Adi-Yoga and the Bihar School of Yoga

The following is a statement clarifying the relationship between Adi-Yoga (including Trika Institute and Jnanagni Kula world-wide) and the Bihar School of Yoga.

Two Independent Schools

The Bihar School of Yoga founded by Paramahamsa Satyananda and Adi-Yoga (including Jnanagni Kula and Trika Institute) founded by his devotee Dharmanidhi do not have an official relationship. The institutions are completely independent and neither derives authorization or legitimacy from the other.

Neither organization, nor the opinions of administrators and members of either organization, have any official bearing upon the other organization, nor hold any sway over it or its students. Furthermore the institutions administrators have no rights to comment on the legitimacy or activities of the other. Although the organizations are completely independent they hail from the same root sampradaya and parampara.

Both the Bihar School of Yoga and Adi-Yoga serve the general public as resources for the tradition of Hatha Yoga. The Bihar School of Yoga is dedicated to preserving the system of Hatha Yoga organized by Paramahamsa Satyananda precisely as he taught it. The system of Adi-Yoga organized by Dharmanidhi, though having a more Tantrik  expression of the Hatha Yoga tradition is also based upon the transmission of Paramahamsa Satyananda’s experience and understanding of Hatha Yoga. Adi-Yoga remains within the framework of traditional and authentic Sakta-Saiva Tantrik Yoga and incorporates emphases based upon Dharmanidhi’s experiential insights.

Adi-Yoga is Non-Dual Saiva-Sakta

Adi-Yoga is not eclectic and therefore has not incorporated non-Tantrik elements. It does not make use of dualistic philosophies and texts that are clearly not from the Trika, Kaula, Krama or Kundalini Hatha Yoga tradition (such as Samkhya, Mimamsa, Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras, etc.) or non-dual philosophies and texts from other traditions such as Advaita Vedanta, and Buddhism, etc.

Instead Adi-Yoga draws upon a cache of non-dual Sakta-Saiva Tantrik source materials from within the tradition itself authored by such luminaries as Macchanda Natha, Vasugupta, Utpaladeva, Somananda, Abhinavagupta, and Swami Swatmarama to name just a few. There are hundreds of known texts yet to be translated, and hundreds more recently discovered in northern India, Nepal and Tibet waiting to be made accessible to the non-sanskrit speaker. Many of these texts were written by and about female adept practitioners and lineage heads from the Tantrik Yoga tradition. These texts are important references for the teachings and practices of the Adi-Yoga school and Trika Institute.

Adi-Yoga is a system dedicated to preserving and transmitting the Sakta-Saiva Tantrik Yoga tradition (especially of the Krama and Kaula schools) which reached its peak in three streams of sacred knowledge: 1. Macchanda Natha’s esotericizing of the exoteric elements of the Tantrik ritual tradition, 2. Abhinavagupta’s Trika, and 3. The Ancient Yogini tradition that is the basis for Adi-Yoga’s Tantrik-feminist orientation.

As stated above, the Bihar School of Yoga does a wonderful job of preserving the yoga system of Paramahamsa Satyananda without drawing on the teachings or practices of other adepts from the Tantrik tradition. In contrast when Dharmanidhi developed Adi-Yoga he did so in order to integrate the many teachings and practices of the Kundalini Tantrik Yoga tradition that he learned from other Tantrik Yoga adepts of the Sakta-Saiva tradition, especially in the areas of advanced meditation practices such as – generating the “body of light”, advanced eye-open meditations, systems of long retreat, systems of kriya yoga, consort yoga, Tantrik esoteric ritual, etc.

It is said that the ocean of Tantrik knowledge is far too vast for one person to know it all. It is with the sincere desire to benefit sentient beings that Dharmanidhi traveled far and wide within India studying with different masters to organize a comprehensive system of Kundalini Hatha Yoga he calls Adi-Yoga or “the Primordial Yoga”, able to take one from the beginner stages to the most advanced in a clear and sequential manner.

