"What the rishis perceived as essential for human salvation need not be diluted for the West."
Nagendra Nath Bhaduri
Quoted by Paramahansa Yogananda in "Autobiography of a Yogi" 

Bliss of the Celibate
Words of divine masters through history on the critical role of sexual restraint and celibacy in attaining the higher spiritual life.
www.celibacy.org
 
 

The five definitions of “Kriya Yoga”

In the yogic scriptures, and in the statements of sages and yogic authorities, the term “kriya-yoga” can be found referring to five connected ideas.
 

First Meaning of "Kriya-Yoga": The Action of Yoga

 Patanjali in the Yoga-Sutras uses the term kriya yoga in Sutra 2:1 to denote three things:

-- austerities,
-- scriptural study, and
-- devotion to God.

The original Sanskrit of verse 2:1 uses the term "kriya-yoga" to refer to these three things. Following are two versions of this verse by different translators. (Note: The Sanskrit word tapas means austerities.) 

The sutra states that austerities, devotion to God in a personal form, and study constitute "kriya yoga."

In a literal translation from Sanskrit, kriya means an "action." Many commentators translate kriya yoga therefore as "the action of yoga," or "yogic-action."

Here we have the idea that, at the bare bones, "yogic action" consists of austerities, scriptural study and devotion to God. The mention of  austerities gives this sutra a broad sweep; makes it quite encompassing. There are many kinds of austerities, yielding  much fruit in spiritual development. Meditation itself is a kind of austerity. (The best of them according to yogic sages.)
 

Second Meaning of "Kriya-Yoga": Yogic "Action that Purifies"

Some translators add the idea of purification to our understanding of kriya yoga. More than one commentator-scholar translates kriya as: "Action that purifies."

It is easy to understand how the three activities listed above could have a purifying effect on one's mind and inner nature. Indeed, the very purpose of austerities (listed as part of kriya yoga) is physical and spiritual purification. Later it will be well for us to consider what kinds of activities constitute austerities. For now we are only establishing the idea that "purifying action," and not just action, is meant in the term kriya yoga.
 

Third Meaning of "Kriya-Yoga": "Preliminary Yoga"

There is the concept, brought up in some Sutra translations, of kriya yoga meaning also the beginning of yoga. Some commentators translate kriya yoga as "preliminary yoga" or "beginning yoga." This appears valid from the sutra itself, since it lists activities that seem basic on their face -- the God-idea, reading of holy books -- activities commenced by the average person when developing an interest in spirituality.

Now trust that this idea of "study" as one of the verse's three facets of kriya yoga, is understood by most commentators to refer to the study of scriptures and the statements of the sages.

Reading of Scriptures and the Words of the Sages

Book reading is obviously a common activity pursued by those with an awakening interest in spirituality. Now, the teachings do state that a sage arrives at a state where he dispenses even with books. The Bhagavad-Gita describes this station:

"As is the use of a well of water, where water everywhere overflows; such is the use of all the Vedas [scriptures] to the Seer of the Supreme." Bhagavad-Gita, Juan Mascaro Translation

But here the Sutra is advising the reading of scriptures and books. Since dispensing with books is an ultimate fruit of the path, and since the Sutra advises the study of scriptures as part of kriya yoga, we can see again how kriya yoga refers to earlier periods of spiritual practice.

Devotion to the Personal God

The verse also lists devotion to a personal form of God as part of kriya yoga. In the west we already consider the idea of God as a given, for those inclining to religion and spirituality. We expect someone interested in spiritual life to entertain the thought of God. In the good bhakti-oriented groups, some of the Christian groups, a personal feeling is also nurtured toward same. We consider this "god idea" to be a basic element of religion and spirituality. Now we see that the same approach exists in Hinduism and yoga. The thought of God is a basic starting point in spiritual life, even in the vast and esoteric science of yoga. This further fact reinforces our understanding, then, that kriya yoga refers to "basic" or "beginning" yoga. 

Purifying Austerities

Going further: The verse lists austerities as part of kriya yoga. Simple austerities include things like renouncing drink-drugs; renouncing illicit sex; dirty talk, negative media material, or abstaining from harmful foods. Higher austerities include things like silence, solitude, fasting  -- and avoidance of any worldly distraction one might care to give up. At the higher levers of austerity, the aspirant renounces lofty things like the vrittis of the mind, worldly powers, beautiful and pleasant devas and astral pleasures, and even the very element of nature called satva. (Which means all of the highest things in nature itself will ultimately be renounced. Renunciation/austerities have always been central to spiritual development, spiritual power, and divine Realization.) 

These are what is meant by "austerities" or tapas. This further supports the "preliminary yoga" idea. Most people who come to pursue religion and spiritual development express it through the giving up of some habit they recognize as negative. (They may even turn to religion and yoga as a way to free themselves of negative habits and addictions.) Any turn towards "religiosity" usually entails some turning away from habits, especially habits that are clearly destructive.

