Retaining no traces of individuality to hinder the flow of God's love and harmony through them, their work is done by God, their teachings are from God and the transformations they cause are also from God alone. God, then, is the actual Guru, the physical body only serving to spread love and knowledge about His own Self.

This is the true foundation of Siddha Yoga in which allegiance to the guru is complete. Reverence of the spiritual master as God is the foundational belief. Those who embrace such a path find true protection, peace, love, joy, well being and the experience of the Divine at every step because of blessings from their spiritual master.

(See also: Siddha Yoga, Spiritual Guidance, God and Religion, Peace on Earth, Peace of Mind, Love and Happiness, Life and Beyond, Body Mind and Soul)

Siddha master:

One who has attained the state of enlightenment and who has the capacity to awaken the dormant spiritual energy of a disciple and guide him or her to the state of the Truth.

(See also: Siddha master, Yoga, Yoga Dictionary, Siddha Yoga, Siddha Yoga Dictionary)

sankalpa-siddha:

sankalpa-siddha. Master of will.

(See also: sankalpa-siddha, Hinduism, Hinduism Dictionary, Sanskrit Dictionary, Body Mind and Soul)

There are numerous ways to awaken kundalini but generally these approaches may divided into two groups. In the first group are paths such as Mantra Yoga, Hatha Yoga, Laya Yoga or Raja Yoga. In these paths the kundalini is awakened through the effort of the individual. In the second group is the path that is variously called Sahaja Yoga, Kundalini Yoga or Siddha Mahayoga. In this path the kundalini is spontaneously awakened by the grace of the Siddha guru in a process that is called shaktipat.

Read more here: » Siddha Mahayoga: The Lineage of Swami Shivom Tirth

Kriya Yoga is a scientific art of perfect God Truth union and Self-Realization. It was revived by a great Master of India, Babaji Nagaraj, as a synthesis of ancient teachings of the 18 Siddha tradition. It includes a series of 144 techniques or "Kriyas" grouped into five phases or branches.

Read more here: » Kriya Yoga: Introduction to Kriya Yoga

Seva (Sanskrit: string) is: in Sikhism, volunteer work; selfless service; work offered to God, performed without attachment and with the attitude that one is not the doer. In Siddha Yoga ashrams, Guruseva is a spiritual practice, and students seek to perform all of their tasks in this spirit of selfless offering. Seva is a cornerstone of the Sikh religion. in Sant Mat the same idea has been given a contemporary meaning of serving the Living Master. See Selfless Service. in Indian cuisine, a snack

Read more here: » Seva: Encyclopedia - Seva

Gorakshanatha: (Sanskrit) Profound siddha yoga master of the Adinatha Sampradaya (ca 950). Expounder and foremost guru of Siddha Siddhanta Saivism. He traveled and extolled the greatness of Siva throughout North India and Nepal where he and his guru, Matsyendranatha, are still highly revered.

See: hatha yoga, Siddha Siddhanta, Siddha Siddhanta Paddhati.

(See also: Gorakshanatha, Hinduism, Body Mind and Soul)

Sachen, the first of the five supreme Masters, received a wealth of tantric doctrines from numerous Tibetan translators or 'lotsawas' who had visited India, most importantly Drokmi Lotsawa, Bari Lotsawa and Mal Lotsawa. From Drokmi comes the supreme teaching of Sakya, the system of Lamdre (lam 'bras) or 'Path and its Fruit', deriving from the siddha Virupa (Birwapa/Birupa) and based upon the Hevajra Tantra. Mal Lotsawa introduced to Sakya the esoteric Vajrayogini lineage known as 'Naro Khachoma'. From Bari Lotsawa came innumerable tantric pr ...

See also:

Sakya, Sakya - Origins, Sakya - Teachings, Sakya - Subschools, Sakya - Feudal lordship over Tibet, Sakya - Sakya today, Sakya - The Rime-movement

Read more here: » Sakya: Encyclopedia II - Sakya - Teachings

adept: Highly skilled; expert. In religion, one who has mastered certain spiritual practices or disciplines. An advanced yogi. See: siddha yoga.

(See also: Adept, Hinduism, Body Mind and Soul)

adept: Highly skilled; expert. In religion, one who has mastered certain spiritual practices or disciplines. An advanced yogi. See: siddha yoga.

(See also: Adept, Hinduism, Body Mind and Soul)

Natha: (Sanskrit) "Master, lord; adept."

Names an ancient Himalayan tradition of Saiva-yoga mysticism, whose first historically known exponent was Nandikeshvara (ca 250 bce). Natha - Self-Realized adept - designates the extraordinary ascetic masters (or devotees) of this school. Through their practice of siddha yoga they have attained tremendous powers, siddhis, and are sometimes referred to as siddha yogis (accomplished or fully enlightened ones). The words of such beings naturally penetrate deeply into the psyche of their devotees, causing mystical awakenings. Like all tantrics, Nathas have refused to recognize caste distinctions in spiritual pursuits. Their satgurus initiate from the lowest to the highest, according to spiritual worthiness. Natha also refers to any follower of the Natha tradition. The Nathas are considered the source of hatha as well as raja yoga.

