Paramahansa Hariharananda

Paramahansa Hariharananda (* May 27, 1907, † December 3, 2002) was

an Indian yogi and guru. He was instrumental in spreading the message of Kriya Yoga in the

West.

Biography

Paramahamsa Hariharananda was born as Rabindranath Bhattacharya on May 27th, 1907 into

a family that strongly emphasized spiritual practice and education, in the hamlet of Habibpur,

on the bank of the river Ganga, in the district of Nadia, West Bengal, 65 km from Kolkata. He

spent his long life studying, teaching, and fulfilling his mission to share the philosophy and

technique of Kriya Yoga with the people of the world until leaving his mortal body on

December 3, 2002 at the age of 95. He was a fully realized direct disciple of Swami

Shriyukteshwar Giri.

Born as Rabindranath Bhattacharya and known affectionately as "Baba" (father) to his

spiritual children, he showed an extraordinary spiritual destiny from his most tender years.

By the age of 5 years, he had already memorized all the puja mantras of Hinduism by simply

hearing his father, Shri Haripada Bhattacharya recite them. Under the guidance of his father,

he quickly mastered Vedic astrology, astronomy, and palmistry. At age twelve, he took

initiation in the path of Jnana Yoga from the renowned realized master Shri Bijoy Krishna

2

Chattopadhyaya.

In 1932, he went to meet the great Kriya master, Swami Shriyukteshwar Giri. Pleased by the

divine propensities of young Rabinarayan, Shriyukteshwarji initiated him into Kriya Yoga,

taught him Cosmic Astrology, and entreated him to move in and take charge of the famous

Karar Ashram in Puri, Orissa.

In 1935, he met Paramahamsa Yogananda, and received the second Kriya initiation from him.

In 1938, he renounced the material life and entered his master's ashram in Puri, Orissa,

starting the life of an ascetic monk as Brahmachari Rabinarayan.

He received the third Kriya initiation from Swami Satyananda Giri in 1941, and from 1943 to

1945 the last higher Kriya initiations were given by Shrimat Bhupendranath Sanyal, the

householder disciple of Lahiri Mahasaya.

After living a strict spiritual practice of sincere meditation and maintaining silence for many

years, in 1949 he obtained the vision of the eternal yogi Babaji Maharaj who blessed him and

prophesized that his mission would be to spread the message of the Kriya Yoga masters to the

East and West.

In 1951, he was empowered by Paramahamsa Yogananda to initiate others into Kriya Yoga.

Thus, he started his long missionary work that took him to the length and breath of his

beloved India.

On May 27, 1959 he took formal monastic vows from the Shankaracharya of Puri, Shri

Swami Bharati Krishna Tirtha and was reborn as Swami Hariharananda Giri.

From 1960 to 1974, he toured all over India to spread the message of Kriya Yoga. The year

1974 marked his first journey to the West, where he would return every year and spread the

message of divine love through conscious awareness of the God within. His travels took him

all over Europe, South America, the United States, and Canada where he established centers

and ashrams. He remained extensively in the West after 1990 and his work continues from

headquarters on three continents: Vienna, Austria; Miami, USA and Jagatpur, Orissa, India.

Thousands of people in the West have been transformed by his divine presence. Through his

holy presence, the student could perceive the triple divine qualities of divine light, divine

sound, and a divine movement sensation in the whole body.

The philosophy of Kriya Yoga develops inner peace through breath control. Paramahamsa

Hariharanandaji taught that the mind is the cause of bondage, restlessness, and unhappiness,

yet the mind is also the source of peace, bliss, and joy. The untrained mind is the biggest

obstacle to calmness. Each person needs to know his or her state of mind. In the ancient

science of Kriya Yoga, it is taught that breath and mind are correlated and causally connected.

Each state like passion, worry, anxiety, tension has a corresponding style of breathing. When

the breath is slow and rhythmic, the mind is calm and quiet. Kriya Yoga is non-sectarian and

practiced by people of all religions.

Paramahamsa Hariharananda was well versed in the holy scriptures of India, the Holy Bible,

Torah, Qur'an, Buddhist scriptures, and teachings of all religions. He illuminated their

meaning by providing divine interpretations in a new metaphorical way. His writings include

"Kriya Yoga: The Scientific Process of Soul-Culture", "The Bhagavad Gita In the Light of

3

Kriya Yoga: A Rare Metaphorical Explanation for God-Realization", and numerous other

publications.

