PART III: GUIDELINES FOR DEVELOPING A PERSONAL ROUTINE

CHAPTER 9 BUILDING A SOLID FOUNDATION FOR THE PRACTICE OF KRIYA YOGA

In this chapter we are going to discuss a very good teaching method to guide the first steps of those who want to learn Kriya Yoga. Its main point is to introduce the concept of Incremental Routine, a method of utili ing the different techni!ues that is not even hinted at in traditional Kriya literature. The other chapters of this third part of the "oo# contain #ey ideas a"out what is really effective in ma#ing the Kriya plant flourish at its "est. In my opinion a teacher should always test a student$s predisposition for Kriya Yoga. To this purpose% a very good routine is the practice of Nadi Sodhana Pranayama followed "y Ujjayi Pranayama &see Appendi' to Chapter (% where a good elementary Pranayama routine is discussed in detail.) Those who underta#e constant practice of a similar routine will start to perceive the flow of energy that moves up and down the spine. It goes without saying that students who do not succeed in practicing such an elementary routine regularly for at least * to + wee#s should not even as# to "e introduced to Kriya Pranayama proper. ,y the way% Nadi Sodhana Pranayama is far more important than e'pert kriyabans are willing to admit. Actually - this is my firm opinion - the practice of Nadi Sadhana should always "e coupled with the "asic techni!ues of Kriya Yoga. Than#s to it% a "eginner receives a dramatic transformation - many important patterns of energy im"alance disappear. .ithout this "alancing action it is not easy to achieve a watchful but eaceful alertness, which is the "asis itself of the Kriya meditative state. It is a common e'perience that after a long practice of Nadi Sodhana without adding any other techni!ue you enter a natural meditative state. As for Ujjayi, this is the very foundation of Kriya Pranayama. Those who practice it and pay due attention to the natural throat sound of the "reath will discover that the core phenomenon of Kriya Pranayama happens spontaneously. /or many students% the com"ined practice of Nadi Sodhana and Ujjayi "ecomes such a 0oyous discovery of well1"eing and 0oy that they may develop an 2addiction2 to it. Even if they won$t $$upgrade$$ to Kriya% a minimal practice of these two techni!ues will always "e part of their life. !bout introducing the "irst Kriya set of techni#ues I would avoid the particular fren y that accompanies a traditional Kriya initiation where all the practical instructions are transmitted hastily in one single lesson3 This is what usually happens with mass initiations. .ithin a few days% almost all details are forgotten and one goes through a crisis. The teacher is no longer there
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and the other fellow kriyabans dismiss their fraternal duties "y stating they are not authori ed to give counsels. Instead of this insane and stupid situation% teaching one to one is the only reasona"le alternative. Then% things may go differently3 The few people who have had this privilege remem"er the words of their teacher% with the same voice inflection% for all of their lives. In certain circumstances &one might visit his teacher and not "e a"le to remain there for more than one day)% it might "e necessary to demonstrate all the techni!ues in one single lesson% "ut generally spea#ing one should "e introduced to the Kriya techni!ues a "it at a time so that one can e'perience them without any tension. In the first lesson I would not teach Na$i Kriya% whose 2time2 will come later% nor Yoni %udra either since that could "e a source of distur"ance. I would restrict the teaching to Kriya Pranayama &first and second part only). After a couple of wee#s% the second lesson should "e devoted to emphasi ing the details of Kriya Pranayama that really matter. 5nly then should the other techni!ues of "irst Kriya "e introduced and chec#ed% and thus the teaching of "irst Kriya "e completed. Some points to be emp !si"e# (. &' erience of the beauty of (alabya Kriya and )m *a a +in the ,hakras6ome organi ations% in their didactic effort to "ring Kriya Yoga to the people% pic#ed out some easy techni!ues as a preparation. P. 7. choose to give .ong Sau and )m techni!ues for si' months. The first techni!ue calms the "reath and the psycho1physical system. The second techni!ue addresses listening to the internal &astral) sounds% and the )m sound. ,oth are wonderful techni!ues% "ut in 8ahiri 9ahasaya$s Kriya% the preliminary techni!ues are (alabya Kriya and the chanting of )m in the ,hakras. A kriyaban should never overloo# them. They usher a kriyaban into a state that is considered a real 2"enediction.2 A meditation session could "e composed of only these two techni!ues followed "y a few minutes of en0oying the induced calmness. Even in this short time one will taste a very deep calmness. 5ddly enough% (alabya Kriya doesn$t re!uire concentrating on anything% it is purely physical. :ust as an attempt to 0ustify this% we can say that merely pressing the tongue against the upper palate and maintaining the suction effect on the palate for (;1(< seconds% can% in and of itself% generate sensitivity in the !jna ,hakra area in a very short time. The detail of e'tending the tongue plays an important part too. .hen the tongue is fully e'tended% it pulls on some cranial "ones and leads to decompression of the whole area. =. &' erience the beauty of Pranayama with short breath not only during a Kriya routine but also during additional free moments during the day A famous Kriya teacher said that if you want to ma#e remar#a"le spiritual
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progress% you should engage yourselves in "eing aware of at least (>=? "reaths a day. E'periencing this is surely possi"le for everyone - at least once in a wee# "y practicing the techni!ue of Pranayama with short breath for a"out three hours. This is a great feat that will surely produce the )mkar e'perience. *. Ne$er ski the ractice of mental Pranayama at the end of a routine %ental Pranayama has a divine "eauty. .ithout mental Pranayama, Kriya Yoga ris#s "ecoming a self1imposed torture% a nightmare. I "et that without it one unfailingly gives up Kriya Yoga% unless one is sustained "y the e'citement and e'pectations created in him "y a heavy process of indoctrination. 4. &' erience the im ortance of %aha %udra It is very wise that a kriyaban practices %aha %udra "efore Kriya Pranayama. It is good to feel the difference "etween Kriya Pranayama with and without %aha %udra. The most serious schools of Kriya recommend that for every (= Kriya Pranayama% one should perform one %aha %udra / three remains the minimum num"er. &To ma#e it clear% those who practice +; Kriya Pranayamas should perform %aha %udra five times% while those who practice (= or =4 Pranayamas should perform it three times.) @nfortunately% having listened to different kriyabans% I dare say it would "e a miracle if kriyabans regularly practiced even the three re!uired repetitions. 5thers "elieve they are practicing Kriya correctly without ever practicing one single %aha %udra3 There is no dou"t that if you regularly s#ip this techni!ue and lead a sedentary life% the spinal column will lose its elasticity. 5ne$s physical condition deteriorates over the years and it "ecomes almost impossi"le to maintain the correct meditation position for more than a few minutes - that is why %aha %udra is so important for kriyabans.
There are reports of yogis having achieved fantastic e'periences using only this techni!ue. According to their accounts% the perception of Sushumna has increased tremendously. There are kriyabans who have set aside all the other Kriya techni!ues and practiced (44 %aha %udra in two sessions daily. They consider %aha %udra the most useful among all Kriya Yoga techni!ues.

<. !$oid any obsession about technical details 6ome students call their teacher every other day with tortuous and "i arre !uestions. They "elieve that something valua"le can spring only from an impecca"le e'ecution of the 2magic recipe2 of Kriya. They pour into their Kriya path a remar#a"le commitment% "ut get nothing in return. They do not understand how important it is to en0oy the practice as it comes out naturally and to wor# on refinements - using their intuition and reasoning upon their direct e'perience - only afterward. It is as if their e'pectations are a shield that prevents the genuine "eauty of Kriya from entering their life. However% they will soon get tired of as#ing !uestions and will eventually a"andon everything.
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+. Understand that the joy coming from meditation is more im ortant than self analysis 6ome kriyabans e'acer"ate the previous o"session for technical details "y not trusting the sheer employment of a techni!ue% even it is done correctly% unless it is coupled with toilsome psychological wor#. They want to "uild "ric# "y "ric#% "y the sweat of their "row% as if it were a highly comple' pro0ect of adding new structure to old structure% the ma0estic "uilding of their redemption. They thin# that only "y tormenting their psychological structure is it possi"le to uproot any deeply ingrained "ad ha"it and the very roots of ini!uity and egoism. 5ften they impose upon themselves useless privations and attempt unnatural renunciations. They do not understand what the spiritual dimension of life is. Their idea is that the Aivine resides outside our human dimension and therefore we can progress only if we start a strenuous fight against our instincts. Religious conditioning can "e very strong% fatal in certain cases. 6ome entertain the thought of retiring from active life in order to live a life of self1denial. The few who have the opportunity to achieve this &not necessarily entering a convent "ut for e'ample !uitting their 0o" and living "y a modest lifetime annuity) are doomed to discover that this sudden leap into this so ardently longed1for condition does not fulfill their desire for perennial peace coupled with ardent mystical inspiration. The initial feeling of total freedom from worldly engagements "reeds good results in meditation "ut not so deep as imagined. They suffer from an ine'plica"le drastic diminishing of the sharpness of their concentration. They are fully aware of how insane this is% yet they cannot 0ustify why their free time% instead of "eing devoted to a deep practice of Kriya or to *a a or whatever spiritual activity they choose% is depleted in too many useless occupations. Ao not impose on yourself perfect chastity. There are famous "oo#s on Yoga demanding impossi"le things. How precious would "e a "oo# that teaches how to use one$s own intelligence and to thin# with one$s own head3 Avoid any compulsive process of self analysis. Ao not try to discover e'act grounds on which to 0ustify continuous fluctuations "etween feelings of well1 "eing and 0oy during Kriya and periods where there will "e nothing pleasura"le or e'citing. The "est attitude is to let Kriya enter your life and "ring all the possi"le "enedictions without tormenting yourself "ecause you feel unworthy. ,lessed are those who have the courage to go ahead unswervingly% in spite of their failures% worthlessness and unsuita"ility3 ,ehave li#e a dedicated maid who does her daily duties with patience and circumspection. 6he prepares the daily meal% ta#ing care of all the details from the tedious tas# of peeling potatoes to the final art of putting on the finishing touches. The awareness of having completed her 0o" well is her gratification. In time there is a greater reward for those who practice Kriya
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conscientiously even if they see no apparent result. 6omething tremendously vast will manifest and crush down any dichotomy of worthyBunworthy% pureBimpure. It is not only a matter of astral sounds and light% cosmic e'pansion% or "as#ing in endless 0oy / your very perception of Reality will change. 6ome will rediscover an almost forgotten potentiality of aesthetic en0oyment &as if they had eyes and heart for the first time)C others will "e deeply moved "y the significance of their family% "y the value of lifelong friendship and will "e surprised "y the intensity of the responses of love from their heart.
At the onset of their Kriya path% some students are far from a"iding "y not only Patan0ali$s moral rules "ut also common1sense guided health rules. 5ften there is a clear split "etween the new interest in meditation and other well1rooted social ha"its. It$s a good rule for a teacher to pretend not to notice pro"lematic delusive student "ehavior. @ndou"tedly after months of practice% some changes in a kriyaban$s temperament and ha"its will appear% "ut they will "e unsta"le. A teacher values the constancy of the practice of meditation and avoids censorial attitudes. 5ften% to help a kriyaban get free from a harmful ha"it% you need only to give him a glance and a smile. The point is that "eginners are not a"le to reali e they are slaves to "ad ha"its. 8et us ta#e for e'ample the pro"lem of smo#ing. How many have a clear vision of the real situationD Parado'ically% it is easier to !uit smo#ing "ecause of a new ecological vogue than as a result of a lucid vision of one$s addiction to nicotine.

E$PERIENCE THE PEERLESS EFFECTS OF THE INCRE%ENTAL ROUTINES Kriyabans customarily practice the same standard techni!ues day in and day out changing neither the se!uence nor the num"er of repetitions. In fact% an unvarying routine that always ta#es the same amount of time is what is recommended "y many organi ations. There is no dou"t that a fi'ed routine is the "est practice for "eginnersC however% practicing it for one$s entire life is something else3 In the first part of the "oo# I have introduced the concept of Incremental Routine. I strongly recommend that a student focus on fundamental Kriya techni!ues li#e Na$i Kriya, Kriya Pranayama, and the basic form of (hokar and practice them intensively following the format of the Incremental Routine. This is one of the most worthwhile activities a kriyaban can engage in% an effort that will play a decisive role in "uilding the foundation for a lifelong en0oyment of Kriya. .hen the earnestness of the student is un!uestiona"le% it is wise to encourage them to "egin at least one Incremental Routine0 This counsel should "e given without lingering or investigating too much. I have witnessed un"elieva"le results in those who follow this counsel% results that are inconceiva"le to those who follow a traditional practice. Eopi Frishna wrote how hopeless is the attempt to o"tain a full reali ation of the potentialities contained in the human "ody and mind "y going on only in the
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traditional way &a few minutes of concentration following the format of the commonly1counseled unvarying routine.)
2... the whole #ingdom is the product of the activity of Prana and the atoms of matter "oth com"ined. GHI Jothing would "e more ridiculous to suppose that this com"ination of Prana and matter which resulted in such marvelous organi ations of living creatures "e so flimsy and unsta"le as to yield readily to the human will. The impression prevailing in the minds of some people that a few minutesK e'ercise of concentration can wor# miracles in changing oneKs e'isting level of consciousness G...I is% therefore% as correct as it would "e suppose that repeated light hammer1"lows dealt to a metal can lead to the release of atomic energy. An overhauling of the entire human "ody is necessary to effect a radical transformation of consciousness G...I This is the reason why real success in Yoga is so very rare.2 &Eopi Frishna Kundalini1 (he Secret of Yoga).

.hat happens in athletics gives us a good e'ample of how to progress. Athletes who wish to achieve world class performance must somehow increase the intensity and the !uality of their practice. 5nly through short intensive interval training sessions where they push their physical and mental endurance "eyond their normal levels% will they succeed in accomplishing otherwise unachieva"le levels of performance. This is a 2law2 no one escapes. Jow% do not "e offended "y the comparison "etween Kriya and sports. Kriya is not a sport% "ut in the "eginning stages of Kriya, while applying its different psycho1physical techni!ues% it has many points in common with the essence of athletics. ,oth shun the employment of "rute force% and "oth re!uire goals and the diligent channeling of one$s strength to achieve them. ,oth also re!uire analy ing and evaluating one$s performance to learn from the e'perience. .e understand% of course% that this process is an authentic challenge and "eginning it is an act of courage% a mature act of trust in Kriya and in oneself% a decision that should only "e inspired "y one$s intuition. Kriya techni!ues arouse specific effects &especially perceived the ne't day following the practice) which may appear as distur"ingL moods% fancies% memories and suddenly1arising desires. Actually this is a clue that a cleansing process is happening in one$s su"conscious mind. Kriyabans should "e familiar with the "asic laws of the human psyche. Coupling an Incremental Routine, to "e practiced once a wee#% with the daily practice of a simple Kriya routine has within itself an e!uili"rating mechanism that will help them to get through alternating moods that will surely appear during the way. There are situations such as the anguished feeling of "eing overwhelmed "y a sudden storm of increasingly dar# pessimism% in which kriyabans should sense if it is necessary to stop their practice for a few wee#s. After the pause% the 2warrior2 in them will return to the "attlefield ready to "ring this wonderful wor# to fruition.

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I& In'(ement!) Ro*tine o+ N!,i K(i-! Here is an e'ample of the very words we can use to introduce a student to an easy "ut very important Incremental RoutineL 25n 6aturdays - or on any free day - after a short practice of (alabya Kriya% %aha %udra and Kriya Pranayama% practice ? sets of Na$i Kriya, thus dou"ling the num"er of the usual 4 scheduled repetitions. As usual% complete your routine with mental Pranayama. The following day% you can ta#e a "rea# from all Kriya practices and you can give your mind the "alm of a long% tran!uil *a a0 /or the ne't few days% resume the original standard routine. 5n the following 6aturday% practice * times the normal num"er of Na$i Kriya% i.e. (= sets. 5f course% this is always to "e done within the framewor# of (alabya, %aha %udra... finish with mental Pranayama0 If possi"le ta#e a long wal# in the evening to calm the deep regions of your psyche. The following day rest "y doing 0ust *a a and go for a wal#... After one wee#% or two if you wish% practice (+ sets of Na$i Kriya.... and so on .... =;% =4...up to ?; sets% which is =; times the original recommended num"er. The increase of this delicate Kriya techni!ue should "e gradual. If you try to outsmart the process and perform too many repetitions all at once% nothing will come of it "ecause the inner channels close up. 5ur inner o"stacles cannot "e removed in one dayC our inner force is not strong enough to dissolve them. This internal power is initially wea# and must "e enhanced wee# after wee#. /urthermore% this process should "e incorporated within a regular active life. It is up to you to ma#e your practice days as pleasant as possi"le. It is advisa"le to "rea# these long sessions into two parts - to "e completed "efore going to "ed. 7ou can conclude each part "y lying on your "ac# & Sa$asana1 the corpse pose) on a mat for a couple of minutes. 7ou may complete the first part unhurriedly in the morning% carefully respecting every detail. In the afternoon% after a light meal and a little nap% it is fine to go out% find a pleasant place to sit% and then reserve some time to contemplate nature. Then you can complete the remaining prearranged num"er of repetitions% a"sor"ed in your practice and perfectly at ease. 7ou will see how the effects increase as daylight approaches twilight. If you always practice in your room% arrange to have a tran!uil wal# in the evening. Everything will proceed harmoniously and the "enediction of "lissful silence will unfailingly visit you.$$ It is possi"le to choose any variation of Na$i Kriya% "ut the "est is surely variation G4.=I e'plained in chapter ? &$$ ,oming down through four directions$$). It rivets the attention in a way the "asic form cannot 0 Its smooth shifting of energy along the circumference of the head has an unparalleled effect. As for this variation% since one set consists of *+ descents of energy% preceded and followed "y chanting )m in the ,hakras% the process "egins with *+ ' = descents. The ne't steps areL *+ ' *% *+ ' 4....% *+ ' (9% *+ ' =;. It has "een e'perimentally proven that there is no need to go "eyond *+ ' =; repetitions.
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As for this variation% it happens that after the first half hour the head movements are hardly noticea"le. In other words% the forward% "ac#ward% and sideways movement of the chin is reduced to a couple of millimeters3
A good effect of this practice is a stri#ing increase in mental clarity% pro"a"ly due to the strong action on the third ,hakra which governs the thin#ing process. A more cali"rated% precise and clear logical process rises from a more efficient synergy "etween thoughts and emotions. Intuition flows unimpeded when important decisions are to "e made. @nfortunately% traits of hardness might appear sometimes in your temperament. 7ou will find yourself uttering statements that others find offensive and cutting "ut that for you% in that moment% are the e'pression of sincerity. Although sustained "y a luminous internal intuition% you might hurt friends through your words and only hours later% "eing alone and detached% notice how those words were inappropriate. To understand the reason for this pro"lem% let us loo# into the meaning of $$crossing$$ the #not of the navel. &Na$i Kriya is done primarily for this reason and secondarily to unite Prana and ! ana and attract them into the spine.) It is e'plained that the cutting of the um"ilical cord at "irth splits a uni!ue reality into two partsL the spiritual and the material. The spiritual% which manifests as 0oy and calmness% esta"lishes itself in the higher ,hakras and in the headC the material esta"lishes itself in the lower ,hakras. That rupture "etween matter and spirit inside each human is a permanent source of e'cruciating conflicts in the lives of many spiritual searchers. Through this Incremental Routine and through conscious effort towards harmony "etween the two dimensions of 6pirit and matter in our daily lives% the healing of this rupture ta#es place. Although the healing is harmonious% visi"le manifestations can "e interpreted negatively "y others% often due to a kriyaban$s newly ac!uired confidence and conviction that may appear to "e stu""ornness or dogmatism. The personality of a kriyaban is destined to "e ideally collected around a central point and all inner conflicts healed. The effects are perceived inwardly and o"served clearly in one$s practical life. 5ne feels an inward order settlingC each action seems as if it were surrounded "y a halo of calmness and headed straight for the goal. It reminds me of Aha" in 29o"y Aic#2 "y Herman 9elvilleL 26werve meD ye cannot swerve me% H The path to my fi'ed purpose is laid with iron rails% whereon my soul is grooved to run. H Jaught$s an o"stacle% naught$s an angle to the iron way32

II& In'(ement!) Ro*tine o+ K(i-! P(!n!-!m! After some months &when the previous Incremental Routine of Na$i Kriya is completed or at least half completed)% the kriyaban can "egin a parallel process using the techni!ue of Kriya Pranayama and increasing it gradually0 *+ ' =% *+ ' *% up to *+ ' =; Kriya Pranayamas is a very good planC =4 ' =% =4 ' *%H..=4 ' =4 is lighter "ut also good. Practice in se!uence the three phases of Kriya Pranayama, a"iding "y what is said in Chapter +. .hen the practice is "ro#en into two or three parts - for e'ample "etween morning and afternoon - you always start from phase (% then introduce phase = and then phase *.

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I have learned to respect all Kriya schools% "ut I will tell you now that when I tried to increase the num"er of Kriya Pranayama that I was taught to perform in my first school% after +; repetitions of Kriya Pranayama I developed so much nervousness that I couldn$t remain sitting. Jow% with my new Kriya Pranayama &closed mouth% partly with Kechari and partly without% and mentally chanting )m in each ,hakra) I neared (;;; Kriya "reaths% always dwelling in the most complete tran!uility. However% I counsel here to move forward prudently% not giving too much attention to the right length for each "reath. Auring this process &Incremental Routine) it is a"solutely necessary to follow nature% respecting the rhythm of the "reath suited to one$s own constitution. If you feel that your "reath is too short% don$t worry a"out it3 7ou will have plenty of time in the future to lengthen it. /urthermore% when more than a (;; "reaths are practiced% it is wise to ma#e use of the (= letter %antra 2)m Namo 2hagabate 3asude$aya2 &)m Na %o 2ha 4a 2a coming up and (e 3a Su 5e 3a Ya coming down)% which does not mean to apply all the su"tle details of )mkar Pranayama "ut simply to utili e that "eautiful %antra. Auring each stage of the process it is important to #eep a slender thread of "reath up to the completion of the prescri"ed num"er. In other words% the process should never "ecome purely mental. In these optimal conditions% "e ready to "ecome a"sor"ed in a most sweet e'perience. Aon$t "e upset if on some occasions this routine "ecomes an e'traordinary 0ourney in your memory. It happens indeed that "y focusing our attention on the ,hakras we o"tain a particular effectL the inner screen of our awareness "egins to display a lot of images. This is a physiological fact and we have reasons to suspect that for those who affirm they are e'empt from such phenomenon% it is "ecause they do not have enough lucidity to notice it. The ,hakras are li#e 0ewel "o'es containing the memory of one$s whole life and they give rise to the full splendor of lost reminiscences. The essence of past events &the "eauty contained in them and never fully appreciated) is lived again in the !uiet pleasure of contemplation while% sometimes% our heart is pervaded "y a restrained cry. It is a revelationL the light of the 6pirit seems to twin#le in what seemed to "e trite moments of our life.

III& In'(ement!) Ro*tine o+ t e B!si' +o(m o+ T o.!( &Procedure GII.(I e'plained in Chapter >) This third Incremental Routine has a value "eyond words. Its Incremental scheme is different from the two previous Incremental Routines. .e have already hinted at it in Chapter >. 6tarting from (=% a kriyaban adds si' repetitions per wee#. The fi'ed ma'imum of repetitions is =;;. 8et us clarify what I mean% adding si' repetitions per wee#. Auring the first wee# practice (= repetitions each day. Then consider the practice of (? repetitions each day - ,ut% if there are pro"lems% practice this techni!ue every other day. The third wee# you can practice =4 repetitions on alternate days. It is not necessary to practice every dayC rather it is wise to wor# three days a wee# on the average. .hen you reach a consistent num"er of repetitions &more that +;) the effects are very strong. Therefore "e very careful. Ao not practice more than =;; repetitions.
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I hope the reason is clear why we have said that this last Incremental scheme is different from the plan utili ed for the Incremental Routine of Na$i Kriya and of Kriya Pranayama% in which you practice only once in a wee#. As for the necessity of having achieved Kechari %udra "efore practicing (hokar, there are many who have practiced (hokar with enthusiasm and with admira"le commitment who have "enefited from its remar#a"le effects "ut who have not reali ed this %udra. Kriya literature affirms Kechari %udra is crucial for initiation into the .igher Kriyas0 !charyas of original Kriya indeed demand to see the actual e'ecution of Kechari %udra - they want the student$s mouth opened in front of them and to see the tongue disappear into the nasal pharyn'. Jow% there is no dou"t that Kechari %udra helps to perceive the vi"rational state% rhythm% and astral location of each ,hakra% "ut to those who are depressed "ecause they are not a"le to achieve Kechari %udra% let us remind you &without any fear of "eing contradicted) that many mystics who e'perienced the Aivine never heard of Kechari %udra. 9any Kriya !charyas claim thatL 2@ntil one is esta"lished in Kechari %udra% one cannot achieve the state of Eternal Tran!uility.2 This statement is false. As for a possi"le Incremental Routine of the !d$anced form of (hokar, it is unrealistic to give any indication. Those who have achieved the "reathless state% and are a"le to effortlessly hold the "reath during this practice% are not #een to follow any other cautionary warning a"out the num"er of rotations to "e practiced. Anyone who succeeds in that form of (hokar usually doesn$t have the patience to gradually increase the num"er of the rotations.
Auring this Incremental Routine important e'periences occur. An endless ,eauty% creating a previously un#nown devotion% intensifies around the fourth ,hakra% as if a mighty hand were s!uee ing the chest region. 5ne feels li#e they are "eing immo"ili ed "y an immense strength. It is "ecause of the intensity of this e'perience% which sometimes seems difficult to endure% that the effect of (hokar has "een descri"ed as 2into'icating2. The da ling point that is perceived in the center of the heart ,hakra and that turns out to "e the star inside the third eye gives a kriyaban a deeper e'perience. There comes the feeling of "eing divided into a thousand parts - each one of them on the verge of e'ploding from "liss. It is only now% having in one$s heart the rever"eration of such a state% that one learns to meditate without mental pollution% and without imaginings. I wonder how those devotees who never had a taste of such "liss are a"le to find the strength to continue practicing Kriya for years. 7ou can only than# those uncertain illusions a"out Kriya% those impro"a"le promises that "oo#s and gurus ma#e to those interested in Yoga and meditation to attract them to the Kriya path% which #eep one tied to this practice until the real e'perience happens.

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4lobal Results !chie$ed through the ,om letion of the !fore65escribed Incremental Routines After completing these three Incremental Routines% one has the feeling that entire eons have passed and one has achieved something concrete and permanent. After this once1in1a1lifetime e'perience% a person seems 2older2 in wisdom and temperament% as if several decades had passed. They have learned how to #eep emotions at "ay &I mean superficial emotions) in such a way that only deep sentiments then guide their decisions. Among other things% we cannot conceive that a kriyaban who doesn$t develop this faculty can nevertheless $$survive$$ on the Kriya path. 7ou cannot imagine how delicate an operation it is remaining faithful to the Kriya path that can suddenly go "ad3 .e are governed "y emotions and instincts that include our religious conditioning% our wea# points% our fears% our dou"ts% and our pessimism. It is important to have the a"ility to go our way even when our closest friends are trying to convince us to follow theirs. I have tried to retrace this theme in some oriental "oo#s "ut I have found so much rhetoric% too many words without practical meaning. They distinguish "etween positive &affection% happiness% contentment...) and negative &envy% aggressiveness% illusion ...) emotions% "ut at the end of "oring discussions you still have not grasped the essential factL untamed emotions can create disaster in our life. This fact is serious% and tremendously important. In my opinion% kriyabans who are not a"le to complete at least one Incremental Routine of a "asic Kriya techni!ue are always on the verge of losing everything they have reali ed. .e all #now that frantic and hysterical emotions often rise une'pectedly from one$s inner self% then disappear after a while. They actually e'press a reality devoid of authentic depth "ut their propulsive action inevita"ly results in hurried acts accompanied "y a sort of cere"ral fever% nourished "y a narrow% visceral pleasure. .hen passion inflames one$s whole "eing% it is not possi"le to "e guided "y common senseC the conse!uence is that our deeper and most earnest choices sometimes withdraw to an irrevoca"le halt. :ust as during the summer hail stones are molded% condensed and enlarged in the air "efore falling down to the earth and cause disasters% fatal decisions ta#e shape in advance in one$s imagination. Auring daily% fre!uent daydreams% the perspective of renouncing something positive which re!uires a great commitment throws a false light upon our immediate future% so that what in the past would appear as an act of cowardice% now seems to glitter at the hori on of our life% li#e a dull% flat% som"er s#y that suddenly lights up% serene% in luminous a ure "lue. .hen we listen to such alluring emotions% we pave the way for our doom. A wrong decision may "ecome our crucifi'ion% our covenant with unhappiness% with a state of inner misery that will last a lifetime. And lo% some put aside Kriya Yoga forever while others interrupt a course of studies and throw away a profession they had "een dreaming for years for which they had fought and suffered. They do the same with a "eloved% with friends% with their family itself. Jothing can stop themL the wise words of people
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near them have no power to stop them. An indomita"le internal strength wants to produce sheer calamity in their life. 6ometimes we have the idea that a person wants only one thingL to affirm with stu""ornness his 2right to ain and suffering02 GThe sentence in !uotation mar#s is an e'pression of the %other / main disciple and companion of Sri !urobindo.I The decision to yield to emotions does not differ from that of an asteroid falling through the atmosphere on its way to fire and destruction. To this very common tragedy% 2emotional maturity2 is opposedL this is a healthy relationship with reality% the !uintessence of what we visuali e when we use the terms 2wisdom% mental health% centrality ...2 This is e'actly what one can o"tain through the practice of the Incremental Routines. Another important effect of the Incremental Routines is that one develops the !uality of a self1teacher. At the very "eginning of the Kriya path% it is o#ay to put a certain amount of trust in a school or in a teacher% "ut su"se!uently% one has to trust his own e'perience and intuition. 9ost kriyabans "egin their path as gulli"le persons% ready to "e cheated. The Incremental Routines change their lifeL they replace the infantilism of hanging on 2authori ed2 teachers$ every word with an o"0ective estimate of the effects of each techni!ue and of each routine. @nsure and full of dou"ts% kriyabans "ecome a"le to "e acutely creative and ameliorate day "y day the e'ecution of the techni!ues% 2reading2 with o"0ectivity the o"tained results. Having shaped a sound vision of Kriya, they do not feel the necessity of practicing under the supervision of Kriya e'perts. In the days following a long session of practice% one has a deeper understanding of the techni!ue through perceiving its essence intuitively. 5ne receives important cluesL certain details of a techni!ue appear as wearisome and prove uselessC other aspects reveal all their power and are greatly appreciated. Some remarks about the (ribhangamurari mo$ement related Incremental Routines In Chapter > we have descri"ed the micro movement (ribhangamurari techni!ues. That movement is perceived first "y simply moving one$s awareness along a prescri"ed path% then through the help of a %antra and also with the help of movements of the head. As for the purpose of those techni!ues% the main idea was that they induce the natural movement of Kundalini energy and guide it to cross% during its return flow toward its seat in %uladhara% the three main #nots &4ranti)L tongueB%edulla% heart and coccy'. It is o"vious that this theoretical e'planation would re!uire more space and other #ey clarification. The given description has raised many dou"ts in the readers. Their legitimate o"0ections are worth !uoting. A very pertinent one wasL $$These techni!ues come from 6atya Charan 8ahiri &grandson of 8ahiri 9ahasaya) "ut we have no proof they come from 8ahiri 9ahasaya. .e #now that 6atya Charan practiced seriously after retiring.
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Jow% who guided him% as his father Tincouri 8ahiri was no more there. Could he have misinterpreted the diaries and diagrams descri"ing the (hokar techni!ueD$$ 5ther readers as#ed why many schools don$t teach anything related to the (ribhangamurari movement "ut consecrate the last stages either to (hokar or to 4ayatri Kriya &the process of raising the ,hakras into Kutastha.) As many have o"served% some drawings which appeared in Kriya Yoga "oo#s% inspired "y 8ahiri 9ahasaya$s diaries% show something similar to the (ribhangamurari movement "ut not identical. 5ther !uestions show the genuine desire to understand where in one$s daily routine to place the (ribhangamurari techni!ues and% a"ove all% if the (hokar6 (ribhangamurari can replace the different stages of (hokar0 In my opinion (hokar6(ribhangamurari doesn$t su"stitute for the classic form of (hokar7 (ribhangamurari techni!ues are an enrichment% you can test their power only "y practicing them. The pro"lem is that their effect cannot "e received if the counseled num"ers for each one of them are ignored. They re!uire an immense amount of dedication during a long part our life - I mean years not months. The (ribhangamurari techni!ues have the power to create a permanent transformation in your attitude towards Kriya "y ma#ing you ac!uainted with a mostly un#nown ecstatic state while fully living the e'perience of life - let us define it as a sort of trance with open eyes. 5nce again% I must stress that they should "e e'perienced first inside a rigid scheme of Incremental Routines. 6ome students try to relish right away the power of (hokar6 (ribhangamurari "y a desultory% system1less e'perimentation% far from a"iding "y the a"ove1mentioned rules. .hat could "e the real impact of the (hokar6 (ribhangamurari techni!ue remains un#nown and not even vaguely foreshadowed. Jow% if you consider the enormous amount of time that these Incremental Routines re!uire% you understand that no one is a"le to tac#le with them without having an e'treme trust in another person% in one who gives you that instruction% who loo#s into your eyes and with a serene smile challenges you to e'perience the mystery of @nworldly ,eauty they contain. The only thing I can do% the only thing worth doing% is to relate what is stored in my memory - the e'periences that happened and the spiritual advice received. .hat happened in my life was a miracle. .hen I received these techni!ues% I was completely free from wor#. I could complete all the Incremental Routines as they were proposed to me% even those that appeared as $$impossi"le.$$ 5f course% receiving a "oost% a strong encouragement% from a person who had already practiced them was indispensa"le. If I had read those techni!ues in a "oo#% I would have surely failed in respecting the num"ersC the effect would have "een far from "eing the same.

