100 years ago, September 19, 1920, my paramguru (my teacher's teacher), Paramahansa Yogananda arrived in the US. He was not the first yoga teacher from India to travel to and lecture in the US, but he was the first to make his home here, to actively propagate the teachings of yoga in the United States. And that has made all the difference for so many people. Indeed, I would argue it has made a difference for many people who don't even realize it, as teachings don't belong to any individual, they belong to us all. Teachings escape their trappings and infiltrate all aspects of their host society. As I have been following these teachings for many years, I feel I can see not only how that happens but can witness countless aspects of it in our current worldview.
I am not, nor ever have been a member of SRF, but I have been a disciple of one of Yogananda's ordained teachers and have integrated Kriya Yoga into my life to the point that I don't really consider it a path or a teaching anymore. It's how I live my life. And I think that is ultimately the idea of this and similar teachings. My approach to this is that we should look at the teaching, practice it if it resonates, find what is important to us, if anything, and integrate it. At that point it is no longer about the teacher, the lineage, the philosophy, or anything of that nature. It is about the quality of life.
The root word of Kriya is action. Hence, Kriya Yoga is about right action. It's not about beliefs or concepts, it's not about religion and ritual, it's not about outward modes of expression. It's about this moment and the next, how we live this life, which only happens in the moment and is best expressed spontaneously, devoid of concept and belief. In other words, life is lived to the fullest when we flow with the flow, change with the change, and live life to the fullest. Beyond the mysticism attributed to Yogananda, beyond the beads and robes, beyond his vital and impressive lineage, beyond all the superficial things, including the man himself, this what he most wanted to impress upon the country he adopted. Live life to the fullest, starting right now.
I am not, nor ever have been a member of SRF, but I have been a disciple of one of Yogananda's ordained teachers and have integrated Kriya Yoga into my life to the point that I don't really consider it a path or a teaching anymore. It's how I live my life. And I think that is ultimately the idea of this and similar teachings. My approach to this is that we should look at the teaching, practice it if it resonates, find what is important to us, if anything, and integrate it. At that point it is no longer about the teacher, the lineage, the philosophy, or anything of that nature. It is about the quality of life.
The root word of Kriya is action. Hence, Kriya Yoga is about right action. It's not about beliefs or concepts, it's not about religion and ritual, it's not about outward modes of expression. It's about this moment and the next, how we live this life, which only happens in the moment and is best expressed spontaneously, devoid of concept and belief. In other words, life is lived to the fullest when we flow with the flow, change with the change, and live life to the fullest. Beyond the mysticism attributed to Yogananda, beyond the beads and robes, beyond his vital and impressive lineage, beyond all the superficial things, including the man himself, this what he most wanted to impress upon the country he adopted. Live life to the fullest, starting right now.
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