Category: Laya Yoga & Tantra

(Hridaya no. 012)

During our first practical lesson of yoga we will concentrate on daily practice for everyone, who wishes to develop closer relationship with the path of Laya. This material can be particularly important for those, who had already taken part in some courses or trainings of Laya yoga, tracked as a kind of introduction to path and tradition of Laya. Popularly, using an external nomenclature we can call Laya yoga as purification of chakras and aura.

Continuing Sadhana expands our relationship with the path and tradition according to rule, that we develop all that we focus on. So if we want practice and we pay attention to exercises, the appropriate time, place, conditions and circumstances just come out. Initially we can say that that our will and determination causes that appropriate conditions for us just appear. The lack of time and conditions is not an excuse but a manifestation of personal fears, unwillingness and anxiety, which create the situation. The increase of aspirations and trust to exercises and the path, the increase of will to practice is exactly the thing that organizes appropriate time and conditions.

The basic level of Sadhana consists of breathing exercises, which harmonize the energy of elements inside us: earth, water, fire, air and ether (light). This is an integration of psychological and spiritual planes, so plan of action, emotions, thoughts and spirit. Let’s describe one of these breathing exercises, combining it with the description of chakra’s location.

The suggested breath includes four short breaths and the fifth long and deep one; they all make up the whole cycle. Each breath of these five we accumulate in different place. All breaths consist of deep indrawn breath and unimpeded exhalation.

The first breath we concentrate at the height of trunk’s base, in the area of crotch and coccyx. That is the level of earth element and MULADHARA chakra. This area is responsible for biological instincts sphere, physical health and contact with the ethereal plane (with the world of the spirits of nature).

The second breath we focus on abdomen, little lower from the navel. Like we would push down on the abdomen while taking breath. This place is a centre of water element, emotions and feelings and a point to contacting with astral plane, the yoga calls this place as SVADHISHTANA.

The third breath we concentrate above the navel, at the height of stomach or solar plexus. While taking breath we slowly lift the diaphragm and lower part of ribs. This is a center of energy called MANIPURAKA, which controls the thinking, deflagration and digestion functions. It is also a point to contacting with mental plane.

The fourth breath we concentrate at the height of breastbone, in a pace where air goes into lungs. This place is sometimes called as spiritual heart or the center of intuition, and yoga calls it as ANAHATA. It harmonizes and unites the work of other chakras and uses to contacting with either psychological or spiritual planes. It controls the level of personality from mental plane and expresses the features and characteristics of air element.

The fifth breath we focus in upper part of the neck, behind the tongue, at the height of the atlas bone. It is a place called by yoga as VISHUDDHI, which means “the light of purity”- there comes from the element of ether, so of the light, which is a causal plane. This center becomes an entrance to the causal plane. A bit longer and deeper fifth breath accents the importance of spiritual plane as superior to others.

This way we make five breaths of one cycle. Than we repeat the cycle five times which gives twenty breaths. Fourfold repeating symbolizes four seasons, which is like giving complete cycle of work. Yoga usually accents natural rhythms of functioning, because they make practice much easier. Hridaya yoga uses very similar breathing exercise, fragments of which approached to mountain ashrams (temples or hermitages) in form which is called kriya yoga or rebirthing. Then we try to operate with these breaths through the center of heart, which is also an appropriate exercise. In order to immediate, harmonious work with chakras and purifying aura it is recommended to do this exercise in Laya yoga version.

It is a common rule to breathe deeply every day. We should observe the breath and each time we notice it as shallow, let’s deepen it immediately. We should breathe calmly and deeply. Indrawn breath is deep and the exhalation is totally free, neither forced nor latent. It is a general rule as far as breathing is concerned.

In order to daily practice of Laya yoga we start with breathing exercise daily morning and evening Sadhana. When breath is thicker, so audible, panting it influences the physical body in healing way. On the contrary when it is gentle, subtle, deep but not audible it influences deeper physical levels…

The second recommended exercise is focusing on mantra (sound) OM around heart so at the level of breastbone. In deeper meditation we consider sound OM as consisted of three sounds: A- which is an opening and creative vibration, U- which develops the level of understanding, expands mind’s horizons and destroys it’s limitations, and M- which opens the source of fondness in us, subtle feelings and enables emotions to grow up. That is why during this exercise we can feel ANAHATA as a place or space under the breastbone, and next we resonantly repeat A-U-M. We feel like trembling, a kind of vibrations under the breastbone and we try to vibrate each sound for the same time.

Loud repeating of sounds (and mantras as well) causes physical vibrations, which influences the body and some special features of it. We can combine vibrating the AUM sound with visualization of heart center as a three-petaled, opening flower. The most external petal is golden-yellow and opens in down direction, the middle flower is like bright-red-coloured and it diverts to left side where the physical heart is, and the most internal petal of these three is blue and it develops in right side.

