Acarya Training Program Update

The first Acarya Training Program is underway here at Kailash Akhara and we have already seen that the original format and time-line has to be changed to allow for the fruition and attainment of the teachings to occur. It has become clear that to be an Acarya – to be fully established in View – a more intensive training schedule is needed. The first years of training are now going to require the student to live at Kailash Akhara full-time in order to steep oneself in the View and will thus enable one to fully live the teachings in a structured and rich environment under the guidance of the Guru. Basic sanity and a stable Atmasakti (sense of self linked with the Dharma) can then be more easily revealed and will form the basis for engaging in deeper studies of the Acarya Training Program. It is therefore crucial that one have all responsibilities (familial, financial, etc.) handled completely before applying for the Acarya Training Program. In order to give those interested ample time to organize one’s life and make the necessary arrangements, the next training program will begin in 2013 or 2014.

If you are interested in participating in the next Acarya Training Program and would like to begin to self-study in the Acarya Training curriculum, please email Kiranamayi at kiranamayi@gmail.com for further information.

The Acarya Training Program

The longevity and preservation of any spiritual lineage is dependent largely upon teachers being developed within the system to preserve and pass on to future generations the instruction and the transmission of the teachings. Traditionally this role has been performed by the Acaryas.

The word Acarya, often translated as teacher or spiritual teacher, also means routine and conduct, as in Rtucarya (seasonal routine/ conduct) and Dinacarya (daily routine/ conduct). Thus an Acarya is one who having established the routine of sadhana and practice in their own life and having applied the teachings to them selves, expresses the teachings and fruits of the practice through their conduct.

Jñanagnikula is stratified into different levels of participation and spiritual authority. Below you’ll find an outline of the school’s structure and the hierarchy of spiritual authority as well as a description of the Acarya Training Program followed by instructions on how to apply.

Tier 1

Parishioner:

• Parishioners are anyone who attends teachings, rituals, calendrical events, kula social events, yoga classes, etc. (Any Jñanagni Kula event.)
• Parishioners have no formal commitment through initiation to the school and are free to attend classes, courses or events as they please.

Instructor:

• Instructors are authorized to give general teachings.
• They have passed an exam qualifying them to teach.
• Instructors are not authorized to speak on behalf of the lineage, give initiations or transmission.

Pujari:

• Pujaris serve the parishioners and the Dharma by performing the rituals of the tradition. They perform daily and calendrical rituals for the community.
• Pujaris will have completed the requisite training in ritual practice with Swami Ramanuja and/or qualified Pujacaryas.

Pandita:

• This group will undergo a rigorous 7-year training program focused on View teachings from an academic standpoint.
• These trainings will take place at Kailash Akhara in Thailand or at other Jñanagni Kula centers of study.
• Roughly 70% of the training will involve a general curriculum while 30% will focus on a specialty subject decided upon according to each student’s individual interests.
• On completion of the Pandita program there is no obligation to serve and/or teach within the school, however it is encouraged.
• It is an academic Tantrik training program and can be taken purely for the fulfillment of the individual’s own interests.
• Once authorized they may speak on lineage knowledge but may not speak on behalf of the lineage. In other words, a Pandita graduate does not have spiritual authority.
• They cannot give transmission of practices nor initiate students.

Tier 2

Hermit:

• The Hermit will live in the Hermitage in Thailand or any other Jñanagni Kula hermitage.
• In certain circumstances Hermits may be allowed to live outside of the Jñanagni Kula Hermitages, but the lineage head must approve the circumstances beforehand.
• Both situations require the student to abstain from contact with the outside world.
• A student may choose to take a retreat and live as a hermit for a designated period of time, which will be agreed upon by the lineage head.
• There will be a trial period for everyone wishing to become a hermit before full hermit vows are taken to make sure that the applicant is suitable to hermit life.
• Students must be over the age of 35 to be accepted for full hermit diksa.

Acarya:

• An Acarya holds a select body of the essential teachings of the lineage AND is obligated to transmit them.
• The training period will be a minimum of 7 years and graduation depends on the following three things:

1. Attainment of the knowledge.
2. Realization of one’s essential nature.
3. Ability to transmit the knowledge academically and experientially.

