Siddha Yoga is a spiritual path based on self-discovery and service to others, drawing from Hindu traditions. It involves daily practice and teachings from a guru, with initiation through shaktipat diksha. Controversy surrounds the movement, with allegations of sexual abuse and mind control.
The Siddha Yoga spiritual path is essentially based on the philosophy that focuses on the inner being that can bring us closer to God. It draws heavily from Kashmiri Shaivism and the Hindu spiritual traditions of Vedanta. Siddha Yoga is presented by its practitioners as an individual spirituality that often develops in a community of believers. Depending on the individual perception of the organization, it is usually referred to as a new religious movement or a cult.
Siddha Yoga is a combination of daily practice and teachings from a guru. The teachings include instruction on the basic philosophies of self-discovery, service to others, and adherence to the Biblical traditions of the Hindu religion. The practice includes meditation, chanting, and listening to sacred music. These activities are typically done at meditation centers and retreats, although some daily activities can also be practiced at home.
A student new to Siddha Yoga will generally be spiritually initiated with a practice known as shaktipat diksha. This is a process by which the guru welcomes a willing student with a symbolic gesture, such as a touch, a mantra, or a sacred word. In this way, the guru is believed to have penetrated and entered the spirit of the student. Some followers of the method have described this process as the guru’s aura enveloping the student.
Swami Muktananda Paramahamsa founded Siddha Yoga in India, under the guidance of his spiritual master Bhagawan Nityananda. He eventually opened several meditation centers around the world. There have been centers in Japan, the United States, Great Britain, Australia, and France, among many other nations. The movement has tended to focus on the larger ashrams in New York and Ganeshpuri, India. Following Swami Muktananda’s death in 1982, his disciple Gurumavi Chidvilasanada, originally known as Malti Shetty, assumed the spiritual leadership of the Siddha Yoga movement.
There has been controversy over the actions of some Siddha Yoga gurus and the movement in general. William Rodarmor in 1983 and Lis Harris in 1994 raised doubts about the practice in several published articles. Since 1996, the Leaving Siddha Yoga website has also maintained a highly critical voice on the movement and its leaders. Allegations against the movement have included sexual abuse, mind control, and disturbing and inappropriate infighting between the gurus and their associates. There have also been mainly positive profiles of the movement in articles in various popular magazines.
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