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5ne of the most difficult periods of my life "egan when I received the !mantrak techni!ue. I felt down and had strange emotional and mental mood changes. It was li#e e'periencing a slow recovery from a nervous "rea#down that ro""ed me of my energy and 0oy of living. Actually I felt an a"solute lac# of enthusiasmC it was as if there e'isted no activity that could produce any satisfaction. I felt e'traneous to activities that I would otherwise have found very enticing. 6ome days I remained in my room doing nothing% as in a state of convalescence. In some ways I was prepared for this event. 9y teacher had e'plained that "y perceiving this new flow of energy along the (ribhangamurari path% one would foster a decrease in the hectic condition caused "y superficial emotions. The impression of having no feeling% of "eing dull% insensi"le% was only an illusion due to this meaningful internal transformation. .hen the amount of practice spent perceiving the (ribhangamurari flow "ecame greater than one hour% I felt li#e I was going to e'plode. I felt how difficult it was to "ear all that power. 9y dreams were very lucidC I wo#e up in the morning as if I had lived a deeply intriguing and captivating adventure. 5ddly% when I approached the =;; repetitions% any trou"le disappeared. That period was mar#ed "y an uncur"ed enthusiasm a"out my new practice. After having completed the prescri"ed num"ers of !mantrak% without waiting for the official initiation% I immediately started the practice of Samantrak. All of us in the small group #new what would have "een the techni!ue of Samantrak "y simply reflecting on its name & Sa6mantrak M with the %antra.) It had to "e a (= sylla"le %antraL o"viously $$)m Namo 2haga$ate 3asude$aya0$$ I had my first Samantrak session in springtime on a near perfect day% when the pure air% fresh "ut pleasant% invited me to practice outdoors% where I en0oyed a "lue s#y with a small cluster of clouds floating in the golden light. I was really happy% and it seemed I had entered a new dimension. There were only few repetitions of the techni!ue% "ut they changed my mood. Samantrak was li#e turning on various lights along the three1curved path. It was as if so much sun and clear s#ies finally entered my practice. The %antra$s sylla"les% which I put with care li#e seeds in each center% would warm me up the way the sun warmed up the land around me. The only pro"lem was that the use of the %antra would induce me to go speedily. It was only when I decided to ma#e a special effort to go ahead slowly% that the (ribhangamurari path "egan to "e 2lit.2 Aespite the fact that pauses in each ,hakra were short% I had the impression of reaping the reward of my practice of the 4ayatri Kriya. The colors of the ,hakras% namely the colors of the relative (attwas, were perceived% first timidly and then always with great clarity. Though having not yet completed the last sessions of Samantrak% my soul was already pro0ected upon the ne't step% eagerly anticipating its effects. The words of my teacher at the time resounded in my mindL $$The practice of (hokar &meaning the (hokar6(ribhangamurari techni!ue) will produce a state of into'icationL you will "e drun# with 0oy all day long3$$
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At long last% I received the yearned1for techni!ue. That moment of my life was really a magic one. I would "e lying if I did not say that I have an endless nostalgia for it. 6ince I practiced this routine in summer and in the open air% I associate it with long sunsets% with evenings that seemed to have no end. Through this procedure% the (ribhangamurari flow is intensified "y specific movements of the head. In Chapter > I have descri"ed how a continuous slow movement of the chin ends with a 0er# directed on a specific center% then% after a micro pause% the movement restarts and there is another 0er# directed on the ne't center and so on - five 0er#s. The pro"lem is that many kriyabans focus all the attention on giving the stro#es and don$t understand the value of creating mental pressure along each millimeter of the path. The desire to get a strong effect too soon should "e cur"ed. The (hokar6(ribhangamurari can "e ideally mastered in four steps. 8et us here consider the movement sensation up the spine and down along the three1curved pathL (. /irst of all it is necessary to feel that the movements of the head accompany perfectly% millimeter after millimeter% the flow of the internal current. /or some time% we ma#e a point of forgetting any attempt at intensification. ,efore considering a further step% we do our "est to o"tain an uninterrupted perception of the current. =. 5nly now we can try to intensify the perception of the internal flow "y creating a mental pressure along each part of it. .e utili e the movements of our head to 2touch with pressure2 each millimeter of the path% up and down. The chin is to "e moved slowly as we are striving to win a strong resistance. In Chapter > we have suggested the ideaL $$li#e s!uee ing with a pencil an almost empty tu"e of toothpaste to get the last little "it out. $$ *. Jow we focus on what is happening when% stopping for a fraction of a second% we vi"rate the related sylla"le in a center. .e develop a resolve to "ecome aware of each of the (= centers. .hile points ( and = "enefit from our effort with !mantrak% point * "enefits from our effort with Samantrak. 4. 5nly at this point we give all possi"le emphasis to the five stro#es and we perceive also what is radiating out of each center after the stro#e. If I could add a fifth further point% it would "e to give e'treme attention to what happens while chanting (eeee in the %edulla. In that moment we must try to reach &to "ecome intensely aware of) the Kutastha. 8et me now give an idea of what the standard Incremental Routine of (hokar6 (ribhangamurari implies. .hile !mantrak and Samantrak are practiced every day% the Incremental sessions of (hokar6(ribhangamurari are practiced once a wee# &the other days one can% however% practice up to *+ repetitions.) A kriyaban must have had all the time necessary to meta"oli e the su"conscious material that the strong action e'erted upon %uladhara "rings to the surface.
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A kriyaban perceives first a tran!uil flow of energy rising along the spine during =;1*; seconds &this is in itself a strong e'perience)% then while coming down% the head follows the inner flow along the three1curved path% cutting the three main #nots during =;1*; seconds. The movements are perfectly rational and have only one purposeL to increase the strength of the process. In five places lin#ed with 3a Su 5e 3a Ya we have the stro#es. ,y moving the head left% then right% then left% a kriyaban creates an Ida6Pingala "alance. At this point there is the stro#e upon the %uladhara followed "y the ascent through the spine. ,y repeating this process again and again% there is real hope that one succeeds in entering the Sushumna channel% stopping the "reath and en0oying a "lissful ecstatic state3 5ne "egins with *+ roundsC a wee# later one practices *+'=% then *+'* ... and finally *+'*+ repetitions. This means (=9+ rounds3 Can you imagine the powerful effects of this actionD (=9+ means that you "egin in the morning and end in the night% doing again and again the same action. There is no dou"t that you$ll succeed in opening the door of Sushumna3 5f course you have prepared this e'perience "y practicing *+'*<% and "efore that *+'*4.... And don$t forget that you have practiced !mantrak for months and Samantrak for another cycle of months3 8iving those long sessions sitting in the open countryside% in total freedom and in a state of mystical $$into'ication$$ was an unforgetta"le event. /or wee#s I had the tendency to practice too !uic#ly% ris#ing never tasting the essence of the procedure. In time I appreciated going slowly and feeling that the process of (hokar happened along the whole path. This created a particular mental intensity of perception. .hen in the late afternoon the practice neared the end% I was #een to diminish the strength of the movements of my head and to en0oy the pure vi"ration of each sylla"le. Towards the end of those "lessed days , I often violated the instruction to chant the sylla"les only mentally. I slowly uttered each sylla"le in a whisper% en0oying a micropause after each of these utterings. This was enough to perceive the sweet irradiation springing out from each center. This perception amplified my e'perience of 0oy. In this Incremental Routine I found not only peace "ut love% "liss% into'ication... everything. 5ne evening% a sound of tolling "ells came from a distant village - it was li#e a cascade of light3 It was so une'pected3 A part of my mind went on repeatingL 2A human "eing has never "een granted so much 0oy32 To each du"ious kriyaban I would li#e to sayL $$,e assured that if you practice the correct num"er of !mantrak and Samantrak% then the e'perience of (hokar6(ribhangamurari will never disappoint you and will "ecome your favorite techni!ue3$$ A"out two months after "eginning this last practice% I too# part in a group pilgrimage and wal#ed a full night in order to reach a "eautiful sanctuary the following morning. I moved around as if my heart "ore a "ra ier within. I perceived that the center of my personality was not in the "rain% "ut in my heart. .al#ing on% I would murmur the (= sylla"les of the %antra% ideally putting each
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one of them in the related center. I was perfectly aware that mine was not a commonly esta"lished way of practicing% "ut I could not avoid it. I started to perceive something in my heart% a sort of tension of tenderness. I e'perienced the strong power that procedure has of changing the way you loo# at life. I reali ed that my mates$ lives were wrapped up in love. I understood that the reality of love was the most intense force of life% corrupted only "y the pollution of mind. I felt that human "eings could not "y instinct avoid loving or ta#ing care of some"ody - their own children for e'ample. I had no dou"ts that they were a"le to give their own life for their children. There was in each one of them the power for great and incredi"le actions. As a conse!uence% they could not avoid painful e'periences. I felt as though our lives were soa#ed in love as well as pain and tragedy. This duality was involved in earthly e'istence% interwoven with our "eing. The sentiment of this inescapa"le reality was e'perienced as a painful grip tearing my chest apart. As the sun rose over our path and the sanctuary appeared over a hill% something thawed in my depths and there came such an intensity of love that the same e'perience turned into a 2"lissful2 pain. Jow I was ready to focus all my efforts on the %icro (ribhangamurari mo$ement. It was impossi"le however to drop the %acro (ribhangamurari mo$ement entirely. I "egan e'periencing the %acro %o$ement as a form of *a a "efore each Kriya routine. .ith the encouragement of another kriyaban / who practiced in this way for months - I "egan practicing it with open eyes. /or reasons that escape my understanding% the psychological effect of this practice was remar#a"le. /rom the very "eginning I had reali ed that an important detail was to move not only my head "ut my ga e also% smoothly% without 0er#s. 6ince this detail is very important% let me dwell upon it. I started with open eyes and chin on the chest. The eyes loo#ed at the floor. I murmured in a whisper the sylla"les of the %antra and simultaneously raised my chin and ga e. 9y attention moved centimeter after centimeter% loo#ing at anything that was "efore me. Then% without turning the face% my head moved toward the left shoulder% then returned to the center while at the same time I raised the chin up as much as possi"le. Auring this movement% my eyes turned up high. .hen% from that chin1up position% my face slowly turned to the right% my eyes followed the movement and ended "y loo#ing attentively at the area on my right% as far "ac# as possi"le. Then my face slowly turned to the left. The eyes followed the movement% shifting hori ontally without losing any detail of what was in front of me and ended "y loo#ing attentively at the area to my left% as far as possi"le. Auring the last four stro#es given from the left% the intensity of my ga e diminished and the eyelids closed. In the final instant I felt li#e falling asleep. In this way I repeat the procedure again and again. The first effect I noticed from the first day of practice was the intensity of oneiric activity. 6ome dreams remained very vivid in my imagination during the morning hours. I considered this a privileged way of creating a dialog with the unconscious sphere. I perfected the a"ility to meditate anywhere and not "e distur"ed "y
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anything. .hile in the "eginning I was inclined to "e maniacal in preparing the proper meditation environment and "ecame nervous and worried a"out the slightest thing% now I loved to meditate in unusual places and impossi"le situations - e.g. traveling "y train or watching a movie. I saw that% strangely enough% such occasions could esta"lish% "y contrast% a particular state of awareness yielding unhoped1for results. 9y practice of %acro (ribhangamurari mo$ement with open eyes continues to the present day and I don$t want to contemplate the eventuality of dropping it. Some remarks about %icro (ribhangamurari routine .hen I received this instruction I was told that% analogously to the Yoni %udra which is practiced every night at the moment a kriyaban prepares to withdraw his awareness from the "ody and from the physical world and gets ready for sleep - which is a 2small death2 - the %icro mo$ement (ribhangamurari Incremental Routine is li#e a peaceful return to the origin - a preparation to 2die forever2 - meaning to "ecome forever free in 6pirit. It was e'plained to me that this last Incremental Routine% "esides "eing the "est preparation for the conscious e'it out of the "ody at death & %ahasamadhi)% "urned forever the necessity of reincarnating. ( A kriyaban should ma#e every effort to create the opportunity to grant himself the 0oy and the privilege of completing the recommended num"er of repetitions without every yielding to the temptation of hurried practices. In %icro6mo$ement Incremental Routine we have *+ sessions of practice. .hat$s new is that the ma0or part of this session re!uires more than one day. 5n the first day you perceive *+ 9icro1movements in each of the (= centers &you start from what we have already envisaged in chapter >.) The second session re!uires that you perceive *+'= 9icro movements in each center. G7ou e'perience one single long roundL >= 9icro movements in the first ,hakra without interruption% then >= in the second ,hakra% and so on....I After some days% you face the third session with *+'* 9icro movements in each center. Then other days pass "y. Then you have your *+'4 session which will fill up your whole day. The ne't stepsL *+'<% *+'+% *+'>% *+'?% will not only fill up a whole day "ut also part of the ne't day. Therefore you must divide your effort into two
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As for what happens during the process of %ahasamadhi% we have heard many stories a"out possi"le $$Kriya ways$$ of leaving the physical shellC o"viously we cannot vouch for their authenticity. 6ome assert that the typical practice is (hokar% others hint at procedures happening entirely in Kutastha0 .e can reasona"ly assume that it is not always possi"le to perform the physical movement of (hokar. To focus one$s awareness in the spine or at the point "etween the eye"rows may "e the only thing possi"le. The most interesting thing I$ve heard is that some kriyabans, during the last wee#s or months "efore leaving the "ody% practice only one techni!ueL perceiving the %icro6mo$ement (ribhangamurari nel Kutastha. At the moment of death% they merge with the Infinite through the same procedure.

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parts. .hat was heretofore never allowed now happensL you can sleep a whole night "etween the two parts which are considered one session. .hat is important is that you start more or less immediately on the morning of the ne't day. Therefore% you are not allowed to go to wor# and it is also recommended that you #eep silent% avoiding any opportunity for conversation. &However% the use of common sense should always prevailC if addressed% a polite reply is always imperative.) 7ou can now understand that the following sessions re!uire more daysC the last session re!uires a"out (= days3 8et me descri"e what happens during the last sessionL you perceive *+'*+ micro movements in each center3 This meansL (=9+ micro movements in %uladhara% (=9+ in Swadhistan.... and so on% ending after some days in %uladhara with (=9+ movements. It is clear that you can complete this routine only when you are free from wor#. 8et me emphasi e that one should never s#ip over a stage. Aon$t thin#% $$5n my ne't 6ummer holidays I$m going to find a do en days to practice *+'*+.$$ Jo3 It does not wor# in this way. ,efore perceiving the 9icro movement *+'*+ times in each center you must have perceived it *+'*< times. And "efore this% you should have perceived it *+'*4 times% and so on.... Completing this Incremental Routine is really a giant achievement. 9any splendid e'periences will happen and the last internal o"stacles will "e cleared one after another. The period in which I was a"sor"ed in this process is enveloped in my memory "y a dreamy aura. I even still find it hard to remem"er itC sometimes% only in 0est% I as# myself if it actually e'isted. /or more than two years I deviated from the common way of living. I practiced all day long% every day% out in the open if possi"le. I used to carry along a seat made of a plastic and a wool layer% something to drin#% and a thirty1si'1"ead rosary. I would sit down% "reathe deeply and proceed with the %antra and the conse!uent 9icro movement. At the end of each cycle% I would move an o"0ect% a little stone% from one side of my "ody to the other to #eep trac# of the appro'imate num"er of *+ cycles. 5ften an invinci"le drowsiness overpowered all my "est efforts. 5n the inner screen of my awareness a lot of images were displayed li#e dreamli#e visions. Jo help came from changing the position of the legs% practicing %aha %udra several times% or interrupting the practice for a short pause. 9any times I wondered what "enefit% if any% could "e received from what seemed to "e a voyage into the unconscious world of dreams. After interrupting the practice to get some rest% I found out% however% that it did not solve my pro"lem - sleepiness came "ac# as soon as I resumed the practice. There was no way &coffee% a lot of restH) to find some relief from itC there was nothing to do "ut to accept the situation. I went on increasing the length of my sessions. /rom a certain moment onwards% especially "y assuming Kechari %udra% the drowsiness changed into an e'traordinary condition of rela'ation. 9ore than once I found my "ac# slightly "ent forwardC I learned not to straighten it with a sudden movement% "ecause that
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would interrupt the condition of a"sorption and !uiet. After many hours of practice% at the end of my day% occasionally% I was caught "y such euphoria that I felt the irresisti"le instinct to swing the "ody. It was li#e dancing from a sitting stance% accompanying the dance with a su"tle form of internally hitting the center where I was focusing my concentration. .henever I pronounced the seventh sylla"le% my trun# swung left% thin#ing of the following one it swung right... and then left again. .hen I thought the last sylla"le my trun# !uivered a little% giving such a profusion of "liss3 I learned to practice without "eing distur"ed "y anythingC in this way% the techni!ue landed in my life as a new instinct arousing spontaneously when I sat down and straightened my spine. /rom that moment onwards% the heart ,hakra "ecame a reality manifesting very easily as a warm% pulsing sensationC the other ,hakras "ecame easy detecta"le "y inducing% through a moderate use of attention% a swinging sensation in them. This event deepened my way of practicing the Kriya techni!ues, erasing forever the necessity of any visuali ation. = 5ne day I was on a cliff not far from a "each where a small num"er of people used to go for a wal#. I too# shelter under a tree from the sun% and at dus# I went to the "each% leaned my "ac# against a roc# and stayed there% pretending to stare at a distant o"0ect. I practiced #eeping my eyes open. The s#y was an indestructi"le crystal of infinite transparency and the ocean waves were continually changing their color% having in themselves an almost un"eara"le charm. I was trying to hide my tears "ehind the "lac# lenses of my sunglasses. I cannot descri"e what I felt e'cept in poetic form. There is an Indian song &in the final part of the movie %ahabharata) whose lyrics are ta#en from the S$etas$atara U anishad 1 2I have met this Ereat 6pirit% as radiant as the sun% transcending any material conception of o"scurity. 5nly the one who #nows Him can transcend the limits of "irth and death. There is no other way to reach li"eration "ut meeting this Ereat 6pirit.2 .hen I listen to the "eautiful voice of the Indian singer repeating 2There is no other way2% my heart #nows that nothing has the power to #eep me away from this state and this terrifically "eautiful practice% which I will en0oy for the rest of my life.

Even a little practice of this e'ercise is a miracle of sweetness. In the last part of your Kriya routine% you can perceive three micro1movements in each of the (= centers starting from %uladhara and returning to %uladhara0 ,y repeating this for three rounds% you plunge into a state without parallel. After this routine% you can lay down in corpse pose &Sa$asana) o"taining a particular state of physical and mental immo"ility where the Kundalini energy will rise into the heart ,hakra.

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CHAPTER (;

THE PRAYER OF THE HEART/ THE VERY CORE OF ALL THE %YSTICAL PATHS 9y purpose is to cope with a vital pro"lem. How many people are there who have started and then give up the practice of the .igher KriyasD @nfortunately many receive (hokar without complete e'planation and drop its practice after some initial attempts% yielding either insignificant or no results. 5ther Kriya students enact the part of the hum"le devotee and affirm that for them the "irst Kriya techni!ues are enough% that there is no need for any other techni!ue. If you tell them they have renounced a great treasure% they will turn a deaf ear to any o"0ection. Jow% for those who are willing to consider the matter according to a new perspective% I want to "ring the .igher Kriyas close to the no"le art of the practice of the Prayer of the heart. Actually% in my opinion% (hokar &in each stage and variation) in order to "e fully reali ed should "e lived in the dimension of the ,ontem lati$e Prayer. Indeed% if my convictions have any validity% outside that dimension% the whole set of the .igher Kriyas ris#s to "ecome only a toy with which to e'periment% to "e e'alted through it and then let all "e disintegrated "y endless dou"ts and incomprehension of what we are doing. Am saying that the Kriya path is incomplete without considering the path of ,ontem lati$e PrayerD Certainly I am% of this I have no dou"ts3 I am firmly convinced that those who went to 8ahiri 9ahasaya already practiced Prayer +*a a-, pro"a"ly for su"stantial part of their life. To them Kriya Yoga didn$t represent something totally new "ut was a Eod sent improvement of what they already were doing% in which they had already poured their soul. /or them the lofty procedure of (hokar wor#ed and actually gave results "ecause they were already very near to the achievement of the Prayer of the heart. If a person has no factual #nowledge with these themes% one will thin# that I am a"out to diminish the value of the (hokar techni!ue. .ell% (hokar can induce a particular state in the heart% a state that can "e deepened only "y a mind transformed "y ,ontem lati$e Prayer. After (hokar there are stages that lead to something that I have no words to define. /or this reason I will refer to the great mystical traditions% especially Hesychasm and the wor#s of Teresa of Avila. Practicing the ,ontem lati$e Prayer in order to create the "est am"ient for (hokar and utili ing (hokar to give a "oost to the intensity of a ,ontem lati$e Prayer creates the condition where $$the Prayer reaches the Heart$$. There are no words ade!uate to e'press what this implies. Aivine 8ight is e'perienced in the heart ,hakra. Yoni %udra intensifies the e'perience of 8ight and through it ma#es the last #not &4ranti) in the point "etween the eye"rows e'plodeL with this event all Kriya procedures end in full% final Emancipation. In the following paragraphs you will find good material for refining your practice% fully reali ing what (hokar has prepared you. Kriya yoga is our life and every word that comes from great mystical traditions enriches and inspires us.
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5ur lifelong effort is greatly "enefited from such a study. 7ou will o"tain undreamed of results li#e for e'ample the endless delight of the "reathless state. .hat I am suggesting &the practice of the ,ontem lati$e Prayer coupled with Kriya techni!ues% perfecting (hokar at the ma'imum level) is a 0ourney that can ta#e a lifetime to flourish in the full 6elf1reali ation state - and perhaps continues "eyond the life of the "ody. Throughout oneKs life% it can "e mediated "y different teachers% each one ade!uate for the appropriate stage of practice and development. Therefore% I am setting out to ta#e "ac# the discourse of *a a introduced in the first part of this "oo# and e'pand it. I will tal# a"out Hesychast traditions summari ing their #ey teachings and s!uee e the essence of the writings of 6t. Teresa of Avila. 7ou will also find hints to 6ufi and Ti"etan traditions. Clearly% the second part of the "oo# could not contain this material. ,ontem lati$e Prayer .hat is ,ontem lati$e Prayer8 It is the repetition of a formula which has a devotional meaning of offering% of surrender to Eod. In Christianity over the centuries% a great deal of incomprehension and misunderstanding has arisen with respect to the practice of ,ontem lati$e Prayer that it ris#ed an almost total eclipse. /or many devotees Prayer was - with rare e'ceptions - a plea to Eod with the sole purpose of o"taining personal favors or "lessings for a suffering humanity. Jow% let us consider only the so called Prayer of 9orshi or !doration. &An e'ample of such a Prayer is 8ahiri 9ahasaya$s $$)m Namo 2haga$ate 3asude$aya$$. Another could "e )m Namo Shi$aya or Sri Ram *ay Ram *ay *ay Ram )m.....) Each person chooses his favorite formula and repeats it many% many times entering a deep state of meditation and contemplation. The Prayer is said with meaning and intent% with all the faculties of the soul. It involves the entire human "eingL the energy of the "ody% the "reath and the pulse manifest the !uality of a sovereign calmness. This is ,ontem lati$e Prayer0 .ell% I am affirming that one can understand the whole edifice of Kriya and hence put the "asis to "ring it to perfection only "y enthusiastically adopting it as a daily ha"it. The consolidated ha"it of ,ontem lati$e Prayer characteri es a successful internal transformation of the devotee from a curious and acute researcher% pleased with one$s discoveries% to a hum"le mystic who #nows he #nows nothing. The 2internal dialogue2 that hindered every effort of concentration is now under control. The Prayer of the .eart is the goal of the evolution of the ,ontinuous Prayer. It is not a simple concept such as Prayer uttered with devotion and feeling. It is a deeper e'perience achieved at the end of a life of surrender to Eod. 5nly "y wor#ing hard to achieve this state% helped "y the Eod 6ent gift of (hokar, can one reach the summit of Kriya Yoga. 7ou are not geared to o"tain
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any #ind of astral e'perience% "ut you will come into communion with Eod and participate in It$s grace% discover .ho is yours already% listen to .ho never ceases to tal#% posses .ho even now posses you.
7ou would not see# me unless you had already found me. &Pascal)

.hat you will find in this chapter has one purpose onlyL to stimulate your curiosity &perhaps something dormant in you coming from who #nows whence...) to create a momentum which will assist you to "egin the practice of ,ontem lati$e Prayer. Although your initial efforts may "e far from an ideal of perfection% you will enter the most e'traordinary period of your life. I invite each kriyaban to deepen the themes that are dealt with here. 7ou will find simple "oo#s that e'plain with ama ing simplicity everything essential a"out the practice of Prayer. I am referring for e'ample to "iographies of saints% !uoting the counsels give "y them. The literature is vast% "ut there is no purpose in reading everything. The "eauty that is "orn from these te'ts ma#es you feel the goal as the nearest of the near% more appealing than anything else in the world. ,eing aflame for it% you practice "eyond the point of e'haustion and achieve your goal. If initially% as is perfectly understanda"le% the following paragraphs seem empty rhetoric% the depth and purpose of the treated matter will "ecome apparent as your reading progresses. The teaching of Hesychasm Hesychasm &from Eree#L NOPQROSTU hesychasmos% meaning 2stillness% rest% !uiet% silence% tran!uillity2) is a Christian orthodo' movement considering inner peace a necessity for everyone. 5n 9ount Athos the mon#s wor#ed out a whole system of contemplation "ased upon a simple Prayer & Kyrie Iesou ,hriste, Yie tou (heou, &leison me ton amartalon - 2:ord *esus ,hrist, son of 4od, ha$e mercy on me, a sinner2) which is called the $$*esus Prayer$$ practiced in complete silence. Their main teaching is how to reach the lofty state of the Prayer of the .eart. Perfection of the Prayer of the .eart leads to the highest mystical achievementL the perception of the 2Uncreated :ight2. Hesychasts interpret Christ$s in0unction in the Eospel of 9atthew which saysL 2go into your closet to pray2% to mean that their first duty is to withdraw inward. 5nly when we you have stilled your hearts and "odies you can "e fully open to the presence of the Aivine. The "ody should "e held immova"le for a long time. The starting point is the re0ection of any distracting thought. After ignoring the physical senses% you "egin to e'perience internal stillness. The discipline is toughL you watch your thoughts and courageously fight them. 9uch of Hesychast literature is engaged with the psychological analysis of tempting thoughts. A great emphasis is placed on humilityL disaster will "efall if one proceeds with pride% arrogance or conceit.
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The "oo# (he 9ay of a Pilgrim, a Russian novel written "y $$Anonymous$$ in the mid1nineteenth century and translated into English in (9*;% is a masterpiece. In the meeting "etween 5rthodo'y and the .est which has occurred over the past seventy years% pro"a"ly no single "oo# has e'ercised a wider appeal than (he 9ay of a Pilgrim. It is a simple% edifying "oo#% of universal spiritual appeal. It is imminently practical in its advice to not dither in starting the *esus Prayer. The main reason for the wor#$s attraction is the presentation of a wandering hermit$s life as the model e'istence for those who truly wish to lead a spiritual life. Than#s to the inspiration coming from it many feel to "e a "orn again Christian and are a"le to say the prayer faithfully for several hours daily. * The story is a"out a pilgrim returning from the Holy 6epulcher who stopped at 9ount Athos and told of his lifelong search for the teaching on how 2to pray continually2 - the way 6aint Paul had recommended - to a mon#. 5ne is immediately struc# "y the opening wordsL 2,y the grace of Eod% I am a Christian% "y my actions% a great sinner% and "y calling% a homeless wanderer of the hum"lest "irth roaming from place to place. 9y worldly goods are a #napsac# with some dried "read in it% and in my "reast poc#et a ,i"le. And that is all2. Jo one #nows for certain if it is a true story a"out a particular pilgrim or a spiritual fiction created to propagate the mystical aspect of the 5rthodo' Christian faith. 6ome% on the "asis of other witnesses% identify the author as the Russian 5rthodo' mon# Archimandrite 9i#hail Fo lov. .hatever the historical truth% this pilgrim is the ideal representative of a vast category of people who spent their life visiting sanctuaries% churches% monasteries% the Athos 9ountain% the Holy 8and see#ing Eod through the ,ontinuous Prayer. The pilgrim completes not only a pilgrimage of physical order% "ut a"ove all spiritual% that is countersigned "y some precise% universal stages. These stages mar# the passage from the scheduled appointment with ,ontem lati$e Prayer said with tongue and lips while fighting the restlessness of the wandering mind% to the intense% lofty e'perience of the Prayer of the .eart% to the fullness of ,ontinuous Prayer, going on effortlessly day and night. The "oo# narrates how the pilgrim was resolute a"out covering an infinite distance across the steppes% if he had to% in order to find a spiritual guide that would reveal to him the secret of ,ontinuous Prayer. 5ne day% his ardor was awardedC he found a spiritual teacher who accepted him as a disciple and
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6trange as it may seem% for many the first e'posure to the Prayer of the .eart came from /ranny and Vooey "y :.A. 6alingerL 2... if you #eep saying that prayer over and over again% you only have to 0ust do it with your lips at first 1 then eventually what happens% the prayer "ecomes self1 active. 6omething happens after a while. I don$t #now what "ut something happens% the words get synchroni ed with the person$s heart1"eats% and then you$re actually praying without ceasing.2 A"out the Philokalia &which is often used "y Hesychasts)% it is a collection of te'ts on prayer and asceticism written from the 4th to the (<th Centuries Gfirst pu"lished in Eree# in (>?=I. In my opinion% it is a tedious te't showing the attitude of the mind% o"sessed "y sin and temptations% to complicates the simplest things. However% it is irrefuta"le that here and there% some pearls of wisdom are disseminated.

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gradually clarified to him every detail of the practice that was so strongly attracting him. The Pilgrim was instructed to repeat the :esus Prayer *%;;; times a day% then +%;;;% then (=%;;;. ,y following this counsel% the pilgrim finds eventually the Prayer at his lips and in his mind every wa#ing hour% as spontaneous and effortless as "reath itself. In this wonderful condition he comes to e'perience the effulgence of the divine light% the innermost 2secret of the heart2. In order to give an idea of what% from now onwards% his life has "ecome% the pilgrim !uotes the Eospel passage of the "irds of the air and the lilies of the field - identifying himself with them as completely dependent on EodL whatever happens% it cannot separate him from Eod. 8i#e a person en0oying the "eauty of a chilly winter near the fireside% one who practices ,ontinuous Prayer contemplates either the sad or the 0oyous spectacle of life having found the infinity of the s#ies residing in their heart3 Prayer is a marvelous gem whose glitter warms up life. Its magic spreads into each facet of life% li#e wal#ing out of a dar# room into fresh air and sunlight. 6ince the action of ,ontinuous Prayer goes on automatically in the mind% always present li#e a "ac#ground sound% the 2inner dialog2% which prevents meditation% is under controlL one can live permanently in the dimension of %ental Silence. Hesychasts counsel to care for this state at all stages of one$s life at every moment. The first commandment is to preserve in yourself a prayerful spirit that is% to have Eod in your remem"rance and e'ert yourself in every way to commit yourself to Him. .hen this intention is sincerely etched in your mind and heart% then they counsel to $$arouse in your heart a feeling of heat.$$ They e'plain that when you have succeeded in attaining this condition% you must develop all your duties in such a way as not to destroy it. 7ou must live this condition and heed it continuouslyL as soon as it changes% reali e that something in your consciousness is creating disharmony. Therefore you must analy e yourself% find the cause of disharmony and rectify it. They also addL $$Auring active life learn to constantly fi' your own attention on the region of the throat - the words of Prayer gush out incessantly from there. Auring immo"ile meditation feel the words of Prayer in the heart.$$ They e'plain that in this way soul and "ody live in harmony and this is the "ase of the spiritual life. This harmony is not lost during sleep.
I sleep% "ut my heart wa#eth &Song of Solomon ;1<)

Jo wonder that those who e'perience this state try to live% as much as possi"le% in solitude. If this is not possi"le% they try to avoid useless conversations. There are moments during the day% when the "reath stops and the awareness is filled only "y Eod$s presence.
HThe first step is that of purest prayer% /rom this there comes warmth of heart% And then a strange% a holy energy% Then tears wrung from the heart% Eod1given. (+<

Then peace from thoughts of every #ind. /rom this arises purging of the intellect% And ne't the vision of heavenly mysteries. @nheard of 8ight is "orn from this ineffa"ly% And thence% "eyond all telling% the heartKs illumination. 8ast comes - a step that has no limit Though compassed in a single line Perfection that is endlessH &%onk (heo hanis, the .esychast ascetic of the =th century)

.esychasm1 the esoteric rocedures 9any readers of (he 9ay of a Pilgrim wonder how to underta#e the practice of ,ontem lati$e Prayer. 8et us here attempt to summari e the esoteric teachings of the Hesychast method. A kriyaban discovers that those instructions have ama ing similarities with the Kriya procedures. The study of them provides a particular lens to "etter understand our Kriya discipline. The words of those who had practical e'perience of the Prayer of the heart% are very important for us% and it would "e foolish to superficially glance over it. ,asic teachingL how to start the practice of ,ontem lati$e Prayer They counsel to murmur the Prayer 0ust audi"ly enough that you can hear yourself. .hen you are $$satiated$$ of this oral Prayer% "egin to repeat it mentally. .hen assailed "y distraction or la iness% then return to repeating it aloud. It is very important not to distur" the peace of the practice and to maintain a tran!uil rhythm. 7ou can ma#e a few prostrations &"ows from the waist% while the rest is immo"ile.) Twelve prostrations will suffice in the "eginning. That num"er can "e constantly increased. The prostrations warm up the "ody and strengthen fervor in Prayer. Then sit comforta"ly and try to lengthen the rhythm of your "reath. ,reathe in and "reathe out producing and perceiving a sweet noise and sensation in the throat. G6trange as it might seem% I have found this instruction in Hesychasm literature. I am not creating this instruction using my Kriya #nowledge.I As the "reath reaches a sta"le and regular rhythm% com"ine the Prayer with the ingoing and outgoing "reath. Esta"lish a lin# "etween the rhythm of the "reathing process and the mental repetition of the Prayer. As a general rule you should repeat your Prayer for a minimum of (< minutes. 7ou should then gradually increase to a period of *; minutes. 7ou will need to measure your timeL one way is to use a Rosary. Then move on to pure mental repetition. Repeat the words in the center of your mind% "ehind your forehead. Repeat !uietly% unhurriedly% thoughtfully avoiding any imagination. @sing imagination may create new mental distractions and hinder clear perception and awareness of the process. 8ittle "y little your attention will settle on the meaning
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of the words you are using. 7our heart will "e touched and the Prayer will introduce you into its sanctuary. 6trive therefore to confine your thought to the Prayer and you will surely reach the stage when the mind remains e'clusively in the words. This will guide you into the final a"duction of the mind into Eod$s dimension. Advanced teachingL how to move toward the achievement of the Prayer of the .eart Auring the previous "asic stage% it is very li#ely that the center of your "eing is located within the region "etween the eye"rows. This place corresponds to an a"stract thought of pure intellectuality and is not fit for all the phases of meditation. If the energy of your thought comes down to the level of the throat% as it normally happens while reciting the Prayer% it ac!uires an evocative power recharged with emotional values. As a conse!uence there is the tendency to "ecome lost in mental associations. In the advanced stage you move the center of your awareness towards the heart center. The attention reaches complete cohesionC it is sustained "y a higher intensity and nothing e'traneous can distur" it. Hesychasts e'plain that finding 2the place of the heart2 means to esta"lish one$s internal life in a lasting Present% where you don$t pray anymore with the $$mind in the head$$ "ut with $$the mind in the heart.$$ Achieving this state is a very great e'perience3 Hesychasts e'plain that one has a drastic reali ation that $$what we have lived till now has "een nothing.$$ 8et us descri"e how to move the awareness towards the heart center. .ith all your attention focused upon the cardiac center% inhale through the nose% thin#ing all the words of the Prayer0 Euide air and Prayer to the place of the heart. E'hale feeling that the Prayer comes up with the "reath and goes out through the nose. &If your Prayer is long% recite half during inhalation and half during e'halation.) After some repetitions% introduce a pause after inhalation. Auring this pause tilt the chin onto the upper part of the "reast% feeling the tension of the nec# muscles% hold the "reath for how much you are a"le to do so &comforta"ly without strainBforce)% loc#ing your awareness in the heart center and repeating your Prayer there several times. Then e'hale% repeating it again while "reath and Prayer rise to the nose. The most advanced development of this teaching is the followingL during the pause you can synchroni e the Prayer with the "eating of the heart. Wisuali e your heart and turn your eyes to it% as if you are loo#ing at it. 8isten attentively with the mind to its pulsations% one after the other. .hen you are used to this% proceed &always loo#ing internally at the heart) to ma#e each pulsation coincide with a word or with a sylla"le of the Prayer. This can happen also during inhalation and e'halation. This is the most ancient tradition of the practice of the Prayer of the .eart.

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If you persevere in "ringing ahead this practice% you will discover new aspects of it. Patience and commitment should "e unsha#ea"le during the practice. If this stage seems difficult to you% remem"er what 6t. 6imeon the Jew Theologian saidL 26it in your cell% and the Prayer will teach you everything.2 9editation after the previous practice /orget the "reath. 6it &comforta"ly and without strain) with your head "owed and your eyes directed toward the a"domen. G.e can o"serve that even if a person sits with straight spine% he ac!uires this position spontaneously when he comes close to the state of Samadhi.I Empty your mind of every image. ,e tenacious in praying with concentrated focus on the navel "ut try to enter it% as if the navel were only a $$door$$. Initially% you will find a 0oyless and dull o"scurity "ut with persistence% a limitless happiness will "e reached. 7ou will see the open space within the heart and contemplate the 2Uncreated :ight2. 7our heart will "e filled with the most loving and su"tle "liss3 6ometimes you will feel a warm sensation originating from the heart region. This sensation% first mild% may turn into a sensation of solidification of the heart which is felt li#e a point surrounded "y an endless pressure. /rom this pressure comes a strange e'perience of pain. .e perceive the Aivine% the endless 8ight and we "urn of love. .e reali e the moment has not yet come to "ecome one with that endless 8ight and ,lissL hence the pain. 4 Sectarian religious objections based on atent nonsense 8et us reply with dignity to folly uttered "y those people who have never really practiced this path. .e have heard from people who call themselves Christians that the Hindu techni!ue of %antra &*a a) cannot "e practiced and e'perienced inside the dimension of the HesychasmC in other words% it can never "e defined Prayer of the .eart. They say that there is an infinite distance separating the Christian Prayer of the .eart from the Hindu *a a. .e are stunned "y reading such statement asL $$,ehind some names li#e Krishna% Rama% or Shi$a there are demons lying in wait. 5nce they are invo#ed "y the use of the %antra% the door is open for the devil to "egin his theatrical productions% using sounds% images% dreams% and the imagination in general in order to drag the practitioner deeper into deception.$$ If those critics would practice something similar to the Prayer of the .eart% this very fact would "ring them 0oy% not harsh terri"le 0udgment. .hy tal# a"out ecumenism if you show such contempt towards Hinduism and YogaD .hen a person is seriously committed to the ha"it of Prayer% there is no time% no interest% nor any will to "e concerned a"out what pertains to other religious traditions. /urther nonsense is that using this method without guidance is to court
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An Hesychast author gives this e'planationL $$To pray with the heart% we suffer "ecause we "ecome one with other$s pain.$$ He addsL $$.e must come out from our own self and "egin to love the other% must suffer for him% so that we can pray for him. Pain "ecomes a grace that passes through the "ody which "ecomes dead to the world and is crucified.$$

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spiritual disaster% ruining our lungs. They assure that many who have tried to learn the procedure of the Prayer of the .eart "y themselves% have ruined their lungs and achieved nothing. This seems to me an e'aggeration and fundamentally a lie. They go ahead e'plaining that the various phases of the procedure &ga e turned to the navel% attention to the "reath and to the pulsation of the heart upon which to synchroni e the Prayer) push one into a world of dreams% illusions% and at times% $$in a constant state of lust.$$ .e cannot accept the claim that those who e'plore the way of ,ontem lati$e Prayer% without the conte't of a religious community% are prey to total illusion and instead of "eing in a relationship with Eod% they grow a su"tle form of self1satisfaction - a spiritual narcissism. This accusation is a#in to the ordinary accusation that Yoga is a process of self1deifying% while the correct attitude should "e the will to reunite with Eod% remaining a distinct person. The ignorance of such affirmations are truly astounding3 They don$t recogni e the fact &which many mystics have often e'pressed in poetic form) of a completely different attitude - the idea of total% irrevoca"le union with Eod. .hat they are claiming only reveals their limited #nowledge of oriental meditation and ignorance of Christian literature% where numerous Christian 6aints have e'pressed their spiritual vision in a way which is identical to that of 6aints and .indu Rishis. The #ey accusation is that the insistence on properly performed techni!ues of meditation as a prere!uisite for e'periencing well defined mystical states% is in contrast to the teaching of Erace. @nfortunately this accusation is reinforced "y innocent fantasies a"out the wor#ings of our "rain and nervous system written and pu"lished "y some yogis who claim that the "enefit accrued "y repeating the %antra is due to certain fre!uencies produced "y its pronunciation% which cause spiritual vi"rations that activate spiritual centers within man. As we #now there are plenty of theories a"out the use of particular sound waves to foster the meditative state .... The truth is that the fervor of a yogi$s heart% showing a total% true and sincere surrender to the Aivine% cannot "e "rought onto the ta"le of a scientific la"oratory. Therefore% let us forget those theories and stress one firm pointL a yogi sincerely "elieves that a spiritual path can receive a "enefit "y learning and applying some procedures. A yogi$s factual e'perience sanctions that a transformations happen along the pathL surrender% total trust in Eod happens and then comes the Erace of Eod. .ho has the authority of denying thisD .hy do certain people feel the need to stigmati e thisD Are we not a"le to see that the Hesychast writings in their comple'ity e'emplify the validity% the wisdom% the effectiveness of all thisD

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The teachings of St. Teresa of vila In the writings of 6t. Teresa of Xvila < it is clearly stated that perfection in the spiritual life can "e reached only "y e'panding the limit in the practice of ,ontem lati$e Prayer &she uses the termL $$Internal )ration.$$) According to 6t. Teresa Prayer is all in all in the mystical path. There is no other e'ercise upon which she insists so much in all of her writings and to which she grants such importance. In her opinion% the soul that doesn$t create the ha"it of Prayer is lost - it won$t reach the mystical goal. 6he descri"ed nine levels of Prayer - not nine different techni!ues of praying "ut nine stages that one e'periences while continuing to repeat the chosen Prayer. 9ost Catholics are not informed a"out these levels. This teaching completes that of the Hesychasm. Here we find a very precise analysis of the various degrees and stages of ,ontem lati$e Prayer. The stages descri"ed happen with spontaneous naturalness. In her opinion the degrees of Prayer areL (. Wocal Prayer =. Aiscursive 9editation *. Affective 9ental Prayer 4. Ac!uired Recollection <. Infused Recollection +. Prayer of Yuiet >. Prayer of 6imple @nion ?. Prayer of Ecstatic @nion 9. Prayer of Transforming @nion 0& Vo'!) P(!-e( 6t. Teresa recommends that "eginners should first use vocal Prayer. 7ou choose the formula that mostly e'cites fervor and devotion. In this way you can hope that attention follows what you are saying and to .hom you are addressing it. Wocal Prayer must last the time necessary to e'cite devotion% no more. It is the door to enter the internal castleL 2.e need no wings to go in search of Him% "ut have only to find a place where we can "e alone and loo# upon Him present within us2 &6t. Teresa). 1& Dis'*(si,e %e#it!tion 6t. Teresa tal#s a"out $$reasoned application of the mind to a supernatural truth to have a deep conviction of it and therefore to love it and to practice it with the
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6aint Teresa of Xvila% also called 6aint Teresa of :esus% &9arch =?% (<(< - 5cto"er 4% (<?=) was a prominent 6panish mystic% Roman Catholic saint% Carmelite nun% and writer of the Counter Reformation% and theologian of contemplative life through Contemplative Prayer. 6he was a reformer of the Carmelite 5rder. The teaching of 6t. Teresa flows from her own e'perience and not from "oo#s.

