This post is for the students of Kriya yoga who encounter doubts and have a strong intelectual identification. Is meant as a help and not as conclusion.

Usually, when we begin a spiritual path, we begin with the mind and intellect.

Why?

Because as human beings, we first want to understand. We analyze, compare, discern, ask questions, and try to determine what is true and what is false.

When the desire arises to know, Where do I come from? Who am I? Where am I going?, the mind initially becomes a servant of that search.

But there is an important distinction:

You do not simply “have” a Soul. You are the Soul. And the Soul is using a mind. The Soul is not the mind, so you are not the mind.

From this perspective, the personality, body, intellect, and mind are instruments through which the Soul experiences this life. They are not the Soul itself.

When our search brings us to Kriya Yoga, doubts and questions naturally arise. The mind wants to understand what it is doing before it trusts the process.

But should the mind be our highest authority?

No.

At the beginning, it is necessary to differentiate between what is what. Later, not at all, because the mind is not Self-knowing.

As I see it, the mind works mainly with four kinds of information:

1. Ancestral memory
Memories, impressions, conditioning, habits, and associations from this and past lives. Sometimes something simply feels familiar. But familiarity is not necessarily truth.

2. Direct experience
What we have actually experienced ourselves. There is an enormous difference between “I believe this is true” and “I have experienced this directly.”

3. Second-hand information
What we learn from schools, books, teachers, scriptures, videos, conversations, and other people. Some may be true, some incomplete or false. Until we experience something ourselves, much of it remains belief rather than knowledge.

4. Imagination and mental construction
The mind fills in missing pieces. It compares, interprets, judges, and creates connections. Sometimes they are correct; sometimes they become expectations, projections, fantasies, and mistaken conclusions.

So what does this have to do with Kriya Yoga?

The problem begins when we expect the same mind that analyzes all this information to give us Self-realization.

It cannot.

Realization is Being. The mind is thinking. These are two different things. In Samadhi, the mind is left behind.

The mind can study Kriya, remember instructions, compare teachings, and help maintain discipline. The intellect can help us discern.

These are valuable functions.

But thinking about Self-realization is not Self-realization.

Reading about prana is not experiencing prana.

Reading about chakras is not experiencing them.

Reading about meditation is not entering deep meditation.

Reading somebody else's description of the Self is not knowing the Self.

The menu is not the meal, would say one business man.

The trap begins when the mind continuously combines:

A: memories and conditioning
B: direct experience
C: second-hand information and beliefs
D: imagination and expectations

A + B + C + D = a mess...

Then we start comparing our meditation with everything we have accumulated:

“Someone said I should see this.”
“A book says I should feel that.”
“Why haven't I experienced what someone else experienced?”
“Maybe I'm doing it wrong.”

Instead of practicing Kriya, we are thinking about practicing Kriya.

Instead of observing what is actually happening, we compare our experience with what we think should be happening.

So, use the mind, but don't become its servant.

This doesn't mean throwing away reason, intellect, or healthy discernment. The mind is an extraordinary instrument.

Use it to learn the techniques.
Use the intellect to understand the instructions.
Use discernment when choosing a path or teacher.
Use memory to practice correctly.

But when it is time to practice, practice.

Don't demand that meditation conform to your expectations. Don't constantly compare your experiences with someone else's. And don't expect intellectual understanding to produce a realization that must, by its very nature, be directly experienced.

As practice deepens, constant mental interpretation naturally begins to fade.

Then you no longer need to believe someone else's description.

You know what you have experienced.

To me, this is one of the essential differences between philosophy about spiritual realization and realization itself.

The intellect can point toward the path.

The mind can help us walk it.

But neither can substitute for walking.

And there is another aspect that may appear to come from the mind but, from my perspective, comes from the Soul:

INTUITION.

Intuition is the voice of the Soul and is Knowledge. It is not mind stuff, although it must be translated through the mind.

And sometimes we only understand later why that inner knowing was right.

Spiritual teachings can give us the map.

But eventually, we have to make the journey ourselves.

So when the mind endlessly asks, “But what if? How? When? Why haven't I experienced this yet?”, sometimes the most useful answer is very simple:

Practice. Observe. Experience. Have faith. Be patient.

Don't bother the mind unnecessarily, and don't feed every doubt. Doubts arise from a mind that does not yet know.

