The concept of "kriya" (action or movement) represents one of the most profound metaphysical principles in Hindu philosophy. Rather than seeing action as merely physical, Hindu traditions understand kriya as the fundamental expression of consciousness manifesting through energy. This blog explores how kriya connects to core Hindu concepts and how Kriya Yoga harnesses this understanding for spiritual transformation.

## The Metaphysics of Movement in Hindu Philosophy

In Hindu cosmology, all existence emerges from the interplay between consciousness (Purusha) and energy (Prakriti). The Bhagavad Gita (3:5) teaches: "No one can remain without action even for a moment. Everyone is driven to action by the qualities born of nature." This verse reveals a fundamental truth—movement is not optional but inherent to existence itself.

The Mandukya Upanishad describes reality as having four states: waking, dreaming, deep sleep, and transcendent awareness (turiya). What distinguishes these states is not the presence or absence of movement but the quality of consciousness perceiving that movement. Even in apparent stillness, subtle kriyas (movements of energy) continue.

## Understanding Kriya Yoga

Kriya Yoga emerged as a systematic approach to working with these subtle energies. Patanjali's Yoga Sutras (2:1) defines Kriya Yoga as "tapas (purification through discipline), svadhyaya (self-study), and Ishvara pranidhana (surrender to the divine)." These three components represent a comprehensive approach to spiritual practice through disciplined action.

The Bhagavad Gita further elaborates on the nature of kriya in 4:18: "One who sees inaction in action and action in inaction is wise among men; he is a yogi, performing all actions." This paradoxical teaching reveals that true freedom comes not from avoiding action but from changing our relationship to it.

## The Subtle Energy System

Hindu metaphysics understands the human body as containing a subtle energy anatomy. The Hatha Yoga Pradipika (4:22-24) describes how prana (life force) flows through nadis (energy channels), with three main channels—Ida, Pingala, and Sushumna—serving as pathways for kundalini energy to rise.

Kriya Yoga practices work directly with these subtle energies. Through specialized breathing techniques (pranayama), practitioners direct prana in specific patterns to purify these channels. The Shiva Samhita (5:181-182) explains that when the body's energies are purified through kriya, "the yogi becomes free from disease, old age, and death."

## The Philosophy of Liberation Through Action

Unlike traditions that seek liberation through renunciation of action, Kriya Yoga embraces action as the very means to liberation. The Bhagavad Gita (2:47) teaches: "You have a right to perform your prescribed duties, but you are not entitled to the fruits of your actions." This karma yoga principle forms the philosophical foundation of kriya practice—action performed without attachment to results.

The Yoga Vasishtha (6:1:94) states: "The mind is bound by actions when they are done with desire and expectation, and it is liberated when actions are performed without these." When actions (kriyas) are performed with awareness rather than ego-driven desire, they become vehicles for liberation rather than bondage.

## Modern Applications and Practices

Paramahansa Yogananda popularized Kriya Yoga in the West through his seminal work "Autobiography of a Yogi." He described Kriya as "the scientific technique of God-realization," explaining how specific breathing practices accelerate spiritual evolution by directing energy consciously through the spine.

The Kriya tradition teaches that each breath represents a specific form of movement (kriya) that, when properly channeled, can awaken higher consciousness. In "God Talks with Arjuna," Yogananda's commentary on the Bhagavad Gita, he explains that properly directed kriyas can accomplish in one year what might take decades through other methods.

## Conclusion: Movement as Liberation

Hindu philosophy does not see movement (kriya) as something to transcend but as the very expression of consciousness itself. The wisdom of Kriya Yoga lies in its recognition that by working skillfully with the inherent movement of energy, we can transform our experience of reality.

As the Chandogya Upanishad (3:14:1) teaches: "As is one's thought, so one becomes." By bringing conscious awareness to our actions (kriyas), we participate in the divine play of consciousness and energy that constitutes all existence, ultimately realizing our fundamental nature beyond the limitations of ego-centered perception.