110 THE PATH OF PERFECTION | Failure and Success in Yoga 111

We can actually see how the various. parts of the body serve the thinking, ‘‘What is God? I am God. Why should I serve God?”
body. If I have an itch, the fingers immediately scratch. If I want to This is just like a criminal thinking, ‘‘What is this government? I
see something, the eyes immediately look. If I want to go some- can manage my own affairs. I don’t care for the government.”
where, the legs immediately take me. As I receive service from This is called avajananti. We may speak in this way, but the police
the different parts of my body, God receives service from all parts department is there to punish us. Similarly, material nature is here
of His creation. God is not meant to serve. If the limbs of the body to punish us with the threefold miseries. These miseries are meant
serve the entire body, the parts of the body automatically receive for those rascals who avajananti, who don’t care for God or who
energy. Similarly, if we serve Krsna, we automatically receive all take the meaning of God cheaply, saying, ‘“‘I am God. You are
necessities, all energy. God.”

Srimad-Bhagavatam confirms that we are all parts and parcels Thus the general progress of yoga is gradual. First one practices
of the Supreme. If a part of the body cannot regularly render ser- karma-yoga, which refers to ordinary, fruitive activity. Ordinary
vice, it gives pain to the body, and ifa person does not render ser- activities include sinful activities, but kKarma-yoga excludes such
vice to the Supreme Lord, he is simply giving pain and trouble to activities. Karma-yoga refers only to good, pious activities, or
the Supreme Lord. Therefore such a person has to suffer, just as a those actions which are prescribed. After performing karma-
criminal has to suffer when he does not abide by the laws of the yoga, one comes to the platform of jfidna-yoga, knowledge. From
state. Such a criminal may think, ‘‘I’m a very good man,”’ but be- the platform of knowledge, one attains to this astanga-yoga,
cause he is violating the laws of the state, he is giving the govern- the eightfold yoga system—dhydna, dhdarand, pranayama, asana,
ment trouble, and consequently the government puts him in etc.—and from astdnga-yoga, as one concentrates on Visnu, one
prison. When living entities give the Supreme Lord trouble, the comes to the point of bhakti-yoga. Bhakti-yoga is the perfectional
Lord comes, collects them together, and puts them in this ma- stage, and if one practices Krsna consciousness, one attains this
terial world. In essence, He says, ‘‘You live here. You are all dis- stage from the very beginning. That is the direct route.
turbing the creation; therefore you are criminals and have to live If one practices jf#dna-yoga and thinks that he has attained the
in this material world.”” Sthdndad bhrastah patanty adhah: ‘‘One ultimate, he is mistaken. He has to make further progress. If we
falls down from his constitutional position.” If a finger is diseased, are on a staircase and have to reach the top floor, which is the

it has to be amputated lest it pollute the entire body. Having hundredth floor, we are mistaken if we think we have arrived
rebelled against the principles of God consciousness, we are cut when we are on the thirtieth floor. As stated before, the whole
off from our original position. We have fallen. In order to regain yoga system may be likened to staircase, connecting or linking us
our original position, we must resume rendering service unto the to God. In order to attain the ultimate, the Supreme Personality of
Supreme Lord. That is the perfect cure. Otherwise we will con- Godhead, we must go to the highest platform, and that is bhakti-
tinue to suffer pain, and God will suffer pain because of us. If lam yoga.
a father, and my son is not good, I suffer, and my son suffers also. But why walk up all these steps if we have a chance to take an
| Similarly, we are all sons of God, and when we cause God elevator? By means of an elevator, we can reach the top in a mat-
pain, we are also pained. The best course is to revive our original ter of seconds. Bhakti-yoga is this elevator, the direct process by
Krsna consciousness and engage in the Lord’s service. That is our which we can reach the top in a matter of seconds. We can go step
natural life, and that is possible in the spiritual sky, Goloka by step, following all the other yogasystems, or we can go directly.
| Vrndavana. Since in this age of Kali-yuga people have short life spans and are
| The word avajananti actually means ‘‘to neglect.”’ This means always disturbed and anxious, Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu, by His
an
