Lahiri Mahasaya Specialities

• Introduction to the Series
• Omkara Gita Specialities  ☥
• Tejabindu Upanisad Specialities  ☥

Introduction to the Series

Shyama Charan Lahiri (1828-1895), or Lahiri Mahasaya, initiated many thousand persons in formerly secret kriya yoga, and made kriya yoga widely known too, by initiating about 5000 disciples. He himself was a disciple of a secretive guru called Babaji ("honoured father") and the guru of Yukteswar (1855-1936).

Lahiri is his family name, and Mahasaya is a reverend title that means "largeminded".

Lahiri was born into a Brahmin family in the Nadia district of Bengal. His mother died when he was a child. As a child, he studied Urdu and Hindi, gradually moving on to Bengali, Sanskrit, Persian, and English at the Government Sanskrit College, along with study of the Vedas. Reciting the Vedas, bathing in the Ganges, and worship were part of his daily routine. He had four children with his wife, Srimati Kashi Moni.

In 1861 he was initiated into the techniques of Kriya Yoga by Babaji, and began initiating others into the path of Kriya Yoga, as a householder in Varanasi (formerly: Banaras), where he worked as an accountant for the Military Engineering Department of the British government.

Yoga pranayama practices constitute Lahiri's Kriya Yoga. His system aims at generating deep tranquillity. His general advice is to practice Kriya Yoga meticulously and attune oneself to the active inner guidance.

Lahiri always gave the Kriya technique as an initiation, and often he referred to the grace that comes automatically through the guru if his instructions are carefully followed. He taught the value of earning an honest living and practicing honesty. And for most of his disciples he advised marriage along with Kriya Yoga practice.

He organized many study groups and gave regular discourses on the Bhagavad Gita. In 1886 he retired on a pension.

Among his notable disciples was Panchanon Bhattacharya, who was permitted to start an institution in Kolkata to spread the teachings of Kriya Yoga. This Arya [Noble] Mission Institution published commentaries by Lahiri on the Bhagavad Gita and other spiritual books. Lahiri interpreted many works and launched a variant interpretation of the battle of Kurukshetra in the Bhagavad Gita: To him, it represented an inner psychological battle, and that specific main characters in the battle were psychological traits. By treating the characters figuratively, their historical value may evaporate somewhat, or totally.

This grasp on the Gita - where characters are said to symbolise different qualities by allotment milleniums after the action took place, according to the Hindu faith at large - was later repeated in Yukteswar's Gita commentary [Bhg], and Yogananda's Gita commentary, God Talks with Arjuna: The Bhagavad Gita [Gt]. Lahiri also taught that the whole Mahabharata epos - of which the Bhagavad Gita is a small part - showed the soul's descent into matter and gross and subtle challenges in getting back to spirit. Lahiri used to interpret a lot of Hindu classics through kriya yoga.

Although Lahiri himself preferred Kriya to spread naturally, disciples started organizations to spread the Kriya Yoga message, and with his permission. Yukteswar was among them. Lahiri became known in the west through Param(a)hansa Yogananda, a disciple of Yukteswar. Among Lahiri's disciples were both of Yogananda's parents.

Lahiri passed away in 1895.

A source for very much of this information is Yogananda's autobiography, which you may read here: [Link]

The core method of kriya yoga is explained in detail here for those who want to explore it, after all. It is not difficult, but you may benefit from being instructed in person too, so try to get it done also.

26 Works by Lahiri Mahasaya: Interpretations of gitas (songs) and samhitas (collections)

All the 26 works are available as books or parts of books at Sanskrit Classics in San Diego.

