The following is an extract of an article written by Paramahamsa Prajnanananda

Human life is a special gift of God. Man can make this life beautiful and make God's creation more attractive through manifestation of love. "Be happy and make others happy. Live healthily and help others to live healthily. Live in love and let others live in love" should be the attitude to our life. This outlook and practice depends mostly on the condition of the mind. But unfortunately, man does not know how to utilise this powerful mind to achieve its highest advantage. The mind is always restless and running here and there. The nature of mind is to be fickle. The human mind is the fastest moving instrument, it moves faster than light! How to control and regulate the mind?

The breath and the mind are correlated and causally connected. Through breath control one can get calmness and inner peace. In the authentic Kriya Yoga technique, one gradually regulates the breathing pattern. Meditation is the means of achieving the state of ceasing physical and mental activities completely. You can master breathing so that life will be regulated and balanced. Kriya Yoga is a supreme science of Self-realisation. It is a scientific technique of action with constant God-consciousness, which ultimately leads to realisation - going beyond the body, mind, intellect, thought, and even the world, to Soul-consciousness.

The Tradition of Kriya Yoga

Kriya Yoga is an age-old tradition. Even in Indian mythology, it is mentioned that Rama and Krishna also practiced and taught this technique of Kriya Yoga.

After apparently being lost in the increasing spiritual decline of later epochs, towards the middle of the nineteenth century, a mysterious Master, the timeless Avatar Babaji Maharaj , brought the teaching into a new form and gave the ancient heritage the name "Kriya Yoga". Babaji is a renowned Yogi, who is supposed to have lived in the Himalayas for many hundreds of years until the present time.

He handed the teaching of Kriya Yoga over to his student Lahiri Mahasaya , a family man from Benares, who reached the highest realisation through the practice of this technique.

Lahiri Mahasaya had many important students. One of the most outstanding was Swami Shriyukteshwar Giri, a true incarnation of divine wisdom. He was the Guru of Paramahansa Yogananda , who went to America by the order of Babaji in 1920, and who later became known in the West with his wonderful book " Autobiography of a Yogi ".

The last great living master of Kriya Yoga who was a direct disciple of Swami Shriyukteshwar Giri and Paramahamsa Yogananda, was Paramahamsa Hariharananda . He was 95 years young when he left the body attaining 'mahasamadhi' on 3rd December 2002. He is the author of " Kriya Yoga " and other spiritual books and has memorised and fully understands all of the major scriptures including the Vedas, the Upanishads, the Bhagavad Gita, the Holy Bible, the Koran and the Torah. At the age of 40 he obtained the highest state of Yoga - nirvikalpa samadhi - which means breathless and pulseless state. As Master, he taught by his own exemplary and pure character, sweet and divine behaviour and language.

Scientific Path of Kriya Yoga and Its Benefits

Kriya Yoga is the scientific technique of meditation that brings all-round development in man and being scientific it is directly verifiable by the practitioner through experiences during meditation. The brain and the spine can be magnetised and energised by the scientific technique of Kriya Yoga, which in turn hastens physical, mental, intellectual and spiritual change. The brain cells are energised and rejuvenated, bringing good memory, control over the emotions through regulation of the neurons in the nerves. Kriya Yoga can transform body and mind into excellent health by bringing calmness. It does not give attractive and alluring promises to be achieved in the future. It gives immediate results.

Paramahamsa Prajnanananda

PramahamsaPrajñanananda is the current head of the Kriya Yoga Institute (www.kriya.org) founded by Pramahamsa Hariharandanda. Hariharanandaji had predicted long before he became a monk “whatever is started by me has to be completed by him”. Prajnananandaji is an advanced yogi and on the 10 th of August 1998, on his 39 th birthday, the title of Paramahamsa, the highest title reserved for monks (who attains the summit of realization), was conferred on him by his master.

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