And that is okay.

Keep practicing and be well.

Usually, when we begin a spiritual path, we begin with the mind and intellect.

Why?

Because as human beings, we first want to understand. We want to analyze, compare, discern, ask questions, and determine what is true and what is false.

When the desire arises to know, Where do I come from? Who am I? Where am I going?, the mind initially becomes a servant of that search.

But there is an important distinction to make:

You do not simply "have" a soul. You are the soul. And the Soul has a mind. The Soul is not the mind, so you are not the mind.

From this perspective, the human personality, body, intellect, and mind are instruments through which the soul experiences this life. They are not the soul itself.

Now imagine that your search eventually brings you to Kriya Yoga. Naturally, doubts and questions arise. This is not surprising. The mind wants to understand what it is doing before it trusts the process.

But should the mind be our highest authority?

No. At the beginning, it is necessary to differentiate between what is what. But later on, not at all, because the mind is not Self-knowing.

What does the mind actually work with?

As I see it, much of the activity of the mind is based on four kinds of information:

1. Ancenstral Memory

The mind contains memories, impressions, conditioning, habits, and associations from the past lifes. Some of these are conscious, while others operate subconsciously.

Sometimes this appears simply as a feeling: "I somehow know this" or "This seems familiar."

But familiarity is not necessarily truth.

2. Direct experience

This is what we have actually experienced for ourselves.

If I put my hand into cold water, I know the sensation of cold water directly. I don't need a book or another person to convince me that I experienced it.

In spiritual practice, direct experience is therefore fundamentally different from merely reading about somebody else's experience.

3. Second-hand information gathered and assimilated as being our knowledge in this life

This includes what we learn from the schools,books, teachers, scriptures, videos, podcasts, newspapers, movies, conversations, and other people.

Some of this information may be true. Some may be incomplete, misunderstood, exaggerated, imagined, or false.

The difficulty is that unless we can verify something through direct experience, we often have to believe it rather than actually know it.

There is an enormous difference between:

"I believe this is true."

and:

"I have experienced this directly."

4. Imagination and mental construction

The mind also fills in missing pieces.

We receive incomplete information and try to create a complete picture from it. The intellect compares, interprets, judges, and organizes the information, while the mind may supply missing connections.

Sometimes those connections are correct. Sometimes they are not.

This is where expectations, fantasies, projections, and mistaken conclusions can arise.

What does this have to do with Kriya Yoga?

The problem begins when we expect the same mind that analyzes information to give us Self-realization.

It cannot.

While realization is "Being", the mind is "thinking". Two different actions, while in Samadhi the mind is left behind.

The mind can study Kriya. It can remember instructions. It can compare teachings. It can help us maintain discipline. The intellect can help us discern whether something makes sense.

These are valuable functions.

But thinking about Self-realization is not Self-realization.

Reading about prana is not experiencing prana.

Reading about chakras is not experiencing them.

Reading descriptions of deep meditation is not entering deep meditation.

Reading somebody else's description of the Self is not knowing the Self.

The menu is not the meal.

This is why the mind should be understood as a tool, not as the final authority on spiritual experience.

The trap of constantly analyzing practice

Suppose the mind is continuously combining:

A: memories and conditioning
B: direct experiences
C: second-hand information and beliefs
D: imagination, assumptions, and expectations

A+B+C+D = a mess....

Then we begin comparing our meditation with everything we have accumulated:

"Someone said I should see this."

"A book says I should feel that."

"Why haven't I experienced what this other person experienced?"

"Maybe I'm doing it wrong."

"Maybe nothing is happening."

"Maybe I should be experiencing something more dramatic."

The result can be endless doubt and false expectations.

And this can become an obstacle to practice itself.

Instead of practicing Kriya, we are constantly thinking about practicing Kriya.

Instead of observing what is actually happening, we compare the present experience with an idea of what we think should be happening.

Use the mind, but don't become its servant

This doesn't mean that we should throw away reason, intellect, or healthy discernment.

The mind is an extraordinary instrument.

Use it to learn the technique.

Use the intellect to understand the instructions.

Use discernment when choosing a path or teacher.

Use memory to maintain the practice correctly.

But when it is time to practice, practice.

Don't demand that every meditation conform to your expectations.

