Srimad Bhagavad Gita AS IT IS

Bhagavad Gita:   Chapter 6 - Dhyana-yoga

TEXT 6
                        bandhur atmatmanas tasya
                          yenatmaivatmana jitah
                          anatmanas tu satrutve
                         vartetatmaiva satru-vat
 
WORD FOR WORD
   bandhuh--friend; atma--the mind; atmanah--of the living entity; tasya--of him; yena--by whom; atma--the mind; eva--certainly; atmana--by the living entity; jitah--conquered; anatmanah--of one who has failed to control the mind; tu--but; satrutve--because of enmity; varteta--remains; atma eva--the very mind; satru-vat--as an enemy.
 
TRANSLATION
For him who has conquered the mind, the mind is the best of friends; but for one who has failed to do so, his mind will remain the greatest enemy.
 
PURPORT by HDG Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada:
The purpose of practicing eightfold yoga is to control the mind in order to make it a friend in discharging the human mission. Unless the mind is controlled, the practice of yoga (for show) is simply a waste of time. One who cannot control his mind lives always with the greatest enemy, and thus his life and its mission are spoiled. The constitutional position of the living entity is to carry out the order of the superior. As long as one's mind remains an unconquered enemy, one has to serve the dictations of lust, anger, avarice, illusion, etc. But when the mind is conquered, one voluntarily agrees to abide by the dictation of the Personality of Godhead, who is situated within the heart of everyone as Paramatma. Real yoga practice entails meeting the Paramatma within the heart and then following His dictation. For one who takes to Krsna consciousness directly, perfect surrender to the dictation of the Lord follows automatically.

His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

Copyright 1983 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International. Used with permission.

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Prabhupada Uvacha:
(here's some nectar, sometimes it comes in the form of Srutakirti prabhu's diary, other times from Govinda dasi's diary, Hari Sauri prabhu's Transcendental Diary, or sometimes from a letter, or other related source, but still nectar...)

Rupanuga's Empowered Preaching

I lived in the temple and attended classes during the final semester of my senior year at the University of Buffalo. Every evening after studying in the university library, I would go home to the temple and be greeted by Rupanuga, his wife, their five-year-old son, and the other students or friends who had joined. Prasadam, especially the hot dal, always tasted incredible after a day at school. Later, we would all gather around the big gas stove outside the temple room and savor "banana nectar" -- milk with mashed bananas, spiced with cinnamon, cloves, coriander, and vanilla beans sizzled in ghee before being added. We brahmacaris would then carry our sleeping bags into the temple room, crawl in, and fall asleep.

Rupanuga's Buffalo preaching success was unique and outstanding. Our La Salle St. temple was lively, with university students dropping by for morning Srimad-Bhagavatam classes, thrice-weekly evening Bhagavad-gita classes, and our Sunday feast. (It was my service to telephone all the people listed in our guestbook and invite them to the feast.) On Tuesdays and Thursdays we held a Bhakti-Yoga Class at the student union.

Rupanuga continued his program for years. By the time I left Buffalo, Trivikrama, Jagadisa, and Prahladananda had joined. Rupanuga's accredited course on the Bhagavad-gita attracted Bhagavan and Krsna Bhamini dasi to join. Gunagrahi and Kusakratha soon followed, and Romapada had already received his first BTG. Ayodhyapati, Laksmimoni dasi, Narottamananda, Nityananda, Tejiyas, Madira dasi, Satyavrata, Muktakesa, Lokavarnottama, and many others joined the Buffalo temple after I left. In addition, two other successful temples -- Detroit and Toronto -- were the direct result of Rupanuga's Buffalo preaching success.

The mood in Buffalo, and throughout the movement at this time, was to follow Prabhupada's fearless preaching spirit. Prabhupada had directly inspired us by his example and words. He wrote to Brahmananda in 1967:

I have read your statements regarding opening centers. I am not in agreement with Mr. Altman that we are expanding very thinly. In my opinion, a single sincere soul can maintain a center. You know I started the center at 26 Second Avenue alone. I took the risk of 200.00 dollars per month for the rent. At that time there were no assistants. Mukunda was at that time a friend, but there was no responsibility for him for maintaining the center. Gradually Kirtanananda and Hayagriva joined, but they did not take any responsibility. Still I was maintaining the establishment simply depending on Krishna and then Krishna sent me everything -- men and money. Similarly, if a sincere soul goes out and opens a center in any part of the world, Krishna will help him in all respects. Without being empowered by Krishna, nobody can preach Krishna consciousness. It is not academic qualification or financial strength that helps in these matters, but it is sincerity of purpose which helps us always. Therefore, I wish that you will remain in charge of New York, let Satsvarupa be in charge of Boston, let Mukunda be in charge of San Francisco, let Janardana be in charge of Montreal. Let Nandarani and Dayananda be in charge of Los Angeles, and let Subala das be in charge of Santa Fe. In this way you will follow my example as I did in the beginning at 26 Second Ave. That is preaching, cooking, writing, talking, chanting, everything one man's show. I never thought about the audience. I was prepared to chant if there was no man to hear me. The principle of chanting is to glorify the Lord and not to attract a crowd. If Krishna hears nicely then He will ask some sincere devotees to gather in such place. Therefore, be advised that thousands of centers may be started if we find out a sincere soul for each and every center. We do not require more men to start. If there is one sincere soul that is sufficient to start a new center. Let us remain sincere to Krishna and His bona fide representative and we are sure to carry out our mission successfully. Hope you are well.

