"Yoga System--Conquering the Mind"

69/02/15 Los Angeles, Bhagavad-gita 6.6-12


Prabhupada: All glories to the assembled devotees.

Devotees: All glories to you Prabhupada.

Devotee: "For him who has conquered his mind, it is the best of friends. But one who has failed to do so, his very mind will be the greatest enemy."

Prabhupada: Yes. This mind, they're talking of the mind. The whole yoga system means to make the mind our friend. The mind in material contact, just like a person in drunkard condition. His mind is... There is a nice verse in Caitanya-caritamrta.

krsna-bahirmukha hana bhoga vancha kare
nikata-stha maya tare japatiya dhare

The mind, I am spirit soul, part and parcel of the Supreme Lord. As soon as the mind is contaminated, I rebel, because I have got little independence. "Why shall I serve Krsna or God? I am God." It is simply a dictation from the mind. And the whole situation turns. He's under false impression, illusion, and the whole life is spoiled. And who has failed to do so, if we fail to conquer the mind, we are trying to conquer so many things, empire, but if we fail to conquer our mind, then even you conquer an empire, that is a failure. His very mind will be the greatest enemy. Go on.

Devotee: "For one who has conquered the mind, the Supersoul is already reached, for he has attained tranquility. To such a man, happiness and distress, heat and cold, honor and dishonor are all the same."

Prabhupada: Go on.

Devotee: "A person is said to be established in self-realization and is called a yogi or mystic, when he is fully satisfied by virtue of acquired knowledge and realization. Such a person is situated in transcendence and is self-controlled. He sees everything, whether it be pebbles, stones or gold, as the same."

Prabhupada: Yes. When the mind is in equilibrium, then this position comes. Pebbles, stones or gold, the same value. Go on.

Devotee: Purport: "Book knowledge without realization of the Supreme Truth is useless. This is said as follows in the Padma Purana..."

Prabhupada: Yes, Padma Purana. There are eighteen Puranas. There are, men are conducted in three qualities: modes of goodness, modes of passion and modes of ignorance. To reclaim all these conditioned souls in different varieties of life, there are presentation of the Puranas. The six Puranas are meant for the person who are in the modes of goodness. And six Puranas are meant for the persons who are in the modes of passion. And six Puranas who are in the modes of ignorance, those Puranas are meant for them. This Padma Purana is meant for the persons who are in the modes of goodness. In Vedic rituals, you find so many differences of ritualistic performances. It is due to different kinds of men. Just like you have heard that Vedic literature, there is a ritualistic ceremony offering goat sacrifice in the presence of goddess Kali. But this Purana, Markandeya Purana, is meant for the persons who are in the modes of ignorance.

Just like a person is attached to eat meat. Now if all of a sudden if he is instructed that meat eating is not good. Or a person is attached to drink liquor. If he at once said that liquor is not good, he cannot accept. Therefore in the Puranas we'll find, "All right, if you want to eat meat, you just worship goddess Kali and sacrifice a goat before the goddess. And you can eat meat. You cannot eat meat or flesh by purchasing from the slaughterhouse or butcher shop. You have to eat in this way." That means restriction. Because if you want to perform the sacrifice before the goddess Kali, there is a certain date, there is a certain paraphernalia, you have to arrange for that. And that puja, that worship is allowed on the dark moon light. So dark moon night means once in a month. And the mantras are chanted in this way; the goat is advised that "You are sacrificing your life before the goddess Kali. So you get immediately promotion to have a human form of life." Actually it happens. Because to come to the standard of human form of life one living entity has to pass through so many evolutionary process. But the goat who agrees or who is by force sacrificed before the goddess Kali he gets immediate promotion to the human form of life. And the mantra says, that "You have got the right to kill this man who is sacrificing." Mamsa. Mamsa means that you will also eat his flesh, next birth. "Why eat this flesh? Then I'll have to repay with my flesh. Why shall I do this job?" You see. The whole idea is to restrain him.