Don't constantly compare your experiences with someone else's.

Don't mistake descriptions of spiritual states for the states themselves.

And don't expect intellectual understanding to produce a realization that, by its very nature, must be directly experienced.

As practice deepens, the role of constant mental interpretation fades out.

Then you no longer need to believe someone else's description.

You know what you have experienced.

That, to me, is one of the essential differences between philosophy about spiritual realization and realization itself.

The intellect can point toward the path.

The mind can help us walk it.

But neither can substitute for walking.

So when the mind endlessly asks, "But what if? How? When? Why haven't I experienced this yet?", sometimes the most useful answer is very simple:

Practice. Observe. Experience.

There is another aspect, which seems to come out of our mind but is coming from the soul:

INTUITION

Intuition is the voice of the Soul and is Knowledge. This is not mind stuff, but is translated by the mind.

And it is always right, also when it seems not to be so by the time we experience that message of the Soul.

Spiritual teachings can give us the map.

But eventually, we have to make the journey ourselves.

For that, do not bother the mind and forget doubts. They are coming out of a not knowing mind....

Many sadhaks who begin practicing Kriya Yoga are full of optimism and enthusiasm. This is a beautiful thing. May you never lose that enthusiasm, because it is one of the gifts that keeps us moving toward God.

As practice deepens, subtle inner experiences may arise. We may see light, hear inner sounds, experience visions of gods or yogis, perceive powers the human eye has never seen, or even witness star systems and other worlds... or what I would simply call other visual phenomena.

The only thing I would encourage is not to mistake these beautiful experiences for Samadhi.

Some kriyabans speak about Samadhi as bliss. Others speak about some realization. Many speak about seeing gods and different realms.

The first sign that one has experienced Samadhi is what the sages spoke about: Sat-Chit-Ananda.

What is that?

It is Being beyond the mind, beyond attributes, beyond location, beyond being human, beyond the "I," and beyond the perception of time.

It is an intensely happy state, united with wisdom and the awarness of being All, while the little man can still be seen.

Of course, because everyone is unique, every experience of Samadhi is also unique.

When one has experienced Samadhi, there is a major change in the individual. One will never be the same again. Even if one ( at the beginning) is still identified with the ego which is the feeling of being separate, one begins to live from a completely different perception and state of being.

There is not much more to say, except this: renounce the authority of the mind in favor of God. Practice daily, as much as you can. Be aware of your desires, renounce as many of them as possible, and focus on your inner practice and inner peace.

Do not pick sides, while this would bring you more in Ida and Pingala. Do not read too much and mistakenly take the knowledge understood by reading, as being your first hand experience, as being "the Knowledge"!

The mind is not self knowing.

What one experiences in the cave of one's own being is not meant to be shared publicly, or even privately. It may be translated into words for the benefit of sincere students, but not beyond that.

The language also cannot grasp or discribe samadhi.

If, after an extremely intense experience of Samadhi, you return to ordinary human consciousness completely transformed, you will know.

Until then, practice with love, remain humble, and stay as realistic as possible.

Yes, it is possible within one lifetime. And it is never-ending. As God is infinite, so are the samadhis. Trying to classify it with names only shows the limitations of the human mind.

May your practice be blessed.

Immature Seeking

Many truth seekers wander from tradition to tradition, searching for secrets, extraordinary powers, gurus and instant happiness. They hope to witness miracles, be healed immediately, awaken siddhis, or find a quick solution to life's difficulties. They are also full of doubts.

Most of them, however, are not yet ready to genuinely walk a spiritual path.

When the practice asks for patience, discipline, and self-honesty, they often lose interest.

They think realization is a thing to get. Rather than applying the teachings consistently, they reshape them to fit their own preferences or expectations. They change the techniques in a way that one does not even recognize the original ones. Eventually they move on, saying, "This isn't for me."

Why?

Because many are looking for someone to erase their karma, perform miracles, or grant them spiritual powers, while leaving their sense of "I," "me," and "mine" completely untouched.

They spend their time moving from video to video, from lineage to lineage, or from book to book analyzing with the mind, comparing, debating, and sometimes competing. They want to be more realized, more knowledgeable, or more spiritually advanced than someone else by reading books or watching how realized or not realized teachers speak.

