"Yoga System--The Yoga Ladder"

69/02/14 Los Angeles, Bhagavad-gita 6.2-5


Prabhupada: Who is reading?

Devotee: Verse number two. "What is called renunciation is the same as yoga, or linking oneself with the Supreme, for no one can become a yogi unless he renounces the desire for sense gratification."

Prabhupada: Here is the point of yoga practice. Yoga means to join. Now in our conditional state, although we are part and parcel of the Supreme, but we are now separated. The same example. This finger is part and parcel of your body, but if it is separated, amputated, it has no value. But so long it is joined with this body, it's value is millions of dollars or more than that. If there is any disease you can spend any amount to cure. Similarly we at the present moment in the conditioned state of material existence, we are separated from God. Therefore we are so much reluctant to speak of God, to understand about God, our relationship with God. We think it is simply waste of time. In this meeting, everyone knows, this temple, Krsna consciousness temple, is speaking of God. Or any church. People are not very much interested. They think it is a kind of, what is called, recreation, in the name of spiritual advancement, otherwise it is simply waste of time. Better this time could be used for earning some money. Or enjoying in a club or in a restaurant, sense enjoyment.

So detraction from God means sense enjoyment. Those who are too much addicted to sense enjoyment, they are not, I mean to say, eligible for yoga system. Yoga system is not that, that you go on doing all nonsense in sense gratification and simply sit down meditation. This is simply colossal hoax. It has no meaning. Yoga system first is to sense, controlling the sense, yama, niyama. There are eight different stages of practicing yoga. Yama, niyama, asana, dhyana, dharana, pranayama, pratyahara, samadhi. So in the beginning first of all we shall speak in this chapter, Lord Krsna will teach you what is yoga system. Therefore in the beginning Krsna says that no one can become a yogi unless he renounces the desire for sense gratification. So anyone who is indulging in sense gratification, he's a nonsense. He's not a yogi. He cannot be a yogi. Yoga system is strictly celibacy, no sex life. That is yoga system. No one can become a yogi if he indulges in sex life. The so-called yogis come to your country and say, "Yes, whatever you like you can do. You meditate, I give you some mantra." These are all nonsense. Here is authoritative statement that no one can become a yogi unless he renounces the desire for sense gratification. This is the first condition. Go on.

Devotee: Verse number three. "For one who is a neophyte in the eightfold yoga system, work is said to be the means. And for one who has already attained to yoga, cessation of all material activities is said to be the means."

Prabhupada: Yes. There are two stages. One who is practicing yoga to reach to the perfectional platform and one who has attained the perfectional platform. So, so long one is not on the perfectional platform, just trying to do, at that time there are so many works. That asana system, yama, niyama. So generally in your country there are so many yoga societies. They display this asana system. How to sit down, different postures. That helps. But that is the process simply to get onto the real platform. They are simply means. Real yoga system perfection is different from those bodily gymnastic process. There are two stages. One stage is trying to reach the perfectional platform, and another stage is one who has reached the perfectional platform. Go on.

Devotee: Verse number four. "A person is said to have attained yoga when having renounced all material desires, neither acts for sense gratification nor engages in fruitive activities."

Prabhupada: Yes. This is the perfectional stage of yoga system, yoga practice. A person is said to have attained to yoga, that means, yoga means connection. Just like, the same example. Suppose this finger was out of my body. Or don't take this finger, take any machine part. It is out of the machine, lying idle. And as soon as you join with the machine, it works with different functions. Cutacut, cutacut, cutacut, it works. That is yoga. It has been joined. Similarly, we are now differentiated. These material activities, fruitive activities, they have been described simply wasting time. Mudha. Mudha. They have been described in the Bhagavad-gita as mudha. Mudha means rascal. Why? Such a big businessman? You say rascal? Why? He's earning thousands of dollars daily. But they have been described, mudha, rascal, because they're working so hard but what he's enjoying? He's enjoying the same amount of eating, sleeping and mating. That's all. As a man who's earning millions of dollars daily. That does not mean he can enjoy mating millions of woman. No, that is not possible. His power of mating is same one who is earning ten dollars. His power of eating is the same with the man, one who is earning ten dollars. So he does not think that "My enjoyment of life is the same amount with the man who is earning ten dollars. Then why I am working so hard for earning millions of dollars daily? Why I am spoiling my energy in that way?" You see? They are called mudha.

