Bhagavad-gītā 6.4–12 , New York , 1966-09-05

Prabhupāda: ...śrī-caitanya-mano 'bhīṣṭaṁ sthāpitaṁ yena bhū-tale, svayaṁ rūpaḥ kadā mahyam...

[break]

Now these two ślokas, verses, we were discussing last day, that we have to raise ourself to the spiritual standard by ourself. I have to raise myself to the spiritual standard by myself. So I am my friend and I am my enemy. This is the opportunity.

There is a very nice verse in Cāṇakya Paṇḍita:

"Nobody is nobody's friend; nobody is nobody's enemy. But it is only the behavior by which one can understand who is his friend and who is his enemy." Nobody is born enemy, nobody is born friend. But by our mutual behavior, somebody is my friend and somebody is my enemy. Similarly, as we have this dealing in the ordinary daily affairs, similarly, I have my dealing with myself. Myself. If I deal with me, myself, as friend, then I am my friend. And if I deal with myself inimically...

Then what is that friendship and inimical? The friendship is that I am soul. Somehow or other, I have been in contact with this material nature. So I have to get myself out of the entanglement of this material nature. If I act in that way, then I am my friend. But even after getting this opportunity, if I do not act in that way, then I am my enemy. So ātmaiva hy ātmano bandhur ātmaiva ātmano ripuḥ. So I am myself friend, my friend, and I am my enemy.

Now, how I can become my friend? That is explained here, that bandhur ātmā ātmanas tasya. Ātmā means mind, ātmā means body and ātmā means soul. That, these three things I have already explained the other day that when we speak of ātmā, or self... Just like so long I have got my bodily conception, when I say "my self," I think of my body. When I transcend the bodily conception of life, then I think "I am mind." But actually, when I am in this real spiritual platform, then my self means "I am pure spirit." So according to the stage of development my conception of self are different.

So, so far nirukta, or dictionary, is concerned, body, mind and the spirit soul, everything is called self. Now, here it is called bandhur ātmā ātmanas tasya. Now, here one ātmā is named mind. Mind is the friend of oneself and mind is the enemy of oneself. So we have to train the mind. If I train my mind for becoming my friend, then my life is successful. If I train my mind to become my enemy, then my life is unsuccessful. Anātmanas tu śatrutve vartetātmaiva śatruvat [Bg 6.6]. But one who has no knowledge of the spiritual self, then his mind acts like his enemy. One who has got the conception of this body as "my self," his mind is his enemy. And one who has got the conception of the spirit self, his mind is his friend.

So mind has nothing to do. Mind..., simply training of the mind required. And how the mind is trained up? It is by good association. Good association, our mind is trained up. Saṅgāt sañjāyate kāmaḥ [Bg 2.62].

Kāma means desire. Desire is the function of the mind. And saṅgāt sañjāyate kāmaḥ. And according to the association, my mind desires like that.

So we have to make good association if we want to make our mind as my friend. If I want to make my mind as my friend, then I have to associate with sādhu. Tasmāt satsu sajyeta buddhimān. Buddhimān means intelligent person. He must associate with satsu. Satsu means those who are trying for self-realization. They are called sat. Sat and asat. Asat means who are trying for the temporary things. Matter is temporary. My body is temporary. So if I simply engage myself for bodily pleasure, sense gratification, then I am engaging myself to temporary things. But if I engage myself for self-realization, the permanent thing, then I am engaging myself to the sat, or to the permanent.

So tasmāt satsu sajyeta buddhimān. "Anyone who is intelligent, he should associate with persons who are trying to elevate themself for self-realization." That is called sat-saṅga, good association. And what is the result of good association? Now, because, if we make good association, the santāḥ chindanti. Santāḥ means the persons who are sādhu, who are pious. They can cut off by their words our attachment with this material world. They can cut off.

Just like Kṛṣṇa is speaking to Arjuna. What is the idea of speaking so many things? Just to cut off his attachment from the so-called material affection. He is affected with something which is stumbling his progress in his own duty. So He is..., Kṛṣṇa is presenting His Bhagavad-gītā just to cut off. Santā eva hi chindanti uktibhiḥ. Uktibhiḥ. Chindanti means cut.

