- ved, dissolved, obscu- re and gracious in our personal lives. When we can perceive and appreciate this, mo- ment to moment, our suffering ends immediately, and we see the face of the Lord. (Note 6). The Siddhas teach that the Lord’s grace is what leads the soul up the ladder of spiritual experience, easing the soul from the world slowly and revealing the greater light of wisdom and Self-knowledge. Grace is the com- passion of the Lord. Unlike karma, it does not depend Babaji’s feet washing by Mataji. upon the merits or demerits of one’s activities. It is the response of the Lord to the soul’s aspiration for the True, Continued on Page 5

Page 4 Babaji’s Kriya Yoga Journal Prayer versus Yoga continued It became the polestar of my life when I dedicated id the confusion which arises when the person’s human myself to the practice of Babaji’s Kriya Yoga and His limitations manifest. mission to share Tamil Kriya Yoga Siddhantham, the tea- The Guru tattva is also the principle by which Nature, chings of the 18 Tamil Yoga Siddhas. I am reminded of creates, sustains and destroys all life in both our inner it every time I repeat Babaji’s mantra “Om Kriya Babaji and outer universes, in whatever way is necessary for Nama Aum.” us pass from ignorance to wisdom, from egoism to Self- The Yoga Siddhas realization. It has existed since before the universe was worshipped their gu- created, and so transcends time and space. The Guru rus. Nowhere in their principle exists within everyone as the inner Self, so writings do they prai- when we honor the outer Guru, we also honor our own se any deity, or wors- Self. It is the impersonal Shakti, the spontaneous force hip any smaller gods which creates whatever is needed for the greatest expan- in temples, as they sion of sadhana. It is more powerful than the external have realized their guru because it always accessible. selves as Siva, the Su- The word Guru is also closed related to the word preme Being. Their “Guna,” which refers to the three tendencies, modes, Yoga is a Guru Yoga. constituents or qualities by which Nature (prakriti) Their poems typically moves us physically, emotionally and mentally: (a) ta- begin with a salutati- mas (inertia, fatigue, discouragement, doubt), rajas (ac- on to their gurus. This tivity, courage, planning and executing) and sattva (ba- is because they expe- lance, equanimity, clear understanding). So the Guru is rienced God in the the one who shows us how to liberate ourselves from love of their gurus. dependency on the Gunas. The Siddhas referred to their They experienced the mission to do so as arrupadai: showing the path to Self power of their love and God realization. Patanjali refers to this liberation as and in turn respon- kaivalyam, freedom from the Seen in the Yoga Sutras ded by manifesting II.25, III.50, III.55, IV.26, IV.32 and IV.34. In the very last love and even divine verse of the Yoga Sutras: acts. I can attest to Govindan 1972 San Thome Thus, the supreme state of Absolute freedom (kaivalyam) the power of this love courtyard. manifests while the qualities (gunas) reabsorb themselves and how it has acted into Nature, having no more purpose to serve the Self. Or through me since the day in when I first spoke the words (from another angle) the power of pure consciousness settles of a pledge, “My own being and pleasures I surrender in its own pure Nature. absolutely and entirely to Kriya Babaji.” The past 50 ye- – IV.34 (Note 9) ars has been one continuous session which expresses this love and surrender to Babaji in everyone. Seek Babaji to become Babaji The word “Guru” literally means “dispeller of dar- Each of us is a work in progress. Individually and col- kness”. “Gu” means darkness and “ru” means light. “Dar- lectively as sadhaks, those who are engaged in the sadha- kness” is a metaphor for ignorance. Ignorance is the in- na, or discipline of Yoga we are discovering our potential ability to distinguish what is permanent from what is power and consciousness, kundalini, as well as the res- impermanent, the source of suffering from the source traints of human nature and egoism. The resulting trans- of joy, and the ego bound personality from the true Self. formation of this process, however, will depend upon the So, the Guru is one who shows us how to remove the extent to which the sadhak’s mind and vital changes its darkness of ignorance and to realize wisdom. When the allegiance to the soul or psyche, and away from the ego. veil of ignorance is removed, love shines as an all-po- The ego cannot purify itself. It is only our higher