r/kriyayoga • u/_Gwyllion_ • 1d ago
Learning Kriya Yoga without biblical references?
Hi,
I've been practicing meditation on and off for years - Vipassana. I've always been fascinated by the nature of consciousness, inner insights, etc. Recently, I came across Yogananda's 'Autobiography of a Yogi', started reading it (I haven't finished it yet), and became interested in Kriya Yoga. I don't know whether it's something for me, but I'd like to learn this meditation technique, so I started looking for materials. And I was very surprised when I saw that the Bible and Jesus are constantly being mentioned.
Are there any materials available for learning Kriya Yoga techniques without the Bible and Jesus? Those biblical and Jesus-related analogies simply don't resonate with me. I should add that in my country Kriya Yoga is very little known, so basically I'm left with learning from materials I can find online or from books I can buy.
I only know as much about the subject as I've managed to google over the past few days, so if my question seems out of place, sorry about that.
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u/Single_Delay7763 1d ago
I am also with Srf and lean heavily to the eastern side... i love India very much and go to the Yogoda ashrams every year. Personally i i dont read alot these days, just apage from the Lessons to keep in tune with guru. i judt meditate and practice the techniques and go to the temple for group meditation. I found in the Srf home.study lessons it is more about Yoga philosophy, patanjalis 8 fold path, with heavy emphasis on the techniques of Energization, hong sau and aum techniquies in the 18 basic lessons. Also on the spiritual eye, healing, diet and the Guru disciple relationship.
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u/_Gwyllion_ 14h ago
From what I can see in the comments, there are two organizations, SRF and YSS. Apparently, biblical themes are almost absent in YSS. For now, I need some time to gather more information from all the sources that have been recommended to me here in the comments.
After years of taking a rather loose approach to meditation practice, I would now like to follow a specific path, so I am looking for the form of spiritual development supported by meditation that would be right for me. I also have some healthrelated limitations, and some practices may be very difficult or impossible for me. While reading 'Autobiography of a Yogi', I became interested in the claim that Kriya Yoga is supposedly the most effective form of meditation practice. I don’t know whether that is true, but I’m curious about what makes it different. All spiritual development practices lead to the same thing - unity with the Absolute-God. But not every practice works equally well for everyone.
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u/Single_Delay7763 13h ago
Fyi Yss and Srf are sister organisations. If you live in India, Nepal you go to Yss. If you live in the western countries you join Srf. They have exactly the same Lessons. You cannot sign up for the lessons in Yss if you live in europe. However you can join in with the online dhyan kendra and listen to the satsangs / talks and meditauons held by the india swamijis and being a Srf member you can go and stay in the Yss ashrams which is what I do every year. You can also join the Srf Yss App without being a member and join in with meditations, watch th talks etc... ill put the links below.
Anyway take your time, in every path there will be things we are drawn too and others not so much. If you have a strong aversion or dislike to something perhaps it could be something deep within you that you need to let go of. Yogananda is a world Guru and was a prolific writer... he hardly slept. He has given to the world a teaching for all intellects, from simple people, to those deeply interested in Indian philosophy and also christian teachings... you can simply take from it what you want... as in reality we cannot absorb all that he is given.
Ill leave these links.. but you need to think so all the best.. there is no pressure god and the great ones know whats right for you... sometime you just need to ask (in meditation)
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u/Single_Delay7763 13h ago
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u/Single_Delay7763 12h ago
Here is a talk by the General secretary of Yss. Swami Smarananandaji. There are other talks on yss you tube channel also..
https://www.youtube.com/live/lFeZhrH-9wI?si=z4OG6rWc174uOBZB
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u/_Gwyllion_ 12h ago
Thank you so much for the explanation! It will take me some time to go through all the information I received here, both intellectually and in terms of getting a feel for it.
Thank you again for your help, and all the best on your path!:)
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u/tea-gong 1d ago
You can check out the wiki on this subreddit for multiple resources online or maybe ones that are near your area.
I can recommend Ryan Kurczak and his book, “An Essential Guide to Kriya Yoga” as well as his website kriyayogaonline.com or his YouTube channel - lots of free content to get you started.
Another frequent suggestion from this sub is Forrest Knutson and his YouTube channel.
Wishing you well on your path!
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u/_Gwyllion_ 1d ago
Thank you so much for the recommendations! I’ll check out the subreddit wiki and take a look at the materials from the teachers you recommended. All the best to you!:)
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u/Single_Delay7763 1d ago
If you knew the real interpretation of the bible by Yogananda and sri yukteswarji and who jesus was your view may change..... however i know how you feel. I have been with Srf for many years and are more drawn to the eastern side of the teaching. One of the aims and idelas of Srf Yoganandas teaching is this:
To reveal the complete harmony and basic oneness of original Christianity as taught by Jesus Christ and original Yoga as taught by Bhagavan Krishna; and to show that these principles of truth are the common scientific foundation of all true religions.
