Success in Yoga by Regulation...

The method of executing meditational yoga is further explained in considerable detail by Krishna to Arjuna. Sri Krishna says,

"To practice yoga, one should go to a secluded place and should lay kusa grass on the ground and then cover it with a deerskin and a soft cloth. The seat should be neither too high nor too low and should be situated in a sacred place. The yogi should then sit on it very firmly and should practice yoga by controlling the mind and the senses, purifying the heart and fixing the mind on one point." (Bg. 6.11-12)

Generally yogis sit on tigerskin or deerskin because reptiles will not crawl on such skins to disturb their meditations. It seems that in God's creation there is a use for everything. Every grass and herb has its use and serves some function, although we may not know what it is. So in Bhagavad-gita Krishna has made some provision whereby the yogi doesn't have to worry about snakes.

Having acquired a good sitting place in a secluded environment, the yogi begins to purify the atma - body, mind and soul. The yogi should not think, "Now I will try to achieve some wonderful powers." Sometimes yogis do attain certain siddhis, or powers, but these are not the purpose of yoga, and real yogis do not exhibit them. The real yogi thinks, "I am now contaminated by this material atmosphere, so now I must purify myself."

We can quickly see that controlling the mind and body is not such an easy thing and that we cannot control them as easily as we can go to the store and purchase something. But Krishna indicates that these rules can be easily followed when we are in Krishna consciousness.

Of course everyone is motivated by sex life, but sex life is not actually discouraged. We have this material body, and as long as we have it, sex desire will be there. Similarly, as long as we have the body, we must eat to maintain it, and we must sleep in order to give it rest. We cannot expect to negate these activities, but the Vedic literatures do give us guidelines for regulation in eating, sleeping, mating, etc. If we at all expect success in the yoga system, we cannot allow our unbridled senses to take us down the paths of sense objects; therefore guidelines are set up.

Lord Sri Krishna is advising that the mind can be controlled through regulation. If we do not regulate our activities, our mind will be more and more agitated. It is not that activities are to be stopped, but regulated by the mind always in Krishna consciousness. Being always engaged in some activity connected with Krishna is actual samadhi. It is not that when one is in samadhi he doesn't eat, work, sleep or enjoy himself in any way. Rather, samadhi can be defined as executing regulated activities while absorbed in the thought of Krishna.

"For one whose mind is unbridled," Krishna further says, "self-realization is difficult work." (Bg. 6.36)

Anyone knows that an unbridled horse is dangerous to ride. He can go in any direction at any speed, and his rider is likely to come to some harm. Insofar as the mind is unbridled, Krishna agrees with Arjuna that the yoga system is very difficult work indeed. "But," Krishna adds, "he whose mind is controlled and strives by right means is assured of success. That is My judgment." (Bg. 6.36) What is meant by "strives by right means"? One has to try to follow the four basic regulative principles as mentioned and execute his activities absorbed in Krishna consciousness.