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help of the Erace.$$ .e appreciate 6t. Teresa$s deep understanding of the human psyche. Actually% this doesn$t seem a stage of Prayer "ut it is something that invaria"ly happens after the preliminary phase of vocal Prayer% after striving against distractions. At this moment we have a poignant vision of something we can do in life to e'press not only in words "ut in deeds also the deepest meaning of our Prayer. 6t. Teresa #nows that this process of reasoning mi'ed with strong power of implementation arrests the Prayer for some minutes. However% she #nows that this compelling vision has to "e accepted. Then% when our heart finds peace% we can resume our Prayer. 2& A++e'ti,e %ent!) P(!-e( Jow we enter what is called a $$sleep of the faculties$$C it is not $$trance$$ nor is it $$union.$$ The heart prevails% consolations and sensitive softness are "egotten. 3& A'4*i(e# Re'o))e'tion In this stage you feel the presence of Eod. $$Ac!uired$$ means achieved with your efforts. Prayer goes on and you are a"sor"ed in a loving awareness. 7our attitude is going to "ecome more and more passive. The soul is% as it were% utterly fainting in a #ind of trance. ,reathing% and all "odily strength seems to fail% so that it cannot even move the hands without great painC the eyes close involuntarily% and if they are open% they are as if they saw nothingC nor is reading possi"le - the very letters seem strange% and cannot "e distinguished. The ear hears% "ut what is heard is not understood. It is useless to try to spea#% "ecause it is not possi"le to conceive the wordsC nor% if it were possi"le% is there strength sufficient to utter itC for all "odily strength vanishes% and that of the soul increases.
.hen a kriyaban e'periences this stage% one would li#e to write down something as to fi' the the method "y which to achieve that state again% to have it again and again in the following practices of Prayer. 5ne is sure of the discovery of a secret% "ut when the eyes are opened and one tries to write% the magic of those moments disappears and one can$t remem"er what e'actly was done to reach that state. It is important to understand that this state happens when many conditions are respected and fall into place together - optimal condition of our "ody% pacification of our emotions% deep silence in our thin#ing process. It is for this reason that it is useless to see# a precise recipe to reproduce it.

5& In+*se# Re'o))e'tion This state is a logical deepening of the previous state and is the first degree of mystical contemplation. 6t. Teresa calls it $$Infused Recollection$$ "ecause it comes from Erace. 6he descri"es it as a glorious delirium% a celestial folly% a state of unspea#a"le delights. It is an ine"riation of love in which the soul doesn$t #now what to do% whether to spea# or to #eep silent% whether to cry or to laugh. The soul is conscious of a deep satisfaction. The soul feels invaded "y something that has the taste of eternal life and feels as if coming into contact with an &ndless 4oodness. Hence comes the feeling that there is nothing on the earth
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worthy of your desire or attention. This state produces a partial transformation of our way of living "ut it needs to "e remem"ered that this state em"odies only the "eginning of true mystical e'perience. 6& P(!-e( o+ 7*iet 8 9& P(!-e( o+ Simp)e Union The "ody "ecomes insensitive and the will is totally captivated "y irresisti"le devotion. The other faculties% such as memory% reason% and imagination% are progressively captivated and occupied with Eod. ,oth intellect and will are a"sor"ed in Eod. Aistractions are not possi"le and the e'ternal "odily senses are $$imprisoned.$$
In Kriya Yoga% we descri"e this as the first stage of Samadhi. At this stage one listens to the internal astral sounds% the sound of )m and also witnesses the Aivine 8ight. 5ne is in total a"sorption% "eing drawn and merging very deeply into the e'perience% feeling as if approaching annihilation "efore such tremendous 2eauty.

:& P(!-e( o+ E'st!ti' Union The description that I am going to give of this state% using the words of 6t. Teresa is very strange. It is not an e'aggerationL she couldn$t have found "etter words attempting to e'press the ine'pressi"le. 8et us then "egin to e'plain that the soul is wounded with love for the Aivine. ,ody and 6pirit are in the throes of a sweet% happy pain% alternating "etween a fearful fiery glow% a complete impotence% unconsciousness% and a feeling of suffocation% sometimes intermi'ed with such an ecstatic flight that the "ody is literally lifted into space. /rom this the su"0ect awa#ens in tears. The way with which Eod hurts the soul is ine'pressi"le. The torment is so alive that the soul goes out of itself% although at the same time so sweet that you can not compare it with any pleasure of the earth. 6t. Teresa further e'plains that there are moments in which you can feel li#e an arrow has deeply penetrated your heart. 5ne laments with such a vivid and intense pain% "ut at the same time the e'perience is so delicious one never wants it to end. ;& P(!-e( o+ T(!ns+o(min< Union Also called the 29ystical 9arriage2% it is the highest state of Prayer that can "e achieved in this life. It represents the most intimate union of the soul with EodC the soul "ecomes Aivine and is no more su"0ect to ecstasy - the contact with Eod happens even when the "ody does not assume the appearance of a corpse. Jow the 0ourney of the soul ends. .hat at one time had the character of supplication or of a sweet conversation with our personal idea of Eod has progressively transformed into a hard wor# not "ased upon fleeting emotions% and has now lead the soul to the ultimate crowning e'perience of the encounter with Eod.

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)ther sources of ins iration1 (ibetan 2uddhism (ibetan 2uddhism insists so much on the value of %antra that I couldn$t avoid !uoting this source of inspiration. Their teaching is repeating )m %ani Padme .um &$$Hail the 0ewel in the lotus$$) again and again until the chaos of your thoughts !uiets. .e rarely come across technical remar#s% practical teachings% "ut you can find them if you #eep on see#ing. Among a great deal of empty chatter% I found an e'cellent teaching. 8et me summari e itL "y repeating the %antra% the pulse of your heart "ecomes clearly evident and your attention turns to the easy movement of "reath through your nostrils H in and out. 7ouKre no longer lost in thought. 7ouKre not spaced out. 7ouKre in the state of meditation. The layers that are covering up your true "eing% reveal your true nature which is love and compassion. If Ti"etan ,uddhists would stop here% all would "e perfect. @nfortunately they try a childish demonstration that all the teachings of the ,uddha are contained in the %antra1 )m %ani Padme .um. 7ou find also clear e'aggerations li#e the story that if any animal or insect should hear this %antra "efore dying% it would "e re"orn to the pure land of !mitabha..... Another story is that "y reciting the %antra with mindfulness and a proper understanding% all sufferings will dissolve and up to seven generations of that personKs descendents wonKt get re"orn in the lower realms.... Annoyed we read that viewing the written form of the %antra has the same effect that reciting it....... or that spinning the written form of the %antra around a wheel is also "elieved to give the same "enefit as reciting the %antra.... .e are used to such nonsense and #now for certain that the "eauty% purity and value of the %antra said with our voice and heart has no su"stitute. (he Sufi mystical ath The art of ,ontem lati$e Prayer is developed "y the Sufi &Islamic mystics) in an astonishing way. Reading some pages of their literature means receiving spiritual the into'ication and 0oy that are the "est antidote to the tendency toward melancholy which can "e the worst malady of many spiritually oriented people. 6oul stirring ardent feelings and sincerity are to "e found thereL the cele"ration of Eod and nature shines with a strength and amplitude "eyond comparison.
I died as a mineral and "ecame a plantC I died as plant and rose to animalC I died as animal and I was 9an. .hy should I fearD .hen was I less "y dyingD 7et once more I shall die as 9an% to soar with angels "lestC "ut even from angelhood I must pass onL all e'cept Eod doth perish. .hen I have sacrificed my angel1 soul% I shall "ecome what no mind e$er conceived. &Rumi,(ranslated by !0*0 !rberry)

Sufis passionately loo# for the possi"ility% in which they firmly "elieve% of a
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direct e'perience of Eod. 9any practice a private and silent !doration. 5thers 0oin together in an outward group e'pression of their love for Eod. The word 5hikr is commonly translated as 2remem"rance2. Essentially% the practice of 5hikr is a form of Prayer in which the 9uslim e'presses one$s remem"rance of Eod. Through 5hikr the seed of remem"rance is planted in the heart and nourished daily% until the tree of 5hikr "ecomes deeply rooted and "ears its fruit. 9ost inspiring instructions are given to avoid distractions in such a way that the heart is occupied with neither 2family2 nor 2money2. 5ne continues until the heart is continually applied to the 5hikr0 Sufis teach that the purpose of 5hikr is to purify hearts and souls and to "e fortified "y the 8ight of the Aivine. .hen the heart is immersed and enraptured "y the Truth% it turns to the highest ideal without "eing deflected "y anything. How "eautiful is to thin#% to feel that when we open our heart to !llah and utters words in His praise% !llah fills us with strength and inner peace. How great is the inspiration that we receive from images as this oneL 2.hen a servant of !llah utters the words $$:> Il>ha Ill> !ll>h$$ &There is none worthy of worship e'cept Allah) sincerely% the doors of heaven open up for these words until they reach the Throne of !llah.2 Therefore% 5hikr is something of tremendous importance.
.hen praying% the individual "ows as a human person and gets up as Eod. &!l6*unayd)

They teach to "egin the practice "y uttering the %antra aloud &5hikr of the tongue)% then a state of great a"sorption ma#es it impossi"le to go on in this way. At this point the mental practice commences. ,y persevering assiduously in this way% putting all our concentration into the practice% the sylla"les chanted mentally are gradually effaced from our awareness and only the meaning of the Prayer remains. The mind "ecomes so calm that it is una"le to thin#% while the deepest sentiments are awa#ened - the touch of Aivine Recollection drives the mind cra y and the most into'icating of 0oys "egins to e'pand within.
2Heavens and earth contain 9e not% "ut the heart of 9y faithful servant containeth 9e.2 &Pro het %uhammad con$eying the words of 4od, .adith Kudsi0) 2Fnow that there is a physical Heart in each "ody. There is a spiritual Heart in each Heart. There is a 6ecret in each spiritual Heart. There is a Hidden in each 6ecret% and there is a 9ost Hidden in each Hidden. I am in that 9ost Hidden.2 &(he Secret of Islam =>4% "y Henry ,ayman)

If one wants to follow the Sufi path and uses the Kriya techni!ues% one will encounter no difficulties whatsoever. 5f course% one should "e endowed with a strong self1teaching spirit. There is no dou"t that (hokar has a great affinity with a particular Sufi way of practicing their 25hikr2. I am referring to those procedures in which the chanting of the $$ :> Il>ha Ill> !ll>h?? is accompanied "y
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the movements of the head. ItKs interesting that 8ahiri 9ahasaya gave the Islamic mantra $$ :> Il>ha Ill> !ll>h?? to his 9uslim disciples to "e practiced during (hokar. .e don$t have the e'act details of that procedure "ut it seems reasona"le that the head was lifted &with or without the help of the "reath) from under the navel up to the "rainC after reaching the "rain% it moved from the "rain to the one shoulder% then to the other shoulder and then it hit the heart. 6ome Sufi order e'plains that he who wants to guide his Prayer into his heart% imposes a circular movement to his head and then lowers it on his "reast. A modern Sufi confraternity practices it in the following wayL 2 :>2 is placed in the head% 2il>ha2 &with head "ending to the right) in the right upper part of the chest% 2ill>al2 &with head "ending to the left) in the left upper part of the chest and 2l>h2 &with head "ending down) in the heartC then again 2 :>2 in the head% while raising it.... As the num"er of repetitions of the techni!ue increases in intensity% a deep into'ication is felt in the heart. 5ne may a"ide "y the num"er of repetitions given in Kriya schools &related with the practice of the "asic form of (hokar) or can go "eyond them in a completely different dimension. I #now that the Sufis reach a num"er of repetitions that is inconceiva"le to a kriyaban. ,onclusion I hope that what you have read here has stimulate your curiosity &perhaps something dormant in you coming from who #nows whence...) to create a momentum which will assist you to "egin the practice of *a a. I invite you to deepen the themes that are dealt with here "y your own study. The literature on this su"0ect is vast% "ut there is no purpose in reading everything. If initially% as is perfectly understanda"le% some "oo#s will appear as full of empty rhetoric% now and then some sentence will light the sacred fire of an un"elieva"le enthusiasm which will give new life to your Kriya path. The study of the "iographies of saints will ma#e you feel the goal as the nearest of the near% more appealing than anything else in the world. ,eing aflame for it% you will "e a"le to practice "eyond the $$point of e'haustion$$ - in this way you will enter the most e'traordinary period of your life% culminating with the achievement of the "reathless state. 6pecific instruction a"out that is to "e find in the ne't chapter.

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CHAPTER (( THE BREATHLESS STATE

5ften I have thought over 8ahiri 9ahasaya$s motto 2 2anat, 2anat, ban jay32 &doing and doing% one day it is done3) At first this sentence gave me the idea of one who% without ever losing heart% goes all out to reach the pea# of a high mountain. The pea# to sei e hold after a life long effort was for me that particular state of consciousness of which I had read% called $$ Self6 Reali@ation$$. 6u"se!uently% I changed my perspective on the meaning of the intensive effort re!uired to follow a spiritual path. I reali ed that the "est way of engaging in something of permanent value consisted only in removing the o"stacles created "y the mindC when this had "een done% the spiritual dimension would manifest naturally% without further effort on my "ehalf. The necessary action to start the cleaning process consisted in creating the state of %ental Silence and holding onto it during the activities of daily living. The "est and surest way to achieve and to maintain the state of %ental Silence was *a a. Jow% when I decided to practice *a a every day% something of enormous importance happened thenL the "reathlessness state spilled an unparalleled e'perience of divine "liss into my "eing. 9y life was forever changed "y this event. ,reathlessness does not simply mean that the "reath "ecomes more and more !uiet or that the "reath is held after a long hyperventilation li#e divers do. In the "reathless state the "reath is entirely non1e'istent. I e'perienced this during mental Pranayama at the end of my Kriya routine. After a few seconds of concentration on the ,hakras, when my Kriya routine had entered the passive phase of mental Pranayama% I e'perienced with full awareness my "reath calming down and then disappearing. A cause1effect relationship &*a a causing the "reathless state) was esta"lished "eyond any dou"t. /rom that moment% *a a "ecame an essential tool to prepare my mind for meditation. To say the whole truth% the divine gift of the "reathless state was prepared "y my constant practice of the 2asic "orm of (hokar0 However% since a"out (hokar we have already e'pressed all we #now% in this Chapter we limit our discussion to e'amine how to conceive a good plan for practicing *a a daily. The purpose is "e sure that the teaching of the *a a is understood without misinterpretation. 0& T e ' oi'e o+ ! %!nt(! Choose a %antra &Prayer) that appeals to you. Aon$t feel o"liged to use 8ahiri 9ahasaya$s favored 3asude$a %antra &2)m Namo 2haga$ate 3asude$aya2.) 7ou can% 0ust to give you an idea% choose one from your favorite set of prayers% one that has &"y adding% if necessary% )m or !men at the "eginning or at the end) twelve sylla"les. Twelve is a perfect num"er "ecause you can utili e it
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during Kriya Pranayama% placing each of its sylla"les in a different ,hakra. ,eautiful twelve sylla"les %antra can "e ta#en out of 2hajans or poems. As an e'ample% from the well1#nown Adi 6han#ara$s chant you can select the "eautiful (=1sylla"le verseL ,hi6da6nan6da6ru6 ah6shi6$o6ham6shi6$o6ham &That /orm which is pure consciousness and "liss% I am that supreme ,eing% I am that supreme ,eing3) 5ne thing should "e stated o"0ectivelyL 75@R %antra should e'press or evo#e e'actly what 75@ want to achieve and em"ody the attitude you want to e'press. /or e'ample% the attitude of surrender is e'pressed "y %antras "eginning with )m Namo ... other %antras might e'press the a"solute non1dual reali ation% and so on. 6ometimes% the meaning is not as important as having in oneKs heart the e'ample of a dear saint who used it. ,ut this is effective only if you really love that saint. 7our chosen %antra should have "oth a strong and a soft tone. It is important to relish it. 26trong tone2 means that it is incompati"le with an attitude of resigned complaint% rather it implies the happiness that you are attracting through the very repetition of its sylla"les. In literature you will see how very "eautiful %antras have "een "uilt. Here you have the Krishna %antraL )m Klim Krishnaya 4o$indaya 4o i6jana 3allabhaya Swaha0 Here you have the 5urga &Aivine 9other) %antraL )m .rim 5hum 5urgaye Namaha0000 6ome hesychasts use only 2Kyrie &leison2. &leison can "e translated asL 2"e your em"race upon me% turn yourself to me.$$ 7ou can appreciate how the sound &leison seems to melt with the sound of the )m. .hat is important to understand is that the chosen Prayer should "e a"le to stimulate your devotion% to unify all your "eing around the practice. I hope you are not so naive to "elieve that a %antra wor#s only if it is received from a $$4uru.$$ Certainly if you want to lighten your portfolio then race to a teacher and "uy your personal %antra. Jaturally in certain occasions having a teacher is 0ustified. .hen an e'perienced person helps you to choose a %antra and uses everything in his power of persuasion to convince you to apply it continually% this persons does you the greatest of all the favors and is correct to compensate himC "ut that$s all3 /or e'ample an e'pert who is familiar and has e'perience with .atha Yoga and with 2ija %antras, can forge for you a wonderful %antra. To a pree'istent %antra% after the initial )m% your teacher can add some 22ija2 &seed) %antras li#eL Aim% AZm% Eam% Elamu% Elom% Haum% Hoom% Hreem% Hrom% Fleem% Freem% 6hreem% 6treem% Wang% H These sounds were chosen "y ancient yogis, who felt their "eauty and li#ed their vi"ration. They were not given "y a divinity% they are a human discovery. These seed %antras have no meaning "ut can enrich a %antra who has a meaning. After having chosen your %antra, use it for a few wee#s to find out whether your mind accepts it or not. It often happens that a person chooses a %antra, "egins to utili e it with enthusiasm and then% after a few minutes% reali es to "e reciting another one. This is a hint that very pro"a"ly the right
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%antra has not "een found. To e'perience this first hand is what counts% it is the only reasona"le thin# to do. ,e sensitive and careful to the vi"ration that it arouses in your "ody and in your heart. 6ome ma#e an unfortunate choice% through which they seem to punish themselves. They affirm their limits and unworthiness. After a short time% their practice falls apartC sometimes they find themselves repeating it once or twice during the day% li#e a sigh of de0ection. This has nothing to do with what we are descri"ing here. 1& Ho= to *ti)i"e -o*( %!nt(! .hen you have found your %antra% resolve to complete daily at least one %ala &a rosary of (;? "eads) of it aloud. Pronounce its sylla"les with serene attitude. 8earn to resonate it in your mouth% nasal passages% chest and head areas. + .hen you have completed the (;? repetitions% let it go ahead automatically in the "ac#ground of your mind. If possi"le% ta#e "ac# the vocal practice of *a a in the ne't hours. /orget the words "ut feel the protective shell of tangi"le peace surrounding you. I am not recommending to adopt a particular visuali ation "ut to increase the capacity of perceiving what is around you. /or sure% it re!uires additional time% time free from wor# and from social contacts. Commit yourself to it as if you had a strong will to #noc# down a wall that life has placed "efore you. Pic# out an o"stacle that defeats your attempts to achieve something important in your life and receive a strong push from the idea that your %antra has the power of destroying it. Aay after day your whole life will "ecome more simple. @nnecessary $$necessities$$ will disappear% your solitary giant underta#ing will ma#e you eventually emerging in the dimension of %ental Silence. .ow to lan your Kriya routine after reaching the %ental Silence Having practiced *a a seriously &"oth aloud and mentally% therefore J5T 5J87 9EJTA887)% practice in the evening the following routineL Preliminary partL 9aha 9udra - Javi Friya - Tala"ya Friya - 5m :apa &+ repetitions) ThenL (. Friya Pranayama or 5m#ar Pranayama &=41*+ repetitions) =. ,asic form of Tho#ar &(=1=4 repetitions) *. 5m#ar Pranayama &+1=4 repetitions) 4. 9ental Pranayama &(1* repetitions) or% as a good alternative% Friya Pranayama with short "reath &utili ing% if this is useful and not distracting% the procedure of micro Tho#ar we have descri"ed in 5m#ar Friya)
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A teacher was adamant a"out the fact that a %antra should "e pronounced only mentally. I tried to follow his counsel and it didn$t wor#. After various months I was fed up with my useless attemptL I dared to chant it vocally on my %ala. ,efore completing my (;? repetitions% a spring of happiness and mirth gushed from my heart.

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This is enough to achieve the breathless state! 8et us discuss each of these pointsL 0& K(i-! P(!n!-!m! o( Om.!( P(!n!-!m! >13?26 (epetitions@ After practicing the premi'es and having found a comforta"le position% you discover that the same %antra utili ed during the day is going on "y itself in your consciousness. 7ou sit with your "ac# upright% the eyes are closed and you feel that your "ody is a uni!ue solid vi"ration. ,ody and mind reach almost automatically the immo"ility at ranic level. Jo other preliminary practice can give you the fullness and the peace of that silence o"tained through the action of *a a during the day. There e'ists no other method of concentration which would succeed in calming that $$"ac#ground noise$$ that is the dominant soundtrac# of human mind. ,egin the practice of Kriya Pranayama. The idea of ta#ing a long "reath and thin#ing your Prayer during the inhalation and repeating it &or completing it) during e'halation comes naturally3 Aiscover that your routine can "e lived in a very simple and natural way% utili ing the same %antra6Prayer chanted during the day. 9any kriyabans do not $$dare$$ to adapt their personal Prayer to Kriya Pranayama. It is as if they were afraid to ruin it% to show disrespect for 8ahiri 9ahasaya. 7et% if with a Prayer that arouses your deepest emotions you can create a more ardent Kriya Pranayama% why do not try itD .hat during the day was a formula affirming your surrender to the Aivine% it will now "ecome a tool that will guide you within% towards the ecstatic stages descri"ed "y mystics. /eel the pranic current touching all the cells of the spine% up and down. 7our attention is focused on one action onlyL merging the inner chanting of the Prayer with a slow% even1paced "reath. This is now your Kriya Pranayama. .hat you are e'periencing is similar to the procedure of )mkar Pranayama / only it is more simple3 7ou have not that particular attention on the throat sounds - "etter saidL you have it "ut it is secondary. ,ring ahead this easy e'perience for =41*+ "reaths. Ao not entertain any hurry. At a certain point you might discover that you are not "reathing. If this happens% don$t a"andon the mental repetition of the Prayer7 intensify the power of touching through it the spinal su"stance% go ahead with the action of moving it up and down. If this doesn$t distur"% you can then repeat your Prayer in each ,hakra and ma#e the "reathless state more sta"le. If this happens% you won$t need any other practice and your Kriya routine ends here3 1& B!si' +o(m o+ T o.!( >01?13 (epetitions@ ,ut events don$t always go so well. 6ometimes it is necessary to add at least (=1 =4 repetitions of the basic form of (hokar. It is true that 8ahiri saidL 2In "irst Kriya you can find everything2 "ut you must accept the situation you are in. 9ost kriyabans need (hokar. It helps to calm% appease the heart ganglion which regulate the heart pulse. (hokar was conceived to esta"lish a particular calmness
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&tran!uility) in the heart region. Actually% 8ahiri 9ahasaya says thatL 2(hokar opens the doors of the inner temple2 and e'plains that when the cardiac ple'us is struc# "y its strong action% the Prana related with "reathing is directed inwardL this results in a spontaneous state of profound and prolonged a"sorption.
Remar# Instead of using the 9antra )m Namo 2haga$ate.... you can adapt to the procedure of (hokar the Prayer that you have repeated during the day.

2& Om.!( P(!n!-!m! >6?13 (epetitions@ A few rounds of the )mkar Pranayama are not optional "ut necessary to reesta"lish the total calmness in the "ody after the physical movements of (hokar. 3& %ent!) P(!n!-!m! >0?2 (epetitions@ It is good to read again the e'planation of %ental Pranayama given in chapter +. This sweet procedure can "e the decisive turning point where you calm down your "reathing dramatically. However many kriyabans have difficulties in understanding it. 7ou have to move your awareness up and down the spine pausing in each ,hakra for (;1=; seconds. 6lipping into a hurried practice leads to nothing. A particular 0oy springs out of the ,hakra in which the awareness dwells. 5ne should intentionally wait for this event% in each ,hakra. 6tart with the first ,hakra at the "ase of the spine% wait for a feeling of 0oy% then move to the second% wait ... then third and so on. After ascending to the 2indu% "egin the descent% pausing in %edulla% fifth ,hakra% fourth ,hakra and so on. The instructions given in Chapter + e'plain that% if this is agreea"le% )m may "e mentally chanted in each ,hakra. 7ou will see how easy it is to create a countercloc#wise moving sensation in each ,hakra. The practice of *a a &Prayer) during the day has given you a particular faculty. 7ou feel% nay% you are surprised to discover that you are a"le to create an internal energetic movement around the nucleus of a ,hakra% of each ,hakra. It is as if you can% in a certain way% $$touch$$ the su"stance of which a ,hakra is composed. Aon$t even dream a"out holding your "reath3 6ome yogis, and even some kriyabans, "elieve that the "reathless state is gotten "y learning to hold the "reath for longer periods of time. There is nothing more wrong3 .e have seen &Chapter +) thatL $$... one may also ercei$e the subtle radiation of each ,hakra in the body000$$ .ell then% #eeping on touching with your %antra the nucleus of each ,hakra, you will perceive a fresh energy that sustains the "ody from the inside. This is the #ey point. .hile your consciousness settles in a vast space e'tending "ehind and over the occipital region you have the perception of having calmed down the inner movements of the "ody% even at a molecular level. /orget time and calm yourself even further. 6uddenly you have the impression of crossing a screen% emerging in another dimension. The awareness of the ,hakras has disappeared. 7our heart re0oices in discovering that a Prayer does not simply consist of wordsL a repeated Prayer is a churning process of your
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mental Prana until that Prana "ecomes static and you are that Prana e'tending "eyond your "ody% in the universe. 7ou are enraptured "y the thrill of an une!ualed "reedom. It is a fantastic state3 The cells of your "ody are internally recharged "y a mysterious source that you perceive as $$cold li!uid light.$$ There is not the least !uiver of surprise or the thoughtL 2Jow I have it finally32 The restless mind is dissolved. 7ou are perfectly aware% "ut in a calm and detached way. 7ou are pro0ected out of time% you feel you are a"ove life. .hen this happens% a great event happenedL this is the true initiation into Kriya Yoga0 > A tran!uil 0oy% vast as the s#y% confirms that this is the #ey e'perience of your life. Kriya is "ased on the "reath. Jow% to see it magically annulled implies a great personal satisfaction and also a lesson that nothing else could give. A #eepe( =!- o+ eApe(ien'in< t e !+o(e #es'(ibe# +o*(t point &Friya Pranayama with short "reath utili ing micro Tho#ar) ,efore persuading yourself that you are not ready for achieving the "reathless state% mee#ly test the following procedureL /ocus your attention on the %uladhara ,hakra. Wi"rate &thin# with emphasis) 2(e 3a Su2 in %uladhara. Ao it once. Try to feel that 2(e 3a Su2 creates an oscillatory movement inside %uladhara. .hen it "ecomes natural to have a very short inhalation% inhale only what is necessary% pause an instant and concentrate on the second ,hakra0 Hold the "reath gently and vi"rate 2 (e 3a Su2 in the second ,hakra. E'hale when you feel li#e e'haling% concentrate on %uladhara, vi"rate A(e 3a SuA there. .hen it "ecomes natural to have a very short inhalation% inhale only what is necessary% pause an instant and concentrate on the third ,hakra. Hold the "reath gently and vi"rate 2(e 3a Su2 in the third ,hakra. E'hale when you feel li#e e'haling% concentrate on %uladhara, vi"rate A(e 3a SuA there. Eo on li#e that% repeating the procedure "etween %uladhara and the fourth ,hakra7 %uladhara and fifth ,hakra7 %uladhara / 2indu7 %uladhara / %edulla7 %uladhara / fifth ,hakra7 %uladhara / fourth ,hakra7 %uladhara / third ,hakra7 %uladhara / second ,hakra. As you see% one cycle is made of (; short "reaths. Repeat more than one cycle% increasing your concentration until your "reath is almost none'istent. Pause in !nahata ,hakra% repeating there 2(e 3a Su2 many% many times% until you perceive light "oth in !nahata ,hakra and in the point "etween the eye"rows. This is the "est condition to reali e the "reathless state. 5ne day you will "e a"le to stop the "reath and any movement in the "odyC it will "e li#e a miracle.
2Jo me pid[is !ue lo e'pli!ue. Ten<o e) +*e<o en las m!nos2 &Earcia 8orca)

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Friya initiation ceremonies are 0ust a sym"ol of what we are here descri"ing.

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! final encouragement I have heard some kriyabans affirm impudently that Kriya Yoga has nothing to do with *a a &much less with the pious practice of ,ontinuous Prayer0) Almost annoyed "y finding that their path could "e polluted "y other practices% they pour our their ignorance on youL 2Jeither 4uruji% nor 8ahiri 9ahasaya taught it. Kriyabans don$t need it.$$ They are filled with the conviction that Kriya wor#s in an automatic% infalli"le way. 6till% if the sense of smugness and self satisfaction will not continue "linding their eyes% they could reali e very easily that this Kriya path is incomplete when it is not coupled with the practice of *a a. .ithout *a a no one is a"le to ma#e the %ental Silence state permanent and Kriya Yoga wor# as it should wor#. ,ut not only Kriya Yoga% "ut any form of Sadhana after some temporary success% is eclipsed "y the main occupation of the mindL running dry all its energies in the frantic pursuing or ever new dreamland worlds. Ta#e the resolute decision not to renounce anymore to the fantastic help that only *a a can give. It creates around you the protective mantle of mental Silence. In spite of whatever a"yss of mental confusion and spiritual aridity you are% its sweet vi"ration will "egin to echo into every fi"er of your "eing% as an angel heralding the season of your resurrection.
Important remar# .hen you achieve the "reathless state% you could fall in a very intense attraction toward some marginal aspects of the mystical pathL for e'ample something that ignited your interest during a particular phase of your life. 6trange as it may seem% this fact may lead you to lose the "reathless state for a long time% even years. The strength of your elated reaction to the new great e'perience can produce an inflated sense of importance and worth of those secondary aspects. Aevoting yourself to stupid searches% e'periencing with unnatural and illogical routines% you might postpone% for "etter times% all actions necessary to continue to en0oy the "reathless state. 7ou might enter a delicate phase of your life where there is no more the desire to en0oy the simplicity and austerity of the %ental Silence. The temptation to put *a a aside is tremendous. 7ou might slip in a state of despondency and face the specter of dou"t cast upon you "y momentary lac# of results. There comes the idea that *a a is a $$poor$$ practice% that there are plenty of other ways to foster spiritual evolution other then parroting words and sounds. 6ometimes this illusion is reinforced "y the overindulgence in the thought that your mind needs rest and you should avoid all effort even that of practicing *a a. Resist this temptation3 Persevere in see#ing only the "reathless state and a real heaven will "e yours. The reali ation that you have sat in meditation for minutes - may"e hours - without using your lungs and diaphragmL this is so much more valua"le than any other achievement in the world.

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A##en#*m: t (ee impo(t!nt =!-s o+ !##in< po=e( to -o*( B!p! (. B!p! (ot!tin< in K*t!st ! This means to feel your chosen %antra moving as if Kutastha were a spherical cage and %antra were a micro motorcycle running inside the round cage as you see in some circus. 5f course you are rotating your %antra more slowly3 A"out the "reath% it is not necessary to sayL forget the "reath% "ecause you will see that the "reath disappears "y itself. 7ou can use this practice 0ust "efore meditation. Aon$t use it in all circumstances of life - for e'ample when you drive a car. =. B!p! os'i))!tin< in t e b!'. o+ -o*( e!(t C !.(!
Indeed there is a piece of flesh in your "ody which% if it "e sound% then the whole "ody will "e sound and if it "e corrupt then the whole "ody will "e corrupt. Indeed it is the heart. &!l62ukhaari)

.hat I am going to descri"e will "e appreciated "y the greatest part of the readers. I have had conclusive proof that this is the most direct way to straighten one$s path% in the case there are some pro"lems of un"alance. The following procedure is an unparalleled method to approach the $$ Prayer of the heart$$. If you have never #nown this dimension of the spiritual path% try anyway and you will "e struc# "y the "eauty of the procedure. 8et us consider a (= sylla"les Prayer li#e )m Namo 2hagabate 3asude$aya. Each of the four "reathing actions that I am going to descri"e now lasts =1* seconds. Each is accompanied "y a particular internal movement of energy. (.Inhale calmly% perceiving a hori ontal movement of energy that from a point at the left &a"out + centimeters) of !nahata moves toward a symmetrical point on the right% touching !nahata from the "ac#. Auring this movement% mentally chant )m in the first point% Na in !nahata% %o in the point at the right. =. E'hale calmly% perceiving a hori ontal movement of energy that from the point at the right of !nahata moves toward the starting point on the left% touching !nahata from the "ac#. Auring this movement% mentally chant 2ha in the point at the right% 4a in !nahata% 2a in the point at the left. *. Inhale calmly% perceiving a vertical movement of energy that from a point over !nahata &a"out 4 centimeters) moves down toward a symmetrical point under !nahata% touching !nahata from the "ac#. Auring this movement% mentally chant (e in the point over !nahata% 3a in !nahata% Su in the point under !nahata. 4. E'hale calmly% perceiving a vertical movement of energy that from the point under !nahata comes up to the point over !nahata% touching !nahata from the "ac#. Auring this movement% mentally chant 5e in the point under !nahata%
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3a in !nahata% Ya in the point over !nahata. The repetition of these 4 movements% namely to draw this $$cross$$% using two complete "reaths and one repetition of the (= sylla"les %antra is one cycle. They recommend (;? cycles without hurry. It is clear that this is only an e'ample and one can choose other prayers and "lend them with the "reath in different ways. 7ou can also ma#e the choice of forgetting the "reath% let it flow freely% and practicing mentally only. 6till "etter is to start with the "reath and then% gradually internali e the practice% end with a mental practice. It is important to perceive the flow of energy left1right1left% over1under1over Wery interesting it is the possi"ility of synchroni ing the Prayer with the pulse of the heart. In order to e'perience this is worthwhile to slightly lower the chin of one or two centimeters then totally forget the "reath. 7ou will reali e that the oscillation of energy and consciousness around !nahata tends to "ecome smaller and smaller and collapse in the nucleus of the ,hakra. Wariation 7ou can alternate this $$cross$$ with an hori ontal cross touching the physical heart and the central part of the chest &frontal component of !nahata). These two crosses count as two% therefore the time necessary to complete a mala is the same. At the end you perceive a greater focusing of your awareness on the nucleus of the heart ,hakra. (. and =. remain the same *. Inhale calmly% perceiving an hori ontal movement of energy that from the seat of !nahata moves forward toward the central part of the chest% passing through the physical heart. Auring this movement% mentally chant (e in !nahata% 3a in the physical heart% Su in a point located in the central part of the sternum &at the same height as !nahata). 4. E'hale calmly% perceiving an hori ontal movement of energy that from the point located in the sternum comes "ac# to !nahata% passing through the physical heart. Auring this movement% mentally chant 5e in the point located in the sternum% 3a in the physical heart% Ya in !nahata. Through the instrument of (hokar you have learned to stimulate the heart ,hakra in a strong way. ,ut this is only the first phase of the wor#% after (hokar you must continue guiding patiently the Prayer into the heart. The a"ove descri"ed procedure is a means to $$dance$$ with the Prayer 2around the heart2 until a door opens. The procedure is effective "ecause it affects% trying to dissolve them% all the dualities that hamper our tuning with the cardiac ple'us. The dualities I am referring to areL Ida and Pingala &flowing sideways the spine and !nahata-7 Prana and ! ana &having their seat over and under !nahata respectively). In the variation% you touch the frontal component of !nahataL the effect is the overcoming the innerBouter duality. There is a more ela"orate e'planation which is related with the $$spiritual centers$$
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of su"tle energy in the chest as descri"ed "y some Sufi mystic. The common #nowledge is limited to the heart ,hakra% !nahata which is connected with the e'perience of oneness with the Aivine Person. There are two su"tle centers% which are structures different from ,hakras. The center on the right of !nahata is connected with the individual sense of I. The e'perience of our personality "rings to consciousness hidden desires% emotions% motivations% as well as past memories and traumas within oneKs individual history. The center on the the left of !nahata is connected with the e'periences of Cosmic Consciousness. This does not mean that when you focus on it you are in a ,lissful state. Cosmic Consciousness is the stage that comes after crossing the Collective @nconscious. 7ou must first e'perience the dar#ness contained in the human heart and although it pertains to the universe you will perceive it as your own - which usually clashes with oneKs moral code and oneKs 6elf1image. Practicing the given techni!ue means ma#e Prayer swing "etween the sense of I and the origin of pure consciousness. The e'perience of @nion can "e accessed through this path only. The esoteric e'periences of meditation on those centers dissolves the consciousness of pure su"0ectivity. Eventually% attention is reduced into the focus of the 6piritual Heart which is the core of !nahata. As you repeat this prayer over many months you will find that it ma#es you so thrilled that you are not a"le to overstep this initial sweet stage. ? 5ne day you will discover that the Prayer has entered your heart and from which an incommensura"le Eood is "orn. The heart thrills in welcoming that stateC you sip the celestial honey of a radiation of sweetness which annihilates every desire. Every o"0ect will appear transfigured% physical reality will reveal the indwelling presence of 6pirit. The radiance "rought a"out "y Prayer "ecomes the gold of your first e'perience of the Aivine. 7ou are permeated "y a taste of EternityL 6. Teresa of Avila wrote a"out an $$Endless Eoodness.$$ 7ou will feel infinite love "lossom in your heart. In fear and 0oy% in loneliness and companionship% you will feel this love with you. *. B!p! in t e bo#-& Int(o#*'tion to t e K(i-! o+ t e 'e))s &to "e developed in Chapter (=.) A not widely #nown fact is that there are mystics who 2thin#2 their Prayers in their "ody. This completes what we have seen till now - it em"odies indeed the last phase of the process of unfastening the #not of %uladhara0 A small collection of written material a"out this practice has "een pu"lished almost e'clusively "y speciali ed pu"lishers in the esoteric field. These "oo#s can "e found "y rummaging among occult and magic te'ts. Ferning% Fol"% 8asario% .einfurter% Peryt 6hou and 6pies"erger are 0ust a few of the authors. Even though these mystics were "orn within Christianity and felt on the average in sync with its doctrines% they have "een confined to a corner as if they were e'ponents of esoteric thought% or magicians whose aspirations were to develop secret powers. Any reader who has the patience to research this material%
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It is for this reason that I have counseled an Incremental Routine.

