Natha

▪ Indian religious sect

      religious movement of India whose members strive for immortality by transforming the human body into an imperishable divine body. It combines esoteric traditions drawn from Buddhism, Shaivism, and Hatha Yoga. The term is derived from the names of the nine traditional masters, all of which end in the word natha (“master,” “lord”). Texts do not agree on the lists of the nine. According to popular belief, all of them successfully transformed their bodies through yogic discipline into indestructible spiritual entities, and all reside as demigods in the Himalayas.

      The Natha sect consists of yogis whose aim is to achieve sahaja, a state of neutrality transcending the duality of human existence through an awakening of the self's inherent identity with absolute reality. This is accomplished through the practice of kaya-sadhana (“cultivation of the body”), with great emphasis placed on control of semen, breath, and thought. Guidance of an accomplished guru (spiritual guide) is considered essential. The Natha yogis share with similar esoteric sects a liking for paradox and enigmatic verse.

* * *