Paramahamsa Hariharananda attained the highest yogic state, nirvikalpa samadhi, that is the

pulseless and breathless state. This has been carefully examined and confirmed by several

physicians.

Paramahamsa Hariharanandaji's life and his teachings have been an example for his students

and successor, Paramahamsa Prajnanananda, who continues to spread his loving message all

over the world. Through the charitable arm of the organization in India, Prajnana Mission he

and students work to construct free medical institutions called "Hariharananda Charitable

Health Centers" with a mobile dental and medical ambulance, fund libraries in schools, open a

residential school for impoverished children, rebuild village homes destroyed in cyclones in

Orissa, India, and travel the world teaching Kriya Yoga.

Kriya Yoga

A sincere spiritual seeker who follows the path of Kriya Yoga with love and devotion and a

desire for spiritual growth can attain Self-realization — even within one lifetime. This

powerful yoga is a manifestation of the many yogas described in the Bhagavad Gita, but

primarily it derives from:

Karma Yoga — detachment from the fruits of actions in the world, and more

importantly, from the inner activity of the mind

Jnana Yoga — a disciplined intellect acquires spiritual knowledge, and this wisdom

creates freedom through detachment from the fruits of actions

Bhakti Yoga — unconditional love is awakened by gratitude and by the joy arising

from the oneness with all creation, which is cosmic consciousness

A Simple, Non-Sectarian Technique

Kriya Yoga is non-sectarian. Its simple technique causes no hardship, requires no austerities,

and suits aspiring householders as well as monks. From the principles of Karma Yoga, Kriya

Yoga teaches that all action, kri, is done by the indwelling soul, ya. Continuous awareness of

the power of the indwelling soul can transform all activity into worship. Awareness that the

soul must inhale every breath leads to mind control and liberation.

The Scientific Process of Soul Culture and the Royal Path to Self-Realization ...

The Kriya technique emphasizes the relationship between breath and mind. The breath

influences the mind and vice-versa. This reciprocal relationship reveals the secret of

controlling the mind: Breath control is self-control. Breath mastery is self-mastery.

Breathlessness is deathlessness. The breathless state of samadhi is the realization of the

Absolute.

Direct Transmission from Teacher to Student

Kriya Yoga is a golden opportunity to reach higher states of consciousness and change your

life, by developing the body, mind, intellect, and awareness of the soul. It is a quick and easy

path. Kriya Yoga techniques are passed down from master to disciple, master to aspirant,

teacher to student.

4

No written document records when the ancient tradition of Kriya Yoga began. This spiritual

technique has been practiced by saints, seers, and sages from time immemorial. The rishis

(seers) of the Upanishads, Shri Krishna in the Bhagavad Gita, Maharshi Patanjali in his Yoga

Sutra, and many other masters of yoga practiced and taught this scientific method through the

ages. Kriya Yoga is a powerful tool to be used by seekers of all religions in order to hasten

spiritual development. Adi Shankara in the Viveka Chudamani described three things that are

very rare in this world: to have a human birth, to have desire for liberation, and to have the

company of a great soul and realized master.

Kriya Yoga Technique - Origins

In modern times, in 1861, an elusive and mysterious master, Mahavatar Babaji, re-introduced

the ancient Kriya technique to the general public through his able disciple, Shri

Shyamacharan Lahiri, a pious householder. Lahiri Mahasaya, as he was popularly known, had

many realized disciples. Foremost among them were Swami Shriyukteshwar Giri, who was

well versed in the scriptures of both the East and West, and who attained the highest state of

realization, and Shrimat Bhupendranath Sanyal Mahasaya, a householder yogi most noted for

his metaphorical interpretation of the Bhagavad Gita in the light of Kriya Yoga. Among the

many disciples of Swami Shriyukteshwar were Paramahamsa Yogananda, author of

Autobiography of a Yogi, and Swami Satyananda Giri, who was the president of Karar

Ashram until 1971, which had been founded by Swami Shriyukteshwar in 1903.