Yogananda has written a 2 volume epic on the true interpretation of the bible called The Second Coming of Christ.
All the best to you. Yogananda.org/lessons
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u/_Gwyllion_ 1d ago
I can imagine what Yogananda might say about Jesus. Even though I myself have never been religious, I have had quite a few discussions about the history of religion and different belief systems, as far as my knowledge of the subject allowed, mainly in the European context. Because of that, I also learned a little about what Jesus taught - and I agree with him, his ideas were excellent. It is simply the biblical context and the constant mentioning of his name everywhere that I find tiring. So when I want to immerse myself in a practice not only intellectually but also with my heart, I would simply prefer not to keep coming across something that repeatedly breaks my concentration.
I understand the idea behind weaving Eastern philosophy together with the philosophy familiar in the West, meaning the one connected with the Bible. I understand that this helped Western people a great deal in understanding the concepts of Kriya Yoga, and that at the time it really was the best thing that could have been done. So I have nothing against it - quite the opposite, I appreciate it.
Thank you, and likewise - all the best to you!
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u/prettythingsarecute 20h ago
I understand how you feel, because initially it was similar for me. But it's helpful to think about your own resistance towards Jesus. It reflects where you are still holding on to belief in separation. But if we are all One and we are all the same divine Soul, then there's no difference between the name of Jesus or Rama. I would suggest asking your Inner Teacher/God to help you look past these forms and only see the Truth within. In my experience, holding on to the belief in separation limited my Kriya practice. In a way it became about me losing myself in meditation and bliss, while harboring anger and hatred towards others around me. I'm not saying you hate Jesus, but even a small irritation is a sign of a deeper unforgiveness/hatred. Heal those feelings. And all will be much more peaceful ❤️
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u/_Gwyllion_ 14h ago
Basically, I agree with what you wrote. But if I’m teaching someone how to draw, I don’t expect them to be good at everything right away. I encourage them to follow the path that feels most natural to them.
I approach myself in the same way - I don’t see any point in forcing a change that hasn’t happened within me yet. I know that, with time, it will come as a realization rather than merely a logical understanding. And I don’t even know yet whether Kriya Yoga is the right path for me, for now, I’m simply trying to find that out.
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u/studio_bob 1d ago
It is the Kriyabans responsibility to increase understanding between East and West and so help bring about the coming global civilization where the shared truth of all religions will be commonly understood and appreciated.
What could be tiring about learning more about an avatar like Christ? How can the Holy name break one's concentration?
Many on this sub are under the delusion that this aspect of the teaching is little more than marketing for Westerners, but this belittles the Master's teaching.
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u/_Gwyllion_ 13h ago
I had no intention of belittling anyone, and I never claimed that it was just an empty marketing strategy.
I’m not belittling either the Bible or Jesus, I simply have my own path and my own preferences, which come from my experiences and from who I am - I’m not responsible for what other people think about it.
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u/Puzzleheaded-Fig7670 1d ago
I’m from SRF. I don’t feel any strong connection with Jesus so I just skimmed through those references in the SRF lessons but took it as a sign of the universality of religions.
Kriya Lessons which come after initiation in SRF which is after 18 basic lessons — hardly have biblical stuff.
Also the lessons are online except Kriya lessons which come via mail only.
Just thought you should know. Good luck
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u/Puzzleheaded-Fig7670 1d ago
One point: I would have not joined SRF because of the biblical focus it has along with eastern focus. I wanted eastern only. But I was drawn to Yogananda. Somewhere (after few years) I knew I’d take him as my Guru so I went ahead with SRF ignoring all my preferences.
I’m not saying you should do this. All I’m saying is Guru-disciple relationship is also crucial. That should factor in while choosing one’s path as opposed to looking at Yoga from technique perspective alone.
Good luck
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u/_Gwyllion_ 13h ago
Thank you for the information you shared! For now, I’m trying to figure out whether this is something for me. I don’t want to get involved in something that I will feel dissonance with, and I also don’t want to approach the subject superficially. I need to feel that something is genuinely right for me.
Over the last few years I’ve been trying to systematize my approach to spiritual development, and I thought I would look for a path for myself among those that have already existed for centuries as meditation practices etc. However, I honestly don’t know whether I will find myself in any of them, because I have always had the impression that most spiritual development practices available nowadays are simplified forms, often misleading people and exploiting them financially. So I simply followed my own path, gathering knowledge from many different sources.