Now, for cutting something we require some sharpened instrument. But here, to cut off the mind from attachment, it requires sharpened ukti. Ukti means words. Sharpened topics. There should not be... Just like when a person cuts something, there is no mercy, similarly, when a sādhu, or a person saint, speaks to his student, he does not make..., show any mercy. He speaks the truth so that his mind may be cut off from the unreal attachment.

Just like Kṛṣṇa is saying. Kṛṣṇa... Arjuna... First addressed to Arjuna. He said, aśocyān anvaśocas tvaṁ prajñā-vādāṁś ca bhāṣase [Bg 2.11].

"Oh, you are talking like a fool..., you are talking like a very learned man, but you are fool number one." You see. How strong word He has used. So, so far if we want detachment from this material world, then we should be prepared to accept such cutting words from the master. Santāḥ asya chindanti uktibhiḥ [SB 11.26.26].

Uktibhiḥ. We should not make compromise: "Oh, don't speak such strong words." Required. It is required. So bandhur ātmā. Anātmanas tu śatrutve vartetātmaiva śatruvat. Anātmanaḥ. Those who have no self-realization, his mind... One who has not realized what he is. We are generally conception of this..., bodily conception of our life. But the intelligent person who has made association with saintly persons, he can understand that "I am not this body."

And the material conception of life is condemned in so many places. Yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke sva-dhīḥ kalatrādiṣu bhauma ijya-dhīḥ yat-tīrtha-buddhiḥ salile [SB 10.84.13].

In so many ways. One who has got the conception of his personal self with this body made of three elements, then one who thinks that the land in which he is born or the relatives who is connected with this body, "They are all, everything," then that man is no better than ass and cow. It is said like that.

So we should have by good association, by study of good books like Bhagavad-gītā, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, we should realize ourself. Otherwise, our mind will remain always an enemy. An enemy. An enemy, as the enemy is always prepared to do harm, so my mind will drag me to things which will make me entangled more and more in this material miserable life. Manaḥ ṣaṣṭhānīndriyāṇi prakṛti-sthāni karṣati [Bg 15.7].

[The living entities in this conditioned world are My eternal, fragmental parts. Due to conditioned life, they are struggling very hard with the six senses, which include the mind.]

We are struggling very hard with this mind and six senses. So we have to make the mind our friend. Now, Kṛṣṇa is gradually making progress to explain to Arjuna how the mind can be made friend.

Now, by training the mind, jitātmana, one who has conquered over the mind, jitātmanaḥ, praśāntasya... Praśānta means he has become in equilibrium, praśānta. Praśānta. Because mind is dragging me always in nonpermanent things. Harāv abhaktasya kuto mahad-guṇā manorathenāsati dhāvato bahiḥ [SB 5.18.12].

Asato manorathena: by the chariot of the mind. So long we are seated on the chariot of the untrained mind, unbridled mind, the mind will drag me to things which are nonpermanent. But my whole business is that I am permanent, I am eternal. Somehow or other, I have got this attachment for nonpermanent things. So I have to get out of this entanglement. So if my mind is not trained up, then the mind's business will be to drag me to nonpermanent things. Harāv abhaktasya kuto mahad-guṇāḥ.

But this mind, as I told you the other day, can be very easily trained up if we fix up in our mind, on the fort of the mind, a great soldier, Kṛṣṇa. Just like if the fort is defended by a great general, then there is no question of entering of the enemy, similarly, if we put Kṛṣṇa on the fort of the mind, then there is no chance of entering of the enemies. Sa vai manaḥ kṛṣṇa-padāravindayoḥ [SB 9.4.18].

That day we have explained.

And if we do not do that, harāv abhaktasya kuto mahad-guṇāḥ. Mahad-guṇāḥ means the material acquisition, material education, material wealth, or so many material qualification. That will not help me to control my mind. That is not possible. Only thing is that if I put on the mind Kṛṣṇa, or God, harāv abhakta..., Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then my mind will be very easily conquered. So, jitātmanaḥ praśāntasya. Praśānta means who has ceased to desire material enjoyment.

