PERFECTION OF YOGA

December 29, 2007

Yoga as Rejected by Arjuna

There have been many yoga systems popularized in the Western

world, especially in this century, but none of them have actually taught

the perfection of yoga. In the Bhagavad-gita, Sri Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, teaches Arjuna directly the perfection of

yoga. If we actually want to participate in the perfection of the yoga

system, in Bhagavad-gita we will find the authoritative statements of the Supreme Person. It is certainly remarkable that the perfection of yoga was taught in the middle of a battlefield. It was taught to Arjuna, the

warrior, just before Arjuna was to engage in a fratricidal battle. Out of sentiment, Arjuna was thinking, "Why should I fight against

my own kinsmen?" That reluctance to fight was due to Arjuna's

illusion, and just to eradicate that illusion, Sri Krsna spoke the Bhagavad-gita

to him. One can just imagine how little time must have elapsed while Bhagavad-gita was being spoken. All the warriors on both sides

were poised to fight, so there was very little time indeed--at the

utmost, one hour. Within this one hour, the whole Bhagavad-gita was

discussed, and Sri Krsna set forth the perfection of all yoga systems to His

friend

Arjuna. At the end of this great discourse, Arjuna set aside his misgivings and fought. However, within the discourse, when Arjuna heard the explanation

of the meditational system of yoga--how to sit down, how to keep the

body straight, how to keep the eyes half-closed and how to gaze at the

tip of the nose without diverting one's attention, all this being

conducted in a secluded place, alone--he replied,

yo 'yam yogas tvaya proktahsamyena madhusudanaetasyaham na pasyamicancalatvat sthitim sthiramO Madhusudana, the system of yoga which You have summarized appears impractical and unendurable to me, for the mind is

restless and unsteady. (Bg. 6.33) This is important. We must always remember

that we

are in a material circumstance wherein at every moment our mind is subject to agitation. Actually we are not in a very comfortable situation. We are always thinking that by changing our situation

we will overcome our mental agitation, and we are always thinking that

when we reach a certain point, all mental agitations will disappear. But

it is the nature of the material world that we cannot be free from

anxiety. Our dilemma is that we are always trying to make a solution to our problems, but this universe is so designed that these solutions

never come. Not being a cheater, being very frank and open, Arjuna tells Krsna that the system of yoga which He has described is not possible for

him to execute. In speaking to Krsna, it is significant that Arjuna addresses Him as Madhusudana, indicating that the Lord is the

killer of the demon Madhu. It is notable that God's names are innumerable,

for He is often named according to His activities. Indeed, God has

innumerable

names because He has innumerable activities. We are only parts of

God, and we cannot even remember how many activities we have engaged in

from our childhood to the present. The eternal God is unlimited, and

since

His activities are also unlimited, He has unlimited names, of

which Krsna is the chief. Then why is Arjuna addressing Him as

Madhusudana when, being Krsna's friend, he could address Him directly as

Krsna? The

answer is that Arjuna considers his mind to be like a great demon,

such as the demon Madhu. If it were possible for Krsna to kill the

demon called the mind, then Arjuna would be able to attain the

perfection of

yoga. "My mind is much stronger than this demon Madhu,"

Arjuna is saying. "Please, if You could kill him, then it would be

possible for me to execute this yoga system." Even the mind of a great man

like Arjuna

is always agitated. As Arjuna himself says,

cancalam hi manah krsna pramathi bala vad drdham tasyaham nigraham manyevayor iva suduskaramfor the mind is restless, turbulent, obstinate and very strong, O Krsna, and to subdue it is, it seems to me, more difficult than controlling the wind. (Bg. 6.34) It is indeed a fact that the mind is always telling us to go here, go there, do this, do that--it is always telling us which way to

turn. Thus the sum and substance of the yoga system is to control the

agitated mind. In the meditational yoga system the mind is controlled by

focusing on the Supersoul--that is the whole purpose of yoga. But Arjuna

says that controlling this mind is more difficult than stopping the

wind from blowing. One can imagine a man stretching out his arms trying to

stop a hurricane. Are we to assume that Arjuna is simply not sufficiently qualified to control his mind? The actual fact is that we cannot

begin to understand the immense qualifications of Arjuna. After all, he

was a

personal friend of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This is a

highly elevated position and is one that cannot be at all attained by one without great qualifications. In addition to this, Arjuna was

renowned

as a great warrior and administrator. He was such an intelligent

man that he could understand Bhagavad-gita within one hour, whereas at

the present moment great scholars cannot even understand it in the

course of

a lifetime. Yet Arjuna was thinking that controlling the mind was

simply not possible for him. Are we then to assume that what was

impossible for Arjuna in a more advanced age is possible for us in this

degenerate age? We should not for one moment think that we are in Arjuna's

category. We are a thousand times inferior.