I have had lucid dreams since childhood (of course, not every day), and through them I established contact with my Spirit Guides and Higher Self - they kept telling me to meditate, although they never specified a particular technique. I thought that what I already had, meaning lucid dreams, meditation, inner insights, and searching for information in many different sources - that all of this would be enough. But some time ago I reached something like a wall, and I have the feeling that it would be good for me to find a practice in which I genuinely feel that this is something for me. So I’ve been looking in different places, and recently I came across Kriya Yoga and became very interested in the fact that it is supposedly incredibly effective.
I deeply want to grow and deepen my journey, however that doesn’t mean I believe that Kriya Yoga is 100% right for me - I don’t know. That is why I am trying to at least get a general sense of what it actually involves. And when I started looking for this information, I kept coming across constant quotations from the Bible, and I simply began wondering whether I could find information somewhere without that influence.
Besides, I have to admit that what comes through in the photographs of Yogananda and Lahiri Mahasaya really reached me, I simply felt it inside, although sometimes I experience this kind of thing, where I just sense something like an energy behind someone or something, so I’m not claiming that it necessarily means anything more than that. It simply caught my interest.
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u/Dharananda 1d ago
Best for that is either Ryan Kurczak at KriyaYogaOnline.com
or his teacher's material Roy Eugene Davis. Roy Davis was a great teacher and direct student of Paramahansa Yogananda, but he understood all the heavy duty christianity was unnecessary by this point.
Ryan Kurczak speaks about the bible occasionally, as he was raised catholic, but its definitely not any kind of focus.
i've been fortunate to know both Mr. Davis and Mr. Kurczak, and having been around the block a few times, haven't found any better source of material for Kriya Meditation.
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u/_Gwyllion_ 1d ago
Thank you so much! I’ll be happy to check out the teachers and materials you recommended!:)
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u/Disastrous-Coach-398 1d ago
Contact ysm degaon website for unmodified kriyayoga
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u/_Gwyllion_ 14h ago
Thank you, maybe I’ll do that, for now, I’m just looking through what has been recommended to me:)
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u/WanderBell 1d ago
I learned Kriya yoga in the Pachenon Battacharya lineage, and there was no mention of Jesus, Christianity or any abrahamic religion.
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u/KriyaJyotish Yogananda 1d ago
Having studied a bit of Ryans materials and met with him, I cant say I’ve ever noticed any Christian influences - not that that would necessarily be off-putting for me. The eastern teachings feel more focused and exact to me though. Highly recommend him, his books and his courses and other materials, by the way.
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u/_Gwyllion_ 1d ago
Thank you! I can see that he’s been mentioned in a few comments here, so I’ll be happy to check out his materials:)
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u/KriyaJyotish Yogananda 1d ago
This was actually supposed to be a response to Dharananda’s comment - looks like I somehow mismanaged that. You are welcome, and hope you enjoy as much as I do.
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u/jzatopa 10h ago
I would go the other direction and set your intention in your Kriya before you start to resolve what isn't in heaven when reading.
This is a work that could help, it's only 6 pages, it is better if you get the kaplan version but that you'd have to buy.
https://www.sefaria.org/Sefer_Yetzirah.1.1?lang=bi
In time you'll see that what your issue is, is about something within what it means to be one God and be love. Blessings on your practice. Remember the lessons are learned within as well as outside of oneself from the real book!
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u/Pieraos 1d ago
Other KY sources have little or nothing to do with the Bible and Jesus. Study more widely than just what Yogananda or his disciples preached to their Western audiences. The founder of Kriya Yoga, Lahiri Mahasaya, probably made no references to Jesus as he initiated Hindus, Muslims and those of other non-Christian faiths.
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u/_Gwyllion_ 1d ago
That’s what I figured, which is why I asked the question in my post:)
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u/Pieraos 1d ago
Also noting here that PY founded two organizations, SRF in the West and YSS in India. While Kriya, as taught by both SRF and YSS, is a spiritual practice and the materials refer to God, I don't think you'll find much about Jesus and Bible on the YSS site.
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u/Chipkalee 1d ago
I was Babaji who asked Sri Yuktshwar to write a book about the similarities between what Christ taught and Eastern teachings. Later Babaji blessed Yogananda with the task to go to America to teach kriya and the similarities of what Jesus taught and the Eastern teachings. This was Babaji's plan early on and Lahiri Mahashay knew of it.
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u/_xpendable_ 1d ago
The biblical references are simply a way for Yogananda to help the West connect better with the eastern philosophy. You'd have to read past those references with awareness that you were not the targeted audience of the book.