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s#imming through pages and pages of trivial theories and practices whose only goal is to confuse and mislead% will nonetheless find paragraphs of inimita"le charm. Their Prayers are very short% reduced sometimes to a single vowel or sylla"le. The main techni!ue is to choose a vowel and "egin repeating and vi"rating it in one$s feet and gradually "ringing it up to different parts of the "ody. The same process is repeated with another vowel and so on. 5f course% we can use our chosen %antra. The essence of their teaching is that any sound vi"ration% if repeated with an unfaltering concentration in the "ody% can reach its cells - 2the whole "ody will "e re1activated with new life and "e re"orn2. Among those who descri"ed this practice% I cannot avoid !uoting 9\re &9irra Alfassa)% disciple and spiritual successor of 6ri Auro"indo. I wrote some introductory lines a"out her uni!ue spiritual path in the first part of the "oo# &see Chapter *). Her !genda is a must read. 9any e'periences we find in it% "ringing us "ac# to the practice of the %antra $thought$ throughout the "ody. The !genda is an ama ing 2log2 of 9irra$s attempt to descend into her "ody to contact the 2Consciousness of the Cells2% crossing various layers of consciousness &thoughts% emotions% sensations.) It is interesting to note the invalua"le help she found in the practice of the %antra. &Her %antra was the splendid Prayer1 2)m Namo 2haga$ateh02) 6he said to 6atprem &her most famous disciple)L 26ri Auro"indo gave no %antraC he said that one should "e a"le to do all the wor# without having to resort to e'ternal means. Had he reached the point where we are now% he would have seen that the purely psychological method is inade!uate and that a *a a is necessary% "ecause only *a a has a direct action on the "ody. 6o I had to find the method all alone% to find my %antra "y myself. ,ut now that things are ready% I have done (; years of wor# in a few months.2 .al#ing "ac# and forth in her room% unremittingly concentrated on her "ody% she repeated her %antra for hours with endless devotion and total $$surrender$$. Each sylla"le was recharged with her laser1li#e will and aspiration. The luminous vi"ration of the Prayer easily made its way through her "ody and reach an une'plored territoryL 2... perfect% eternal% outside time% outside space% outside movement ... "eyond everything% in ... I don$t #now% in an ecstasy% a "eatitude% something ineffa"le.2 The e'perience she descri"es is li#e a "reath of the whole "ody that "ypasses the lungs. That su"lime state was the very 2consciousness of the "ody%2 implying that the cells had their own consciousness. The cells% according to her% act as doorsL opening on a totally new dimension of consciousness - the only one free from the la"yrinths of the mind. However% to reach this plane% she also had to cross a negative layer which% according to her e'planation% was the "ase of any disease and% apparently% of any casual incident% the origin of every feeling of desperation% deposited therein over thousands of years. 5nce e'perienced% she discovered that when she sat for meditation% as soon as she "egan the repetition of the %antra, there was an immediate response
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in the cells of her "odyL they all started vi"rating as 2sei ed with an intensity of aspiration2 and that vi"ration went on e'panding. It was li#e merging the totality of her "eing in the vaster manifestation of the Aivine inside matter. In many passages of %other?s !genda, 6atprem and 9\re discuss how the %antra calms the persons in surrounding areas "y creating an atmosphere of such an intensity that disharmonies cease to e'ist. /urthermoreL 2 %antra has a great actionL it can prevent an accident. It simply springs forth in a flash% all of a suddenL 2It has to spring up without thin#ing% without callingL it should issue forth from the "eing spontaneously% li#e a refle'% e'actly li#e a refle'.2 The %antra is also the sweetest of all thingsL 25n the days when I have no special preoccupations or difficulties &days I could call normal% when I am normal)% everything I do% all the movements of this "ody% all% all the words I utter% all the gestures I ma#e% are accompanied and upheld "y or lined% as it were% with this mantraL 59 JA95 ,HAEAWATEH ... 59 JA95 ,HAEAWATEH ... all% all the time% all the time% all the time.2 9\re was a"le to notice the difference "etween those who have a %antra and those who don$t. 2.ith those who have no %antra% even if they have a strong ha"it of meditation or concentration% something around them remains ha y and vague% whereas *a a imparts to those who practice it with a #ind of precision% a #ind of solidityL an armature. They "ecome galvani ed% as it were2. Jow% if we try to apply such a procedure 0ust for the pleasure of ma#ing an e'periment% we shall find it has an immediate effect upon our mood. To say it shortly% even a rainy day of Jovem"er will seem to evo#e the mood of the clearest days of 6pring. Jot only that% in the following days we shall e'perience something strange. The image of an anthill that$s "een distur"ed comes to mindL countless ants move at a frenetic pace. 6imilarly our environment appears to us as more agitated% at times aggressive toward us. It is as if everything &especially in the field of human relationships) is conspiring to put us in trou"le. .e are surprised that after a long a"sence some ac!uaintances return with demanding challenges that re!uire radical changes of attitude on our part. .e feel the duty of facing intricate% unsolved issues that in the past we cleverly succeeded in avoiding. ,eing utterly sincere with ourselves is the only chance we have to cope with all the new challenges. However% if we "ehave in such way% we shall "e stunned "y a very peculiar effect% li#e 2not having a s#in anymore.2 .e feel we are perceiving - not only through our awareness "ut% in a strange way% also through our "ody - what is passing in another person$s consciousness. This will not "e e'perienced as a telepathic phenomenon "ut as a type of su"tle deceptionL we actually e'perience a mood which is not our own% which has no reason to e'ist% "ut we e'perience it as if it originated and emerged from the intimate part of ourselves. The first reaction is to vainly search for reasons in order try to 0ustify it% to find plausi"le grounds for it. .hen% after a couple of days% it vanishes% only then we actually reali e that the strange mood came from another person$s consciousness. The reader might "e disappointed "y the fact that what I am writing
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evo#es the most "old of New !ge manias. It is only after listening to similar effects "y other researchers and on account of my commitment to total sincerity% that I have made up my mind to write a"out this particular e'perience. 8et me !uote a recurrent e'ample. It happens that all of a sudden% a deep depression ta#es hold of our mood &let us suppose we had previously never "een su"0ect to depression)% lasts several hours and then disappearsC it is not a simple dissonance% a disharmony% "ut an agoni ing pain in a moment in which there is no 0ustification for it. @nfailingly we reali e that a significant event had occurredL we had "een introduced to a new ac!uaintance% we had sha#en hands and tal#ed with a sincere involvement. It is well #nown how good our mind is when it comes to clutching at strawsC "ut when a similar episode is o"served with due detachment and% as the days and the months go "y% it repeats with mathematical precision% then the evidence of a phenomenon of tuning to another person$s consciousness% cannot "e denied. .hat one is and what others are% mi'es. It goes without saying that this phenomenon disappears as soon as we cease trying to $$in0ect$$ a %antra in our "ody. 9any times I wondered how it is possi"le that% "y guiding "reath and awareness into the cells of the "ody% we o"tain such an important result% which has such tangi"le effects on the material% emotive and psychological planes. To affirm that *a a in the "ody leads a person to perceive reality in a different way is perfectly accepta"le% "ut to assume that it ma#es things happen that would not otherwise happen &or that would have happened anyway% "ut in a different way) is !uite another thing. This hypothesis has all the appearance of a figment of our imagination. The principle of causality implies that the world ignores what happens inside our consciousness. How is it possi"le to 0ustify the affirmation that when we "ring our consciousness into the cells of our "ody% our action has an effect on the surrounding worldD Even after many similar episodes% you cannot #now whether this is simply an impression or a real fact. @p to now% this phenomenon has not "een completely descri"ed in the mystical literature. In order to try to e'plain it% it is necessary to ma#e two important premisesL the first one concerns the #not of the %uladhara% the second concerns the concept of the ,ollecti$e Unconscious and the Princi le of Synchronicity descri"ed "y C.E. :ung. Fi(st p(emise& @nfastening the #not of %uladhara constitutes the last phase of the spiritual path. As we have already discussed% the ,om lete form of (hokar is utili ed for that. Jow% a very attractive theory e'plains that the %uladhara #not e'ists not only in the coccy' region &"loc#ing the opening of Sushumna) "ut e'tends to each cell of our "ody &s#in% feet and legs in particular) as well. This secondary aspect of the %uladhara #not is lin#ed with the psychological dimension which ties all human "eings togetherL the vast ocean of the ,ollecti$e Unconscious. Hence the cells of our "ody are lin#ed with the deepest layer of our mind - vast as humanity itself. A complete action concerning %uladhara implies guiding awareness into
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your "ody. This is e'actly what the afore hinted mystics have done through their particular form of *a a. .hat we kriyabans discover is that "y vi"rating a %antra in the "ody &and not only in the so called $$spiritual centers$$ in the spine and "rain) we succeed in getting through the last "arrier of the mind &the ego separative consciousness) and the effects are totally une'pected. Se'on# p(emise& The ,ollecti$e Unconscious is not a poetic concept "ut a real widening of the sphere of our awareness. :ung introduced terminology which permits us to pro"e an aspect of the mystical path which would otherwise ris# "eing totally e'traneous% not only to our capa"ility of e'pression "ut also to our comprehension. I "elieve that :ung$s discoveries are precious for the understanding of the mystical path - perhaps more than many other concepts formulated during the =;th century. :ung discovered that the human psyche is made up of layers or strata% parts of it shared "y all humanity and called the ,ollecti$e Unconscious. Even though his statements never lac#ed the necessary prudence% the scientific community never forgave him for dealing with matters that were not considered a part of Psychiatry - such as Alchemy &deemed an a"surdity)% the realm of myths &considered the result of a senseless imagination) and% more than any other thing% the great value he attri"uted to the religious dimensionC which he considered something universal and fundamentally sane% instead of a pathology. Presently the enthusiasm for his writings remains% especially among those who study topics of a spiritual and esoteric nature. The contents of the ,ollecti$e Unconscious have never directly "een in our immediate conscious perception% and when an infinitesimal part of it "ursts forth into our psyche% we are momentarily dismayed. 6ince we have hinted at particular facts that in their manifestation seem to ignore the principle of cause1effect% it is important to remem"er that :ung put a rational "asis for the study of this su"0ect in his "oo# Synchronicity1 !n !causal ,onnecting Princi le. To e'plain with simple terms what this is all a"out% we say that in addition to causality - that which acts in a linear direction of progression of time and puts in connection two phenomena that happen in the same space at different times we hypothesi e the e'istence of a principle &a causal) that puts in connection two phenomena that happen at the same time "ut in different spaces. The #ey point to emphasi e is that they have a meaning% a certain sense that ties them together and it is this very meaning that arouses deep emotion in the o"server. Jow% if two events happen simultaneously "ut in different spaces% it is clear that causality &cause1effect chainL one has caused the other or vice versa) is impossi"le. There would "e nothing strange in these events of themselves% save one factL the o"server considers them as a meaningful coincidence - li#e a miracle% something that the universe wants to communicate to him. The o"server is intimately touched "y what is perceived as the mysterious dimension of life. An e'ample will help us to "etter understand this concept. A youth moves a plant in a vase% which falls% "rea#s into peaces and the young man loo#s at the wounded plant. He thin#s with intensity a"out the moment when his girlfriend
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gave the vase to him as a present. There is emotion and pain in him% the event is feared as an omen. At the same time his girlfriend &this will o"viously come to "e #now su"se!uently) is writing him a letter to leave him and therefore to "rea# their relationship. Here the characteristics of the *ungian Synchronicity are o"served. The two events happens simultaneously and are connected% concerning the meaning &a vase "rea#s and a relationship is "ro#en)% "ut one is not the cause of the other. .hen% later% our youth discovers the contemporaneity of the two events% he will "e stunned. This is not telepathy or clairvoyanceC in telepathy a cause could "e hypothesi ed% for e'ample the e'istence of cere"ral waves transmitted from one person to another. In this case% no cause e'ists whatsoever. :ung e'plains that in this situation we have only one event in a multi dimensional reality. The two events are actually only one event% merely seen from two different points of view.9 The last phase of the spiritual path% of every spiritual path% consists in dealing with the ,ollecti$e unconscious and with the continuous happening of %eaningful ,oincidences. This means to cross a swamp &the ,ollecti$e unconscious) without the protective hull &now we feel the pain and the negative feeling of all humanity) with which nature has endowed us. ,ut% maintaining our effort with untamed serenity% we will see the various layers of o"scurity melt and we will meet 2the a"ysses of truth and the oceans of smile that are "ehind the august pic#s of truth2 &6ri Auro"indo). This means we are in touch with the Aivine immanent in matter% a reality "eyond every e'pectation% every dream. Pure love and compassion for humanity is "orn from that. 8ahiri 9ahasaya saidL $$The whole universe is in the "odyC the whole universe is the final 6elf.$$ Jow we can understand what he meant "y such a wonderful statement3 There is a wonderful aspect to this processL all of our psychological pro"lems% especially those connected with negative moods tied with intricate and thwarted plans for the future% appear as a nightmare we have dissolved forever% an illusion out of which we have emerged definitively. The life which up until that point had "een full of asperities% now seems to stretch out evenly toward the future. The "eauty of living% li#e wine from a full cup% seems to overflow from every atom and fills the heart.
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In the esoteric literature we find the concept of Siddhis &powers). .e are very perple' a"out it. Those who write "oo#s on Yoga are not a"le to resist the temptation of copying some lines from Patan0ali$s Yoga Sutras. It$s typical to find the ridiculous warning of the danger coming from the a"use of the Siddhis. Yuoting Patan0ali &IWL()% they recount that Siddhis are the spiritual powers &psychic a"ilities) that may occur through rigorous austeritiesC they e'plain that they vary from relatively simple forms of clairvoyance% telepathy% to "eing a"le to levitate% to "e present at various places at once% to "ecome as small as an atom% to materiali e o"0ects and more. They recommend to their readers not to ever indulge in these powers since 2they are a great hindrance to spiritual progress2. Indulge 6 what a "eautiful word3 If you did see someone practicing Pranayama and $indulging$ in a little "ilocation for fun% could you tellD3 Perhaps they don$t thin# enough a"out what they are writing "ecause they let themselves "e seduced "y the dreams of possessing those powers. Perhaps they already visuali e all the fuss which will come with itL interviews% ta#ing part in tal# shows etc. However% here% I repeat with emphasis% we are discussing !uite another phenomenon3

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The difficult part of this process is that 0oining our consciousness with someone else$s means involving ourselves with their pro"lems. A lasting transformation in another$s state of consciousness happens only when the opacity in them is purged "it "y "it. This cannot "e achieved "y any way other than sharing part of their suffering - feat which might imply a momentary loss of our spiritual reali ation. Indeed it is a terri"ly cruel test% that only true love can 0ustify% and implies a momentary loss of our own spiritual reali ationC such tests must "e overcome. In the end% there is something infinitely "eautiful that a"sor"s you in a "lue1colored profundity where the pure s#ies are perceived as they had appeared to us during our infancy.
Jow the wasteland% now the silenceC A "lan# dar# wall% and "ehind it heaven. &Sri !urobindo, from1 ??*ourney?s &nd??)

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CHAPTER (= PRANAYA%A CITH INTERNAL BREATH

Perfection of Kriya Pranayama happens in two different ways. GII ,y "ecoming sta"le upon the i#e!) time o+ 11DD E 11DD% you arrive at the disappearance of the most important o"stacles e'isting along the Sushumna path and% conse!uently% in your life. GIII ,y perfecting the phase of eA !)!tion you arrive at filling with Prana &coming down from the Cosmic fountainhead through the %edulla) the cells of your "ody e'panding the #ingdom of your awareness of the physical "ody to the vaster "ody which is the life that surrounded us - touching with the awareness what is called the ,ollecti$e Unconscious. .e descri"e the two achievements separately. FIG BECO%ING STABLE UPON THE IDEAL TI%E OF 11DD E 11DD DURING KRIYA PRANAYA%A .hen we learn the techni!ue Kriya Pranayama we are taught a minimum of internal anatomy aiming at achieving a wor#ing visuali ation of the spine. 5ur first e'periences with Kriya Pranayama are accompanied "y a wonder that increases day "y day for the intrinsic "eauty of the techni!ue. 8ater% when we are taught to mentally chant )m in each ,hakra% the techni!ue remains 0ust the same simple and effective. The ,hakras are seen as steps of an ideal staircase leading to the dimension of the 6pirit. .e can easily visuali e its first five steps. 6ome uncertainty remains a"out how to visuali e the si'th and the seventh. 7et this visuali ed staircase is distant from actual reality. In time we come to the reali ation that "etween the three initials steps &the first three ,hakras) and the fourth &heart ,hakra) there is an enormous distance. Heart ,hakra is practically unreacha"le without an integral psycho1physical transformation. .e don$t even suspect it% "ut it can remain unreacha"le for too long. I "elieve that if we saw the situation as it really is we would get desperate. 5n the other end% for the few ones who are actually a"le to reach the fourth step% the fifth and the si'th are very nearL the goal of the spiritual path is at hand 8et us clearly state that% apart from "eautiful soothing sensations in the spine and glimpses of light in the eye"row center% with our Kriya Pranayama nothing meaningful and su"stantial happens% for a very long time. 5ur practice can "e called a general preparation and we are wisely invited to wait patiently for future developments.
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.e are taught that the space that separates the third from the fourth ,hakra% separates ! ana from Prana &! ana is under the third ,hakra% Prana is over the fourth.) 9i'ing them and guiding the new energy in Sushumna is our purpose% yet this internal alchemy is not easy to achieve. It is for this purpose that we are wor#ing upon the third ,hakra with Na$i Kriya and upon the fourth with the (hokar0 (hokar does not consist only in guiding the energy from the head to the heart "ut also in dragging the energy from a"domen upward to the heart. The secret of our spiritual reali ation lies in merging Prana with ! ana. They will unite one day. All the rest will "e a child$s play. Each further step will happen in a natural way. 5ur personality will change drasticallyL it will immediately e'hi"it appropriate "alance amongst all its functions. After a couple Kriya "reaths% our Prana will "e attracted% as from an irresisti"le magnet% inside the spine and our "ody would appear as dead. 5ur awareness% detached from ephemeral things% will rise to the most ineffa"le spheres of the mystical e'perience. .ell% "esides our commitment to a peerless practice of Na$i Kriya and (hokar we are going to add a very important procedure of uniting the two energies Prana and ! ana0 In this chapter we are going to ma#e an important improvement in our Kriya PranayamaL during the inhalation, the air entering the lungs will accompany the upward movement of ! ana only from the first to the third ,hakra7 then there will "e no air "ut only a pure e'ertion of awareness accompanying ! ana from the third to the fourth ,hakra and then to all the other ,hakras. ! ana will then gradually merge with Prana. This new #ind of inhalation will "e followed "y a tran!uil and very en0oya"le e'halation. Practice In Chapter > we have introduced the concepts ofL 2ahir Ke$ala Kumbhaka &"reathless state after e'halation% that is with empty lungs) and !ntar Ke$ala Kumbhaka &"reathless state after inhalation% that is with full lungs.) In the state of !ntar Ke$ala Kumbhaka% "reath ] Prana are located in the higher part of the lungs. Ri" cage is e'panded "ut this does not hamper a sensation of rela'ation and freedom from "ody consciousness. 8et us now e'plain how the constant attempt at achieving !ntar Ke$ala Kumbhaka &which happens during the !d$anced form of (hokar)% creates the a"ility of ma#ing our Kriya "reath last ==^== seconds. Chec# your Kriya Pranayama with a chronometer. Try to get a true measure of itC have different "reaths in order to measure the mean time. If the employed time is mar#edly less than 44$$ for each Kriya "reath% then very patiently "egin to practice Kriya Pranayama in the following wayL G(I Inhale slowly and deeply% raising the Prana from ,hakra ( to ,hakra *. This happens in a"out +$$.
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G=I Jow try to have a short "ut intense e'perience of what you have learned in Chapter > a"out reaching the state of !ntar Ke$ala Kumbhaka0 Hold your "reath% e'pand your ri" cage and "ring the awareness in %uladharaL "egin mentally chanting )m, )m, )m... rapidly% many times &a"out two chants of )m per second) clim"ing the innermost channel of the spine li#e an ant% millimeter after millimeter% reaching the heart ,hakra. Jow perceive the freedom from the "reath. G*I If your lungs are a"le to receive another minimal !uantity of air% utili e your physical "reath% otherwise utili e only awareness and intuition to complete the path of the energy lin#ed with Kriya inhalation. In a su"tle way% awareness and energy move from ,hakra 4 to ,hakra + in a"out +$$. It is o"vious that the throat sound e'ists &and is very su"tle) only if there is a flow of air through the nostrils. G4I Jow e'hale in the most tran!uil possi"le way. Aon$t care a"out the length of the e'halation. 6ummaryL Auring Kriya inhalation% while the energy moves from ,hakra ( to ,hakra * nothing in particular happens. .hen the energy is a"out moving from ,hakra * to ,hakra 4% there is a short pause of the inhalation0 The ri" cage is e'panded and rela'ed. The kriyaban$s awareness is split into twoL one part perceives and #eeps steady the e'pansion of the chest% the other part draws energy &which is ! ana) from %uladhara to the third ,hakra. .hen it reaches the third ,hakra% ! ana merges with Prana producing an ecstatic state. The "reathing process undergoes a transformation. The last part of inhalation is not made of air entering through the nose "ut is made of a pure movement of energy. The inhalation is thus completed in a subtle way. The process deepens "y itself since the ensuing e'halation drags the mi'ture of Prana and ! ana down% to the door of Sushumna0 The #ey ingredient of the process &the drawing up of ! ana current from %uladhara li#e an ant) "ecomes more an more natural until the pause necessary to enter the !ntar Ke$ala Kumbhaka state disappears. &ffects .hen you are first getting used to this delicate process you might feel some tension and dou"t you are progressing. 7ou might decide to a"andon this practice on the prete't that it is not fit for your physiology. Contrary to what one might thin#% the effects - spiritual revelations through intuitive discernment and temperamental transformations - can "e indeed epochal. Those who master this teaching are astonished at the effects on their psyche. This practice can help a kriyaban to face some important and decisive challenges that life "rings "efore them. 5ften kriyabans understand the necessity of run after something that seems impossi"le. They might nurture a passion for
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something that appears as an utopia% a thing which is a"surd to the common reasoning. .ell% the afore descri"ed practice can provide the energetic potential necessary to achieve that ideal. FIIG PERFECTING THE PHASE OF E$HALATION/ FILLING CITH PRANA THE CELLS OF THE BODY .hat I$m going to discuss now is not intended to "e studied and tested simultaneously with the previous point. It should "e practiced months later. It is really too hard wor#ing to refine "oth aspects at the same time. 7ou will tend to practice a"sent1mindlessly one of the two% imprinting indeli"ly on your mind a wrong way of conceiving its meaning and value. Therefore% don$t care now a"out the rhythm ==$$ ^ ==$$. :ust follow in a very rela'ed way the minimal direction we are going to give% and focus all your attention upon how e'halation happens. It is clear that% in the future% the two different instructions could "e practiced one after the other% "ut now let us not attempt to accomplish this. Practice I& EA !)in< S ee so*n# <*i#es ene(<- into t e bo#Auring inhalation% ma#e a loud sound and visuali e a powerful vi"ration departing from the se'ual one% a"sor"ing the energy there and "ringing it into the head. Auring e'halation create a strong pressure of the awareness on the whole "ody. Perceive that the downward flow of energy permeate all the parts of the "ody% muscles% internal organs% s#in% cells. ,reath after "reath% while maintaining a slow% deep rhythm of "reathing% try to increase the intensity of the sound of the e'haling air in the throat. The Sheee sound of e'halation helps to in0ect energy into the cells of your "ody as if it divided itself in a limitless num"er of micro hypodermic needle in0ecting energy and light in each cell. ,efore starting the e'halation strengthen the intention of finding &or opening) an internal way to reach the cells of your "ody. Jot one iota of vitality in the air should leave your noseC all the vitality should "e directed into the "ody. 8et "e inspired "y thin#ing that the Shee sound "e li#e 2the cry that "rea#s the hardest roc#2 - thus 6ri Auro"indo was referring to the power of 2ija %antra% the 2sacred sound of the Rishi2 - revealingL
...the treasure of heaven hidden in the secret cavern li#e the young of a "ird% within the infinite roc# &Rig63eda, I0BCD0C)

II& Con'ent(!tion on t e n!,e)/ )en<t enin< t e eA !)!tion At the "eginning of inhalation% e'pand the a"domen "y pushing out the navel which pushes down the diaphragm. 5n the contrary% during e'halation
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concentrate intensely on the navel as it moves toward the spine. 6ure% we have already learned doing this during "asic Kriya PranayamaL now it deals with intensifying at ma'imum this detail. /ocus your attention on the internal gathering of energy into the a"dominal region. This manifests as a peculiar ecstatic sensation that is perceived from the a"dominal region to the chest region. It comes spontaneous ma#ing e'halation last a lot more than inhalation. Rather% you have the impression that the e'halation "e lengthened indefinitely. The e'perience is similar to a Na$i Kriya diffused throughout the "ody. 5ften you will find yourself "ecoming cra y with 0oy% sometimes with the chin slightly lowered% directed toward the navel as if it were a magnet. The pleasura"le sensation "ecomes orgasmic. 5nly a faint signal of the need of o'ygen appeases its progressive growth. &5ccasionally% it is good to stop at this phase to en0oy this state% avoiding going ahead with point III.) III& F(!<mente# eA !)!tion At this point% only a frail shell separates you from the coveted state where all effort ceases. Wery useful to cross this veil% is the su"tly fragmented e'halation. Here we consider dividing our e'halation into a"out =;1*; fragments or even more. This is in itself a pleasura"le e'perience% especially when each fragment tends to "ecome microscopic. 5nly if this is really necessary you can ... 2cheat2 a little "it% provided it is done with a good measure of delicacy. 2To cheat2 means to interrupt the e'halation% when necessary% inhale "riefly and then ta#e "ac# the e'halation and the downward movement of the energy. &To "e a"le to do this without distur"ing the delicacy of the phenomenon is an art.) IV& T e eApe(ien'e o+ t e Inte(n!) B(e!t in< The process of Kriya Pranayama is leading us toward something stunningly newL a rotation of energy independent from the act of "reathing. The e'halation seems to "ecome endless and the fragments of "reath seem to have practically dissolved3 There is also a faint "ut clear component of rising energy in the spine. 7ou feel you could lengthen this process infinitely% without ever e'hausting its marvel. 7ou have crossed a "arrier and reached a seemingly "reathless state where there is no air coming out your nose &this cannot "e affirmed with scientific certainty.) There is an inner source of fresh energy ma#ing you lighter and filling you with strength. The sensation is reminiscent of a "ris# wal# in the wind. This can not merely "e called a 0oyous stateL it is a feeling of infinite safety surrounded "y a crystalline state of an immo"ile mind. @sually% this e'perience is enriched "y hearing a loud and continuous )m0 This comforting sound is the confirmation that you are heading in the right direction.
In the initial phases of mastering this practice it is "etter to avoid any form of Kechari %udraL it might sometimes give the parado'ical impression of hindering your efforts. The reason is that it isolates you from your surrounding environment. Auring this practice% it is essential that your sensi"ility "e in tune with all that is around. (9+

A great source of inspiration &specific for this practice) is meditating outdoors with the eyes open and with the adamant% steadfast will of "ecoming one with a mountain% a la#e% or a tree in front of us. A strange phenomenon% that however does not contradict what we have said% is that sometimes the "est e'periences happen under conditions unfavora"le to one$s concentration% for e'ampleL practicing in a waiting room while pretending to read a maga ineC practicing while traveling "y train% loo#ing out of the window% giving the impression of "eing a"sor"ed in one$s thoughts... 5n such occasions% the 0oy "ecomes so great that it$s difficult to hold "ac# tears.

!bout the e' erience of internal breathing The e'perience of internal "reathing is a peculiar phenomenon of circulation of energy in the "ody and it is not what a "eginner kriyaban e'periences. The "reath is a"sent% yet one perceives the circulation of the energy% an $$internal "reath.$$ .e have all the reasons to "elieve that this is the same e'perience called in Taoist internal alchemy %acrocosmic )rbit. There are also good reasons to hold that this is the same e'perience to which P.7. referredL 2...the current will then automatically move "y itself and the 0oy e'perienced will "e indescri"a"le.2 It may "e also the e'perience that 8ahiri 9ahasaya refers in his diaries when% a couple of years after his initiation in the Himalayas% wroteL 2/ollowing an e'cellent Pranayama% the "reath is wholly internally oriented. After a long period% today &the purpose of ) my descent &on earth) has "een fulfilled32 Even if we don$t reali e the alchemical %acrocosmic )rbit% the simple fact adding awareness to the e'halation phase of our Kriya "reath has surprising effects. It ma#es you feel the "eauty of living as if you had vainly hoped for years on end that the Aivine would "e part of your daily life% without ever seeing any result% and suddenly you discover that the Aivine had always "een there.
Heaven$s fire is lit in the "reast of the earth and the undying suns here "urn. &Sri !urobindo, ??! 4od?s labor??)

The sense of "eauty and satisfaction is great% as if an impressionist painter had finally succeeded in actuali ing their visionary conception conveying the idea that the painted inert su"stance of matter is composed of multicolored particles of light% li#e innumera"le suns radiating in a "rilliant transparency. There are also effects that we cannot even imagine. I$m referring to touching the psychological dimension that ties together all the human "eingsL the vast ocean of the ,ollecti$e Unconscious. The first percepti"le effect is generating Synchronicity henomenons also calledL $$%eaningful ,oincidences0?$ In chapter (( we have dealt with the theme of the mystics that thin# a Prayer in their "ody targeting their will to o"tain an unlimited internal pressure of their awareness over the whole "ody% either "y concentrating on it as a whole or following an orderly scheme of 2con!uering2 each part of it. .ell% the effects
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of the a"ove descri"ed way of e'haling during Kriya Pranayama is e'actly the same% rather more intense. %eaning of the e' erience of Internal 2reath Each authentic spiritual path has an $$ascending$$ and a $$descending$$ phase. The $$ascending$$ phase is what is commonly intended with mystic path and that we have discussed in the "oo# up to this point e'cept the procedure of utili ing the vi"rational power of a %antra to let the Aivine /orce descend into our "ody filling it with awarenessC e'cept Kriya Pranayama with internal breath contemplating the same phenomenon "ut in a more intense and direct way. Each kriyaban and each follower of any authentic spiritual path has% sooner or later% to e'perience fully the $$descent$$ phase. .hat happens then% is a very strange phenomenonL a single person$s spiritual reali ation is a"le to create an effect upon the surrounding reality. The action of the $$descent$$ process is that of rousing &in those who are around "ut are in tune with the practitioner) the force that is driving ahead man$s spiritual evolution. The $$light$$ of the 6pirit descends to "righten up the clouded mental planes of those who are ready to receive it% even if they are momentarily in deep illusion. It is very strange indeed% to see how the destiny of a man is lin#ed with those who are aroundC however% if we attentively consider the matter from a philosophical point of view% it cannot "e otherwise. A full unfastening of the %uladhara #not cannot happen otherwise. 9any kriyabans have the intention of living peacefully% always attuned to the higher ,hakras% considering any other related1with1"ody1and1matter e'perience as an illusion. This is very common especially among those who love New !ge thought. 8ater they understand "y the same intuition #indled "y the constant practice of meditation that the only way toward Cosmic Consciousness is to love man#ind as our greater 6elf. .hen this happens% the $$descent$$ phase "egins. To many mystics the descent e'perience did not result in states of peaceful e'pansion of awareness. ,eing suddenly overta#en "y this e'perience without the necessary protection &cultivating every day a strong awareness of the cells of the "ody) the ensuing e'perience resulted in what could have "een called a $$descent into hell.$$ They suffered from very negative moods and face also physical suffering. The pro"lem is that they went out of themselves and identified with the physical and mental condition of the people they loved. 6ome accepted this condition and went on heroically with the conviction of e'piating in their own flesh what they consider the effect of the sins of man#ind. In some occasions they suffered to the point of #nowing the "lac#est desperation. 6t. :ohn of the Cross calls that stateL 2The dar# night of the soul.2 9ystics feel as if Eod had suddenly a"andoned themC they dou"t the validity of their spiritual path. Although their conscience continually surrenders to Eod% they #eep on "elieving to "e sinners% without any possi"ility of salvation. In a lengthy and profound a"sence of light and hope% even if they have the drive to go ahead with outward
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e'pressions of faith% they reach the stage where they dou"t the e'istence of Eod. The conse!uence is the feeling of "eing irremedia"ly impure% lost for eternity. In my opinion% this e'perience &dar# night of the soul) could "e mitigated or even s#ipped if mystic learned to guide their Aivine Reali ation into the cells of their "ody. There is a sentence attri"uted to the mythical 2abaji &!uoting ,hagavad Eita)L 2&$en a little bit of the ractice of this +inward- religion will sa$e you from dire fears and colossal sufferings.2 In my opinion dire $$fears and colossal sufferings$$ deriving from the contact with the !uagmires of Collective @nconscious. The perfection of Pranayama &achievement of Pranayama with internal breath) is the perfect tool% is the 0ewel which is going to spare us from many dangers and suffering. 6ummari ingL The first phase of unfastening the %uladhara #not is enter in SushumnaC then follows to cover the mystical ladder of the ,hakras% up to perceive clearly the spiritual eye. All this produces a heaven of ecstatic states. ,ut entering the spiritual eye% entering totally and permanently only to a conditionL after finding the 6piritual 8ight and Cosmic 6ound in the higher centers of the "rain% it is necessary to guide this 8ight into the lower ,hakras and into the "ody. 8ater one intuitively learns how to infuse it into what surrender us. ,y studying the "iographies of the mystics% it appears evident that the e'perience of cooperation with the collective evolution is not an optional% is not a choice that you can avoid. It "egins at the most appropriate moment namely when the awareness #noc#s at the doors of Kutastha0 It happens "y virtue of a universal law and its first manifestation is a "urning love for man#ind. As we have already clarified the $$descent$$ path does not consists in sending $$good vi"rations$$ and other pious intentions. The most effective - and at the same time safest - way to proceed isL continuously filling the "ody with awareness. .e ma#e a specific act using of course the power of visuali ation. The Aivine /orce descend into our "ody% spread in each cell and spill over to the e'ternal reality. ,y wor#ing in this way we can cross unharmed the thic# wall of collective opacity. The descent process is fascinating. 6ure% the encounter with a certain degree of suffering is unavoida"le. It is a "asically sound healthy at the point that resolves any our prison made of psychological pro"lems. This is almost always the first fact that you notice. The psychological pro"lems dissolve immediately% indeed you reali e% with a sens of relief% they were a complete illusion. This descent% we said% has difficult moments. 8ahiri himself suffered. I am reminded of the famous episode when one day he $$drowned$$ in the "ody of people who were shipwrec#ed in a far away sea. 8ahiri 9ahasaya did not as# that e'perience% had not endeavored to attract it. It happened suddenlyC he
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accepted fully it and we don$t #now% "ut we can guess% what supreme solace he was a"le to "ring to those poor souls. I consider also how 6t. Pio of Pietrelcina &Padre Pio) had many times all the pains of death "y "eing metaphysically near some wounded soldiers who were dying far away from home on the field of "attle. Even if it is a painful process% it is always "etter practice the descent as a matter of will and choice than wait the life itself e'ert upon us various sharp downward tugs. Those tugs are an unwelcome e'perience to force us to focus on the "ody. 9uch more "etter to a"andon the o"session of utili ing Kriya only as a means for o"taining the Samadhi state% shunning the idea of wor#ing for the spiritual evolution of man#ind. 8et our Kriya path "e complete. 9any% with the emergence of spiritual maturity% appreciate the theoretical possi"ility for the $$spiritual$$ man to infuse the Aivine into man#ind% into all the living things% into matter. ,ut then they decide that this is only a romantic ideal. In the last part of their life% some kriyabans are lost in con0ectures on impro"a"le levels of Kriya "eyond those we already #now% claiming that 2abaji will introduce us to these levels in the astral worlds. That seems to me a parody of the esoteric and theosophic thought. 5n the contrary we learn that the last levels of Kriya are not achieved in the "eyond "ut here on earth% facing% when the right moment comes% a perilous contact with the Collective @nconscious% uniting our spiritual reali ation with the ignorance and opacity contained in all human minds. 8ahiri ,a"a and saints are a mirror for all kriyabans. .hat happened in their "ody will one day happen in our "ody. Perhaps we may thin# that we are not ready for following 8ahiri 9ahasaya$s e'ample% "ut even if we have not his wisdom and neither the inner 26un2 of persons li#e The 9other% we can at least patiently turn our heart toward this new dimension of the spiritual path. If we constantly and ine'ora"ly e'clude any difficult achievement from our dreams and goals% our spiritual venture ris#s falling apart. .hat we can do now is therefore to strive to perfect our Kriya Pranayama endlessly and any future e'perience of e'pansion of awareness will happen in the most favora"le modality for our spiritual evolution. .e cannot live with a mind lost in illusion and a heart fictitiously open to universal love "ut in reality hard and resistant li#e a stone. In this situation our achievement instead of a state of enlightenment ris#s to resem"le a chronic state of drowsiness.
6ee#ing heaven$s rest or the spirit$s wordless peace% 5r in "odies motionless li#e statues% fi'ed In tranced cessations of their sleepless thought 6at sleeping souls% and this too was a dream. &Sri !urobindo, Sa$itri7 2ook E 6 ,anto I3)I

