Tapah-swadhyaya-isvarapranidhanani kriya yoga. (Patanjali)

Tapah-swadhyaya-isvarapranidhanani kriya yoga. (Patanjali)

Kriya-Yoga is a movement from swadhyaya (study of the ways of self) to isvarapranidhan (perception of the wholeness) through tapas (kriya-practice). A Kriya Yogi is established in natural state and is thus released from the stranglehold of the myths, mischiefs and maladies of the mind. It is also the Astanga Yoga in the effortless form.

 

Astanga Yoga

Astanga means eight aspects. Yoga means integration. Astanga Yoga indicates eight aspects of integrated living wherein all conflicting compulsions of mind (separative conscoiusness) have come to an end.

 

I.      Yama: root meaning = regulations (Five Yamas): -

Two of the mouth: 1. No speaking lies 2. No addiction.

Two of the hands: 1. No stealing 2. No violence.

One of that place: 1. No sexual misconduct.

 

II.    Niyama: root meaning = rules (Five Niyamas): -

1. Soucha (cleanliness).

2. Santosha (contentment).

3. Dama (simplicity/austerity).

4. Daana (charity/doing something for nothing).

5. Daya (compassion).

 

III.   Asana: root meaning = seat. Sit in stillness/seclusion.

 

IV.    Pranayama: regulation of breath/mind.

Consequence of Pranayama (ending of ideas i.e. emergence of insight):

 

V.     Pratyahara: (12 x 1) Ending of habits and hang-ups, i.e. emergence of holistic and healthy living.

 

VI.    Dharana: (12 x 12= 144) Beginning of the process of occasional pauses of separative/divisive movements in consciousness.

 

VII.   Dhyana: (12 x 12 x 12 = 1728) Contemplative awakendness i.e. meditation without meditator.

 

VIII.  Samadhi: (12 x 12 x 12 x 12= 20736) Root meaning is Evenminded mindfulness: Sabikalpa (occasional), Nirbikalpa (perpetual). Deeper implication is delving deep into that dimension of existence (not experience) when stimulus and response become one unitary movement.

 

Enlightenment into the mystery of existence is an instancy and thus is not of time, although it happens in course of time as the climax of the Kriya process of clarity in thinking, charity in feeling and chastity in behaviour. The explosion into enlightenment is not because of the Yoga process, but in spite of it! Yoga is perhaps most conducive to the explosion which is acausal i.e. not to be trapped into the petty chain of cause and effect. IT IS THE GRACE SUPREME.