• The training will occur at Kailash Akhara following the framework listed below.
• The student who has completed their training and who has recognition of their Essence Nature (confirmed by the lineage head) will then receive diksa to confirm them as a lineage representative.
• The Acarya has an obligation to the school to serve wherever, whenever and however needed.
• Acarya is of two types:

1. Junior Acarya- able to speak authoritatively on lineage matters and teachings.
2. Senior Acarya- able to speak authoritatively on lineage matters and teachings, as well as give transmission and initiation. Senior Acaryas form the pool of candidates from which the new lineage head is elected after the previous one retires or takes Mahasamadhi.

Tier 3

Mandaladhyaksha Mukhyacarya:

• This is the head Acarya, the Vidyadhara of Jñanagni Kula, as well as any sister school(s) that may form in the future.
• This is an office, the title of which is MANDALA DHYAKSHA _________ MUKHYACARYA.
• The Mandala Dhyaksa Mukhyacarya has the responsibility to hold ALL the knowledge and lineage teachings and transmission.
• The present Mandaladhyaksha Mukhyacarya is Dharmanidhi Sarasvati.

Acarya Training

The Mukhyacarya Dharmanidhi Sarasvati has said:

“This is not a training program for personal enjoyment, though it will be very satisfying for the person whose fate it is to be an Acarya. Nor is it merely for higher education. You are training for a lifetime of service. You will be responsible for the knowledge and experience of this sacred lineage being preserved for future generations. During the years of study and thereafter you will be immersed in working for The Dharma itself.”

There are 4 tracks of study in the Acarya training:

1. HATHA YOGA ACARYA: This person is responsible for mastering and transmitting the Hatha Yoga Tradition of Adi-Yoga in its entirety. This includes the intellectual and experiential knowledge of texts and the internal and external practices of the tradition.
2. DARSHANA ACARYA: This person is responsible for maintaining the purity, clarity, and strength of the non-dual Tantrik view teachings of Jñanagni Kula.
3. UPAYA ACARYA: This person is responsible for maintaining the knowledge and fruit of the Tantrik yoga practices of Jñanagni Kula.
4. DARSHANA/UPAYA ACARYA: This person is responsible for the knowledge and transmission of both the View and the Methods of Practice of Jñanagni Kula.

• There is no standard pre-requisite for the training. However, a student wishing to apply would need to have been immersed in the school and teachings for some time, (usually around a minimum of two years).
• It is highly recommended that all applicants have completed courses such as Gateway to Freedom and The 12 Stage View and/or have been practicing for enough years to have a solid understanding of the tradition and lifestyle of a Tantrika.
• Applicants must be 20 years of age or older. People with families are welcome and encouraged to apply because we are a householder tradition and wish to preserve the lineage as such.

At a certain point in the training each student will choose a specialty area (or areas) that they will go deeper into in order to become the holder of that particular teaching/practice. Dharmanidhi has said, “The Acarya doesn’t know everything. You go through the program and you find your specialty area. This way the collective body of Acarya’s will function together, each one acting as a different limb contributing to the overall body of knowledge and wisdom of the lineage teachings.”

Acaryas and Acaryas in training wear a blue uniform as a symbolic reminder of Ultimate Essence Nature. Wearing the blue Acarya uniform demonstrates the Acarya’s commitment to serve the school and the Dharma. The blue uniform also gives the Acarya a higher degree of visibility amongst the kula. The traditional colors of white, gold/yellow and red will be used at different stages of training as well.

Upon completion of the training, the Acarya will also wear the lineage tattoos on the front of each shoulder.

Karma yoga (work/service) is an integral part of Acarya training. All Acaryas in training will be required to perform duties on the Kailash Akhara property.

APPLICATION

Only serious applications will be considered.

Please send your letter of application to kiranamayi@gmail.com.  Include in your application which path you wish to take (Hatha Yoga, Darsana, Upaya, Darsana/Upaya) and your birth information (date, place, time).

Please print out and send a hard copy of your application with your signature to:

May the light of the Dharma continue to shine and may we forever be that source of wisdom and compassion for all beings.

Jaya Guru Dev!

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