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Appen#iA 0 H Abo*t p(em!t*(e K*n#!)ini !=!.enin< .hile "rowsing through the .e" pages dealing with Kriya Yoga or Yoga in general% you will find some pages warning against the dangers of 2premature awa#ening of Kundalini2. The list of the pro"lems that the allegedly premature awa#ening would cause is limitless. There are also a few we" sites that warn against any form of meditation% hinting at the possi"ility of a "rea# with reality with unusual or e'treme strengthening of emotions% in particular agitation and an'iety% long1term disorientation where one has "ecome una"le to focus long enough to wor#. Kundalini is 6ans#rit for 2coiled2. It is conceived as a particular energy coiled li#e a serpent in the root ,hakra &%uladhara). The representation of "eing coiled li#e a spring conveys the idea of untapped potential energy having its seat at the "ase of the spine. 6ome authors foster the idea that this great concentration of energy has its seat in our entire "ody% not only at the "ase of the spine. It sleeps in our "ody% underneath the layers of our consciousness% waiting to "e aroused "y spiritual discipline. In Kundalini Yoga a see#er aspires to harness this tremendous power through specific techni!ues &particular "reathing patterns% 2andhas, %udras, 2ija %antra...) and guide its rising from the %uladhara up through the Sushumna% activating each ,hakra. It is e'plained that when Kundalini arrives at the crown Cha#ra &Sahasrara)% it "estows infinite "liss% mystical illumination etc. The concept of Kundalini is very useful since it can "e utili ed to e'press what generally happens in any authentic spiritual pah. The concept of Samadhi &or religious ecstasy) is very a#in to 2 Kundalini awa#ening2. It may manifest as a series of "liss waves rising through the spine and entering the "rain. The e'perience usually lasts from few instants to a couple of minutes. It is li#e having a volcano erupting inside% a $$roc#et$$ shooting up through the spine3 5ther times% it may appear li#e an intense "liss in the chest region - suddenly you are inside an immense 0oy and wa#e up with tears in your eyes. 6ometimes an electric wind on the surface of the "ody% propagating from feet up to head% announces the e'perience. The deepest e'perience is when the point &2indu) in the center of Kutastha e'pands into a tunnel. The awareness is pulled through it. It is li#e "urning with endless 0oy for several seconds - you are filled with the euphoria o"tained "y this short "ut unforgetta"le plunge into Eternity. 6ome were so elated "y their e'perience that wrote a"out it. I remem"er an article in a speciali ed maga ine in which the woman who had the e'perience attri"uted the event to an imaginary individual who% purportedly% granted her every intimate detail. 7ou understand that it is the lady herself to write since it is highly impro"a"le that another person had communicated her such profusion of details of the event. Her alleged act of humility was annihilated "y the title she
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gave to her articleL $$/orerunners of a new race23 6he gave the impression of not having understood the teaching contained in the e'perience. In her description% Kundalini awa#ening happened in her "ody as a privilege "estowed to a person "y divine intervention. .e #now instead that this event is very common to those who open for the first time a spiritual "oo# li#e a 6aint "iography. The e'perience comes "efore any practice is doneC it may spring from the vi"ratory shoc# produced "y the same idea of the overwhelming power of the mystical path capa"le of sweeping away all man$s certitudes. ,ut let us come "ac# to the main tal#% the alleged dangers coming from an hypothetical Kundalini awa#ening. .e read also thatL 2 Through practicing Kundalini Yoga% an aspirant can develop occult% psychic powers. These powers can "e used for constructive or destructive purposes% "ut !uite often they are misused. /or e'ample the a"ility to read someone else$s mind can create pro"lems and is li#ely to "e ... resented "y those who it is used on.2 This is comic3 .hen we find such amenities we wonderL 2who on earth has written such nonsense and with what purpose2D @nfortunately there is a tendency in the .e" to duplicate pages from site to site without changing a comma. If one ma#es up that a yogi died of spontaneous com"ustion during the practice of Pranayama% he can verify that% after a couple of months% this story will appear on some we" sites. 5ther things instead% ma#e one feel very sad. I read that Yogis, sooner or later% are inclined to fall into sorcery and "lac# magic "ecause they evo#e% unaware% negative entities. The author claimed thatL 2.hen you repeat that 9antra )m, )m... you are actually invo#ing a demon spirit to come and possess your mind. He added his testimonyL 2Auring a meditation session "egan to levitate. Ever since that second I haven$t slept as a human% I lost my sleep3 .henever I closed my eyes% I saw the flames of Hell% I didn$t dear to close my eyes% I couldn$t3 I "ecame a psychiatric case% and =+ times I$ve "een hospitali ed.2 I had a hard time meeting people who claimed that Kriya was responsi"le of all their psychological &perhaps they meant psychiatric) pro"lems and of some physical trou"les too. Hence% I should "elieve that "y "reathing fresh air% focusing the mind on the spine and on particular centers in the head while mentally chanting a %antra &in e'treme synthesis Kriya Yoga can "e reduce to this) they had developed all #inds of mental and physical ailments. /rom a "enediction as it seemed at the very "eginning% Kriya turned out to "e a curse% a misfortune. They referred contemptuously the same techni!ues that I had e'perimented so many times% with so much love% drawing the purest delight. .hen I heard all this% my reaction wasL $$How% with what attitude% with what e'pectation% did these persons approached Kriya YogaD Kriya cannot "e responsi"le of all this. Impossi"le3 They say Kriya will ma#e me cra y ... well% if I must go cra y% I prefer to go cra y "ecause of Kriya, instead "ecause of living a materialistic life% where the spiritual dimension has no place. If the germs of madness are inside me% they will come into "loom "oth if I practice Kriya and if
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I do not practice it. 7et% considering the glorious moments e'perienced% I will wal# the Kriya path without an ounce of fear% had I to "urn in it.2 This was my way of thin#ing and of dismissing the topic. Jow% I #eep on with the usual enthusiasm "ut I am prudent when I tal# a"out Kriya to other people especially if I perceive them as having specific pro"lems of mental or emotional loss of "alance. As for the patent e'aggerations and a"surd accusations a"out alleged dangers from Yoga in general or specifically from Kundalini Yoga or Kriya Yoga% I cannot a"stain from a strong suspicion that such charges come from persons who had for a long time some forms of deviant "ehaviors% such spiritism or magic and drug a"use. ! short remark u on drug use and mental disturbances Personally% I$ve always "een ta#en a"ac# when some people "lamed their Kriya practice &even the most simple preliminary practices)% for damaging their psyche "ut said nothing a"out different drugs they have ta#en for years3 Here is a typical e'ample. A friend that recently has shared our interest for meditation tells us that after practicing some simple techni!ues of meditation &something very mild li#e awareness of the "reath or concentration on the ,hakras) has lost his mental e!uili"rium and has e'perienced the most intense attac#s of anguish and terror. He ma#es a "ig fuss a"out it% posting on Yoga forums% stigmati ing with ungrateful words "oth our early incitement to practice and our later reassurances when his uneasiness "egan to manifest. Instead of feeling angry with him% we react calmly and start reasoning why he went to India each year% for a long series of years% without ever showing interest for Yoga or for the Indian spirituality. To get different types of drugs at a low price and consume them o"viously3 .e are adamant a"out that. 8ater "y other common friends we come to #now that he too# not only opiates "ut also acids% any #ind of amphetamines and &emulous of Carlos Castaneda) didn$t disdain the use of psychotropic plants. At this point% we need to stop trying to get him to reason upon how a"surd is to "elieve that some simple yogic e'ercises have caused his unhappy mental situation. It is o"vious that he wants to e'orci e the rather frightening thought of having seriously damaged his "rain thorough drugs a"use and of "eing in a condition of permanent% fatal psychic disorder. The very idea that his past unwary choices can reasona"ly "e put in causal relation with his present mental disorder is removed. It falls to our lot to do nothing else than listening to him without reacting while he puts all the "lame on Yoga for all his trou"les and tragedies. 5h% if only we had a magic mirror in which our friend could see a synthesis of his past years and reali e how inconsiderate and cruel he had "een toward his "ody and therefore toward his cere"rospinal system3

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(he e' erience of 4o i Krishna To those who practice the classical Pranayama &especially with 2andhas and with long pauses of holding the "reath) the e'perience of a rising energy through the spine happens and they can have an e'perience of panic. @sually% this irrational fear disappears within a couple of days. Through intense concentration on Sahasrara only% Eopi Frishna got into trou"le. His life was "oth "lessed "y ecstatic "liss and tormented "y physical and mental discomfort. In (9+> he wrote his e'cellent testimony in Kundalini1 (he &$olutionary &nergy in %an Gcurrently availa"le under the title 8iving .ith KundaliniI. His "oo# is of great inspirationL it gives a clear and concise auto"iographic account of the phenomenon of the awa#ening of Kundalini. He e'perienced this $$awa#ening$$ in (9*> although he had not a spiritual teacher and was not initiated into any spiritual lineage. He practiced concentration for a num"er of years. His main techni!ue consisted in visuali ing 2an imaginary 8otus in full "loom% radiating light2 at the crown of the head. As he sat meditating - e'actly as he had for the three hours "efore dawn each day for seventeen years - he "ecame aware of a powerful% pleasura"le sensation at the "ase of his spine. He continued to meditateC the sensation "egan to spread and e'tend upwards. It continued to e'pand until he heard% !uite without warning% a roar li#e that of a waterfall and felt a stream of li!uid light enter his "rain.
26uddenly% with a roar li#e that of a waterfall% I felt a stream of li!uid light entering my "rain through the spinal cord. Entirely unprepared for such a development% I was completely ta#en "y surpriseC "ut regaining self1control instantaneously% I remained sitting in the same posture% #eeping my mind on the point of concentration. The illumination grew "righter and "righter% the roaring louder% I e'perienced a roc#ing sensation and then felt myself slipping out of my "ody% entirely enveloped in a halo of light.2 &Eopi Frishna :i$ing 9ith Kundalini).

This e'perience changed radically the scheme of his life. He e'perienced a continuous 2luminous glow2 around his head and "egan having a variety of psychological and physiological pro"lems. At times he thought he was going mad. He adopted a very strict diet and for years refused to do any other concentration e'ercise.
2The #een desire to sit and meditate% which had always "een present during the preceding days% disappeared suddenly and was replaced "y a feeling of horror of the supernatural. I wanted to fly from even the thought of it. At the same time I felt a sudden distaste for wor# and conversation% with the inevita"le result that "eing left with nothing to #eep myself engaged% time hung heavily on me% adding to the already distraught condition of my mind. G...I Each morning heralded for me a new #ind of terror% a fresh complication in the already disordered system% a deeper fit of melancholy or more irrita"le condition of the mind which I had to restrain% to prevent it from completely overwhelming me% =;4

"y #eeping myself alert% usually after a completely sleepless nightC and after withstanding patiently the tortures of the day% I had to prepare myself for even worse torment of the night. 2

8et us consider now how he emerged from this negative e'perience into a wonderful state of awa#ening that "lessed him to the end of his life. He discovered that the esoteric teachings contained a num"er of practices that might help him to "ring the energy "ac# into "alance. His main cure reminds a lot the practice of Kriya Pranayama.
2.... a fearful idea struc# me. Could it "e that I had aroused Kundalini through ingala or the solar nerve which regulates the flow of heat in the "ody and is located on the right side of Sushumna?8 If so% I was doomed% I thought desperately and as if "y divine dispensation the idea flashed across my "rain to ma#e a last1minute attempt to rouse Ida, or the lunar nerve on the left side% to activity% thus neutrali ing the dreadful "urning effect of the devouring fire within. .ith my mind reeling and senses deadened with pain% "ut with all the will1power left at my command% I "rought my attention to "ear on the left side of the seat of Kundalini% and tried to force an imaginary cold current upward through the middle of the spinal cord. In that e'traordinarily e'tended% agoni ed% and e'hausted state of consciousness% I distinctly felt the location of the nerve and strained hard mentally to divert its flow into the central channel. Then% as if waiting for the destined moment% a miracle happened. There was a sound li#e a nerve thread snapping and instantaneously a silvery strea# passed ig ag through the spinal cord% e'actly li#e the sinuous movement of a white serpent in rapid flight% pouring an effulgent% cascading shower of "rilliant vital energy into my "rain% filling my head with a "lissful lustre in place of the flame that had "een tormenting me for the last three hours. Completely ta#en "y surprise at this sudden transformation of the fiery current% darting across the entire networ# of my nerves only a moment "efore% and over0oyed at the cessation of pain% I remained a"solutely !uiet and motionless for some time% tasting the "liss of relief with a mind flooded with emotion% una"le to "elieve I was really free of the horror. Tortured and e'hausted almost to the point of collapse "y the agony I had suffered during the terri"le interval. I immediately fell asleep% "athed in light and for the first time after wee#s of anguish felt the sweet em"race of restful sleep.2

/rom then onwards% Eopi Frishna "elieved that this e'perience originated a process in which his whole nervous system would "e slowly reorgani ed and transformedL he tried to write a"out the mystical e'perience and the evolution of consciousness from a scientific point of view. He theori ed that there e'isted a "iological mechanism in the human "ody% #nown from ancient times in India as Kundalini% which was responsi"le for creativity% genius% psychic a"ility% religious and mystical e'perience. In his opinion% Kundalini was the true cause of evolution. Jow% we notice thatL a. He did e'actly what in Kriya you are as#ed not to do &e'clusive concentration
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upon Sahasrara ,hakra.) ". He saved himself "y doing e'actly what in Kriya you are as#ed to do &raising a cold current through the spine.) In Kriya we learn that a routine which is totally "ased on a strong concentration on the Sahasrara is not appropriate for "eginner or medium level students. The concentration on Sahasrara should "e prepared "y a long concentration on the point "etween the eye"rows or at %edulla or at that point which is called 2indu &see chapter +). This preparation should last years not months. ,uilding a strong magnet in Sahasrara is the most powerful way to stimulate the rising of Kundalini. 7ou might e'perience moments of panic or in which you feel unrelated with the reality. Then% let us reflect upon to the modality through which Eopi Frishna started a process of recovery. Convinced he had aroused Kundalini through Pingala% he made a last desperate attempt to "ring in activity Ida% thus neutrali ing the internal fire that was devouring him. He tried to create a cold current coming up toward the "rain within the central channel of the spine. This action% patiently repeated% helped him out of his predicament.
Jote Another interesting testimony a"out Fundalini awa#ening is that of ,. 6. Eoel$s &(9*<1 (99?) descri"ed in hisL Psycho6!nalysis and %editation0 He was a very rare individual. His e'perience of Kundalini awa#ening happened when he was =? and was !uite dramatic. Kundalini got awa#ened on its own. Auring this long process% his friends thought he was 2losing his mind2. He went up and down India loo#ing for someone who could e'plain what was happening to him. He found many people that had theories. However they did not #now. His uni!ueness lies in his e'perience of classical psychoanalysis along with meditation% which he advocated. .hen he was *<% his 4uru appeared in his dream% and told him that Psycho1analysis and 9ar'ism% "oth of which he had em"raced% were false ways to happiness. He told him the only path to inner peace and 0oy was through Eod. In (9?=% he opened an ashram in the Himalayas to help and guide other aspirants who had Kundalini e'periences. .hat is interesting for us is that Ar. Eoel tal#s a"out the different degrees of suffering he went through as his ego was destroyed and re"uild. He was the first% apart late 6wami 6atyananda 6araswati who studied the role of 2indu point% in the occipital region. He e'plained that 2when the consciousness marches toward 2indu &which he calls 2rahma6randhra) the ego1formations will get e'posed "efore the consciousness in free1associations% in free writings% in dreams% and a"ove all% in meditation itself. In the last part of the "oo#% while discussing 2signals toward the final goal2% among a lot of signals he had the courage to !uote one in particular whom is not usually treated in "oo# "ut in those "oo# who want of mimic all the gurudom matter. He !uotes 2the great desire for "eing pierced and penetrated.2 A"out 2pierced2% he e'emplifies it with the 2desire of putting a nail at the mid1point "etween the two eye"rows. A"out 2penetrated2% he clarifies that the desire of penetration at 2indu may% out of ego1 ignorance 2turn into the desire of passive anal1penetration.2 He clarifies that an ordinary se'ual act cannot satisfy the person who need really penetrated at the 2indu to get final spiritual "liss. He adds thatL 2as long as he does not reach that stage% he may often indulge in compulsive homo1se'uality. It is very pro"a"le that many saints of all ages might have remained great homose'uals if they had stopped their spiritual effort in their =;+

pre1sainthood period.2

Kundalini awakening and Kriya Yoga .hen Kundalini e'perience happens as a result of Kriya practice% you won$t feel disoriented. If not refused or repressed% the repetition of such e'perience gives you an unsha#a"le certainty of the value of Kriya techni!ues. However you must understand and accept one thingL you are li#e one who% dead in appearance% had visited the afterword and then had returned to wal# again amongst human "eings. It is clear that no one understands you. Therefore #eep silent and try to improve your practice of Kriya. After having e'perienced Kundalini awa#ening% some settle in a lethargic situation in which they are perfectly satisfied in esta"lishing an agreea"le atmosphere in their life. And this happens mainly "ecause they rationali e they have received enlightenment and thus no further effort is re!uired. Aon$t deceive yourselfL your Ego is intact% it hasn$t turned into a 2divine Ego2. The path to "ecome an Emancipated 6oul% "egins now and there is no step that can "e disregarded. Avoid going to 2traveling gurus2 to tell what has happened to you. They have no time to ta#e care of anyone. They repeat hastily some general guidance and go away. They may even don$t recogni e the authenticity of the e'perience. Their lac# of spiritual reali ation is% in some cases% really remar#a"le. 7ou have the means to "e your own !charya. 8et us consider what might "e a simple criterion to 0udge the e'cellence of your routine. It should not "e the amount of pleasure received while practicing a Kriya techni!ue. Eoing ahead see#ing pleasura"le sensations during meditation means to put your ego as the compass needle of your spiritual 0ourney. Tuning with the )mkar reality during the practiceC achieving the "reathless state when the routine is on the verge of endingC a sense of perfect fulfillment after Kriya, "eing moved to tears when you are alone and loo# at a mountain or at whatever "eautiful corner of your surrounding landscape ... the coe'istence of all these signs is surely a more relia"le criterion. 7ou must "e a"le to see the Aivine in everything% to find 0oy in everythingL wor#% free time% family% friends% contemplation of nature% art ... 6ometimes it is difficult to "e always attuned to an internal authentic feeling of fulfillment ... "ut you must study your routine% refine it continuously until this happens. Jever rela' your guard and never stop using the common sense. 9editation rela'es the mistrustful side of your personalityC you will tend to disregard your inner wisdom. I could "ring many e'amples "ut I want to consider here the teachings that tend to poison you against the world% that alienate you from the society you are in. They try to amputate your individuality and your desiresC they try to cut you from everything interesting and thrilling in life. Ao not impose chastity to yourself "elieving you must "ehave li#e a saint. 6ome rational and intelligent kriyabans "elieve impossi"le things. They state
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authentic nonsenses and live e'cruciating conflicts getting to the refusal of love. 8ahiri 9ahasaya admitted in his diary that at times his se'ual desire was really strong. 5ne day a disciple put him a direct !uestionL 2How can one "e definitively free from se'ualityD2 He replied in a way that let struc# dum" the discipleL 2I will "e free from se'uality only when my "ody will lie on the funeral pyre.2 Eod "less his sincerity3 &I #new a kriyaban who was so "ound to his illusions that he too# the aforementioned episode as a sign that ... 8ahiri 9ahasaya was not spiritually reali ed3 ) 6ometimes the e'perience of a su"stantial and spontaneous rising of energy through the spine happens. Although "eing "lissful in itself% you could react with a feeling of uneasiness and undefined fear. @sually this fear &which can turn into real anguish or panic) is a"sor"ed in a short time% without pro"lems. 6ometimes% you might feel "eing wal#ing in e!uili"rium on a rope "etween mental health and alienation. This phenomenon has happened to almost all mystics. There is nothing to fear3 However it is always wise you have a sheet anchor at disposal here you can find the two urgent actions to "e done. I. %ula 2andha &(;?) 6it !uietly and practice slowly% "ut intensely% (;? %ula 2andha. Contract all the muscles at the "ase of the spine% maintain the contraction for a couple of seconds and rela'. Repeat. /orget the "reath% try to attune to calmness in the point "etween the eye"rows. Aon$t "e in a hurryL each hold and rela' should last at least four seconds. 7ou can have more than one session in order to complete (;? repetitions. ,eside this% try to have plenty of physical activity. II. ,reate a cool sensation inside the s ine utili@ing your breath &This is e'actly what Eopi Frishna did to get out of his awful situation.) .hen the pro"lem persists% sit with erected spine and concentrate all your mental strength in the point "etween the eye"rows. @se all your imagination to raise a fresh current up the spine. This can "e done "y inhaling through the mouth while #eeping the tongue in the position of Sitali Pranayama or through the left nostril - having closed somehow the right nostril. To practice Sitali% raise the "orders of the tongue to form a 2@2 e let it protrude "eyond the lips. Inhale deeply through tongue and mouth. E'hale through the nose. /eel a fresh sensation in the mouth% transfer it in the spine. Repeat this for a couple of minutes until you feel something changing. "urther recommendations (. 2e always rudent while holding your breath ,e always cautious with Kumbhaka &holding your "reath). The famous author :.F. Taimni in his (he science of Yoga &The theosophical pu"lishing house Adyar% Chennai% India _ .heaton% Il% @6A) writesL

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2Kumbhaka affects the flow of pranic currents in a very mar#ed and fundamental manner and ena"les the Yogi to gain increasing control over these currents. G...I Jot only is Kumbhaka the essential element of real Pranayama "ut it is also the source of danger in the practice of Pranayama. The moment one starts retaining the "reath% especially after inhalation% in any a"normal manner the danger "egins and one can never #now what it will lead to. G...I Kumbhaka unloc#s the doors of une'pected e'periences and powers. If it is ta#en up without the necessary preparation and guidance it is sure to lead to disaster.2

Kumbhaka is very powerful and in Kriya Yoga it is adopted with special proceduresL Yoni %udra% (hokar... ,etween the two e'treme eventualitiesL to never hold your "reath or to overuse Kumbhaka% chose an intermediary percentage of seconds of Kumbhaka. Regulate this percentage according to your a"ility to "ear the originated power. If this is respected% if it is com"ined with %aha %udra% Na$i Kriya and Yoni %udra, you will cover all the spiritual 0ourney in a safe way. =. ,oncentrate u on the ,hakras in a balanced way Aon$t cultivate stupid theories according to which all your pro"lems originate from the "loc#age of this or that ,hakra. Aon$t utili e techni!ues that wor# on a single ,hakra with the hope of unloc#ing it. 5ur internal #nots are not as we usually visuali e them% namely li#e ordinary rope1#nots. They have a #ind of mutual dependence% they are su"tly inter1twined% one inside the other. After studying the theory of #nots & 4ranthis)% do not focus too insistently upon eliminating the one that you deem is the most important. 7ou ris# to enforce those very #nots you want to eliminate. Aon$t "e li#e a surgeon who wants to remove a gallstone em"edded in a organ% without ta#ing all the care not to destroy the organ and #ill the patient. It is correct to affirm that the #nots are the root cause of our miseries% "ecause they nourish the e'hausting world of superficial emotions and thoughts. ,ut it is not correct to thin# that they are our arch1enemies. They "lur our vision of the 6pirit "ut without them we would immediately dissolve in the 6pirit% we could not lead a normal life. They are at the "ase of the instinct of self preservation. Remem"er that the "alanced techni!ues of Kriya Pranayama% (hokar% (hokar (ribhangamurari and mental Pranayama wor# upon all the #nots simultaneously. Increasing gradually the repetition of these "asic procedures is always the "est choice3 If you concentrate for some time on %uladhara% give the same concentration to all the other ,hakras and always end "y concentrating on the point "etween the eye"rows. In one commentary "y 8ahiri 9ahasaya to the sacred writings% it is writtenL 2,eing tran!uil at the coccygeal center% do not stay longer. If you stay longer at the coccygeal center% then negative Samadhi &a negative state of a"sorption) will ta#e place. 6o after getting up again% you should start practicing Kriya02 If% 0ust to give an e'ample% you use (hokar to hit different times the %uladhara ,hakra and you don$t integrate this with other practices to stimulate the higher ,hakras% the result is mainly a state of greyish
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mind that appears in the day following the practice. It is difficult to sustain that uncomforta"le sensation - as if your soul were scratched. *. 5o not utili@e rocedures wholly based on the ower of $isuali@ation @sually visuali ation techni!ues are introduced as an omni1"eneficial activity. ,ut visuali ation is a force acting in your psychic inner world% thus necessarily there should "e o"stacles and dangers to "e considered. 6ome schools teach you to create a virtual reality through the power of your imagination. The visuali ation procedure "rought to the e'treme limit is useless and treacherous. 7ou "elieve you are entering the spiritual dimension "ut you are entering the #ingdom of alienation. Always remem"er that when you do a purely mental wor# that doesn$t envisage verification% the danger is certain. Remind :ung$s wordsL
2The deli"erately induced psychotic state% which in certain unsta"le individuals might easily lead to a real psychosis% is a danger that needs to "e ta#en very seriously indeed. These things really are dangerous and ought not to "e meddled with in our typically .estern way. It is a meddling with /ate% which stri#es at the very roots of human e'istence and can let loose a flood of sufferings of which no sane person ever dreamed.2 &C. E. :ung% Introduction to (he (ibetan book of the 5ead0-

.hat are% according to :ung% the 2deli"erately induced psychotic states2D @nfortunately he does not e'plain it in detail and does not "ring e'amples. However it is not difficult to understand that a psychotic state is the one in which you see things that do not e'ist% have a relationship &listen to voices% receive messages) from a dimension you have created in your mind and that e'ists only for you.

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Appen#iA 1 H C)e!nin< t e K(i-! p!t +(om !)) esote(i'?m!<i' m!ni!s 6ometimes I as# myself if the ideas contained in appendi' ( and =% should have "een placed "efore the description of the Kriya techni!ues. This would have "een correct and logical. ,ut how many readers welcome a digression upon wrong attitudes towards the spiritual pathD 6uch pages would 0ust annoy those who see# information a"ut the Kriya path. In a first reading they would surely "e ignore. It is a fact that when kriyabans discover my "oo#% they "ehave li#e timorous animals when enter a unfamiliar territory. They wonder if to give a modicum of trust to the author and therefore have a !uic# reading of the technical part. 5ften they try to test immediately some techni!ue and that$s all there is to it. 8ater% if they decide to "egin a serious e'perimentation% then% to ma#e sure that they$ve understood fully% they pay attention to other parts of the "oo#% and perhaps even to those that they 0udge useless digressions that the author has added for ... increasing the num"er of pages of the "oo#. Readers have their own ideas a"out the spiritual path and they re0ect anything that could challenge them. In my opinion% the pro"lem of considering the wrong attitudes towards the 6piritual path is a more serious theme than what is commonly perceived. A full reali ation of the faddiness that #eep many kriyabans? mind "usy could drive any serious Kriya teacher cra y. Ao we really thin# that all the kriyabans who stic# faithfully to a schedule of regular practice are free from insane and totally irrational e'pectations that contradict the very "asis of the mystical pathD .ell% confident at the end of our wor#% that a discussion upon this theme won$t distur" anyone &it will pro"a"ly pass unnoticed) let us face it now and try to see the reasons of a tormenting dou"tL $$5ften we introduce to another person the value of Kriya Yoga0 This person sustains undecided although with a "enevolent attitude the impact with our enthusiasm. It may happen that later this person "egins to show an uncur"ed enthusiasm a"out the idea of underta#ing this discipline. Jow% is it possi"le that this odd change is due to the fact that our too enthusiastic words a"out the ama ing effects of Kriya have created a colossal deceptionD$$ If some part of our e'planation has "een twisted or overloo#ed "y our listener% a dangerous illusion has ta#en solid roots in hisBher mind. The greatest and most insidious delusion is that Kriya is an scientifically "ased% and therefore almost automatic% tool of self therapy &psychological.) The pro0ect of em"ar#ing on the Kriya path with the hope of getting free from depression or other common forms of neuroses leads nowhere. If you have a sic# mind and after having e'perimented with alternative remedies% you follow the counsel of a too much enthusiastic friend and try the Kriya path too% you won$t o"tain anything% e'cept for a headache. If% through this process something good happens in your psycho1 physical system you will not recogni e it and get only anguish. In this situation there is no love for Kriya. 7ou fear in your heart you will "e disappointed and you will.
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Kriya wor#s when there is love for the Aivine and great appreciation for the Kriya techni!ues. 7ou cannot loo# at Kriya with suspicionL 2Aoes it really wor#2D Jo human can ever touch the su reme 4ood of Kriya unless you place it% with unsha#ea"le trust% a"ove all the other achievements of the world. 7ou cannot clumsily try to camouflage your s#epticism "y pretending a none'istent spiritual interest. Kriya can wor# even if you are not a 2religious2 person% "ut it should "e the o"0ect of your enthusiasm and aspiration. Kriya is not a psychological 0ourney in the realm of our mind "ut a spiritual path. /orgetting this gives all deformations green light. /or e'ample some nourish the groundless e'pectation that Kriya practice might amplify their mental powers. This idea is su"tly fostered "y some Kriya literature. I don$t want to say that this is the only idea that comes out from certain literature. ,y no means3 It descri"es the spiritual path in a correct way% inviting you to see# the Aivine only% !uoting the Eospel with authority. 7et the preceding idea is created "y many discourses. It gives origin to an almost ine'tinguisha"le oscillation "etween see#ing the Aivine only% surrendering to His will without as#ing any other thing% and to use will% imagination and effort to get some tangi"le results - which it is the aspect that% 0ust in order to "e understood% I call $$magic$$. This situation is made more unsta"le "y the fact that% owing to religious conditioning% the idea of moving towards Eod might remain% for many persons and for a long time without an ounce of attractiveness. The dawning of a spiritual awa#ening is when suddenly the )mkar dimension enters one$s life. )mkar is important% very important. .ithout it% you can repeat all day longL 2Thou art that2 "ut you don$t grasp its meaning. 7ou are only en0oying lofty ideas. Even if you "elieve in a Higher Self and desire to live without "etraying it% if you are not in contact with the )mkar reality% you "etray your Higher Self continuously. I am not afraid of saying that without this "aptism% one$s practice of Kriya is a caricature of 8ahiri 9ahasaya$s Kriya. 7ou cannot tal# only a"out evolution. 2Evolution2 is a vague% inconsistent mirage which destroys all genuine spiritual aspiration. An hypothetical evolution is less than nothing compared to the e'perience of contacting and merging into the )mkar vi"ration. I "egan to free myself from all esoteric1magic conditioning when I was invited "y a local cultural institution to give lessons on the present tendency of creating self1made religion. I went through the whole history of western esotericism. 7ou can understand where the "oundary line "etween the genuine mystical !uest and the cultivation of magic am"itions lay when you are familiar not only with the history of the mystical movements "ut esoteric too. I was delighted to prepare the lessons "y studying the "est availa"le essays and te't"oo#s - I mean "oo#s written "y academics who didn$t "elong &or were so smart as to hide their mem"ership or affiliation) to any particular mystical school and manifested a detached attitude toward the whole matter. I appreciated those te'ts that were capa"le of presenting the essence of those religious
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movements which flourished freely around the great religions. This was an unclouded period of my lifeL I was very gratified to have time and opportunity to pursue such studies. The impact of certain readings% the liveliness of certain historical facts% had the effect of cleaning my path from useless dogmas admitted innocently into my life through the door of mee# adapting to the ideals of my first Kriya organi ation. I was struc# "y the devastating inconsistency of many esoteric movements% widely recogni ed as demanding and elitist. 9any magnificent terms% which would have once allured me% turned out to "e totally empty of any significance. Their redundancy filled me with nausea as if they were an o"scenity "rought forth "y a monster. I was stric#en "y the wea#ness of the human mind% "y its discouraging slowness in dissolving glaring deceptions and fallacies. 6ince the first lesson% I tried to communicate what is "eing e'pressed clearly with the word $$mystic.$$ I repeated that even if in some conte't the word mystic evo#es a relationship with the mystery% with the concept of initiation &from the Eree# SPO`abTU Gmusti#osI% an initiate) into secret religious rituals &also this from the Eree# Scd% to conceal)% a mystic is one who tries sincerely &adopting any form of mental and or "odily discipline) to surrender themselves to something which is the !uintessence of supreme comfort% something which lays "eyond the territories of the mind - unattaina"le "y the acro"atics of a never satisfied mind. The pro"lem was that that something "eyond mind was unintelligi"le and had no appeal for most part of them. I repeated to no purpose how frail &full of suggesti"ility and vulnera"ility) was the human psyche when it deals with approaching the spiritual path. I saw that my students showed scant regard for this theme. They didn$t seem to reali e the relation it had with their own life. Rather someone contested me remem"ering me the great value of the curiosity in "ringing forth the scientific search. I reali ed with cold mind that some listeners came to my lessons in the hope to receive support and fuel for their illusions. Towards the end of cycle of lessons I tried to e'toll the concept of a $$clean mystical path$$ - a path directed one pointedly towards the total surrender to Eod and not polluted "y the fantasies and deformations of the human mind. I tal#ed privately with some students a"out how to approach the very core of the spiritual path. I e'tolled the value of spiritual classics li#eL 2(ales of a Russian Pilgrim2. I e'tolled how "eautiful and valua"le it was feeling li#e pilgrims% li#e those souls who followed the thousand1year1old spiritual tradition of ,ontinuous Prayer. It was evident that I had strongly strayed off of my didactic theme. However they forgot everything 0ust five minutes after our conversation and revealed the stimulus of the most curious illusions with the firm proposal of cultivating them on their own with great delight. At the end of this didactic e'perience I had clear in front of me the great danger to consider any spiritual path as a magic process. Actually% there are some aspects of Kriya advertising that seem an invitation to tread the path of 9agic. $$7ou will
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develop this% you will develop that....$$ There is a su"tle conditioning% seeds of illusion that will flourish at due time. I don$t advertise Kriya% "ut I #now what I would sayL $$Kriya Yoga is a spiritual path "ased on good methods of concentration and Prayer. These methods had "een utili ed for centuries.$$ Jot a word more. I would never show pics of people who were successful in Kriya% I didn$t either report of famous personages praising Yoga in general or Kriya Yoga ... since this gives the idea you want to sell something. I don$t appreciate that some Kriya school use sometimes &during mass initiation) rites similar to 9agic. They employs sym"olism% purification fire rites% to engender "elief. The greatest similarity is that "oth & Kriya and 9agic) re!uire to ta#e an oath of secrecy a"out the techni!ues. In religion there is discretion not secrecy. Aiscretion comes spontaneous to intelligent and sensitive people% secrecy is unnatural% irrational% impractical and therefore re!uires an oath. There are two tendencies in magic and therefore two ways of straying a spiritual path. The first is the mania of receiving initiation from e'ponents of an ancient lineage% the second is the mania of #nowing all the most powerful procedures in the world in order to find out the "est of the "est. ! recollection of two $ery articular kriyaban friends ,y my first Kriya teacher% I #new a person who wasn$t there in the spasmodic search for original Kriya "ut "ecause of the illustrious line of descent of that teacher. He said that $$line of descent$$ was the most important thing to care while approaching a spiritual teacher. He was adamant in practicing Kriya with wrong modalities% ma#ing glaring mista#es. /or instance% he neglected the normal rules of health% refused% during meditation% to assume the correct position of the "ac#"one% didn$t even try to get immo"ility in the final part of his routine. It was impossi"le to correct him. He "ehaved toward me in a very cordial way "ut% when he tal#ed a"out the a"solute place to "e given to ethic rules listed "y Patan0ali% he was a"le to ma#e me feel li#e a worm. He critici ed my o"session to perfect the practice of Kriya. He e'plained that the very desire to master a meditation techni!ue meant cultivating desire and this was against ,uddhist principles. The "elief that the power &,ara#a) of the great Teachers of the past% is still present in their descendants% as a non1stop chain is common enough. ,ut he was convinced that spiritual progress cannot happen e'cept through receiving this 2power2. In his life he was destined to went on receiving Kriya from those who claimed to have a valid lineage although their teachings didn$t add nothing to what he already #new. He was spell"ound "y the idea of 2transmission of power.2 He "elieved that the power received through initiation had in itself the power of redemption. He gave not so much importance to "e serious in the practice of the Kriya techni!ues - he said they were 0ust to purify oneself "efore receiving the real $$initiation$$ which for him meant $$power.$$ .hat I never understood of him was
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that now and then he went to assist to the liturgical practices of a Catholic church only $$as a "land form of e'orcism.$$ @nfortunately% he went on paying attention to the revelations coming from a healer &a channeler (; ) to whom he went in order that the spirits reveal to him the #armic reason of a light illness that in my opinion% could "e cured easily following the usual hygienic rules. 8ater he met a group of people who practiced spiritualism and had Fardec as occult teacher. It was enough for him to hear that name to immediately feel part of that group who had the characteristics associated with Cultic Eroups. .hat was lived there seemed to me a child$s play were it not for the fact that my friend supported handsomely his group. He plunged into situations of such a narrow vision that his life style appeared grotes!ue. It was a revelation for me to witness his mental fragility. It was as if% from "ehind the mas# of his face% another personality appeared% e'tremely self1confident "ut parado'ically allowing others to defraud him in the worst of the ways. His original desire to find a channel that put him in direct contact with the power and "lessings of the ancient masters ended in the worst of all prisons. He gave all his possessions% and the totality of his time% to a person who was an authentic rogue. (( He claimed to have had the privilege H to communicate directly with P.7. and with 8ahiri 9ahasaya. It was pathetic and% to an e'tent% even amusing "eing told that his message coming directly from the hereafterL 2In this epoch% the Kriya is old1fashioned and useless. Aevotion is enough32. Another kriyaban friend seemed to live only for 2improving2 his Kriya "y incorporating various esoteric procedures% even those descri"ed in some esoteric "oo#s. He was convinced that only "y using certain formulas and initiatic sym"ols% was it possi"le to complete the evolutionary 0ump conducive to li"eration. After a great insistence% I accepted to read what for him was a masterpiece of initiatic literature. The "oo# surprised me for the !uantity of information it
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Classical spiritualism 1 characteri ed "y a person &medium) who enters a trance state at a des#% answers the !uestions put "y the "ystanders through a code of loud raps 1 has handed over its place to more modern methods such as those where all the participants% putting their hands on an upside1down glass to move it among the letters of the alpha"et stamped on a comforta"le fle'i"le ta"let &5ui0a "oard). 9any prefer the more accessi"le revelations of a channeler who lets the invo#ed entity e'press through the flood of his own elo!uence. It is interesting to see how the channeler?s "iographies trace a common scheme. All tell that once they were s#eptic of their own faculties and would not accept yielding to the higher .ill who had decided to entrust to them the mission to serve as medium "etween spirits and humanity. 5nce their mission was accepted% from the same ultra mundane source came the inspiration to mi' the flow of the various revelations with the diagnosis of unli#ely illnesses% with prescription of e'pensive alternative remedies. I have some grounds to "elieve that the untrustworthy soil of spiritualism is one of the "est areas to cultivate splits inside one$s personality. Apart from the automatic writing in which the one who as#s is the same person that gives the answer% the 9edium #nows in advance the preferences and anticipations of the person who addresses him. Therefore all "ecomes li#e a closed circuitL !uestion and answer rever"erate in an endless loop li#e the feed"ac# of a microphone set ne't to its loud spea#er. As anyone can o"serve% the messages are always agreea"le. Every adept% even of limited intelligence% receives the message that the Aivine has assigned him an im ortant missionH I "elieve that this is% psychologically spea#ing% very dangerous.

