"Yoga System--Keep This Useless Body Fit"

69/02/17 Los Angeles, Bhagavad-gita 6.16-24


Prabhupada: Yes. This is very nice. (laughs) Nothing is prohibited because after all, you have to execute the yoga process with this body. To make the best use of a bad bargain. You see? This material body is the source of all miseries. Actually the spirit soul has no misery. Just like normal condition of a living entity is healthy life. Disease takes place by certain contamination infection. Disease is not our life. Similarly the present position of material existence is a diseased condition of the soul. And what is that disease? The disease is this body? Because this body is not meant for me, it is not my body. Just like your dress. You are not the dress. But we are differently dressed here. Somebody red color, somebody white color, somebody yellow color. But that color, I am not this color. Similarly this body, I am white man, black man, Indian, American or this, Hindu, Muslim, Christian. This is not my position. This is all diseased condition. Diseased condition. You are trying to get out of the disease.

That is yoga system. To connect again with the Supreme. Because I am part and parcel. The same example. Somehow or other the finger is cut off and it is falling on the ground, it has no value. My finger, when it is cut off and it is lying on the ground, it has no value. My finger, when it is cut off and it is lying on the ground, it has no value. But as soon as the finger is joined with this body, it has got millions and trillions of dollars value. Invaluable. Similarly we are now disconnected with God or Krsna, by this material condition. Forget, not disconnected. Connection is there. God is supplying our all necessities just like a state prisoner is disconnected from the civil department. He has come to the criminal department. Actually not disconnected. The government is still take care. But legally disconnected. Similarly we are not disconnected. We cannot be disconnected, because there is no existence of anything without Krsna. So how can I be disconnected? Disconnection is that by forgetting Krsna, instead of engaging myself in Krsna consciousness, I am engaged in so many nonsense consciousness. That is disconnection. Instead of thinking myself that I am eternal servant of God or Krsna, I am thinking I am servant of my society, I am servant of my country, I am servant of my husband, I am servant of my wife, I am servant of my dog or so many. This is forgetfulness.

So how it has happened? Due to this body. Whole thing. Whole misconsciousness has come into existence due to this body. Because I am born in America I am thinking American. And because I am thinking American, the American government claims, "Yes, you come and fight, give your life." Draftboard. Why? This body. Therefore the intelligent person should know that I am suffering all miserable condition of my life due to this body. So we should not act in such a way that this imprisonment with this material body will continue birth and birth. Either American body, Indian body, dog's body, hog's body, so many -- 8,400,000 of body. That is called yoga. How to get out of this contamination of body. But the first instruction is to understand that I am not this body. That is the basic principle of Bhagavad-gita teaching. Asocyan anvasocas tvam prajna-vadams ca bhasase [Bg. 2.11]. "My dear Arjuna, you are talking very nice nicely, just like a very advanced learned man. But you are talking on the bodily platform -- all nonsense." "I am father of this, oh, they are my relatives, they are my this, they are my this, how can I kill, how can I do, I cannot." The whole atmosphere consciousness is body. Therefore Krsna, just after Arjuna accepting him his spiritual master, he's immediately chastising him as a master chastises his disciple: "You nonsense, you are talking very wisely as if you know so many things. But your position is this body."

So the whole world, they are posing themselves as highly advanced in education -- science, philosophy, this, that, politics, so many things. But, their position is this body. Just like, an example, a vulture. A vulture rises very high. Seven miles, eight miles up. Wonderful, you cannot do that. And he has got wonderful eyes also. There are small eyes, vulture, it is so powerful that it can see from seven mile distance where there is a carcass, dead body. So he has got good qualification. He can rise very high, he can see from a distant place. Oh. But what is his object? A dead body, that's all. His perfection is to find out a carcass, dead body, and to eat, that's all. Similarly we may go up very high education, but what is our objective, what are we seeing? How to enjoy sense, this body, that's all. And advertisement? "Oh, he has gone with sputnik seven hundred miles up." But what you do? What is your occupation? Sense gratification, that's all. That is animal. So people are not considering how they're implicated with this bodily concept of life.

So one should first of all know that our miserable condition of material existence is due to this body. At the same time this body is not permanent. Supposing I identify everything with this body -- family, society, country, this, that, so many things. But how long? It is not permanent. Asat. Asat means it will not exist. Asann api klesada asa dehah [SB 5.5.4]. Simply troublesome. Not permanent and simply giving trouble. That is intelligence. How to get out of this body. People come, says that "I am not in peace. I am in trouble. My mind is not peace." But when the medicine is offered, he does not accept. You see? He wants something palatable, what he has understood, that's all. Many people come to us, "Swamiji, oh, this is my position." And as soon as we suggest the medicine, he'll not accept. Because he wants some medicine which will be acceptable by him. So how we can offer? Then why do you go to a physician? You make your own treatment? You see?

So here the suggestion is that this body is useless, but that does not mean we shall not take care. Just like you are going from one place to another place on your car. The car, you are not this car, but because you have to use the car for your work, you have to take care of the car also. But not much care that you simply become absorbed in the car business and no other business. Just like somebody, too much attachment to the car is polishing the car whole day, you see, polishing. So we should not be too much attached to this body. But because with this body we have to execute Krsna consciousness, therefore we should keep it fit also. That is called yukta-vairagya. We should not neglect. We shall take regular bath, we shall, regular nice food, Krsna prasada, keep our mind and body healthy. That is required.

So Krsna consciousness movement does not say that artificially you simply make some renouncement, all nonsense. And to recompensate we take to some drugs, take to some intoxication, no. You take nice food. Krsna has given nice food. Fruits, grains, milk, you can prepare hundreds and thousands of preparations nice with these foodgrains and we are doing that. Our purpose for inviting you in the love feast is that: replace Krsna prasada with your all nonsense foodstuff. They are not healthy. These are healthy food. Healthy food. Palatable, healthy food. So, eat Krsna prasada, nice prasada. If your tongue wants some nice palatable dishes we can supply you hundreds, thousands, offered to Krsna. Samosa and this sweet ball, rasagulla, so many things we can supply. You are not prohibited. But don't take too much. "Oh, it is very palatable, let me take one dozen of rasagulla." No, don't take that. (laughs) Then that is not good. That is greediness. You should simply take so much as will keep your body fit, that's all. You should sleep so much as will keep your body fit, that's all. Nothing more. Yuktahara viharasya yogo bhavati siddha. This is called yukta. We should eat simply for keeping healthy condition. We shall sleep simply for keeping healthy condition. But if you can reduce, that's nice. But not at the risk of becoming sick.

Because in the beginning, because we are accustomed to eat voraciously, so don't try to eat less artificially. You eat. But try to minimize. Therefore there are prescription of fasting. At least two compulsory fastings in a month. And there are other fasting days. The more you can reduce your sleep and eating, you keep good health, especially for spiritual purposes. But not artificially. Not artificially. But when you advance, naturally you'll not feel, just like Raghunatha dasa Gosvami. There are examples. Raghunatha dasa Gosvami was very rich man's son. And he left home. So he joined Lord Caitanya. So his father, he was the only son, very beloved son. Very nice wife. Left everything. And left means stealing, without saying anything. Somehow or other he left home. And the father could understand he has gone to Lord Caitanya at Puri. So he sent four servants, because he was very rich man. And four hundred rupees. five hundred years ago four hundred rupees means twenty times at the present value. So first of all he accepted, that, "Oh, father has sent, all right." So how he was spending money? So he was inviting all the sannyasis, in Jagannatha Puri there were many sannyasis, renounced order. And every month he was offering feasting. Then after few days, Lord Caitanya inquired His secretary, Svarupa Damodara, "Oh, nowadays I don't get any invitation from Raghunatha. What happened?" "Oh, sir, he has stopped accepting his father's money." "Oh, that's very nice." He thought that, "I have renounced everything and I am enjoying my father's money. This is all nonsense." He refused. He asked the man, "You go home. I don't want money." Then how he is living? "Oh, he's standing on the staircase of Jagannatha Temple and when the priests go home with their prasada, they offer something and he's satisfied." So Caitanya Mahaprabhu said, "Oh, this is all right, very nice." Then Caitanya Mahaprabhu was inquiring how he's standing there. So he ... standing. So Raghunatha dasa Gosvami, after a few days, he stopped that standing also. Then Caitanya Mahaprabhu inquired his secretary, "I don't see Raghunatha standing there. What he is doing?" "No sir, he has given up that standing because he thought, ‘Oh, I'm standing just like a prostitute, somebody will come and give me some. No no, I don't like it.' " "Oh, that's very nice. Then how he is eating?" "He's collecting some rejected rice in the kitchen and that he is eating."

So to encourage Raghunatha dasa Gosvami, one day Caitanya Mahaprabhu went to his room. "Raghunatha? I heard that you are eating very nice foodstuff and you are not inviting me?" So he was not replying. So He was finding out where he has kept that rice and He took and immediately began to eat. "Sir, you do not eat, this is not for You." "Oh! It is Jagannatha's prasada! How do you say it is not fit?" Just to encourage him. He may not think, that, "I am eating this rejected," you see? In this way Raghunatha dasa Gosvami reduced his foodstuff, ultimately, every alternate day only one piece of what is called, butter, so much. And he was offering even bowing down hundreds times and chanting so many times. Sankhya-purvaka-nama -- you have heard it while singing Six Gosvamis song. Sankhya-purvaka-nama-gana-natibhih kalavasani-krtau. So there are very nice examples of minimizing. Minimizing all material necessities. Up to the point nil. You see? But that is not possible for everyone. Don't try to imitate Raghunatha dasa Gosvami. But because they were associates of Lord Caitanya, each one of them showed some example. Unique example of how Krsna consciousness can be advanced. But our business is not to imitate them, but try to follow them. Try to follow as far as possible. Not artificially.

Therefore here it is said, "There is no possibility of one's becoming a yogi," if you try to become immediately Raghunatha dasa Gosvami by imitating, you'll fail. Whatever progress you have made that will be finished. No. Not that. You eat. But don't eat more. That's all. Eating more is no good. You eat. If you are elephant you eat hundred pounds, but if you ant you eat one grain. Don't eat hundred pounds imitating the elephant. You see? God has given food to the elephant and to the ant. But if you are actually elephant then you eat like elephant. But if you are ant, don't eat like elephant, then you'll be in trouble. So here it is said, "There is no possibility of one's becoming a yogi O Arjuna, if one eats too much or eats too little." Very nice program. Don't eat too little. You eat whatever you require. But don't eat more. Similarly don't sleep more. If you can keep your health perfect, but try to reduce it. Suppose you are sleeping ten hours. But if I keep myself fit by sleeping five hours, why should I sleep ten hours? So this is the process. Don't do anything artificially. So far the body is concerned, we have got four demands. Eating, sleeping, mating and defending. The defect is that modern civilization that they are thinking that this eating process, sleeping process if we can increase, that is very nice. If we can sleep the whole day and night on Saturday and Sunday, oh it is great profit, enjoyment. That is the civilization. They think it is an opportunity to sleep, thirty hours a day. You see? No. Don't do that. Reduce it. Try to reduce it but not artificially. Go on.

Devotee: Verse number seventeen: "He who is regulated in his habits of eating, sleeping, working and recreation can mitigate all material pains by practicing the yoga system."

Prabhupada: Yes, you simply, there is no question of attending a so-called yoga class and pay five rupees or five dollars fee to keep yourself reduced fat and so on, keeping your health fit. You simply practice. This practice: Eat what you need, sleep what you need. Your health will be excellent. There is no need of any extraneous help. Simply by practicing this you'll have everything all right. Go on.

Devotee: Verse number eighteen: "When the yogi, by practice of yoga, disciplines his mental activities and becomes situated in transcendence, devoid of all material desires, he is said to have attained yoga."

Prabhupada: Yes. To keep the mind in equilibrium. That is yoga perfection. To keep the mind, that how you can do if you, in the material field you cannot keep your mind in equilibrium. That is not possible. Take for example this Bhagavad-gita. If you read daily four times you'll not get tired. But take any other book, after reading one hour you'll get tired. This chanting, Hare Krsna. You chant whole day and night, and dance, you'll never get tired. But take another name. Just after half an hour, finished. It is botheration. You see? Therefore to fix up the mind means to keep your mind in Krsna, then finished, all yoga. You are perfect yogi. You haven't got to do anything. Simply fix up your mind. Sa vai manah krsna-padaravindayor vacamsi vaikuntha -- if you talk, talk of Krsna. If you eat, eat of Krsna. If you think, think of Krsna. If you work, work for Krsna. So in this way, this yoga practice will be perfect. Not otherwise. And that is the perfection of yoga. Devoid of all material desires. If you are simply desiring for Krsna where is the scope of material desire? Finished, all material desire finished. You haven't got to try for it artificially. "Oh, I shall not see any nice girl. I shall close my eyes." That you cannot do. But if you fix up your mind in Krsna consciousness you are dancing with so many beautiful girls. That's all right, as brother and sister there is no question. This is practical perfection of yoga. Artificially you cannot do.

Simply in Krsna consciousness all perfection is there. Try to understand it. All perfection. Because that is spiritual platform. Spiritual platform is eternal, blissful and full of knowledge. Therefore there is no misgivings. Yes, go on.

Devotee: Verse number nineteen: "As a lamp in a windless place does not waver..."

Prabhupada: Here is the example, just see.

Devotee: "...so the transcendentalist, whose mind is controlled, remains always steady in his meditation on the transcendent Self."

Prabhupada: In this room, because there is no air waving, just see the flame is steady. Similarly, if the flame of your mind will remain as steady as this flame if you absorb the mind in Krsna consciousness. Then as the flame is not agitating, your mind will not be agitated. And what is perfection of yoga?

Devotee: Verse 20 through 23: "The stage of perfection is called trance or samadhi, when one's mind is completely restrained from material mental activities by practice of yoga."

Prabhupada: Samadhi means, samadhi means not to make void. That is impossible. Kleso 'dhikaratas tesam avyaktasakta-cetasam. Some yogi says that you stop yourself, make yourself motionless. How it is possible to make me motionless? I am moving spirit. This is not possible. Motionless means when you are fixed up in Krsna, there is no more material motion. That is motionless. This material propensities will not anymore disturb you. That is called motionless. But your motion for Krsna activities will increase. The more you increase your motion or activities in Krsna consciousness you become automatically motionless in material activities. That is the process. But if you want to make motionless, the same example -- a child, a child is restless. You cannot make the child motionless. You give him something, plaything, some nice picture. He will see, engaged, and motionless. That is the way. So people are motionless. Not motionless, what is called? Moving. But if you want to make him motionless then give him Krsna engagement. Then he'll be motionless. And that is realization. Why he should be engaged in Krsna consciousness unless he realizes that "I am Krsna's. I am not this matter's, I am not this nation's, I am not this society's, I am not this rascal's, I am simply Krsna's." Motionless. His full knowledge.

That is my position. I am part and parcel. Mamaivamso jiva -- all these living entities are My part and parcel. So as soon as you understand that "I am part and parcel of Krsna" immediately you become motionless to material activities. Yes.

Devotee: "This is characterized by one's ability to see the self by the pure mind and to relish and rejoice..."

Prabhupada: Pure mind. This is pure mind. Pure mind means to understand oneself that "I belong to Krsna." That is pure mind. Mind, at the present moment my mind is contaminated. Why? I am thinking that I belong to this, I belong to that, I belong to this. But when my mind is fixed up, "I am Krsna's." That is my purpose. Yes.

Devotee: "And to relish and rejoice in the self. In that joyous state one is situated..."

Prabhupada: This joyous in the self, that means Krsna is the Superself. Yoga practice. That I am individual self. When I am in samadhi with Visnu, Superself, that is my steadiness of the mind. So Superself and self, when they enjoy. Enjoyment cannot be alone. There must be two. Have you got any experience of enjoyment alone? No. So enjoyment alone is not possible. Enjoyment means two -- Krsna and you. The Supersoul and the individual soul. [break] the greatest difficulty. If you are convinced, that "I am part and parcel of Krsna," that even there is greatest difficulty position of your life, that is surrender. You know Krsna will give you protection. You try your best, you use your intelligence. But I believe in Krsna. Varasa neha pitaro nrsimha(?). If Krsna neglects, no other remedy can protect you. No other measure can protect you. Don't think -- suppose one is diseased. Many expert physicians treating him. Nice medicine is offered. Is that guarantee for his life? No. That is not guarantee. If Krsna neglects, in spite of all these good physicians and medicines he will die. And if Krsna protects him, even if he has no expert treatment, he'll still survive. So one who is fixed up in Krsna, fully surrendered, and one of the points of surrender is that Krsna will protect me. Then you are happy. Just like the child. He's fully surrendered to the parents and he is confident that "My father is there, my mother is there." So he's happy. Kadaham ekan... kinkara. If you know that somebody is there who is my patron, who is my saver, are you not very happy? But if you do everything on your own account, at your response(?), are you happy? Similarly, if you are convinced in Krsna consciousness that "Krsna will give me protection" and if you are true to Krsna, that is the standard of happiness. You cannot be happy otherwise. That is not possible. Eko bahunam vidadhati kaman.

That is the fact. Even in your rebellious condition Krsna is giving you protection. Without Krsna's protection you cannot live even for a second. He's so kind. But when you admit it, when you recognize it, then you become happy. Now Krsna is giving you protection but you do not know it because you have taken your life at your own risk. Therefore He has given you freedom, "All right, do whatever you like. As far as possible I will give you protection." But when you fully surrender, the whole charge is to Krsna. That is special. That is special protection. Just like a father. The child who has grown up doesn't care for the father, he's acting freely. What the father can do? "All right, do whatever you like." But the child who is fully under the protection of the father, he takes more care.

That is stated in the Bhagavad-gita you'll find: samo 'ham sarva-bhutesu. "I am equal to everyone." Na me dvesyah: "Nobody is my enemy." How He can be envious? Everyone is Krsna's son. How he can become enemy to Krsna? He is son. That is not possible. He is friend of everyone. But we are not taking advantage of His friendship. That is our disease. That is our disease. He is friend to everyone. Samo 'ham sarva-bhutesu. But one who is recognizing, he can understand that "Krsna is giving me protection in this way." This is the way of happiness. Go on.

Devotee: "This indeed is actual freedom from all miseries arising from material contact. This yoga is to be practiced with determination and an undaunted heart. Twenty-four: One should engage oneself in the practice of yoga with undeviating determination and faith. One should abandon without exception, all material desires born of ego and thus control all the senses on all sides by the mind. Purport: The yoga practitioner should be determined and should patiently prosecute the practice without deviation."

Prabhupada: Now, this determination can be actually practiced or can be actually attained by one who does not indulge in sex life. His determination is strong. Therefore in the beginning it was said, that "without sex life," the determination. Or controlled sex life. If you indulge in sex life then this determination will not come. Flickering determination. You see. Therefore sex life should be controlled or given up. If it is possible to give up altogether, if not, controlled. Then you'll get determination. Because after all this determination is bodily affair. So these are the methods how to get determination. Go on.

Devotee: "One should be sure of success at the end and pursue his course with great perseverance, not becoming discouraged if there is any delay in the attainment of success."

Prabhupada: Determination means that one has to continue with patience and perseverance. I'm not getting the desired result. "Oh what is this Krsna consciousness, I give up." No. Determination. It is a fact. Because Krsna is saying this it must happen. There is nice example. That a girl is married to a husband. She's hankering after a child. So if she thinks that "Now I am married, I must have immediately a child." Is it possible? Just have patience. You just become faithful wife, serve your husband, and let your love grown up and because you are husband and wife, it is sure you'll have children. But don't be impatient. Similarly, when you are in Krsna consciousness, your perfection is guaranteed. But but you'll have patience, determination. That "I must execute. I should not be impatient." That impatience is due to loss of determination. And how that loss determination is there? Due to excessive sex life. These are all consequences. Go on.

Devotee: "Success is sure for the rigid practitioner. Regarding bhakti-yoga, Rupa Gosvami says, ‘The process of bhakti-yoga can be executed successfully with full-hearted enthusiasm, perseverance and determination by following the prescribed duties in the association of devotees and by engaging completely in activities of goodness.' "

Prabhupada: Yes, go on.

Devotee: "As for determination, one should follow the example of the sparrow who lost her eggs in the waves of the ocean. A sparrow laid her eggs on the shore of the ocean. But the big ocean carried them away on its waves. The sparrow became very upset and asked the ocean to return her eggs. The ocean did not even consider her appeal and so she decided to dry up the ocean."

Prabhupada: Just see, a sparrow is trying to dry up the ocean. (laughs) This is called determination. Just like our Gandhi. He declared war against the Britishers. War is that non-violent, noncooperation. You see? But the determination was there. That "I must drive away the Britishers." And he did it. And what is the weapon? Nonviolence. "All right, you fight, you kill me, I shall not attack you." You see? He became, what is that? Determination. People laughed. "Gandhi is declaring war with the Britishers, so powerful, British Empire." And actually after the Britishers lost India, they lost all Empire. Because that was the jewel of British Empire. They lost all possession in the Far East, they lost possession in Egypt, they lost possession on Suez Canal, everything lost. So determination is so nice thing. Go on.

Devotee: "She began to pick out the water in her small beak, and everyone laughed at her for her impossible determination. The news of her activity spread, and at last Garuda, the gigantic bird carrier of Lord Visnu, heard it." (end)

>>> Ref. VedaBase => Bhagavad-gita 6.16-24 -- Los Angeles, February 17, 1969