Paramahamsa Hariharananda, who was president of Karar Ashram from 1971 as well as the

president of the Kriya Yoga international organizations he founded, was also a direct disciple

of Swami Shriyukteshwar. Both Paramahamsa Yogananda and Paramahamsa Hariharananda

were Self-realized and instrumental in spreading the teachings of Kriya Yoga around the

world.

Until the time of his mortal transition into spirit on December 3, 2002, at the age of 95 (1907-

2002), Paramahamsa Hariharananda oversaw each student’s spiritual development. Lovingly

called “Baba” by thousands of disciples and students around the world, his divine love and

compassion remain unparalleled.

Today, Paramahamsa Prajnanananda, the realized disciple and successor of Paramahamsa

Hariharananda, travels the world as a powerful spiritual master, loving teacher, prolific

author, and speaker. Under his loving direction, the Kriya Yoga international organizations,

supported by its monks, yogacharyas, and devotees, continue to thrive.

5

References

Linda Johnsen – Master of Kriya Yoga - Swami Hariharananda Giri, in YogaJournal,

May-June 1993

http://books.google.com/books?id=Z-kDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA36

The Times of India – Kriya Yoga – a positive way of living, November 13, 2008

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Bangalore/Kriya_Yoga_--

_a_positive_way_of_living/articleshow/3705941.cms

Kriya Yoga is non-sectarian. Its simplified techniques cause no hardships or austerities, and were developed for

householders as well as for monks. From Karma Yoga, Kriya Yoga teaches any action, kri, is done by ya, the

indwelling soul; work is worship. Constant awareness of the power of the indwelling soul inhaling, leads to mind

control and liberation. Kriya Yoga is a festival of breath.

The Kriya technique highlights the relationship between breath and mind. Breath influences mind and vice-versa.

Their mutual relationship has revealed the mystery of how to control the mind. Breath control is self-control. Breath

mastery is self-mastery.

During initiation, the aspirant's body fields are purified and the triple Divine qualities of sound, light, and vibration

are experienced. As meditation deepens, the aspirant goes beyond body sense and beyond mind; true meditation

begins, and the ego-sense that I am the doer is replaced by the experience of the indwelling soul as sole doer. Life's

goal, variously known as liberation, enlightenment or self-realization, grows closer.

Kriya Yoga is a golden opportunity to reach higher states of consciousness and change your life, gaining all-round

development of body, mind and soul. It is a quick and easy path. Kriya Yoga techniques are passed down from guru

to disciple, master to aspirant, teacher to student.

There is no written record of when the ancient tradition of Kriya Yoga began. It is a spiritual technique which has

been practised by saints, seers and sages from time immemorial. The rishis (seers) of the Upanishads, Shri Krishna in

the Bhagavad Gita, Maharshi Patanjali in his Yoga Sutras, and many other masters of yoga, practised and taught this

scientific method through the ages. Kriya Yoga is not a religion; it is a powerful tool to be used by those of all

religions in order to hasten their own spiritual development. Adi Shankara, in the Viveka Chudamani, wrote that three

things are very rare in the world: to get a human birth, to have desire for liberation, and have the company of a great

soul and realized master.

In modern times, an elusive and mysterious master, Mahavatar Babaji, in 1861 brought the Kriya technique to the

public through his able disciple, Shri Shyamacharan Lahiri, a pious householder. Lahiri Mahasaya, as he was

popularly known, had many realized disciples. Foremost among them were Swami Shriyukteshwar, who was well-

versed in the scriptures of both the East and West, and who attained the highest stage of realization, and Shrimat

Bhupendranath Sanyal Mahasaya, a householder yogi most noted for his metaphorical interpretation of the Bhagavad

Gita, in the light of Kriya Yoga. Among the many disciples of Shriyukteshwar were Paramahamsa Yogananda, author

of the Autobiography of a Yogi, and Swami Satyananda Giri, who until 1971 was the president of Karar Ashram

founded by Shriyukteshwar in 1903. Paramahamsa Hariharananda, who became the head of the Kriya Yoga Institute,

USA, as well as the international organizations, was also a direct disciple of Swami Shriyukteshwar. Both

Paramahamsa Yogananda and Paramahamsa Hariharananda were not only self-realized, but became instrumental in

spreading the teachings of Kriya Yoga around the world.