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contained. .hile reading it% I entered an almost hypnotic state and didn$t immediately reali e that each chain of ideas therein contained had no "asis at all% "ut was only offspring of the un"ridled imagination of the author. Through an into'ication with words% the author$s imagination dared to develop free from the relationship with reality and from the rules of logic. The whole thing was only a pure mental en0oyment - compara"le to that of reading a fantasy novel. Reading Tol#ien would have "een immensely more interesting and wise. How can you thin# of e'periencing something concrete "y 0ust reading such 0un#D I counseled to my friend some good "oo#sC he stated he had already read them. ,ut it was a lie - he preferred to #eep them at a distance. I came to #now that he was the spiritual guide of a small group of persons. I can$t imagine what he taught them since he never tal# to me of this activity. 5ne day he met a self1named e'pert in occult matters who purported to #now the secrets of an almost e'tinct esoteric path and% in particular% a spiritual techni!ue far more advanced than those #nown today% which was practiced centuries or millennia ago% "y few privileged "eings. This 2e'pert2 guided him sweetly "ut with the surety of a mature professional% towards a situation in which his economic "ase% essential to his living% was at ris# of "eing swept away% completely reduced to sham"les. He easily "ewitched him. 2Jow that humanity is different from "efore% such teachings are not revealed to 0ust anyone2 he started off% then after a pause and with a sigh% finally concludedL 2Today$s students would not #now how to appreciate them and% in their hands% they could "e dangerous.2 The e'pert created the impression of "eing a dreamer% "ut was not so naeve as it seemedC he used an enchanting terminology similar to that of the Fa""alah &mystical teaching within :udaism) and tal#ed effortlessly a"out original Christianity also% whose te'ts &canonical and apocryphal) he was a"le to interpret in a non1conventional way. 9y friend tried to captivate the teacher in order to present himself as a true adept. Confiding that he was willing to accept whatever toll and deprivation% consenting to whatever "ehest% provided that this e'traordinary secret will "e revealed to him% he actually fell into the trap. After having e'pressed some reservations% our smart teacher at long last capitulated% murmuringL 25nly for you% only "ecause I feel I am guided to ma#e an e'ception2. 9y friend% a poor victim !uivering with emotion% lived the "est moment of his life% convinced that the meeting with the e'pert had "een decided in the higher spheres. The re!uested donation to "e given during Initiation 11 united to the promise of #eeping a"solute secrecy 11 was conspicuous% since in that way he would confirm the great value attri"uted to that event. The teacher said that the donation would "e transferred to a mon# who was helping an orphanage. &It is a real classic3 ... there is always an orphanage in these stories.) .hile my friend% completely satisfied% was preparing to receive such an incompara"le gift &he received the e'planation that it was a gift and that nothing could ade!uately compensate the "enedictions that such an initiation would "ring to his life) the scoundrel distractedly decided what #ind of trash1stuff he was going to demonstrate with glaring solemnity. 9y friend received with
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indescri"a"le emotion% the new techni!ue and spent two days in sheer fervor. 8ater% imprisoned in his chimera% he witnessed the re#indling of his passion and the comedy repeated. He heard a"out other incompara"le valua"le 2revelations2. This illusion is% in effect% indomita"le. After having received his 2drug2% he continued his ine'ora"le run toward the a"yss. I cannot predict if% one day% he will reali e that the techni!ues for which he paid a fortune had "een ta#en from some "oo#s and altered% so he would not to guess their origin. ,onclusion .e all #now that to "e entangled in esoteric% magic% occult rituals% spiritualistic practices... is an ama ingly easy way of destroying% in a short time% years of genuine spiritual effort. 6tudy and understand this topic until until you feel it as a nightmare. Erase once and for all the insane idea that Kriya is the art of manipulating your karma and thus acceleration your evolution. 8et 9agic manipulate aspects of reality through #nowledge of occult laws. Regard Kriya as the art of Prayer and of $$complete surrender$$ not through the mind "ut through tran!uilli ing all the Prana in your "ody. /eel you are a pilgrim in this world. 6tart the practice of *a a with all your heart while your mind will 0udge it a dull activity. /rom now on% consider the state of ,ontinuous Prayer the shining destination of your spiritual venture. AonKt occupy your thoughts with any other achievement. ,y following through with your resolution% all will "e perfect in your path.

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Appen#iA 2 H Impo(t!n'e o+ st*#-in< t e R!# !so!mi mo,ement .hy should kriyabans give their time study the Radhasoami cultD ,ecause 6ri 7u#teswar and P. 7ogananda were part of it and "ecause the literary material produced "y this movement is very inspiring for all those who are see#ing to "e in tune with the )mkar Realty. The Kriya path is a process of refining% in successive stages% one$s attunement with )mkar. Jow% Radhasoami is a monotheistic religion having the )mkar Reality as the $$single Eod.$$ .e can say the same a"out Kriya Yoga. )mkar is the final goal of Kriya and the uni!ue essence which percolates through all its phases. Radhasoami movement teach procedures that are very similar to the techni!ues .ong Sau, )m, Kriya Pranayama and the techni!ue that P.7. calls Second Kriya0 These procedures in their entirety are called Surat Shabda Yoga &Surat means 2soul%2 Shabda means 2word2. The 2word2 is the 26ound Current2% the 2Audi"le 8ife 6tream2 or the 2Essence of the A"solute 6upreme ,eing2. ) Every kriyaban who feels a strong tie with P.7.$s teachings will surely read with shivers of surprise what comes out from Radhasoami literature. It is reasona"le to infer that some disciples of 8ahiri 9ahasaya "elonged to a Radhasoami group and perhaps% without even "eing fully aware of this% added to Kriya some elements of theory and practice which "elonged to this movement. Radhasoami is also referred to as Sant %at &Path of the 6aints). It is considered a derivation of Sikhism. (= Even if the spiritual organi ation Radhasoami &Radha Swami) was formally founded in (9th century India% actually% the tradition is much more ancient and it relates to the teaching of Fa"ir and then Euru Jana#. The writings of Fa"ir &(*9? ,enares 1 (44?B(494 9aghar)% have deep similarities with the e'periences and thoughts of 8ahiri 9ahasaya. Fa"irKs concept of Shabda% which can "e translated as 2.ord2 &the word of the 9aster)% can "e related to the )mkar teaching. According to Fa"ir this Shabda6)m dispels all dou"ts and difficultiesL is vital to #eep it constantly in our consciousness as a living presence. The literature a"out Fa"ir and Euru Jana# &(4+9 Jan#ana 6ahi" 1 (<*9 Fartarpur) is very inspiring. Their teachings overlapped perfectly. Fa"ir% an illiterate 9uslim weaver% was a great mystic% open to the vedantic and yogic influence% and an e'traordinary singer of the Aivine% conceived "eyond name and form. The poems and sentences ascri"ed to him are e'pressed in a particularly effective language that remains permanently em"la oned in the reader$s memory. In the last century% Ra"indranath Tagore% the great mystic poet of Calcutta% rediscovered the relia"ility of his teachings and the power of his poetry% and made "eautiful translations of his songs into English. Fa"ir conceived Islam and
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The Sikh religion is founded on the teachings of Euru Jana# and nine successive EurusC it is the fifth1largest organi ed religion in the world. It is interesting that the #ey distinctive feature of Sikhism is a non1anthropomorphic concept of Eod% to the e'tent that one can interpret Eod as the @niverse itself.

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Hinduism to "e two roads converging toward a uni!ue goal. He was convinced of the possi"ility of overcoming the "arriers that separate these two great religions. He did not seem to "ase his teaching upon the authority of the holy writingsC he shunned the religious rituals. Fa"ir taught not to renounce to life and "ecome a hermit% not to cultivate any e'treme approach to the spiritual discipline% "ecause it wea#ens the "ody and increases pride. Eod has to "e recogni ed inside of one$s own soul 1 li#e a fire fed "y continuous care% "urning all the resistances% dogmas and ignorance. This is "eautifully stated in Fa"ir$sL 25ne day my mind flew as a "ird in the s#y% and entered the heavens. .hen I arrived% I saw that there was no Eod% since He resided in the 6aints32 Hinduism gave Fa"ir the concept of reincarnation and the law of KarmaC Islam gave him the a"solute monotheism 1 the strength of fighting all the forms of idolatry and the caste system. I found the full meaning of the yogic practice in him. He says that there is a garden full of flowers in our "ody% the ,hakras% and an endless "eauty can "e contemplated if the awareness is esta"lished in the $$thousand1petal 8otus$$.
2.ho is there playing upon a flute in the middle of the s#yD The flute is "eing played in tri#uti &eye"rows center)% the confluence of the Eanga and :amuna. The sound emanates from the north3 Cowherd girl% hear the sound of the flute and lo% they are all hypnoti ed "y the nada.2 2It is a music without strings which plays in the "ody. It penetrates the inner and the outer and leads you away from illusion.2 &Fa"ir).

,eloved Euru Jana# gave the same teaching. He disapproved of ascetic practices and taught instead to remain inwardly detached whilst living as a householder. 2Asceticism doesn$t consist in ascetic ro"es% or in having a wal#ing staff% nor in visiting "urial places. Asceticism is not mere wordsC asceticism is to remain pure amidst impurities32 Traditionally% release from the "ondage of the world was sought as the goal% therefore the householder$s life was considered an impediment and an entanglement. In contrast% in Euru Jana#$s teaching% the whole world "ecame the arena of spiritual endeavor. He was "ewitched "y the "eauty of creation and considered the panorama of nature as the loveliest place for worship of the Aivine. He e'pressed his teachings in Pun0a"i% the spo#en language of northern India. His disregard for 6ans#rit suggested that his message was without reference to the e'istent Holy 6criptures. He made a deli"erate attempt to completely cut off his disciples from all the ritualistic practices% orthodo' modes of worship% and from the priestly class. His teaching demanded an entirely new approach. .hile a full understanding of Eod is "eyond human "eings% he descri"ed Eod as not wholly un#nowa"le. Eod must "e seen through 2the inward eye2% sought in the 2heart2. He emphasi ed that the revelation of this is to "e achieved through meditation. In his teachings there are hints as to the possi"ility of listening to an ineffa"le internal melody & )mkar) and to taste the nectar &!mrit).
2The 6ound is inside us. It is invisi"le. .herever I loo# I find it.2 &Euru Jana#).

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There were also a group of teachers that assumed prominence in the northern part of the Indian su"1continent from a"out the (*th century. Their teachings are distinguished theologically "y inward devotion to a divine principle% and socially "y an egalitarianism opposed to the !ualitative distinctions of the Hindu caste hierarchy and to the religious differences "etween Hindu and 9uslim. In the modern times the first name to signal is that of P!(!m S!nt S i, D!-!) Sin< Ii who created the Radha 6oami movement in :anuary (?+( &the same year in which 8ahiri 9ahasaya is reported to have received initiation into Kriya Yoga). This movement contemplate $$teaching a spiritual path which is intentionally easier than those descri"ed in the ancient scriptures as it re!uires nothing more than sitting !uietly and loo#ing and listening within.$$ They teach that there are no other means of spiritual li"eration% e'cept through the )mkar e'perience. .ithout actual% conscious% participation in the internally audi"le 8ife 6tream% no one can ever escape the net of Karma and reincarnation% or ever "ecome free and happy. They e'plain that no other system leads so easily to the highest regions of mystical e'perience. The founder Param 6ant 6hiv Aayal 6ingh 0i died on (?>? in Agra% India. He did not appoint a successor% resulting in a succession crisis upon his death. 6everal disciples eventually came to "e regarded as successors% which led to splits within the group. These splits led to the propagation of Radhasoami teachings to a wider audience although with slightly varied interpretations. (he main teachings and hiloso hy of Radhasoami The main features of this movement are the followingL I. Radhasoami affirms that )m is the .ord referred to in the ,i"leL 2In the "eginning was the .ord% and the .ord was with Eod% and the .ord was Eod.2 &:ohn (L() The 6ound vi"ration% the dynamic force of creative energy that was continuously "eing sent out from the 6upreme ,eing at the dawn of the universe$s manifestation throughout the ages% molding all things animate and inanimateC could "e listened to through a multiphase procedure #nown as Surat Shabda Yoga0 The central techni!ue of Surat Shabda Yoga aims at uniting the essence of what we call $$ourselves$$ with the 6upreme ,eing through a procedure of inner listening. This techni!ues consists in attuning the soul to the spiritual current ever vi"rating within. Eod is within us "ut physical eyes cannot see Him% nor can these physical ears hear His Woice. Jevertheless we can hear the 2divine pressure2 that hums all around us. ,y entering into the silence and closing our ears we can perfectly catch that celestial melody and therefore reali e the presence of Eod within ourselves. It ta#es a little time to develop it and )m can "e heard "y anyone3 This is an ama ing% marvelous event for each human "eing3 /rom the sacred moment when the student hears this music% he is never again alone. He en0oys the companionship of Eod Himself. Contact with this
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Primal 6ource of peace% love% and "liss% removes our fears% worries and an'ieties. Radhasoami e'plains that from age to age% the great 9asters come to revive this #nowledge% after materialism has o"scured it. They give us "ac# our supreme 0oy% that who "ring us directly to our ultimate spiritual freedom. II. Radhasoami emphasi es the need of a living spiritual 9aster or 6atguru. There is no dou"t that the concept of 4uru has a special place in Indian thought. 5ne of the main Hindu te'ts% the 2haga$ad 4ita% is a dialog "etween Eod in the form of Krishna and the warrior prince !rjuna. Their dialog summari es the ideal relationship "etween 4uru and disciple. Radhasoami e'tols the role of the 4uru. In Radhasoami thin#ing this relationship is ela"orated in great detail e'actly in the same way I heard from my Kriya organi ation "ut with an important differenceL this 4uru cannot "e dead &or% as they prefer to say% not having relin!uished his "ody through %ahasamadhi). Radhasoami is ironic a"out those people who imagine themselves followers of some dead 9aster. They commentL can a woman marry a dead man and live with himD Can a dead doctor give medicineD 5ne person may revere the memory of a dead master or read his writings. 5ne may feel in his heart love and veneration1for him. ,ut he can never "e a real Initiate of that 9aster. Coming "ac# to the real situation% namely the relationship with a living 4uru% this role is so important that there is a saying that if the devotee were presented to the 4uru and Eod% first he would pay respect to the 4uru% since the 4uru had "een instrumental in leading him to Eod. A disciple could never "rea# off the sacred connection with the 4uru under any circumstances. Initiation to Surat Shabda Yoga procedures is a very important moment. Radhasoami does not initiate everyone who as#s for it. 5ne has to "e spiritually $$ready$$ for initiation. After one has "een chosen for initiation% he is ta#en into a closed room% where the initiator e'plains the fundamental theoretical points we are dealing with. ,eside this% at the time of initiation% he is given a first1hand inner e'perience of the internal 8ight which appears in the point "etween the eye"rows. The initiator activates this 8ight stationed at the third eye of the disciple. Through it% one comes to 2#now Eod2. .hen a soul esta"lishes contact with this 8ight% the 8ight ta#es it "ac# to the Eodhead% its original home. Although some sects for"id idolatry% generally the would1"e initiate "ows% #neels% or generally prostrates "efore the 4uru and worships him. They e'plain that a 4uru ta#es on himself part of the karma of the disciple% appears to them at the moment of death in order to introduce them to Eod. As for the meditation techni!ues% they can "e learned later from other authori ed persons from the initiator and in any case the disciple ta#es a vow of secrecy. III. Radhasoami emphasi es the need of wee#ly gathering for spiritual fellowship% spiritual service that can manifest in many forms and for listening to the tal#s of their living 9aster. 5ften such discourses revolve round the necessity of coupling meditation with a life of high moral values. &Wegetarian diet% no into'icants or recreational drugs...) at the same time carrying out their responsi"ilities to family% friends and society. Attending to these meetings is
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considered of paramount importance. Auring them% one has e'perience of meditation under the direct guidance of his teacher. ,efore giving a summary description of the Radhasoami techni!ues% let us underline a #ey factor that Radhasoamis are very proud of. They claim that the limitation of all religions has "een their ina"ility to ma#e Eod real to their devotees. Actually% we can not imagine that men would live as they do% thin# and act as they do% if Eod were real to them% if they had actually seen Him and loved Him. Eod must "ecome real to the individual% not a mental concept "ut a living reality. To practically all men% Eod is simply an a"stract idea% a mental concept. How can one worship and love a mental conceptD .hen most people say they love Eod% it simply means that they have a certain emotion induced "y different factors. ,ut this has not the least thing to do with Eod1reali ation. There is "ut one method of ma#ing Eod real to the see#erL that is% to ma#e him see Eod and hear Him. .hen the disciple hears the enchanting music of the internal sounds% then this process has "egun. ,ut that reali ation is not complete. .hen he rises "y the aid of su"tler procedures to the still higher planes% his $$spiritual "eing$$ meets with the 8ight of Kutastha% it is then that he e'periences perfect Eod1reali ation. Jow% the sound of )m, "eing the "ridge "etween the physical and the astral world% the conscious and the unconscious% the form and the formless is the "est e'perience to increase devotion for the Aivine. (echni#ues The meditation routine is practiced daily in the comfort and convenience of one$s own home. 0& Position The teachers of Surat Shabda Yoga encourage meditation in the !uiet of the early morning &"efore "rea#fast)% and "efore sleep. 9editation "egins with first rela'ing the "ody and ma#ing it still. The position is comforta"le either sitting in a chair &"oth feet flat on ground) or in a cross1legged position with spine erect% #eeping spine% head and nec# aligned naturally. It is important to gradually develop the a"ility of sitting rela'ed and without any "odily tension. 1& Pe('ei,in< )i< t in K*t!st ! In order to "egin the upward 0ourney% a 6adha# must learn to 2go within2 - this is accomplished "y concentration at the Third Eye Center. They e'plain that the seat of the 6pirit is at the point "etween the two eye"rows. It is on this point that the 6adha# having closed his eyes must focus his attention. Concentration moves ideally from that point% hori ontally out% =;1=< centimeters from the forehead. Jo tension is put on the eyes or forehead. The ga e is focused on the middle of the dar# inner screenL gradually the dar#ness will fade to lighter and lighter shades% eventually opening into the infinite space. This e'perience is deepened
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during the ne't practice n.*.

Jote 6ome modern cults that are a derivation of Radhasoami teach this following right hand position. The eyelids are closed. The inde' finger rests lightly on the point "etween the eye"rowsC thum" and middle finger rest lightly on each closed eye"all% to steady and stop the eye"alls from moving. 6tart from the corner of the eye"alls% press very very slightly the eye"alls up from the "ottom. 7ou should see the light forming inside your head. 7ou get the sensation that your head is flooded with light. .e must emphasi e that it is not the pressure on the eye"alls that counts - the purpose of the hand position is meant simply to steady them and to allow you to focus "etter.

2& Sim(!n !t K*t!st ! The teacher gives the disciple a %antra7 Simran means the repetition of this %antra. It is simply a method of helping the mind to come to complete rest and remain at rest in the given center. Repeating internally the %antra in Kutastha helps one to raise the consciousness of the 6elf to higher regions. Simran is the #ey that helps transcending thought &time and space) and opens the door of the inner "eing. Radhasoamis are invited to use the 2 Panch Jaam2% the 2< James of Eod2L (. *otNirinjan =. )ngkar *. Rarankar 4. Sohang <. Sat Nam The disciple sits still% eyes closed% mentally repeating the %antra% ga ing into the middle of the dar#ness lying in front of him. If he perceives the inner light% the concentration is on it. ,reathing is natural and free flowing. This process automatically draws the spirit1currents% normally dissipated all over the "ody% toward the spiritual center. .hen the inward ga e has "rought to a sharp and steady focus% one finds that the dar#ness will fade and light will emerge. Concentrate in the middle of it and continue repeating slowly your %antra. Eventually one e'periences the withdrawal of the sensory currents and a vary peculiar state sets inL li#e of $$num"ness$$. The Inner 8ight ceases flic#ering and develops into a "right spot in the central portion of the forehead. Eradually% this "rilliance enlightens every constituent of the "ody from within. Every cell% every tendril is seen as spar#ling with a reflection of this uni!ue glow. The divine glow ends the dar#ness of ignorance. Perfect control of the flow of the thoughts and emotions ensues. 3& N!#! Yo<! This techni!ue is practiced covering ears and eyes using an arm prop. 6ome com"ine the listening to the inner sounds with the attempt to taste nectar & !mrit) "y stic#ing the tongue to the roof of the mouth. &6ee techni!ue n.+) In order to hear the $$divine sound$$% novices are as#ed to "loc# their ears with the thum"s so they cannot hear any e'ternal sounds. @sually one places the thum"s in the ears and pulling "ac# 0ust far enough not to "e listening to the "lood pounding through your ears. GWariationL each thum" is placed in the ear and each hand is twisted upwards so that the four fingers of each hand rest on the top of your head% with each thum" tip lightly "ut firmly in each ear hole% sealed with the twisting action.I
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5ne listens to the internal sound coming at first from the right side and ultimately from the top of the head. To some devotees this sounds li#e a "ell. At a certain moment% it "egins to fairly enchant you and to pull you up with increasing attraction and power. 7ou will find yourself listening to it with rapt attention and deep delight% completely a"sor"ed in it. 7ou will never wish to leave it. Auring this practice% the %antra given in the previous techni!ue is not repeated. 5& So !m P(!n!-!m! The nostrils in a human "ody are li#e the holes in a flute. .e #now that the in and out flow of air produces typical sounds that you can listen to% concentrate upon and thus amplify especially when the "reathing process is deep and slow. The sound of the "reath is $$So$$ during inhalation and $$.am?$ &hung) during e'halation. These sounds are not loud and clear li#e other audi"le sounds. Jevertheless% they can "e $$perceived$$ concentrating upon each "reath in a silent am"ient. 8isten to the sound of the in and out "reath as $$So6.am$$L $$So$$ on the in1 "reath% $$.am$$ on the out1"reath. A great help and inspiration for this practice is to consider "reath not only as a flow of air "ut as a manifestation of the cosmic )m vi"ration. A 6adha# should also attempt to feel an illuminating current of Prana entering along with the "reathC it is a"sor"ed during the following pause and in0ected into the "ody during e'halation. If you are constantly aware of this% you achieve the "reathless state. Therefore this techni!ue is also referred to as Ke$ala Kumbhaka. Auring it you can hear also the internal soundsL the full reali ation of Jada 7oga can "e achieved. The total duration of this practice can range "etween five minutes &for "eginners) to thirty minutes &for the trained). 6& Ke' !(i
I have not found in Radhasoami the e'ercise of (alabya Kriya "ut only the following instruction.

$$Curl your tongue up to the roof of your mouth. Eet the tip to touch the uvula ma#e contact with the $$divine nectar$$ that is constantly flowing through your "ody. Eo further and enter the nasal passage. @sually you will e'perience the nectar only after much practice. It is claimed that this nectar is the fliving waterK% the f"read of lifeK of which :esus spo#e. 7ou can com"ine So .am Pranayama with KechariC or you can practice Kechari alone.$$ 9& Lo'!te t e C !.(!s in t e #o(s!) spine The Radhasoami movement "elieves that "esides the + ,hakras in the physical "ody% there are + ,hakras in the grey matter of the "rain% and + in the white matter. The + spinal ,hakras are materialistic in nature% therefore they are not to "e stimulated &you don$t use specific bija %antras to activate them as you do in Kundalini Yoga) "ut they are simply astrally located. 6trange as it may sound% long meditation upon the Cha#ras is not the right action to "e done in order to achieve $$%ukti$$ &li"eration.) ,ut "y astrally locating them we ac!uire the a"ility to leave the human "ody at will - a practice sometimes referred to as 2dying
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while living2. The techni!ue consists in assuming Kechari %udra while concentrating upon the physical location of each ,hakra until its particular luminous vi"ration "egins to appear. .hen this happens you don$t dwell upon that ,hakraC you focus on the physical location of the ne't each ,hakra and so on - the pause upon a ,hakra lasts only for the necessary time to have that su"tle perception of it. :& Hi< e( +o(m o+ So H!m P(!n!-!m! .hen the physical location of the + spinal ,hakras is clearly esta"lished in the mind% the Kundalini energy can "e stimulated "y creating a strong mental pressure on the si' ,hakras along the spinal column. This is possi"le only after having practiced for a long time the previous techni!ues. 8et$s get to the pointL practice So .am Pranayama with Kechari %udraL piercing the ,hakras happens during inhalation. .hile "reathing in slowly% with the focus of concentration upon the su"tle sound of $$so$$% try to feel the pressure of the Prana contained in the inhaled air. It surrounds% winds and tights around each ,hakra during its coming up. E'halation happens as in the "asic form of Soham PranayamaL do it very rela'ed listening to the sound of the "reath coming out as $$.am$$. ,y repeating this procedure% the pressure upon each ,hakra increases. ;& S*bt)e p !ses o+ me#it!tion to intensi+- Om.!( eApe(ien'e The location of the other (= ,hakras in the "rain is gradually revealed "y moving the Prana in a circular &or elliptical) way inside the "rain. A very slight "reath can "e used 0ust at the very "eginning of this procedure% then "reath is forgotten and you use only the pure strength of your will. There are plenty of such procedures adopted "y the different Radhasoami groups. Here I hint to a couple of them &which represent% in my opinion% the most effective and efficient way to merge int the )mkar dimension.) GII Awareness and Prana move upwards along the right temple% then to the left &under the s#ull vault)% downwards along the left temple and finally to the right touching %edulla and closing the ellipse. All the movement happens inside the "rain. 7ou will hear internal sound inside the right ear. Then you will hear it inside the left ear also. Eo ahead with the internal movement and listen to "oth tones simultaneously. .hen the energy in the two is "alanced% a circle is formed% creating a force field. It may ta#e you a"out five minutes to hear "oth tones at the same time. Jow% guide the two vi"rations into the center of the cranium% where they will meet and "lend into a slightly different sound. At the ape' of this procedure you will have the revelation of the spiritual eye. A deep ,ell sound will lead you in the Samadhi state. This is the culmination of this particular practice and contemplation. GIII Awareness and Prana move forward along the right part of the crown% then
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move "ac#wards along the left part of the crown% returning to the starting point over the occipital region. All movement happens hori ontally under the s#ull vault. After completing a great num"er of rounds% the soul has sufficient force to penetrate the (?th portal &this for Radhasoamis is the most elevated ,hakra that is found in the white part of the "rain). This portal opens on the true% indestructi"le $$Radhasoami$$ - the ocean of the 6pirit. This is the ultimate goal to "e achieved via meditation practices. ,onclusion .e were taught that 8ahiri 9ahasaya learned Kriya Yoga in (?+( from 9ahavatar ,a"a0i. .e have discovered that he learned also from other sources and "rought ahead during his life a continuously process of e'perimentation. .e assume that the hypothesis that he learned also from Radhasoami tradition is reasona"le. ,ut we have no dou"t that 8ahiri 9ahasaya has enriched the Surat Shabda Yoga path tremendously. 8ahiri 9ahasaya learned also from other traditions li#e Sufi. Radhasoami teaches that )m is to "e heard "y closing the ears% 8ahiri insists that )m is to "e heard without closing the ears &and this feat which is relatively difficult while trying to master Kriya Pranayama "ecomes possi"le with (hokar and Kechari %udra). Radhasoami teaches that the spiritual goal is to reach the higher centers in the "rain and "e lost in that 8ightC 8ahiri 9ahasaya emphasi es that the turning point is to discover the 8ight in the heart center and "e lost thereL 2E'ternally oriented air from a"ove has to "e made internally oriented. Through (hokar% this air opens the door of the temple of !nahata ,hakra. Then deep engrossment occurs.2 (hokar creates a great stimulus in the fourth ,hakra guiding you to meet the white starlet &the true 2indu) whose contemplation opens the door of the Sushumna. The great effect of the (hokar is to $$initiate$$ you to the )mkar dimension not only as 6ound "ut also as 6piritual 8ight. ,ut you must insist with this over every measure. /urther procedures open you to the )mkar dimension in the aspect of movement swinging sensation which is the most su"tle and mysterious perception in which it is said resides the #ey to go "elying time and space. 8ahiri 9ahasaya although #nowing that many need a cult% a structure in which move their first steps% respects the dignity of the human person and was against any cult founded upon his Kriya Yoga. Although #nowing that his e'ample was important in the first phase of the student$s Kriya path didn$t want to play the part of a traditional 4uru "ecause he #new that in the long run this pretense was detrimental to the final emancipation of the person.

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Appen#iA 3 H Hi##en t(e!s*(es in P&Y&Ds K(i-! Yo<! This appendi' is devoted to those students who are conversant with the Kriya techni!ues as they are given "y the organi ations that spread P.7.$s teachings. Those techni!ues are only hinted at in the following te't% not fully descri"ed. The sym"ols F(% F=% F* and F4 are utili ed to denote the four Kriyas as they were given "y P.7.% while the preliminary techni!ues are denoted with their full nameL $$.ong Sau techni#ue2 and 2)m techni#ue0$$ Therefore% when in the following te't you read 2F=2 remem"er that we are referring to the particular techni!ue of the Second Kriya as it was given "y P.7.. After my "oo# appeared on the .e"% I had intense email e'changes with various researchers. Among them there was a large group of people who had received the Kriya techni!ues from P.7.$s organi ation. They had "rowsed my "oo# 0ust for curiosity. Having seen the similarity "etween their e'periences and mine% they e'pressed some of their technical dou"ts. The purpose of this appendi' is to share some ideas a"out the "est employment of some of P.7.$s techni!ues. It is a fact that those who came from P.7.$s school prove to "e the most 2serious2 and #ind people. (* 6ome of them would have greatly appreciated a seminar on the .igher Kriyas where not only the technical details were demonstrated "ut also a theoretical scheme had "een given providing devotees with resources to conceive - and su"se!uently improve - their routine in the "est of the ways. /or many kriyabans the crisis with their school "egan when their re!uest to have a 6eminar on the .igher Kriyas received an incomprehensi"le% anachronistic $$J5$$. Recently a cou le of the organi@ations based u on P0Y0?s legacy ro$ed to ha$e understood that it doesn?t ay to beha$e in such a way0 The ideas e'pressed here come from my direct e'perience and from a personal meeting with a kriyaban who struc# me with his e'traordinary commitment to the regular practice of Kriya. Although unsatisfied with his understanding of the su"tle mechanism underlying those procedures and tormented "y many dou"ts% he never dismissed the practice. 9eeting such an ardent devotee meant for me finding again% reflected in his eyes% the gold that once lighted my life when for the first time I s#immed through the pages of the famous P.7.$s auto"iography. He said he was following the Kriya path for one reason onlyL to surpass the "oundaries of his mind and merge with the Ineffa"le% not to worship any human "eing. Apart from the techni!ue of Kechari %udra% he didn$t feel the necessity of mi'ing P.7.$s Kriya Yoga with any other teaching.
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26erious2 is% in my opinion% a kriyaban who goes ahead with the practice of Kriya Yoga in spite of apparent unsuccess% who studies &and remem"ers their contents) all Kriya material produced "y organi ation or that you can read on line.

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5ur meeting was an e'traordinary event. .hile we were e'changing opinions and e'periences% &at different moments of our lives we had studied the same "oo#s a"out Yoga) I felt that the "itterness% mi'ed with curiosity and trust% that I had perceived in his mind a few minutes "efore when he had summari ed the ups and downs of his Kriya path% was dissolving. .ow to achie$e a good erformance of P0Y0?s Kriya ro er At this point the discourse "ecame less and less theoretical and more and more practical. Trying to improve our Kriya routine% we had many second thoughts a"out mouth or nose Pranayama% Kechari% circuit of energy.... At first we had o"eyed the suggestions given "y P.7.$s organi ation "ut then we have trusted our intuition. .e plunged straight into a discussion on all the technical details that aimed to foster an ideal e'ecution of the techni!ue of Kriya ro er0 Initially% we didn$t touch the theme of the .igher Kriyas. The first point of discussion was Kechari %udraL if and how to introduce it into the practice of Kriya ro er. P.7. in his writings and in his tal#s gave the definition of this %udra without introducing any practical e'ercises to "e performed over a certain period of time in order to achieve and master it. Aespite this% "oth we have achieved it without much effortL while I applied the classic e'ercise of (alabya Kriya% my friend achieved it "y following the tips he had found in a Yoga we" site. Jow% the pro"lem was that my friend thought that Kechari %udra should "e reserved for the practice of the .igher Kriyas0 This came from the weird "elief that only mouth1Kriya had the power to "ring the Prana flow into the innermost channel of the spineL Sushumna. He too# that as a dogma 0 Therefore he had renounced Kriya Pranayama with Kechari "ecause "y applying it &or "y simply #eeping the tip of the tongue touching the middle of the upper palate) the tongue "loc#s the flow of air through the mouth. To tell the truth% he had e'perimented with Kriya with Kechari. He stated that it had for him the "est possi"le calming function% that it was the "est tool to prepare the meditation phase after Kriya ro er. However% at the end% he came to the conclusion that such Pranayama was too $$wea#$$% that it had not the $$evolutive power$$ of mouth1Kriya. It was clear that my fried had tormented himself for a long time trying to ta#e his decision. He had also personal interviews with ministers of the organi ation. ,y the way% he informed me% this was a detail I didn$t #new% that P.7. had taught to some disciples to practice with mouth wide open while it was a common fact that other direct disciples of his practiced with half open mouth with the central part of the lips almost in contact. After listening to him% ac#nowledging that in the past my reasoning moved along the same routes% I could assert my firm pointsL

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G(I 9outh6Kriya has the remar#a"le power of granting a clear cold current sensation during inhalation and then warm current sensation during e'halation. This is indu"ita"le. Therefore% there is no reason to drop it definitively% even after achieving Kechari %udra. G=I .e have reasona"le evidence for considering the theory of the superiority of mouth1Kriya "aseless. Actually% this Pranayama, if practiced in large num"ers &more than 4?) induces a state of tension and nervousness. This uneasy sensation "ecomes mar#ed when one approaches a hundred of repetitions. 6urely in that state the energy does not flow in Sushumna. If it were so% the more you practice% the calmer you "ecome% "eing soon lost in the ecstatic state. 6ome kriyabans "oast that in this mouth1Pranayama% the Ida and Pingala currents have no roleL only Sushumna is affected3 It has "een e'plained that the energy flows into Sushumna only when you reach the "reathless state. In the "eginning Ida and Pingala have a role. The cold sensation during inhalation and the warm sensation during e'halation are the effect of Ida and Pingala. 5nly "y deepening our Kriya% we transcend all that% our "reath disappears% the actual )m sound is perceived. G*I Jose1Kriya with Kechari %udra "ut =it o*t mental chanting of )m in each ,hakra is not wrong Gis "y no ways tamasic as some claim after reading 8ahiri 9ahasaya$s lettersI% "ut has its reason to e'ist. A kriyaban will do the wisest thing "y guiding the energy along the path descri"ed in the (9*; P.7. writings. That circuit is natural and "eautiful. I am still una"le to get over the unfortunate decision of simplifying it in later editions. .hen a kriyaban is a"le to go close to the re!uired throat1and1nasal1 pharyn' sound and concentrate hundred per cent only upon that% then the sound of "reath "ecomes flute1li#e. This sound cannot "e learned during initiation "ut is e'perienced after years of committed practice. It has "een e'plained thatL $$The flute1li#e sound appears only when the spine is clean% li#e the empty tu"e that we visuali e during Kriya Pranayama.$$ And when the spine is clean% the oceanic sound of )m "ecomes audi"le. The apparition of this sound causes the Kundalini energy in %uladhara coming up spontaneously through the Sushumna into the "rain. .hen this happens% there is no other techni!ue to applyC when it does not happen% then it is wise to add the mental chanting of )m in each ,hakra. G In chapter + we have clarified how to mentally pronounce )m.I G4I Jose Kriya with Kechari %udra =it mental chanting of )m in each ,hakra is a true delight% a real heaven. Auring this practice% the intensity of the throat sounds decreases. As for tradition% )m is chanted (= timesL + during inhalation and + during e'halation. Auring inhalation% you chant )m in ,hakras (% =% *% 4% < and medulla. GIn P.7.$s teaching and also in 6ri 7u#teswar$s writings% medulla is considered the most appropriate place for locating the si'th ,hakra !jna.I At the end of inhalation% the energy has reached the eye"rows center. Auring e'halation% the energy goes up through the forehead% reaches fontanelle% then comes down to 2indu. The other + chants happen in the same points "ut in reverse order
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&medulla% fifth ,hakra000) .hile coming down% )m is placed in the "ac# part of each ,hakra - which is always in the spine and not in the "ac# of the "ody. G<I Those who are not satisfied from their perception of the movement of Prana along the spine% should add to %aha %udra some moderate e'ercises for the spineL especially lateral "ending and torsion. Nadi Sodhana Pranayama can "e practiced with great "enefit "efore %aha %udra. It helps to complete the effect of %aha %udraL removing the o"stacles that "loc# the door of the Sushumna. G+I 5ne can also practice the e'ercise with the fists in front of the the mouth given during Kriya initiation. This e'ercise is not only a didactic tool to e'plain the Kriya Pranayama perceptions% it is also an e'traordinarily tool to create a #een sensation of p(esen'e in the spine. It is a smart variation of Sitali Pranayama0 (4 To intensify its action% you can practice it with a fragmented "reath. Aividing the "reath in small fragments while you are intensely concentrating on the spine% feeling a power that rises millimeter after millimeter &and li#ewise descends during fragmented e'halation) has a very effective action. After this e'ercise% the practice of Kriya Pranayama is very easy. G>I After Kriya Pranayama, one should move hisBher awareness up and down along the spine. This action leads to what can "e called mental PranayamaL an active concentration on the ,hakras, pausing in each one of them for (;1=; seconds and en0oying what comes out of it. The "enefit of Kriya Pranayama should "e con!uered with a minimal effort. After Kriya ro er% one should not simply remain immova"le waiting for the time go "y ... li#e one who is awaiting that the shot of medicine given into a muscle "y an in0ection spreads pacifically and is possi"le to stand up and wal# without compromising the action of such treatment. This is the "est place to apply the core principle of the .ong So techni!ue. 5ne can visuali e the "reath &always short% calm% spontaneous "reath) going up and down with .oooong and Soooo. After a couple of minutes% the "reath is so short and calm that you can succeed in perceiving that a micro "reath is happening inside each ,hakra. A short "reath% almost invisi"le happens in the %uladhara and one thing with the soothing chant of .ong so. The same happens in the second ,hakra% then in the third ... and so on... up and down along the spine... until there is no more "reath% only .ong So in each ,hakra. G?I ,efore standing% *yoti %udra seems perfect to o"tain the e'perience of 6piritual 8ight and close the Kriya routine in the "est of the ways.

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2Curl comforta"ly your tongue and protrude it slightly past the lips to form a tu"e. Inhale deeply and smoothly through the tongue and mouth 11 a cooling sensation is felt over the tongue and into the throat. E'hale through the nose ideally directing the fresh "reath in all the parts of your "ody.2 This is a common way of practicing Sitali Pranayama.