Each of vibration becomes associated with a sound. According to this to A vibration suits blue color, to U vibration golden one and to M vibration tones of red. When we finish loud intoning or vibrating AUM, than we can join the mental part of practice. As we practiced loudly now we repeat all exercise just by thinking AUM and keeping the vision. During this all practice our spiritual heart will get on strength and development. It is a purification of heart’s aura. This exercise influences healthy physical heart and whole area of breasts, including lungs, bronchial tubes and bronchioles.

First part of exercise, the loud vibrating is called sabdha-mantra. Second part- mental repeating is artha-mantra. At the end of the cycle we sit in silence for a while, feeling all produced energy. It is like hearing echo of practice, feeling energy of our practice and yoga calls it pratyaya-mantra. All practice with OM has its three parts or three levels.

What is also interesting is the direction where does this practice leads to. When systematically repeated, this exercise destroys every mental and emotional obstacles which moderate processes of intuition. OM vibration expresses the meaning of “BEING”, so it expands us in the direction of living here and now, similarly as Zen exercises. After some time during third part of practice we shall hear wonderful and unique song coming out from the interior, from spiritual heart, song which sounds like A-U-M. It is a sign that our practice matures, and all we hear will sound like angelic singing. Then we will be able to practice listening of OM.

Meditation with OM in heart enables to get in touch with internal, spiritual and intuitional part of ourselves. Avidya – ignorance and unawareness becomes destroyed. Perfect understanding of life sense comes itself by intuition. An exercise with OM helps us to understand ourselves better. It is a path of understanding and self-recognition. All Ego or small “I” becomes annihilated and changed. At last because of exploring cosmic vibration at heart we reach the knowledge about all matter in natural way. Omniscience becomes our natural feature. This is total sense of this exercise…

Third exercise suggested to all interested in Laja yoga is Transferring of Light. Popularly this exercise is called as Transmission or Focusing in Light. Laja yoga calls it like JYOTISHMATI. Exercise of transferring light makes the mind calm, thrilled and free of fear or sadness. Pure, bright- silver light is enabled to melt all darkness. Especially dissolved become negative thoughts, which cause serenity and calmness.

First part of Meditation of Light seems like taking indrawn of light, flowing from above to our head and coming through throat to the spiritual heart, at height of breastbone. We can feel or visualize it as a bright ray, lighting up from above. It flows through certain centers of our body above the heart like SAHASRARA, which is located above the head, AJNA, located inside head and called usually like “third eye”, and trough VISHUDDHI. The energy coming this way trough the top of head purifies and harmonizes all centers located above ANAHATA. With each indrawn we feel the light working inside our heart center and diffuses all darkness there. Light coming up to heart disperses all clouds that cover our natural divine luminosity. At last the internal vision let us to see that from interior of heart, behind dispersed clouds suddenly appears an internal shield of sun.

In second part of this meditation this internal sun starts shining intensively, especially during taking each indrawn. Similarly it starts radiating which is connected to each exhalation. During indrawn of light we enlarge internal Spiritual Sun in heart (Savitri) and during exhalation we emanate its light.

With an exhalation we can send this light to every organ of our body, which than becomes self-healing because the light disperses even clouds of very dangerous illnesses. We can saturate our aura with this light and emanate with it from all body surface, like all cell of the body were lighting because of initiation of heart center.

Rays of white light can be send from our heart to hearts of others. It activated healing process so we can send it to ill or dying people or even those, who have already passed away. We can emit this light thinking of all people with whom we were linked by negative relationships, and than all past and negative emotions shall be purified. This white light is a suitable color for process of forgiving, which is one of the most healing activities we can take up. After some time of practicing we will see those who we had been systematically sending light as changed, bright and good.

The other possibility is to let this light flow everywhere where it is needed, without leading it. Than we become passive observers of where this light goes. The rule of unimpeded emitting of light which is an essence and basis of Transmission. This is like third part of each JYOTISHMATI practice.

During fourth part of practice Spiritual Heart rising in heart, raises through all centers above heart and lights from each of them for several time. It is like going up through higher levels of Brightness in higher centers. It is recommended to exercise with each center for the same time. When we reach the level of sahasrara we transform ourselves to cosmic, divine brightness. What we practice now is dissolving ourselves into light with vision of rainbow. This may be more advanced practice with silver-white light.

At the beginning the most important are first three stages, especially the first and second one, because they awake the source of divine light inside us, damaging all covering it curtains, which are like clouds on our personality.

Summing up the introductory practice of Laya yoga consists of three parts:

1. Breathing exercise that harmonizes all elements and purifies chakras below to heart.
2. Exercise with vibrating cosmic sound of OM, which purifies and develops heart.
3. Exercise with pure, white-silver light that purifies all centers above heart.

This way lets up to purify aura and all centers in introductory extent.

Basic Sadhana should be practiced two times a day. The exercise of 20 breaths lasts for 2-3 minutes, all practice with OM about 10-30 minutes and exercise of light transmission from 10 minutes till one hour or even more.

