kriyayogamalaysia

Kriya Yoga Burns Negative Karma

By Desmond Yeoh SC

Yogiraj, Guru of Rudra Shivananda

Yogiraj Gurunath Siddhanath explained that the practice of Kriya Yoga involves the movement of Prana (life force energy) up and down the spine (or in yogic terms, the “Sushumna Nadi”). Our six main Chakras or energy centres reside in the Sushumna Nadi and these centres store our Karma. This is because imbalances in our Chakras results in mental, emotional and physicals problems and ailments. When Prana is moved up and down the Sushumna Nadi, it rubs against the Chakras and cleans away some negative Karma stored in them. This is why Paramhansa Yogananda explained in his book, the Autobiography of a Yogi, that one in and out breath, practiced in Kriya Yoga, is equivalent to one year of spiritual evolution.

What type of Karma is burnt?

Causes and conditions must come together for events to play itself out fully. One aspect if the external event; the meeting of another person or being in a certain place at a certain time. The other aspect in the internal karma which is represented by our habitual thinking and emotional patterns. Do you know someone who is always arguing or finding fault with others all the time? Which of these two types of Karma (external or internal) do you think contribute more to this? Does everyone he meets seek to make him angry or does the fault lies more with the way he habitually interprets events? Who is more likely to be cheated; a contented person or a person who incessantly think of what he lacks in life? Who is more likely to get into accidents; a person who is aware and present or a person who is constantly daydreaming?

This internal karma also brings us unnecessary mental anguish. If a friend insults us, we will feel hurt even though there is no physical pain. We may continue to suffer for days after the insult. Compare this to being pinched in jest. There is an immediate physical pain but no mental suffering at all. Spiritual practitioners seek to reduce this type of unnecessary mental suffering brought about by their mental habits. They learn to let-go.

The practice of Kriya Yoga mainly helps us clear away the internal Karma; the negative habitual thinking and emotional patterns. When our navel chakra is imbalanced, we suffer from greed. For the heart chakra, its hatred; throat chakra – anger and third eye chakra – pride. We do not think pride is harmful but it causes us to lust for power and it causes us to suffer greatly when others gossip about us.

As our negative karma is reduced, our good karma naturally increases. When greed or craving is reduced, contentment increases. When hatred is reduced, loving kindness increases. When anger is reduced, compassion increases. When pride is reduced, inner peace increases.

Such is the power of Kriya Yoga.