Self, werful light within and without. The Guru is not a per- or soul, which is untouched by the ego’s manifestations, son. The Guru is a tattva, a principle of nature, by which that is capable of doing so. But how to bring it forward Truth, Love, Beauty, Wisdom is revealed. It may mani- into the foreground of our consciousness? How to bring fest through anything which enables us to see profound- its influence to bear upon the ego? Certainly, the five- ly the Truth behind nature’s veils, which purifies of the fold path of Babaji’s Kriya Yoga provides many techni- malas or stains of egoism, illusion and karma. It could ques which help to purify the subconscious, develop the manifest through a book, the eyes of a baby, a sunrise, a necessary concentration, create positive mental image- spiritual experience, a mantra. When it manifests as con- ry, and develop the intellect’s ability to find wisdom. sistently through a person, we often refer to that person Our soul, or psychic being, however, remains behind the as a “guru” but you must not forget that it is not the “per- veil of the mind, the emotions and sensations, until and son” which is the “Guru”, but the teachings, the wisdom, unless the sadhak concentrates inwardly and finds the the love which manifests though the person. The person is just the postman. By remembering this, you may avo- Continued on Page 6

Babaji’s Kriya Yoga Journal Page 5 The Divine Alchemy of Kundalini Yoga in light of Siddhantha By M. G. Satchidananda My teacher Yogi A new meaning of sacrifice S.A.A. Ramaiah often Yoga has its roots in the Vedic sacrificial fire repeated that the ceremonies. They are performed to this day by goal of Babaji’s Kriya hereditary priests in temples to invoke the blessings of Yoga is complete the Lord. They are usually done, however, for material surrender on all five purposes. The Yoga Siddhas sought to remind us that planes of existence, such material purposes should not distract us from our and that the practice ultimate spiritual purpose. of Kriya Kundalini Seek the Lord who gives the precious wealth is the That renders bad all other wealth. most effective means The sacrifice (they) perform, that brings of achieving it. This Inestimable wealth, yearning for the bliss. teaching is repeated – Tirumandiram 220 throughout the literature of the Yoga Commenting on this verse in The Tirumandiram (Vol. Siddhas, including 1, pp. 271–272), Dr. KR. Arumugam writes, “The essence The Tirumandiram. Yogi Ramaiah of the Vedic and Agamic teaching is the recognition of one However, it is ex­ Supreme Being, and the seeking of His Grace by souls. pressed in deliberately obscure “twilight” or metaphorical This teaching is the precious wealth the Lord revealed, language to conceal its meaning to the non-initiate, who as man came to understand the meaning of spirituality. may misuse it. To help initiates of Babaji’s Kriya Yoga to But men ignore this teaching and seek material wealth, better understand the significance of its practice, we have the desire for which binds them to the cycle of birth and published extensive translations of and commentaries death. Realized persons seek the inestimable wealth of on their literature. The study of their teachings, known Lord Siva’s Grace that brings supreme bliss. The sacrifices collectively as Siddhantha, the ultimate purpose of , will illuminate your practice or sadhana. Continued on Page 6

Prayer versus Yoga continued mystic light, the sweet presence of the Divine, the True, ming actions with skills and calmness. See the beautiful the Good, the Beautiful, which is immanent and trans- face of the Divine everyone. Let your heart sing to it cendent. Guru, God and Self are One. During the first with love and joy. Your soul will come to the foreground initiation, there is the technique to communicate with as the mind and vital become quiet, and it will direct Babaji, the Guru of Kriya Yoga. This technique of com- your life. (Note: 10). munion with Babaji permits our soul, our higher Self, or as Sri Aurobindo calls it, our “psychic being,” to come Notes: from behind the veil of egoism with increasing frequen- 1. Govindan, Marshall, Kriya cy, until there is a total identification with it. Complete and he Siddhas; Identification with our soul usually occurs only after a 2. Eliade, Mircea, Yoga,Immortality and Freedom; pg. very long sadhana. This identification is marked by a 74 very great joy which is present during all situations. 