"Yoga System -- We Want Something Sublime Very Cheap"

69/02/16 Los Angeles, Bhagavad-gita 6.13-15


Prabhupada: Hare Krsna. Sankhya-yoga is the astanga-yoga. This sitting posture and meditation, this is called sankhya-yoga. And jnana-yoga means by, through philosophical process. By analytical process what is Brahman and what is not Brahman. Neti neti. That is jnana-yoga. Just like Vedanta-sutra, jnana-yoga. You study Vedanta-sutra, it says janmady asya yatah [SB 1.1.1]. They give one hint codes, that the Supreme Brahman, Absolute Truth is that from whom everything is emanated. Now we try to understand what must be that. That is explained in the Srimad-Bhagavatam. What is nature of that Absolute Truth. The Absolute Truth, in the first verse of Srimad-Bhagavatam it is said: janmady asya yato 'nvayad itaratas carthesv abhijnah svarat [SB 1.1.1]. Now the Absolute Truth, if he is the supreme cause of all emanation, then what are the symptoms? The Bhagavata said that he must be cognizant. He's not dead. He must be cognizant. And what kind of cognizance? Anvayad itaratas carthesu. Just like I am cognizant, you are also cognizant. But I do not know myself, how many hairs are there in my body. I'm claiming this is my head. But If ask anybody, "Do you know how many hairs you have got in your body?" That kind of knowledge is not knowledge. But the Supreme, Bhagavata says that He knows everything directly and indirectly. I know I am eating, but I do not know how my eating process is helping my circulation of blood, how it is being transformed, how it is working, how it going through the veins. I do not know anything. But God must be He who knows everything, every corner of His creation what is going on He must know. Therefore the Bhagavata explains, that Supreme Truth, from whom everything is emanated, He must be supremely cognizant. Abhijnah. Abhijnah means cognizant.

That, you may question, "Then if He is so powerful, wise and cognizant, He must have learned it from similar..." No. We say that if he learns knowledge from somebody else, then he is not God. Svarat. Automatically. He's self-independent. This is jnana-yoga. The study what is the nature by just analyze what should be the nature of the supreme from whom everything is emanating. That is explained in the Srimad-Bhagavatam. Therefore Srimad-Bhagavatam is the supreme jnana-yoga and bhakti-yoga combined. Jnana-yoga process means to search out the Absolute Truth or to understand the nature of the Absolute Truth by philosophical way. And this is called jnana-yoga. And our is bhakti-yoga. Bhakti-yoga means, the process is the same, target is the same. One is trying to reach the supreme ultimate goal by philosophical way, one is trying to concentrate his mind on the supreme and the other, the bhaktas, they are simply engaging themselves to serve the Supreme Lord so He reveals. One process is to understand by the ascending process. And another process is the descending process. Just like in darkness, if you try to understand what is sun by ascending process, by flying your very powerful airplane or sputniks, just go round over the sky, you cannot see. But the descending process, when the sun rises, you understand immediately. Ascending process -- my endeavor, what is called inductive process. Inductive process. Just like my father says that man is mortal. I accept it. Now if you want to study whether man is mortal, you study, you see many thousands of men, whether he is immortal or mortal. That will take so much time. But if you take the knowledge from the superior authority, that man is mortal, your knowledge is complete.

So athapi te deva padambuja-dvaya-prasada-lesanugrhita... janati tattvam bhagavan-mahimno na canya eko 'pi ciram vicinvan. Therefore it is said, "My dear Lord, a person who has received a little favor from You, he can understand You very quickly. And others who are trying to understand You by the ascending process, they may go on speculating for millions of years, they will never understand." They will never understand. They will come to the point of frustration and confusion. "Oh, God is zero." That's all, finished. If God is zero, then how from zero so many, I mean to say, figures coming out? God is zero. Bhagavata says, Vedanta says janmady asya yatah [SB 1.1.1]. Everything is generates from the Supreme. Now we have to study how it is generated. That is also explained, what is the way, what is the process, how to know it. This is Vedanta-sutra. Vedanta means the ultimate knowledge. Veda means knowledge and anta means ultimate. So Vedanta means the ultimate knowledge. The ultimate knowledge is the Supreme Lord. Yes?

Question: Prabhupada, you said that Krsna has no limbs, no eyes, no form that we can comprehend. How then are we to understand the form of Krsna that's given to us in the pictures and the murtis?

Prabhupada: Yes, that I have explained. That you are to simply serve Him, then He will reveal. You cannot understand Krsna by your ascending process. You have to serve Krsna and Krsna will reveal to you. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gita you'll find in the Tenth Chapter.

tesam evanukampartham
aham ajnana-jam tamah
nasayamy atma-bhava-stho
jnana-dipena bhasvata
[Bg. 10.11]

"Those who are always engaged in My service, just to show them a special favor," tesam evanukampartham, aham ajnana-jam tamah nasayami. "I vanquish all kinds of darkness of ignorance by the light of knowledge." So Krsna is within you. And when you are sincerely searching after Krsna by the devotional process, as it is stated in the Bhagavad-gita, you'll find in Eighteenth Chapter, bhaktya mam abhijanati [Bg. 18.55]. "One can understand Me simply by this devotional process." Bhaktya. And what is bhakti? Bhakti is this: sravanam kirtanam visnoh [SB 7.5.23]. Simply hearing and chanting about Visnu. This is the beginning of bhakti.

So if you simply hear sincerely and submissively, then you will understand Krsna. Krsna will reveal to you. Sravanam kirtanam visnoh smaranam pada-sevanam arcanam vandanam dasyam, there are different nine kinds of variety. So vandanam, offering prayers, that is also bhakti. Sravanam, to hear about it. Just like we are hearing about Krsna from this Bhagavad-gita. Chanting about His glory, Hare Krsna. This is the beginning. Sravanam kirtanam visnoh [SB 7.5.23]. Visnu means, everything is Visnu. The meditation is Visnu. The bhakti is Visnu. Not without Visnu. And Krsna is the original form of Visnu. Krsnas tu bhagavan svayam. The original form of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. So if we follow this process then we'll be able to understand without any doubt.

Devotee: Thirteen and fourteen: "One should hold one's body, neck and head erect in a straight line and stare steadily at the tip of the nose. Thus, with an unagitated, subdued mind, devoid of fear, completely free from sex life, one should meditate upon Me within the heart and make Me the ultimate goal of life."

Prabhupada: This is the process. First of all you have to select a nice place, solitary place and you have to execute alone. Not that you go to a yoga class and pay your fees and make some gymnastic and come back home and do all nonsense. You see? Don't be entrapped by all these ridiculous things. Simply such society I can declare, is the society of the cheaters and the cheated. You see? Here is the practice. Here you can see. And spoken by the supreme authority, Krsna. Is there any person better yogi than Krsna?

Here is the authoritative statement. That you have to practice like this. Now, one should hold one's body, first of all you have to select your place, holy place, alone, and special seat. Then you have to sit straight like this. "One should hold one's body, neck and head erect." Straight line. This is the yoga process. These things help to concentrate the mind. That's all. But the real purpose of yoga is to keep Krsna always within yourself. Here it is stated that "One should hold one's body, neck and head erect in a straight line and stare steadily at the tip of the nose." Now here, you have to see. As if you close, meditation, you'll sleep. I have seen. So many so-called meditators, they're sleeping. (makes snoring sound) I've seen it. You see? Because as soon as you close your eyes it is natural that you'll feel sleepy. Therefore, half-closed. You have to see. That is the process. You have to see the tip of your nose, two eyes. Thus with unagitated mind. This process will help your mind to be fixed up, unagitated mind, subdued mind, devoid of fear. Yes. Because you have to, generally the yogis they used to practice in jungle and if he's thinking of, "Some tiger is coming or not, what is that?" (laughter) Or some snake is coming. Because you have to sit down alone in a jungle. You see. There are so many animals. Tigers and deers and snake. So therefore it is specially stated, "devoid of fear." The skin of deer is specially used in yoga-asana because it has got some medical effect that snakes do not come. If you sit down on that particular skin, the snakes and reptiles will not come there. That is the purpose. You'll not be disturbed. Devoid of fear, completely free from sex life. You see. If you indulge in sex life, you cannot fix up your mind in anything. That is the effect of brahmacari life. If you remain brahmacari without sex life, then you can be determined.

Just like we have seen a practical example of Mahatma Gandhi in India. Now, he started a movement, non-violent, non-cooperation. The movement, the fight was declared against the powerful British Empire, just see. And he determined that "I shall fight with the Britishers non-violent. Without any weapon," because India was dependent, there was no weapon. And several times it was attempted armed revolution. But these Britishers and more powerful, they cut down. So Gandhi, he invented this method, that "I shall fight with the Britishers, even they become violent, I shall not become violent. So I shall get world sympathy." So this was his plan. He was great statesman. But his determination was so fixed up because he was a brahmacari. From, at the age of thirty-six years he gave up. He had his wife but he gave up his sex life. He was a family man, he had children, he had his wife. But from the age of thirty-six, young man, a thirty-six year old, he gave up sex life with his wife. That made him so determined, that "I shall drive away these Britishers from the land of India," and he did it. You see? And actually he did it. So controlling the sex life, to refrain from sex life is so powerful. Even if you don't do anything, if you simply restrain your sex life, you become a very powerful man. People do not know the secret. So anything you do, if you want to do it with determination, you have to stop sex life. That is the secret.

So any process take Vedic process. Either you take yoga process or bhakti process or jnana process, in no process sex indulgence is allowed, no. Sex indulgence is only allowed, family life, just to beget very nice children. That's all. Sex life is not for sense enjoyment. Although there is enjoyment by nature. Unless there is enjoyment, why one should take responsibility for family life. That is the secret of nature's gift. But we should not take advantage of it. These are the secrets of life. These are the secrets of life. So yoga practice, such a nice thing. If you indulge in sex life, this is simply nonsense. Simply nonsense. And if anyone says that you go on with your sex life as much as you like, at the same time you become a yogi, simply pay my fees. I give you some mantra. These are all nonsense. All nonsense. But we want to be cheated. We want to be cheated. We want something sublime very cheap. That means we want to be cheated. If you want very nice thing you must pay for it. "No. I shall go to a store, Sir, I can pay you ten cents, you give me the best thing for it." How can you expect for ten cent? If you want to purchase some valuable, if you want to purchase gold, then you have to pay for it. Similarly if you want perfection in yoga practice, then you have to pay for it like this. Don't make it childish affair. That is the instruction of Bhagavad-gita. If you make it childish affair then you'll be cheated. And so many cheaters are waiting to cheat you and take your money and go away. That's all. Here is the statement, authoritative statement. Free from sex life. One should meditate upon Me. And ultimately, where is the meditation. Not in void. Just on Visnu, this Visnu form. That is sankhya-yoga.

This sankhya-yoga was first practiced by Kapiladeva. He is incarnation of God, Krsna. So this is the secret of yoga. That this, I mean to say, process of sitting and seeing the tip of your nose and sitting straight, all these means will help you to concentrate your mind on the Visnu form, or Krsna. One should meditate upon Me. This meditation means meditation on Krsna. So here in this Krsna consciousness movement, it is directly simply on Krsna. There is nothing, therefore nobody is better meditator than these boys. They are simply concentrating on Krsna. Their whole business is Krsna. They're working in the garden, digging the earth, "Oh, there will be nice rose, we shall offer to Krsna." Meditation. Practical meditation. I shall grow rose and it will be offered to Krsna. Even in the digging there is meditation. You see? They are preparing nice foodstuff, "Oh, it will be eaten by Krsna." So in cooking there is meditation. You see? You see? And what to speak of chanting and dancing. So they are meditating twenty-four hours in Krsna. Perfect yogi. Let anyone come and challenge. These boys are perfect yogis.

We are teaching perfect yoga system. Not whimsically. On the authority of Bhagavad-gita. We have not manufactured anything by concoction, but here is the statement, you see? Simply to concentrate your mind on Krsna, Visnu. and their activities have been so molded that they cannot think of Krsna, cannot think but Krsna, Krsna, Krsna. So they are highest meditators. "Think upon Me within the heart and make Me the ultimate goal of life." So Krsna is the ultimate goal of life. They are preparing themselves for being transferred to the Krsnaloka. So here is a perfect yoga. Perfect yoga they are practicing. Go on.

Devotee: Verse fifteen: "By meditating in this manner, always controlling the body, mind and activities, the mystic transcendentalists attains to peace (the supreme nirvana) which abides in Me."

Prabhupada: Nirvana means, the actual word nirvana in Sanskrit, nirvana means finished. Finished. That is called nirvana. That means materialistic activities finished. No more. That is called nirvana. And unless you finish this nonsense activities, there is no question of peace. So long you'll be engaged in materialistic activities, there is no question of peace. Prahlada Maharaja said to his father, tat sadhu manye 'sura-varya dehinam. "My dear father, this is the best thing." For whom? Best thing for whom? He said, tat sadhu manye 'sura-varya dehinam sada samudvigna-dhiyam asad-grahat. These people, these materialistic people who have accepted something nonpermanent. Just try to understand each word. These materialistic people, they are hankering after capturing something nonpermanent, that's all. You have seen, by experience. Now that President, Mr. Kennedy, he was very rich man. He wanted to be President and he spent money like anything. He became President. He had his nice family, wife, children, presidentship -- finished within a second. Similarly everyone is trying in the material world to capture something which is nonpermanent. But I am spirit soul, permanent.

So these rascals they do not come to sense that "I am permanent. Why I am after nonpermanent." If I am always busy for comforts of this body, but I know that this body, today or tomorrow or a hundred years after will be finished and so far I am concerned, I am spirit soul, I have no birth, I have no death. Then what is my function? It is the bodily function, so, far I am doing, these material activities. Therefore Prahlada Maharaja said asad-grahat. Just see how nice. They are anxious, they are full of anxiety because they have captured something nonpermanent. Their whole activities are targetted to capture something nonpermanent. Therefore they are always full of anxieties. Any person, any living entity, man, beast or animal or birds, always anxious. This is material disease. So if you are always full of anxiety, where there is question of peace? You go, I go in the street, I say, "Beware of dog." They are living in a very nice house, but full of anxieties. Somebody may not come. Let there be dog. You see? "Beware of dog." "No trespassers." That means although living in a nice cottage, very nice, but full of anxieties. Full of anxieties. Sitting in an office, very nice good salary, always thinking, "Oh I may not lose this office." You see? You see? American nation, very rich nation,... defense, defense force, everything. Always anxious. "Oh, the Vietnams may not come here." You see? So who is free from anxiety? Therefore the conclusion is if you want peace without anxiety, then you have to come to Krsna consciousness. There is no other alternative. It is practical. Just try to understand.

Therefore here it is said, "By meditating in this manner, meditating upon Me, Krsna, always controlling the body." The first control is tongue. And the next control is the genital. Then you control everything. You give your tongue engagement for chanting and eating Krsna prasada, it is controlled, finished. And as soon as your tongue is controlled, immediately your stomach is controlled, immediately next your genital is controlled. Simple thing. Controlling the body, mind. Mind being fixed on Krsna, no other engagement, controlled. Activities always doing Krsna's work. Gardening, typing, cooking, working, everything for Krsna -- activities. "The mystic transcendentalist then -- immediately they become mystic transcendentalist -- attains to peace, the supreme nirvana, which abides in Me." It is all in Krsna. You cannot find out peace outside Krsna activities. Outside Krsna consciousness. That is not possible. Go on.

Devotee: Purport: "The ultimate goal in practicing yoga is now clearly explained."

Prabhupada: Now clearly explained. What is the purpose of yoga? They are very much proud of becoming yogi and attending yoga society and this and that, meditation. But here is the yoga practice. Clearly explained. Go on.

Devotee: "Yoga practice is not meant for attaining any kind of material facility. It is to enable the cessation of all material existence."

Prabhupada: So long you require some material facilities, you'll get material facilities, but that is not solution of the problems of your life. Material facilities, I think you American boys and girls, you have got material facilities better than any other nation. At least better than India, that I can say by my experience. And I have traveled in so many countries, in Japan also I have seen, but still you are better positioned. But do you think you have attained peace? Can anyone of you say, "Yes, I am completely in peace." Then why the youngsters are so much frustrated and confused? So, so long we shall utilize the yoga practice, this practice, for some material facilities, there is no question of peace. Yoga practice should be performed to understand Krsna, that's all. Or to make your lost relationship with Krsna reestablished. That is yoga practice. Go on.

Devotee: "One who seeks an improvement in health or aspires,"

Prabhupada: Generally this yoga practice goes on in the name of improving health. Somebody goes to reduce fat. You see? Reduce fat. Because you are rich nation, you eat more and become fatty and again pay yoga practice fees and reduce your fat. That is going on. I have seen some advertisement the other day, "Reduce your fat." Why you increase your fat? The nonsense they will not understand. That if I have to reduce it, why I increase it? Why not be satisfied with simple foodstuff? If you eat grains and vegetables and light foodstuffs, you'll never get fatty. You see? You'll never get fatty. Reduce eating as much as possible. Don't eat at night. Practice yoga like this. If you become voracious eater, you'll be -- there are two kinds of diseases. The voracious eaters, they are attacked with diabetes and those who cannot eat sufficiently, they are tuberculists (?). So you cannot eat more or you cannot eat less. You just eat what you require. If you eat more then you must be diseased. And if you eat less, you must be diseased. That will be explained. Yuktahara-viharasya yogo bhavati siddhi.... You are not to starve, but don't eat more. Our program, krsna-prasada, is that you eat krsna-prasada. Eating is required, you have to keep your body fit for any practice. So eating is required. But don't eat more. Don't eat less also. We don't say that you eat less. If you can eat ten pounds, eat. But if you cannot eat ten pounds, out of avarice, out of greediness you eat pounds, then you will suffer. You see? So here is the, what is that? No material facilities. Go on.

Devotee: "Cessation of material existence does not mean entering into an existence of void, which is only a myth."