Moreover, there is no record of Arjuna's having executed the yoga system at any time. Yet Arjuna was praised by Krsna as the only

man worthy of understanding Bhagavad-gita. What was Arjuna's great qualification? Sri Krsna says, "You are My devotee. You are

My very dear friend." Despite this qualification, Arjuna refused to

execute the meditational yoga system described by Sri Krsna. What then are we

to conclude? Are we to despair the mind's ever being controlled? No,

it can be controlled, and the process is this Krsna consciousness. The

mind must be fixed always in Krsna. Insofar as the mind is absorbed in

Krsna,

it has attained the perfection of yoga.

Now when we tum to the Srimad-Bhagavatam, in the Twelfth Canto we find Sukadeva Gosvami telling Maharaja Pariksit that in the golden

age,the Satya-yuga, people were living for one hundred thousand years,

and at that time, when advanced living entities lived for such lengths

of time, it was possible to execute this meditational system of yoga.

But what was achieved in the Satya-yuga by this meditational process,

and in

the following yuga, the Treta-yuga, by the offering of great

sacrifices, and in the next yuga, the Dvapara-yuga, by temple worship, would

be achieved at the present time, in this Kali-yuga, by simply

chanting the

names of God, hari-kirtana, Hare Krsna. So from authoritative

sources we learn that this chanting of Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna,

Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare is the embodiment

of the perfection of yoga for this age.FOR THE COMPLETE BOOK 'PERFECTION OF YOGA' & 'THE BHAGWAT GITA AS IT IS' WRITE TO ME AT chanu15 OR SIMPLY REPLY THIS MESSAGE W/OUT CHANGING THE SUBJECT.

Looking for last minute shopping deals? Find them fast with Search.

January 5, 2008

Hare Krishna

Shall we chant the word KRISHNA alone in this age.It is said that

perfection of this age will be attained by chanting the names of the

lord.

Shall we chant " KRISHNA " instead of " Hare Krishna hare krishna

Krishna Krishna hare hare Hare Rama hare Rama Rama Rama hare hare "

Shall we chant one word " KRISHNA " instead of chanting three

words " HARE,KRISHNA,RAMA " .

GOD is unique,GOD is in everything and everything in GOD,To attain

oneness with GOD or union with GOD, shall we chant any unique name of

GOD or KRISHNA.

Kindly give your suggestions.....

Hare Krishna

, Pranjal Johry

<pranjal_johry wrote:

>

> Yoga as Rejected by Arjuna

>

There have been many yoga systems popularized in the Western

> world, especially in this century, but none of them have actually

taught

> the perfection of yoga. In the Bhagavad-gita, Sri Krsna, the

Supreme Personality of Godhead, teaches Arjuna directly the

perfection of

> yoga. If we actually want to participate in the perfection of the

yoga

> system, in Bhagavad-gita we will find the authoritative statements

of the Supreme Person. It is certainly remarkable that the perfection

of yoga was taught in the middle of a battlefield. It was taught to

Arjuna, the

> warrior, just before Arjuna was to engage in a fratricidal battle.