In doing so, they often remain caught in the activity of the mind and the limitations of the senses, mistaking spiritual discussion for spiritual transformation.

This is not directed at sincere seekers.

Many sincere practitioners naturally compare experiences, ask questions, and learn from others. They may still struggle with subtle ego or the desire to progress faster than others, but they recognize it, continue practicing, and remain humble. For them, these are simply stages of growth to be understood and eventually transcended.

Kriya Yoga is spiritual action. It is a disciplined inner science whose purpose is to return us to the direct experience of our true Self.

It is not about comparing teachers, lineages, or spiritual brands.

Kriya is not about collecting philosophies as though they were souvenirs, nor about claiming, "My lineage is more authentic than yours," or, "We alone preserve the original Kriya," or, "My understanding is greater because I studied with a famous teacher."

These attitudes only strengthen the ego.

Kriya Yoga is the practical dissolution of separation through steady practice, purification of prana, clarification of perception, and remembering of what we truly are.

Book Knowledge and Realization

Many students unconsciously identify with what they have read in books, mistaking intellectual understanding for realization.

They can quote scriptures and teachers with ease, yet may not recognize the difference between direct experience and borrowed knowledge.

Others are attracted to Kriya because it appears valuable from a professional perspective. They may wish to add it to yoga retreats or studio offerings as another feature to attract students.

There is nothing wrong with teaching yoga professionally. The question is one's motivation.

Kriya Yoga is not simply another technique to add to a curriculum. It is a sacred discipline that asks for genuine inner transformation.

Drugs, Speed, and Spiritual Illusion

Some continue using drugs or psychedelics while hoping Kriya Yoga will help them awaken quickly or qualify them to teach.

Altered states of consciousness are not the same as realization.

Temporary experiences, however profound they may seem, are not a substitute for stable inner transformation developed through sincere practice.

If any of these words resonate with you, please do not take them as criticism.

Take them as an invitation to honestly examine your own motivations and not what you think you know, but what you have actually realized.

The First Step: Sincerity

First, become clear about what you truly seek.

If you are seeking power, recognition, or extraordinary experiences, begin by studying and contemplating the five kleshas like the fundamental causes of suffering described in Patanjali`s Yoga Sutras.

Investigate this sense of "I."

What is it? Close your eyes...do you find it? where is it?

Is it permanent, or is it simply a "feeling" of being separated?

Feeling is not being. Is A experiencing or perceiving B (feeling).

So how real is that "i" we identify with?

Instead of collecting experiences as personal achievements, become willing to simply be, without constantly claiming it as "having" an experience.

Did you know that if you loose your memory, the feeling of "i" is lost for a short or long time until the senses and the mind reconstruct a feeling of being separated?

Imagine this happening to you...would you be so arrogant or well knowing?

Remain humble enough to admit that much of what we know may come from books, teachers, or beliefs rather than direct realization.

Then commit yourself to becoming someone who experiences truth directly, rather than someone who only speaks about the experiences of others.

Practice "being" instead of endlessly chasing experiences within awareness.

The Nature of the Path

Most of us imagine the spiritual path as a straight road leading toward some distant destination.

Our path is not somewhere else. It is exactly where we are, in this very moment, while we practice.

The real journey unfolds now, not in imagined futures or fantasies created by the restless mind.

To walk Kriya Yoga is to remember, again and again, the simple "being".

Trend Seekers and Entertainment

If what you truly seek is simply inspiration, interesting conversations, or casual spiritual exploration, there is absolutely nothing wrong with that.

Many online communities provide wonderful spaces to exchange ideas and learn from different perspectives.

But Kriya Yoga asks for something more.

There is no shame in saying, "Kriya Yoga is not for me at this stage," or, "I simply want to understand it better."

Honesty is always preferable to pretending to possess depth that has not yet been realized.

When Kriya becomes another trend, another identity, or another performance, both we and those who learn from us can easily become confused.

For Those Who Practice

For those who sincerely practice, remember Lahiri Mahasaya's timeless encouragement:

"Banat, banat, ban jai."

Doing, doing—one day it is done.

Practice steadily. Remain humble. Keep your devotion alive.

Seek for advanced yogis to practice together.

The rest will unfold naturally when the time is right.

Be well and blessings on the path!