Transmission of Light is an exercise which enlarges and deepens our Enlightenment. Everyone interested in Laya yoga can practice it with simultaneously enlarging their commitment to path and line of transmission.

Namaskar

The Himalaya Master

(Hridaya no. 013)

Laya yoga is a path of chakra’s purification and development. It contains all sadhanas of yoga – the ways of practicing. It particularly introduces internal structure of human being and all it’s substances. Laya is well-known for presenting ways of purifying chakras and this what we call aura, an energetic trimming of a man.

Sthulla-sharira is our physical cover, a thick substance. Linga-sharira is more subtle substance called an ethereal double. It is a substance of Chi (energy of life) and a substance of instinct or biological needs. Kahuns use to call it a spectral substance, kinoaka. Kama-sharira is a substance of emotions and passion, desire and emotional devotion or wishes as well. Simultaneously it may be called an astral body. Manas-sharira is a substance of intellect, memory, thinking and imaginations. It is a lover mind, mental body.

Kama and manas are usually strongly connected with each other. It means that a thought and emotion are usually synchronous. Kahuns call conglomeration of kama-manas unihipili. It is like our thinking and excited child, lover ego or personality. Whole body of linga-kama-manas is called prakryti, so – nature, matter. It is entirety of psychical matter, whole element of lover ego (widen of energy and sex level below unihipili).

Chakras – centers of energy seem to be like organ in ethereal body, inside them in linga-sharira develops our conscience and energetic potentials. These centers influence varied part of physical body. We can cause healing influence to certain parts or functions of our organism. Chakras exist in each substance. The most perceptible for use are centers of ethereal body (linga). Part of human deeper than personality is purusha or brahman, our eternal essence. It is threefold in it’s aspects so it creates three upper substances.

Sutrama-manas is a higher mind, a causal body – kazaul. Here is located the memory of karma, so the record of previous lifes. It is a level from which the law of karma functions, it is a law of return, law of repayment. This level creates our future incarnations. It is a substance of abstraction, ideas, understanding and cosmic intelligence.

Budhi is a substance of awaking, intuition, wisdom, peace, synthesis, feelings and knowledge. Here we achieve the level of consciousness development as Rama, Shiva, Krishna, Buddha, Abraham, Moyzes, Zaratushtra, Jesus, Muhamad, Sai Baba and many others great masters of our planet did.

Atma is a substance of will and strength, power and freedom. It is called a breath of God. Cosmic, nourishing breath is located here, from which reveals the screenplay of humanity formation. Kahuns call Sutrama-manas and budhi as Aumakua, so the higher ego or parental pair of higher egos. Atma is a source of contact called Poe Aumakua, which means the field or space of divine egos.

Three upper substances create the spiritual area of our interior. Is a primary nature by Buddhists and Christ’s awareness of Christian mystics. We are speaking about higher Trinity. So there are four important stages, where develops Sthulla – physical, material, corporal consciousness, during the process of individual development. Greeks used to call physical body as soma.

Prakryti – physical consciousness, the consciousness of soul, also called lunar, lower personality or ego. Greeks used to call it psyche.

Purusha (Brahman) – spiritual consciousness, higher and solar one, consciousness of masters and saints. Greeks used to call it as pneuma. It is a sun supporting and illuminating lower nature.

Iśwara – divine consciousness of avatar, existence of God. Greeks used to call it as Theos. Iśwara can be expressed in two rings: Anupadaka – external part of divinity (arab. Sifat) and Adi (zat) – internal part of divinity. Logos, primary, non-made light, source where everything comes from, even the manifestation of God.

Antahkarana – a thread of life, an energy canal, which links all stages and levels of consciousness. It consists of three main energy canals, connected with each other, which we call gunami. Their colours are blue, red and yellow. Prakryti and Brahman are synchronised and controlled by energies which come from Iśwara. Kahuns call it as aka, a thread,line or lead. It is berth in the center of heart, in anahata. More about read below.

Yoga means mainly unification or communion. It is harmonized path of all human’s substances by surrounding them with consciousness. When taking the width of consciousness under consideration we can distinguish four human types: materialist, (psychic), (holistic), yogin.

The source, founder and highest teacher of yoga on Earth is master known as Shiva, revered by many as God or Half-God. In invisible spaces he lives around of the top of Kailas Mountain in India. He comes down in different ages and initiates various ways of yoga, which are presently helpful to humanity. He is well known for these descents as Babaji, which means Honourable Father. He is a father indeed and is directly or indirectly a founder of various forms of yoga. Advanced trainees of yoga are his primary students. There is a mantra (sound formula) calling up for Shiva. It sounds like Om Namah Shivaya. It serves to deeper meditation with Shiva, the master of yoga. As a master he gives the deepest initiations in arcana of yoga in all it’s various forms.