A devotee is praying to the Lord, bhavantam evānucaran nirantaram, "When I shall be able to act twenty-four hours in Your service," or "When I shall be able to think of You cent percent?" And praśānta-niḥśeṣa-mano-rathāntaram. Mano-rathāntaram means mind is dragging me in so many imaginations. So many plan-making business we have got. So many plan-making business. That is called mano-rathāntaram. Just like I go on some chariot, on some car, in several places. So mind is... The same thing is described, māyā..., yantrārūḍhāni māyayā [Bg 18.61].

So we are traveling like that, that way.

But as soon as I am able to fix my mind on the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, it become jitātmanaḥ. Jitātmanaḥ means conquered. And then my mind becomes clear of all the engagement of the nonpermanent things. Praśāntasya. Jitātmanaḥ praśāntasya paramātmā samāhitaḥ. That is possible... Paramātmā means Supersoul. We have several times told you that Paramātmā is with me. The same thing. Paramātmā is sitting with me in the heart. I, the soul, the atomic spark, spirit spark, that is also in this heart, and side by side, in the similar smallest way, the Supreme Lord is also with me. Paramātmā samāhitaḥ. This paramātmā samāhitaḥ is the yoga.

Now, Kṛṣṇa will gradually come, Paramātmā. The yoga system is..., meditation means to control all the senses and concentrate the mind to focus on the Paramātmā. That is the whole yoga system. So here it is hinted, paramātmā samāhitaḥ, "completely absorbed in the Paramātmā." Praśānta. Praśānta means ceases, cease from all nonpermanent activity. And jitātmanaḥ. Jitātmanaḥ means conquered over the senses.

So,

Śītoṣṇa-sukha... Duality. Duality. We have got in this material world duality. Just like this is now summer season; then again we will have winter season, snowfall. Śīta uṣṇa. Śīta means winter season, and uṣṇa means summer season. Śītoṣṇa-sukha-duḥkheṣu. Similarly, happiness and distress. Happiness and distress. Tathā mānāpamānayoḥ. Similarly, honor and dishonor. Because in this world, the world of duality, dual world, everything is to be understood by duality. We cannot understand what is honor if there is no dishonor. If I am not insulted, I cannot understand what is honor.

So mānāpamānayoḥ. Similarly, I cannot understand what is misery if I have not tasted happiness. Or I cannot understand what is happiness if I have not understood misery. So similarly... I cannot understand what is cold if I have not tasted hot. This world is, world is of duality. So one has to transcend. So long this body is there, this duality feeling will continue.

So because I am trying to get out of this body, bodily conception—not exactly out of the body, but bodily conception—so I will have to practice to tolerate these dualities. As in the Second Chapter we have..., Kṛṣṇa has advised Arjuna, mātrā-sparśās tu kaunteya śītoṣṇa-sukha-duḥkha-dāḥ [Bg 2.14].

This duality of distress and happiness, this is due to the skin. This is skin disease. Just like itching, itching of the skin. So because there is itching, I should not be mad after it. I should tolerate. There are so many. Nowadays, mosquito bite is going on. So we should not be mad. We should not give up our duty because mosquito is biting or some bed bug is biting. So, so many dualities that we have to tolerate.

So if my mind is always in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then these dualities can be practiced very easily. Śītoṣṇa-sukha-duḥkha-dāḥ. Jñāna-vijñāna-tṛptātmā kūṭastho vijitendriyaḥ. Why he will be able to understand, to tolerate? Because jñāna-vijñāna-tṛptātmā. Jñāna means knowledge. Theoretical knowledge is called jñāna, and practical knowledge is called vijñāna. Vijñāna. Just like a science student has to study theoretical and appear theoretical examination as well as practical examination. If a science student has to pass his examination, then he has to prac... Simply theoretical knowledge that so much quantity of hydrogen and so much quantity of oxygen will make water will not help him. He has to practically show in the laboratory that so much quantity of oxygen gas and so much quantity of hydrogen gas mixed, and water is produced. That is called vijñāna. Vijñāna.