Adapting with each new generation to better serve the Parampara

In this way Dharmanidhi mimics his root-guru Paramahamsa Satyananda who, though Sri Swami Sivananda Maharaja was his root-guru, traveled far and wide studying meditation, yoga, ritual, and sacred text (in India, Nepal, Tibet, Burma and Thailand), etc. to add to the teachings and practices he had received from Sri Swami Sivananda. His wider knowledge formed the basis for the creation of the Bihar school of Yoga, which is clearly more comprehensive and Tantrik in nature than the system he had learned in the ashram of his guru Sri Swami Sivananda.

Sri Swami Sivananda’s organization did not discredit Paramahamsa Satyananda for organizing his school differently than his guru’s, or for adding strong Tantrik elements such as sexual meditation, Kriya Yoga and his own creation – Yoga Nidra. Instead Sri Swami Sivananda desired to see the teachings spread and flourish to benefit as many sentient beings as possible. To that end he trained more than 35 students as lineage acaryas, each empowered to present the teachings and practices in the way they deemed best.

Adi-Yoga is a another vehicle for the Parampara

Dharmanidhi’s efforts to add certain teachings and practices to the root system of his gurus should not be seen as subversive, but rather as another flowering of the tradition. Dharmanidhi’s work is an offering to the parampara. It is merely an extension of the re-organization and adaptation of the tradition begun by Sri Swami Sivananda and continued by Paramahamsas Satyananda and Niranjanananda.

Dharmanidhi makes no claims of being authorized by Bihar School of Yoga

When prospective students of Adi-Yoga inquire with the Bihar School of Yoga as to Dharmanidhi’s training they typically receive a response from Bihar School of Yoga administration stating that Dharmanidhi has never studied with the Bihar School of Yoga and has never received accreditation or authorization from the Bihar School of Yoga. This is accurate but unfortunately mis-leading as it does not simultaneously state that Dharmanidhi is independently aurthorized by the guru’s of the lineage to initiate his students into the Sarasvati order of lay practitioners and train them in his own school. In actuality both schools are sister institutions pursuing the mission of the parampara to relieve physical, mental and spiritual suffering.

Synopsis of Dharmanidhi’s direct study with his Gurus

Dharmanidhi’s studies, ritual empowerments, transmissions and authorizations occurred directly with the gurus of the lineage in a one – one fashion between the years of 1987 and 2000. Dharmanidhi was first initiated in 1987, sold his business and went into a one and a half year practice retreat. In 1995 Dharmanidhi asked Paramahamsa Satyananda if he could remain in the ashram at Rikhia with him, even if it was to only pull weeds for the rest of his life. Paramahamsaji told him that he should not stay because his dharma was to teach.  Dharmanidhi had been sending anyone who approached him for teaching and initiation to Paramahamsa Niranjanananda. For years Niranjanananda had been telling Dharmanidhi not to send the students to him for initiation anymore and that they were his students. But Dharmanidhi continued to send them because of his devotion to his gurus.

In 1997 Paramahamsa Niranjanananda gave him authorization and a mandate to teach and initiate people into the Householder Tantrik Yoga of the Sarasvati order.

Paramahamsa Niranjanananda gave Dharmanidhi the “purnadiksabhiseka” (ceremonial transmission of the lineage) in the akhara of the Monghyr ashram, which was the conclusion of his formal studies. Dharmanidhi offered guru daksina by asking, “what do I owe you?” which is customary at the conclusion of a disciple’s period of training. Paramahamsa Niranjanananda then replied  “body, mind and soul”. Dharmanidhi responded that his body, mind and soul have always been his guru’s. Paramahamsa Niranjanananda then added that all he wanted was that Dharmanidhi keep in touch letting him know what projects he was involved in and how he was teaching, etc.

Paramahamsa Niranjanananda told him that the Kundalini Hatha Yoga and Tantrik traditions were becoming watered down and commercialized, and that sincere seekers were unable to access advanced practices. He was told that his school, Jnanagnikula (named by Paramahamsa Niranjanananda and meaning “Wisdom-Fire Family of Practitioners”), is a new branch of the Sarasvati order whose purpose is to re-establish the original householder tradition of spiritual lineage and practice, thus making advanced Tantrik Yoga practices available again.