1. Abadhuta Gita   YN
2. Amritabindu Upanisad   YN
3. Ancient Yogi Panini on Education
4. Astabakra Sanghita
5. Bhagavad Gita   YN. Yukteswar's Gita is found there too.
6. Charak Sanghita
7. Dhyanabindu Upanisad   YN
8. Guru Gita   YN
9. Kabir Gita   YN (in progress, 2009)
10. Manu Sanghita   YN
11. Niralamba Upanisad   YN
12. Omkar Gita   YN
13. Taitiriya Upanisad
14. Tejabindu Upanisad   YN
15. The Chandi
16. The Japaji (the first book) by Guru Nanak
17. The Kabir Doha (Couplets)
18. The Linga Puran
19. The Nyaya Sutras of Sage Gautama
20. The Sankhya Sutras of Siddha Kapil
21. The Substance of Mimangsa of Sage Jaimini
22. The Tantrasar
23. The Vaisesika Sutras of Sage Kanada
24. The Vedanta Darsan of Sage Badarayan - Chapter 1
25. The Yantrasar
26. The Yoga Sutras of Yogi Patanjali   YN

NOTE. Works marked by YN are currently online at yoganiketan.net, which also hosts Lahiri Mahasaya's Garland of Letters (Patravali). By comparing the texts from the Sanskrit Classics and the Yoganiketan works, you may get surprises. A random example may do for now. The second verse of the Dhyanabindu Upanishad looks like this in Paul Deussen's favourable translation [with diacritical notes omitted by me]:

Vishnu is called a great Yogin
Great in magic power and penance,
As a lamp on the way of truth
He shines, the highest Purusha. [So 700]

And Lahiri's commentary or whatever it is, runs like this "from San Diego":

V: "bosoms".

I: "firmly tranquilizing the breath up to the aperture in the head () from the eyebrows."

U: "returning to the coccygeal."

      Spiritually, "Visnu" is the state of eternal Tranquility at the After-effect-poise of Kriya.

Mahamaya (Maha+maya):

Maha: In all beings."

maya: "breathing through the left and right nostril." [Ut 26-27]

And Yoganiketan.net's online version to compare with is:

The Stillness which is after Kriya - the one who always has that -- "Vishnu" = "v[a]= Sound from the bosom; "i" - Stillness upon taking vayo to the head with Shakti, from the center to the end-Brahmarandhra, and again + "u" - coming to the Yoni - meaning the state which is after the performance of kriya, that Stillness. "Mahamaya" = the movement of breath on the left and right side is called "maya," and it is like that in all jivas - therefore: "mahamaya". [yoganiketan.net, sv. "Krishna-Yajurvedia Dhyanabindu Upanishad"]

What Lahiri Mahasaya seems to have done, is to read things into an old Sanskrit work. He even puts his own spin on some passages. If what he teaches is wise, it remains much unproved at any rate. And it is not wise to believe much, because of the danger of being taken in.

The Dhyanabindu Upanishad ("esoteric doctrine of the point [bindu] to which the meditation relates"), is explained and commented on in Paul Deussen's Sixty Upanisads of the Veda [So 699-702]. The upanishad in question does speak for silence in meditation, through breath practice, even though verse 2 does not seem to give one clue of it.

And if you sometimes sigh, "People don't understand me," there may be gurus and yogis that are far less understandable . . . It is widely acknowledged that Lahiri's output is not easy to find out of, not even among followers of his line of yoga. His commentaries were "recorded talks" put on paper by various disciples, some more accurate than others. And Lahiri often spoke like a drunk as a result of his spiritual attainments, they inform at Yoga Niketan. [sv. "Important information about These Commentaries" there.

What I Have Done on These Pages

I have gleaned Lahiri output from San Diego, and the gist is presented and modified into Self-lore, aiming at better understanding. For copyright reasons I have resorted to abstracts when they may do just as well as verbatim quotations, or better. As a result, I call the special gleanings specialities and hope you may understand yoga lore better from reading into i.

Detailed references to sources are found, as usual on the site, so can see for yourself what is written by who in the matter - which should be good for many. And for your own good you are always cautioned against believing in this and that on this site, for the sake of you own rational coping and development. Along with Gautama Buddha's teachings, come general reservations  ☥hat works if you apply it. I am not in the belief business, and great-sounding words are not always good for folks, says Tao Te Ching, ch 70, 81 etc.

Further, the gleanings are put into a form that works well for basic research. And maybe you can learn something above the statements (meta-ideas) from it. Special gists are for that. It is generally advised to take a look at a chapter's gist before reading the chapter, for appropriation may be helped by it. [Link]

I am highly valued, for few understand me. [Tao Te Ching, ch 70]

Teachings on the Self are hopefully useful up to a point. But words about the Self or Nirvana are not experiencing the Self and Nirvana. Compare the words of Guru Dev, "Spiritual teachings . . . cannot throw light on the inner Self, for the Self is Light."