So jñāna-vijñāna-tṛptātmā. One should have not only theoretical knowledge, but practical knowledge. Practical knowledge. Simply understanding that "I am not this body, I am not this body," then I am doing all nonsense of this body... I am discussing... There are so many societies, they are very seriously discussing Vedānta philosophy and smoking, with wine glass, and very enjoying life. You see? So that sort of jñāna, that sort of knowledge, is not necessary. You see? [chuckles]

So jñāna-vijñāna. One should have knowledge perfectly, and it must be demonstrated. Demonstrated in practical field. Yes. But that means one who has actually felt himself that "I am not this body," then naturally his bodily necessities will be reduced to the minimum. Will be reduced to the minimum. That is practical. If I am going to increase the demands of my body and I am simply theoretically thinking that "I am not this body," oh, that is not required. Jñāna-vijñāna-tṛptātmā.

A man, a person, will be satisfied when there is jñāna, knowledge, and science side by side. Jñāna-vijñāna, practical knowledge. Kūṭastho vijitendriyaḥ. Then he's conquered over the senses.

So when he is situated in that practical status of spiritual realization, then he is to be understood that he is actually situated in the yoga. Not that I am going to a class and, weekly or twice weekly attending yoga class, and I remain the same thing for the so many years. No. There should be practical realization. What is that practical realization? Praśāntātmā. Praśāntātmā. The mind is calm and quiet, no more agitated by the attraction of this material encirclement. You see?

So jñāna-vijñāna..., kūṭastho vijitendriyaḥ. Vijitendriyaḥ. The first qualification is called vijitendriyaḥ, sense control. Advancement in the yoga system means yoga indriya-saṁyamaḥ. Yoga means to... Because our whole life is disturbed due to the senses. Senses. This material life means sense gratification. That's all. The sum and substance of materialistic life means sense gratification. Therefore advancement of material science means giving you products for your sense gratification. Unnecessarily, so many things are produced just to satisfy my senses. That is the material advancement.

So material life means sense gratification, and spiritual life means detached from sense gratification. So vijitendriyaḥ. Yukta ity ucyate yogī sama-loṣṭrāśma-kāñcanaḥ. And when he is in that position of equilibrium, then for him, sama-loṣṭrāśma-kāñcanaḥ. Kāñcana means gold, and loṣṭra means, what is called, rubbles of stone. They are the same thing. So sama-loṣṭrāśma-kāñcanaḥ.

And again, suhṛn-mitrāra...

We have got our relationship in this world, we call that "He is my friend," suhṛt Suhṛt and mitra. There are two kinds of friends. Suhṛt means better friend. Actually who is always desiring my welfare, he is called suhṛt. And friend means we have got good will, ordinary friends. Suhṛn mitra udāsīna. Udāsīna means neutral, neither friend nor enemy. We have got relationship within this world. Somebody is my very good well-wisher, somebody is my friend, and somebody is neither friend nor enemy. And somebody, madhyastha, mediator, and somebody actually doing some good. Somebody I think, "Oh, here is a nice gentleman, saintly person." And somebody I think, "Oh, here is a sinful man." According to my calculation, somebody my friend, somebody my enemy, somebody neutral, somebody, I mean to say, a saintly person, somebody my..., a sinful person.

Now all these, when you are on the yoga-yukta, when you are in the platform of transcendence, then these distinction, this "friend," "enemy," "sādhu," "saintly" and "sinful," that will all be closed. No more. No more. Paṇḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ [Bg 5.18].

Paṇḍitāḥ. When one becomes actually learned, he does not see any enemy or any friend. Because nobody is enemy, nobody is friend, nobody is my son, nobody is my mother, nobody is... We are all different living entities. We are just playing on the platform under the dress of father, mother, wife, children, friend, enemy. Just like in a drama we set up some character to play, so... But out of the stage we are all friends. Nobody... In the stage I say, "Oh, you are enemy. I shall kill you," and so many things I do. But when out of the stage, we are all friends.

