All through bhagavad-gītā, kṛṣṇa turned into encouraging arjuna to fight, for he turned into a warrior, and preventing changed into his duty. Despite the fact that okayṛṣṇa delineates the meditational yoga gadget in the 6th chapter, he does no longer pressure it or inspire arjuna to pursue it as his path. Okayṛṣṇa admits that this meditational method is very tough:
śrī-bhagavān uvāca
Asaṁśayaṁ mahā-bāho
Mano durnigrahaṁ calam
Abhyāsena tu kaunteya
Vairāgyeṇa ca gṛhyate
“the blessed lord stated: o strong-armed son of kuntī, it is undoubtedly very hard to decrease the stressed thoughts, however it's miles possible by steady practice and by using detachment.” (bg. 6.35)
Right here okṛṣṇa emphasizes practice and renunciation as approaches to control the mind. However what's that renunciation? Nowadays it is rarely viable for us to renounce some thing, for we are so habituated to such a diffusion of fabric experience pleasures. No matter main a lifestyles of out of control sense indulgence, we attend yoga instructions and expect to obtain achievement. There are such a lot of rules and rules involved inside the right execution of yoga, and most people can hardly give up a easy habit like smoking.
In his discourse on the meditational yoga gadget, okayṛṣṇa broadcasts that yoga cannot be nicely accomplished by way of one that eats too much or eats too little. Person who starves himself can't nicely carry out yoga. Nor can the person who eats extra than required. The ingesting process have to be slight, simply enough to hold body and soul together; it need to now not be for the enjoyment of the tongue. While palatable dishes come before us, we are acquainted with take not just one of the arrangements but , 3 and four – and upwards. Our tongue is never happy. However it isn't unusual in india to peer a yogī take only a small spoonful of rice a day and nothing greater. Nor can one execute the meditational yoga machine if one sleeps too much or does no longer sleep sufficiently. Okayṛṣṇa does now not say that there is this type of aspect as dreamless sleep. As soon as we nod off, we can have a dream, although we won't bear in mind it. Within the gītā kṛṣṇa cautions that one that desires an excessive amount of at the same time as snoozing can't well execute yoga. One ought to now not sleep more than six hours daily. Nor can one inflamed by means of insomnia, who can not sleep at night time, effectively execute yoga, for the body ought to be kept suit. Therefore okṛṣṇa outlines such a lot of necessities for disciplining the body. These types of necessities, however, can basically be damaged down into 4 basic guidelines: no illicit sexual connection, no intoxication, no meat-consuming and no playing. Those are the 4 minimum regulations for the execution of any yoga device. And on this age who can refrain from those sports? We have to test ourselves as a consequence to check our achievement in yoga execution.
Yogī yuñjīta satatam
ātmānaṁ rahasi sthitaḥ
Ekāokī yata-cittātmā
Nirāśīr aparigrahaḥ
“a transcendentalist should continually try to pay attention his thoughts on the best self; he should live on my own in a secluded place and have to always carefully manage his mind. He should be unfastened from desires and feelings of possessiveness.” (bg. 6.10) from this verse we are able to understand that it's far the duty of the yogī to constantly remain by myself. Meditational yoga cannot be achieved in an assembly, as a minimum now not in keeping with bhagavad-gītā. Inside the meditational gadget it is not possible to concentrate the mind upon the supersoul except in a secluded vicinity. In india, there are nevertheless many yogīs who gather at the kumba melā. Generally they are in seclusion, but on rare events they come to wait unique functions. In india there are nevertheless hundreds of yogīs and sages, and each twelve years or so they meet in particular holy locations – allahabad, and so on. – just as in the united states they've businessmen’s conventions. The yogī, further to dwelling in a secluded region, must additionally be unfastened from goals and must now not assume that he's performing yoga to obtain some material powers. Nor ought to he be given presents or favors from human beings. If he is nicely executing this meditational yoga, he stays by myself in the jungles, forests or mountains and avoids society altogether. Always he need to be convinced for whom he has end up a yogī. He does now not keep in mind himself by myself due to the fact always the paramātmā – supersoul – is with him. From this we are able to see that during current civilization it is certainly very hard to execute this meditational form of yoga properly. Contemporary civilization in this age of kali has truely made it impossible for us to be alone, to be desireless and to be possessionless.
