Table Of ContentTHE SCIENTIFIC PROCESS OF
SOUL CULTURE AND THE ESSENCE OF ALL RELIGIONS
PARAMAHAMSA HARIHARANANDA
THE SCIENTIFIC PROCESS OF
SOUL CULTURE AND THE ESSENCE OF ALL RELIGIONS
© Paramahamsa Prajnanananda
Kindle Ebook Edition 2015
First Edition 1977, Second Edition 1981, Third Edition 1986, Fourth Edition 1989, Fifth Edition 1998,
Sixth Edition 2004
Kindle Ebook ISBN: 978-3-99000-071-7
Paperback ISBN 978-3-99000-040-3
Hardbound ISBN 978-3-99000-041-0
Published by: Prajna Publication, Diefenbachgasse 38/6, A-1150 Vienna
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or
transmitted in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or
otherwise) without the prior written permission of the publisher.
BRITISH LIBRARY CATALOGUING IN PUBLICATION DATA
A CATALOGUE RECORD OF THIS BOOK IS AVAILABLE FROM THE BRITISH LIBRARY
EASY WAY TO SALVATION
One need not renounce the mundane world and live the life of an ascetic to become a yogi. Neither is
it a must for one to continue in one’s practice of yoga to attain the Ultimate Reality, God. For,
according to Hariharanandaji, anyone, male or female above the age of 13 leading a normal family
life, can aspire to mingle with the Divine being in his or her lifetime, if he/she practices Kriya Yoga.
Kriya Yoga as expounded by him is a combination of three yogas: Karma, Jñana, and Bhakti. Its
scientific technique closely follows the method of Patañjali. The technique involves six stages.
Hariharanandaji describes not only these stages in detail, but also the feeling the kriyavan (the
practitioner) is supposed to experience in each of the successive stages. Side by side he also discusses
how during each stage the kriyavan’s bodily functions are toned up.
Another merit of Hariharanandaji’s preaching is that it is remarkably free from any religious dogma or
sectarian belief. His non-sectarian outlook is reflected in his scientific approach to the subject.
AMRITA BAZAR PATRIKA, November 24, 1985
CONTENTS
Foreword
Introduction
About the Author
Editors’ Notes
I. SELF-REALIZATION
God and Self
God’s Dream
Immortality of the Self
Story of Two Birds
The Mystery of Life and Death
The Goal of Life
The Role of Guru
The Attributes of Guru
The Spiritual Legacy of India
II. THE QUICKENING OF HUMAN EVOLUTION
The Opportunity
Emergent Evolution
The Process to Quicken Evolution
The Process of Expanding Consciousness
III. THE SCIENCE OF KRIYA YOGA
Ancient Yoga
Different Kinds of Yoga
Kriya Yoga
Concentration and the Sublimation of Life Force
IV. THE THEORY OF KRIYA YOGA
The 25 Elements of Every Human Body
Vital Airs and Chakras
In Our Every Disposition Our Inhalation Changes
How to Switch Off Your Mind
What Kriya Yoga Can Give You
Five Types of Air
When the Mind gets Calmness, Three Manifestations Can Be Felt
The Real Meaning of Fire Ceremony
V. KRIYA YOGA IN ANCIENT SCRIPTURES
The Vedas
The Upanishads
The Bhagavad Gita
The Brahmasutra
The Ramayana
The Bhagavatam
The Yoga Sutra of Patañjali
In Other Yogic Scriptures
VI. THE HISTORY AND TRADITION OF KRIYA YOGA
VII. METAPHYSICS OF KRIYA YOGA
VIII. UTILITIES OF KRIYA YOGA
Health is Wealth
Mind Control
Intellectual Development
Personality Development
Spiritual Growth
IX. ANTASTHAVARNA
X. HAMSA
XI. OM
XII. BEING WITH THE TWO GREAT MASTERS
XIII. TRANSCRIPTS OF TALKS
1. “Know What You Can Gain” — A Radio Broadcast at Washington, D.C. in July 1975
2. Lecture delivered at the Kosmos Club in Amsterdam, The Netherlands
3. “Kriya Yoga is the Base and Unity of all Religions” – Lecture delivered at Washington
Ethical Society, Washington, D.C.
4. Lecture delivered at Curacao Rotary Club, Curacao, Antilles, The Netherlands
XIV. TETE-A-TETE WITH DEVOTEES
APPENDIX
Glossary
Kriya Yoga Network
Other books on Yoga, Philosophy and Spirituality
LIST OF DIAGRAMS
1. The Seven Spiritual Centers in Human Body
2. A Guide to Meditation — Sushumna
3. One Cycle of Kriya Completes a Solar Year of Spiritual Evolution
4. One Cycle of Kriya Includes the Different Phases of Each Lunar Month
5. The Placement of the Seed Syllables Within the Human Body
6. Placement of Seed Syllables
7. Five Vacuums in the Cranium
8. Five Subtle Vital Airs in Every Human Body
9. The Seven Holy Fires in the Human System
10. Antasthavarna (1)
11. Antasthavarna (2)
12. Human Physiology
13. Each Human Body is a Bhagavad Gita
14. All-Pervading Fire of God
15. Body Microcosm, Chakra, and AUM Correlations
16. The Human Brain — The Kingdom of God
FOREWORD
The life and teaching of great souls are real treasures for humankind. They have not only dedicated
their lives to perfection and higher consciousness, but also their every moment is dedicated to all of
creation to quicken spiritual evolution. Sage Narada in his beautiful work, Bhakti Sutra: Aphorisms on
Divine Love, beautifully described that a realized one has not only reached the goal overcoming the
veiling play of maya, but also helps others to cross this ocean of illusion. The life of the realized one is
like a burning flame; it illumines itself, illuminates others, and also kindles fire in other lamps.