Your ever well-wisher,
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

- From the "My Glorious Master" by HG Bhurijana dasa

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Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
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Listen to Srila Prabhupad on-line
....a different lecture, morning walk, conversation or class daily.

"From Pretension to Purity"

>>> Ref. VedaBase => Bhagavad-gita 3.6-10 -- Los Angeles, December 23, 1968

Listen to the entire lecture on-line:
http://prabhupadaradio.com/M3U/Gita/m3u/GT111.m3u

Prabhupada: Hare Krsna. Yes, read. Which verse? Go on.

Sudama: "One who restrains the senses and organs of action but whose mind dwells on sense objects certainly deludes himself and is called a pretender [Bg. 3.6]."

Prabhupada: Yes. This is very important thing. Yoga indriya-samyamya. Yoga, the definition of yoga means sense control, controlling the sense. So here Krsna says that you cannot control your senses artificially. It is not possible. Those who are trying... Just like some of the yogis, they close their eyes, "Oh, I'll not see beautiful woman." That is another practice, but that does not mean that he can control his senses. No. You cannot curb down the natural force of sense. This is the secret. People do not know. And if you let the senses go on in its own way, that is also dangerous. Then you are going to hell. Adanta-gobhir visatam tamisram. If your senses are not controlled, then your senses will drag you to the darkest region of hell. That is another problem.

Generally, in the material world, adanta -- adanta means uncontrolled, go -- go means senses. Adanta-gobhir visatam tamisram punah punas carvita-carvananam [SB 7.5.30]. Simply repeating, chewing the chewed. The whole history of the world, you just study, is a history of sense gratification. Just take, for example, some twenty years ago one Mr. Adolf Hitler came in the scene, and there was great upheaval as war in Europe and America. From 1933 to 1947 or something like that, the whole world was in trouble. But he is gone, finished. And what did he do? Sense gratification, that's all. He wanted that this way government should be, according to his own sense. Another person, just like Mr. Churchill or your President Roosevelt, they said "No. The sense gratification should not be like that. The sense gratification should be like this." (laughter) So it is the war of sense gratification, that's all. One leader is presenting a program of sense gratification, another leader is presenting another program of sense gratification, and there is clash. This is going on. This is the history of the world.

And another class, they are thinking "Oh, there are so much trouble simply for sense gratification. Let us control our senses." Brahma satyam jagan mithya, just like Mayavadi philosophers, Sankaracarya. They say this world is useless. This world is useless. Only Brahman, the Supreme Brahman, impersonal Brahman, that is truth. That is also another sense gratification. That is bigger sense gratification. Why? These Mayavadi philosophers, they want to merge into the existence of the Supreme One. That means by becoming Hitler, Churchill or Roosevelt, their senses were not very much satisfied. "Now," they say, "this world is false. Now let me become the Supreme." That is another sense gratification.

So this world, without Krsna consciousness, is simply sense gratification. That's all. One may present in one way, another may present in another way, but it is sense gratification. Therefore the so-called yogis, fifteen minutes meditation or, say, fifteen hours meditation or fifteen months meditation, but as soon as meditation finished -- sense gratification. That's all.

So this sense gratification program is very strong. And so long you will indulge in sense gratification, the repetition of birth and death will go on. The repetition of birth. This body...Bhagavata says that these people are working for sense gratification. Nunam pramattah. Pramattah means mad after sense gratification. Kurute vikarma. And for sense gratification, they are acting so abominably that it is not to be uttered. Kurute vikarma yad indriya-pritaya aprnoti. They have engaged their life in sense gratification. Na sadhu manye, oh this is not good. This is not good.

Why? Yata, because, atmanah, the spirit soul, atmano 'yam... Asann api klesada asa dehah [SB 5.5.4]. This body is temporary, but so long this body is there, you'll have to suffer. What is that suffering? The sum total of suffering is birth, death, old age and disease. This is due to this body. Therefore the problem is how to stop this material body, repetition. Today I have got this body, Indian, tomorrow I may get American, next birth... Tomorrow means next birth. Next birth another, next birth another, next birth another -- it is going on. Going on. There is no stoppage, this transmigration of the soul.

