Siddhayoga
This article concerns the Tirtha lineage of Siddha Yoga. For other uses see Siddha Yoga (disambiguation)
The Tirtha lineage of Siddhayoga is a mystical sect of Shaivite Hinduism that relies on direct experience of life-force or Kundalini Shakti and understanding of Tantric scriptures (shastras). It holds the guru-disciple relationship to be of primary importance. Shakti is said to be automatically infused into the disciple (shisya) by the Guru[1] in a process called Shaktipat. (see also Satguru)
There are many Siddhayoga lineages and many other groups not using the name that speak in terms of the infusion of kundalini shakti. Some lineages originated from the same source, others are completely unrelated.[2] Siddhayoga is similar to sahajayoga, mahayoga or siddhamahayoga. Similar teachings may be traced back at least to the Tantric masters such as the scholar Abhinavagupta.[3] Shakti is held to be the energy of a universal soul, of which direct experience is available regardless of religion; thus siddhayoga is sometimes considered a universal rather than a strictly Hindu practice.
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[edit] Scriptural sources
Siddhayoga aims to uncover an eternal source of abundance for all to share - peace, creativity, spiritual energy and eternal soul. The guru makes this happen for the disciple.[4] Its most important text is the Yoga Vani. A copy of Yoga Vani is housed in the National Library Center, Florence, Italy in its Siddhayoga/Kundalini collection.[5]
The siddhayoga guru prepares the kundalini shakti which automatically gets infused in the disciple at the muladhara chakra, awakening and raising spiritual energy up the Sushumna[6] Swami Muktananda, founder of the modern Siddha Yoga group, recommended the Mahayoga Vijnana, Yoga Vani and Shaktipat, as well as the Shivasutras, Pratyabhijnahridayam, Tantraloka and Shivadrishti, saying "Mahayoga has a very important place in Shaivite philosophy....one can read what the saints say, in the light of their own experiences, about Shaktipat, the grace of a Siddha, and the dynamic play of Mother Kundalini."[7]
Various ancient texts discuss this effect of nearness to the guru. The Kularnava Tantra[8] has; "An intelligent person should regard this teacher as their preceptor by whose contact inexpressible bliss is produced in the disciple." and the Yoga Vasistha[9] confirms; "A real preceptor is one who can produce blissful sensation in the body of the disciple by their sight, touch, or instructions."
Siddhayoga is said to be an internal transformation, allowing a person to grow more into their nature regardless of their outer path, rites and rituals; what they do and how they do it in the outer world is unique to their own individual path (dharma). One who yearns to connect with their soul or God, who strives for mental peace and harmony with all people, animals, and nature, who tries to live in balance with nature's rhythms and who aims to live purposefully will find these higher desires fulfilled in experiencing of soul and developing of inner divine love.
[edit] Siddhayoga lineage
Swami Shankar Purushottam Tirtha descended from two lines of Siddhayoga gurus. He was first initiated into a line represented by Swami Narayan Dev Tirtha [born circa 1879], whose own spiritual lineage was through Swami Gangadha Tirtha. He then took sannyas in Puri, where the Shankaracharya Tirtha lineage of Jagadguru Swami Sri Bharati Krishna Tirthaji Maharaja [1884-1960] traces itself back to Sri Adi Shankaracharya.
In legend the lineage (parampara) began when Lord Narayana passed the eternal Vedic wisdom to Brahma, Brahma to Vasishtha, onto Shakti, to Parashara, to Veda Vyasa, and to Shuka. Thus far the lineage was from father to son. From Shuka it was passed on from guru to shishya, to Patanjali, then to Gaudapada, Govinda, Chandra Sharma and so to Adi Shankara. This began the tradition of wandering monks. Vyasa told Govinda of the advent of the incarnation of Shiva as Adi Shankara, to meet and give him sanyas diksha, Shankara's purpose in incarnating was to comment on the Brahma Sutras.[10] Shankaracharya set up four religious seats in the north, south, east and west of India to act as a lighthouse to guide religious seekers towards the truth for the millennia to come and also set up the ten monastic orders. 1) Tirtha, 2) Ashrama, 3) Vana, 4) Aranya, 5) Giri, 6) Parvata, 7) Sagara, 8) Saraswati, 9) Bharati, 10) Puri.[11]
Swami Shankar Purushottam Tirtha [1888-1958] was the guru of Swami Narayan Tirtha [ -2001]. Swami Vishnu Tirtha was another disciple of Swami Shankar Purushottam Tirtha. He was initiated in 1939.[12] Swami Shivom Tirtha, a disciple of Swami Vishnu Tirtha,[13] has a website dedicated to him that explains the Tirtha Siddhayoga lineage tree in more detail.[14]
[edit] Faith in the guru
As with much Hindu or Vedic mysticism, Siddhayoga's goal of life is to realize one is eternal soul and not this body.[6] Suffering is said to be caused by identifying with body, emotions, or thoughts, rather than with true nature.[16]
The rules of a discipline may become unnatural because they are artificially imposed: even when doing one's best to remain balanced and free one often finds oneself once again bound. Siddhayoga says that through the grace of a Siddhayoga guru all the work is done for you.[6] You do not force anything; you are not charged anything or asked for anything by the guru - so there is no conflict of interest.[17] One gains peace through direct experience of peace, not from intellectual knowledge of peace. Once peace is felt, the intellect confirms it.