Similarly, in this world, in this material world, with this dress, with this dress of material body, we are playing on the stage of material world that enemy and friend and father, mother, son. I cannot beget any son. It is not possible. I simply beget this body. You see? The living entity, that is not my power. Simply by my sex intercourse with my wife, I cannot produce unless that living entity is placed in that emulsification of two secretion. These are stated in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. So this is only stage play. So actually, when one is situated in proper knowledge, one who is actually a yogī, for him, this distinction altogether disappears.

Yogī yuñjīta satatam ātmānaṁ rahasi sthitaḥ [Bg 6.10].

Now, now here is the beginning of the yoga system, how one should perform yoga. Now, you will understand from the description of Bhagavad-gītā that what is yoga system. In your city, New York City, the yoga is very popular. Everyone is performing yoga. There are so many groups of yoga schools, but just see what the yoga system is. You just, you can understand from Bhagavad-gītā.

What is that? The first is yogī yuñjīta satatam ātmānaṁ rahasi sthitaḥ. The yogī's business is always to remain alone in a secluded place. Alone and secluded place. Yoga cannot be performed in assembly. Just like we are in assembly. Here you are performing yoga, I am performing yoga in the yoga class, and somebody is teaching, "Do like this. Do like that. Do like that." That is not yoga system. At least, according to Bhagavad-gītā.

Here it is clearly said that yogī yuñjīta satatam ātmānaṁ rahasi sthitaḥ. He should always be engaged in his, I mean to say, focusing his mind towards the Paramātmā. And that is possible, rahasi. Rahasi means in a secluded place. In a secluded place. It is not... I cannot concentrate my mind in the hubble-bubble of this society or in a big city.

The yoga system, you will find that all the yogīs formerly... Still in India there are many yogīs. They come at Kumbha-melā. We have seen some of them. They are, some of them are seven hundred years old, and you'll see him just like a boy of twenty-five years. They are doing something, yoga. So they, rarely they come, when there is some special function. And India there are four places. Just like in the modern days there are conferences of different parties, similarly, in India there are still about thirty hundred thousands of saintly persons, not one, two. And they, not all, but at least major portion of them, they meet together after twelve years and in some particular places.

There are four places. One at Prayāga. You have heard the name of Allahabad City. That is called Prayāga. And one at Haridwar, and at [indistinct]pat. In this way they have got four places. That means every four years they have meeting. So in that meeting many yogīs come. And when... Not in my this renounced order; when I was living for some time at Allahabad... Not some time; I lived there for thirteen years at Allahabad. So I was seeing this melā. Although it was taking at at least twelve years, I have seen twice or thrice. So these yogīs, they are so calm and quiet and looking... Of course, I do not know. Somebody said this man is seven hundred years old, this man is three years old, but they look like young boy.

So they, such yogīs, as it is recommended here, yogī yuñjīta satatam ātmānam. One who is actually ascendent on the yogic principle, his first function is that he remains alone. He has no society. He cannot remain in society. Yogī yuñjīta satataṁ rahasi sthitaḥ, ekākī. Ekākī means alone. Or more clearly it is stated, ekākī yata-cittātmā nirāśīr aparigrahaḥ. Nirāśīḥ, there is no expectation that "By functioning yoga, I shall achieve this power." And aparigraha, and he does not take anything from anybody.

Who is going to give him? He is ekākī, he is alone in a secluded place, in, sometimes in jungle, in forest, in mountain. And who is going to give him anything? He doesn't expect, because he is firmly convinced that "For whom I have become yogī. I am not alone. My Paramātmā is always with me." [indistinct] Unless..., what kind of yogī he is? He is... Although he remains superficially alone, but he knows that "Wherever I go, my Paramātmā friend, who is sitting with me on my heart, He is with me. So I have nothing to fear. So I have nothing to fear." Yata-cittātmā. Ekākī yata-cittātmā nirāśīr aparigrahaḥ. He does not accept anything for anyone.

Now, just see the yogī, yogic principle, for this age, how much it is difficult for us. If we want to perform real yoga system, then it is very difficult. Nobody... We are sitting here, so many ladies and gentlemen, is it possible for us to live alone in a secluded place in a mountain? You have got in your, outside your New York City, there are so many mountains and jungles. Can you live there alone? Oh, no. At the present moment, the modern way of our civilization, mode of our life... Just like I am a sannyāsī, I am renounced order of life, but still, I have come to a city, New York City, the largest city of the world. From Bombay city or Calcutta city I have come.