Shankara writes many words about the Self from the stand of Advaita Vedanta ("monism"). Ramana Maharsi does too. So there are teachings of other famous gurus and of Buddhism to compare this gist with.

Omkara Gita Essentials

Based on Lahiri Mahasaya's Commentary on the Omkar Gita.

Those who contemplate every day and see a dazzling light like a million suns, are still not in Complete Consciousness unless and until a deep calm is theirs, is the teaching.

The individual Self is of Knowledge

THE PHYSICAL body is the form of the OM sound — Bindu, the spot, is transcended by the inner Sound — Beyond secret radiation are dazzling jewels. [V. 3-5; cf. v. 29; 44]

Deep inside oneself is a star encircled with a yellow colour called "the golden ring". [Cf. v. 9]

When you become one with the supreme Person by OM, you are eternal and supreme Being — Complete Consciousness is all there is. [Cf. v. 16; 56]

One is to tranquilise the prana ("breath") at the heart, which is esoterically in the area between the eyebrows too — One should expand the prana, which is automatically and spontaneously expanded in higher Consciousness. [Cf. v. 22; 25] (2)

The OM sound in the form of inner light is kutastha — The supreme Person is the embodiment of knowledge. [Cf. v. 7; 52]

There is no substratum or nada (sound) in the great calm brought on by kriya. Then all is a void, a so-called void. [Cf. v. 29]

Without Self-Knowledge, nobody can attain full well — The individual self is the ultimate Self somehow. [Cf. v. 78-79; 9]

Tranquility is a form of the supreme Self — Kriya is the means to serve the Self. [Cf. v. 26; 15]

Those who contemplate every day may understand more and better as time goes by

THE OM sound has no end — Tranquil breath is seen as "deep dark" and of high vibrations. [Cf. v. 11; 31]

Serve the Self and Lord every day with all the organs — The eternal Being is beyond the mind and impossible to experience unless and until the mouth of the Secret Lotus inside is no longer upside down. [Cf. v. 15; 39]

You can also try to lessen desires by calm breathing. [Cf. v. 62-64]

The supreme Person lives at the heart, and is dazzling like billions of suns — If you meditate on OM by doing Omkara kriyas, you will see lightning like electricity. [Cf. v. 45-47; 21] (4)

The eternal Being is a Person, sages say. [Cf. v. 37]

Individual hearts are created

IN THE void of the heart is sound and calmness — Individual beings are created. [Cf. v. 3-5; 9]

Gist

1. The individual Self is of Knowledge.
2. Those who contemplate every day may understand more and better as time goes by, due to attuning to that inner Self.
3. Individual hearts are created - and if so, may get marred also.

The individual who contemplates daily, shares in forming and building a spiritual edifice inside too.

Tejabindu Upanisad Essentials

Inspiration rooted in Lahiri Mahasaya's Commentary on the Tejabindu Upanisad.

By practicing kriya one can realize the spirit in the breath (prana, or calm "air") [cf. p. 21n].

The essence is: The ultimate Self of kriya is all the world. The ultimate Self is also Pure and Highest Wisdom. Highest, Pure World - that is all there is.

The Highest State lies in remaining aware of the ultimate Self as Pure Wisdom and so on - inside first

BY KEEPING the tongue lifted in the kriya way [by practicing khechari mudra = yogic tongue-lifting] one may feel purity of Peace [cf. p. 18].

There is a Void in the throat—Kingly calm is like a felt Void, and Brahman is ultimate [cf. p. 7, 22].

One is to hold on to the formless state that grows (is gained) beyond Voidness. Kutastha Brahman is supremely Void—Kutastha is the Self in between the eyebrows where the individual being is "aired"—By hard work the kutastha can be seen [cf. p. 22, 23, 10, 9].

The waves (commotion) of the heart are called chitta vritti [cf. p. 20].

Highest bliss lies in remaining aware between the eyebrows [cf. p. 15].

Seeker, nothing is apart from the ultimate Self [cf. p. 17].

