It is said that Kriya Yoga has existed from the beginning of
the creation, that it is the real meditation, the essence of life. May be we
can say it is true, since Kriya simply means the breath, the life. When the
body is born we start to breath, when the body dies the breath leaves the body.
This is happening all the time, we are inhalation in and out. We inhale new
life from the source, and we exhale that which is dead from the body. To
realize who we are, our unity with life, we have to be intentionally connected
to the source of life through the breath.
Kriya means action and yoga amalgamation. Kriya Yoga is
action that leads to amalgamation, to the state of no conflict in the
consciousness. In the Indian scripture Bhagavad Gita this theme is thoroughly
illuminated. Here we read about the warrior Arjuna, who is the best bow man of
his time, and whose life task is to fight for good against all challenges.
However, staying at the battlefield Arjuna is paralysed by an inner conflict:
he may have to kill family members as they side with his enemy. Arjuna is
irresolute and miserable, and unable to take action until Krishna (Kriya Yoga)
comes to help him. Arjuna's consciousness is lifted to the level of unity,
where no conflicts exist. As a result, Arjuna is capable of fulfilling his
divine mission in life.
Kriya Yoga is described in Patanjalis "Yoga
Sutras" as an instrument through which the human development can be
enhanced. The secret about higher states of consciousness is that it is closely
related to the breath. The word yoga comes from Sanskrit yuj which means union
– the union of the individual soul with Spirit
Those who devotedly and sincerely seek the Self, and who steadily
receive the higher Kriya techniques, acquire insight into the deeper meaning of
meditation. The source of knowledge is infinite, and the communication between
the Self and life itself is vital to realize unity in the consciousness.
Kriya takes the mind to subtle levels in the consciousness. Nearness to the breath brings us to the lotus
flower of non-duality, to a level of deep inner Silence. In this way alertness
and love are manifested as a state of consciousness. Neither the mental power
nor the senses are able to bring us to this state. Only the breath, the life
force, has the power to take us to the Self, the Divine.