3. Ibid, page 75; One feels immortal, that is, eternal. One feels the 4. Govindan, “How do we know whether we are pro- sweet Presence of the Divine. gressing spirituality?” KY Journal: Volume 14 Number But in the meantime, until the long process of puri- 3 - Fall 2007 and in Kriya Yoga Insights Along the Path. fication and identification with the higher Self, or soul, 5. Ganapathy, The Yoga of Tirumular: Essays on the is complete, the sadhak must turn inwards repeatedly, Tirumandiram, page 36 concentrate, and listen to its directives, and then obey 6. Govindan, “Seeing the Manifestation of Grace,” KY them. It will reveal everything that must be purified in Journal: Volume 17 Number 2 - Summer 2010 one’s nature. It will shine its light on all that must be 7. Tirumular, The Tirumandiram: Classic of Yoga and reformed or excised. The true sovereign that you are is . waiting for you! It is not sufficient to be merely “mind- 8. Govindan, “They are not two,”KY Journal, Volume ful.” Aspire to be the servant of the Supreme. Concen- 20 Number 4 - Winter 2014 trate and seek the Divine within yourself to resist the 9. Govindan, “Love, Grace and the Guru,” KY Journal impulse to manifest anger, pride, jealousy and to let go 10. Govindan, “Seek Babaji to Become Babaji,”KY of fear, desire, old negative habits. With love and devo- Journal tion to the Divine at all times and in all places, aspire For numbers 4,6,8,9 and 10, go to: to become its instrument, expressing kindness, perfor- www.babajiskriyayoga.net/english/articles.htm

Page 6 Babaji’s Kriya Yoga Journal Light of Siddhantha continued they perform will be wisdom. The sun and the moon are metaphors for His devoted to this goal.” two eyes. The sun represents the supreme universal To this end, the consciousness that illuminates everything at all levels of Siddhas developed manifestation. The moon represents the individualized Kundalini yoga. consciousness. The sun is the one Eternal Witness. The To ensure that it moon is the reflected consciousness, or Witness, within be learned and each of us. His third eye, agni, represents supreme applied for its true enlightenment that carries the soul across the ocean of purposes, however, birth and death. When the flame is cool, the Lord’s Grace they insisted that descends in the soul. the details of its Siddhantha prescribes a progressive path with four practice be shared stages: (1) chariya, service, Karma yoga; (2) kriya, only by adepts in worshipful activities, first external, then internal; (3) personal initiation yoga, including the eight limbs of Astanga yoga, but and never in writing. ultimately Kundalini yoga; and (4) jnana, wisdom. Each Their descriptions stage prepares us for the next. As aspirants to Babaji’s of it in their poems, Kriya Yoga, we pledge to practice yoga not for our however, reveal personal benefit alone, its philosophical but for the benefit purposes and effects. of everyone. This These poems also Priests in a fire ceremony. prepares us for the reveal the essential second stage, where elements of love and devotion, which invite Divine helps Grace. Grace can transform human nature, with its aspirants cultivate ordinary limitations as we will see below, just as alchemy love and devotion. can transform base metals, by invoking higher, hidden This in turn enables laws of nature. us to access the For example, the initiate of Babaji’s Kriya Yoga is taught Grace, power, and that Siva, the name that the Siddhas gave to the Lord motivation necessary or Supreme Being, their source of inspiration, can be to continue yogic repeated as “Va”, meaning “come” in the , sadhana in the third and “Si” referring to the Lord’s name, during the practice stage. The awakening of pranayama. Repeating it this way conveys our highest of Kundalini in the aspiration for transcendental union. In response to this third stage brings call of aspiration, Divine Grace can be experienced as samadhi and the the descent of “coolness” during this same practice of realization of wisdom pranayama. in the fourth stage. The lustrous flame, our incomparable Lord, The four stages above the bright flame that resides in my inmost self, can also be cultivated The eyes of flame, transcending the seven worlds simultaneously. MGS below Bogar and priest. Yet a cool flame He is, the leader of all sacrifices. – Tirumandiram 221 Overcoming the obscurity of misidentification According to the Siddhas, Siva has five functions: Here, Tirumular redefines sacrifice. Instead of making creation, preservation, dissolution, concealment or oblations into a ceremonial fire to the celestial deities to obscurity, and Grace. They facilitate the education of gain wealth for ourselves or