Glossary

The primordial sound vibration — the cosmic hum at the base of all creation. In the Yoga Sutras, the symbol of God (Ishvara). In Kriya practice, the AUM technique involves listening for this inner sound in meditation. Described as audible as a deep humming, rushing water, bells, or celestial music.

Non-violence — the first and most fundamental yama (ethical restraint). Not just avoiding physical harm, but the complete absence of hostile intent in thought, word, and deed. Yogananda called it the foundation of all spiritual life.

The "third eye" chakra, located between the eyebrows. Associated with intuition, inner vision, and the convergence of Ida and Pingala nadis. In Kriya Yoga, the ajna is the primary seat of awareness during meditation. Advanced practitioners see inner light here.

Divine bliss or joy — the intrinsic nature of the Self. Yogananda's own name ends in it: "yoga-ananda" = bliss through union. In Vedantic philosophy, the nature of Brahman is Sat-Chit-Ananda: Existence-Consciousness-Bliss.

Posture — the third limb of Patanjali's eight-limb yoga. Originally meant a stable seated meditation posture. The elaborate physical yoga of modern studios developed much later from Hatha Yoga. In Kriya, the most important asana is a straight-spined seated position.

A spiritual hermitage or monastic community — a place of retreat and practice, usually centered around a teacher. Yogananda established ashrams across the US and India. Also the four Hindu life stages (student, householder, retired, renunciant).

The individual soul or Self — the witness behind all thoughts and experiences. In Advaita Vedanta, Atman is identical with Brahman: your deepest self IS the ultimate reality. The point of all yoga practice is to realize this directly.

A divine incarnation — a fully realized being who chooses to be born in physical form for the benefit of humanity. In Hindu cosmology, Vishnu has ten primary avatars including Rama and Krishna. Yogananda taught that Jesus was an avatar — a Westward expression of the same divine principle.

The "deathless guru" — the mysterious Himalayan yogi who revived Kriya Yoga in modern times and instructed Lahiri Mahasaya to teach it publicly. Described in Autobiography of a Yogi as appearing young despite being centuries old. "Babaji" means "revered father" — a term of respect, not a personal name.

The "Song of God" — a 700-verse portion of the Mahabharata in which Krishna teaches the warrior Arjuna about duty, devotion, knowledge, and yoga. Yogananda called it "a great yoga manual" and wrote a two-volume commentary interpreting every verse through Kriya Yoga philosophy.

Devotion — love directed toward the Divine. One of the four main paths of yoga. Chanting, prayer, and emotional surrender are Bhakti practices. Yogananda embodied this — his kirtan (devotional singing) was legendary, and he wept in ecstasy during prayers.

The ultimate reality — infinite, eternal, formless consciousness underlying all existence. Not a personal god with preferences, but the ground of being. The ocean that all waves are made of. The goal of yoga is direct realization of one's identity with Brahman.

Energy center — literally "wheel" in Sanskrit. The yogic tradition describes seven primary chakras along the spine, from the root (Muladhara) to the crown (Sahasrara). In Kriya practice, prana is consciously directed through these centers to awaken their latent capacities.

Righteous duty and cosmic order. Both personal (your specific role and responsibilities) and universal (the principles that sustain creation). Living in alignment with dharma generates positive karma. The Bhagavad Gita is largely about how to live one's dharma without ego-attachment.

Meditation — the seventh limb of Patanjali's system. Specifically: sustained, unbroken flow of awareness toward a single object of concentration. The difference between trying to meditate and actual meditation. Dhyana is the precursor to Samadhi.

A spiritual teacher who has themselves achieved realization and transmits the teaching directly. More than a teacher — a living channel of grace. The word means "dispeller of darkness" (gu = darkness, ru = dispeller). In Kriya, the guru-disciple relationship is considered essential — the transmitted awakening adds what books cannot.

Spiritual knowledge or wisdom — direct knowing of the Self. Jnana Yoga is the path of discriminative inquiry: systematically separating the eternal Self from the ever-changing contents of experience. "Neti, neti" — "not this, not this" — until only pure awareness remains.

The law of cause and effect across lifetimes. Every action — physical, mental, and verbal — creates impressions (samskaras) that shape future experiences. Not punishment — mechanics. Yogananda taught that Kriya Yoga literally "burns" accumulated karmic patterns before they can manifest as life circumstances.

Action or deed — specifically, the circular movement of prana up and down the spine that is the central practice of Kriya Yoga. One Kriya = one complete upward and downward circuit. Beginners practice 12–24 per session; advanced practitioners may do 144 or more.

The coiled spiritual energy dormant at the base of the spine (Muladhara chakra). When awakened through sustained yogic practice, it rises through the central channel (Sushumna), piercing each chakra, until it reaches the crown and merges with pure consciousness. Kriya Yoga is described as a safe, guided method for this awakening.

