Practicing Yoga in the Age of Quarrel 131

the human form of life, and the topmost stage in all yoga systems.

For a perfect yogi there are eight kinds of superachievements:

1. One can become smaller than an atom.

2. One can become bigger than a mountain.

3. One can become lighter than the air.

4. One can become heavier than any metal.

5. One can achieve any material effect he likes (create a planet, for

example).

6. One can control others like the Lord can.

7. One can freely travel anywhere within (or beyond) the universe.

8. One can choose his own time and place of death, and take rebirth

wherever he may desire.

But when one rises to the perfectional stage of receiving dictation from
the Lord, one is above the stage of the material achievements above
mentioned.

The breathing exercise of the yoga system which is generally practiced
is just the beginning of the system. Meditation on the Supersoul is just a
step forward. Achievement of wonderful material success is also only a
step forward. But to attain direct contact with the Supersoul and to take
dictation from Him is the highest perfectional stage.

The breathing exercises and meditational practices of yoga are very
difficult in this age. They were difficult even five thousand years ago, or
else Arjuna would not have rejected the proposal of Krsna. This age of
Kali is called a fallen age. At the present moment, people in general are
short-living and very slow in understanding self-realization, or spiritual
life. They are mostly unfortunate, and as such, if someone is a little bit
interested in self-realization, he is misguided by so many frauds. The
only actual way to realization of the perfect stage of yoga is to follow the
principles of the Bhagavad-gita as they were practiced by Lord Caitanya
Mahéaprabhu. This is the simplest and highest perfection of yoga practice.

Lord Caitanya practically demonstrated Krsna consciousness yoga
simply by chanting the holy names of Krsna, as they are mentioned in the
Vedanta, the Srimad-Bhagavatam, and many important Purdnas. The
largest number of Indians follow this yoga practice, and in the United
States and other countries also it is gradually growing in many cities. It is
very easy and practical for this age, especially for those who are serious
about success in yoga. No other process can be successful in this age.

The meditational process in right earnest was possible in the Golden
Age, Satya-yuga, because the people at that time lived for a hundred
thousand years on the average.
