History of Kriya Yoga Meditation
Kriya Yoga Meditation is perhaps one of the oldest types of meditation techniques in the world. It had been discovered and utilized by the ancient Rishis (illumed sages) as a means of evolving the soul to final liberation from the cycle of birth and rebirth. It is mentioned in one of India's most ancient scriptures, the Bhagavad Gita (The Hindu Bible). In this most sacred manuscript, the Lord Krishna implores his devotees to practice this most efficient means of salvation. Alas over the course of millenniums this ancient science was lost in the "darker" ages of time. ( prevailing thought paints history as occurring in a linear series of events, in contrast illumed masters state that time occurs in a cyclical fashion, with highs and lows in mans material, mental and spiritual evolution through what is termed Yugas or Ages. see The Holy Science, by Swami Sri Yukteswar ) It's has only been relatively recently in the 19th and 20th centuries that it has been rediscovered by one of the worlds foremost masters Mahavatar Babaji and has begun to spread once more via pre-ordained masters, in the current rise of mans evolution. The last in the line of pre-ordained masters to spread Kriya Yoga in the west and the world en masse was Paramahansa Yogananda who established Self Realization Fellowship (SRF) in 1925 as the official body to continue with this work after he passed in 1952.
What is Kriya Yoga
Kriya is a method of Pranayama (life-energy control). Which is practiced in conjunction with other meditation techniques that can learned by applying to become a student of SRF. After the faithful study and practice of these Self Realization Fellowship Lessons over 1 year, in order to prepare the mind and body, the higher initiation of Kriya Yoga may be taken. This series of lessons are unique in the world because they allow the individual to receive direct instruction from a true Guru in his own words, just as Yogananda did from his Guru and by doing so enter into the sacred guru / disciple relationship.
Kriya Yoga has been described by Yogananda as the highway to realization because of it's effectiveness. He further states that Twenty-four days or 576 hours of prayer or meditation by any other technique of meditation (except Kryia Yoga) will not produce as much as much spiritual advancement as 1 hour of Kriya Yoga meditation.
What are the Benefits of Kriya Yoga
The benefits of Kriya Yoga are many and varied, however can be classified as three-fold - Spiritual, Mental and Physical. Some benefits in each category are as follows:
Spiritual
- You burn up the seeds of bad Karma that are the root cause of all our troubles whether those troubles are of a Spiritual, Mental and / or Physical nature. Whether they belong to a present or past lives.
- You burn up the seeds of bad Karma that are the root cause of all our troubles whether those troubles are of a Spiritual, Mental and / or Physical nature. Whether they belong to a present or past lives.
- You will enjoy being able to rely more and more on an ever developing sense of intuition for correct guidance through life.
Mental
- You develop Super Concentration that will aid you in every aspect of life.
- You develop Super Concentration that will aid you in every aspect of life.
- You will be able develop certain mental abilities that will aid you in life.
Physical
- By the burn up the seeds of bad physical karma, you will enjoy better health in this or if necessary future lives.
- By the burn up the seeds of bad physical karma, you will enjoy better health in this or if necessary future lives.
- Generally speaking a person who is stead-fast and devoted to the correct practice of Kriya Yoga as taught by Paramahansa Yogananda will as a rule finish their incarnational cycle with this life.
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