Out of sentiment, Arjuna was thinking, " Why should I fight against

> my own kinsmen? " That reluctance to fight was due to Arjuna's

> illusion, and just to eradicate that illusion, Sri Krsna spoke the

Bhagavad-gita

> to him. One can just imagine how little time must have elapsed

while Bhagavad-gita was being spoken. All the warriors on both sides

> were poised to fight, so there was very little time indeed--at the

> utmost, one hour. Within this one hour, the whole Bhagavad-gita was

> discussed, and Sri Krsna set forth the perfection of all yoga

systems to His

> friend

>

Arjuna. At the end of this great discourse, Arjuna set aside his

misgivings and fought. However, within the discourse, when Arjuna

heard the explanation

> of the meditational system of yoga--how to sit down, how to keep the

> body straight, how to keep the eyes half-closed and how to gaze at

the

> tip of the nose without diverting one's attention, all this being

> conducted in a secluded place, alone--he replied,

>

yo 'yam yogas tvaya proktah

> samyena madhusudana

> etasyaham na pasyami

> cancalatvat sthitim sthiram

> O Madhusudana, the system of yoga which You have summarized appears

impractical and unendurable to me, for the mind is

> restless and unsteady. (Bg. 6.33) This is important. We must always

remember

> that we

>

are in a material circumstance wherein at every moment our mind is

subject to agitation. Actually we are not in a very comfortable

situation. We are always thinking that by changing our situation

> we will overcome our mental agitation, and we are always thinking

that

> when we reach a certain point, all mental agitations will

disappear. But

> it is the nature of the material world that we cannot be free from

> anxiety. Our dilemma is that we are always trying to make a

solution to our problems, but this universe is so designed that these

solutions

> never come. Not being a cheater, being very frank and open, Arjuna

tells Krsna that the system of yoga which He has described is not

possible for

> him to execute. In speaking to Krsna, it is significant that Arjuna

addresses Him as Madhusudana, indicating that the Lord is the

> killer of the demon Madhu. It is notable that God's names are

innumerable,

> for He is often named according to His activities. Indeed, God has

> innumerable

names because He has innumerable activities. We are only parts of

> God, and we cannot even remember how many activities we have

engaged in

> from our childhood to the present. The eternal God is unlimited, and

> since

His activities are also unlimited, He has unlimited names, of

> which Krsna is the chief. Then why is Arjuna addressing Him as

> Madhusudana when, being Krsna's friend, he could address Him

directly as

> Krsna? The

answer is that Arjuna considers his mind to be like a great demon,

> such as the demon Madhu. If it were possible for Krsna to kill the

> demon called the mind, then Arjuna would be able to attain the

> perfection of

yoga. " My mind is much stronger than this demon Madhu, "

> Arjuna is saying. " Please, if You could kill him, then it would be

> possible for me to execute this yoga system. " Even the mind of a

great man

> like Arjuna

>

> is always agitated. As Arjuna himself says,

>

cancalam hi manah krsna

> pramathi bala vad drdham

> tasyaham nigraham manye

> vayor iva suduskaram

> for the mind is restless, turbulent, obstinate and very strong, O

Krsna, and to subdue it is, it seems to me, more difficult than

controlling the wind. (Bg. 6.34) It is indeed a fact that the mind is

always telling us to go here, go there, do this, do that--it is

always telling us which way to

> turn. Thus the sum and substance of the yoga system is to control

the

> agitated mind. In the meditational yoga system the mind is

controlled by

> focusing on the Supersoul--that is the whole purpose of yoga. But

Arjuna

> says that controlling this mind is more difficult than stopping the

> wind from blowing. One can imagine a man stretching out his arms

trying to

> stop a hurricane. Are we to assume that Arjuna is simply not

sufficiently qualified to control his mind? The actual fact is that

we cannot

> begin to understand the immense qualifications of Arjuna. After

all, he

> was a

personal friend of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This is a

> highly elevated position and is one that cannot be at all attained

by one without great qualifications. In addition to this, Arjuna was

> renowned

as a great warrior and administrator. He was such an intelligent

> man that he could understand Bhagavad-gita within one hour, whereas

at

> the present moment great scholars cannot even understand it in the

> course of

>

a lifetime. Yet Arjuna was thinking that controlling the mind was

> simply not possible for him. Are we then to assume that what was

> impossible for Arjuna in a more advanced age is possible for us in

this

> degenerate age? We should not for one moment think that we are in

Arjuna's

> category. We are a thousand times inferior.

>

Moreover, there is no record of Arjuna's having executed the yoga

system at any time. Yet Arjuna was praised by Krsna as the only

> man worthy of understanding Bhagavad-gita. What was Arjuna's great

qualification? Sri Krsna says, " You are My devotee. You are

> My very dear friend. " Despite this qualification, Arjuna refused to

> execute the meditational yoga system described by Sri Krsna. What

then are we

> to conclude? Are we to despair the mind's ever being controlled? No,

> it can be controlled, and the process is this Krsna consciousness.

The

> mind must be fixed always in Krsna. Insofar as the mind is absorbed

in

> Krsna,

>

> it has attained the perfection of yoga.

>

Now when we tum to the Srimad-Bhagavatam, in the Twelfth Canto we

find Sukadeva Gosvami telling Maharaja Pariksit that in the golden

> age,the Satya-yuga, people were living for one hundred thousand

years,

> and at that time, when advanced living entities lived for such

lengths

> of time, it was possible to execute this meditational system of

yoga.

> But what was achieved in the Satya-yuga by this meditational

process,

> and in

the following yuga, the Treta-yuga, by the offering of great

> sacrifices, and in the next yuga, the Dvapara-yuga, by temple

worship, would

> be achieved at the present time, in this Kali-yuga, by simply

> chanting the

>

names of God, hari-kirtana, Hare Krsna. So from authoritative

> sources we learn that this chanting of Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna,

Krsna Krsna,

> Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare is the

embodiment

> of the perfection of yoga for this age.

> FOR THE COMPLETE BOOK 'PERFECTION OF YOGA' & 'THE BHAGWAT GITA AS

IT IS' WRITE TO ME AT chanu15 OR SIMPLY REPLY THIS MESSAGE W/OUT

CHANGING THE SUBJECT.

>

____________________

______________

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> Find them fast with Search.

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>

January 21, 2008

Dear Sir

We should follow in the footsteps of Great Saints and hsould chant Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Hare Hare/ Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare. The meaning of the the chanting is the that we are addressing the energy of Krishna "Hare" and the Supreme Lord Krishna as "Krishna" to engage us in his service.

Hare Krishna

Pranjal

ananthu_da <ananthu_da Sent: Saturday, January 5, 2008 11:50:35 AM Re: PERFECTION OF YOGA

Hare KrishnaShall we chant the word KRISHNA alone in this age.It is said that perfection of this age will be attained by chanting the names of the lord.Shall we chant "KRISHNA" instead of "Hare Krishna hare krishna Krishna Krishna hare hare Hare Rama hare Rama Rama Rama hare hare"Shall we chant one word "KRISHNA" instead of chanting three words "HARE,KRISHNA, RAMA".GOD is unique,GOD is in everything and everything in GOD,To attain oneness with GOD or union with GOD, shall we chant any unique name of GOD or KRISHNA.Kindly give your suggestions. ....Hare Krishna, Pranjal Johry <pranjal_johry@ ...> wrote:>> > > Yoga as Rejected by Arjuna> > >

> > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > There have been many yoga systems popularized in the Western> world, especially in this century, but none of them have actually taught> the perfection of yoga. In the Bhagavad-gita, Sri Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, teaches Arjuna directly the perfection of> yoga. If we actually want to participate in the perfection of the yoga> system, in Bhagavad-gita we will find the authoritative statements of the Supreme Person. It is certainly remarkable that the perfection of yoga was taught in the middle of a battlefield. It was taught to Arjuna, the> warrior, just before Arjuna was to

engage in a fratricidal battle. Out of sentiment, Arjuna was thinking, "Why should I fight against> my own kinsmen?" That reluctance to fight was due to Arjuna's> illusion, and just to eradicate that illusion, Sri Krsna spoke the Bhagavad-gita> to him. One can just imagine how little time must have elapsed while Bhagavad-gita was being spoken. All the warriors on both sides> were poised to fight, so there was very little time indeed--at the> utmost, one hour. Within this one hour, the whole Bhagavad-gita was> discussed, and Sri Krsna set forth the perfection of all yoga systems to His> friend> > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Arjuna. At the end of this great discourse, Arjuna set aside his misgivings and fought. However, within the discourse, when Arjuna heard the

explanation> of the meditational system of yoga--how to sit down, how to keep the> body straight, how to keep the eyes half-closed and how to gaze at the> tip of the nose without diverting one's attention, all this being> conducted in a secluded place, alone--he replied, > > > > > > > > > > > > > > yo 'yam yogas tvaya proktah> samyena madhusudana> etasyaham na pasyami> cancalatvat sthitim sthiram> O Madhusudana, the system of yoga which You have summarized appears impractical and unendurable to me, for the mind is> restless and unsteady. (Bg. 6.33) This is important. We must always remember> that we> > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >

> > > > > > > > > > > are in a material circumstance wherein at every moment our mind is subject to agitation. Actually we are not in a very comfortable situation. We are always thinking that by changing our situation> we will overcome our mental agitation, and we are always thinking that> when we reach a certain point, all mental agitations will disappear. But> it is the nature of the material world that we cannot be free from> anxiety. Our dilemma is that we are always trying to make a solution to our problems, but this universe is so designed that these solutions> never come. Not being a cheater, being very frank and open, Arjuna tells Krsna that the system of yoga which He has described is not possible for> him to execute. In speaking to Krsna, it is significant that Arjuna addresses Him as

