Paramahamsa Hariharananda (1907-2002), one of the greatest realized masters in Kriya Yoga, is a legend among the spiritual seekers. He attained nirvikalpa samadhi, the state of no pulse and no breath, the state of cessation of all activities of the body, mind, thought, intellect, and ego, merged and absorbed in God. Nirvikalpa samadhi is the long-cherished goal of all aspirants in the spiritual path. In the Kriya Yoga tradition, he is placed in the lineage of the realized masters: Babaji Maharaj, Shri Lahiri Mahashaya, Swami Shriyukteshwarji, and others.
He was born on the 27th of May, 1907, in the hamlet of Habibpur, on the bank of the sacred river Ganga, in the district of Nadia, West Bengal, India. A few kilometers from the birthplace of Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, a God-intoxicated divine incarnation of the fifteenth century, this village of Habibpur was sanctified by the birth of this holy child, whose childhood name was Rabindranath. His father, Haripada Bhattacharjee, was a disciplined, dedicated, devout, and determined brahmin, well-versed in all Hindu scriptures. So also was his mother, Nabinkali Debi, a pious, generous, and loving lady par excellence.
Endowed with uncommon and marvelous brainpower, this divine child memorized all the intricate mantras, hymns, and prayers in Sanskrit, astounding all. At the age of eleven, in 1918, he took the vow of brahmacharya (i.e., the upanayana ceremony of the brahmins). His desire for spiritual upliftment continued to grow, so he went to his family's preceptor, or spiritual guide, Shri Bijoy Krishna Chattopadhyaya, a realized householder master living in Howrah to the west of Kolkata, and took initiation into the path of Jnana Yoga at the age of twelve. He excelled in sacred and secular education and after completing his schooling was well placed in the society as a technocrat.
His thirst for spiritual enlightenment could not be quenched by material achievement. He was inspired by Shri Bijoy Krishna to meet Shriyukteshwarji, the most befitting disciple of the great master of Kriya Yoga, Lahiri Mahashaya. As advised, he called on Shriyukteshwarji at his Serampore Ashram in 1932 and at last received initiation into Kriya Yoga, the sacred and scientific meditation technique.
Under the holy guidance of Shriyukteshwarji, he learned much more of astrology, astronomy, and palmistry, as well as strict spiritual discipline and meditation. Three years later, when Paramahamsa Yogananda returned to India from the United States in 1935, on the advice of Shriyukteshwarji, Rabindranath was blessed to witness his state of samadhi and was initiated into into Second Kriya by Paramahamsa Yogananda.
Shriyukteshwarji wished that this young celibate Rabindranath should renounce the material life and take charge of his ashram in Puri. However, by God's will, it took several years for the fulfillment of his noble wish. In 1938, Rabindranath moved to the land of Lord Jagannath, the seaside city of Puri in Eastern India. Later he resided at Karar Ashram and accepted asceticism with the new name of Brahmachari Rabinarayan.
He started a strict spiritual practice of sincere meditation, observing silence for several years. Within a short time, he attained perfection in three yogic mudras: khechari, bhramari, and shambhavi. After this attainment, a supernatural divine light (i.e., aura) emanated from his body, which was observed by many.
The life and teaching of great souls are real treasures for humankind. They have not only dedicated their lives to perfection and higher consciousness, but also their every moment is dedicated to all of creation to quicken spiritual evolution. Sage Narada in his beautiful work, Bhakti Sutra: Aphorisms on Divine Love, beautifully described that a realized one has not only reached the goal overcoming the veiling play of maya, but also helps others to cross this ocean of illusion. The life of the realized one is like a burning flame; it illumines itself, illuminates others, and also kindles fire in other lamps.
We have very clearly seen in the life of our beloved Gurudev Paramahamsa Hariharananda the beauty of his spiritual wisdom, intuitive insight, burning flame of love, and selfless service for humanity in general. His long span of divine life, which includes sixty-four years of renunciation and more than fifty years of tirelessly teaching Kriya Yoga, was spent moment to moment for the betterment of all. His daily life started from the early hours of dawn and brought joy and love in the life of many seekers in various ways. He used every moment of his time for all, continually reminding us that time wasted is life wasted. He pointed out repeatedly, "Waste time with none but God, then time will not be wasted."
Gurudev shaped the lives of many as a true lover of God. He wrote countless inspiring letters to his disciples all over the world. As an author, he presented us with many beautiful spiritual books. Proficient in many languages, he wrote books primarily in English, Odia, and Bengali. He wrote a few books related to Kriya Yoga in Odisha. Some of his books are not yet translated into English. His most popular book is, Kriya Yoga: The Scientific Process of Soul-Culture and the Essence of All Religions. This book has been a source of inspiration and spiritual handbook for people worldwide.
It is with great pleasure that we bring forth the sixth edition of this inspiring book. It has been more than twenty-five years since the first edition was published and it continues to be accepted and appreciated by spiritual seekers. Due to requests from people worldwide this book has been translated into many languages. We want to bring it in the hands of all seekers of Truth.
Gurudev's light and love through his words of wisdom will continue to inspire us for all time.
Restlessness and calmness are always together. Restlessness comes from the mundane body. Submerge your soul in the Infinite before, during, and after every act then you will get calmness.
We are born for Self-realization - the God consciousness in us. Think of God constantly, no matter what you are doing. Practice makes man perfect. An ounce of practice is worth a ton of theories. Theory will take a devotee outside, while practice will take him inside. Theory will make an individual restless and selfish. Practice will give him inner peace and liberation from ego. Practice, practice, and practice in order to feel the presence of God in every breath, in every sound you hear, in everything you see, in every thought that comes to your mind, and even in the breathless state. Feel the presence of God as much in your enemy as in your friend. Remain firmly anchored in the Divine Omnipresent, the Divine Omniscient, the Divine Omnipotent even when you are occupied in worldly activities.
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