We have very clearly seen in the life of our beloved Gurudev Paramahamsa Hariharananda the beauty
of his spiritual wisdom, intuitive insight, burning flame of love, and selfless service for humanity in
general. His long span of divine life, which includes sixty-four years of renunciation and more than
fifty years of tirelessly teaching Kriya Yoga, was spent moment to moment for the betterment of all.
His daily life started from the early hours of dawn and brought joy and love in the life of many seekers
in various ways. He used every moment of his time for all, continually reminding us that time wasted
is life wasted. He pointed out repeatedly, “Waste time with none but God, then time will not be
wasted.”
Gurudev shaped the lives of many as a true lover of God. He wrote countless inspiring letters to his
disciples all over the world. As an author, he presented us with many beautiful spiritual books.
Proficient in many languages, he wrote books primarily in English, Odia, and Bengali. He wrote a few
books related to Kriya Yoga in Odisha. Some of his books are not yet translated into English. His most
popular book is, Kriya Yoga: The Scientific Process of Soul-Culture and the Essence of All Religions.
This book has been a source of inspiration and spiritual handbook for people worldwide.
It is with great pleasure that we bring forth the sixth edition of this inspiring book. It has been more
than twenty-five years since the first edition was published and it continues to be accepted and
appreciated by spiritual seekers. Due to requests from people worldwide this book has been translated
into many languages. We want to bring it in the hands of all seekers of Truth.
Gurudev’s light and love through his words of wisdom will continue to inspire us for all time.
—The Publishers
INTRODUCTION
Restlessness and calmness are always together. Restlessness comes from the mundane body. Submerge
your soul in the Infinite before, during, and after every act — then you will get calmness.
We are born for Self-realization — the God consciousness in us. Think of God constantly, no matter
what you are doing. Practice makes man perfect. An ounce of practice is worth a ton of theories.
Theory will take a devotee outside, while practice will take him inside. Theory will make an
individual restless and selfish. Practice will give him inner peace and liberation from ego. Practice,
practice, and practice in order to feel the presence of God in every breath, in every sound you hear, in
everything you see, in every thought that comes to your mind, and even in the breathless state. Feel the
presence of God as much in your enemy as in your friend. Remain firmly anchored in the Divine
Omnipresent, the Divine Omniscient, the Divine Omnipotent — even when you are occupied in
worldly activities.
— PARAMAHAMSA HARIHARANANDA
The author on his Birthday, 27th May 2002.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Paramahamsa Hariharananda (1907–2002), one of the greatest realized masters in Kriya Yoga, is a
legend among the spiritual seekers. He attained nirvikalpa samadhi, the state of no pulse and no
breath, the state of cessation of all activities of the body, mind, thought, intellect, and ego, merged and
absorbed in God. Nirvikalpa samadhi is the long-cherished goal of all aspirants in the spiritual path. In
the Kriya Yoga tradition, he is placed in the lineage of the realized masters: Babaji Maharaj, Lahiri
Mahasaya, Shriyukteshwarji, and others.
He was born on the 27th of May, 1907, in the hamlet of Habibpur, on the bank of the sacred river
Ganga, in the district of Nadia, West Bengal, India. A few kilometers from the birthplace of Shri
Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, a God-intoxicated divine incarnation of the 15th century, this village of
Habibpur was sanctified by the birth of this holy child, whose childhood name was Rabindranath. His
father, Haripada Bhattacharjee, was a disciplined, dedicated, devout, and determined brahmin, well-
versed in all Hindu scriptures. So also was his mother, Nabinkali Debi, a pious, generous, and loving
lady par excellence.
Endowed with uncommon and marvelous brainpower, this divine child memorized all the intricate
mantras, hymns, and prayers in Sanskrit, astounding all. At the age of eleven, in 1918, he took the vow
of brahmacharya (i.e., the upanayana ceremony of the brahmins). His desire for spiritual upliftment
continued to grow, so he went to his family’s preceptor, or spiritual guide, Shri Bijoy Krishna
Chattopadhyay, a realized householder master living in Howrah to the west of Kolkata, and took
initiation into the path of Jñana Yoga at the age of twelve. He excelled in sacred and secular education
and after completing his schooling was well placed in the society as a technocrat.
His thirst for spiritual enlightenment could not be quenched by material achievement. He was inspired
by Shri Bijoy Krishna to meet Shriyukteshwarji, the most befitting disciple of the great master of
