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Kriya Yoga: The Holy Science of Truth |
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“Suvishalam Idam Vishwam Pavitram Brahmamandiram --- “Dharmatatwa” “This vast universe is the sacred temple of the Brahman, Pious Consciousness the Solitary Pilgrimage, Truth the Immortal Scripture, Faith the foundation of true Spirituality and Love the ultimate Spiritual Practice”. Such universal pronouncement of the Divine Consciousness symbolizes the essence of true eternal Hinduism. What is dharma? -- “What is grasped or realized”. Who bears this realization? – “I”. Who is this “I”? – “Mind”. Therefore “whatever the mind upholds as realized truth” can genuinely be termed “dharma”. Deep introspection reveals that the word “I” is not actually the mind. The mind’s holder is the true “I”. “Mind” and “I” together constitute the “Adhara” or the vessel that the soul (or atma) bears. Here, awakening of conscious self-existence (satta-bodh) and enlightenment of the being’s innate nature (swabhav) manifest. The satta (self) along with its swabhav (nature), then venture into the path of self-realization towards ultimate spiritual fulfillment. These are the fundamentals of ancient “Hindu” philosophy. What is meant by the word “Hindu”? ---That which imparts knowledge of the soul as “hansha” (or tranquil consciousness) enjoined with “bindu” (or spark of light) is Hinduism. One who realizes it is a Hindu. (In creation, the soul is naturally poised in hansha state. In an embodied soul, this consciousness is manifested through natural respiration.) Hindu philosophy cannot be attributed to the wisdom or preaching of a particular individual. It is founded on the realized truth of all the Vedic Rishis (or sages). That is why it is considered eternal (or sanatan). Like self-realization is the essence of all spiritual paths, similarly the literal meaning of the word “Hindu” is “self-realization”. Hindu means the collective knowledge of the Vedas and the Vedantas. In the words of the great English poet :-- “The fountains mingle with the river -- P. B. Shelly Here “I” relates to the “self” and the universe is synonymous with the mind. The being’s human embodiment is itself the holy temple of Brahman. Millions and millions of sparks of divine consciousness (or hansha-enjoined-bindu’s) are continuously pouring out of the Absolute Primordial Sky (Mahabyom) like a sparkling fountain of celestial light. Each such droplet of Brahman embodies itself and exists as an individual soul (Jivatma) within the cycle of creation. Again, from within creation, a human soul steadfastly pursues supernal reunion ¾ carrying its swabhav through a divinely ordained journey of self-realization and self-fulfillment. As the soul ascends into the realm of Absolute Enlightenment, the supreme laws automatically usher in the manifestation of Divine Nature. At this stage, in the path of reunion, enthralling expressions of this great Nature, both seen and unseen, lead to rich self-experiences (swanubhav) of the subtle ways of the Divine. The world of the “inner eye” (kutastha) where the Supreme Absolute Reality (Akshar Parabrahman) manifests is the centrestage of these divine self-experiences (swanubhav). The spiritual practice (sadhana) that leads to attainment of self-realization and divine fulfillment is called Paravidya (the Holy Science of Truth) or Kriya Yoga. The process of Kriya leads to the state of “Adhyatma” - “when the purified mind rests steadfastly in the soul”. (Adhyatma is composed of two words “adhi” and “atma”. Adhi means “buddhi” or the purified discerning intellect and atma refers to the soul. Adhyatma literally corresponds to the state when the buddhi is transfixed in the atma.) Kriya culminates into an egoless, breathless state of self-realized equanimity. This is the true state of spirituality.
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