So there are different kinds of Puranas, eighteen Puranas. Because the whole Vedic literature means to claim all kinds of men. Not that those who are meat-eaters or drunkards, they are rejected. No. Everyone is accepted but there is -- just like you go to a doctor. He'll prescribe you different medicine according to the different disease. Not that he has got one disease, one medicine. Whoever comes and, offers that medicine. No. That is real treatment. Gradually, gradually. But in the sattvika-puranas, they are meant for immediately worshiping the Supreme Personality of Godhead. There is no gradual process. But gradually, one who comes to this stage, he's advised. So Padma Purana is one of the Puranas in the modes of goodness. What does it say? Go on.

Devotee: "It says in the Padma Purana, ‘No one can understand the transcendental nature of the name, form, qualities and pastimes of Sri Krsna through his materially contaminated senses. Only when one becomes spiritually saturated by transcendental service to the Lord, are the transcendental name, form, quality and pastimes of the Lord revealed to him.' "

Prabhupada: Yes, this is very important. Now, Krsna, we are accepting Krsna as the Supreme Lord. Now how we accept Krsna as the Supreme Lord. Because it is stated in the Vedic literature, just like in the Brahma-samhita, isvarah paramah krsnah sac-cid-ananda-vigrahah [Bs. 5.1]. Imagination, those who are in the modes of passion and ignorance, they are imagining the form of God. And when they are confused, they say, "Oh, there is no personal God. It is all impersonal or void." That is frustration. But actually, God has got form. Why not? The Vedanta-sutra says, janmady asya yatah: [SB 1.1.1] the Supreme Absolute Truth is that from whom or from which everything emanates. Now we have got forms. so we have also must have been, not only we, there are different kinds of forms of the living entities. Wherefrom they come? Wherefrom this form is originated? This is very common sense question. If God is not a person, then how His sons become persons? If your father is not a person, how you can become a person? This is very common question. If my father has not a form, wherefrom I get this form?But people imagine, because when they are frustrated, when they see that this form is troublesome, therefore God must be formless. That is an opposite conception of this form. But Brahma-samhita says no. God has form, but He is sac-cid-ananda-vigrahah. Isvarah paramah krsnah sac-cid-ananda-vigrahah [Bs. 5.1]. Sat, cit, ananda. Sat means eternal. Sat means eternal, cit means knowledge and ananda means pleasure. So God has form, but He has got a form which is full of pleasure, full of knowledge, and eternal. Now compare your body. Your body is neither eternal nor full of pleasure nor full of knowledge. Therefore God has form, but He has got a different form. But as soon as we speak of form, we think the form must be like this. Therefore the opposite, no form. That's no knowledge. That is not knowledge. Therefore in the Padma Purana it is said that you cannot understand about the form, name, quality, paraphernalia of God with these material senses. Atah sri-krsna-namadi na bhaved grahyam indriyaih [BRS. 1.2.234]. By your sense speculation, because your senses are imperfect, how you can speculate on the supreme perfect? That is not possible. Then how it is possible? Sevonmukhe hi jihvadau. If you train your senses, if you purify your senses, that purified sense will help you to see God.

Just like if you have got some disease, cataract on your eye, that does not mean you cannot see. Because your eyes are suffering from cataract, you cannot see. That does not mean there is nothing to be seen. You cannot see. Similarly, you cannot just conceive what is the form of God now, but if our cataract is removed, you can see. That is required. Premanjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena santah sadaiva hrdayesu vilokayanti [Bs. 5.38]. The Brahma-samhita says that devotees whose eyes are anointed with the love of God ointment, such persons, within his heart, seeing God Krsna, always, twenty-four hours. Not that... So you require to purify your senses. Then you'll be able to understand what is the form of God, what is the name of God, what is the quality of God, what is the paraphernalia. God as everything. These things are discovered in Vedic literature.

Just like apani-pado javana-grhita. It is said that God has no hands or legs. But He can accept anything you offer. God has no eyes, and ears, but He can see everything and He can hear everything. So these are contradiction. That means whenever we speak of seeing, we think somebody must have eyes like this. That is our material conception. God has eyes, He can see even in the darkness. You cannot see in the darkness. So He has got a different eye. God can hear. If God is in His kingdom which is millions and millions of miles away, but if you are talking something, whispering, conspiracy, He can hear. Because He is sitting within you. So you cannot avoid God's seeing and God's hearing or God's touching.

patram puspam phalam toyam
yo me bhaktya prayacchati
tad aham bhakty-upahrtam
asnami prayatatmanah

"If somebody offers Me flower, fruits, vegetables, milk, with devotional love, I accept and eat." Now how He's eating, that you cannot see in the present -- but He is eating. That we are experiencing daily. We are offering Krsna, according to the ritualistic process, and you see the taste of the food is changed immediately. That is practical. He eats, but because He is full, He does not eat like us. Just like if I give you a plate of foodstuff, you finish. But God is not hungry, but He eats. He eats and keeps the things as it is. Purnasya purnam adaya purnam evavasisyate. God is so full, that He can take all the foodstuff that you offer, still it remains as it is. He can eat with His eyes. That is stated in the Brahma-samhita: angani yasya sakalendriya-vrttimanti. Every part of the limb of the body of God has got all the potencies of other limb. Just like you can see with your eyes. But you cannot eat with your eyes. But God, if He simply sees the foodstuff you have offered, that is His eating.

So these things cannot be understood at the present moment. Therefore this Padma Purana says that only when one becomes spiritually saturated by the transcendental service to the Lord, then, are the transcendental name, form, quality and pastimes of the Lord revealed to you. You cannot understand by your own endeavor, but God reveals to you. Just like if you want to see just now the sun, it is now darkness. If you say, "Oh I have got a very strong torchlight. Come on, I shall show you the sunlight, sun." You cannot show. But when the sun rises out of its own will in the morning, you can see. Similarly you cannot see God by your endeavor because your senses are all nonsense. You have to purify your senses and you have to wait for the time when God will be pleased to reveal Himself before you. That is the process. You cannot challenge. "Oh my dear God, my dear Krsna, please come. I shall see you." No, God is not your order supplier, your servant. So when He'll be pleased, you'll see.

So our process is how to please Him so that He will be revealed to me. That is real process. You cannot, therefore they are mistaking a nonsense God. Because they cannot see God, anybody says that "I am God," are accepted. But they do not know what is God. Somebody says that "I am searching after the truth." But you must know what is the truth. Otherwise how you will search out truth? Suppose if you want to purchase gold. You must theoretically know, or at least some experience what is gold. Otherwise people will cheat you. So these people are being cheated, accepting so many rascals as God. Because they do not know what is God. Anyone comes, "Oh, I am God," and the rascal -- he is rascal, and the man who says that "I am God," he's also rascal. So rascal society and one rascal is accepted God. God is not like that. One has to qualify himself to see God, to understand God. That is Krsna consciousness. Sevonmukhe hi jihvadau svayam eva sphuraty adah. If you engage yourself in the service of the Lord, then you'll be qualified to see God. Otherwise it is not possible. Go on.

Devotee: "This Bhagavad-gita is the science of Krsna consciousness. Nobody can become Krsna conscious simply by mundane scholarship."

Prabhupada: Yes. Simply because you have got some titles: M.A., Ph.D., D.A.C., you'll understand Bhagavad-gita, it is not possible. This is transcendental science. It requires different senses to understand. And that sense you have to create, you have to purify by rendering service. Otherwise, even great scholars, like so many doctors and Ph.D.s, they mistake what is Krsna. They cannot understand. It is not possible. Therefore Krsna comes as He is. Ajo 'pi sann avyayatma. Although He is unborn, He comes to make us know how God is, you see? Go on.