Prabhupada: Yes. So cessation of material existence does not mean void. Because I am not void. I am spirit soul. If I was void, how my development of this body has taken place? I am not void. I am the seed. Just like you sow a seed on the ground, it grows into large tree or plant. Similarly the seed is given by the father in the womb of the mother and it grows like a tree. And this body is that. Where is voidness? Aham bija-pradah pita. In the Fourteenth Chapter you'll see that originally the seed was given by Krsna in the womb of this material nature and so many living entities are coming out. You cannot argue against it because actually the generation is the same process as in our practical life we see the father gives the seed in the womb of the mother and the mother, I mean to say, nourishes the child to grow body. So there is no question of void. If the seed would have been void, how this nice body has developed?

So nirvana means not to accept any more material body. Don't try to make it void. That is another nonsense. Void, you are not void. Void means to make void this material body. This full of miserable conditional body. Just try to grow your spiritual body. That is possible. Yad gatva na nivartante tad dhama paramam mama [Bg. 15.6]. These things are there. So we have to become very intelligent to understand what is the problem of life, how we should use this valuable human form of life. Unfortunately this education is practically nil all over the world.

Devotee: "There is no void anywhere in the creation of the Lord. Rather the cessation of material existence enables one to enter into the spiritual sky, the abode of the Lord. The abode of the Lord is also clearly described in the Bhagavad-gita as that place where there is no need of sun or moon nor electricity."

Prabhupada: Now you'll find in the Bhagavad-gita, we have already, I think in the Second Chapter there is, anyway, that it is said that:

na tad bhasayate suryo
na sasanko na pavakah
yad gatva na nivartante
tad dhama paramam mama
[Bg. 15.6]

Now Krsna describes, "My abode, how it is. In that sky, where My abode is there, there is no necessity of sunlight, there is no necessity of moonlight, there is no necessity of electricity." Now you cannot find such abode within this universe. You travel with your sputnik or any machine, you find out some place where there is no sunlight, there is no moonshine. The sunlight is so extensive, all over the universe there is sunlight. Where you'll find that place? That means that place is beyond the sky. That is also stated: paras tasmat tu bhavo 'nyo 'vyakto 'vyaktat sanatanah [Bg. 8.20]. Beyond this material nature there is another spiritual nature. So we do not know what is the formation of this material nature and what to know about the spiritual nature. Then you have to hear from Krsna who lives there. Otherwise you remain nonsense all your life.

Here is the information. How can you know which you cannot reach, cannot know with your senses are so imperfect. How can you know? Simply you have to hear. Just like you have to hear about your father from the mother. There is no other way. The father certifies, mother certifies, "Here is your father, you have to accept." You cannot make any experiment. Beyond your names. Similarly if you want to learn about the spiritual sky in God's kingdom, then you have to simply hear from the authority. There is no question of experimental knowledge. Simply hearing. So hearing means, just like you have to believe some gentleman as your father, hearing from the authority of your mother. Simply from the Vedic literature which is accepted as the mother, authority of mother, knowledge. Mother authority. Veda-mata. It is called Veda-mata. It is called Veda-mata. Veda means knowledge and it is received from the mother. So Veda-mata, the knowledge mother, you have to know what is Krsna. And here Krsna is personally explaining. So we have to believe it. Then you get the knowledge. Otherwise there is no possibility. You cannot make experiment. Then you fail.

Devotee: "A consummate yogi who is perfect in understanding Lord Krsna as is clearly stated herein by the Lord Himself, can obtain real peace and can ultimately reach the Supreme Abode, the Krsnaloka known as Goloka Vrndavana. In the Brahma-samhita it is clearly stated that the Lord, although He resides always in His abode called Goloka, is the all-pervading Brahman and the localized Paramatma as well."

Prabhupada: Yes. If you think that if Krsna is in His abode, Goloka Vrndavana, then how you think that in your temple there is Krsna? No. The Brahma-samhita says therefore we require to hear from the authorized mother. The Brahma-samhita says: goloka eva nivasaty akhilatma-bhutah [Bs. 5.37]. Although He is living in His abode, Goloka Vrndavana, He is everywhere. He's everywhere. The same example can be used. That sun is ninety millions miles or something like that, away from us. But it is within your room.

Devotee: "Therefore a person working in Krsna consciousness is the perfect yogi because his mind is always absorbed in Krsna's activities. In the Vedas also we learn, ‘One can overcome the path of birth and death only by understanding the Supreme Personality of Godhead.' In other words, the perfection of the yoga system is the attainment of freedom from material existence and not some magical jugglery or gymnastic feat to befool innocent people."

Prabhupada: Thank you, that's all. (end)

>>> Ref. VedaBase => Bhagavad-gita 6.13-15 -- Los Angeles, February 16, 1969