The technique of executing meditational yoga is further explained in sizable detail by means of kṛṣṇa to arjuna. śrī okṛṣṇa says,
śucau deśe pratiṣṭhāpya
Sthiram āsanam ātmanaḥ
Nāty-ucchritaṁ nāti-nīcaṁ
Cailājina-kuśottaram
Tatraikāgraṁ manaḥ okayṛtvā
Yata-cittendriya-kriyaḥ
Upaviśyāsane yuñjyād
Yogam ātma-viśuddhaye
“to practice yoga, one must visit a secluded region and have to lay kuśa grass on the floor and then cover it with a deerskin and a smooth fabric. The seat need to be neither too high nor too low and have to be located in a sacred vicinity. The yogī should then sit down on it very firmly and must practice yoga by means of controlling the mind and the senses, purifying the heart and solving the thoughts on one factor.” (bg. 6.Eleven–12) commonly yogīs sit on tiger pores and skin or deerskin due to the fact reptiles will now not crawl on such skins to disturb their meditations. It seems that in god’s advent there is a use for the whole thing. Each grass and herb has its use and serves a few characteristic, even though we may not realize what it is. So in bhagavad-gītā okayṛṣṇa has made a few provision wherein the yogī doesn’t must fear approximately snakes. Having acquired an amazing sitting location in a secluded surroundings, the yogī starts offevolved to purify the ātmā – body, thoughts and soul. The yogī must no longer think, “now i will try to reap some high-quality powers.” now and again yogīs do obtain certain siddhis, or powers, but these aren't the cause of yoga, and real yogīs do not show off them. The actual yogī thinks, “i'm now contaminated by means of this cloth ecosystem, so now i must purify myself.”
We can speedy see that controlling the mind and body isn't such an easy factor and that we cannot manipulate them as easily as we will go to the store and purchase some thing. But okṛṣṇa shows that those guidelines may be without problems observed when we are in okayṛṣṇa recognition.
Of direction everyone is stimulated by means of sex existence, however intercourse life is not surely discouraged. We have this cloth body, and as long as we've got it, sex choice will be there. In addition, so long as we've the body, we ought to consume to hold it, and we need to sleep for you to give it rest. We can't anticipate to negate these sports, however the vedic literatures do provide us tips for regulation in eating, sound asleep, mating, and so on. If we at all expect success in the yoga system, we can't allow our unbridled senses to take us down the paths of sense items; therefore recommendations are installation. Lord śrī kṛṣṇa is advising that the mind may be managed thru regulation. If we do not alter our sports, our mind might be more and more agitated. It isn't that activities are to be stopped, however regulated by way of the thoughts constantly engaged in okayṛṣṇa cognizance. Being usually engaged in some pastime connected with okṛṣṇa is actual samādhi. It isn't that once one is in samādhi he doesn’t eat, paintings, sleep or revel in himself in any manner. Rather, samādhi may be defined as executing regulated activities at the same time as absorbed inside the idea of kṛṣṇa.
Asaṁyatātmanā yogo
Duṣprāpa iti me matiḥ
Vaśyātmanā tu yatatā
śakyo ’vāptum upāyataḥ
“for one whose mind is unbridled,” kṛṣṇa in addition says, “self-attention is hard paintings.” (bg. 6.36) all of us knows that an unbridled horse is risky to journey. He can go in any path at any speed, and his rider is probable to come to some harm. Insofar because the mind is unbridled, kṛṣṇa consents with arjuna that the yoga machine could be very tough work certainly. “however,” kṛṣṇa provides, “he whose mind is controlled and strives by means of proper approach is confident of success. This is my judgment.” (bg. 6.36) what is meant by means of “strives by proper method”? One has to try and observe the 4 primary regulative principles as mentioned and execute his activities absorbed in okayṛṣṇa consciousness.
If one wants to engage in yoga at domestic, then he has to make certain that his other engagements are moderate. He can't spend long hours of the day running difficult to truly earn a livelihood. One need to work very moderately, devour very moderately, gratify the senses very reasonably and keep his life as free from tension as feasible. In this way practice of yoga can be a success.
What's the sign by way of which we can tell that one has attained perfection in yoga? Okayṛṣṇa suggests that one is located in yoga when his consciousness is completely under his manipulate.
Yadā viniyataṁ cittam
ātmany evāvatiṣṭhate
Nispṛhaḥ sarva-okāmebhyo
Yukta ity ucyate tadā
“whilst the yogī, by means of exercise of yoga, disciplines his intellectual activities and becomes located in transcendence – without all cloth goals – he is said to have attained yoga.” (bg. 6.18) one that has attained yoga isn't always dependent on the dictations of his thoughts; as a substitute, the thoughts comes beneath his manage. Neither is the thoughts placed out or extinguished, for it's far the business of the yogī to think of kṛṣṇa, or viṣṇu, constantly. The yogī cannot allow his mind to go out. This will sound very difficult, however it's far possible in okayṛṣṇa cognizance. When one is continually engaged in okṛṣṇa consciousness, within the service of kṛṣṇa, then how is it feasible for the thoughts to wander far from okṛṣṇa? Inside the service of okṛṣṇa, the mind is robotically managed.
Nor have to the yogī have any preference for fabric feel gratification. If one is in okayṛṣṇa cognizance, he has no preference apart from okayṛṣṇa. It isn't viable to grow to be choiceless. The preference for feel gratification have to be triumph over by means of the system of purification, but preference for kṛṣṇa must be cultivated. It's miles simply that we have to transfer the choice. There is absolute confidence of killing desire, for choice is the regular associate of the residing entity. Okṛṣṇa attention is the process by means of which one purifies his desires; in preference to wanting so many matters for sense gratification, one simply desires matters for the service of okṛṣṇa. As an example, we may additionally choice palatable meals, however as opposed to preparing foodstuffs for ourselves, we can prepare them for okṛṣṇa and provide them to him. It isn't that the movement is distinct, however there's a switch of attention from taking into consideration acting for my senses to taking into account acting for okayṛṣṇa. We can also prepare fine milk products, vegetables, grains, end result and different vegetarian dishes for okayṛṣṇa after which provide them to him, praying, “this cloth body is a lump of lack of knowledge and the senses are a community of paths leading to loss of life. Of all the senses the tongue is the most voracious and hard to govern. It's far very difficult to overcome the tongue on this international; consequently śrī okayṛṣṇa has given us this high-quality prasāda, non secular food, to overcome the tongue. So allow us to take this prasāda to our full pride and glorify their lordships śrī śrī rādhā and okayṛṣṇa and in love name for the assist of lord caitanya and nityānanda prabhu.” in this manner our karma is sacrificed, for from the very starting we're wondering that the meals is being supplied to kṛṣṇa. We ought to have no private desires for the food. Okṛṣṇa is so merciful, but, that he offers us the meals to devour. In this manner our choice is fulfilled. When one has moulded his life in this kind of manner – dovetailing his wants to okṛṣṇa’s – then it is to be understood that he has attained perfection in yoga. In reality respiratory deeply and doing some physical games is not yoga as a ways as bhagavad-gītā is concerned. An entire purification of consciousness is needed.
Inside the execution of yoga, it is very crucial that the mind isn't agitated.
Yathā dīpo nivāta-stho
Neṅgate sopamā smṛtā
Yogino yata-cittasya
Yuñjato yogam ātmanaḥ
“as a lamp in a windless region does no longer waver, so the transcendentalist, whose mind is managed, remains usually steady in his meditation at the transcendent self.” (bg. 6.19) whilst a candle is in a windless area, its flame stays directly and does not waver. The thoughts, just like the flame, is susceptible to so many fabric dreams that with the slightest agitation it'll flow. A touch movement of the thoughts can exchange the whole awareness. Therefore in india one severely working towards yoga historically remained brahmacārī, or celibate.
There are two varieties of brahmacārī: one is completely celibate and the other is gṛhastha-brahmacārī, that is to mention he has a spouse, he does now not accomplice with some other female, and his relations together with his very own wife are strictly regulated. In this way, both through complete celibacy or restrained sex lifestyles, one’s mind is stored from being agitated. But when one takes a vow to stay a whole celibate, his thoughts may additionally still be agitated via sexual choice; consequently in india those working towards the traditional yoga under strict vows of celibacy are not allowed to sit alone despite a mother, sister or daughter. The mind is so fickle that the slightest suggestion can create havoc.
The yogī have to have his mind trained in the sort of way that as soon as his mind wanders from meditation on viṣṇu, he drags it again once more. This calls for a terrific deal of exercise. One must come to recognise that his actual happiness is in experiencing the satisfaction of his transcendental senses, no longer the material senses. Senses aren't to be sacrificed, and dreams aren't to be sacrificed, but there are both goals and sense delight inside the religious sphere. Actual happiness is transcendental to cloth, sensual experience. If one is not convinced of this, he will genuinely be agitated and will cave in. One should consequently recognize that the happiness he is attempting to derive from material senses isn't surely happiness.
People who are genuinely yogīs sincerely experience, however how do they enjoy? Ramante yogino ’nante – their entertainment is limitless, that limitless enjoyment is actual happiness, and such happiness is religious, not cloth. That is the actual that means of rāma, as within the chant hare rāma. Rāma approach amusement via spiritual life. Spiritual existence is all pleasure, and kṛṣṇa is all pride. We do now not should sacrifice delight, however we do should revel in it properly. A diseased man can't revel in life; his enjoyment of lifestyles is a false amusement. However whilst he is cured and is healthful, then he's capable of experience. Similarly, so long as we are within the cloth conception of existence, we are not in reality playing ourselves but are certainly turning into increasingly more entangled in cloth nature. If a unwell guy isn't always presupposed to devour, his consuming unrestrictedly truely kills him. Similarly, the extra we growth cloth enjoyment, the greater we become entangled in this world, and the greater hard it will become to get unfastened from the material entrapment. All the systems of yoga are meant to disentangle the conditioned soul from this entrapment, to transfer him from the fake entertainment of cloth things to the real amusement of okayṛṣṇa focus. śrī okṛṣṇa says,
Yatroparamate cittaṁ
Niruddhaṁ yoga-sevayā
Yatra caivātmanātmānaṁ
Paśyann ātmani tuṣyati
Sukham ātyantikaṁ yat tad
Buddhi-grāhyam atīndriyam
Vetti yatra na caivāyaṁ
Sthitaś calati tattvataḥ
Yaṁ labdhvā cāparaṁ lābhaṁ
Manyate nādhikaṁ tataḥ
Yasmin sthito na duḥkhena
Guruṇāpi vicālyate
Taṁ vidyād duḥkha-saṁyoga-
Viyogaṁ yoga-saṁjñitam
“inside the stage of perfection called trance, or samādhi, one’s mind is completely restrained from material intellectual sports via practice of yoga. That is characterised with the aid of one’s capability to look the self by way of the natural thoughts and to delight in and rejoice within the self. In that joyous state, one is situated in boundless transcendental happiness and enjoys himself thru transcendental senses. Hooked up therefore, one in no way departs from the fact, and upon gaining this he thinks there is no extra benefit. Being located in this kind of role, one is in no way shaken, even inside the midst of finest trouble. This indeed is real freedom from all miseries arising from fabric touch.” (bg. 6.20–23)
One form of yoga may be hard and every other may be smooth, however in all cases one must purify his existence to the theory of okṛṣṇa conscious amusement. Then one will be happy.
Yadā hi nendriyārtheṣu
Na karmasv anuṣajjate
Sarva-saṅkalpa-sannyāsī
Yogārūḍhas tadocyate
Uddhared ātmanātmānaṁ
Nātmānam avasādayet
ātmaiva hy ātmano bandhur
ātmaiva ripur ātmanaḥ
“someone is said to have attained to yoga while, having renounced all cloth goals, he neither acts for feel gratification nor engages in fruitive sports. A person must raise himself by means of his own thoughts, not degrade himself. The mind is the pal of the conditioned soul, and his enemy as well.” (bg. 6.4–5) we should enhance ourselves to the non secular popular through ourselves. On this sense i'm my very own friend and i am my personal enemy. The opportunity is ours. There is a very fine verse via cāṇakya paṇḍita: “no one is everyone’s friend, no person is every body’s enemy. It's miles only by way of behavior that one can understand who's his pal and who's his enemy.” no one is born our enemy, and nobody is born our friend. These roles are decided by way of mutual conduct. As we have dealings with others in ordinary affairs, within the equal manner the person has dealings with himself. I may act as my own friend or as an enemy. As a chum, i'm able to apprehend my role as spirit soul and, seeing that somehow or other i've come into touch with material nature, attempt to get free from fabric entanglement with the aid of acting in the sort of way as to disentangle myself. In this situation i'm my buddy. However if even upon getting this opportunity i do no longer take it, then i need to be taken into consideration my very own worst enemy.
Bandhur ātmātmanas tasya
Yenātmaivātmanā jitaḥ
Anātmanas tu śatrutve
Vartetātmaiva śatru-vat
“for he who has conquered the thoughts, the mind is the satisfactory of pals; but for one who has failed to do so, his very thoughts may be the greatest enemy.” (bg. 6.6) how is it feasible for one to come to be his personal buddy? This is explained here. ātmā approach “thoughts,” “body” and “soul.” when we communicate of ātmā, insofar as we are inside the physical theory, we refer to the body. But, whilst we go beyond the physical idea and upward push to the intellectual platform, ātmā refers to the mind. However really while we are situated at the surely non secular platform, then ātmā refers back to the soul. In reality we're pure spirit. On this way, in step with one’s non secular improvement, the which means of the word ātmā differs. As far as the nirukti vedic dictionary is worried, ātmā refers to frame, thoughts and soul. But, on this verse of bhagavad-gītā, ātmā refers to thoughts.