During the Maha-Kumbha Mela of 1999/2000 Dharmanidhi brought 20 students to Paramahamsaji’s annual Sat Candi Maha Yajna Ceremony and celebration. His students sat just behind Paramahamsaji performing 100,000 repetitions of devi-bija mantra japa during the 10-day ceremony and had the good fortune to receive the blessings of both Paramahamsa Satyananda and Niranjanananda.  Paramahamsaji has said to Dharmanidhi “there is enough knowledge within the tradition so you do not need to make up anything”. During the Yajna celebration Paramahamsaji blessed Jnanagnikula and Adi-Yoga to flourish by saying that, “because you are teaching real Tantra you will be successful” after an “initial (karmic cleansing) period of difficulties that will last for 7 years”. He repeated this a number of times.  In summation: Jnanagnikula (the student body of Adi-Yoga) is a new branch of the Sarasvati order for householder practitioners of Tantra and Kundalini Hatha Yoga approved, authorized and empowered by both lineage heads.

An individual’s ignorance does not reflect on the goodness of Bihar School of Yoga

Unfortunately, an official statement from Bihar School of Yoga staff to a prospective student of Adi-Yoga inquiring about Dharmanidhi’s background and connection to Bihar School of Yoga has occasionally given false information about Dharmanidhi and Adi-Yoga that would appear to be an attempt to discredit him and his school. Thankfully, this situation is rare and reflects only the ignorance of the individual and does not reflect on the integrity of the otherwise wonderful institution of Bihar School of Yoga.

Serving the public’s health needs and spiritual development is the compassionate goal of both the Bihar School of Yoga and Adi-Yoga. Both institutions and their teachers strive to be compassionate servants of the Parampara and Paradevi. This is the main point to remember.

What makes a guru? Is Dharmanidhi a guru?

The final point of clarification is on the topic of the term and title – “guru”. It is occasionally claimed by Bihar School of Yoga officials that Dharmanidhi is proclaiming him self to be a guru and has no authorization to do so. This is both false and misses the point.

Both Paramhamsa Satyananda and Niranjanananda have spoken clearly on the matter of “what makes a guru?”  They say that no one can be elected to be a guru, nor does initiation as an acarya make one a guru in the inner sense of the word. Paramahamsaji has said “there are teachers, masters and gurus”.

To paraphrase Paramahamsaji:

Teachers know the teachings and practices well and can instruct people in them but they have not become the teachings and practices yet. The teachings and practices do not inform their every motive and action. Teachers are in the majority. Masters on the other hand have completely embodied the teachings and practices and live them with every breath. Their lives are teachings as much as what they teach. There are far less masters than there are teachers.

The main difference between masters and gurus lay not in their acquired knowledge but in the fact that only gurus are able to enter into the karmic matrix of a student and change it for the better. And this capacity cannot be wished for or learned but is a function of Grace. So, in the final analysis the person whom we call guru is so, not by their own or anyone else’s doing, but through the agency of Grace/destiny. Therefore no one can make himself or herself a guru. Ultimately who is and who is not a guru is for each individual student to decide. The concept and function of “guru” is only relevant from the student’s perspective. True gurus do not hold the self-image of being a “guru”.

Dharmanidhi, being a student of his masters, upholds these teachings he has received from them concerning the nature of an authentic guru and because of this is not concerned as to whether his students think of him as a guru or not.

The Krama teachings on the nature of the guru as expressed in the Kaula Sutra’s first verse is relevant here:

1. There is but one Guru, the uninterrupted transmission of the rays (of awakened consciousness) passed on to us through the initiatory lineage.

(translated by A. Sanderson)

It is our sincere and compassionate wish for all students to find the school of Dharma appropriate for them. It is to that end that we offer this simple statement of clarification. We hope that it is helpful.

May all beings be free! Hari Om Tat Sat//