Na mam duskrtinah -- actually he should have engaged, when he earns millions of dollars daily, he should have engaged himself, his time and energy, how to understand God, what is the purpose of life. Because he has no economic problem. So he has got enough time, he can utilize in Krsna consciousness or God consciousness. But he does not take part in that way. Therefore he is mudha. Mudha means, actually mudha means ass. So his intelligence is not very nice. A person is said to have attained yoga, when having renounced all material desires. If one is in perfection of yoga, then he's satisfied. He has no more any material desire. That is perfection. He neither acts for sense gratification nor engages in fruitive activities. Fruitive activities are also, fruitive activities means you earn something for sense gratification. One is practically engaged in some sense gratification, and one is collecting money for sense gratification.

So the fruitive activities, suppose pious activities. Pious activities, according to Veda, everywhere, if you are virtuous, if you give some money in charity, it is virtuous activities. If you give some money for opening hospital, if you give some money for opening schools, free education. These are certainly virtuous activities. But they are also meant for sense gratification. Suppose if I give in charity for distributing education. Then in my next life I will be getting good facilities for education, I'll be highly educated or being educated I shall get nice post. At the end, what is the idea? If I get a good post if I get a good position, how do I utilize it? For sense gratification. Nicely, that's all. Because I do not know anything else. That is fruitive activities. If I go to heaven, a better standard of life. Suppose, in your America, a better standard of life than India. But what does this mean, "better standard of life"? The same eating, sleeping, in a better type, that's all. You are not doing anything more. They are also eating. They are eating some coarse grain, you are eating very nice thing. But eating. Not beyond this eating.

So my better standard of life does not mean any spiritual realization. A better standard of eating, sleeping, mating, that's all. So this is called fruitive activity. Fruitive activity is also another pattern of sense gratification but it is on the basis of sense gratification. And yoga means connection with the Supreme. When the Supreme is connected, as soon as, just like Dhruva Maharaja. As soon as he saw God, Narayana, the boy was undergoing severe austerities, penances to see God. He saw. But when he saw, then he said, svamin krtartho 'smi varam na yace. "My dear Lord, I am now fully satisfied. I don't want to ask anything, any benediction from you." Because what is benediction? Benediction means you get very nice kingdom or a very nice wife or very nice foodstuff, very nice. These things we consider as benediction. But actually when one becomes connected with God, he does not want any such benediction. He's satisfied. Fully satisfied. Svamin krtartho 'smi varam na yace.

The history of this Dhruva Maharaja I have told you many times, that he was a child, five years boy, old. He was insulted by his stepmother. He was sitting on the lap of his father, or he was trying. And his stepmother said,"Oh you cannot sit on the lap of your father because you are not born in my womb." So because he was ksatriya boy, although five years old, he took it a great insult. So he went to his own mother. "Mother, stepmother has insulted me like this." He was crying. Mother said, "What can I do, my dear boy? Your father loves your stepmother more. What can I do?" "No, I want my father's kingdom. Tell me how can I get it." Mother said, "My dear boy, if Krsna, God, blesses you, you can get." "Where is God?" She said, "Oh, we have heard God is in the forest. Great sages go there and find out." So he went to the forest and underwent severe penances and he saw God. But when he saw God, Narayana, he was no more anxious for the kingdom of his father. No more anxious. He said, "My dear Lord, I am satisfied, fully satisfied. I do not want anymore, my kingdom, the kingdom of my father." He gave the comparison that "I was searching out some pebbles, but I have got valuable jewels." So that means he is more satisfied.

