The Essence of All Yoga Systems...

In the Sixth Chapter of Bhagavad-gita, Sri Krishna instructs Arjuna how to perform meditational yoga, but Arjuna rejects this as too difficult. How then is Arjuna considered to be a great yogi? Although Krishna saw that Arjuna was rejecting the meditational system, He proclaimed Arjuna to be the highest yogi because "You are always thinking of Me."

Thinking of Krishna is the essence of all yoga systems - of the hatha, karma, jnana, bhakti or any other system of yoga, sacrifice or charity. All the recommended activities for spiritual realization end in Krishna consciousness, in thinking always of Krishna.

The actual perfection of human life lies in being always Krishna conscious and always being aware of Krishna while performing all types of activities.

In the preliminary stage one is advised to always work for Krishna. One must be always searching out some duty or some engagement, for it is a bad policy to remain idle even for a second. When one actually becomes advanced through such engagements, then he may not work physically, but he is always engaged within by constantly thinking of Krishna. In the preliminary stage, however, one is always advised to engage one's senses in the service of Krishna. There are a variety of activities one can perform in serving Krishna. The International Society for Krishna Consciousness is intended to help direct aspirant devotees in these activities.

For those working in Krishna consciousness, there are simply not enough hours in the day to serve Krishna. There are always activities, engagements both day and night, which the student of Krishna consciousness performs joyfully. That is the stage of real happiness - constant engagement for Krishna and spreading Krishna consciousness around the world.

In the material world one may become very tired if he works all the time, but if one works in Krishna consciousness, he can chant Hare Krishna and engage in devotional service twenty-four hours a day and never get tired.

But if we vibrate some mundane vibration, then we soon become exhausted. There is no question of becoming tired on the spiritual platform. The spiritual platform is absolute. In the material world everyone is working for sense gratification. The profits of one's labor in the material world are used to gratify one's senses. But a real yogi does not desire such fruits. He has no desire other than Krishna, and Krishna is already there.