Sahaja means spontaneous enlightenment. Sahaja practices became popular in India during the 8th century amongst yogi’s called Sahajiya Siddha’s.
Spontaneous enlightenment is described as “a deep understanding of spirit and matter, subject and object”. It refers to a method of perceiving the world as it is, instead of being limited by our ego based mental attitudes.
Sahajiya Siddha’s (Siddha means “one who is accomplished”) believed that enlightenment could be achieved in this lifetime, by all people living in samsara (the entanglement of the world). The Sahajiya Siddha’s practiced yoga which included various meditation techniques and a form of ritual union which was supposed to bring the female and male elements in each person together and in balance. Hence the Sahjiya Siddha’s pre-empted Karl Jungs theories of Individuations and Anima and Animus by over 1000 years. The aim of this practice was to unify all aspects our our personality.
The Sahajiya Siddha concept of spontaneous enlightenment influenced many Eastern religious traditions including Buddhism and Hinduism. Spontaneous enlightenment was alluded to indirectly and symbolically in the twilight language (sandhya bhasa) used by the Siddha’s throughout the centuries.
One of the early Buddhist Sahajiya Siddha texts the Hevajra Tantra describes four kinds of Joy (ecstasy).
From everyday Joy – there is some bliss. However from Perfect Joy there is even more bliss. From the Joy of losing the ego comes a passionless state. And the Joy of Sahaja is the finality.
The first or everyday Joy comes by desire for contact, the second or Perfect Joy comes from desire for absolute bliss, the third Egoless Joy comes from the passing of passion and by this, the fourth or ultimate Joy of Sahaja is realised.
The first Joy is Samsara (mystic union), The second Joy is Nirvana (the goal) The third Joy is Vairagya (dispassion) which shows you that there is no difference between samsara and nirvana. The fourth Joy of Sahaja (Sahaja-Siddhi) is free of them all. For there is neither desire or nor absence of desire, nor a middle to be obtained. You are free.
Yoga was a big part of the Sahajiya Siddha tradition. The development of the human body (kāya-sādhana) through Haṭha-yoga was of paramount importance in all Siddha schools. The strength of the body was deemed necessary to enable the supreme realisation. Supreme realisation was called Sahaja-siddhi or the fourth Joy.
Sahaja-siddhi means “accomplishment of the unconditioned natural state”. There is also a text by the same name. This text was revealed by Dombi Heruka, one of the eighty-four Mahasiddha’s or most accomplished ones. The following quotation from this text shows how the state of Sahaja-Siddhi. differs from the ‘mental flux’ of our everyday minds.
Although this translation uses the masculine pronoun for siddha, it must be remembered that the term ‘siddha’ is not gender-specific and that there were many female senior teachers within the siddha communities.
On achieving the fourth state or sahaja-siddhi, the practitioner is known as a siddha, a realised soul. He becomes invulnerable, beyond all dangers. For him all forms melt into the Formless.
Surati dissolves into nirati and “japa is lost in ajapa“.
The disolution of surati and nirati is one of the signs of the accomplishment of sahaja-siddhi.
Sahaja-Siddhi by Dombi Heruka
Surati is the act of will that occurs even when you try to disengage from worldly attachments. It refers to the self protective or ego-driven choices we make even when we decide not to be selfish. Surati can only be destroyed when the ego is destroyed. If we are able to destroy our ego then we achieve nirati – the cessation of the mental flux, which implies cessation of all willed efforts.
Cessation of willed efforts does not mean that we are no longer active in the world. All it means is that our actions are not driven by conscious or unconscious personal desires.
The concept of Nirati or Sahaja-Siddhi is found in many schools of spirituality and yoga.
In Surat Shabd Yoga, nirati is the dissolution of the mind in “Sound,”. In terms of Layayoga – when the ego dissolves – “Japa is lost in Ajapa” – sound becomes soundless. Words no longer matter – for you feel the truth.
Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra’s begin with “citta vritti nirodhaya” – the cessation of the fluctuations of the mind.
Modern Sahaja Yoga was popularised by Mataji Nirmala Devi (1923-2011). She taught a meditation technique which aims to enable self-realisation along with the experience of thoughtless awareness or mental silence. While I have no experience of this meditation technique, intellectual understanding of Mataji Nirmala Devi’s philosophy suggests that her idea of thoughtless awareness alluded to nirati and Sahaja-Siddhi.
Dr Nitasha Buldeo is an Integrated Medical Practitioner, Entrepreneur, Scientist and Yogi. She created I-Yoga & Organic Apoteke and is Director of the Centre for Exceptional Human Performance. She researches human potential and delivers programs that encourage you to live exceptionally. Nitasha believes that every one of us is striving to be the best we can. Her passion is bringing you experiences that inspire you. Her intention is for you to unlock your genius.