44 THE PATH OF PERFECTION Moderation in Yoga 45
how are we to understand His transcendental senses, His tran- kirtanam visnoh. Everything is Visnu, and meditation is on Visnu.
scendental form? This is not possible by mental speculation. We It is not possible to have bhakti without Visnu. Krsna is the
simply have to serve Him, and then He will reveal Himself to us. original form of Visnu (krsnas tu bhagavan svayam: ‘‘Krsna is the
As Krsna Himself states in the Tenth Chapter of Bhagavad-gita . original form of the Supreme Personality of Godhead’’). If we but
| (10.11), follow this bhakti-yoga process, we should be able to understand
| the Supreme, and all doubts should be removed.
tesam evanukampartham The astdnga-yoga process is outlined very specifically in the
aham ajnana-jam tamah Sixth Chapter of Bhagavad-gita (6.13-14):
nasayamy atma-bhava-stho
jnana-dipena bhasvata samam kdya-siro-grivam
dharayann acalam sthirah
‘*Out of compassion for them, I, dwelling in their hearts, destroy sampreksya nasikagram svam
with the shining lamp of knowledge the darkness born of ig- disas cadnavalokayan
norance.”’ Krsna is within us, and when we are sincerely searching
for Him by. the devotional process, He will reveal Himself. prasantatma vigata-bhir
Again, as stated in the Eighteenth Chapter of Bhagavad-gita brahmacari-vrate sthitah
(18.55), manah samyamya mac-citto
'-yukta asita mat-parah
bhaktya mam abhijanati
yavan yas casmi tattvatah **One should hold one’s body, neck, and head erect in a straight
tato mam tattvato jnatva line and stare steadily at the tip of the nose. Thus, with an unagi-
viSate tad-anantaram tated, subdued mind, devoid of fear, completely free from sex
. life, one should meditate upon Me within the heart and make Me
‘One can understand the Supreme Personality as He is only by the ultimate goal of life.’ Yoga does not mean going to some class,
devotional service. And when one is in full consciousness of the paying some money, engaging in gymnastics, and then returning
Supreme Lord by such devotion, he can enter into the kingdom of home to drink, smoke, and engage in sex. Such yoga is practiced i
God.”’ Thus God has to be understood by this process of bhakti- by societies of the cheaters and the cheated. The authoritative
yoga, which is the process of sravanam kirtanam visnoh—hearing yoga system is here outlined by the supreme authority, Sri Krsna
and chanting about Visnu. This is the beginning of the bhakti-yoga Himself. Is there a better yogi than Krsna, the Supreme Per- !
process. If we but hear sincerely and submissively, we will sonality of Godhead? First of all, one has to go alone to a holy
understand. Krsna will reveal Himself. Sravanam kirtanam visnoh place and sit in a straight line, holding one’s body, neck, and head
smaranam pdda-sevanam arcanam vandanam dasyam. There are erect, and stare steadily at the tip of the nose. Why is this? This is
nine different processes in the bhakti-yoga system. By vandanam, a method to help concentrate one’s mind. That’s all. The real pur-
we offer prayers, and that is also bhakti. Sravanam is hearing about pose of yoga, however, is to keep oneself always aware that Lord
Krsna from Bhagavad-gita, Srimad-Bhagavatam, and other sastras. Krsna is within.
Kirtanam is chanting about His glories, chanting the Hare Krsna One of the dangers of sitting in meditation and staring at the
mantra. This is the beginning of the bhakti-yoga process. Sravanam tip of one’s nose is that one will fall asleep. I have seen many