Until the time of his mortal transition into spirit on December 3, 2002, at the age of 95 (1907-2002), Paramahamsa

Hariharananda, lovingly called Baba by his thousands of disciples and students around the world, oversaw each one's

spiritual development.

Today, Paramahamsa Prajnanananda, the realized disciple and successor of Paramahamsa Hariharananda, travels the

world as a powerful spiritual master, loving teacher, prolific author, and speaker on world religions. Under his

direction, the Kriya Yoga International Organization, supported by its monks, yogacharyas and devotees, continues to

thrive.

At Kriya Yoga ashrams and centres throughout the world, guided meditations are open to those initiated by authorized

teachers. Introductory programmes and initiations are offered regularly. To learn more about Kriya Yoga, log on to

www.kriya.org

6

The Times of India – Experience Divinity Through Kriya Yoga ,May 24, 2007

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/2069846.cms

Kriya yoga is among the shortest, quickest and most scientific way to attain your goal of self-mastery and state of

deathlessness but it is neither a religion nor sect.

There are four major techniques in Kriya yoga. You forget your ego and body sense and get extreme super-

consciousness and cosmic consciousness.

Immediately you can change your life force into radiant all-accomplishing divine force which in turn hastens your

physical, mental and intellectual uplift.

The second technique is panacea for all diseases. It gives you a healthy and lustrous body. It slows the ageing process.

By the third technique you can offer your whole system to God. Your hands are not your hands. They are the hands of

God.

Your heart is not your heart, it belongs to God. God is putting breath in you, so that your whole system is acting.

We have two nostrils. So long as the breath will not come with equal pressure from both the nostrils, our spiritual

field will not be cultivated.

We have to cultivate our own spiritual field, which is our own body. All our anger, pride and insincerity centres are in

the right lobe, and our speech centre is in the left side of the brain.

Also we have another part called pons. Above and behind pons is the mid-brain; where the aggregated balance sheets

of our lives are stored.

So, in a moment we can become bewildered and furious. By the practice of kriya yoga our thoughts become balanced.

By the help of the fourth technique we will be able to feel that only the power of God is activating us.

We can get extreme calmness. We hear the mantras. Anybody, who has been initiated in the Rama mantra, need not

chant Rama, Rama, Rama.

In kriya yoga, automatically he can hear the Rama mantra as if from a distance. He will even feel divine vibrations in

his whole body and see divine light.

Also in his fontanelle he will feel the sensation of floating, swaying and rocking. By the help of this, all his negative

and bad qualities will disappear; he will feel that the power of God is always with him.

The Kenopanishad says, what speech cannot reveal but which reveals the speech, know that alone is God. What mind

cannot comprehend, but what cognises mind, know that alone is God.

It is only the power of God, which is pulling breath from the seventh junction of every being. The Bhagavad Gita

says: If one can fix prana shakti with help of breath at the midpoint of eyebrows (pituitary), he can perceive the self-

effulgent divine self.

So long as your mind is not fixed at the point where God is pulling inhalation and does not calmly seek Him there,

your spiritual achievement is completely nil.

You require material prosperity and sense pleasures. Along with these, you should also start meditating.

Meditation means the mind is free from worldly objects. You are in knowledge, consciousness and supercons-

ciousness.

In the Bible it is written: “Be still and know that you are God”. By the practice of kriya yoga meditation you can still

your mind and feel the living presence of God.

Excerpts from a talk given in 1986 by Paramahamsa Hariharananda.

7

A Blessing in Disguise By Andrea Joy Cohen, Thich Nhat Hanh

http://books.google.com/books?id=Gh2NR7irCEUC&pg=PA180&lpg=PA181&dq=%22Para

mahamsa+Hariharananda%22&hl=de&output=html

Awakening to Consciousness By Sandra Heber - Percy

http://books.google.com/books?id=H25R___g7JIC&pg=PA55&lpg=PA56&vq=Paramahams

a+Hariharananda&hl=de

My Time with the Master By Paramahamsa Prajnanananda

http://books.google.com/books?id=9hrnJd9cRMcC&pg=PA16&vq=Paramahamsa+Hariharan

anda