But so long you do not stop it, there is no question of being freed from sufferings. They do not know it. They are thinking they are advancing. What advancement you have made? These sufferings are there -- birth, death, old age and disease. You cannot stop it. Abrahma-bhuvanal lokah, and even you go to this moon planet or to the highest planet, these four things will follow. So therefore sense gratification must be stopped. But if you want to stop it artificially it is impossible. Neither by this yoga process, neither by this jnana process. Simply for the time being you can check.

Just like a naughty boy. By force, you can stop him acting mischievously. But as soon as he gets opportunity, again he will act so. Similarly, senses are very strong. You cannot stop them artificially. Therefore the only remedy is Krsna consciousness. These boys in Krsna consciousness, this is also sense gratification, eating nice prasada, dancing, chanting, reading philosophy -- but it is in connection with Krsna. That is the significance. Nirbandhah krsna-sambandhe. It is the sense gratification of Krsna. Not directly, but because I am part and parcel of Krsna, my senses are automatically satisfied. This process should be adopted. Artificially...

continued.......................

Kåñëa says in Bhagavad-gétä (9.27):

yat karoñi yad açnäsi
yaj juhoñi dadäsi yat
yat tapasyasi kaunteya
tat kuruñva mad-arpaëam

"O son of Kunté, all that you do, all that you eat, all that you offer and give away, as well as all austerities that you may perform, should be done as an offering unto Me."

patraà puñpaà phalaà toyaà
yo me bhaktyä prayacchati
tad ahaà bhakty-upahåtam
açnämi prayatätmanaù

SYNONYMS
patram—a leaf; puñpam—a flower; phalam—a fruit; toyam—water; yaù—whoever; me—unto Me; bhaktyä—with devotion; prayacchati—offers; tat—that; aham—I; bhakti-upahåtam—offered in devotion; açnämi—accept; prayata-ätmanaù—from one in pure consciousness.

TRANSLATION
If one offers Me with love and devotion a leaf, a flower, fruit or water, I will accept it.

PURPORT
For the intelligent person, it is essential to be in Kåñëa consciousness, engaged in the transcendental loving service of the Lord, in order to achieve a permanent, blissful abode for eternal happiness. The process of achieving such a marvelous result is very easy and can be attempted even by the poorest of the poor, without any kind of qualification. The only qualification required in this connection is to be a pure devotee of the Lord. It does not matter what one is or where one is situated. The process is so easy that even a leaf or a little water or fruit can be offered to the Supreme Lord in genuine love and the Lord will be pleased to accept it. No one, therefore, can be barred from Kåñëa consciousness, because it is so easy and universal. Who is such a fool that he does not want to be Kåñëa conscious by this simple method and thus attain the highest perfectional life of eternity, bliss and knowledge? Kåñëa wants only loving service and nothing more. Kåñëa accepts even a little flower from His pure devotee. He does not want any kind of offering from a nondevotee. He is not in need of anything from anyone, because He is self-sufficient, and yet He accepts the offering of His devotee in an exchange of love and affection. To develop Kåñëa consciousness is the highest perfection of life. Bhakti is mentioned twice in this verse in order to declare more emphatically that bhakti, or devotional service, is the only means to approach Kåñëa. No other condition, such as becoming a brähmaëa, a learned scholar, a very rich man or a great philosopher, can induce Kåñëa to accept some offering. Without the basic principle of bhakti, nothing can induce the Lord to agree to accept anything from anyone. Bhakti is never causal. The process is eternal. It is direct action in service to the absolute whole.
Here Lord Kåñëa, having established that He is the only enjoyer, the primeval Lord and the real object of all sacrificial offerings, reveals what types of sacrifices He desires to be offered. If one wishes to engage in devotional service to the Supreme in order to be purified and to reach the goal of life—the transcendental loving service of God—then one should find out what the Lord desires of him. One who loves Kåñëa will give Him whatever He wants, and he avoids offering anything which is undesirable or unasked. Thus meat, fish and eggs should not be offered to Kåñëa. If He desired such things as offerings, He would have said so. Instead He clearly requests that a leaf, fruit, flowers and water be given to Him, and He says of this offering, "I will accept it." Therefore, we should understand that He will not accept meat, fish and eggs. Vegetables, grains, fruits, milk and water are the proper foods for human beings and are prescribed by Lord Kåñëa Himself. Whatever else we eat cannot be offered to Him, since He will not accept it. Thus we cannot be acting on the level of loving devotion if we offer such foods.
In the Third Chapter, verse thirteen, Çré Kåñëa explains that only the remains of sacrifice are purified and fit for consumption by those who are seeking advancement in life and release from the clutches of the material entanglement. Those who do not make an offering of their food, He says in the same verse, are eating only sin. In other words, their every mouthful is simply deepening their involvement in the complexities of material nature. But preparing nice, simple vegetable dishes, offering them before the picture or Deity of Lord Kåñëa and bowing down and praying for Him to accept such a humble offering enables one to advance steadily in life, to purify the body, and to create fine brain tissues which will lead to clear thinking. Above all, the offering should be made with an attitude of love. Kåñëa has no need of food, since He already possesses everything that be, yet He will accept the offering of one who desires to please Him in that way. The important element, in preparation, in serving and in offering, is to act with love for Kåñëa.