The "householder yogi" (1828–1895) — Yogananda's guru's guru. A government employee and family man who received Kriya initiation from Mahavatar Babaji in 1861 and began teaching it publicly for the first time. His life demonstrated that yoga realization is available to ordinary people living ordinary lives.

The yogi's final, conscious exit from the physical body at death. Distinguished from ordinary death by being chosen, peaceful, and preceded by heightened awareness. Yogananda entered Mahasamadhi in 1952 in full public view. The Forest Lawn Mortuary certified in writing that his body showed no signs of decay for 20 days afterward.

The cosmic illusion that makes the One appear as many. Not "unreal" in the sense of non-existence, but the power that causes us to perceive separateness where there is only unity. Yogananda called it the "cosmic magician." Liberation means seeing through maya to the underlying unity.

Liberation — freedom from the cycle of birth and death (samsara). The complete and permanent recognition of one's identity with Brahman. Not a place you go after death, but a state of consciousness achievable in this lifetime through practice. The goal of all yoga.

Subtle energy channel in the yogic body — there are said to be 72,000 nadis, with three primary ones: Sushumna (central/spine), Ida (left/lunar), and Pingala (right/solar). Kriya Yoga works directly with these channels, particularly Sushumna.

"The divine in me bows to the divine in you." A greeting and farewell acknowledging the Atman in every person. The gesture (palms together, slight bow) is called anjali mudra. Not just courtesy — a statement of the Advaitic view that the same consciousness looks out from every pair of eyes.

Thoughtless, pure absorption — complete merger with the Infinite. No sense of "I" remains to observe the experience. The highest state of samadhi described in the yoga tradition. Consciousness alone, without any object. Yogananda described entering this state regularly and attempting to communicate what it was like to awaken from it.

Life force control — the fourth limb of Patanjali's system. Often translated as "breath control" but more precisely it means control of prana itself, of which the breath is the most accessible handle. Kriya Yoga is an advanced form of pranayama.

"Royal yoga" — Patanjali's system of eight limbs, focusing on meditation and control of the mind. The systematic science of consciousness. Kriya Yoga is a form of Raja Yoga that Yogananda taught as the most complete and powerful approach.

Absorption — the eighth and final limb of Patanjali's yoga. The meditator merges completely with the object of meditation, and then with pure consciousness itself. Multiple stages exist, from Savikalpa (with subtle distinction) to Nirvikalpa (without any distinction). The goal of all meditation practice.

The cycle of birth, death, and rebirth driven by unresolved karma and desire. The soul returns in successive lifetimes until all lessons are learned and liberation (moksha) is achieved. The entire yoga tradition exists to help souls escape this wheel.

The three-fold nature of Brahman: Sat (eternal existence), Chit (pure consciousness), Ananda (bliss). This is your true nature, not just God's. The goal of yoga is to directly realize this about yourself.

The direct realization that the individual Self (Atman) is identical with the Ultimate Reality (Brahman). Not a belief, not a philosophical position — an immediate, lived recognition. The organization Yogananda founded is literally named "Self-Realization Fellowship."

Yogananda's guru (1855–1936). A disciple of Lahiri Mahasaya, a scholar, astrologer, and disciplined teacher. Assigned by Babaji to train Yogananda for the mission to the West. Author of The Holy Science — a comparison of Hindu and Christian scriptures showing their fundamental unity.

The central energy channel running through the spinal cord — the "royal road" of yogic anatomy. This is the path Kundalini travels when awakened, and the primary channel that Kriya Yoga works with. When Ida (lunar) and Pingala (solar) are balanced, prana naturally enters Sushumna.

"Victorious breath" — a pranayama technique using slight constriction of the glottis (back of throat) to create an oceanic "shhh" sound on both inhalation and exhalation through the nose. This is the breathing technique used in Kriya practice. The sound is made in the THROAT, not the nose — which is why it seems impossible until you understand the mechanics.

The philosophical end of the Vedas — over 100 texts structured as dialogues between teachers and students exploring the nature of Brahman, Atman, and consciousness. The source of Advaita Vedanta. "Tat Tvam Asi" (Thou art That) comes from the Chandogya Upanishad.

The oldest Hindu scriptures (c. 1500–500 BCE). Four collections: Rig Veda, Sama Veda, Yajur Veda, Atharva Veda. Contain hymns, rituals, and philosophical speculations. The Rig Veda is among the oldest religious texts in the world. Everything in Hinduism either traces back to the Vedas or comments on them.

The name taken by Mukunda Lal Ghosh upon becoming a Swami — meaning "bliss through divine union." Born 1893, died (entered Mahasamadhi) 1952. Author of Autobiography of a Yogi. Founder of Self-Realization Fellowship. The figure responsible for introducing millions of Westerners to Kriya Yoga and Eastern philosophy.