Shiva recommends the path of self-discipline, moderation, friendship, openness, joy, sacrifice; self-realising, favour, resistant, freedom and mastery, which all describe the essence of yoga.

Hatha yoga is the most external training formula of yoga, and laja yoga is the most internal one. They are like one coin, and all it’s variations are like fragmentary aspects of work one and the same yoga at different stages of our development.

Because of physical body and it’s energy appears hatha yoga. Because of energy’s substance appear it’s varieties as prana yoga, considering energy of life, lingam join yoga working on energy of life, or tantra yoga which links two of them. Yogis sometimes show controversies in European culture, the cause is lack of knowledge basic symbols of yoga and the general lack of knowledge in the field of basic spiritual matters, like understanding of Iśwara – divinity as a pair of cosmic parents, fulfilling themselves energies. Chinese symbol yin-yang can be appropriate for those great forms of yoga. Third level is bhakti yoga connected with development of astral body – kama. And fourth is connected with mental body – manas, and it is called as jnana yoga. It is a path of wisdom and knowledge and spiritual knowledge as well.

Methods of laya yoga that refer to development and purifying center of energy in ethereal body (linga-sharira) are generally called as kundalini tantra yoga. Methods of Tantra contain breathing exercises sound and vision techniques. Generally breathing yoga is called as raiyu yoga. It contains all activities with breathing. Work beset on sounds is called as mantra yoga and vision or imaginations methods are called as dhyana yoga or yoga of light (adhi yoga). It is about meditation on imagination of chosen item of practice. Usually these items are lights, balls or canals of energy.

All these detailed forms of yoga are basic practice system for purifying and deeper development of our physical interior and finally for opening canals and unification of psyche and spirit.

Work with chakras is like first step to self-purification and broadening of consciousness, to higher levels. Through chakras we have an insight into deeper fields of reality than the deepest part, which is material world.

Prana is energy of life or vital force of our organism. Linga-sharira leads it through energy canals called nadi. It is a basic force of life and it flows in every single canal of energetic body and can be perceived as many various lights. The colour of primary prana energy penetrating cosmos is white. The colour of prana penetrating and healing our physical body is pink.

The source of prana for our body and psyche is our higher ego, so purusha or brahman. Hebrews used to call it nefet, Muslims call it baraka, in Polynesia they call it mana, tao call it chi and Japanese – ki.

Flows or prana, no matter direction and source, have different names and functions. These are two exemplary streams:

Udana – stream of energy lead to the top of head which works from up there to the navel or a little lower to the interior of abdomen. It is cosmic energy. It can be lead in through legs or indrawn of breath. This energy enables conscious passing away and it protects from physical and psychical dirt. It enables levitation. It’s like a breath of water.

Samana – stream of energy which starts around navel and leads vital force to every fringe of body. Vital force broadens from the navel to all body and fill it all. It is fiery breath.

This is list of basic chakras in ethereal body. There is seven of them and they are symbolically described in blossom of lotus forms (padma).

1. Muladhara – center at the basis of trunk, which root is around coccyx and the central part at height of crotch. Mula means root and dhara – reservoir. Speaking symbolically this flower has got three petals, which are three energy canals (nadi). It rules over Earth element and is penetrated by energy of tamaguna (inertia). Basic colour of aura is blue, and the symbol is a cross or triangle with its top downward (symbol of womb). It contacts us with ethereal.

2. Svadhishtana – center below navel, in lower part of abdomen. Sva – is Self, dhi – light, shtana – living. It is very important center, a place of location light of Self (lower ego). The root of his center is placed in lower part of lumbar vertebras, and inside lower abdomen. This chakra is built of six colourful petals formed in two triads. Its symbol is crescent or six-humeral star. It controls the water element (jala), and is controlled by radzaguna (passion). Basic colour of aura (opening one) is red. This center contacts us with astral body (kama). In fact there is also seventh, central canal of energy or petal when speaking symbolically, which colour is white.

3. Manipura (-ka) – stomach center, above navel, usually called as solar plexus. It’s root is located in lower part of brest vertebras and the flower grows in upper part of abdominal cavity. Mani means a jewel and pura- garden. So it is a garden of jewels. It controls fire element and is controlled by stream of satwaguna – energy of harmony and goodness. Basic colour of aura is yellow, and the symbol are three triangles inside circle. It contains ten energy canals or petals. And it enables contact with mental world (manas).

4. Anahata – heart center, dorsal, also called as a bell. It is located inside chest and it’s root between spatulas. Opening colour is golden-yellow and also white as far as spiritual arcana are concerned. Anahata means sound, word, vibrations. It controls element of air, wind, and bound to all three gunas. Element of air is an opening one, than it transfers into water or fire element. It’s symbol is twelve-rayed sun, the same petals it has. Through heart we simultaneously penetrate three worlds.

