Siddha Yoga: Encyclopedia - Siddha Yoga

Siddha Yoga

Siddha Yoga is a spiritual group teaching traditional Hindu or yogic practices both in India and in the West. The group has an organizational foundation by the name of SYDA Foundation, founded by the second guru of the Siddha Yoga lineage, Swami Muktananda (1908 – 1982). The guru who is the latest in the lineage of teachers of Siddha yoga is a woman, Gurumayi Chidvilasananda (June 24, 1955 – ). The group has its U.S. headquarters at a large country ashram called Shree Muktananda Ashram composed of two former resort hotels in South Fallsburg, New York State. Its original home remains the ashram called Gurudev Siddha Peeth at Ganeshpuri in rural Maharashtra, India.

Siddha Yoga - History

• 1885 – Bhagawan Nityananda (Muktananda's guru) is born
• 1908 – Muktananda is born
• 1955 – Chidvilasananda is born
• 1956 – Muktananda founds Gurudev Siddha Peeth the main Siddha Yoga ashram, located in Ganeshpuri, India.
• 1961 – Bhagawan Nityananda dies.
• 1970 – 1981 Muktananda tours the West at his students' invitation, three times. He founds Shree Muktananda Ashram.
• 1982 – Muktananda dies, before his death he makes Chidvilasananda and her brother Swami Nityananda co-gurus of Siddha Yoga.
• 1985 – Nityananda steps down (amidst controversy, admitting to breaking his vows of celibacy). (He has since started his own group (Shanti Mandir) and he is now known as Mahamandeleshwar Swami Nityanand.)

Siddha Yoga - Tenets

Students believe that the Guru is a perfected human being who, by a mixture of spiritual work and grace from the preceding Guru, has achieved full realization of the Divine in their lifetime. They believe that the nature of every human being is perfect and divine and the ultimate goal is the end of human suffering and the attainment of supreme bliss.

Siddha Yoga's core teachings are Muktananda's two aphorisms, "God dwells within you as you," and "See God in each other." The primary philosophical basis of Siddha Yoga is Kashmir Shaivism.

Siddha Yoga - Practices

The main practices of Siddha Yoga include:

• Meditation – The form of meditation practiced is silent with attention focused on a mantra and/or on the flow of breath. The mantra most often used for meditation is the mantra Om Namah Shivaya.

• Chanting – Students chant sanskrit mantras which can either be Nama Sankirtana (chants that consist of short sanskrit phrases) or swadhyaya (chanting of longer texts).

• seva – Students practice seva through volunteer work at either an ashram or a center in their city.

• dakshina – Dakshina refers to a donation of money and/or material objects to the organization.

• Satsang refers to group meetings or programs, usually held weekly, at the ashrams or one of several hundred small Siddha Yoga meditation centers around the world. A typical satsang program will include talks by one or more students or a visiting swami, several periods of chanting (in sanskrit), and a period of meditation. The centers usually conclude the program with announcements and socializing.

Siddha Yoga - Criticism

Some former members have accused the Siddha Yoga leadership of abusive behavior which is at odds with its teachings and wider accepted norms. William Rodarmor made these accusations public in “CoEvolution Quarterly" of winter 1983 in an article titled "The Secret Life of Swami Muktananda" ¹

Lis Harris repeated and extended those in the "New Yorker" of November 14, 1994 in an article titled "O Guru, Guru, Guru" ²

The "Leaving Siddha Yoga" organization exists to support people wishing to leave.

Siddha Yoga - Press articles - Favorable

• Hinduism Today, "Baba Muktananda's 'Meditation Revolution' Continues" October, 1992 http://www.hinduismtoday.com/archives/1992/10/1992-10-03.shtml
• Hinduism Today, "Muktananda's Legacy," April, 1995 http://www.hinduismtoday.com/archives/1995/4/1995-4-05.shtml
• Hinduism Today, "Your True Companion: The Self Within" by Gurumayi Chidvilasananda, April 1997 http://www.hinduismtoday.com/archives/1997/4/1997-4-21.shtml
• Hinduism Today, "Former SYDA Co-Guru Explains" January, 1986 http://www.hinduismtoday.com/archives/1986/01/1986-01-09.shtml

Siddha Yoga - Press articles - Critical

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Siddha Yoga", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki