14 THE PATH OF PERFECTION Mastering the Mind and Senses 15

yoga system if he partakes in sense gratification and then sits down It is important to understand, however, that from the begin-
to try to meditate. This is just a colossal hoax. Such contra- ning, a Krsna conscious person is situated on the platform of
dictory activity has no meaning. First of all, yoga means control- meditation because he is always thinking of Krsna. Being con-
ling the senses—yama-niyama. There are eight stages of yoga— stantly engaged in the service of Krsna, he is considered to have
yama, niyama, dsana, dhyana, dharand, pranayama, pratyahara, Ceased all material activities.
and samadhi.
In this Sixth Chapter, in which the Lord speaks of the sanikhya- yada hi nendriyarthesu
yoga system, He states from the very beginning that one cannot na karmasv anusajjate
become a yogi unless one renounces the desire for sense gratifica- sarva-sankalpa-sannyasi
tion. Therefore, if one indulges his senses, he cannot be accepted yogarudhas tadocyate
as a yogi. Yoga demands strict celibacy. In the yoga system, there is
no sex life. If one indulges in sex, he cannot be a yogi. Many so- ““A person is said to have attained to yoga when, having re-
called yogis come from India to America and say, ‘‘Yes, you can nounced all material desires, he neither acts for sense gratification
do whatever you like. You can have as much sex as you like. Just nor engages in fruitive activities.” (Bg. 6.4)
meditate. I will give you some mantra, and you will give me some This is actually the perfectional stage of yoga, and one who has
money.”” This is all nonsense. According to the authoritative attained this stage is said to have attained to yoga. This is to say
statements of Sri Krsna, one cannot become a yogi unless he re- that he has connected, joined, or linked himself with the supreme
nounces the desiré for sense gratification. This is explicitly stated whole. If a part is disconnected from a machine, it serves no func-
as the first condition for yoga practice. tion, but as soon as it is properly attached to the machine, it works
: Properly and carries out its different functions. That is the mean-
aruruksor muner yogam Ing of yoga—joining with the supreme whole, serving in conjunc-
karma karanam ucyate tlon with the total machine. Presently we are disconnected, and
yogartidhasya tasyaiva our material fruitive activities are simply a waste of time. One who
Samah karanam ucyate @ngages in such activity is described in Bhagavad-gitd as a
mudha—that is, a rascal. Although one may earn thousands of dol-
‘**For one who is a neophyte in the eightfold yoga system, work is lars daily and be an important businessman, he is described in
said to be the means; and for one who has already attained to yoga, Bhagavad-gita as a midha, rascal, because he is just wasting his
cessation of all material activities is said to be the means.” tlme in eating, sleeping, defending, and mating.
(Bg. 6.3) According to this verse, there are those who are attempt- People do not stop to consider that they are actually working
ing to reach the perfectional stage and those who have already at- very hard for nothing. One who earns millions of dollars cannot
tained that stage. As long as one is not situated on the perfectional really eat much more than a man who makes ten dollars. A man
platform, he must engage in so many works. In the West, there who earns millions of dollars cannot mate with millions of women.
are many yoga societies attempting to practice the dsana system, That is not within his power. His mating power is the same as one
and therefore they practice sitting in different postures. That may who earns ten dollars, just as his power of eating is the same. This
help, but it is only a process by which one can attain the real plat- Is to say that our power of enjoyment is limited. One should
form. The real yoga system, in its perfectional stage, is far therefore think, ‘‘My enjoyment is the same as that of the man
different from these bodily gymnastics. who is earning ten dollars daily. So why am I working so hard to

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