our families, we should raise the soul by giving it the experiences required to grow the fire that resides within, the Kundalini Sakti, so that in wisdom and overcome the ignorance of our true it ascends to all of the . Similarly, he reinterprets identity, egoism, and delusion. Grace acts through all yaga or yagna (sacrifice) as an inner activity of yoga. five of these, but we access it directly when we aspire See verses 337 and 338. Nowhere in the Siddha literature to it, with love, by turning toward the Lord. These are do the Siddhas praise the deities. Instead of worshipping represented in the hands and feet of Nataraja, “Dancing them in stone images or temples, they encourage us to Shiva,” in the temple of Chidambaram. understand Kundalini yoga as inner worship. Although consciousness permeates us at all levels, Tirumular emphasizes that sacrifices made in it is concealed by the soul’s three malas, or stains: the exchange for small gains actually cloud our view and anava mala, egoism and ignorance of our true identity, conceal the real goal of seeking the Lord’s Grace. The identifying with what we are not; karma mala, the Lord, Siva, is the supreme flame that envelops and transcends the universe and fills the soul with supreme Continued on Page 8

Babaji’s Kriya Yoga Journal Page 7 Light of Siddhantha continued sum of our habits and transparent when sediment settles to the bottom, so tendencies, the also consciousness becomes clearly distinct from the consequences of movements of the mind. In silence, we identify with past thoughts, words, That, conscious energy, Siva–Sakti centered in the and actions; and crown. maya mala, delusion The inverted tree, with its roots in the sky above of the mind. This the head, is a metaphor for the relationship between concealment or our human nature and our Divine source. We are obscurity manifests created by the Divine. Our roots are the Divine. Siva, through the distraction Supreme Consciousness, manifests all through Sakti, of emotions, such as the primordial creative force. Consciousness is not an fear or anger, mental epiphenomenon of the brain, as some scientists claim and intellectual without evidence. Consciousness upholds all. agitation, desires, The practice of Kundalini yoga raises energy from physical discomfort, the lower psycho-energetic centers, known as chakras and other obstacles, – where we identify with the physical body and its such as doubt, survival, with emotions, desires, and imagination, and dispersion, lust, and where we are primarily preoccupied with survival, laziness. Its purpose is to motivate us to become seekers, sex, and desire – to the higher chakras – where we to seek the wisdom that will carry us beyond to Self- experience love, creativity, insight, and spiritual realization. illumination. Until the higher chakras are awakened, we In this “Kundalini-yagna,” when the is identify completely with the lower psychological states. controlled, the passage of susumna is opened, and In addition to pranayama, as discussed above, all of the Kundalini rises though it, piercing the six adharas or 18 Kriya postures, as well as the practice of chakras below the crown , where it merges with bandhas or muscular locks, direct energy from the lower Para-Siva, Supreme consciousness. to the higher chakras. Furthermore, they are practiced On top of the central nadi one should experience the inner in a way to balance the left and right nadis, the ida and and the outer; pingala, respectively, referred to as “ha” and “tha.” The Snapping the fury of ahamkara one should consume the practice results in the opening of the central susumna flood of bliss; nadi. By precisely merging with Siva with an uninterrupted Course the breath in ways appropriate through nadis calmness, Idakala and Pingala, One should attain the bliss of sleepless sleep; Seat yourself in (comely), And agreeably direct Dance, oh! Snake! In rhythm, in rhythm. the breath within; – Verse 116, from Pambatti Siddha’s Dance, Oh! Snake Through Muladhara, that is triangle shaped, Upward Dance ascend; Verily may you see the Feet, Of Lord, that is Timeless “Ahamkara” is egoism born of ignorance. Eternity. According to the Siddhas, the roots of liberation from – Tirumandiram 2173 the stains, mentioned above, are upward. As portrayed by Paambatti Siddhar in his poem “Dance Snake Dance,” Uprooting the gunas three, he who controls breath in verse 113, there is no birth for those who have uprooted Muladhara, the roots planted upward. And courses it alternatively through nadis left and right, And from the Bauls, a