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6ummari ing% a good routine could "eL GII - PreparationL "alancing the Ida and Pingala currents gJadi 6odhana Pranayama g9aha 9udra gE'ercises for the spine - lateral "ending and torsion gTala"ya Friya if one desires to achieve Fechari 9udra GIII - Central partL intense effort to magneti e the spine g9outh1Friya &no more than =4) gJose1Friya with Fechari 9udra% without mental chanting of 5m in each Cha#ra gJose Friya with Fechari 9udra% with mental chanting of 5m in each Cha#ra GIIII - Approaching the "reathless state and immersion in the 5m#ar reality g 9ental Pranayama or Hong 6o in the spine followed "y Hong 6o in each Cha#ra g:yoti 9udra to o"tain the e'perience of the 6piritual 8ight In order to en0oy Kriya Pranayama at the ma'imum degree% one can ma#e the following effort at least once in life. 8et us consider ta#ing the decision to complete 207 ! Kriya Pranayamas with Kechari an" with mental chanting of #m in each $ha%ra - either (44 each day for (44 days or >= each day for =?? days3 7ou can "egin each session in the way you prefer &mouth open or closed) - after some rounds you will surely practice what we have descri"ed in point G4I. All the effort should "e directed to listening to the internal sounds% hence to contact and merge with the )mkar dimension. The commitment of one$s own will to "ring forth a continuous attention to the internal sounds will "ring you in a higher plan of sensitivity. Instead of chanting only the )m sylla"le% you can utili e the twelve letter 9antra )m Na %o 2ha.... Remarks about KC and KF .hen kriyabans receive F* and F4% they are not a"le to resist the temptation of trying F4 on the spot - 2if it leads to Samadhi% why not try it now2D After a"out (< 1 =; rotations% Kumbhaka "ecomes stressful. Instead of giving up% they repeat the same attempt a couple of times% while discomfort increases and a feeling of nausea or di iness goes on launching its alarm signals. Eventually they stop% defeated. The gain is ero% less than ero3 Jot only they have not o"tained the slightest trace of Samadhi, "ut they have lost the initial tran!uil state.
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.ell% let us try to set the procedures of F* and F4 within a well1ad0usted training process. A very good idea is to distinguish in the teaching of F* two different teachingsL F* without head movements and F* with head movements. _ F* without head movements. Practice the F* instructions in immo"ility% without movements of the head. Inhale% placing the sylla"les where prescri"edC intensify the awareness at the point "etween the eye"rows. Remem"er to apply the mental pressure at the "ase of the spinal column. E'halation "egins immediately after the concentration at the point "etween the eye"rowsL it guides the current into the prescri"ed centers 0 .hile vi"rating the sylla"les in the correct places% there could "e a micro pause in each one of themC however% the flow of the "reath should not lose its !uality of smoothness and the inhaling and e'haling sound remains continuous. It has "een e'plained that this practice in immo"ility isL $$the art of astral diving through the spinal tunnel.2 The gist of the practice lies in the constant effort of raising the awareness along the spinal column millimeter after millimeter with a continuous mental pressure. 5ne must have trained the power of his concentration to the point of "eing a"le to maintain this pressure with uninterrupted continuity. It is li#e s!uee ing with the thum" an almost empty tu"e of toothpaste &from its "ase up to its opening) to get the last little "it out. Kechari %udra is e'traordinary in creating the necessary 2mental pressure.2 The e'halation is more tran!uilL the energy glides downwards as a cascade of light coming from a"ove. _ F* with head movements Those who em"ar# on this venture should learn to perform the head movements in a very delicate way. Jo one should allow the weight of one$s head to push the chin toward the chestL in this condition% the physical movement is definitely too powerful and harmful for the nec#. Hence% mindful physical effort is re!uired while stri#ing the chest "ut at the same time resisting the force of gravity. 6ome define this last movement of the head as a 2"low2 or a 2stro#e.2 Perhaps it is much more correct to define it as a 2tap2% or a 2slight 0olt.2 2:olt2 means that the chin comes down% touches the chest "ut does not remain glued there - after an instant it comes up immediately. The point is to produce an intense effect within the fourth ,hakra. 8et us consider the speed of the movements. @sually they happen without altering that rhythm with which the sylla"les are mentally chanted during inhalation. ,ut you can go slower. 6ince 5e, 3a, Ya are chanted in a slower way in order to accompany a full e'halation% you can also chant (e, 3a, Su with the same rhythm as 5e, 3a, Ya. In this way% there is plenty of time for concentrating deeper on each "low. To "e more clearL if inhalation and e'halation happen in ? ^ ? seconds% the movements of the head with (e, 3a, Su happen in a time that varies from 4 to ? seconds.

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_ A"out F4 The difficulty in practicing this techni!ue lies in trying to hold the "reath without having first calmed the Prana in the "ody and raised the energy ! ana residing under the "elt into the higher part of the thora'. To increase the num"er of rotations of the head up to =;;% without "reathing% seems a mere illusion. 5n the contrary% this "ecomes feasi"le when a kriyaban has completed the right preparation. ,ut what could "efittingly "e called a right preparation for F4D The decisive procedure - endowed with a shattering psychological cleaning power - is to complete t=o &ncremental 'outines regarding the two afore1hinted aspects of the F* techni!ue. G6ee chapter 9 for a definition of Incremental Routine.I a) The first Incremental Routine concerns F* without the movements of the head. Tradition envisages "eginning with (= repetitions and adding one repetition a day until you reach =;; repetitions. This is to "e done once a day% during the main routine. &After this practice, forget the "reath and remain immo"ile% practicing the "est form of mental Pranayama.) If you have a secondary session% the same techni!ue can "e resumed for (=1*+ times. Instead of adding one repetition a day% you can adopt a simpler planL practice =< repetitions a day for two wee#s. Then practice <; repetitions a day for another two wee#s. Then practice >< repetitions a day for another two wee#s ...then (;;... ...(=<... and so on until you practice =;; repetitions a day for two wee#s. Completing this Incremental Routine is a challenging% "ut not particularly difficult% underta#ingC time goes "y without much notice and what could seem to "e an e'hausting tas# &doing more than (;; repetitions) turns out to "e as easy as a moment of rest. ") The second Incremental Routine concerns F* with head movements. The plan of Incremental increase is the same of the previous Incremental Routine. The crucial detail whose importance cannot "e over emphasi ed is that during each movement of the head% while the "reath is held% you do not lose the perception of the current reaching and piercing each ,hakra +%edulla, cervical and heart ,hakra-0 At the completion of "oth procedures &a year or more is re!uired) the student is a"le to direct a tremendous amount of energy into the heart ,hakra and is ready to reach high levels of perfection with F4. Prudence with KF is highly recommendedG A wise way of tac#ling the F4 techni!ue is here descri"ed. 5urs is not a commonly accepted method "ut it can help those who are stuc# in an unsatisfactory practice of F4. 8et us suppose that while holding your "reath in a non1forced way% you
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are a"le to practice the movements of F4 for a precise amount n of timesC let us also suppose that the day after the practice% you don$t feel pain in the cervical verte"rae or in the nec# muscles. .ell% presuma"ly you are in the condition of practicing n^+ rotations. In order to feel comforta"le% a"ide "y the following technical detailL Auring the last part of your inhalation% don$t ma#e the act of sealing the lungs &closing the trachea - as when you are diving into water) "ut #eep them as if you are going to "egin a new inhalation. /eel an increase of Prana in the upper part of the lungs. 7ou will have the sensation that the "reath is annihilated and you can complete your tas# easily. &5f course that depends on months and months of conscientious practice of F*.) .hen n^+ movements are completed% e'hale comforta"ly and don$t repeat the procedure till the ne't day. /or one wee# don$t try to increase "eyond this new n^+ 2record2. If there are pro"lems with the cervical verte"rae% you can wisely practice on alternative days. If everything goes in the "est of the ways% increase "y si' rotations a wee#. However% as you can easily presume% you won$t "e a"le to increase the num"er of rotations indefinitely. At a certain point you will come up against a threshold that seems impossi"le to trespass. Aon$t worry if this threshold is small% even inferior to <;1+; rounds. .hen will you effortlessly reach the =;; rotations as 8ahiri 9ahasaya prescri"edD JeverD Aon$t thin# so. Read carefully the following instructions and test them. Feeping your chest e'panded and the a"dominal muscles and diaphragm perfectly immo"ile% allow that a minimal &almost impercepti"le) sip of air can go out whenever your chin is lowered toward the chestC and an impercepti"le sip of air can enter whenever the chin is "rought up. 8et us "e clearL don$t ma#e the intentional act of inhaling and e'halingC your role is limited to letting the afore descri"ed phenomenon happen freely% not impeded. .hat is important is that you don$t lose the sensation that the physical "reath doesn$t e'ist and all the Prana is immo"ile in the upper part of the lungs. Increase until it is comforta"le - therefore don$t set the o"0ective of achieving the =;; rotations. Ao you thin# that this method is wrong% nothing "ut a deceitful tric#D 9ay"e it is% "ut through this way of proceeding% something "eautiful is approaching. 5ne day you reali e that during your practice the previously hinted little sips of "reath don$t happen. An increase of energy in the fourth ,hakra is stri#ingly perceived. 7ou reali e you are rotating your head while #eeping a perfect effortless Kumbhaka. A wonderful sensation of freedom from "reath happens. A simple e'planation of this event is "ased on the consideration that the adopted procedure has a soothing effect on the ganglia tied with the "reathing process. In this condition% you will "e a"le to reach the =;; rotations.

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Information about K< 9any are convinced that F= as taught "y P.7. is incorrectly named 2 Second Kriya2. Indeed% it is !uite different from the Second Kriya as taught "y various schools which corresponds to F*. I have #nown students who felt deceived 0ust for this reason and had dropped it. However the techni!ue is decidedly valua"le. The story that P.7. received this instruction from 6wami Fe"alananda is plausi"le. I "elieve that a similar techni!ue is hinted at in Eheranda 6amhitaL 2... close ears% eyes% .... meditate on the si' ,hakras one "y one.2 The techni!ue F= is an advanced and e'tremely difficult teaching which is "ased on a procedure which is not restricted to 2physically locating the centers2% "ut whose purpose is definitely higher. 7ou focus mind and Prana on each one of them until their essence is revealed. The $$essence$$ of each one is the (attwa related to it. .e have already touched upon the theme of (attwas% the five elements &earth% water% fire% air% ether). F= leads you to perceive not only their colors "ut something moreL the static Prana related to their vi"rational rate. Actually% there are some writings in which P.7. e'plains in a very clear way the physical changes that happen when your awareness attunes to the different (attwas0 Each kriyaban runs into these writings "y studying the correspondence course. It$s odd that those writings are not specifically lin#ed to those of Second Kriya. P.7. e'plains how your "reath flows through your nostrils and descri"es the different flavors you perceive in your mouth when you attune to each (attwa. And finally% last "ut not least% we must point out that in the group of the writings accompanying the F= instruction% two other e'tremely important techni!ues are descri"ed. They are given without a specific nameL the first% very clearly e'plained% is a delicate techni!ue conceived to help you to perceive the astral spine% the other could "e called the art of 2%otionless (hokar2. 0& Te' ni4*e +o( pe('ei,in< t e Ast(!) Spine The techni!ue to perceive the astral spine is e'plained after P.7. has e'patiated on Kundalini and given a clear hint at the necessity of Kechari %udra0 At a certain point% P.7. e'plains how% once sta"le in the meditation !sana% a kriyaban gently sways the spine% left and right in order to feel the astral spine as separate from the "ody. The core of the teaching is then e'perienced in immo"ility "y traveling up and down the spine% mentally chanting )m in the location of the ,hakras. (< It is a very simple teaching and yet it is great3 The result can leave you astonished3 I don$t comment on it further% since P.7.$s few lines a"out it are e'haustive. 1& Te' ni4*e o+ motion)ess T o.!( The procedure of 2%otionless (hokar2 is hinted at in a not1easy1to1understand sentence a"out the 2psycho1physical "lows given at the different locations of the
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There is a direct disciple of P7 who teaches Second Kriya e'actly in this way. 7ou mentally chant )m at each ,hakra$s location% from %uladhara to the point "etween the eye"rows% then in Sahasrara% cervical% heart ,hakra .... This cycle is to "e repeated for + to (= times% and the practice is concluded "y a final rising into Sahasrara.

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,hakras02 Jo further practical e'planation is given. The information I have received is that the 2psycho1physical "lows$$ are o"tained "y mentally placing the sylla"les of a %antra inside a ,hakra visuali ed as a hori ontal dis# li#e a coin. There are many ways of doing this% I suggest here only one. The "reath is forgotten. 9entally repeat in each ,hakra &starting from %uladhara and going upwards) the 9antraL )m Na %o 2ha 4a 2a (e 3a Su 5e 3a Ya0 Aivide the %antra in four partsL )m Na %H II 2ha 4a 2J II (e 3a SK II 5e 3a YJ0 /our taps &soft "lows) happen when we thin# the accented sylla"les %H, 2J, SK and YJ0 7ou can mentally chant 2)m2 at the left of the center of each ,hakra% 2Na2 at the right and 2%H2% with a soft tap% in the center of it. The oscillation perceived during this internal action is a matter of millimeters. A light oscillatory movement of the spine can accompany and strengthen the internal movement. Repeat the same procedure with 2ha 4a 2J, thus giving a second psycho1physical "low at the ,hakra. Then vi"rate (e 3a SK and 5e 3a YJ0 Repeat the same procedure with all the other ,hakras. The ideal would "e to complete from three to si' rounds% up and down. A slight contraction of the muscles around each ,hakra may accompany this action "ut% as the procedure "egins to produce its sweet effect% physical immo"ility "ecomes predominant. Some Remarks about the .ong Sau (echni#ue The routine recommended "y the organi ations that spread the teachings of P7 isL Recharging e'ercisesC Hong 6auC 5m techni!ueC 9aha 9udraC Friya properC :yoti 9udraC /inal concentration in the spine and in the Futastha. .hen the Higher Friyas are added% they are practiced after Friya proper or after :yoti 9udra. In time% there comes a tendency to simplify. 9any eliminate entirely the preliminary techni!ues .ong Sau and )mC some practice only one or "oth after Kriya ro er% at the place of the final concentration in Kutastha. ,oth techni!ues are e'cellent if practiced after Kriya proper. They give their "est effect if en0oyed alone without any hurry. /acing the issue of the .ong Sau techni!ue% we agree that this is not a techni!ue that gives you the a"ility of concentration. .hoever decides to practice it seriously must "e endowed with the a"ility to maintain a high level of concentration. The procedure% as designed "y P.7.% starts with some deep "reaths. 8iterature e'plains that they o'ygenate the "lood and calm the systemC actually% they put into motion the essential mechanism of Kriya Pranayama / mi'ing and "alancing Prana and ! ana.

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As for the .ong6sau %antra (+ there$s not much to say a"out itC it should not "e ta#en as a 2magical formula2. It must merge with your "reath% of which you must "e constantly aware. If you rela' your #een awareness of it and remain there as if hypnoti ed "y the pleasing sound of the two sylla"les .ong and Sau% you shall "e disappointed. 7our mind will not "e prone to "eing internali ed and it won$t surrender to the meditative state. If you respect two fundamental principles% in a matter of two three minutes you shall find yourself in a fantastic state. T e +i(st p(in'ip)e &which sounds strange to many students) is to never esta"lish a rhythm in the mental chanting of .ong Sau. The mental chant of this %antra% repeated over and over% can easily and naturally conform to a hard1to1 change rhythm. If your "reath follows this rhythm% it is clear as the sun that it will never settle down3 5nce the rhythm has sta"ili ed itself% even if the "ody 2could2 physiologically stay off1"reath for some instants% the "reathing process will continue implaca"ly. I am sure that many students don$t reali e they are in the condition of living the e'perience of the "reathless state. The fact is that many have practiced this techni!ue for years and cannot dou"t the correctness of their practice. .hen students understand that a rhythm was almost always present in their practice% then the pro"lem is nearly cured. ,ut sometimes one must ta#e a significant amount of time to dwell upon the concept of rhythm. After inhalation or after e'halation% a student must always wait for the impulse to "reathe to appear. .hen there are the physiological conditions that a pause could naturally appear% kriyabans should not accept that the implaca"le rhythm created in their mind &hong1so1hong1so...) prevents it. The pause should "e e'perienced% no matter if it lasts 0ust a couple of instants3 6tudents who a"ide "y this principle will soon verify how this small detail is sufficient to ease the "reath off% in a very drastic way. T e se'on# p(in'ip)e consists of considering another factor that conspires to annihilate the pause after inhalation and in contrasting it. A kriyaban must "ecome conscious of the movement of the ri" cage. Auring inhalation% the chest swells out and gets into an elastic tension. This elastic force tries to "e released immediately after inhalation. The pause of the "reath after inhalation is 0eopardi ed not only "y the rhythm of the mental chanting of .ong Sau "ut also "y the chest elasticity. .hen you get over the pro"lem of the rhythm% then there is only this second detail to "e o"served. 6tudents must "e aware of this elastic strength and should "loc# the instinct to release it. The pause after the inhalation should e'ist freely. Again% a student must always wait for the impulse to "reathe to appear. Putting all this into practice% a 2virtuous circle2 "etween this growing calmness and the reduced necessity of o'ygen is reali ed.

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This techni!ues is also taught with Sau during inhalation and .ong during e'halation. 7ou discover that the effect is same. =*>

GLOSSARY This glossary has "een added for those who already #now the meaning of the most common terms used in Friya "ut do not wish to retain uncertainties a"out the way they are utili ed in this "oo#. A)' em- Gtaoist internal 11 Jei AanI The Taoist Internal Alchemy is the mystical tradition of ancient China. It reminds us of the techni!ues of /irst Friya with such precision that we have all the reasons to assume that it consists of the same process. Ap!n! Apana is one of the five forms of energy in the "ody. Associated with the lower a"dominal region% it is responsi"le for all the "odily functions &elimination for e'ample) that ta#e place there. Friya Pranayama% in its initial phase% is essentially the movement of Prana &the particular form of energy present in the upper part of the trun# - lungs and heart) into Apana and the movement of Apana into Prana. .hen we inhale% the energy from outside the "ody is "rought within and meets Apana in the lower a"domenC during e'halation% the Apana moves from its seat up and mingles with Prana. The continuous repetition of this event generates an increase of heat in the navel regionL this calms the "reath and #indles the light of the 6piritual Eye. As!n! Physical postures fit for meditation. According to Patan0ali% the yogi$s posture must "e steady and pleasant. The most part of the #riya"ans are comforta"le with the so1called .alf6lotus GseeIL this% indeed% avoids some physical pro"lems. /or the average #riya"an% Siddhasana GseeI is considered superior to any other Asana. If we ta#e finally into account those #riya"ans who are e'pert of Hatha17oga% who have "ecome very fle'i"le% the perfect position is undou"tedly Padmasana GseeI. As=ini >As =ini@ %*#(! 2Ashwa2 means 2horse2C 2Aswini 9udra2 means 29udra of the female horse2 "ecause the anal contraction resem"les the movement a horse ma#es with its sphincter immediately after evacuation of the "owels. There may "e slightly different definitions of it and% sometimes% it is confused with 9ula ,andha GseeI. The "asic definition is to repeatedly contract the muscles at the "ase of the spine &sphincter) with the rhythm of a"out two contractions per second. This 9udra is a direct way of getting in touch with the loc#ed and stagnant energy at the "ase of the spine and to pump it up. B!n# ! In 7oga no practice of Pranayama is considered complete without the ,andhas. They are energy valves as much as they are loc#s% not simple muscle contractions% which prevent the energy from "eing dissipated and redirect it inside the spine. G6ee :alandhara ,andha% @ddiyana ,andha and 9ula ,andhaI In the very "eginning of the Friya path% a yogi has only an appro'imate understanding of the ,andhas% later one will come to a complete command and will "e a"le to use them% with slight adaptations% in most of the Friya techni!ues. The three ,andhas% applied simultaneously% create an almost ecstatic inner shiver% a feeling of energy current moving up the spine. 6ushumna Awa#ening is sustained. Bin#* A spiritual center located in the occipital region where the hairline twists into a #ind of vorte'. @ntil the energy% scattered in the "ody% reaches the ,indu% a sort of shroud prevents the yogi from contemplating the 6piritual Eye. ,ringing all one$s force =*?

there% in that tiny place% is not an easy tas# "ecause the deeper roots of the Ego are to "e found right thereC they must "e faced and eradicated. B(e!t )ess st!te It is e'perienced after years of Friya practice. It has nothing to do with holding the "reath forcefully. It does not simply mean that the "reath "ecomes more and more !uiet. It is the state where the "reath is entirely non1e'istent% with the su"se!uent dissolution of the mind. 9any #riya"ans are not a"le to conceive such a state. There is a halo of mystery that surrounds its descriptionC people thin# it is impossi"le and that any affirmation a"out its occurrence is false. Jevertheless% it is possi"le% even if it is e'perienced only after years of Friya practice. .hen it manifests% a #riya"an does not feel the need to ta#e in any "reath at all or one ta#es in a very short "reath "ut doesn$t feel the need to e'hale for a very long time. &8onger than the time which medical science considers possi"le.) The "reath "ecomes so calm that the practitioner has the factual perception that one is not "reathing at allC one feels a fresh energy in the "ody% sustaining its life from inside% without the necessity of o'ygen. According to the Friya theory% this state is the result of having completed the wor# of cutting of the heart #not. B (*m!# -! The region "etween the eye"rows% lin#ed with A0na Cha#ra and with the vision of the third eye &Futastha). C !.(! The word Cha#ra comes from the 6ans#rit ca#ra meaning 2wheel2 or 2circle2. The Cha#ras are the 2wheels2 of our spiritual lifeC they are descri"ed in the tantric te'ts as emanations from the 6pirit% whose essence gradually has e'panded in more and more gross levels of manifestation% reaching eventually the dimension of the "ase Cha#ra% the 9uladhara% em"odying the physical world. The descended energy1 consciousness lies coiled and sleeping at the "ase of the spine and is called Fundalini 1 she who is coiled. .e human "eings consider only the physical world as realL it is only when our Fundalini awa#ens that we regain the full memory of the reality of the su"tle dimension of the @niverse. Jo author has ever 2proven2 the e'istence of the Cha#ras - as no man has ever proven the e'istence of the soul. It is difficult to descri"e themL we cannot "ring them onto a ta"le in a la"oratory. In any 7oga "oo# we find descriptions which rest on a translation of two Indian te'ts% the 6at1Ca#ra1Jirupana% and the Pada#a1Panca#a% "y 6ir :ohn .oodroffe% alias Arthur Avalon% in a "oo# entitled The 6erpent Power. The matter depicted there seems to "e unnaturally complicated% almost impossi"le to "e utili ed. These concepts had "een further polluted "y theosophy and similar esoteric literature. The controversial C. .. 8ead"eater "oo# 2The Cha#ras%2 is in large part the result of the mental ela"oration of his own e'periences. Through the practice of Friya% we can have an e'perience of the Cha#ras. 8ocated over the anus at the very "ase of the spinal column% in the lower part of the coccy'% we encounter the root Cha#ra 1 named %*)!# !(! in 6ans#rit% a center which distri"utes energy to the legs% to the lowest part of the pelvis% irradiating especially the Eonads &testes in men% ovaries in women). 9uladhara sym"oli es the o"0ective consciousness% the awareness of the physical universe. It is related to instinct% security% to our a"ility to ground ourselves in the physical world% to the desire for material goods and also the "uilding of a good self1image. If this Cha#ra is in a harmonious state% we are centered and have a strong will to live. The second% or sacral Cha#ra 1 S=!# ist !n 1 is placed inside the spine "etween the last lum"ar verte"rae and the "eginning of the sacrum. It is said that its =*9

energetic pro0ection is the area of the se'ual organs 1 in part it intersects the region of 9uladhara$s influence. 6ince it is related to "ase emotion% se'uality vitality% creativity% and to the deepest part of the su"conscious realms% a deep stimulus of it produces deep involving dreamsC its action may "e perceived as a feeling of living a fa"le% whose nature is sweet and alluring. The %!nip*(! 1 navel center or solar ple'us 1 is placed in the spine at the level of the navel% near the end of the dorsal verte"rae and the "eginning of the lum"ar verta"rae. It is said to influence the pancreas and the adrenal glands on top of the #idneys. This connection gives fuel to the idea that this Cha#ra has the same role played "y those glandsL higher emotion and energy 1 0ust li#e the role played "y adrenalin. It is said that it fosters a sense of personal power% secure feeling of 2I Am.2. Erounded and comforta"le with our place in the universe% we are a"le to affirm with determination the purpose of our life. The An! !t! 1 heart center% located in the spine at the height of the middle part of the dorsal verte"rae 1 is said to influence the thymus% which is part of the immune system. There is a universal agreement that it is related to higher emotion% compassion% love and intuitiveness. .hen a person concentrates on it% feelings of profound tenderness and compassion will start to develop. A healthy and fully open heart Cha#ra means to "e a"le to see the inner "eauty in othershin spite of their apparent faults. 5ne is a"le to love everyone% even the strangers we meet on the street. There is a progression from the instinctual 2gut emotions2 of the lower Cha#ras to the higher emotions and feelings of the heart Cha#ra. .hat is of great interest for us% is that opening this center means to see life in a more neutral manner and see what others cannot see. It ends the predisposition to "eing influenced "y other people% "y churches and "y organi ations in general. Vis *## ! 1 throat center% e'actly amid the last cervical verte"rae and the first dorsal verte"rae 1 is said to influence thyroid and parathyroid. 6ince it controls the activity of the vocal cords as well% it is said that it has something to do with the capacity to e'press our ideas in the world. It seems to "e related with the capacity for communication and with ta#ing personal responsi"ility for our actions. The person with a healthy throat Cha#ra no longer thin#s to "lame others for his or her pro"lems and can carry on with life with full responsi"ility. 9any authors state it awa#ens artistic inspiration% the a"ility to develop superior aesthetic perception. AIn! 1 the third eye Cha#ra% located in the central part of the "rain 1 influences the pituitary gland GhypophysisI and the small "rain. The hypophysis has a vital role in organism% in the sense that together with the hypothalamus it acts as a command system of all other endocrine glands. In 6ans#rit% 2A0na2 translates to 2command%2 which means it has the command or control of our livesL through controlled action% it "rings to reality the fruit of our desires. Conse!uently% it is said that A0na Cha#ra has a vital role in the spiritual awa#ening of a person. It is the seat of the intuition. The supreme Cha#ra is the S! !s(!(! 1 crown Cha#ra 1 right a"ove the top of the head. It is said that it influences% or is "ound with% the pineal gland. It allows detachment from illusion and is related to one$s overall e'pansion of awareness and degree of attunement with the Aivine Reality. It is a superior reality and we can e'perience it only in the state of "reathlessness. It is possi"le to 2tune2 into it "y utili ing the Bin#* as a doorway. Teachings pertaining to the 2F(ont!) C !.(!s2 are to "e found "y some #riya"ans coming from 6ri 7u#teswar$s disciple lineage. The perineum is the first one% the genitals region is the second one% the navel is the third% the central part of the sternum region is the fourth% the Adam$s apple is the fifth and the point "etween the =4;

eye"rows may "e considered as the si'th. The core of the Friya teaching regarding them% is that when these points are touched with concentration% the energy around the correspondent Cha#ra in the spine is revived. D !(!n! According to Patan0ali% Aharana is the concentration on a physical or a"stract o"0ect. In Friya% Aharana consist in directing the focus of our attention toward the revelation of 6piritL 5m#ar$s inner sound% light% and movement sensation. This happens 0ust after having calmed the "reath. D -!n! According to Patan0ali% Ahyana ensues from contemplating the essential nature of the chosen o"0ect as a steady% uninterrupted flow of consciousness. In Friya% the awareness% dwelling upon the 5m#ar reality% is soon lost in 6amadhi. F)*te so*n# &during Friya Pranayama) Auring the e'halation of Friya Pranayama% a slight hiss is produced in the throatC when a #riya"an succeeds in assuming the position of Fechari 9udra% then the !uality of that sound increases. It has "een li#ened to the 2flute of Frishna2. 8ahiri 9ahasaya descri"es itL 2as if someone "lew through a #eyhole2. This highly en0oya"le sound cuts to pieces any distraction% increases mental calmness and transparency and helps to prolong effortlessly the practice of Friya Pranayama. 5ne day the flute sound turns into the 5m sound. In other words% it gives rise to the 5m sound% whose vi"ration will "e so strong as to overwhelm the flute sound. Auring this event% a strong movement of energy clim"s up the spine. Eranthi Gsee #notI G*(* The importance of finding a Euru &teacher) who supervises the spiritual training of the disciple is one of the tenets of many spiritual paths. A Euru is a teacher% a guide and much more. The scriptures declare that the Euru is Eod and Eod is the Euru. .e are accustomed to e'plaining the term 2Euru2 on a metaphorical interplay "etween dar#ness and light% in which the Euru is seen as the dispeller of dar#nessL 2Eu2 stands for dar#ness and 2Ru2 for one who removes it. 6ome scholars dismiss that etymologyC according to them 2Eu2 stands for 2"eyond the !ualities2 and 2Ru2 for 2devoid of form2. In order to gain all the "enefits from the contact with the Euru% a disciple has to "e hum"le% sincere% pure in "ody and mind and ready to surrender to his Euru$s will and instructions. @sually% during initiation &Ai#sha) Eurus "estow the esoteric #nowledge upon their disciples% through which they will progress along the path to 6elf reali ation. The internal phenomenon of 6ha#tipat happensL the dormant spiritual reali ation within the disciple is awa#ened. Friya organi ations don$t insist upon the concept of 6ha#tipat "ut accept all the rest% rather they are founded upon the afore summari ed tenets. 5n the contrary% 8ahiri 9ahasaya$s ideas seem to go in a significantly different direction. 5nce he saidL 2I am not the Euru% I don$t maintain a "arrier "etween the true Euru &the Aivine) and the disciple2. He added that he wanted to "e considered a 2mirror2. In other words% each #riya"an should loo# at him not as an unreacha"le ideal% "ut as the personification of all the wisdom and spiritual reali ation which% in due time% the Friya practice will "e a"le to produce. Jow the !uestion isL do the Friya techni!ues wor# outside the Euru1disciple relationshipD There is of course no scientifically proven answer. In this matter we can use either faith or reason. 9any #riya"ans are confident they are a"le to transform the no1matter1how1received instruction into 2gold2. They thin#L 2,eyond either reasona"le =4(

or impro"a"le e'pectations of finding a Friya e'pert at my disposal% let me roll my sleeves up and move on32 H!)+?)ot*s This asana has "een used for meditation since time immemorial "ecause it provides a comforta"le% very easily o"tained% sitting position. The left leg is "ent at the #nee% "rought toward the "ody and the sole of the left foot is made to rest against the inside of the right thigh. The heel of the left foot should is drawn in as far as possi"le. The right leg is "ent at the #nee and the right foot is placed over the fold of the left leg where the thigh meets to hip. The right #nee is dropped as far as possi"le toward the floor. The hands rest on the #nees. The secret is to maintain an erect spineL this can "e o"tained only "y sitting on a cushion% thic# enough% with the "uttoc#s toward the front half of the cushion. In this way the "uttoc#s are slightly raised% while the #nees are resting on the floor. .hen the legs grow tired% the position is prolonged "y reversing the legs. In certain delicate situations% it may "e providential to do it on a chair% provided it has no arms and is large enough. In this way% one leg at a time can "e lowered and the #nee articulation rela'ed3 6ome 7oga teachers e'plain that the pressure of a tennis "all &or of a folded towel) on the perineum can give the "enefits of the 6iddhasana position. Hes-' !sm The word Hesychasm derives from the Eree# word 2hesychia2 meaning inner !uietness% tran!uility and stillness. 5utside this condition% meditation is not possi"le. It is a discipline integrating the continual repetition of the :esus Prayer &28ord :esus Christ% 6on of Eod% have mercy on me% a sinner2). It was already used "y the early Church /athers in the 4th and <th centuries) with the practice of asceticism. There were hermits dwelling in the desert% see#ing inner peace and spiritual insight% while practicing contemplation and self1disciplineL they had no dou"ts a"out the fact that #nowledge of Eod could "e o"tained only "y purity of soul and prayer and not "y study or mental amusements in the field of philosophy. 8ater% their method of asceticism came to the fore as a concrete set of psychophysical techni!uesL this is properly the core of Hesychasm. It was 6imeon% 2the new theologian2 &(;=<1(;9=)% who developed the !uietist theory which such detail that he may "e called the father of this movement. The practice% which involved specific "ody postures and deli"erate "reathing patterns% was intended to perceive the Uncreated :ight of 4od. The mon#s of Athos might have #ept on contemplating peacefully this @ncreated 8ight &they considered it to "e the highest goal of earthy life) had not their methods "een denounced as superstitious and a"surd. The o"0ection was mainly "ased on a vigorous denial of the possi"ility that this @ncreated 8ight was Eod$s essence. In appro'imately the year (**>% Hesychasm attracted the attention of a learned mem"er of the 5rthodo' Church% ,arlaam of 6eminara% a Cala"rian mon# who held the office of a""ot in a 9onastery of Constantinople and who visited 9ount Athos. There he encountered the hesychasts and heard the descriptions of their practices. ,arlaam% trained in .estern 6cholastic theology% was scandali ed and "egan to com"at it "oth orally and in his writings. He called the hesychasts 2omphalopsychoi2 1 people having their souls in their navels &owing to the long time they spent concentrating on the navel region). ,arlaam propounded a more intellectual approach to the #nowledge of Eod than the one taught "y the hesychastsL he asserted that the spiritual #nowledge could "e only a wor# of in!uiry% "rought ahead "y one$s mind and translated in discrimination "etween truth and untruth. He held that no part of Eod% whatsoever% could "e viewed "y humans. The practice of the hesychasts was defended "y 6t. Eregory Palamas. He was well educated in Eree# philosophy and defended Hesychasm in the (*4; at three different synods in Constantinople% and he also wrote a num"er of wor#s in its defense. He used a =4=

distinction% already articulated in the 4th Century in the wor#s of the Cappadocian /athers% "etween the energies or operations of Eod and the essence of EodL while the essence of Eod can never "e #nown "y his creatures% His energies or operations can "e #nown "oth in this life and in the ne'tC they convey to the Hesychast the truest spiritual #nowledge of Eod. In Palamite theology% it is the uncreated energy of Eod which illuminates the Hesychast who has "een vouchsafed an e'perience of the @ncreated 8ight. In (*4( the dispute was settledL ,arlaam was condemned and returned to Cala"ria% afterwards "ecoming "ishop in the Roman Catholic Church. 8ater% Hesychast doctrine was esta"lished as the doctrine of the 5rthodo' Church. @p to this day% the Roman Catholic Church has never fully accepted HesychasmL the essence of Eod can "e #nown% "ut only in the ne't lifeC there can "e no distinction "etween the energies and the essence of Eod. Today 9ount Athos is the well1#nown center of the practice of Hesychasm. Ida Gsee JadiI B!)!n# !(! B!n# ! In :alandhara ,andha the nec# and the throat are slightly contracted% while the chin is pressed against the "reast. :apa G6ee prayerI Ke' !(i %*#(! This 9udra is carried in one of the two following waysL (. ,y placing the tongue in contact with the uvula at the "ac# of the soft palate. =. ,y slipping the tongue into the nasal pharyn' touching% if possi"le% the nasal septum. According to 8ahiri 9ahasaya a #riya"an should achieve it not "y cutting the tongue /renulum "ut "y means of Tala"ya Friya GseeI. Fechari is literally translated as 2the state of those who fly in the s#y2% in the 2inner space2. Fechari is compared to an electrical "ypass of the mind$s energetic system. It changes the path of Prana flow causing the life force to "e withdrawn from the thin#ing process. Instead of allowing the thoughts to 0ump li#e frogs here and there% it causes the mind to "e !uiet and allows focusing it on the goal of meditation. .e do not reali e the !uantity of energy we s!uander away when we get lost in our thoughts% in our plans. Fechari turns this pernicious way of e'hausting all of our vitality into its opposite. The mind "egins to lose its despotic roleL the 2inner activity2 happens no more "y the thin#ing process "ut "y the effortless development of the intuition. Coupled with Friya it is a su"stantial aid in clarify one$s complicated psychological structures. A more elusive claim is the e'perience of the eli'ir of life% 2Amrita%2 the 2Jectar.2 This is a fluid with sweet taste perceived "y the #riya"an when the tip of his tongue touches either the uvula or the "one protrusion in the roof of the palate under the hypophysis. The 7oga tradition e'plains that there is a Jadi going through the center of the tongueC energy radiates through its tip and when it touches that "one protrusion% this radiation reaches and stimulates the A0na Cha#ra in the center of the "rain. Fevala Fum"ha#a Gsee ,reathless stateI Knot The traditional definition of the Eranthis identifies three #notsL the ,rahma Eranthi at the 9uladhara Cha#raC the Wishnu Eranthi at the heart Cha#ra and the point "etween the eye"rows. Those are the places where Ida% Pingala and 6ushumna Jadi meet. =4*

B(! m! G(!nt i &located in 9uladhara) is the first #not. It is related to our physical "odyL it preserves the ignorance of our infinite nature and is the first o"stacle in the spiritual search% since it o"structs the Fundalini$s path as she "egins to move toward the higher centers. The world of names and forms creates restlessness and prevents the mind from "ecoming one pointed. Am"itions and desires trap the mind. @ntil one unties this #not% one cannot meditate effectively. Vis n* G(!nt i is located in the area of the heart Cha#ra &Anahata)% and is related to the astral "ody and to the world of emotions. 8ord Wishnu is the lord of preservation. This #not creates the desire to preserve ancient #nowledge% traditions% institutions% and religious orders. It produces 2compassion2% a #een desire to help suffering humanity. Aiscriminating #nowledge com"ined with 7oga effort can unfasten the Fnot of Wishnu and o"tain deliverance from the traditional "onds% deeply rooted in our genetic code. R*#(! G(!nt i is related to the causal "ody and to the world of ideas% visions% and intuitions. At a point "etween the eye"rows% the Ida and Pingala Jadis cross over and then come down in the left and right nostrils% respectively. Ida and Pingala are time "oundC after piercing the Rudra #not% the time "ound consciousness dissolves 1 the yogi esta"lishes himself in the supreme Atman whose seat is 6ahasrara Cha#ra. Perfect emancipation is achieved. 8ahiri 9ahasaya underlines the importance of overcoming two other o"staclesL tongue and navel which are unfastened "y Fechari 9udra and "y Javi Friya% respectively. The #not of the tongue% cuts us off from the reservoir of energy in the 6ahasrara region. The #not of the navel originates from the trauma of cutting the um"ilical cord. The four phases of Friya 7oga are e'perienced "y unfastening all the afore mentioned #nots% in the following orderL I. Fnot of the tongue II. Fnot of Wishnu &heart Cha#ra) III. Fnot of the navel IW. Fnot of ,rahma &9uladhara) ] #not of Rudra &point "etween the eye"rows) As we can see% in 8ahiri 9ahasaya$s vision% two secondary #nots &tongue and navel) have "ecome of primary importance and two main #nots &,rahma and Rudra) are considered a two1phased event that characteri es the fourth and last stage of Friya. Gsee chapter > for further discussion.I It has "een e'plained that there is a strong connection "etween ,rahma and Rudra #nots. Actually% having already unfastened the #nots of tongue% heart and navel% as soon as you cross the door of 6ushumna &in 9uladhara)% you come up instantaneously% unimpeded% to the 2door of the infinite2 in the point "etween your eye"rows. K(i-! Yo<! If we want to understand the essence of Friya 7oga it is necessary to put aside some definitions found on the we". 2Friya 7oga is the science of controlling life energy GPranaI.2 2Friya 7oga is a techni!ue that activates the astral cere"rospinal centers.2 2Friya 7oga hastens the practitioner$s spiritual development and helps to "ring a"out a profound state of tran!uility and Eod1communion.2 2Friya 7oga "rings a"out the stilling of sensory input.2 I don$t want to contest them% "ut I thin# that Friya is "roader than what is implied. There are definitions which say nothingL they ma#e a misleading synthesis of its methods and list its effects in the same way one would descri"e Hatha 7oga or Ra0a =44