When you actually connect yourself with God, then you feel yourself many millions of times satisfied than enjoying this material world. That is God realization. That is the perfection of yoga. Go on.

Devotee: Purport: "When a person is fully engaged in the transcendental loving service of the Lord, he is pleased in himself and thus he is no longer engaged in sense gratification or in fruitive activities. Otherwise, one must be engaged in sense gratification since one cannot live without engagement."

Prabhupada: Yes, that is the point. We must have engagement. We cannot stop, the same example. You cannot stop a child working. Or in activities. By nature we are living entities, we must act. It is not possible to stop activities. So just like it is said, "An idle brain is a devil's workshop." So if we have no good engagement, then you will have to engage yourself in something nonsense. Just like child, if he's not engaged in education, he becomes a spoiled child. Similarly, our two business: either material sense gratification or Krsna consciousness or bhakti-yoga or yoga. So if I am not in yoga system, then I must be in sense gratification. And if I am in sense gratification, there is no question of yoga. Go on.

Devotee: "Without God consciousness, one must be always seeking self-centered or extended selfish activities. But a Krsna conscious person can do everything for the satisfaction of Krsna and thereby be perfectly detached from sense gratification. One who has no such realization, must mechanically try to escape material desires before being elevated to the top rung of the yoga ladder."

Prabhupada: "Yoga ladder." Yoga ladder, it has been compared with a ladder. Just like steps in a big skyscraper house there are steps. So every step is a progress, that's a fact. So the whole stepladder may be called the yoga system. But one may be on the fifth step, another may be on the fiftieth step, another may be on the five hundredth step, and another may be on the top of the house. So although the whole ladder is called yoga system or stair case, but one who is on the fifth step, he cannot be equal with the person who is on the fiftieth step. Or one who is on the fiftieth step, he cannot be compared with the man who is on the five-hundredth step. Similarly, in the Bhagavad-gita you'll find karma-yoga, jnana-yoga, dhyana-yoga, bhakti-yoga. It is stated with the name yoga. Because the whole yoga ladder is connected with the topmost floor. So every system is connected with God, Krsna. But that does not mean every man is on the topmost floor. One who is on the topmost floor, he is to be understood in Krsna consciousness. Others, they are just like fifth or fiftieth or five-hundred, like that. The whole thing is called ladder. Go on.

Devotee: Verse number five. "A man must elevate himself by his own mind. Not degrade himself. The mind is the friend of the conditioned soul and his enemy as well." Purport: "The Sanskrit word atma, self, denotes body, mind and soul, depending on different circumstances. In the yoga system, the mind and the conditioned soul are especially important since the mind is the central point of yoga practice. Atma here refers to the mind. The purpose of the yoga system is to control the mind and to draw it away from attachment to sense objects. It is stressed herein that the mind must be so trained that it can deliver the conditioned soul from the mire of nescience."

Prabhupada: In the astanga-yoga system, this eightfold yoga system, dhyana, dharana -- they are meant for controlling the mind. (Don't make sound.) Mind, unless you control the mind, in the beginning it is said a man must elevate himself by his own mind. Mind is the driver. The body is the chariot or car. So just like if you call your, ask your driver, "Please get me into Krsna consciousness temple." The driver will bring you here. And if you ask your driver, "Please get me in that liquor house." The driver will drive you there. The driver's business is to drive you wherever you like. Similarly your mind is the driver. If you can control -- but if the driver takes your license, that wherever he likes he will take you. Then you're gone. Then your driver is your enemy. But if your driver acts on your order, then he's your friend. So actually the yoga system means to control the mind in such a way that he will act as your friend, not as your enemy.