This does not suggest people get a 'free ride' by following a Siddhayoga guru. Siddhayoga is said to be for those people who take responsibility for their lives, who are self-reliant, whose focus in life is to help others, the creatures, and Mother Nature, who aim for inner and outer balance in life, eat sensibly[18] and healthfully, live a life of moderation and seek to be purposeful in life.
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- birds cannot fly in the air with the help of a single wing, but they can do so with the help of both. So the devotee cannot move in the spiritual atmosphere leading to Salvation with the help of knowledge of yoga alone. The devotee can attain salvation with the help of both knowledge and yoga.[19]
[edit] Current Siddhayoga gurus and ashrams
[edit] India
On 2nd March, 2001 Shri Shri Shrimat 1008 Guru Dev, Swami Narayan Tirthaji Maharaj, left his earthly body at Siddhayogashram in Varanasi.
Swami Atmananda Tirtha Maharaj, who is a disciple & successor of Swami Narayan Tirtha Maharaj, is the current Mathadhyaksha of all the ashrams in India - including the Siddhayoga Ashram in Varanasi and the Shankar Math in Uttar-Kashi. He speaks and writes fluently in Bengali, Hindi, and English.
Shankar Math is located in Uttarkashi, in the Himalayas (State: Uttaranchal). It was donated to Swami Shankar Purushottam Tirtha by the raja (king) of the region, who received blessings from Swami Shankar Purushottam Tirtha. Siddhayogashram is located in Chhoti Gaibi, Varanasi, and was built by Swamiji Shankar Purushottam Tirtha's disciples who wished him to live closer to them, since, in those days, a visit to Shankar Math in Uttarkashi required one to walk for 2 weeks from Rishikesh.
Siddha Ashram is located in Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh of Central India. The spiritual preceptor or SatGuru is Mahamandaleshwara Swami Nardanand Tirtha, a senior disciple of the late Swami Shivom Tirtha. Swami Nardanand is famous for constructing the world's largest mercury Shiva Lingam, Paradeshwar Mahadev weighing 2500 kilograms. He teaches Kundalini Yoga, Advaita Vedanta, and Tantra around the world.
[edit] America
Swamiji Narayan Tirtha's successor in America is Swami Sadashiva Tirthaji Maharaj, who also runs the ashram website, SwamiNarayanTirtha.org. He speaks English, Hindi and Bengali and has studied Ayurveda, Jyotish, and Vastu shastras. He is the author of Bhagavad Gita for Modern Times, and the Ayurveda Encyclopedia. Swami Narayan Tirtha Math was founded by Swami Sadashiva Tirtha in New York, USA.
[edit] References
- ^ Tirtha, Swami Shankar Purushottam (1992). Yoga Vani: Instructions for the Attainment of Siddhayoga. New York: Sat Yuga Press. pp. 2–4."The easy way of attaining it (salvation) is said to be Siddhayoga...Siddhayoga or Siddhimarga is that means by which yoga (union) can be attained without difficulty...Siddhayoga is attained by the infusion of spiritual force through the good grace of a saintly preceptor...Siddhayoga or Siddhimarga is nothing but the knowledge of the unity of Self and Brahma..."
- ^ Siddha Mahayoga FAQ
- ^ Siddha Mahayoga FAQ
- ^ Tirtha, Swami Sadashiva. Founder, Swami Narayan Tirtha Math; Author, Bhagavad Gita for Modern Times & Ayurveda Encyclopedia. Personal conversation, 2007
- ^ http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=it&u=http://opac.bncf.firenze.sbn.it/opac/controller.jsp%3Fquery_fieldname_1%3Dcoddewey%26action%3Dsearch_bydeweysearch%26query_querystring_1%3D181*%26lpgroffs%3D340%26lpgrsize%3D20&sa=X&oi=translate&resnum=5&ct=result&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dshankar%2Bpurushottam%2Btirtha%26start%3D30%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN
- ^ a b c Yoga Vani, 2
- ^ Muktananda, Swami; Zweig (1988). Play of Consciousness (4th ed.). SYDA Foundation. pp. 99. ISBN 0-914602-37-3.
- ^ quoted in Yoga Vani, 28
- ^ quoted in Yoga Vani 27
- ^ Kuppuswami, A (1972). Sri Bhagavatpada Shankaracharya. Varanasi: Chokhamba Sanskrit Series.
- ^ Saraswati, His Holiness Jagadguru Sri Chandrasekharendra; Sri Shankaracharya of Kanchi Kamakoti Pitha (1988). Adi Shankara, His Life and Times. Mumbai: Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan.
- ^ "Swami Vishnu Tirth Ji Maharaj". http://www.shivomworld.com/lineage/swamivishnutirthji.html. Retrieved 2007-09-04.
- ^ "Swami Shivom Tirth Ji Maharaj". http://www.shivomworld.com/lineage/swamishivom.html. Retrieved 2007-09-04.
- ^ "Gurus of Tirth Lineage". http://www.shivomworld.com/lineage/. Retrieved 2007-09-04.
- ^ Tirtha, Swami Narayan Tirtha (2000) (in Bengali). Guru Ka Khamrit. Siddhayogashram, D60/23 Choti Gaibi, Varanasi 221010, India: Siddhayogashram. pp. 323.
- ^ Yoga Vani, 9-10
- ^ Yoga Vani, 30
- ^ Yoga Vani, 80-88.
- ^ Yoga Vani, 5-6.