Madhusudana, indicating that the Lord is the> killer of the demon Madhu. It is notable that God's names are innumerable,> for He is often named according to His activities. Indeed, God has> innumerable> > > > > > > names because He has innumerable activities. We are only parts of> God, and we cannot even remember how many activities we have engaged in> from our childhood to the present. The eternal God is unlimited, and> since> > > > > > > His activities are also unlimited, He has unlimited names, of> which Krsna is the chief. Then why is Arjuna addressing Him as> Madhusudana when, being Krsna's friend, he could address Him directly as> Krsna? The> > > > > > > answer is that Arjuna considers his mind to be like a great demon,>

such as the demon Madhu. If it were possible for Krsna to kill the> demon called the mind, then Arjuna would be able to attain the> perfection of> > > > > > > yoga. "My mind is much stronger than this demon Madhu,"> Arjuna is saying. "Please, if You could kill him, then it would be> possible for me to execute this yoga system." Even the mind of a great man> like Arjuna> > > > > is always agitated. As Arjuna himself says, > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > cancalam hi manah krsna > pramathi bala vad drdham > tasyaham nigraham manye> vayor iva

suduskaram> for the mind is restless, turbulent, obstinate and very strong, O Krsna, and to subdue it is, it seems to me, more difficult than controlling the wind. (Bg. 6.34) It is indeed a fact that the mind is always telling us to go here, go there, do this, do that--it is always telling us which way to> turn. Thus the sum and substance of the yoga system is to control the> agitated mind. In the meditational yoga system the mind is controlled by> focusing on the Supersoul--that is the whole purpose of yoga. But Arjuna> says that controlling this mind is more difficult than stopping the> wind from blowing. One can imagine a man stretching out his arms trying to> stop a hurricane. Are we to assume that Arjuna is simply not sufficiently qualified to control his mind? The actual fact is that we cannot> begin to understand the immense qualifications of Arjuna.

After all, he> was a> > > > > > > personal friend of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This is a> highly elevated position and is one that cannot be at all attained by one without great qualifications. In addition to this, Arjuna was> renowned> > > > > > > as a great warrior and administrator. He was such an intelligent> man that he could understand Bhagavad-gita within one hour, whereas at> the present moment great scholars cannot even understand it in the> course of> > > > > > > > > > > a lifetime. Yet Arjuna was thinking that controlling the mind was> simply not possible for him. Are we then to assume that what was> impossible for Arjuna in a more advanced age is possible for us in this> degenerate

age? We should not for one moment think that we are in Arjuna's> category. We are a thousand times inferior.> > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Moreover, there is no record of Arjuna's having executed the yoga system at any time. Yet Arjuna was praised by Krsna as the only> man worthy of understanding Bhagavad-gita. What was Arjuna's great qualification? Sri Krsna says, "You are My devotee. You are> My very dear friend." Despite this qualification, Arjuna refused to> execute the meditational yoga system described by Sri Krsna. What then are we> to conclude? Are we to despair the mind's ever being controlled? No,> it can be controlled, and the process is this Krsna consciousness. The> mind must be fixed always in Krsna. Insofar as the mind is absorbed

in> Krsna,> > > > > it has attained the perfection of yoga. > > > > > > > > > > > > Now when we tum to the Srimad-Bhagavatam, in the Twelfth Canto we find Sukadeva Gosvami telling Maharaja Pariksit that in the golden> age,the Satya-yuga, people were living for one hundred thousand years,> and at that time, when advanced living entities lived for such lengths> of time, it was possible to execute this meditational system of yoga.> But what was achieved in the Satya-yuga by this meditational process,> and in> > > > > > > the following yuga, the Treta-yuga, by the offering of great> sacrifices, and in the next yuga, the Dvapara-yuga, by temple worship, would> be achieved at the present time, in this Kali-yuga,

by simply> chanting the> > > > > > > > > names of God, hari-kirtana, Hare Krsna. So from authoritative> sources we learn that this chanting of Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna,> Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare is the embodiment> of the perfection of yoga for this age.> FOR THE COMPLETE BOOK 'PERFECTION OF YOGA' & 'THE BHAGWAT GITA AS IT IS' WRITE TO ME AT chanu15 OR SIMPLY REPLY THIS MESSAGE W/OUT CHANGING THE SUBJECT.> > > > > > > > ____________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _____________ __> Looking for last minute shopping deals? > Find them fast with Search. http://tools. search..

com/newsearch/ category. php?category= shopping>

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