group of mystic minstrels from In time measure prescribed will be immortal made by the historical Bengal region, a poem says: Him that is King of Beings Heavenly. The roots of the tree are planted in the sky, – Tirumandiram 615 And the branches on the earth. Furthermore, the practice of the bija or seed syllable This is how Kundalini yoga is structured. Inwardness mantras particular to each chakra results in the rise and upward movement are its primary characteristics. of energy from the lower to the higher chakras. They Pranayama is the key, because it helps us divert our energize, awaken, and integrate their corresponding downward flowing seminal fluid and direct it upward. psychological states. This reflects the basic principle of Sexual or seed energy, bindu, is sublimated into the Tantra, that consciousness follows energy, and energy spiritual energy, known as ojas, associated with the follows consciousness. Tantra refers to the body of highest chakras in and above the head. Sublimation teachings that seeks to integrate humanity’s material is a process of refining or purifying. Turning inward, and spiritual dimensions. away from the distraction of the senses, calms the mind and vital bodies. Just as a glass of water becomes Continued on Page 9

Page 8 Babaji’s Kriya Yoga Journal News and Notes Pilgrimage to the new Ashram with M. of accompanying Acharyas. For details contact info@ G. Satchidananda and Durga Ahlund, September babaji.ca 17 to October 5, 2020: Join them in a life changing, Visit holy places of South ’s ancient and profound unforgettable pilgrimage to the place where Babaji spiritual culture, meet with several livingspiritual attained soruba samadhi, the ultimate state of masters, practice daily guided Kriya Yoga in sacred sites enlightenment. Details are here: www.babajiskriyayoga. at ashrams, old temples, samadhishrines, on mountain net/english/Pilgrimages-himalayas.htm tops and at the water front, visit our own ashram in and two ashramsof world-renowned saints in Pilgrimage to South India January 3-21, 2021: For Tiruvannamalai and Pondicherry, and a vedic heritage the first time in three years, we are organizing this tour ayurvedic resort atthe Western Ghats, and travel through to south India. Acharya Satyananda, with the assistance the beautiful nature of and Kerala, touching of Acharyas Sita and Nagalakshimi, will guide a group thesunny countryside of countless coconut trees, the of initiates of Babaji’s Kriya Yoga through the country of beautiful Western Ghats mountain range, and theshores the Tamil Siddha Yoga tradition, this time with a couple of the Indian Ocean and the Arabian Sea. new destinations for this tour and with New Year’s eve in our ashram in Bangalore. Satyananda has guided our Second level initiations will be given by M.G. pilgrimage tours to India and has been teaching Babaji’s Satchidananda in Quebec August 28 to 30, and October Kriya Yoga in India for more than a decade. The tour is guided in English with translations into languages Continued on Page 10

Light of Siddhantha continued Laya yoga tattvas, which are the agents of maya or delusion (time, Another name for Kundalini yoga is Laya yoga. desire, karma, limited knowledge, and limited power). Laya means dissolution. Dissolution of the ego’s false Asanas, or postures, and bandhas sublimate the energy identification with what it, ultimately, is not: the with the physical body; Bhakti yoga, or devotional physical, emotional, mental, and intellectual dimensions practice, sublimates energy in the vital body, the seat of human nature. Each of these corresponds to the of emotions; pranayama and meditation sublimate elements or bhutas of ancient science: earth, water, fire, energy in the mental body; mantras sublimate energy and air. They obscure our true, eternal spiritual Self, or in the intellectual body. With synergy, they bring about consciousness, which corresponds to the fifth element, cognitive absorption known as samadhi, when Kundalini space. energy rises to the topmost chakra. As this occurs, the The Siddhas’ favorite description of the Lord, descent of Grace is facilitated and manifests as the vettaveli, refers to vast luminous space. Just as water is inner guru. Sri Aurobindo refers to this as the psychic needed to dissolve earth, fire is needed to dissolve water being. As it comes to the foreground, it progressively into steam, fire burns into airs, and air dissolves into guides and transforms us while our potential power infinite space, our consciousness rises and expands and and consciousness is revealed. We