Hello, I have been practicing Kundalini Meditation for about 1 1/2 years with little to no major results. Aside from a few lights when eyes closed, thats about it... I found your site while searching for a mediation that would benefit me spiritually. How does Ananda Kriya meditation compare with kundalini meditation.. If its too long to answer, I understand...
Thanks for your time and patience...
Roy
—Roy, United States
Dear Roy,
In the broadest context of yogic terminology, the entire spiritual path can be described as raising Kundalini. Having said that, I understand that the various and many yogic paths and techniques have a plethora of names. But like so much else in life, what is best for us is that which suits our needs, temperament, and, yes, our karma. That technique which is best for us is similar to that diet which is best for us; or that person who is our life partner. It is not a question of which technique is best.
It is true that techniques can be viewed as for beginners, intermediate and advanced. But an advanced technique is presumably not what a beginner should be taught. Vast vistas of realization attend the upward climb in the astral spine of spiritual awakening. Kriya Yoga as reestablished by the lineage of Paramhansa Yogananda in modern times is a powerful technique to which thousands and millions are being steadily drawn to practice. But it is more than a technique. It is a way of life and a path of discipleship. It also embraces a family of yogic techniques that work together for our upliftment. And, it is entry into a worldwide spiritual family. Not a closed door, but a family open to all and serving all.
So, you see, the question is a bigger question than comparing one technique with another. By reading Yogananda’s now famous “Autobiography of a Yogi;” by studying some of his writings and those of his direct disciples like Ananda’s founder, Swami Kriyananda; by associating with disciples of Yogananda; in all these ways you can discover from within yourself whether the path of Kriya Yoga is what your soul is guiding you towards.
There is also a deeper aspect to the spiritual path, notably to the inner path of meditation: expectation of results. The precept of non-attachment — yes, even to the results of our spiritual efforts including meditation — is one of the cornerstones of spiritual progress. Sometimes a person is given many inner experiences of astral light, chakra sounds, even visions, yet even later abandons the spiritual life; other times, all such phenomena are withheld (perhaps as a test of that person’s commitment); sometimes the beginner is blessed with special graces but then entering the middle life of committed effort, feels at times that he is in a desert wilderness bereft of spiritual solace. Yogananda warns against having tit-for-tat merchant consciousness in weighing our efforts against our results in meditation. Meditating as an of devotion without expectation and for the sheer love of God is one way of expressing purity of intention. There are other ways, too, of experiencing dynamic non-attachment, self-control and self-giving to the process of awakening born of meditation.
I hope these remarks will be helpful to your quest for the right way for you!
Blessings and joy,
Nayaswami Hriman
