Nath introduction
The Nath (Adi-Nath) are an Indian sect of tantrik sadhus (renunciate holy men). Like most sects they claim a divine lineage, holding Lord Shiva to have been the first Natha. Historically, the lineage stems from an accomplished yogi Matsyendra Nath who most scholars believe lived around the 11th century C.E.
Hindu
scholar, Gopinath Kaviraj provides the following description of the Natha
cosmology:
“This
shows that the metaphysical position of the Nathas was not monistic, nor
was it dualistic either. It was transcendental in the truest sense of
the term. They speak of the Natha,
the Absolute, as beyond the opposition involved in
the concepts of Saguna and Nirguna or of Sakara and Nirakara. And
so to them the Supreme End of Life is to realize oneself as Natha and
to remain eternally fixed above the world of relations. The way to this
realization is stated to be Yoga, on which they lay great emphasis. It
is held that Perfection can not be attained by any means unless it is
supplemented by the disciplinary practices of Yoga.”
Various
traditions trace the origins of Hatha yoga to the Natha—either as inventors
or resuscitators of an ancient system in decline.
The Natha taught a yoga combining Pranyama (breath control), Asana
(body control), Mudra (posture) and Nadanusandhana.
The practice results in a state of intense Joy, known as Sahajavastha.
Kaviraj
elaborates on the Natha strain of yoga:
“The
general principle on which they proceeded appears to be the recognition
of the graded character of Matter, ranging from the densest form revealed
in our waking sense-experience up to the most rarefied and tenuous form
to which the end of Samprajnata Samadhi - the so-called Sasmita Samadhi
- eventually leads. I am speaking here in terms of Sankhya nomenclature.
The consciousness of the individual self as enmeshed in grosser matter
is really identical with the Universal Consciousness of the World-soul,
nay, with Absolute Consciousness itself. Only that limitations have to
be carefully removed.”
And in summary:
“The
Nathas insist that if the Absolute is to be reached, the central Track,
which leads directly into it as a river loses itself in the ocean, must
be found out and resorted to.”
H.H. Shri Paramahamsha Mahendranath,
known as Dadaji, was the 23rd lineage guru of the Adi-Nathas.
He was born in London, England in 1911.
He met infamous British magician Aleister Crowley who advised the
young seeker to go to India. He
was not able to act on the instruction until 1949, but after arriving
in India he remained there until his death in 1991.
He was initiated into the Natha tradition on Gurupurnima (Guru
Day, first full moon in June) 1953 from Shri Lokanatha the
Digambar-Avadhoot of Uttarkashi (U.P.). From then on he lived as
a wondering saddhu. He also received
Kaula tantrik initiation Uttarakaula Order from Shri Pagala Baba. Additionly Dadaji received initiations in the
Karguyt Pas sect, soto Zen, Taoism, Ch’an,
Ramanaya Nikaya (Theravadan Buddhism).
Dadaji’s
extent writings represent a fascinating and innovative combination of
traditional Natha tantrik teachings and New Aeonic hermeticism. Two modern organizations claim direct descent
from Dadaji, AMOOKOS (the Arcane and Magical Order of the Knights of Shamballa)
and the International Nath Order (and Magikos).
His
writings are available online at The Scrolls of Mahendranath (also the
home page for the International Nath Order): http://www.mahendranath.org
AMOOKOS’s homepage is: http://www.cix.co.uk/~mandrake/naths.htm
Another great site with a wealth
of Hindu and Tantrik translations is maintained by translator Michael
Magee: http://www.clas.ufl.edu/users/gthursby/tantra/
Kaviraj, Gopinath. Published in the Princess of Wales Sarasvati Bhavan Series, Vol VI, (1927).
H.H. Shri Paramahamsha Mahendranath, manuscript sent to Michael
Magee, http://www.shivashakti.com/dadaji.htm.