realize as our Divine identifies with more sublime dimensions of existence. Selves We achieve realization of our Divine Selves., and Egoism, the habit of identifying with what we are not, identify with sat chit ananda – absolute being, absolute contracts consciousness around physical sensations, consciousness, absolute bliss – in the crown. emotions, mental fantasies or memories, and intellectual Om Namah Shivayah means “the result of sacrifice ideas, to the momentary exclusion of everything else. is bliss.” In other words, when you give it all up, you This is efficient and effective for our survival and for get it all. The spiritual path begins when you are ready many limited day-to-day tasks and relationships. But to experience nothing special, and to be no one special. when the ego assumes an exaggerated role and causes Remember this as you sacrifice each moment to the us to forget our true identity, it is the primary source of next. our suffering. In Laya yoga, we dissolve our ego’s false identification Recommended reading, available in several lan­ with the physical (earth), into the emotional (water), guages, from our ecommerce bookstore: into the mental (fire), into the intellectual (air), and The Wisdom of and the Yoga Siddhas ultimately the spiritual (space). Meditation on the 24 Babaji and the 18 Siddha Kriya Tradition tattvas or principles of human nature bring us to the The Yoga of Siddha Tirumular: Essays on The doorway of Self-realization and transcendence. The Tirumandiram 24 tattvas include the five elements mentioned above, The Yoga of the Eighteen Siddhas: An Anthology their five tanmatras or sense elements (seeing, hearing, The Yoga of Boganathar, Volumes 1 and 2 smelling, tasting, and touching), their five sense The Grace of Babaji’s Kriya Yoga correspondence organs, five organs of actions, and the subconscious, course the mind, the intellect, the ego, as well as five other Truth Speaks, Civavakkiyam, ebook Babaji’s Kriya Yoga Journal Page 9 News and notes continued 23-25, 2020 in English and June 12-14, and October 16- this is the one book you require! 18, 2020 in French. If you want to develop a clear and present knowing when Divine Will is interceding in your life, this is the one Third level initiations will be offered with M. Govindan book/ you require! Satchidananda in Quebec July 17-26, 2020. They will “We have enjoyed this book immensely. We met also be offered in 2020 by Satyananda in Germany, by Professor Mukerjee, a sadhak of Integral Yoga for over 50 Nityananda and Savitri in Spain, by Sita Siddhananda years, and a past director of the International Center for and Shivadas in France, by Nagalakshimi in Brazil, Education, in January 2006, at the Sri Aurobindo Ashram by Nagaraj in Japan, and by Ishvarananda in Estonia. in Pondicherry. We were charmed by his clear message Attain the goal of Self-realization with powerful kriyas that living a divine life means being relentless in seeking to awaken the chakras and to go into the breathless state out weaknesses and shortcomings in yourself and clearly of samadhi. and utterly determined in bridging the gap from where you are - to where you want to be....calling on the Divine, International Yoga Congress at Yoga Vidya, in Bad whenever necessary. He gives us the means in his book, Meinberg, Germany, November 20-22, 2020, with “The Practice of Integral Yoga.” M.G. Satchidananda, as one of the main presenters During it, Satchidananda will give one lecture on The Recognition of Our Own Heart: Ponderings on Saturday from 8:05 to 9:45 am on Yoga Siddhantha. He the Pratyabhijnahrydayam, by Joan Ruvinksky with a will also offer a Satsang gathering of initiates, on Sunday foreword by Mark Dyczkowski, is our latest publication. from 8:15 to 11 a.m., as well as an initiation seminar ISBN 978-1-987972-15-3, 164 pages 7 x 10 inches, softcover November 22-25. He will also give a lecture on the Yoga April 2019, with more than a dozen artistic nature Sadhana of Patanjali on Tuesday November 24 at 8 p.m. photographs Price: USD$25.00, CAD$32.55 in Canada (incl. His 2 lectures, the satsang and the initiation seminar will gst). be translated from English into German by Satyananda. In this gem of a book, non-dual yoga and meditation This seminar at the Yoga Vidya headquarters includes teacher Joan Ruvinsky offers up a beautifully illustrated accommodation and full board. The seminar begins interpretive translation of one of the foundational texts Sunday at 4.30pm and ends Wednesday around 12pm. of Kashmiri — Contact: [email protected] for details twenty