See: Kailasa Parampara, Natha Sampradaya, siddha yoga.

(See also: Natha, Hinduism, Body Mind and Soul)

Kailasa Parampara: (Sanskrit) "Crystaline lineage."

A spiritual lineage of 162 siddhas, a major stream of the Nandinatha Sampradaya, proponents of the ancient philosophy of monistic Saiva Siddhanta. The first of these masters that history recalls was Maharishi Nandinatha (or Nandikeshvara) 2,250 years ago, satguru to the great Tirumular, ca 200 bce, and seven other disciples (as stated in the Tirumantiram): Patanjali, Vyaghrapada, Sanatkumara, Sivayogamuni, Sanakar, Sanadanar and Sananthanar. Tirumular had seven disciples: Malangam, Indiran, Soman, Brahman, Rudran, Kalanga, and Kanjamalayam, each of whom established one or more monasteries and propagated the Agamic lore.

In the line of Kalanga came the sages Righama, Maligaideva, Nadantar, Bhogadeva and Paramananda. The lineage continued down the centuries and is alive today- the first recent siddha known being the Rishi from the Himalayas, so named because he descended from those holy mountains. In South India, he initiated Kadaitswami (ca 1810 - 1875), who in turn initiated Chellappaswami (1840 - 1915). Chellappan passed the mantle of authority to sage Yogaswami (1872 - 1964), who in 1949 initiated the current satguru, Sivaya Subramuniyaswami.

See: Chellapaswami, Kadaitswami, Natha Sampradaya, Patanjali, Subramuniyaswami, Tirumular, Vyaghrapada, Yogaswami.

(See also: Kailasa Parampara, Hinduism, Body Mind and Soul)

Gurukula:

In Vedic times, spiritual aspirants would serve the Guru at his house or ashram for a period of time, studying the scriptures, and practicing self-inquiry and other spiritual disciplines under the guidance of the Master. Siddha Yoga ashrams are modeled on these Gurukulas of old.

(See also: Gurukula, Yoga, Yoga Dictionary, Siddha Yoga, Siddha Yoga Dictionary)

Sadguru:

A true Guru; divine Master.

(See also: Sadguru, Yoga, Yoga Dictionary, Siddha Yoga, Siddha Yoga Dictionary)

Saivism six schools: Through history Saivism has developed a vast array of lineages. Philosophically, six schools are most notable:

-       Saiva Siddhanta,

-       Pashupata Saivism,

-       Kashmir Saivism,

-       Vira Saivism,

-       Siddha Siddhanta and

-       Siva Advaita.

-       Saiva Siddhanta first distinguished itself in the second century bce through the masterful treatise of a Himalayan pilgrim to South India, Rishi Tirumular. It is Saivism's most widespread and influential school.

-       Pashupata Saivism emerged in the Himalayan hills over 25 centuries ago. Ancient writings chronicle it as a Siva ascetic yoga path whose most renowned guru was Lakulisha.

-       Kashmir Saivism, a strongly monistic lineage, arose from the revelatory aphorisms of Sri Vasugupta in the tenth century.

-       Vira Saivism took shape in India's Karnataka state in the 12thcentury under the inspiration of Sri Basavanna. It is a dynamic, reformist sect, rejecting religious complexity and stressing each devotee's personal relationship with God.

-       Siddha Siddhanta, also known as Gorakshanatha Saivism, takes its name from the writings of the powerful 10thcentury yogi, Sri Gorakshanatha, whose techniques for Siva identity attracted a large monastic and householder following in North India and Nepal.

-       Siva Advaita is a Saivite interpretation of the Vedanta Sutras, based on the writings of Srikantha, a 12th-century scholar who sought to reconcile the Upanishads with the Agamas.

See: individual school entries.

(See also: Saivism six schools, Hinduism, Body Mind and Soul)

Mantra:

The names of God; sacred words or divine sounds invested with the power to protect, purify, and transform the individual who repeats them. A mantra received from an enlightened Master is filled with the power of the Master's attainment.

(See also: Mantra, Yoga, Yoga Dictionary, Siddha Yoga, Siddha Yoga Dictionary)

Guru:

A spiritual master who has attained oneness with God and who is able both to initiate seekers and to guide them on the spiritual path to liberation. A true Guru is required to be learned in the scriptures and must belong to a lineage of masters..

(See also: Guru, Yoga, Yoga Dictionary, Siddha Yoga, Siddha Yoga Dictionary)

Disciple:

One who has received initiation from a spiritual master and then follows the path shown by the master.

(See also: Disciple, Yoga, Yoga Dictionary, Siddha Yoga, Siddha Yoga Dictionary)

Sadgurunath maharaj ki jay:

A Hindi phrase that means "I hail the Master who has revealed the Truth to me!" An exalted, joyful expression of gratitude to the Guru for all that has been received, often repeated at the beginning or end of an action.

(See also: Sadgurunath maharaj ki jay, Yoga, Yoga Dictionary, Siddha Yoga, Siddha Yoga Dictionary)

Diksha:

Yogic initiation; spiritual awakening of a disciple by the grace of the Master.

(See also: Diksha, Yoga, Yoga Dictionary, Siddha Yoga, Siddha Yoga Dictionary)