5. Wishuddhi – center in upper part of neck, behind the tongue. Important functions of this center are control of ether element (kasha, light) and power on four other elements, contact with causal body, and stimulation of creative forces. Colour opening is emerald (blue-green) or silver. Wished is a light of puryfication. It is lead by tamaguna (inertia). It consists of sixteen stream of energy or petals. Through this center we read record of karma. Symbol of it is empty circle.

6. Ajna – center inside head, located at height of forehead and ears. It is often called as third eye responsible for clairvoyance through time and space and mind perceiving. It controls element of life and gives power over senses. It’s a link of budhi with physical body. Opening colour is pink-blue. Symbol is “eye of wisdom”. Rajaguna (passion) controls this center. It consists of 96 petals (canals) focused into 6 groups with 16 similar streams of energy in each of them. Ajna means order.

7. Sahasrara – center called thousand-leafed. It’s root is on the top of head and the flower grows upward. Ra – means sun, sra – working, saha – thousand. It is a sun working on opening the thousand. 960 petals in external circle and 12 in internal one. It is controlled by satvaguna energy. Colour opening aura is white-violet. It gives full-power in both bodies: psychical and energetic.

Hum!

The Himalaya Master

(Hridaya no. 001)

The first issue of the esoteric magazine obliges us to clarify its title and the mission that it has been designed to fulfil. It is wholly contained in one beautiful and simple word: HRIDAYA. I hope that this magazine will attract the attention of all CHELA: disciples, aspirers and students of yoga, so that they can follow this path of Eternal Wisdom together. The root HRID means sort of eternal, deeply hidden dimension of the heart and the soul, a dimension of something that is the core and essence of the human being. One can say that it is a Secret Lotos inside the heart, the very source from which flows the force that revives the human being in all his aspects.

HRIH mantra invoked in a special way affects the Jewel of the Secret Lotos. It means a sensation and a realisation of all internal Mystery. Let us assume then that HRIDAYA constitutes the Source of Eternal Wisdom, that it is the Secret Inside Heart, the Chamber of Treasures hidden deeply inside one’s soul, or the Lotos of our True Nature. The root of the word IDAM is ID, which refers to to the true, timeless and suprapersonal Self. In other words, we are orientated towards the Higher Self. It also happens that IDAM means as much as IDEAL. Hence, we may interpret the expression HRIDAMas the Indigenous Ideal, sort of Divine Being, The Holiest Being, one that turns out to be our own original and innate nature. The purpose of our existence is hidden and sealed there. Therefore, “HRIDAYA” which is an esoteric magazine, will discuss those issues related to yoga which concern the heightening of our consciousness to the extent at which we start to perceive the Higher Self.

So, HRIDAYA as an area, or a focal point for our consciousness, is the Internal Source of Eternal Wisdom and, at the same time, the Jewel of the Internal Temple, as well as the Gate to the House of the Heavenly Father. When following the path of esoteric lessons You are embarking on a journey inside Yourself, You discover Yourself, You tread the path of self-exploration until You reach the depths of Your Own Soul, the World of the Spirit. You discover the foundation of Your own self, Your core, Your roots. Call this HRIDAYA centre the residence of the Self, and accept the cycle of these Scriptures as an aid in the effort to become Yourself.

HRIDAYA is the eighth lotos between the matter and the spirit. This is its exact location (in case You want to illustrate it to somebody). Secret Laya Yoga taught to me by my Venerable Guru Ananda Shiv (Swami Baba Shivananda G.P.) begins in this very place which can only be sensed and perceived as as a door between that which is palpable for the senses and that which is not accessible for the senses. In this Secret Chamber resides our True Self. It is DRASHTA: the truthful and fair witness. His other name is I AM. The Biblical Name of GOD: I AM THE ONE THAT IS, or, in its original version: EHIEH ASHER EHIEH is this level of consciousness which we aspire to attain.

Every person well familiar with the four-stage system of Laya Yoga within the Patanjali system, contained in Yogasutras, will easily notice that the topic of DRASHTA refers to the second class of yoga. In the first class for yoga disciples we aspire to attain the I AM consciousness through chanting the OM syllable. The very resonant Omm (AUM) syllable is referred to in the first class yoga as ANAHATNADAM, which means the vibration sound or the resonance of a sound. This is an internal sound, cosmic music of silence. When You gently chant OM in such a way that Your whole body trembles and vibrates lightly in tune with Your voice, then it means that You are setting off on a geunuine journey into Your I AM, to Your True SELF.

At the beginning I recommend that You start Your studies with Patanjali Yogi Scriptures, i.e. Yogasutras. The first class of yoga introduces a part of the first one. You will constantly come across references to Yogasutras within the course contained in the HRIDAYA esoteric bulletin. Delicate and loud OM vibration is the most fundamental of Laya Yoga practices. Start chanting for about 5 minutes, and later prolong it even to 15 or 20 minutes. Don’t overstrain Your throat, feel the vibrations in Your whole body: they will balance Your energy and heal Your entire Being. Use half of the time devoted to chanting on the Oooo… sound, and the rest, i. e. the second half, on the Mmm sound. In this way You will get the Oooo… Mmm… syllable.

The purpose of HRIDAYA is to inspire one with Spiritual Knowledge, bu also to provide a choice of practices for individual studies. A balanced way is a way where studying and practising go hand in hand. As my Guru used to say, disciples should be reminded that practices should be learnt by way of transmission, that is directly from the Master-Teacher (Acharya). So, if we ever practised this ordinary OM together, You can take up this exercise now. Otherwise, You can seek contact with a living Spiritual Teacher in order to listen to the sound of OM intoned in a group.

In the process of opening the I AM (Aham) consciousness, the door to eternity is opened, too. OMwill guide You and will allow You to break through the suffering and pain, through the chaos of the mind and emotions, through the chaos of conditioning, attachments, through the chaos and bonds of burdersome limitations inherited from Your ancestors.

HRID means that You cut the ropes of the entanglement in the material world and begin a new, liberated life. Day-to-day work of paving Your way for higher consciousness and removing the obstacles of ego (subconsciousness) is a guarantee of future spiritual accomplishments.

Of course, a question arises how to study these esoteric lessons. Firstly, often revise those lessons that inspire You. Also, return frequently to those excerpts that inspire You. Start the reading with chanting OM and finish it with OM, too. When You begin and finish OM, try to chant it at least 3 to 7 times.

The second, and just as important truth is that studies in Spiritual Schools take place not by means of reading, but by means of listening. Comprehend the importance of the listening process. Try to hear what you are reading, using your internal ear, which seems to be ligh in your physical eyes. Let the words penetrate the ears. Usually, when I read, I try to understand the words of my Guru properly. So, listen with the ears of your Self rather than read.

Direct reading with Your eyes causes Your spiritual knowledge to develop Your intellect, therefore it is of little value for spiritual development. Eyes are energised through the solar plexus centre, which predominantly rules ego development and lower mental tendencies. However, ears are energised through the throat centre, which is the source of spiritual inspiration. Hence, it is through listening more than through reading that You orientate Yourself towards the Spirit and hearing centre development (purification).

An unquestionably fundamental issue for the Esoteric Teaching Circle is feeling, receptivity to each word and to contents. To be passive, non-judgemental and to feel all that flows only with Your heart, is helpful, as in the course of studies it develops the internal sense of touch called INTUITION. This is an attribute of the heart centre, which is located between the throat centre and the solar plexus centre. The “mere” feeling lets one achieve the balance between the Lower and Higher Self. Initution develops through passive feeling, and we will refer to is as reception (pratyaya). So, don’t contemplate the text too much or don’t let Your attitude to it become too emotional, simply receive it and listen to its melody, the resonance, the echo of the words. This is the way in which all true Spiritual Schools function.

Thinking and pondering are needed, but when they are excessive they block the Intuition and Spiritual Inspiration, the expansion of which really guides one towards the accomplishment of the goal. If a particular task turns out to be of importance to You, try to listen to its echo resounding on and on. It is a proper way of meditating, i. e. contemplating the HRIDAYA lessons.

Saints and Masters often repeat: “He who has ears, let Him listen”. Fake clairvoyants usually don’t want to listen, that’s why they are fake. On the Spiritual Path one should first of all develop the ability ro Feel, then the ability to Listen, and finally, the ability to See. Therefore, one should feel, i.e. perceive with their heart and listen with their ear, in order to be able to proceed in the right direction.

Self-realisation or self-exploration (sampradjnyata) comes at the moment of liberating one’s SELF/SOUL from all illusive veils. This is the discovery of a Witness (DRASHTA, I AM). In the Core of our Being, in the depths of Your Self a Divine Law (Ryta) has been imprinted, which is the foundation of second class yoga practices called YAMA (don’ts) and NIYAMA (dos). Exploration of these cosmic, divine laws and principles allows one to achieve full self-realisation, the dissolution in NIRVANA, the attainment of SAMADHI-BHAVANA, i. e. the state where individual consciousness becomes transformed into cosmic (divine, spiritual) consciousness. You become Yourself, the Soul, the Higher Self. All this can be attained without Guru’s aid and Grace, without initiation, all thanks to Your own individual effort, although this path is a very long one. Nevertheless, those who eagerly follow the path will be able to take advantage of advice offered in this Bulletin.

Let me attract Your attention to the fact that self-perfection process is actually realised through SADHANA, i. e. by means of practising and spiritual development. Therefore, even reading yoga lessons is regarded as an efficient way of practising. SADHANA is a collection of basic yoga exercises that are to be systematically revised. Here are a few of them: OM chanting, listening, receiving…

This is the way to achieve Interpretation point between the Spirit and the Matter. When one completes the whole series of exercises, it will be visible thanks to its profound effects. Problems, worries and hardships will simply fade away. As regards the disciple, he will reside within his soul and become less and less dependent on external conditions and phenomena.