Devotee: "One must be fortunate enough to associate with a person who is in pure consciousness. A Krsna conscious person has realized knowledge by the grace of Krsna."

Prabhupada: Yes, by the grace of Krsna. Not by academic qualification. We have to acquire the grace of Krsna. Then we can see Krsna. Then we can talk with Krsna, then we can do everything. He is a person. He is the Supreme Person. That is the Vedic injunction. Nityo nityanam cetanas cetananam. He is the Supreme Person, or the Supreme Eternal. We are all eternal. Now we're being encaged within this body. We are meeting birth and death. But actually we have no birth and death. We are eternal spirit soul. And according to my work, according to my desire, I am transmigrating from one kind of body to another body, another body, another body. This is going on. Actually I have no birth and death. This is explained in the Bhagavad-gita in the Second Chapter you have read: na jayate na mriyate va. The living entity never takes birth or never dies. Similarly, God is also eternal, you are also eternal. When you establish your eternal relationship with the eternal, complete eternal -- nityo nityanam cetanas cetananam. He's the supreme living entity amongst the living entities. He's the supreme eternal amongst eternals.

So, by Krsna consciousness, by purifying your senses, this knowledge will come and you will see God. Go on.

Devotee: A Krsna conscious person has realized knowledge by the grace of Krsna. Because he is satisfied with pure devotional service. By realized knowledge, one becomes perfect. By such perfect knowledge one can be steady in his convictions. But by academic knowledge one is easily deluded and is confused by apparent contradictions. It is the realized soul who is actually self-controlled because he is surrendered to Krsna. He is transcendental because he has nothing to do with mundane scholarship.

Prabhupada: Yes. Even one is illiterate. Even he does not know what is ABCD, he can realize God provided he engages himself in this submissive transcendental loving service. And one may be very learned, high scholar, but he cannot realize God. God is not subjected to any material condition. He is supreme spirit. Similarly, the process of realizing God is also not subjected to any material condition. It is not that because you are poor man you cannot realize God. Or because you are very rich man, therefore you shall realize God. No. Because you are uneducated, therefore you cannot realize God, no, that is not. Because you are highly educated, therefore you can realize God. No, that is not. He's unconditional. Apratihata. Sa vai pumsam paro dharmah. In the Bhagavata it is said, that is first-class religious principle.

Bhagavata does not mention that this Hindu religion is first-class or Christian religion is first-class or Mohammedan religion is first-class or any other religion. We have created so much, so many religions. But Bhagavata says that religious principle is first-class. Which one? Sa vai pumsam paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhoksaje [SB 1.2.6]. That religion which helps you to advance your devotional service and love of God. That's all. That is the definition of first-class religion. We do not analyze that this religion is first-class, that religion is last-class. Of course, according to, as I have told you, that there are three qualities in the material world. So according to the quality, the religious conception is also created. But the purpose of religion is to understand God. And to learn how to love God. That is the purpose. Any religious system. If it teaches you how to love God, then it is first-class. Otherwise it is useless. You may prosecute your religious principles very rigidly and very nicely, but your love of God is nil. Your love of matter is simply enhancing, that is no religion. According to Bhagavata verdict: sa vai pumsam paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhoksaje [SB 1.2.6]. Apratihata. Ahaituky apratihata. That religious system has no cause. And without any impediment. If you can reach such system of religious principle, then we'll find that you are happy in all respect. Otherwise there is no possibility.

Sa vai pumsam paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhoksaje [SB 1.2.6]. Adhoksaje. God's another name is Adhoksaja. Adhoksaja means that conquers all materialistic attempt to see God. Adhoksaja. Aksaja means experimental knowledge. You cannot understand God by experimental knowledge, no. You have to learn in a different way. That means by submissive oral reception and rendering transcendental loving service. Then you can understand God. So any religious principle which teaches and helps you to develop your love of Godhead. Without any cause. "I love God because He supplies me very nice things for my sense gratification." That is not love. Ahaituki. Without any... God is great. God is my father. It is my duty to love Him. That's all. No exchange. "Oh, God gives me daily bread, therefore I love God." No. Daily bread God gives even to the animals, cats, and dogs. God is father of everyone. He supplies food to everyone. So that is not love. Love is without reason. Even God does not supply me daily bread, I'll love God. That is love. That is love.