Actually the mind is acting as my, because I have got little independence, because I am part and parcel of the Supreme who has got full independence, therefore I have got little independence. The mind is controlling that independence. If mind says, "All right, let me go the Krsna conscious temple," and the mind can say, "Oh what is that nonsense, Krsna, let us go to some club." so mind is driving you. Therefore our Krsna consciousness movement is to fix up the mind in Krsna, that's all. He cannot but act as friend. You see? He has no scope to give any one place. As soon as Krsna is seated on the mind, just like as soon as there is sunshine, the sun is on the sky, there is no scope of darkness. There is no possibility. Darkness will never become before the sun. Similarly Krsna is just like sun. You keep Krsna on the mind. The maya, darkness will never be able to come. That is the first-class yoga system. That is the perfection of yoga system. One whose mind is so strong that mind will not allow any nonsense to come in, then where is your falldown? The mind is strong, the driver is strong. He cannot take you anywhere unless you desire.

So the whole yoga system means to make the mind strong. Not to deviate from the Supreme. That is perfection of yoga system. Sa vai manah krsna-padaravindayoh. One should fix up, just like Ambarisa Maharaja fixed up his mind only on Krsna. And there was a fight between a great yogi, astanga-yogi, Durvasa Muni. Maharaja Ambarisa, he was a king, he was a householder, he was pound shilling man. Householder means he has to take account of pound, shilling, pence. Dollars, cents. King, he was actually king. So Durvasa Muni was a great yogi. He was envious of this king. That, "How is that, I am so great a yogi, I can travel in the space, and this man is ordinary king, he cannot show such jugglery of yoga system, but still people honors him most. Why? I shall teach him some lesson." So he picked up some quarrel with the king, that's a long story, I shall state it some other day, so after all he was defeated. And he was directed by Narayana to take shelter of the feet of the king, Maharaja Ambarisa. These instances we see from authoritative scripture. But he was simply keeping Krsna in his mind. And he defeated the greatest yogi. Durvasa Muni, he was so perfect yogi, that within one year he traveled all over this material space and beyond this material space in the spiritual space, went directly to the abode of God, Vaikuntha, and saw the Personality of Godhead personally. Still he was so weak that he has to come back and fall down on the feet of Maharaja Ambarisa. But Maharaja Ambarisa, he was ordinary king, he was simply thinking of Krsna, that's all. These instances we'll see.

Therefore the highest perfectional yoga system is to control the mind. And you can control the mind very easily if you keep the lotus feet of Krsna within you, that's all. Simply think of Krsna and you are conqueror. You are victorious. You become topmost yogi. Because after all, the yoga system is, yoga indriya samyama. Yoga means to control the senses. And above the sense, the mind. So if you control the mind, the senses are controlled automatically. Your tongue wants to eat something nonsense, but if your mind is strong, mind says, "No. You cannot eat. You cannot eat anything except krsna-prasada." Then tongue is controlled. So senses are controlled by the mind. Indriyani parany ahur indriyebhyah param manah [Bg. 3.42]. My body means senses, my activities means sensual activities, that's all. But above the senses is the mind. Above the mind is the intelligence. And above the intelligence is the spirit soul. If one is on the spiritual platform, on the soul platform, then his intelligence is spiritualized, his mind is spiritualized, his senses are spiritualized, he is spiritualized. This is the process of Krsna consciousness. Because actually the spirit soul is working but he has given his power of attorney to this nonsense mind. He is sleeping. But when he's awakened, the master is awakened, the servant cannot do anything nonsense. Similarly if you are awakened in Krsna consciousness, your intelligence, your mind, or your senses cannot act nonsensically. They must according to that. That is spiritualization. That is called purification.

Hrsikena hrsikesa-sevanam bhaktir ucyate [Cc. Madhya 19.170]. Bhakti means to act spiritually. How you can act? You have to act with your senses. Therefore you have to spiritualize your senses. Meditation, stopping action means stopping nonsense but acting in Krsna consciousness is transcendental. Just like you have to stop your senses acting nonsense but that is not perfection. You have to act nicely. Then it is perfection. Otherwise if you don't train your senses to act nicely it will again fall down to the nonsense activities. So we have to give engagement to the senses to act for Krsna. Then there is no chance of fall down. That is Krsna consciousness. Go on.