"The breath is life," said my guru, Yogi Deenbandhu.

And so it is. Life reveals itself through motion. It is action and vibration, that signal the presence of life in the organic and the inorganic alike. Yet one who walks the path of yoga knows that the distinction between alive and dead is a concept of the mind, not a truth of existence. Everything is alive.

Souls move through forms continuously and unconscious, being at the core one within cosmic consciousness, until the moment they remember what they are.

That remembering is called Yoga. While Yoga means union, I would even say, there is no a real union, while the "I" is more related to the body and mind, and was always, an identification tool which at the core it does not exist as we imagine.

So there is a remebering of what we are beyond the "I" being the Ego and beyond the mind.

But because we use language and personas, we have to give names and terms to objects of perception in this manifestation.

Why Souls Take Form

To know the whole manifestation, not as an idea, but as a lived truth, the soul must, for a time, forget itself. It must enter form. It must take on a body, a shape or form of life, whether on this earth or elsewhere, and through the senses of that body, it must feel, perceive, and experience. That human body needs to breathe on this planet.

As a human, the soul also carries a mind, which is a refined instrument for translating und understanding experience, memory, learning, and energy from the perspective of an apparently separate being.

This is not a limitation. It is a design.

At the level of cosmic consciousness, there is no separation to be experienced. One simply knows and feels oneself as all that is. But the soul that has not yet realized itself, veiled by fear, karmic patterns, belief, past experience, or the movements of the mind, takes all of this to be utterly real.

And that, too, is not a mistake. These experiences are not distractions from the path. They are part of the path. They bring genuine, felt knowledge to the cosmic mind, not as philosophy or mental impression, but as living reality.

Experience is the Teaching

The experience itself is the teaching. Not the goal. Not the concept. Not the comparison with others.

A human being can be made, logically and convincingly, to understand the unity of all life. The words can be arranged perfectly. The argument can be flawless. But until that unity is felt in the body, in the breath, in silence, nothing truly changes.

Perception does not shift. Behaviour does not really change. And this, we observe in moments of tension.

The one who has realized the self moves through life differently and that not because they have learned more, but because they are no longer entangled in reactions.

The Role of Breath

The breath is the carrier of prana. When the breath becomes refined, the mind becomes still. When the mind becomes still, the soul recognizes itself.

This you know already.

Now, the breath without prana does not exist. It is prana that has the power of transformation. This is why, for us as Kriya Yogis, what the modern world calls "Breathwork" remains a surface concept, a marketing concept, meant to atract people entangled in the physical world.

The breath, who carries the prana, can move a practitioner outward, toward fear, reactivity, and entanglement..... or inward, toward stillness, freedom, and knowing. The direction depends entirely on how it is guided, and by whom.

When the outward breath ceases to be driven by external effort, something shifts inward.

The practitioner begins to identify not with the body, not with the mind, but with the witness within. And when the breath is transcended entirely into Kevali Kumbhak, one touches the remembrance of what one has always been.

The breath is the key to realization. But it is a key with two sides, the outward breath and the inward breath. By one we experience the world,as being separated from us, and by the other one, we remeber what we are...

What is the Inward Breath?

The inward breath is not something that can be taught in a workshop or explained in a book. It arises, after years of sincere, dedicated practice, on its own. It is not a physical in-and-out movement.

It is closer to breathlessness. In that absence of outward motion, the astral breath is born. This is inner movement. Subtle. Profound. Unmistakable to the one who has touched it.

How does one arrive there? Through practice. Through patience. And through guidance that is genuinely wise.

Wise, not as a compliment, but as experience. A guide who truly knows the breath understands the boundaries and capacity of each student. Without that understanding, the breath cannot be led safely beyond the physical.

It must first be refined, through Maha Mudras, through Kriyas, through Omkar. The 144 Kriyas and beyond are not the destination. They are the preparation. They cleanse the astral body and make the vessel ready for what is to come.

Many years of sincere practice lead eventually to the subtle breath. The subtle breath, in time, opens the door to the astral breath.

One great help to trancend to inner breath is the higher Kriyas.

Progression on the Path

In our lineage, the transmission of a higher Kriya is not a reward for effort or a randome step on a fixed timeline. It is a matter of subtle breath and inner maturity.... is capacity and consistence. The conditions under which such way of breath is taught and practiced, are to be discussed between the guru and the student and not for open discussion.