Caitanya Mahaprabhu says like that: aslisya va pada-ratam pinastu mam. "Either You embrace me or you trample me down on Your feet. Or You never come before me, I become brokenhearted without seeing you. Still I love You." That is pure love of God. When we come to that stage of loving God, then we'll find, oh, all, full of pleasure. As God is full of pleasure, you are also full of pleasure. That is the perfection. Go on.

Devotee: "A person is said to be further advanced when he regards all -- the honest well-wisher, friends and enemies, the envious, the pious, the sinner and those who are indifferent and impartial -- with an equal mind."

Prabhupada: Yes. This is the sign of advancement. Because here in this material world, the calculation of friend and enemy, everything, is in relationship with this body, or sense gratification. But realization of God or the Absolute Truth, there is no such material consideration. Another point is that here, all conditioned souls, they are under illusion. Suppose a doctor, a doctor goes to a patient. He is under convulsion, he's talking nonsense. That does not mean he will refuse to treat him. He's treats him as friend. Although the patient calls him by ill names, bad names, still he gives him medicine. Just like Lord Jesus Christ said that "You hate the sin, not the sinner." Not the sinner. This is very nice. Because sinner is illusioned. He's mad. If you hate him, then how you can deliver him? Therefore those who are devotees, those who are really servant of God, they have no hate for anyone.

Just like Lord Jesus Christ, when he was being crucified, he was requesting God: "My Lord, please excuse them. They do not know what they are doing." This is the position of the devotee. Yes. Because they are mad after materialistic way of thinking, so they cannot be hated. Anyone. So this Krsna consciousness movement is so nice that there is no question of hating. Everyone is welcome. Please come here. Chant Hare Krsna. Take Krsna prasada and hear some nice philosophy from Bhagavad-gita and try to rectify your material conditional life. This is the program -- Krsna consciousness. Lord Caitanya introduced this movement. Yare dekha, tare kaha ‘krsna'-upadesa [Cc. Madhya 7.128]. "Whoever you meet, wherever you meet, simply try to teach him this Krsna consciousness." Krsna-katha. Words from Lord Krsna. You'll be happy and they will be happy. Go on.

Devotee: "A transcendentalist should always try to concentrate his mind on the supreme self. He should live alone in a secluded place and should always carefully control his mind. He should be free from desires and possessiveness."

Prabhupada: Yes. This is the beginning of transcendental life. This chapter, Lord Krsna will try to teach the principles of yoga system. So here he begins. That a transcendentalist should always try to concentrate his mind on the supreme self. Supreme self means Krsna or Lord. He is the supreme self, as I just explained, nityo nityanam cetanas cetananam. He is the supreme eternal. He is the supreme living entity. So the whole yoga system is to concentrate mind on the supreme self. We are not supreme self. That you can understand. Supreme self is God. This is dvaita-vada. Duality. Duality means God is different from me. He is supreme. I am subordinate. He is great, I am small. He is infinite, I am infinitesimal. This is the relationship. So because we are infinitesimal, we should concentrate our mind to the infinite, supreme self. Then, he should live alone. Alone. This is most important thing. Alone means not to live with persons who are not Krsna conscious or God conscious. That is alone. He should live alone in a secluded place. Secluded place, there are, or, in the jungle. In the forest. It is very secluded place. But in this age it is very difficult to go to the jungle and find out a secluded place. The secluded place is that where simply God consciousness is taught. That is secluded place. That is secluded place. Then? And should always carefully control his mind. How to control the mind? Just fix up your mind to the supreme self or Krsna. Not anything else.