SADHANA is profoundly meaningful. This is a means, which like a vehicle drives You towards the goal. The initiation system in the Laya Yoga tradition is based on a whole system of vehicles, of which Sadhana is considered as a vehicle for those who can listen. One may compare it to the Buddhist Shravakayana, which in its essence constitutes the “vehicle for those who listen”, and, bearing in mind the fact that the Buddhist system of practices was entirely derived from the secret forms of yoga, we can easily understand the significance of practising through listening, as a means of accomplishing the goal. ABHYASA, which is also described in the first class of yoga, is a more advanced form.

The discipline called YOGA may be described in many literary sources. Yet, the only way to learn it is to practice. Initiation of the practice is like planting a seed. Continuation of the practice may be likened to watering and tending the seed. The moment we have harvested the crop is one in which we may stop practising, as we have accomplished the goal. DRASHTA, I AM, is the goal of the first two classes of yoga, which are to be practiced in the right sequence, beginning with the first one.

SAMADHI-BHAVANA or NIRVANA is a state of consciousness that emerges from the realisation of the Witness, the One Who Is, The Only One, The Faithful and Truthful One. In fact, it is our Innate Nature, Our True Essence, the Cornerstone which upholds all the rest…

Sanskrit words that we use express the original ideas of the creators of all yoga systems, therefore they will be explained in minute detail during this course. They convey plenty of meanings and profound contents. We explore their hidden meanings exactly through the meditation on the Word (and the Word becomes alive exactly through feeling and listening to its original sound). In this way the entire Living Yoga (Living Ethics) may be risen from the dead under the supervision of the Teacher. In its original meaning, Yoga means “Unity, Unification, Reconcilliation, Communion”. To discover unity is to discover the principles of the ancient Yoga.

OM will awaken Your true consciousness, Your self-concept will vanish and You will start to become Your true self. This is the preliminary and the inevitable step. Further practical exercises will come after subsequent lessons in esoterics, until we complete the first class of yoga called SAMADHI-PADAH: the path of Ecstasy and Concentration in the Pure Light.

Om! Om! Om! Hum!

The Himalaya Master

(Hridaya no. 000)

The mind of a man is filled with confusion owing to to his free choice to separate himself from divinity, separate himself from the source, or the roots of his own existence, from the real endowment with everything that a human being truly needs. As a result of his drowning in the darkness of the material world of illusion (Maya), desires and animal instincts, human beings find themselves away from their right and only path of development, which is a narrow and tight way to divinity. It is high time to end this senseless wandering in the wilderness and demonic blind alleys of human existence.

The realisation that whole mankind is God’s offspring and the feeling of unity of all creatures are the first step in the awakening to the truth of the only genuine reality. We all are one being, one soul. Therefore, if you hurt somebody, you in fact hurt yourself. Sooner or later you will discover the profound truth of this fact. And if all of us, together with our brothers animals and plants, are one being, one living soul, then we can say that the great saviours such as Jesus Christ bore the burden of our as well as their own sin. Thus, in the feeling of unity, someone else’s suffering is exactly one’s own suffering. This is the essence of empathy, which the Great Prophet and Yogi, Gautama Buddha endeavoured to teach us.

Maheshvara is Great Perfectness and a Great Paragon of all spiritual, divine Ideals and Virtues. Maheshvara is a scintillating reflection of Sain Essence, marvelled at by all living souls that have perfected themselves in the transformation process. Maheshvara is the ultimate goal of Apyayana, the Path of Internal Life.

Open your hearts and listen to the voice of God, who summons you like a Shepherd who calls to his herd. Maheshvara is the most perfect image or human reflection of God that one can imagine in the depth of his angelic soul.

Maheshvara, the Highest Lord says: “When you gather together in My Name, you create a circle (Chakra), to which My love (Prema) may flow so freely that it can even create a feeling of excessive abundance of that love and the power of empathy, which accompanies love. My Love breaks all the barriers and reveals God inside your true self, which always is the reflection and personification of God Himself. When we become brighter and brighter we turn into the image and reflection of the very Reality that we were created from. I am always present inside each human being, however, you do not realise this. I am reflected in the pure mirror of the soul just as the sun is reflected in the surface of water. Only when you create proper conditions for yourselves can you get the experience of My omnipresence.”

HRIDAYA CIRCLE is a study circle devoted to esoteric subjects, including deep contemplation or pondering on the subject of these studies. Secret esoteric knowledge awakens in the heart and mind as a flow of understanding that appears deep inside a human being, from its angelic planes of consciousness always looking up to the Highest Lord and God, to Maheshvara. Each study group which explores esoteric scriptures of Himalaya Tirtha Sangha is in its essence a Hridaya Circle.