By fixing the attention between the eyebrows. breath (prana) turns into "food" [nourishment] too [cf. p. 10, 11]. (2)

The individual self is joyful when he finds the supreme Being. When he goes beyond it in the kriya calm, there is no trace of supreme Being and no sense of Joy. The state of kriya calm is beyond everything. And so is the Highest Happiness and Eternal Peace. The ultimate Self has no substratum [cf. p. 16-17, 20, 22, 14].

In the kriya calm of kriya there is no sense of ego—The ultimate Self is also pure Wisdom (Jnana) [cf. p. 12, 24].

The Hong Saw technique of contemplation is for attaining the calmness of very calm breathing. The kriya calm is a highest secret [cf. p. 14].

One who practices kriya sincerely, has to transcend the expectations of results from doing kriya [cf. p. 12].

The ultimate Self is all there is

KINGLY calm is the establishment of the eternally true Self [cf. p. 20 Brahman is the ultimate Self of kriya [cf. p. 12].

One is to "arrive up to between the eyebrows"—It is difficult to practice kriyas [cf. p. 10, 9].

All the world is the ultimate Self [cf. p. 20].

Sincerity grows through holding on to the inner Self [cf. p. 22].

Atman is Jiva. Jiva achieving Deep Calm in between the eyebrows becomes the supreme Self (Lord Siva) [cf. p. 6]. (4)

One feels void; there is no vision of a Void [cf. p. 22].

In the kriya calm, the intellect is poised in inner Wisdom—Guru and Bramha become just One. p 13, 18].

A Mahasaya is poised in inner Wisdom [cf. p. 11].

Selfhood is devoid of all sense of liberation

ONE IS to accept Oneself by Oneself—One should train oneself and see the Self in the medulla region through the area between the eyebrows somehow. It is done by practice [cf. p. 19, 9].

An etheral feeling of Void is in the ultimate Self—And Om is the physical garb (body) in the form of inner sound [cf. p. 15, 6].

The highest attainment is Selfhood—The state of Awareness that the calm of kriya is based on, is called the "container" [cf. p. 15, 16].

The aim of kriya is to attain santa (deep calm and bliss), that is, kriya calm. Santa may evolve into eternal bliss beyond that poise [cf. p. 8n].

The state of Deep (Interiorised) Mind (Deep Consciousness) in the ultimate Self is free from all sense of liberation, honour and dishonour [cf. p. 24].

There are no purposes or visions when the state of anger (krodha) is overcome [cf. p. 12]. (6)

"Highest" often denotes "secret" in these waters [cf. p. 14].

Gist

1. To keep one's soul and mind very pure is important. The body should be fitly clean too.
2. All there is is all the universe.
3. Your selfhood is not for notions like "highest attainments". Make do with going forth and going on in exemplary, fit ways, therefore. You can train yourself. That is much a part of it.

To keep one's soul intact is "all the world" to oneself. That is exemplary.

Literature  

Bhg: Yukteswar, Swami. Srimad Bhagavad Gita: Spiritual Commentary. Portland, Mn: Yoganiketan, 2002. On-line.
www.yoganiketan.net

Bi: Satyeswarananda, swami, tr. Complete Works of Lahiri Mahasay Vol. II: The Bhagavad Gita Interpretations of Lahiri Mahasay. San Diego: The Sanskrit Classics, 1991.

Gt: Yogananda, Paramahansa. God Talks with Arjuna: The Bhagavad Gita, 2 Vols. 2nd ed. Paperback. Los Angeles: Self-Realization Fellowship, 2001.

So: Deussen, Paul, tr. Sixty Upanishads of the Veda, Vols 1-2. Varanasi: Banarsidass, 1980.

References in Chapter 1

Gv: Satyeswarananda, swami, tr. Complete Works of Lahiri Mahasay Vol. I: The Gitas: The Vedic Bibles. Guru Gita. Omkar Gita. Abadhuta Gita. Kabir Gita. 2nd rev. ed. San Diego: The Sanskrit Classics, 1992.

References in Chapter 2

Ut: Satyeswarananda, swami, tr. Complete Works of Lahiri Mahasay Vol. III: The Upanisads: The Vedic Bibles. San Diego: The Sanskrit Classics, 1992.

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