Sa vai manah krsna-padaravindayoh. The other day as I explained, if you keep your mind always seated by Krsna, Krsna is just like light, sun. So there is no question of darkness occupying the mind. There will be no possibility. Just like in the sunlight, there is possibility of darkness. Similarly, if you keep Krsna on your mind always, this maya or illusion cannot reach there. She will be unable to reach there. That is the process. He should be free from desire and possessiveness. The whole material disease is that I want to possess and desire. And whatever is lost, I lament for it, and whatever there is, whatever we haven't got, we desire for it. So, brahma-bhutah prasannatma [Bg. 18.54] -- one who is actually God conscious, Krsna conscious, he has no desire for material possession. He has only desire how to serve Krsna. That means his desire is purified. This desire is, you cannot give up desire. That is not possible. You are living entity, you must have desire. But our desire is at the present moment is contaminated. "I want to, I desire to satisfy my senses by material possession." But if you desire for Krsna, this desire for material possession will automatically vanish. Go on.

Devotee: "To practice yoga, one should go to a secluded place."

Prabhupada: This is the prescription how to practice yoga. In your country, the yoga practice is very popular. There are many so-called yoga societies. But here is the prescription given by the Supreme Lord how to practice yoga. Go on.

Devotee: "One should go to a secluded place and should lay kusa grass on the ground and then cover it with a deerskin and a soft cloth. The seat should neither be too high nor too low and should be situated in a sacred place. The yogi should then sit on it very firmly and should practice yoga by controlling the mind and the senses, purifying the heart and fixing the mind on one point."
Prabhupada: The first prescription is how to sit and where to sit. Sitting posture. You have to select a place where you shall sit down and practice yoga. That is the first prescription. Go on.

Devotee: "Purport: Sacred place refers to places of pilgrimage. In India the yogis, the transcendentalists or the devotees all leave home and reside in sacred places such as Prayaga, Mathura, Vrndavana, Hrsikesa, Hardwar, and practice yoga there."

Prabhupada: Now, suppose you have to find out a sacred place. In this age, how many people is prepared to find out a sacred place. For his livelihood he has to live in a congested city. Where is the question of sacred place? so if you don't find a sacred place, then how you can practice yoga? That is the first prescription. Therefore this bhakti-yoga system, the sacred place is this temple. You live here, it is nirguna, it is transcendental. The Vedic injunction is that the city is the place of passion. And the forest is the place of goodness. And the temple is transcendental. If you live in a city or a town, that is a passionate place. And if you don't want to live in a passionate place, you go to a forest. That is place of goodness. But a temple, a God's temple, is above this passion and goodness. Therefore temple is the only secluded place for this age. You cannot go in a secluded place in a forest. It is impossible. And if you make a show of yoga practice in a so-called class and indulge in all kinds of nonsense things, that is not yoga practice. Here is the prescription how to practice yoga. Go on.

Devotee: "Therefore, in the Brhan-Naradiya Purana it is said that in the Kali-yuga, the present yuga or age, when people in general are short-living, slow in spiritual realization, and always disturbed by various anxieties, the best means of spiritual realization is to chant the holy name of the Lord. In this age of quarrel and hypocrisy, the only means of deliverance is to chant the holy name of the Lord. There is no other way to success."

Prabhupada: Yes. That is the prescription in the Brhan-Naradiya Purana.

harer nama harer nama harer namaiva kevalam
kalau nasty eva nasty eva nasty eva gatir anyatha
[Adi 17.21]

Harer nama, simply chant the holy name of the Lord. That is the only process of self-realization or concentration or meditation. And there is no other alternative, no other alternative, no other alternative. Other practices will not be feasible. And it is so nice that even a child can take part in it. This is universal. (end)

>>> Ref. VedaBase => Bhagavad-gita 6.6-12 -- Los Angeles, February 15, 1969