There are, however, souls of unusual advancement who may receive a higher Kriya before the full capacity has been built. This is rare, and it does not happen by request. It happens by the grace and responsibility of the guru, who in giving the transmission, takes the student's development fully upon himself or herself.

Some lineages offer higher Kriyas within months or after a single year. This is their way, and it may suit certain individuals, particularly those who have already practiced deeply in another lineage or other traditions over many years.

But in general, without the foundation of built capacity, such transmission tends to produce nervousness, disorientation, and a quiet, persistent sense of hopelessness. The practitioner feels the power but lacks the ground to carry it. Anger and frustration may show up.

The path cannot be rushed. It can only be walked in it`s own tempo.

The breath, therefore, is the key to realization together with deep devotion, not as mechanic taught separated, but as a living, complex mechanism that gradually transforms the mind, purifies the prana, and dissolves the veil between the soul and its own nature.

Over the years, I have encountered more and more Kriya practitioners who slowly lose enthusiasm for their practice while life itself begins to feel meaningless, joyless, or disappointing. Some are married, some are single, some are successful in the world, and some are struggling. Yet many experience the same underlying condition: dissatisfaction, sadness, and sometimes even depression.

Why does this happen?

The deepest root is Avidya—ignorance of our true nature. But in practical terms, there are several recurring causes that I see again and again.

The first is expectation.

Many people begin Kriya with the hope that something in life will finally complete them. Some seek a partner. Some seek success. Some seek recognition. Others seek spiritual experiences. They already carry an image in the mind of how life should unfold in order to be happy.

The problem is that expectation itself becomes suffering.

The vasanas awaken, desires arise, and desires give birth to expectations, promising happyness. This is always about the false promise.

Behind every expectation is the hidden belief that something is missing. The mind says, "When this happens, then I will be happy." But when reality fails to match the image, disappointment follows.

Many practitioners also develop greater intuition through Kriya and begin to see through appearances. They notice selfishness, superficiality, falsehood, or unconscious behavior in others. This too can become a source of disappointment. But the problem is not the world. The problem is the mind and its endless demand that reality should be different from what it is.

Do not entertain the mind with endless "what if" scenarios. There is no "what if." There is only what is. Learn to see it clearly.

The second cause is comparison.

People compare their relationships, careers, finances, spiritual experiences, and even their progress in Kriya. This is a complete waste of energy. What you see in others is only what they allow you to see. Behind every appearance there is a hidden reality, hidden struggles, hidden fears, and hidden karma.

Every human being carries a unique karmic path. Why compare your karma with someone else's karma? What exactly are you comparing?

A garbage truck and an ambulance are both vehicles, yet each serves a completely different purpose. Likewise, every life has its own destiny, lessons, and responsibilities. Comparison is not wisdom. It is simply ignorance disguised as intelligence.

The third cause is assumption.

Most of what people know is second-hand knowledge. They hear, read, repeat, and believe. Very little is directly experienced. The senses report information, the mind interprets it, and then we call the result reality.

But how much of what we believe is actually true?

Assumption is easy because investigation requires effort. Most people prefer conclusions over truth. The sincere Kriya practitioner should learn to observe rather than assume.

Use the mind as a tool, not as a master. Use it to organize your life, perform your duties, and practice Kriya properly. Do not use it for endless speculation and daydreaming.

The fourth cause is the desire to control life.

What exactly are you controlling?

You do not consciously control your heartbeat. You do not control digestion. You do not create your thoughts. You do not create your emotions. Most reactions appear before you are even aware of them.

Yet people exhaust themselves trying to control destiny, karma, relationships, outcomes, and circumstances.

Your freedom is far smaller than you imagine. You can act, but the results are never entirely in your hands.

This struggle to control what cannot be controlled creates enormous suffering.

Ultimately, all four causes point back to the same source: the mind.

The mind is not self-knowing. It depends upon the senses, and the senses provide only a limited perception of reality. The mind then builds conclusions upon those perceptions and demands that you believe them.

Why give such authority to something that is so often mistaken?

Practice Kriya sincerely. Do your duties. Create, organize, and plan where necessary, but do not become attached to the results.

Do not expect.

Do not compare.