short verses that address fundamental and International Yoga Conference in Warsaw, Poland, universal questions. Part November 27 to 28, 2020, with M. G Satchidananda poetry, part guidebook, part and other distinguished speakers, in English and Polish. art, it conveys the richness The event will be focused on promoting yoga in general and incandescence so and Babaji's Kriya Yoga in particular. It will include characteristic of the lineage historic, health, spiritual and philosophical perspectives, without losing sight of the More detailed info on the program and participation last 400 years of philosophical will be available soon. Contact email: poland@ inquiry, spiritual revelation, babajiskriyayoga.net and scholarship. In the footsteps of the The Practice of Integral Yoga, by J.K. Mukherjee, is now Tantric masters of the distributed by Kriya Yoga Publications: medieval period — who were www.babajiskriyayoga.net/english/ not only great yogis but also bookstore.htm#integral_yoga_book accomplished scholars, poets, musicians — Ruvinsky by Jugal Kishore Mukerjee, Sri Aurobindo Ashram embraces the body, mind, and senses as pathways to Published in 2003. 366 pages. enlightenment. In her distinctly poetic and down-to-earth Price: USD$16.90, CAD$18.90 in fashion Ruvinsky reminds us to live directly, moment to Canada (inc gst). ISBN 81-7058- moment, in the mystery. You already have what you need. 732-8. Softcover. 6 x 9 inches. She intones, “All contemplations are valid. There are no If you are inspired by the right answers, no dead ends, only pathways in the infinite.” brilliance of the writings of https://www.babajiskriyayoga.net/english/bookstore. Sri Aurobindo or your heart is htm#recognition_heart_book called by The Mother and wish to understand in a nutshell how New: Personal retreats at the Quebec Ashram, are to practice their Integral Yoga, now possible with prior reservations We are happy to this is the one book you require! announce that Jivani Johanne Abran and her husband If you want to experience in Dhanyam Daniel Lacroix have moved into their newly your body and mind what it is to “call down Grace” into your life, Continued on Page 11

Page 10 Babaji’s Kriya Yoga Journal News and notes continued constructed home, 100 meters from the Quebec ashram, of Babaji's Kriya Yoga We invite you to join us in this and that during the winter months and early spring, adventure of Self-exploration and discovery, drawn from Jivani is willing to prepare meals for visitors who wish the books dictated by Babaji in 1952 and 1953. Receive to have a personal retreat at the ashram. Between the by mail, each month, a lesson of 18-24 pages developing end of April and the end of August, these meals can also a specific theme, with practical exercises. For details be provided by Vajra Ira Davis. For more information: go here: www.babajiskriyayoga.net/english/bookstore. [email protected]. htm#grace_course

Visit our e-commerce site www.babajiskriyayoga. Visit Durga’s blog www.seekingtheself.com net for purchasing with your VISA, American Express or Mastercard all of the books and other products sold We offer our subscribers in the new Euro currency zone to send annual subscription payment of 13 Euros in a cheque payable to “Marshall Govindan in a transfer, to Deutsche Bank, International, BLZ 50070024, account no. 0723106, re. IBAN DE09500700240072310600, BIC/ Swift code DEUTDEDBFRA. (Or in francophone countries of Europe, le paiement doit être fait au nom de « Marshall Govindan » dans un transfert à la Banque Crédit Lyonnais, Banque 30002, indicatif : 01853, numéro de compte 0009237P80, re. IBAN FR75 3000 2018 5300 0000 9237 P80, BIC CRLYFRPP or a cheque payable to “Marshall Govindan,” sent to Francoise Laumain, 50 rue Corvisart, 75013 Paris, France. In Spain, send a cheque payable to « Nacho Albalat at c/ Ruzafa 43/2, Valencia 45006, Spain and inform him at. [email protected]. Acharya Satyananda with 30 initiates at the 2nd initia- German speaking countries inform Prem at prem@ tion, February 9, 2020 in Mumbai, India. babaji.de to renew your subscription. by Babaji’s Kriya Yoga Publications, or for donations to To renew the English language edition of the Kriya the Order of Acharyas. Your credit card information is Yoga Journal, please do so via the bookstore section of encrypted and kept secure. Check it out! our website www.babajiskriyayoga.net or by sending a check payable to Babaji’s Kriya Yoga, with the Renewal Subscribe to the correspondence course, The Grace Form below.

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