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Krishna: Kriya Yoga Overview

In chapter five of Bhagavad Gita, Lord Krishna gave an overview of kriya yoga practice, except that he included himself as part of the process. There are many lineages from India which harp kriya yoga techniques. Many of these portray their organizations or lineages and authorities as being the only valid system of this practice. Some claim validity on the basis of previous teachers in their lineages. Some go so far as to outlaw any other institution or person who makes claims about giving quality kriya process.

 

Considering what Krishna said below (my English translation), how does the various definitions of kriya yoga by the various lineages size up. What about those systems which do not acknowledge Krishna in the way Krishna described himself below.

 

Consider these verses:

 

स्पर्शान्कृत्वा बहिर्बाह्यांश्
चक्षुश्चैवान्तरे भ्रुवोः ।
प्राणापानौ समौ कृत्वा
नासाभ्यन्तरचारिणौ ॥५.२७॥
 
sparśānkṛtvā bahirbāhyāṁś
cakṣuścaivāntare bhruvoḥ
prāṇāpānau samau kṛtvā
nāsābhyantaracāriṇau (5.27)
 

sparśān — sensual contact; kṛtvā — having done; bahir = bahiḥ — external; bāhyāṁś = bāhyān — excluded; cakṣuścaivāntare = cakṣuḥ — visual focus + ca — and + (eva) — indeed + antare — in between; bhruvoḥ — of the two eyebrows; prāṇāpānau — both inhalation and exhalation; samau — in balance; kṛtvā — having made; nāsābhyantaracāriṇau = nāsa — nose + abhyantara — within + cāriṇau — moving

 

 

Excluding the external sensual contacts, and fixing the visual focus between the eyebrows, putting the inhalation and exhalation in balance, moving through the nose. (Bhagavad Gita 5.27)

 

यतेन्द्रियमनोबुद्धिर्
मुनिर्मोक्षपरायणः ।
विगतेच्छाभयक्रोधो
यः सदा मुक्त एव सः ॥५.२८॥
 
yatendriyamanobuddhir
munirmokṣaparāyaṇaḥ
vigatecchābhayakrodho
yaḥ sadā mukta eva saḥ (5.28)

 

yatendriyamanobuddhiḥ = yata — controlled + indriya — sensual energy + mano (manah) — mind + buddhiḥ — intelligence; munir = muniḥ — wise person; mokṣaparāyaṇaḥ - one who is dedicated to achieving liberation; vigatecchābhayakrodhaḥ = vigata — gone away + icchā — desire + bhaya — fear + krodho (krodhaḥ) — anger; yaḥ — who; sadā — always; mukta — liberated; eva — indeed; saḥ — he

 

...the wise man, who is dedicated to achieving liberation, whose sensual energy, mind and intellect are controlled, whose desire, fear and anger are gone, is liberated always. (Bhagavad Gita 5.28)

 

भोक्तारं यज्ञतपसां
सर्वलोकमहेश्वरम् ।
सुहृदं सर्वभूतानां
ज्ञात्वा मां शान्तिमृच्छति ॥५.२९॥
 
bhoktāraṁ yajñatapasāṁ
sarvalokamaheśvaram
suhṛdaṁ sarvabhūtānāṁ
jñātvā māṁ śāntimṛcchati (5.29)

 

bhoktāraṁ — enjoyer; yajñatapasāṁ — of the religious ceremonies and austerities; sarvalokamaheśvaram = sarva — all entire + loka — world + maheśvaram — Supreme God; suhṛdaṁ — friend; sarvabhūtānāṁ — of all creatures; jñātvā — recognizing; māṁ — me; śāntim — spiritual peace; ṛcchati — attains

 

Recognizing Me, as the enjoyer of religious ceremonies and austerities, the Supreme God of the entire world, the friend of the creatures, he attains spiritual peace. (Bhagavad Gita 5.29)

 

~~~~~~~

 

Here Krishna does not say that he is the symbolic higher self of anybody. He does not say that everything is one with him or that a person can be one with him as the Supreme God of the entire world.

 

Instead he makes a requirement that the yogi should recognize him, Krishna, as such. How does this relate to what the current lineages of kriya yogis are saying?

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