. 106 THE PATH OF PERFECTION Failure and Success in Yoga 107
In this way we can avoid contamination and purify our life. If we the yogic principle, especially the principles of bhakti-yoga, one is
can continue to live a pure life until the time of death, we will living the most perfect life possible. Therefore Krsna is telling Ar-
surely be transferred to the kingdom of God. When one is fully in juna, ‘‘My dear friend Arjuna, in all circumstances be a yogi and
Krsna consciousness, he does not return to this material world remain a yogi.””
when he gives up his body. This is stated in the Fourth Chapter
(Bg. 4.9): yoginam api sarvesam

; ‘ mad-gatenantaratmana
janma karma ca me divyam Sraddhavan bhajate yo mam
evam yo vetti tattvatah , sa me yuktatamo matah
tyaktva deham punar janma

naiti mam eti so ‘rjuna ‘*And of all yogis, he who always abides in Me with great faith,
worshiping Me in transcendental loving service, is most in-
**One who knows the transcendental nature of My appearance and " timately united with Me in yoga and is the highest of all.”
activities does not, upon leaving the body, take his birth again in (Bg. 6.47) Here it is clearly stated that there are many types of
this material world, but attains My eternal abode, O Arjuna.” yogis—astanga-yogis, hatha-yogis, jndna-yogis, karma-yogis, and
The unsuccessful yogi returns to a good family or to a righ- bhakti-yogis—and that of all the yogis, “‘he who always abides in
teous, rich, or aristocratic family, but if one is situated in perfect Me” is said to be the greatest of all. ‘‘In Me’’ means in Krsna; that
Krsna consciousness, he does not return again. He attains Goloka is, the greatest yogi is always in Krsna consciousness. Such a yogi
Vrndavana in the eternal spiritual sky. We should be determined “abides in Me with great faith, worshiping Me in transcendental
not to come back to this material world again, because even if we loving service, is most intimately united with Me in yoga, and is
attain a good birth in a rich or aristocratic family, we can degrade the highest of all.” This is the prime instruction of this Sixth
ourselves again by improperly utilizing our good chance. Why Chapter on sarikhya-yoga: if one wants to attain the highest plat-

take this risk? It is better to complete the process of Krsna con- form of yoga, one must remain in Krsna consciousness.
sciousness in this life. It is very simple and not at all difficult. We In Sanskrit, the word bhajate, with its root bhaj (bhaj-dhdtu)
only have to keep thinking of Krsna; then we will be assured that means *‘to render service.’ But who renders service to Krsna un-
our next birth will be in the spiritual sky, in Goloka Vindavana, in less he is a devotee of Krsna? In this Society of Krsna conscious-
the kingdom of God. ness, devotees are rendering service without payment, out of love
for Krsna. They can render service elsewhere and get paid
tapasvibhyo ‘dhiko yogi hundreds of dollars a month, but this service rendered here is lov-
jnanibhyo ‘pi mato ‘dhikah ing service (bhaj), based on love of Godhead. Devotees render
karmibhyas cadhiko yogi - service in many ways—gardening, typing, cooking, cleaning, etc.
tasmdd yogi bhavarjuna All activities are connected with Krsna, and therefore Krsna con-
sciousness is prevailing twenty-four hours a day. That is the high-
‘*“A yogi is greater than the ascetic, greater than the empiricist, est type of yoga. That is ‘‘worshiping Me in transcendental loving
and greater than the fruitive worker. Therefore, O Arjuna, in all service.” As stated before, the perfection of yoga is keeping one’s
circumstances, be a yogi.’ (Bg. 6.46) There are different grada- consciousness in contact with Visnu, or Krsna, the Supreme Lord.
tions of life within this material world, but if one lives according to ; We are not simply boasting that even a child can be the highest

t