So life has become so changed that in this age actually what is called yoga, it is not possible. It is not... First condition is that ekākī yata-cittātmā: he should remain alone, he should perform yoga system alone, not in..., with friends and many other yogīs. No. Yata-cittātmā nirāśīr aparigrahaḥ. And he should have no desire in his mind. And aparigraha: he does not want anything from anybody, anybody else. This is the first condition.

Then next condition:

The yogī has to fix up his sitting place. What is that? Śucau deśe. He should select a place which is very, very pure. Now, that means a place like Haridwar. Our young friend, Mr. Howard, he has been to Haridwar. He has seen how nicely that place is. River Ganges is flowing, and very nice, calm, quiet. You'll find three miles after, four miles after, one yogī is sitting nicely there and meditating. That is yoga system. You see? So śucau deśe, in a place where..., the sanctified place.

So these places are especially selected, just like Haridwar, [indistinct] and Prayāga. They are, from time immemorial, in Vedic age, those places are sanctified. Just like this Bhagavad-gītā was spoken in the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra, dharma-kṣetre, the land of religiosity. Even war was performed. Because this war was not ordinary war. That was religious war. Religious war. This Kurukṣetra battle, that was religious war. Don't you find in the war field where Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is present, do you think it is ordinary war? No. It is not ordinary war. And it was performed in a place which is called dharma-kṣetra. So sometimes war is also performed in terms of religiosity. That is prescribed. That is required.

So here, śucau deśe, perfectly sanctified place. Śucau deśe pratiṣṭhāpya. He must be situated in a very sanctified place. Sthiram āsanam ātmanaḥ. And the āsanam, and the sitting place, should not be changed. The same āsana. He should perform yoga, meditation, on the same place and the same sitting place. Ātmanaḥ. And how that place, the sitting place, should be selected? Na ati ucchritam. Not too much raised, not too much low. Nāty-ucchritam. And cailājina-kuśottaram. Caila. Caila means cotton something, cotton sitting place. Then skin. Deerskin means...

You know, yogīs, they sit on the skin of tiger and skin of deer. Why? Because they are in a secluded place. This has got some chemical effect. If you sit on tiger skin and deer skin, then the reptiles, the snakes, they won't disturb you. It has got some, I mean to say, physical effect. There are so many medical effect in so many things. We do not know. But God has created everything for our use. We do not know. Every plant, every herb is a medicine. It is meant for some particular disease, for some particular protection. We do not know that.

So cailājina. It is not a fashion. It is... Because they sit down in a secluded place in a jungle, so you are meditating, so some snake may come. There are so many snakes, so many reptiles. So therefore, cailājina-kuśottaram. And straw. The three things: straw, and the skin, and some cotton āsana. These things are required.

Then what is the next process? The next process is,

Ātma-viśuddhaye. The whole process is, yoga system is, for purifying ātmā. Purifying ātmā. You always remember that ātmā means this body, ātmā means the mind, ātmā means the soul. So purifying these things. So yoga system is made not that cheaply I want some power. Sometimes the yogīs, they achieve very wonderful power. Aṣṭa-siddhi-yoga. Aṣṭa-siddhi, eight kinds of perfection, material perfection, they can attain. Not for that purpose yoga sys... Although they attain that power, real yogīs, they do not exhibit it. They do not exhibit it. [break] Have got the powers, so many wonderful powers, but he doesn't... His only aim is ātma-viśuddhaye: "I am now contaminated by this material atmosphere; so I have to purify myself."

So that purification process we shall discuss next day. But I may say in this connection that so much difficult process for purifying the ātmā is very easily done, ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam [Cc Antya 20.12],

by chanting this Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare / Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. Because the sound, this transcendental sound vibration, is nondifferent from Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is absolute. His name is not different from Him. So when you chant His name with devotion, that means Kṛṣṇa is with you. And Kṛṣṇa, when Kṛṣṇa is with you, how you can remain impure? You become pure, the purest. That is the whole system.

Now, if there is any question. [end]