Devotee: "In material existence, one is subjected to the influence of the mind and the senses. In fact, the pure soul is entangled in the material world because of the mind's ego which desires to lord it over material nature. Therefore the mind should be trained so that it will not be attracted by the glitter of material nature. In this way the conditioned soul may be saved. One should not degrade oneself by attraction to sense objects. The more one is attracted by sense objects, the more one becomes entangled in material existence. The best way to disentangle oneself is always to engage the mind in Krsna's service. The Sanskrit word hi in this verse is used for emphasizing this point, i.e., that one must do this. It is also said: ‘For man, mind is the cause of bondage and mind is the cause of liberation. Mind absorbed in sense objects is the cause of bondage and mind detached from the sense objects is the cause of liberation.' Therefore the mind which is always engaged in Krsna consciousness is the cause of supreme liberation."

Prabhupada: Yes. There is no chance. Mind being engaged always in Krsna consciousness, there is no chance of its being engaged in maya consciousness. The more we engage our mind in Krsna consciousness, the more you keep yourself in the sunlight, there is no chance of getting into darkness. That is the process. If you like, you are at liberty. You can keep yourself within the room in darkness, and you can come in the broad daylight. That depends on your choice. But when you come in the broad sunlight, there is no chance of darkness. Darkness can be eradicated by light, but light cannot be covered by darkness. Suppose you are in a dark room. You bring one lamp. The darkness over. But you take something dark and go to the sunlight, it will fade away. So krsna surya-sama maya haya andhakara. Krsna is just like sunlight. And maya is just like darkness. So what darkness will do in sunlight? You keep yourself in sunlight. Darkness will fail to act upon you. This is the whole philosophy of Krsna consciousness.

Keep always yourself engaged in Krsna consciousness activities. Maya will not be able to touch you. Because there is no possibility of darkness becoming influential in light. That is stated in the Srimad-Bhagavatam. That when Vyasadeva, under the instruction of his spiritual master, Narada, by bhakti-yoga: bhakti-yogena pranihite samyak, pranihite 'male. Bhakti-yogena manasi. The same, mind, manasi means mind. When enlightened by bhakti-yoga, bhakti-light, bhakti-yogena manasi samyak pranihite amale. When the mind becomes completely freed from all contamination. That can be done by bhakti-yoga. Bhakti-yogena manasi samyak pranihite 'male apasyat purusam purnam. He saw the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Mayam ca tad-apasrayam. And he saw this maya just on the background. Apasrayam. Light and darkness, along with, just like here is light. There is darkness also here, little darkness. So darkness remains under the shelter of light. But light does not remain under the shelter of darkness. So Vyasadeva saw Krsna, the Supreme Lord, and this maya, darkness, apasrayam, just under His shelter.

And who is this maya? That is explained. Yaya sammohito jiva. The same maya, the same illusory energy which has covered these conditioned souls. And who are those conditioned? Yaya sammohito jiva atmanam tri-gunatmakam. Although this spirit soul is as light as Krsna or God, although small. But he's identifying himself with this material world. Yaya sammohitah, this is called illusion. When we identify ourself with this matter, yaya sammohito jiva atmanam tri-gunatmakam, paro 'pi manute 'nartham. Although he is transcendental, still he's engaged in nonsensical activities. Paro 'pi manute 'nartham tat-krtam cabhipadyate. And he acts dictated by this maya. These are very nicely explained in Srimad-Bhagavatam in the First Canto you'll find, Seventh Chapter.

So our position is that. That we are spiritual sparks, lightning spark. But now we are covered by this illusory energy, maya. And we are being dictated by maya and acting and becoming entangled more and more in material energy. You have to get out from this entanglement by this yoga, or perfect yoga of Krsna consciousness. That is yoga system. All right, stop. Any questions? (end)

>>> Ref. VedaBase => Bhagavad-gita 6.2-5 -- Los Angeles, February 14, 1969