|
|
Ted & Denise stars in movie "Church in Your Living Room." Click for details and purchase info
The liberality, inherent in the Kriyayoga of Shri Shri Lahiri Mahashaya places it on a universal footing. A man practicing the teachings of any religion may be initiated into Kriyayoga without the necessity of shaking off his own religious faith. Besides, Kriyayoga may be given to any man having eagerness for Self- Realization, to whichever caste, creed or country he may belong. Shri Shri Lahiri Mahashaya had Abdul Gafur Khan as one of his advanced disciples, and Swami Bhaskarananda Saraswati and Shrimat Balananda Brahmachari were two Saints belonging to other religious sects who received Kriyayoga from Shri Shri Lahiri Mahashaya.
The Kriyayoga propounded by Lahiri Mahashaya is based on the principles enunciated in the Bhagavad gita and the Yogasutras of the great sage Patanjali. Lahiri Baba gave Yogic interpretations to some 22 famous Shastras including the two above-mentioned ones. The Gita, however, was considered to be the most important. It is a compendium of all kinds of spiritual training.
But, after all, Shastras are the records of spiritual researches conducted by Great Saints. Unless one follows the teachings of the Shastras in practice, one cannot have the experience of the Divine Bliss. That is why the mystery of Dharma has been described in the Gita as to be realized only by direct experience. Shri Shri Lahiri Mahashaya’s Kriyayoga leads the Sadhaka to the final goal, each stage unfolding its peculiar effect and thus encouraging the seeker.
As the difficult processes of Rajayoga have been much simplified by the Yogiraj and his Great Master Shri Shri Babaji Maharaj, the Kriyayoga as propounded by them has been called the ‘Sahaja Kriyayoga’, that is the Kriya that comes naturally to man, without putting any artificial strain on the physical machinery. This again, is another point in favor of Kriyayoga that it is free from the dangers which sometimes come in the way of the Sadhaka in the shape of some physical distortion or disease, the outcome of mistakes in following the processes of Yoga. There is no such danger attending Kriyayoga even if one commits a mistake. Of course, Kriyayoga is that which originates at our very birth.
The advent of Lahiri Mahashaya had thus a great significance for the suffering humanity offering as he did a divine manna to the care-worn earth.
Well, I salute to the feet of my brothers and sisters in Kriya !!
From Kashi, edited by Ted, also see below.
The greatest contribution of Shri Shri Lahiri Mahashaya to the world is that he, according to the instructions of his Great Guru Shri Shri Babaji Maharaj, simplified the infinite multiplicity of the processes of Rajayoga into a few stages and made it available to the common man, especially the house-holder who is simply lost in the wilderness of worldly duties. It is next to impossible for a householder to follow the strict principles of restraint enunciated in the ‘Astanga Yoga’ of Patanjali. The processes in the Kriyayoga taught by Lahiri Mahashaya make us gradually fit to unfold the Divine within ourselves, with much less effort than is usually necessary. Individual Yogis have always been there in India, but due to a great general deterioration in the mass consciousness Yogic processes remained circumscribed in the hands of Yogis alone. It was much too difficult for the common man to follow. Only those who would be ready to dedicate their lives to the cause of the Divine, would be initiated into the sect. Naturally, their number was very small. The greatest section of the people had no opportunity to follow the principles of Yoga even if they might have eagerness for these. It was Yogiraj Shri Shri Shyama-charan Lahiri Mahashaya who felt for us at the heart of his heart and spread the Divine Kriyayoga at a time when the world was just getting ripe for a new era of spiritual synthesis.
Enter the shrineroom of Swami Sri Yukteswar Giri. for communion with the infinite within.
Photo copyright SRF
From Kashi, who's param Guru is Sri Yukteswar: Dearest Brothers and Sisters in Kriya, One afternoon, after sadhana was finished I went with my Master across the river to Serampore.That day we had gone to the spot at Rai Ghat where Sri Yukteshvar had met the Babaji Maharaj after writing the book The Holy Science. After going to that place and bowing very low at the spot where the Babaji had sat we then boarded the rickshaw. As we were riding through the streets my Master had told me the story of how Sri Yukteshvar had met Yogiraj Sri Sri Lahiri Mahasaya. He had heard this story direct from the lips of Swami Maharaj. At this time Sri Yukteshvarji was known as Priyanath Karar. He had lived in Serampore. There he had an acquintence by the family name of Goswami. Now this acquintance had been a very great devotee and initiate disciple of Yogiraj Lahiri Mahasaya. Every day this man would excuse himself and lock himself away in a room. Priyanath had become very curious over this matter. Priyanath had asked the man, Well, what is it you are doing in that room? The man answered. Oh just something I had learned from a Yogi in Benares. Sri Yukteshvarji told my Master that when the man said that to him it was as though something had struck him, as though someone had hit him with a hammer! It struck such a chord within him! He was desparate to get to Benares. He enquired as to the name of this yogi but the acquintance would not reveal the name. Priyanath then entrained for Benares as quickly as he could without knowing the name or address of the mysterious yogi. There he made many enquiries in the Bengali section. Eventually he was directed to the house of the Yogiraj Sri Sri Lahiri Mahasaya. He entered that house and went to the room where the Yogiraj was seated in Lotus posture, totally silent and deeply absorbed within and surrounded by a small circle of devotees. It was a very strange and very soul stirring scene for Priyanath. Master told me that eventually the room had emptied and then Priyanath had approached the Yogiraj very respectfully and said softly to him You are my Guru of many lifetimes. Yogiraj had smiled a kind smile to Priyanath, his face radiant with Bliss. He softly spoke to Priyanath and told him to bathe in the Ganges and to return dressed in a new silken garment and he should receive initiation into the liberating technique of Kriya.
Also from my friend Kashi: May I tell you how my Master had met Swami Sri Yukteshvar and how he became his Kriya disciple? This story helps to explain my Masters personality and also gives insight into the personality of the Great Swami Maharaj (Sri Yukteshvar). My Master was a young man age 19 years old. He had been student at the Ranchi school. At that time the Principal of that school was the esteemed Swami Satyananda Giri (VERY prominent monastic disciple of Swami Sri Yukteshvar ). Satyanandaji had taken up a very special affection for my master. When it had come time for my Masters initiation into Kriya my Master had begged for initiation from Satyanandaji but Satyanandaji had said to him No, I have a special plan for you. I wish you to become disciple of my own Master who is called Swami Sri Yukteshvar. I wish you to have Kriya from him! Satyanandaji then took my Master to the place where Swami Maharaj (Sri Yukteshvar) was . There they had to wait in a room for some time for Swami Maharaj to appear. Now I must explain this to you in regards to my Master’s personality. My Master’s trait was that he was VERY frank and COMPLETELY honest. He would just say what was on his mind with no false airs (this remained his lifelong trait--- to the joy of some and to the dismay of others!!!!!). At this time Swami Maharaj was quite aged. When the great Swami Maharaj finally made his entrance into the room my Master had very audibly said to Satyanandaji Well, I don’t wish to take Kriya from such an old man!!! Now when Swami Maharaj heard my Masters comment he began to ROAR with great laughter. He was VERY PLEASED with my youthful Master. He had perhaps felt that such honest frankness was a spiritual quality. From this point on Swami Maharaj had loved my Master with a very great love. My Master had then very rapidly excelled in Kriya. In later years it was often custom for the devotees of Sri Yukteshvar to have satsang with my Master when they would visit the area around Calcutta. I bow to the feet of the performers of Kriya from all lines and traditions.