7oga practice. Patan0ali refers once to Friya 7ogaL 2Friya consists of "ody discipline% mental control% and meditating on Iswara.2 G7oga sutras IIL(I This is definitely correct% "ut "y following the further evolution of his thought% we are led astray. Although he states that "y constantly remem"ering the inner sound of 5m we can achieve the removal of all the o"stacles that "loc# our spiritual evolution% he does not develop this method. He is far from descri"ing the same spiritual discipline taught "y 8ahiri 9ahasaya. Friya 7oga is a 2mystic path2 utili ing the "est tools used "y the mystics of all religions. It consists of control of "reath GFriya PranayamaI% prayer G:apa% 9antraI and pure effort of attuning with the 5m#ar Reality. The soothing process of calming the "reath% followed "y the Tho#ar procedure% guides the "odily energy into the heart Cha#ra% holding thus% as in a grip of calmness% the unceasing refle' originating the "reath. .hen a perfect stillness is esta"lished% when all the inner and outer movements cease% the #riya"an perceives a radiation of fresh energy sustaining each cell from insideC then the "reathless state settles in. .hen the physical "reath is totally transcended and a circulation of energy happens in the "ody - the "reath is said to have "ecome 2Internal2 - a feeling of infinite safety% solidity and reliance originates. It is li#e having crossed a "arrier and moved into a measureless spaceL Friya yoga is a miracle of "eauty. K*mb !.! Fum"ha#a means holding the "reath. It is such an important phase in Pranayama that some 7oga teachers dou"t whether a modified way of "reathing which does not include any Fum"ha#a can "e called Pranayama at all. It is o"served that when we are a"out to do something which re!uires our total attention% our "reath is automatically held. .e are not deli"erately doing Pranayama% "ut our "reath is suspended of its own accordC this demonstrates how natural this fact is. In Pranayama the inhalation is called Pura#a% which literally means 2the act of filling2C the e'halation is called Recha#a% meaning 2the act of emptying2. Retention of "reath is called Fum"ha#a% meaning 2holding2. Fum"ha is a potL 0ust as a water pot holds water when it is filled with it% so in Fum"ha#a the "reath and the Prana is held in the "ody. In the classic 7oga literature there are descri"ed four types of Fum"ha#a. I. .e "reathe out deeply and hold the "reath for a few seconds. This is #nown as 2,ahir Fum"ha#a2 &E'ternal Fum"ha#a). II. The second% 2 Antar Fum"ha#a2 &Internal Fum"ha#a)% is holding the "reath after a deep inhalation. @sually this #ind of Fum"ha#a is accompanied "y the use of the ,andhas. III. The third type is that practiced "y alternate "reathing 1 "reathing in deeply through the left nostril% then holding the "reath and then e'haling through the rightH It is considered the easiest form of Fum"ha#a. IW. The fourth type is the most important of all% the pea# of Pranayama. It is called Fevala Fum"ha#a or automatic suspension of "reathL it is the "reathless state where there is no inhalation or e'halation% and not even the slightest desire to "reathe. In the Friya pra'is% the underlying principle of I. is present in some variations of Javi Friya and in all those procedures involving a series of very long and calm e'halations which seem to end in a sweet nothing. Internal Fum"ha#a II. happens in different Friya techni!uesC particularly in 7oni 9udra% 9aha 9udra and Tho#ar. 9aha 9udra% with its "alancing action on the right and on the left side of the spine% contains also - in a "roader sense 1 the principles of III.L alternating "reathing. A turning point in Friya is the achievement of IW. Fevala Fum"ha#a. In Friya we distinguish "etween 2,ahir2 &e'ternal) and 2Antar2 &internal) Fevala Fum"ha#a. =4<

2,ahir &e'ternal) Fevala Fum"ha#a2 &the development and clima' of I.) appears during mental Pranayama &or during any procedure lin#ed with the Third Friya) after having rela'ed and thus emptied the ri" cage. 2Antar &internal) Fevala Fum"ha#a2 &the development and clima' of II.) appears during the highest refining of 7oni 9udra% 9aha 9udra and Tho#ar &or during any procedure lin#ed with the /ourth Friya) after having completed a long inhalation% with the ri" cage moderately full of air1Prana. K*n#!)ini The concept of Fundalini and% particularly% of its awa#ening% provides a framewor# which is convenient for e'pressing what is happening along the spiritual path. 9ost of the spiritual traditions have some awareness of FundaliniC not all are e!ually open in e'posing the practical details of the process. Fundalini is 6ans#rit for 2coiled2L it is conceived as a particular energy coiled li#e a serpent in the root Cha#ra &9uladhara). The representation of "eing coiled li#e a spring conveys the idea of untapped potential energy. It sleeps in our "ody and underneath the layers of our consciousness% waiting to "e aroused either "y spiritual discipline or "y other means 1 li#e particular e'periences of life. It is depicted as rising from the 9uladhara up through the 6ushumna% activating each Cha#raC when it arrives at the crown Cha#ra &6ahasrara)% it "estows infinite "liss% mystical illumination etc. It is only through repeatedly raising of the Fundalini% that the yogi succeeds in o"taining 6elf reali ation. Its rising is not a mild sense of energy flowing inside the spine. Its movement is li#e having a $$volcano erupting$$ inside% a $$roc#et missile$$ shot through the spine3 Its nature is "eneficialC there is an evident resistance in trusting the reports of Fundalini awa#ening accompanied "y trou"les such as patently distur"ed "reathing patterns% distortion of thought processes% unusual or e'treme strengthening of emotionsH .e are rather inclined to thin# that a dormant malady% "rought to open manifestation "y thoughtless practice of violent e'ercises or drugs is the cause of those phenomena. Insomnia% hypersensitivity to environment may indeed follow the authentic e'perience. In a $$true awa#ening%$$ the force of Fundalini eclipses the ego altogether and the individual feels disoriented for some time. All is a"sor"ed in a short time% without pro"lems. Alas% the search for a repetition of the episode may lead to disorderly and careless practice of strange techni!ues% without ever esta"lishing a minimal foundation of mental silence. Each "oo# warns against the ris# of a premature awa#ening of Fundalini and asserts that the "ody must "e prepared for the event. Almost any yogi thin#s he or she is capa"le of sustaining this premature awa#ening and the warning e'cites them more than everL the pro"lem is that many do not have &or have lost) a genuine spiritual approach and nourish a fairly egotistical condition. In the Friya theoretical framewor# we consider Fundalini to "e the same energy that e'ists throughout the "ody and not specifically residing in the 9uladhara Cha#ra. .e seldom use the term 2Fundalini awa#ening2 and try to avoid what could give the impression that such an e'perience has an alien natureL Fundalini is our own energyC it is the purest layer of our consciousness. K*t!st ! Futastha% the 2third eye2 or 2spiritual eye2 is the organ of inner vision &the unified astral counterpart of the two physical eyes)% the place in our "ody where the spiritual 8ight manifests. ,y concentrating "etween the eye"rows% a formless dar#ness is first perceived% then a small crepuscular light% then other lightsC eventually we have the e'perience of a golden ring surrounding a dar# stain with a "la ing tiny white point inside. There is a connection "etween Futastha and 9uladharaL what we are o"serving in the space "etween the eye"rows is nothing "ut the opening of the spinal door% which =4+

is located at the root Cha#ra. 6ome Friya teachers affirm that the condition for entering the last and the highest Friya stage is that the vision of the spiritual eye has "ecome constantC others identify it with the condition in which the energy is perfectly calm at the "ase of the spine. Therefore "oth affirmations are one and the same. %! ! %*#(! 9aha 9udra is a particular stretching position of the "ody. The importance of this techni!ue "ecomes clear as soon as we o"serve how it incorporates the three main ,andhas of Hatha 7oga. There are indeed a thousand and one reasons to practice 9aha 9udra with firmness. There is a ratio "etween the num"er of its repetitions and the num"er of the "reathsL it is recommended that for each (= Friya Pranayama% one should perform one 9aha 9udra. 9ahasamadhi Gsee 6econd FriyaI 9antra G6ee prayerI %ent!) P(!n!-!m! In mental Pranayama a #riya"an controls the energy in his "ody "y forgetting the "reathing process and focusing only upon Prana in the Cha#ras and in the "ody. His awareness dwells on "oth the inner and the e'ternal component of each Cha#ra until he feels a radiation of fresh energy vitali ing each part of the "ody and sustaining it from inside. This action is mar#ed "y the end of all the physical movements% "y a perfect physical and mental stillness. At times% the "reath "ecomes so calm that the practitioner has the a"solute perception they are not "reathing at all. %*)! B!n# ! In 9ula ,andha the perinea muscles 1 "etween the anus and the genital organs 1 are slightly contracted while a mental pressure is e'erted on the lower part of the spine. &Aifferently from Aswini 9udra% one does not simply tighten the sphincter musclesC in 9ula ,andha the perineum seems to fold upward as the pelvic diaphragm is drawn upward through the motion of the pu"ic "one.) ,y contracting this muscle group% the current of Apana which normally gravitates downward is pulled upwards% gradually uniting with Prana at the navel. 9ula ,andha has thus the effect of causing Prana to flow into 6ushumna channel% rather than along Ida and Pingala. N!#! Yo<! Jada 7oga is the path of union with the Aivine through listening to inner sounds. 6urat16ha"da17oga is another name for Jada 7oga. Jada 7oga is an e'periential meditation. It has its "asis in the fact that one who follows the mystical path infalli"ly meets this manifestation of 6pirit 1 whatever may "e their preparation and their convictions. It is a highly en0oya"le form of meditationC anyone can "e involved in this even without having fully understood it. 7ou may use a particular position of the "odyh a s!uatting position with the el"ows resting on the #nees% 0ust to give an e'amplehto plug "oth the ears. Remaining !uietly seated% you simply focus all your attention on su"tle sounds that come from within% rather than the audi"le sounds from outside. It is recommended to repeat mentally% unremittingly% your favorite 9antra. Awareness of inner sound must happen% sooner or laterC your listening s#ills will improve and you will "ecome more sensitive. There are different levels of development in the e'perience of inner soundsL you will hear a "um"le"ee% the drum% the lute% the flute% the harp% the clapping of thunder or a hum li#e an electrical transformer. 6ome of these sounds are actually 0ust the sounds of your "ody% especially the "lood pumping. 5ther sounds are actually the 2sounds "ehind the audi"le sound2. It is into this deeper realm that% while over time gently easing the mind =4>

into rela'ed concentration% your awareness is drawn. After some wee#s of dedicated practice you will tune in with a sound deeper than all the a"ove1!uoted astral sounds. This is the cosmic sound of 5m. The sound is perceived in different variationsC 8ahiri 9ahasaya descri"es it as 2produced "y a lot of people who #eep on stri#ing the dis# of a "ell2. It is continuous 2as the oil that flows out of a container2. N!#i 6u"tle channels through which life energy flows throughout the "ody. The most important are Ida% which flows vertically along the left side of the spinal column &it is said to "e of female nature)% and Pingala &of masculine nature) which flows parallel to Ida on the right sideC 6ushumna flows in the middle and represents the e'perience that is "eyond duality. N!#i So# !n! Alternate nostril "reathing e'ercise% it is not a part of Friya 7oga proper. 7et% "ecause its effects of appeasing and cheering up the mind &especially if it is practiced in the morning) are unmatched% some #riya"ans ma#e it a regular part of their routine. N!,i K(i-! The essence of this techni!ue is to dissolve inhalation and e'halation at the state of e!uili"rium in the navel% the seat of the 6amana current. It is coupled in various ways with the practice of Friya Pranayama. 6ome schools which do not specifically teach it provide some su"stitutes for it. Ne= A<e The New !ge sensi"ility is mar#ed "y the perception of something 2planetary2 at wor#. 6ince distinguished men of science have contri"uted to the New !ge sensi"ility% there is no need to dwell on the affirmation% irrelevant for our understanding% according to which such a progress coincided with the entry of the solar system in the sign of A!uarius 1 from this "elief it derived the term 2Age of A!uarius2 or 2New !ge2. The essential thing is that people reali ed that the discoveries of Physics% of Alternative 9edicine% the developments of the Aepth Psychology% all converged toward one and the same understandingL the su"stantial interdependence among the universe% "ody% psyche and spiritual dimension of human "eings. The esoteric1initiation societies% overcoming for a long time the differences of culture and religious vision% had already recogni ed this truth% which now% has "ecome common heritage. Auring the twentieth century% human thought has made a strong step forward in a healthy direction. There are many grounds to "elieve that% in the future% such an epoch will "e studied with the same respect with which nowadays Humanism% Renaissance and Enlightenment ages are studied. The New !ge thought deserves a deep respect for many reasons. If I hint at some 2fren ies2 I refer to the e'cessive use of alternative remedies for any type of real or imaginary trou"les and to even more dangerous theories "orrowed with a lot of superficiality from various esoteric currents% rather than to a depth progress in the understanding% in the e'pansion of the awareness out of the narrow fences of the small ego tied up o"sessively to the maintenance of its petty conveniences. Ni(bi.!)p! S!m!# i Gsee ParavasthaI Om.!( 5m#ar is 5m% the Aivine Reality sustaining the universe% whose nature is vi"ration with specific aspects of sound% light and inner movement. The term 25m#ar2 or 25m#ar Friya2 is also utili ed to indicate any procedure fostering the 5m#ar =4?

e'perience 11 it may "e a variation of Friya Pranayama utili ing the 9antra 5m Ja 9o ,ha...% it may include the practice of Tho#ar. P!#m!s!n! In this asana the right foot is placed on the left thigh and the left foot on the right thigh with the soles of the feet turned up. The name means the 2posture in which the lotuses &the Cha#ras) are seen.2 It is e'plained that% com"ined with Fechari and 6ham"havi 9udra% this Asana creates an energetic condition in the "ody% suita"le to producing the e'perience of the internal light coming from each Cha#ra. Personally% I do not counsel anyone to perform this difficult posture. There are yogis who had to have cartilage removed from their #nees after years of forcing themselves into Padmasana. In Friya 7oga% at least for those living in the west and not used to assuming it since infancy% it is much wiser% healthier and comforta"le to practice either the Half lotus or the 6iddhasana posture. P!(!,!st ! This concept is lin#ed with that of 26thir Tattwa &Tran!uility)2. Jamed "y 8ahiri 9ahasaya% Paravastha designates the state that comes "y holding onto the after1effect of Friya. It is not 0ust 0oy and peace "ut something deeper% vital for us as a healing. /rom our initial efforts directed at mastering the techni!ues% we perceive moments of deep peace and harmony with the rest of the world% which e'tend during the day. Paravastha comes after years of discipline% when the "reathless state is familiarL the tran!uility state lasts forever% it is no longer to "e sought with care. /lashes of the ending state of freedom comfort the mind while coping with life$s "attles. Pin<!)! Gsee JadiI P(!n! The energy inside our psychophysical system. Prana is divided into Prana% Apana% 6amana% @dana and Wi0ana% which have their location respectively in the chest% in the low a"domen% in the region of the "elt% in the head and in the remaining part of the "ody 1 arms and legs. That the term Prana is interpreted in two ways should not create confusion - provided that one considers the conte't in which the word is used. In the initial phases of Friya Pranayama we are mainly interested in Prana% Apana and 6amana. .hen we use 6ham"havi 9udra and during mental Pranayama we contact @dana. Through many techni!ues &li#e 9aha 9udra) and "y the e'perience of Friya Pranayama with Internal ,reath we e'perience the fresh vitali ing nature of Wi0ana. P(!n!-!m! The term Pranayama is comprised of two rootsL Prana is the firstC Ayama &e'pansion) or 7ama &control) is the second. Thus% the word Pranayama can "e understood either as the 2E'pansion of Prana2 or as the 2Control of Prana2. I would prefer the first "ut I thin# that the correct one is the second. In other words% Pranayama is the control of the energy in the whole psychophysical system "y using the "reathing process with the purpose to receive a "eneficial effect or to prepare the e'perience of meditation. The common Pranayama e'ercises 1 although they may not involve the perception of any energetic current 1 can create a remar#a"le e'perience of energy rising in the spine. This is not negligi"le since this e'perience causes the s#eptical practitioner the discovery of the spiritual dimension and pushes him or her to see# something deeper. In K(i-! P(!n!-!m! the "reathing process is coordinated with the attention of the mind up and down along the spinal column. .hile the "reathing is deep and slow% with the tongue either flat or turned "ac#% the awareness accompanies the movement of the energy around the si' Cha#ras. ,y deepening the process% the current flows in the =49

deepest channel in the spineL 6ushumna. .hen "y a long practice a su"tle form of energy circulates &in a clearly perceiva"le way) inside the "ody while the physical "reath is totally settled down% the #riya"an has an e'perience of unthin#a"le "eauty. P(!-e( FB!p!/ %!nt(!G Prayer is an act of communion with the Higher Reality that allows a person to ma#e a reverent plead% to see# guidance% to offer praise or simply to e'press their thoughts and emotions. The se!uence of words used in a prayer may either "e a set formula or a spontaneous e'pression in the praying person$s own words. .hatever "e the appeal to Eod% this act presupposes a "elief in the Aivine .ill to interfere in our life. 2As#% and ye shall receive2 &9att. >L>% ?C =(L==). Prayer is a su"0ect of wide range and scopeC here I will restrict it to the repetitive prayer. In India% the repetition of the Jame of the Aivine is #nown as :apa. This word :apa is derived from the root :ap 1 meaningL 2to utter in a low voice% repeat internally2. :apa is also the repetition of any 9antra% which is a "roader term than prayer. 9antra can "e a name of the Aivine "ut also a pure sound without a meaning. A certain num"er of sounds were chosen "y ancient yogis who sensed their power and used them e'tensively. &6ome "elieve that the repetition of a 9antra has the mysterious power of "ringing a"out the manifestation of the Aivinity 20ust as the splitting of an atom manifests the tremendous forces latent in it2). The term 9antra derives from the words 29anas2 &mind) and 2Tra2 &protection)L we protect our mind "y repeating unrelentingly the same healthy vi"ration. @sually a 9antra is repeated ver"ally for some time% then in a whisper and then mentally for some time. In most forms of :apa% the repetitions are counted using a string of "eads #nown as a &:apa) 9ala. The num"er of "eads is generally (;? or (;;. The 9ala is used so that the devotee is free to en0oy the practice without "eing preoccupied with counting the repetitions. It may "e performed whilst sitting in a meditation posture or while performing other activities% such as wal#ing. S! !s(!(! The seventh Cha#ra e'tends from the crown of the head up to the /ontanelle and over it. It cannot "e considered of the same nature as the other Cha#ras% "ut a superior reality% which can "e e'perienced only in the "reathless state. It is not easy therefore to concentrate upon it as we do with the other Cha#ras. 5nly after a deep practice of Friya Pranayama% when the "reath is very calm% is the attunement with it possi"leC a particular pressure over the head may "e felt. S!m!# i According to Patan0ali$s Ashtanga &eight steps) 7oga% 6amadhi is the state of deep contemplation in which the o"0ect of meditation "ecomes insepara"le from the meditator himselfL it results naturally from Aharana and Ahyana. In my opinion% 6amadhi does not mean 2union with Eod.2 .e ta#e so many things for granted. 5ur language is strongly hamperedL magnilo!uent words ris# meaning nothing. To "ecome one and the same thing with Eod is different from to awa#en to the reali ation that we are a part of That 5neD .ords deceive our comprehension and #indle egoist e'pectations. 5ne is thrilled "y words such asL a"solute% eternal% infinite% supreme% everlasting% celestial% divineH. I have half a mind to suggest a so"er definition of 6amadhi% which may stimulate a reflection upon the meaning of the spiritual path. 8et me therefore define 6amadhi as independent from any accident% "eatific% near death e'perience &JAE). The descriptions of 6amadhi and of JAE follow the same patternL actually the nature of the phenomenon which ta#es place in the "ody is almost the same. This opinion may disappoint those who smell a restrictive and limiting shade of meaning in itC however I prefer to thin# in this way and H. discover much more during the actual 6amadhi =<;

e'perience than to thrive in rhetoric. Even if 6amadhi were no more than a JAE e'perience% however it would have a superlative value. In "oth the e'periences% the awareness can provide a glimpse of the Eternity "eyond mindC then &this happens to the trained yogi) that lofty awareness "lends% integrates with the customary life% which is totally transformed for the "etter. To those who wonder if it is fair to diminish the worth of the Friya ecstatic state "y reducing it to a process of contacting for some time the after life dimension% we could reply that this genuine e'perience is unmatched in fostering in a clean way the Friya 7oga ideals of a "alanced spiritual life. S !mb !,i %*#(! A 9udra in which the ocular "ul"s and the eye"rows are upturned as much as possi"leC often the inferior eyelids rela' and a "ystander can o"serve the white of the cornea under the iris. All the visual force of the ocular nerves is gathered on the top of the head. 8ahiri 9ahasaya in his well #nown portrait is showing this 9udra. Se'on# K(i-! It has "een reported that "y using the 6econd Friya techni!ue% 6wami Prana"ananda% an eminent disciple of 8ahiri 9ahasaya% left his "ody consciously &this feat is called 9ahasamadhi 1 the conscious e'it out of the "ody% at death). There was no violence to the "odyC the feat happened only at the most proper moment 1 according to a Farmic point of view when the moment was right. Jow the de"ate isL what procedure did he ma#e use ofD aH 9any claim it was the techni!ue of Tho#ar. It is possi"le that he arrested the movement of the heart and therefore left his "ody. He might have done one single Tho#ar and stopped his heartC this means he put so much mental strength in this act as to "loc# the energy which #ept his heart thro""ing. "H 6ome "elieve that this supreme calming of the heart was achieved only "y a mental action of immersion in the point "etween the eye"rows% entering the light of Futastha. The reports say that those who were around him did not notice any head movement. 6imilarly when other great ones left their "ody there was no movement. cH In my opinion% 9ahasamadhi is not a 2shrewd esoteric tric#2 to master the mechanics of a painless suicide. 6urely each great master relies upon his already "uilt a"ility to enter 6amadhi. ,y creating a total peace in his "eing% the soul$s natural desire to regain union with the Infinite 6ource puts in action a natural mechanism of appeasing the cardiac ple'us. Si## !s!n! The 6ans#rit name means 2Perfect Pose2. In this Asana% the sole of the left foot is placed against the right thigh so that the heel presses on the perineum. The right heel is placed against the pu"ic "one. This position of the legs% com"ined with Fechari 9udra% closes the pranic circuit and ma#es Friya Pranayama easy and profita"le. S*s *mn! Gsee JadiI T!)!b-! K(i-! It is a stretching e'ercise of the muscles of the tongue% and particularly of the /renulum. The purpose is to attain Fechari 9udra GseeI. This practice creates a distinct calming effect on the thoughts and% for this reason% it is never put aside% even after Fechari 9udra is achieved. T o.!( A Friya techni!ue "ased on directing the calm Prana 1 collected in the head through Friya Pranayama 1 toward the location of one &usually the 4th) or more =<(

Cha#ras% "y a particular &0er#ing) movement of the head. Euiding Prana into the Anahata Cha#ra% a light grows in the region "etween the eye"rows. This fosters the "reathless state. ,y increasing the concentration on the spiritual light% the lights of all the other Cha#ras are revealed. The practice of Tho#ar is to "e deepened throughout the years in order to get the a"ility to enter the state of 6amadhi with 0ust one stro#e. 6tudying the practices of the 6ufis% &see the studies conducted "y Eardet and 9. 9. Anawati% esp. Eardet in Revue Thomiste &(9<=1*))% we discover that Tho#ar is a variant of the 6ufi$s Ahi#r. Ahi#r is the practice of the 2memory2 of the Aivine% which is "rought a"out "y repeating a particular short prayer during the day and "y guiding it% during moments of seclusion or group devotional practice% into particular centers of the "ody through specific head movements. It might have happened that 8ahiri #new this techni!ue since youth. 6ome forms of prayer he saw were mild forms of Tho#ar. It was His genius to develop it to the utmost perfection. T(ib !n<!m*(!(i 6ome Friya Acharya teaches the practice of Tho#ar in a very particular way. The central teaching is guiding your awareness along a three1curved path called Tri"hangamurari &Tri1"hanga1murari M three1"end1form). This path "egins in ,indu% "ending to the left% it descends into the seat of the Rudra #not &the region from 9edulla o"longata to ,hrumadhya "etween the eye"rows)% goes across it and continues toward the right side of the "ody. Then it reverses direction cutting the Wishnu #not whose seat is in the heart Cha#ra. Then it reverses again its direction pointing toward the seat of the ,rahma #not in the coccy' region% which is also crossed "y entering the spine and coming up toward ,indu. These teachers e'plain that in the last part of His life% 8ahiri 9ahasaya drew with e'treme precision the three1"ends form which is perceived "y deepening the after1 Friya1Pranayama meditation. U##i-!n! B!n# ! A"dominal loc#L it is usually practiced with "reath out "ut in Friya it is also utili ed with "reath in especially during the practice of the main Friya 9udrasL 9aha 9udra% Javi Friya and 7oni 9udra. To practice it with "reath out% utili e% at least partly% :alandhara ,andha. Ta#e a false inhale &perform the same action of an inhale without actually pulling any air into the "ody.) Araw the "elly up as much as possi"le. Hold your the "reath out. To practice it with "reath in% contract slightly the a"dominal muscles until you intensify the perception of the energy in the spinal column in the region of 9anipura Cha#ra. Y!m! H Ni-!m! 7ama is 6elf1controlL non1violence% avoiding lies% avoiding stealing% avoiding "eing lustful% and non1attachment. Jiyama is religious o"servancesL cleanliness% contentment% discipline% study of the 6elf and surrender to the 6upreme Eod &,rahman). .hile in most Friya schools these rules are put as premises to "e respected in order to receive initiation% a discriminating researcher understands that they are to "e considered really as the conse!uences of a correct 7oga practice. A "eginner cannot to much depth understand what 26tudy of the 6elf2 means. 6ome teacher repeats% parrot fashion% the necessity of o"serving those rules and% after having given a"surd clarifications of some of the a"ove points &in particular which mental tric# to utili e in order to H avoid "eing lustful)% passes on to e'plain the techni!ues. .hy utter empty wordsD .hom is he trying to foolD The mystic path% when followed honestly% cannot compromise itself with any rhetoric. .hen an affirmation is made% it is that. 7ama and Jiyama are a good topic to study% an ideal to "ear in mind% "ut not a vow. 5nly through practice is it possi"le to understand their real meaning and% conse!uently% see them =<=

flourish in one$s life. Yo<! S*t(! >b- P!t!nI!)i@ The 7oga 6utras are an e'tremely influential te't on 7oga philosophy and practiceL over fifty different English translations are the testimony of its importance. Although we are not sure of the e'act time when their author Patan0ali lived% we can set it "etween =;; ,.C. and =;; A.A. The 7oga 6utras are made up "y a collection of (9< aphorisms dealing with the philosophical aspects of mind and awareness% thus esta"lishing a sound theoretical "asis of Ra0a 7oga 1 the 7oga of self discipline and meditation. 7oga is descri"ed as an eight stage &Ashtanga) path which are 7ama% Jiyama% Asana% Pranayama% Pratyahara% Aharana% Ahyana% and 6amadhi. The first five steps "uild the psycho1physical foundation for having a true spiritual e'perienceC the last three are concerned with disciplining the mind up to its dissolution in the ecstatic e'perience. The 6utras define also some esoteric concepts% common to all the traditions of the Indian thought% such as Farma. Although% at times% Patan0ali is called 2the father of 7oga2% his wor# is actually a compendium of pre1e'isting oral 7oga traditions% an inhomogeneous whole of practices "etraying an indistinct and contradictory theoretical "ac#ground. However% the importance of Patan0ali$s wor# is "eyond discussionL he clarified what others had taughtC what was a"stract he made practical3 He was a genial thin#er% not 0ust a compiler of rules. His e!uili"rium "etween theism and atheism is very apprecia"le. .e do not find the least suggestion of worshiping idols% deities% gurus% or sacred "oo#s 1 at the same time we do not find any atheistic doctrine either. .e #now that 27oga%2 "esides "eing a rigorous system of meditation practice% implies devotion to the Eternal Intelligence or 6elf. Patan0ali affirms the importance of directing our heart$s aspiration toward 5m. Yoni %*#(! The potential of this techni!ue includes% in all effects% the final reali ation of the Friya path. Futastha 1 "etween the eye"rows 1 is the place where the individual soul had its originL the delusive Ego needs to "e dissolved there. The core component of this 9udra is to "ring all the energy into the point "etween the eye"rows and hinder its scattering "y closing the head openings - the "reath is !uieted in the region from throat to the point "etween the eye"rows. If a deep rela'ation state is esta"lished in the "ody% this practice succeeds in generating a very intense ecstatic state% which spreads throughout one$s "eing. A"out its practical implementation% there are minor differences among the schoolsL some give a greater importance to the vision of the 8ight and less to the dissolution of "reath and mind. Among the first% there are those who teach% while #eeping more or less the same position of the fingers% to focus upon each Cha#ra and to perceive their different colors. 5ne satisfactory remar#% found in the traditional 7oga literature% is that this techni!ue gets its name 27oni2% meaning 2uterus2% "ecause li#e the "a"y in the uterus% the practitioner has no contact with the e'ternal world% and therefore% no e'ternali ation of consciousness.

=<*

,I,8I5ERAPH7 Anonymous% R.9. /rench% trs. (he 9ay of a Pilgrim and the Pilgrim ,ontinues .is 9ay. Jew 7or#L HarperCollins Pu"lishers% (99(. Arnold% 6ir Edwin. (he Song ,elestial or 2haga$ad64ita +"rom the %ahabharata-. 9iddlese'L Echo 8i"rary% =;;?. iiiiiiiiiiiiiii. (he :ight of !sia or the 4reat Renunciation . Aear"orn% 9IL @niversity of 9ichigan 8i"rary% =;;9. Auro"indo% 6ri. ,ollected Poems. PondicherryL 6ri Auro"indo Ashram% (9>=. iiiiiiiiiiii. (houghts and ! horisms. Twin 8a#es% .IL 8otus Press% (9?=. iiiiiiiiiiii. Sa$itri1 ! :egend and a Symbol. Twin 8a#es% .IL 8otus Press% (99<. ,ernard% Theos. .atha Yoga1 (he Re ort of a Personal &' erience . Edin"urghL Harmony Pu"lishing% =;;>. Ahillon% Harish. (he "irst Sikh S iritual %aster1 (imeless 9isdom from the :ife and (echni#ues of 4uru Nanak. .oodstoc#% WTL 6#ylight Paths Pu"lishing% =;;+. Aostoyevs#y% /yodor. (he 2rothers Karama@o$. 9ineola% J7L Aover Pu"lications% =;;9. Chatter0ee% Asho#e Fumar. Purana Purusha Yogiraj Sri Shama ,hurn :ahiree. Wedic"oo#s.net% =;;;. Easwaran% E#nath. (he U anishads. Tomales% CAL Jilgiri Press% =;;>. Ec#hart% 9eister. (he &ssential Sermons, ,ommentaries, (reatises and 5efense +,lassics of 9estern S irituality-. 9ahwah% J:L Paulist Press% (9?(. /eild% Reshad. (he In$isible 9ay1 ! (ime to :o$e, ! (ime to 5ie . ,ostonL Element ,oo#s% (994. iiiiiiiiiii. Ste s to "reedom1 5iscourses on the &ssential Knowledge of the .eart . Aecatur% EAL Chalice Euild% (99?. iiiiiiiiiii. (he :ast 2arrier1 ! *ourney into the &ssence of Sufi (eachings . 8indisfarne ,oo#s% =;;=. /euerstein% Eeorg. &ncyclo edic 5ictionary of Yoga. Jew 7or#L Paragon House% (99;. /rossard% Andr\. 4od &'ists1 I .a$e %et .im. 8ondonL Collins% (9>;. Eoel ,. 6. Psycho6!nalysis and %editation, 3ol0II0 Haryana% India L Third Eye /oundation of India% (9?9

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Eoleman% Aaniel and Richard :. Aavidson. ,onsciousness1 2rain, States of !wareness and %ysticism. Jew 7or#L Harper and Row Pu"lishers% (9>9. Iyengar% ,.F.6. :ight on Yoga. Jew 7or#L 6choc#en ,oo#s% (99<. iiiiiiiiiiii. :ight on Pranayama1 (he Yogic !rt of 2reathing. Jew 7or#L Crossroad Pu"lishing Co.% (99?. :aco"i% :olande. (he Psychology of ,0 40 *ung. Jew Haven% CTL 7ale @niversity Press% (9>*. :ohari% Harish. ,hakras1 &nergy ,enters of (ransformation. RochesterL Aestiny ,oo#s% (9?>. :ohn of the Cross% 6t. 5ark Night of the Soul. Jew 7or#L Image ,oo#s% Aou"leday and Company% Inc.% (99;. :ohnson% :ulian. (he Path of the %asters1 (he Science of Surat Shabda Yoga . Pun0a"L Radha 6oami 6atsang ,eas% (9>=. :ung% Carl Eustav. Synchronicity1 !n !causal ,onnecting Princi le. R./.C. Hull% trs. Princeton% J:L Princeton @niversity Press% (9>*. iiiiiiiiiiiiiii. %emories, 5reams, Reflections. &rev. ed.). Aniela :aff\% ed.C R. .inston and C. .inston% trs. Jew 7or#L Wintage ,oo#s% (9?9. F$uan 7j% 8u &Charles 8u#). (aoist Yoga1 !lchemy and Immortality. Jew 7or#L 6amuel .eiser Inc.% (999. Fa"ir% Songs of KabLr1 ! B;th ,entury Sufi :iterary ,lassic . Ra"indranath Tagore% trs. ,ostonL .iser ,oo#s% =;;=. Frishna% Eopi. Kundalini1 (he &$olutionary &nergy in %an. ,ostonL 6ham"hala Pu"lications% (99>. Frishna% Eopi. Kundalini1 (he Secret of Yoga. Jew 7or#L Harper and Row% (9>=. 8eser18asario% ,enno 9a'. :ehrbuch der )riginal64ebMrden6!tmung. EeinhausenL 8e"ens1weiser1Werlag% (9*(. 9allinson% :ames. (he 4heranda Samhita. .oodstoc#% J7L 7oga Widya% =;;4. iiiiiiiiiiiiii. (he Shi$a Samhita. .oodstoc#% J7L 7oga Widya% =;;>. 9ann% Eurinder 6ingh. Sikhism. @pper 6addle River% J:L Prentice Hall% =;;4. 9oody Raymond. :ife beyond :ife. 8ondonL Harper5ne &=;;() 9otoyama% Hiroshi. (heories of the ,hakras1 2ridge to .igher ,onsciousness . .heaton% I8L Yuest ,oo#s% (9?=. =<<

9u#tananda% 6wami. Play of ,onsciousness1 ! S iritual !utobiogra hy. 6iddha 7oga Pu"lications% =;;;. 5s"orne% Arthur. Ramana %aharshi and the Path of Self6Knowledge. Hillsdale% J7L 6ophia Perennis ,oo#s% =;;+. Rama% 6wami. Path of "ire and :ight 3ol0 I and II . Honesdale% PennsylvaniaL Himalayan Institute Press% =;;4. Ramdas% 6wami. In the 3ision of 4od. 6an Aiego% CAL ,lue Aove Press% (99<. iiiiiiiiiiii. In Nuest of 4od. 6an Aiego% CAL ,lue Aove Press% =;;=. Rumi% 9aulana :alal$al1din% Coleman ,ar#s% trs. (he Soul of Rumi1 ! New ,ollection of &cstatic Poems. Jew 7or#L HarperCollins Pu"lishers% =;;=. iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii% Coleman ,ar#s% trs. (he 2ook of :o$e1 Poems of &cstasy and :onging. Jew 7or#L HarperCollins Pu"lishers% =;;<. 6adhananda Eiri% 6wami. Kriya Yoga1 Its %ystery and Performing !rt. Howrah% .est ,engalL :u0ersa 7ogashram% (99?. 6atprem. %other?s !genda. Jew 7or#L Institute for Evolutionary Research% (9>9. iiiiiii. Sri !urobindo, or the !d$enture of ,onsciousness. 9ysoreL 9ira Aditi Centre% =;;;. iiiiiii. %other, or the 5i$ine %aterialism. 9ysoreL 9ira Aditi Centre% =;;*. 6ailendra ,e0oy Aasgupta% 6ri. :ight of Kriya Yoga0 8ondonL 7oga Ji#etan% =;;?. 6atyananda Eiri% 6wami. Kriya Nuotes from Swami Satyananda0 8ondonL 7oga Ji#etan% =;;4. 6atyananda 6araswati% 6wami. ! Systematic ,ourse in the !ncient (antric (echni#ues of Yoga and Kriya. 9ungerL ,ihar 6chool of 7oga% =;;4. iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii. !sana, Pranayama, %udra and 2andha. 9ungerL ,ihar 6chool of 7oga% =;;*. iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii. Kundalini (antra. 9ungerL ,ihar 6chool of 7oga% =;;?. 6harma% Ishwar C. &H.H. 9anav Aayal). Surat6Shabda Yoga +(he Yoga of :ight and Sound AInstructions for SeekersA-. Jew AelhiL Aiamond Poc#et ,oo#s% (99(. 6ivananda Radha% 6wami. Kundalini1 Yoga for the 9est. 6po#ane% .AL Timeless ,oo#s% =;;4. iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii. .atha Yoga1 (he .idden :anguage, Symbols, Secrets and =<+

%eta hors. 6po#ane% .AL Timeless ,oo#s% =;;+. 6pies"erger% Farl. 5as %antra62uch. ,erlinL Werlag Richard 6chi#ows#i% (9>>. 6vatmarama. (he .atha Yoga Pradi ika. .oodstoc#% J7L 7oga Widya% =;;=. Taimni% I.F. (he Science of Yoga. ChennaiL Jesma ,oo#s% (994. Teresa of Avila% 6t. Interior ,astle. Erand Rapids% 9IL Christian Classics Ethereal 8i"rary% =;;>. Wan 8yse"eth% Andr\. (antra1 (he ,ult of the "eminine. Jew 7or#L 6amuel .eiser Inc.% =;;=. iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii. Pranayama1 (he Yoga of 2reathing. Edin"urghL Harmony Pu"lishing% =;;>. Wive#ananda% 6wami. Raja6Yoga. Jew 7or#L Rama#rishna1Wive#ananda Center% (9?;. .einfurter% Farl. 5er brennende 2usch1 5er entschleierte 9eg der %ystik . ,opfingenL Farl Rohm Werlag% (994. 7ogananda% Paramhansa. !utobiogra hy of a Yogi &reprint of original (94+ edition). Jevada City% CAL Crystal Clarity Pu"lishers% =;;*.

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