Hridaya Circles which have been called up are merely a rudiment of the whole movement of celestial wisdom and they will gradually proliferate. The co-ordinators of Hridaya Circles (Snataka) ought to inspire the members of their own study groups with courage to set up their own circles of esoteric studies, even ones that include as few as two or three persons. Maheshvara will always pour out His love on every new Study Circle of Esoteric Spiritual School.

Maheshvara, the Highest Lord, says that we need more groups focusing on the development of the charismatic gift of spiritual wisdom, perception and comprehension according to the spirit of advaita, non-dualistic wisdom, which always assumes the stance of unity as a sole divine point of view. One God’s Eye always perceives solely from the point of view of both unity and entirety. The Third Eye is always the divine eye of advaita outlook, i. e. the point of view reflecting unity and entirety of the pattern of creation.

The duty of Spiritually Awakened beings is to propagate the message of Laya Yoga, which is the Message of Truth, Peace and Love. There exist many ways to fulfil this divine duty of an awakened soul, but Study Circles which familiarise us with celestial consciousness provide, thanks to the support Lord Maheshvara Himself, the most useful opportunity in the divine Mission.

Initiating even the most modest work orientated towards this goal will bring about, after some time, the appearance of totally new opportunities, and our modest work will multiply and bear countless spiritual fruit. You will recognise them by their fruit (siddhis). This is the manner in which the disciples of the path and their work are described. This is the service for the new age of truth.

Hridaya Circle is a nine-stage path of celestial spiritual knowledge imparted by God’s angels (devas). Hridaya (Hrydaya) is a study Circle devoted to esoteric secret knowledge based on the principle of perceiving unity and entirety. The spirit if unity (agreement) must always accompany such esoteric meetings. The path consists of nine stages, as there are nine stages in the exploration od wisdom, which must be covered by disciples before they ultimately discover the Mystery of Mysteries.

(Hrydaya) Hridaya literally means the Body of the Heart. Thus, daya means a cover or a body, and HRH (Hryh, Hruh) is the core, the root, and also the heart or the internal aspect, as well as the essence (Sain) of our being. The heavenly path proves to be a journey towards more and more essential experience of the Real, called the Mystery.

Hridaya Lotos (Padma) as a concentration centre can be found in the thymus gland region, as so called upper heart, in the form of a lotos flower with nine petals which symbolise, respectively, nine celestial planes divided into three groups or hierarchies called Bhutakasha, Manakasha and Chittakasha. Subsequent petals signify the following stages of initiation into the Spirit of Celestial Wisdom.

The word “Hridaya” may be translated as heart, core, inside, root and essence. The name also refers to a subtle energy centre called thymus, angelic or the upper heart. The richness of yoga is plentiful. Lessons called “Hridaya” are mere sketches which include the foundations of spiritual and esoteric knowledge of Great Sages, however, they are devised in such a way as to give one a glimpse of what is the most crucial and the most essential in self-perfecting on the spiritual development Path. We will cover this way together to reach more and more indigenous and mystical teachings of Himalaya. Shri Vidya, the Holy Wisdom, is the heart of all sciences and the object of admiration for God’s angels, devas that inhabit Heaven and Paradise.

Further topics meant to be lessons in holy readings, which is the name of circles where pure knowledge from the source called the truth is imparted, are designed for those interested in learning and practising laya yoga. They also are a material for persons wishing to undertake deeper practices of aura and chakras purification as well as spiritual development.

The following series include 10 lectures on esoterics each, which guide one further and further along the path of purity and holiness, explaining various aspects of spiritual knowledge that are inevitable in the journey for serious explorers of truth. Laya Yoga is one of the oldest forms of yoga transmission that exist, and also one of the four that can be successfully practised in the Era of Kali (apart from manta, hatha and raja yoga). Laya Yoga Teacher passed on many methods of attaining harmony, purification, silencing the mind, healing and reaching enlightenment… The one who writes these words would like this transmission to flow to every person that needs it and wishes to delve into this knowledge.

“Hridaya” lessons are designed for all Grandchildren of the Book who, whether or not they have been initiated, need to synchronise themselves with Eternal Wisdom and its living source. We particularly recommend the knowledge contained therein as a topic for meditation and contemplation for all initiated disciples of Laya Marga, including Bhaishadjya Yoga, Narayana Yoga, Vastoshpati Yoga, Kundalini Yoga, Bhutadjaya Yoga and many other forms of transmission representing Laya Marga. It is so because the Confraternity of Mystery conveys the idea of unity of spiritual paths representing both the East and the West, the idea of unity of all religions.

All those who are interested in the activities of Hridaya Circles are invited to join in correspondence, which they are welcome to send to the address of the Himalaya Tirtha Sangha provided at the bottom of this publication. My Teacher, Mahaguru Swami Baba Shivananda G. P from Darjeeling, also known as Guru Ananda Shiva is sending you plenty of Blessings.

The Himalaya Master