Before you come
Questions
The things people are too polite to ask at the door. If yours is not here, write and ask it — nobody minds.
Questions
Visiting the mandir
Do I need to be Hindu to come?
No. The mandir is open to anyone, of any faith or none. Nobody will ask you what you believe.
If you are unsure what to do during a ceremony, stand or sit at the back and watch. That is a complete way to attend and nobody will think anything of it.
What should I wear?
Anything modest and comfortable enough to sit on the floor in. Shoulders and knees covered is the usual courtesy.
Footwear comes off outside. If you are coming to a havan, wear something you do not mind smelling of woodsmoke afterwards.
Is there a charge?
No. Nothing at this mandir is charged for — not the sessions, not satsang, and not diksha.
Donations keep the lamp lit and the fire fed, and they are welcome, but no one will ask you for one and nothing is withheld from anyone who does not give.
Can I bring my children?
Yes. Children are not a disruption at a mandir; they are part of it.
The Sunday satsang is the easiest session to bring them to, as there is talking anyway.
May I take photographs?
During ordinary hours, yes. During havan and aarti, please put the phone away — sit through it instead.
If you would like photographs of a ceremony, ask beforehand and it can usually be arranged.
Questions
Kriya Yoga & practice
I have never meditated. Where do I start?
Come to the Sunday satsang, and come to a morning sitting during the week. That is the whole of the answer.
You do not need to prepare, buy anything, or read anything first. Ten minutes a day at home, begun this week, is worth more than any amount of reading.
Can I learn Kriya Yoga from a book or a video?
No, and this mandir would say so even if it cost it every student.
The technique is precise, and the same movement performed at the wrong tempo or with the attention in the wrong place is a different practice with different results. It is given in person so that it can be corrected in person.
How long before I notice anything?
Most people notice their sleep and their temper changing within a few weeks. That is not the goal of the practice, but it is a reliable early sign that it is being done.
The deeper effects are measured in years. Anyone promising otherwise is selling something.
Questions
Diksha — initiation
What is diksha?
Diksha is initiation — the point at which the technique is actually given, by the Guru, in person.
It is not a ceremony you book. It follows from having come, having sat, and having established enough of a practice for the Guru to see that you are ready.
How do I ask for it?
Come to the mandir. Attend satsang a few times. When you are ready, speak to Guru Sanjay Nath afterwards — there is no form to fill in and no fee for asking.
If the answer is 'not yet', that is not a rejection. It generally means there is groundwork to do first, and he will tell you what it is.
Is there a fee for initiation?
No. Kriya is not sold here.
It is traditional to offer dakshina — a gift given freely, of whatever size — but it is not a price, it is not asked for, and initiation is not withheld from anyone who gives nothing.
Questions
Donations & seva
What do donations pay for?
The fire, the lamp, the food, and the building. The Donations page sets out each of these separately so that you can give towards whichever you wish.
How do I give?
By direct bank transfer to the mandir's own account. The details are on the Donations page.
This website has no payment page and will never ask you for a card number.
Can I help in other ways?
Yes, and it is often more useful. Seva — cleaning, cooking, preparing for festival days, helping visitors find their way — is a practice in its own right.
The Seva page lists what is needed.
Still wondering
Ask the mandir directly
Every message is read by someone at the mandir.