Yoga Pathway to the Divine

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About the Author Paramahamsa Prajnanananda is the current spiritual leader of the Kriya Yoga international organizations. These organizations were founded by his master, Paramahamsa Hariharananda, who spread the teachings of Kriya Yoga all over the world. Paramahamsa Hariharananda was Swami Shriyukteshwar and Paramahamsa Yogananda's most outstanding direct disciple, one of the great realized Kriya Yoga masters in the lineage of Mahavatar Babaji Maharaj and Lahiri Mahasaya. Born in Odisha, Paramahamsa Prajnanananda was raised in a profound spiritual environment that inspired his search for Truth. He received his higher education in Cuttack and became a professor of economics there. In 1980, while still a student, he met Paramahamsa Hariharananda, who initiated him into Kriya Yoga, then fifteen years later, into the sacred path of sunnyara. After only three years, at the early age of 39, his master conferred upon him the highest title of Paramahamsa, a designation reserved for monks and saints who have attained the summit of realization.

Enriched by his own direct experience, fathomless wisdom, and deep love for humanity, Paramahamsa Prajnanananda guides and inspires spiritual seekers, a living example of how to fulfill one's infinite potential. In addition to running the main ashrams in Puri, Cuttack, Vienna, and Miami, Prajnananandaji spreads spiritual knowledge and the ancient science of Kriya Yoga by holding seminars and retreats all over the world. Prajnana Mission, founded by Paramahamsa Prajnanananda, provides service to humanity with free medical assistance units and centers, residential schools for the poor, and many other charitable and educational activities.

Author of many books on the science of yoga, practical guidelines to the application of the wisdom of Vedantic philosophy, and insightful metaphorical commentaries on the major holy scriptures and world religions, Paramahamsa Prajnanananda binds and bridges Eastern and Western cultures with a harmonious, fresh, and non- sectarian approach.

Foreword In these pages Paramahamsaji's Prajnanananda clarifies the true essential meaning of the frequently misunderstood term "yoga" and the pertinent effects of a controlled and concentrated state of mind in our day-to-day lives, stressing that the process of transformation requires regularity and vigilance, as without committed practice and self-training, it is impossible to transcend one's thought and habit patterns or transform one's personality. He constantly reminds the seeker that, for a genuine and everlasting transformation, the required tool is a systematic method of self-discipline, as mere philosophy and intellectual knowledge are not enough. Applying theoretical knowledge in daily life is called practice. Becoming a monk is not the basic requirement, yet while living a normal family life, it is imperative to accept a self-disciplined life in order to be constantly aware of one's thoughts, speech, and actions. Without proper training of the mind, a human being fails to see his essential oneness with the Source and remains anchored in the identification with the body, the external garment, and therefore victim of pain and pleasure. The human mind is complex due to its typical whims, thus the purpose of yoga, intended as meditation, is to remain free from the mind in order to be aware of consciousness. Yogic science teaches that the tool is breath control.

Life on this earth is but a brief moment and that moment should be utilized to purify our body and mind in order to perceive the soul, creating a bridge between the outside world and the inner one. The subtler levels of life are not that easy to travel through, unless one is equipped with determination, the proper meditation technique and a teacher who, having already conquered the inner realms, can show the way. The nature of one's inner life changes the quality of the external one and, through constant contemplation and meditation, one begins to have glimpses of Truth, and these very glimpses will strengthen one's determination to proceed further and further. The potential to experience our own divinity is present in each one of us, but it is dormant, consequently, each spiritual practice is meant to purify the mind from whatever may prevent us from being aware of the highest reality. The more one directs one's awareness inward, the more one realizes how transitory and empty are the objects of the world. This realization helps to withdraw the mind from the external world, and gives the impetus to proceed along the inner exploration.

In his explanations, Paramahamsa Prajnanananda incorporates the synthesis of the countless teachings on yoga from the most ancient scriptures, exemplifying them in his own unique style, underlying how breath control is interrelated with mind control and how yoga may allow the seeker to reconnect to the Source. Since his explanations are not merely conceptual, but practical and grounded in direct experience, the experience of an accomplished yogi, these pages are profound and clear rare gems of wisdom. Paramahamsaji guides the seeker step by step on how to overcome the obstacles one meets along the steep and slippery spiritual path, and points out the basic qualities required for a prompt spiritual progress, even if one is living and working in the world and leading a normal family life.

**Contents and Sample Pages**