Do not assume.

Do not try to control everything.

Place the bow and the arrows at the feet of God and have faith.

What must come will come.

What must leave will leave.

The more deeply you understand this, the lighter life becomes. The less you understand it, the more you will find yourself fighting shadows created by your own mind.

And no one has ever won a battle against a shadow.

Do not take your mind as being the highest authority. It will produce mostly suffering.

I’m noticing more and more how many people are drawn to Kriya Yoga and begin practicing without proper initiation or personal guidance.

A group like this can be beautiful for sharing inspirations and reflecting on experiences gathered through many sitting sessions. And yet, I also see a growing tendency to use forums as a substitute for learning with a teacher, sometimes even with the idea that teachers are “gatekeepers,” and that Kriya should be practiced as “Kriya without secrets,” “debunked,” or “shared with everyone.”

This often creates more harm than good.

Kriya is not an IT exam where we collect “correct answers from Internet or books.” It is not built on generic information, but on living, individual experience. The questions and replies online naturally tend to become general—and in spiritual life, almost nothing truly is general.

Society trains us to standardize: to think similarly, to have similar references, to function with a shared “database” of knowledge. That may be practical for daily life on this planet, but it’s not the highest way to live—and it’s not how authentic inner work unfolds.

Many people, especially younger practitioners, approach Kriya as if it were “New Age yoga”: read a book, do some techniques, add a few postures and breathing exercises, and assume that’s the path.

But most books are not meant to replace initiation or guidance. They are often meant to remind us that Kriya exists, to inspire us, and to help us decide to walk the path sincerely.

A book does not know you and does not answer further questions.

At the same time, we live in an era where techniques are sometimes published for attention, marketing, or sales which is more “clickbait” than care.

And some people try to hijack the Kriya stream by framing secrecy as something automatically suspicious. Ironically, secrecy is often accepted when it belongs to institutions or governments, but questioned when it belongs to spiritual traditions.

Yet many authentic paths like Daoism and Buddhism included but also other traditions like Sufism have always had “inner” teachings, shared over time, through relationship, responsibility, and readiness. For a sincere yogi, nothing remains hidden forever. What is needed is seriousness, practice, and the right guidance at the right time.

In every true yogic tradition, it has always been understood that the teaching must be applied differently for each individual, because each one is unique. Over-generalizing is often a sign of spiritual immaturity...not because people are “bad,” but because the inner world is subtle, and subtlety requires the right perception.

You also can’t really ask deep questions about your sadhana without precision, and without a relationship to someone who can actually see you: not only the story you tell, but your energy, your tendencies, your blind spots, and your real capacity in this moment.

Kriya is not dogma. Still, sometimes lineages (or individual teachers) can turn living teachings into rigid doctrine. That can be dangerous, because every teacher expresses truth in a particular way—one “dot” in a vast cosmic dream. There are many realized beings, and there are many approaches.

But one thing remains consistent: traditionally, Kriya is transmitted through personal guidance, often 1-to-1, honoring the individuality of the student. So when serious questions arise, the best place for answers is your initiator or a qualified teacher and not a subreddit or a Facebook group.

We should understand: learning techniques from a book or online does not automatically mean we are on a safe or complete path. Ideally, the initiator is the guide. Sometimes a teacher leaves the body and another teacher supports the student. Sometimes a student needs a different mentor because the right information isn’t coming through. These things can happen naturally.

But a book or social media group is not a teacher—and usually cannot replace what a real teacher-student relationship provides.

So if you feel called to this path: find a teacher, receive proper initiation, and work with that guidance. If it’s not possible to stay close to your initiator, then at least receive initiation sincerely and continue by finding a qualified mentor or guide.

Whether money is involved or not is not the main point. The main point is to walk with someone who has real knowledge and realization.

Don’t waste your lifetime with peanuts. Make the best out of it.

And yes, maybe there are not many Kriya teachers available to you. In that case, it may be that a self-realized teacher from another authentic tradition can guide you deeply. I’ve met Dao and Buddhist teachers as knowledgeable and realized as Kriya teachers. So don’t chase marketing dreams butchase truth.

Find a way. Find a guide. Practice sincerely. And aim for direct experience of Self-realization rather than endless general questions.

Thank you for reading, and blessings on your path.