 by His Divine Grace AC Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
What does it mean to practice yoga perfectly? Is it possible today?
In The Perfection of Yoga, Srila Prabhupada cuts through the commercialism that now clouds the real meaning of yoga. He explains that beyond postures and exercises, beyond even meditation and breathing techniques, the ancient teachings of yoga aim at achieving lasting loving union with the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Sri Krishna.
In the Bhagavad-gita, Sri Krishna teaches Arjuna directly the perfection of yoga. 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 he was to engage in a ghastly fratricidal battle.
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, about an hour at the most. Within the one hour, the whole Bhagavad-gita was discussed, and Sri Krishna 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 now armed with his perfection of yoga, his mind fixed upon Krishna, fought as directed by the Lord.
During the discourse earlier, when Arjuna heard the explanation of a preliminary aspect of meditational yoga called dhyana-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 to be conducted in a secluded place; he replied:
"O Madhusudana, the system of yoga which You have summarized appears impractical and unendurable to me, for the mind is restless and unsteady.
For the mind is restless, turbulent, obstinate and very strong, O Krishna, and to subdue it is, it seems to me, more difficult than controlling the wind." (Bg 6.33-34)
An important point is being raised here, referring to our 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 totally 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 problems will not vanish completely.
Arjuna said 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 then to assume that what was impossible for Arjuna in a spiritually more advanced age is possible for us in this degenerate age? We should not falsely think that we are of Arjuna's calibre. We are a thousand times inferior.
What then are we to conclude? Are we to despair the mind's ever being controlled? No, it can be controlled.
Lord Sri Krishna said: "O mighty-armed son of Kunti, it is undoubtedly very difficult to curb the restless mind, but it is possible by suitable practice and detachment." (Bg 6.35)
The secret of controlling the mind is to be ever engaged in the Lord's service, thereby the mind is invariably drawn towards and fixed upon the infallible Lord Himself. This process of always remembering Krishna and serving Krishna with love and devotion is called bhakti yoga or Krishna consciousness. Insofar as one's mind is always absorbed in Krishna in loving devotional service or bhakti yoga, one has attained the perfection of yoga. Verily, he is a bhakti yogi, the highest of all yogis.
Lord Krishna affirms this in the last verse of the chapter:
"And of all yogis, the one with great faith who always abides in Me, thinks of Me within himself, and renders transcendental loving service to Me -- he is the most intimately united with Me in yoga and is the highest of all. That is My opinion." (Bg 6.47)
56 pages, 8 color plates, 4" x 7"
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