The turning away from the material and turning inward to spirit, entails a doing without, a renunciation, a cutting away of false material entanglements. That way we become able to perceive the great and subtle things within. This is the reason why traditional religions have always advised us against addictions and material entanglements; so as to simply keep the way clear for us to have the divine inner perceptions. You can't taste fine wine while drinking pop. You can't appreciate an exquisite Mozart symphony while also listening to heavy metal.

The abstention from material and sensual entanglements is a normal and effective modus operandi in spiritual development. Purity and renunciation which creates purity, and also devotion, are the entire bag. Certainly as people develop an interest in genuine religious scriptures and teachings, they encounter these teachings of the sages favoring austerity and renunciation. The austerities ethic is well spoken for, by Krishna, Buddha, Christ, Mohammed, the saints and yogic sages. They in fact attain their station through austerities and this is well recorded in scriptures. The advice to austerity for us, as well, runs through and through the scriptures. So one can't help but bump into it when starting the spiritual journey.

The yogic sages also do unequivocally state that renunciation (austerity) is central to spiritual realization. They perhaps state it even more clearly; in more plenitude, than in other traditions. In yoga, the dynamic of renunciation begins with the obvious and simple things, such as harmful addictions. But a renunciation attitude is also necessary all the way up through the highest stages to final release. Yoga itself -- which is in essence, the renunciation of mental fluctuations (vrittis ) -- can be described as pure renunciation, in itself. There is actually little more difficult than renouncing the vrittis of the mind. Thus the attitude of renunciation can be seen as the central technique of yoga.

As the yogi makes progress, his work actually consists of renouncing higher and higher things. At the end, he will finally renounce such rarefied things as the vrittis of the mind (fluctuations), the appealing Beings who inhabit the astral planes, beautiful places and locales of the higher worlds, kingship here and elsewhere, and universal powers offered by various devas or gained through austerities. Before the final attainment of kaivalya on the long path, he will even renounce satva, the highest element of Nature itself (prakriti), in preference for purusha (God).

These things such as vrittis and satva are the hardest things to renounce. But this is what the path of yoga and Self-realization entails. This is the train you must board. This basic attitude of renunciation carries us us through all levels of spiritual development. For one who will be renouncing such powerful and lofty things, trivialities like parties, fame, sex or bad food shouldn't be allowed to keep you on the boarding tram too long.

Austerity (tapas) is the way that we express and strengthen the basic renunciation imperative central to yoga. Now don't worry much. Realize that such renunciation becomes very easy when one finds that the spiritual perceptions are far more satisfying and useful than those cheap thrills, and sees how the cheap thrills clutter the way to those divine perceptions. The Bhagavad-Gita states that to the sage, he doesn't care for a piece of gold more than a clod of earth. This isn't because he has become insensate. It is because what he is experiencing is so much greater than gold. The Yoga-Vasistha states that when a beautiful woman touches a sage, it is no more exciting to him than the touch of a piece of wood. This is not because he is numb. It is because what he experiences is so much greater than that. (The Upanishads assert that the pleasure of the sage is more than a thousand times greater than the pleasure of sex.)

So you should not worry about having no fun as a yogi or yogess. However, if one is not yet willing to renounce such clearly destructive things as tobacco, drink or drugs (at least to try), one has certainly not set foot yet on the starting path of yoga. One not at least willing to renounce negative or immoral addictions -- let alone the higher things -- has not yet turned seriously to the spiritual life. Realize that even the effort or attempt at renunciation brings merit. It gets the notice and compassion of the Divine Being, Who will come to help you. (It helps a lot, too, to make a specific request of the deity for help with any addiction.) Later it will be the degree of your renunciation that will bring you true greatness and the ability to truly help others. It might also encourage you to know that austerities lighten your bad karma. Business improves, wealth improves, family life improves, and so on. But don't think about that. Think about God and do it so you can know God.

As soon as you want to "get religion" or become a yogi, just give up some stupid thing that you are attached to, and start there. Then pat yourself on the back. The guru will be impressed. Just the attempt to do with out cigarettes, for example, is a true austerity. If you are into illicit sex, renouncing illicit sex is an austerity for you. For someone else, with more work in austerities, a 20 day fast might appeal. Or going silent for a month. Later you can try getting rid of some other useless entanglement. Don't try to get rid of them all. That's too hard. Just start whittling them down. Eventually you will get good at it and become bliss permeated. Some day the whole world will want to give up it's addictions just to sit next to you on the train. Om-Namah.

Thus this idea of austerities is part of the definition of kriya yoga, in Yoga-Sutra verse 2:1, should not be controversial.
 

Fourth Traditional Meaning of "Kriya-Yoga": Spontaneous Yogic Body Movements

It is well established in the yogic scripture that kriya also refers to the spontaneous bodily movements that occur in many meditating devotees as they pursue yoga with devotion. These natural, spontaneous, and living kriyas include things like swaying back and forth, sudden spontaneous placement of the hands into various mudras, the execution of what appear to be classical hatha-yoga poses (they are!) without prior knowledge of them, facial expressions or movements. There can also be the spontaneous intonation of sounds or words, often Sanskrit words having a particular meaning related to the state of the devotee or the sadhana. Om.

LEARN MORE ABOUT YOGIC KRIYAS IN "GIFTS OF THE MYSTIC"