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Date Posted: 22:59:49 05/19/04 Wed
Author: Sundarar - 16 Apr 2004
Subject: debate on numbers of kriya


friends

I posted on the following topic at the bottom of the page but am unsure of whether anyone will see it, so I decided to post again on it.

I am an SRF member that was initially shocked when I read the Patravali letters. The number of kriyas people were advised to do were amazing. I felt angry at SRF for 'treating all with kid's gloves'- ie. for only allowing 108.

Truth is, Doctor Lewis was doing 1000 kriyas once a week for years, so Yogananda did ok high numbers for some. Probably not many got this, as he told Durga Mata to stay at 36, a very advanced chela. Anandamoy once told of a guy doing 108 that Yogananda told to reduce to 14 'perfect' ones. Anandamoy recounted this in my presence and said PY said "108? 8 would have been better"
I recall Turiyananda reducing himself to 14 at an advanced stage in his sadhana.

My view is Yogananda was very much about quality of kriya over numbers. Lahiri seemed to be concerned with both. But a key is in the Patravali, where Lahiri says all should do om japa in the chakras with pranayam. Someone may want to quote the exact quote. Lahiri said if this was not done the pranayam would become tamasic.

Interesting thing is SRF had the very same om japa in its pranayam in 1929, or at least as an option. I have the 1929 kriya lesson, and many of you may also have it. Further, look in the back of the Mejda book where Yogananda is lecturing Sananda on kriya. You will see a reference to the om that is chanted in the chakras in kriya. It shows that at that time also PY did the om japa. Those with the higher kriyas will know he is not referring to the other kriyas. What I am telling you is true.

Who knows when this was dropped off. Probably in the 40's or late 40's. Babaji is reputed to have ok'd certain adjustments to SRF kriya at that time--that is Walter's story anyways. I am trying to get another valid source on this.

Another note is to be made in regard to the order of techniques performed. In 1938 lessons (which I also have!) the order is: a few energizations, kriya, om, and finally hong sau. The present routine is better in my opinion.

Now I have experimented with every routine and variation that loyalty allows and the following is my experience...When I do the energizations, hongsau and om before kriya I am often sattvic, or at least rajasic, and I do not need the om japa in kriya. Whereas if I go straight to kriya it is much harder to be focused and I imagine conversations, build castles in the air, fantasize, etc. This is tamas. To strain is more the rajas. If my mind gets tamasic enough I do perform om japa as the 1929 lesson allows. It helps alot, just as Lahiri said. Consequently though, I need more kriyas to get the same result.

It is my experience I get better results by doing the techniques that warm up to kriya and then the kriya without om japa. It is then more potent. An interesting note is in the 1929 kriya Yogananda says each kriya is worth a month of evolution. In 1946 the AOY says it is worth a year. Which is it? Is there a bloomin' conspiracy? Truth is it depends on the way (or the dominant guna)kriya is done!

My conclusion: Yogananda's kriyas in their present form are designed to be more potent, so you can get away with less numbers. You are in sattva guna when you do them. This may be a necessity for westerners also, due to the time factor. I'm not saying big numbers are not preferable or necessary at some stage...Look at Doctor Lewis. Some need big numbers also.

To be a householder and to do 500 kriyas a night is possible. You just have to bypass sleep. Pranabanda and Ram Gopal both did it. SRF's Baktananda does it now. He only sleeps 3 hours a night. He told me so and I have several (monk) witnesses that have watched him. The key is that that sleep is real sleep, or rather deep sleep described in yoga sutras of patanjali--there is not a thought in the mind. Swami Rama says 3 hours of such sleep is all a human needs. The rest is tossing about.

Anyways, you can bypass the sleep when you are in the breathless state that precedes merging in OM. Of course these 2 guys were single to the best of my knowledge! (Pranabananda took sannyas late incidently.)

Today YOU may have the capacity but there may be too many demands on you with kids, etc. But look at the sadhana these 2 giants (Ram Gopal and Pranabananda) had to do to get their advanced state. Look at Doctor Lewis. This is an important thing to mark, it seems to me.

pranams to all kriyabans

Sundarar

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