If, through yoga, the thoughts can be educated, then the mind is our buddy. But if the thoughts is left untrained, then there is no possibility of main a successful existence. For person who has no concept of spiritual existence, the thoughts is the enemy. If one thinks that he is truely the body, his thoughts will no longer be running for his benefit; it'll in reality be acting to serve the gross frame and to in addition circumstance the dwelling entity and entrap him in cloth nature. If, however, one is aware one’s role as spirit soul apart from the body, the thoughts can be a freeing thing. In itself, the thoughts has not anything to do; it's far sincerely waiting to be taught, and it's far exceptional skilled through affiliation. Preference is the characteristic of the thoughts, and one dreams consistent with his association; so if the thoughts is to act as pal, there ought to be suitable affiliation.
The great affiliation is a sādhu, that is, a okayṛṣṇa conscious man or woman or one who's striving for non secular cognizance. There are folks that are striving for temporary matters (asat). Count and the frame are transient, and if one simplest engages himself for physical pride, he is conditioned by way of temporary things. But if he engages himself in self-recognition, then he's engaged in some thing permanent (sat). Glaringly if one is smart he'll partner with those who are seeking to elevate themselves to the platform of self-consciousness via one of the various forms of yoga. The end result may be that individuals who are sādhu, or realized, may be able to sever his attachment to fabric association. This is the wonderful benefit of correct affiliation. For example, okṛṣṇa speaks bhagavad-gītā to arjuna simply to reduce off his attachment to this cloth affection. Due to the fact arjuna is attracted to things which might be impeding the execution of his own responsibility, okayṛṣṇa severs these things. To cut some thing, a sharp instrument is needed; and to reduce the mind from its attachments, sharp words are frequently required. The sādhu or trainer shows no mercy in the use of sharp phrases to sever the pupil’s mind from material points of interest. By way of speaking the fact uncompromisingly, he's capable of sever the bondage. For instance, on the very beginning of bhagavad-gītā okṛṣṇa speaks sharply to arjuna with the aid of telling him that despite the fact that he speaks like a found out man, he's honestly fool number one. If we clearly want detachment from this material international, we ought to be prepared to just accept such slicing words from the religious grasp. Compromise and flattery have no effect where strong phrases are required.
In bhagavad-gītā the cloth theory of existence is condemned in so many locations. One who thinks the u . S . A . Wherein he's born is worshipable, or one that goes to holy locations and yet ignores the sādhus there, is likened unto an ass. As an enemy is constantly taking into account doing harm, so the untrained thoughts will drag one deeper and deeper into fabric entanglement. Conditioned souls warfare very tough with the thoughts and with the other senses. Because the thoughts directs the other senses, it is of utmost importance to make the thoughts the buddy.
Jitātmanaḥ praśāntasya
Paramātmā samāhitaḥ
śītoṣṇa-sukha-duḥkheṣu
Tathā mānāpamānayoḥ
“for person who has conquered the thoughts, the supersoul is already reached, for he has attained tranquillity. To any such man happiness and misery, warmness and bloodless, honor and dishonor are all the same.” (bg. 6.7) by using training the thoughts, one genuinely attains tranquillity, for the thoughts is continually dragging us over nonpermanent matters, just as an unbridled horse will pull a chariot on a deadly course. Although we're everlasting and everlasting, somehow or different we've come to be interested in nonpermanent things. However the thoughts may be without difficulty skilled if it is without a doubt constant on kṛṣṇa. Simply as a fort is safe whilst it's far defended with the aid of a exceptional popular, if kṛṣṇa is positioned in the castle of the mind, there can be no possibility of the enemy’s coming into. Cloth education, wealth and electricity will now not assist one to govern the thoughts. A amazing devotee prays, “when will i be able to think of you continuously? My mind is continually dragging me about, but as soon as i'm able to restore my thoughts at the lotus feet of kṛṣṇa, it becomes clean.” whilst the mind is apparent, it is possible to meditate on the supersoul. The paramātmā, or supersoul, is usually seated within the heart in conjunction with the individual soul. The yoga gadget involves concentrating the thoughts and focusing it at the paramātmā, or supersoul, seated within the coronary heart. The formerly quoted verse from bhagavad-gītā suggests that one that has conquered the mind and has conquer all attachment to nonpermanent matters may be absorbed in concept of the paramātmā. One so absorbed will become unfastened from all duality and fake designations.