Lessons from Lahiri Mahasaya, the Bliss-Filled Father of Kriya Yoga
Yogacharya O’Brian returns to The Yoga Hour to celebrate the life and teachings of Lahiri Mahasaya who revealed where the practical and mystical aspects of our life meet in harmonious accord. Discover how where you are right now is most auspicious for spiritual awakening.
Yogacharya Ellen Grace O’Brian is the founder and spiritual director of the Yoga Hour. She is a spiritual teacher, writer, poet, and the founder and spiritual director of Center for Spiritual Enlightenment—a Kriya Yoga Meditation Center with headquarters in San Jose, California. She teaches nationally and internationally and has received several community service awards, including the Mahatma Gandhi Award for the Promotion of Religious Pluralism and, most recently, the 2021 New Thought Walden Award for Interfaith and Intercultural Understanding. Her latest award-winning bestseller The Jewel of Abundance: Finding Prosperity through the Ancient Wisdom of Yoga was published by New World Library and is available through her website and on Amazon.
Websites: EllenGraceOBrian.com, and the Center for Spiritual Enlightenment CSEcenter.org
THE YOGA HOUR TEAM COMMENTS: A really amazing program today. I learned so much more about Lahiri Mahasaya and how the stories that we have been told about him can be seen as spiritual teaching stories to guide us on our own spiritual journey. There was so much in this episode but one thing that stood out for me was that I loved how Yogacharya O’Brian described the guru. It seemed like she could have gone on and on. Here are a few that she mentioned:
At the simplest level the guru is the teacher. The guru is the matchmaker who introduces you to the love of your life, The guru is everything. The guru is the anchor. The guru is the light that dispels the darkness. The guru means heavy as in profound. The guru is a window to see the vision of the world as holy. The guru is a key unlocking the wisdom of the soul.
Lahiri set an example of living an exemplary spiritual life in the world with a wife, 5 children and a fulltime job. He saw no strata, gender or culture in the soul. He welcomed all who were ready. He is the solid foundation of our Kriya Yoga lineage. Initiation is our link to the lineage and promises guidance on the path. It is reassuring to me that he taught that there is too much to learn in a lifetime, most important is to concentrate on the essence of the teachings. Aum - God and guru's voice within us and Kriya - breath and Vital Force.
There is so much more inspiring content in this interview. I plan to listen to this podcast again.
DR. TRUJILLO’S COMMENTS:It seems that there is always something new to discuss when we talk about Lahiri Mahasaya, and today was no exception. I particularly enjoyed Yogacharya’s discussion of how we can examine the story of Lahiri’s meeting with his guru Babaji, and how we can look for those same elements when we examine our own spiritual journey. I also enjoyed Yogacharya’s comments about how the world is a holy place, and that when we remember this it helps us to live a dharmic life. Lastly, I love Lahiri Mahasaya’s quote: “Keep on keeping on, behold one day the goal.”