What's in the Scriptures Against Killing and Meat-Eating
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http://www.hknet.org.nz/Vege-How2ArguNO-M.html

Hindu scripture speaks clearly and forcefully on nonkilling and vegetarianism. In the ancient Rig Veda, we read: "O vegetable, be succulent, wholesome, strengthening; and thus, body, be fully grown." The Yajur Veda summarily dictates: "Do not injure the beings living on the earth, in the air and in the water." The beautiful Tirukural, a widely-read 2,000-year-old masterpiece of ethics, speaks of conscience: "When a man realizes that meat is the butchered flesh of another creature, he must abstain from eating it." The Manu Samhita advises: "Having well considered the origin of flesh and the cruelty of fettering and slaying of corporeal beings, let one entirely abstain from eating flesh." In the yoga-infused verses of the Tirumantiram, warning is given of how meat-eating holds the mind in gross, adharmic states: "The ignoble ones who eat flesh, death's agents bind them fast and push them quick into the fiery jaws of hell (Naraka, lower consciousness)." The roots of noninjury, nonkilling and nonconsumption of meat are found in the Vedas, agamas, Upanishads, Dharma Shastras, Tirumurai, Yoga Sutras and dozens of other sacred texts of Hinduism. Here is a select collection.

Vedas and agamas, Hinduism's Revealed Scriptures
LET YOUR AIMS BE COMMON, and your hearts be of one accord, and all of you be of one mind, so you may live well together.
Rig Veda Samhita 10.191

Protect both our species, two-legged and four-legged. Both food and water for their needs supply. May they with us increase in stature and strength. Save us from hurt all our days, O Powers!
Rig Veda Samhita 10.37.11. VE, 319

One who partakes of human flesh, the flesh of a horse or of another animal, and deprives others of milk by slaughtering cows, O King, if such a fiend does not desist by other means, then you should not hesitate to cut off his head.
Rig Veda Samhita, 10.87.16, FS 90

Peaceful be the earth, peaceful the ether, peaceful heaven, peaceful the waters, peaceful the herbs, peaceful the trees. May all Gods bring me peace. May there be peace through these invocations of peace. With these invocations of peace which appease everything, I render peaceful whatever here is terrible, whatever here is cruel, whatever here is sinful. Let it become auspicious, let everything be beneficial to us.
Atharva Veda Samhita 10. 191. 4

Those noble souls who practice meditation and other yogic ways, who are ever careful about all beings, who protect all animals, are the ones who are actually serious about spiritual practices.
Atharva Veda Samhita 19.48.5. FS, 90

If we have injured space, the earth or heaven, or if we have offended mother or father, from that may Agni, fire of the house, absolve us and guide us safely to the world of goodness.
Atharva Veda Samhita 6.120.1. VE, 636

You must not use your God-given body for killing God's creatures, whether they are human, animal or whatever.
Yajur Veda Samhita 12.32. FS, 90May all beings look at me with a friendly eye. May I do likewise, and may we all look on each other with the eyes of a friend.
Yajur Veda 36.18.

Nonviolence is all the offerings. Renunciation is the priestly honorarium. The final purification is death. Thus all the Divinities are established in this body.
Krishna Yajur Veda, Prana Upanishad 46-8. VE, 413-14

To the heavens be peace, to the sky and the earth; to the waters be peace, to plants and all trees; to the Gods be peace, to Brahman be peace, to all men be peace, again and again-peace also to me! O earthen vessel, strengthen me. May all beings regard me with friendly eyes! May I look upon all creatures with friendly eyes! With a friend's eye may we regard each other!
Shukla Yajur Veda Samhita 36.17-18. VE, 306; 342

No pain should be caused to any created being or thing.
Devikalottara agama, JAV 69-79. RM, 116

The Mahabharata and Bhagavad Gita, Epic History
The very name of the cows is aghnya, indicating that they should never be slaughtered. Who, then could slay them? Surely, one who kills a cow or a bull commits the most heinous crime.
Mahabharata, Shantiparva 262.47. FS,pg. 94

The purchaser of flesh performs himsa (violence) by his wealth; he who eats flesh does so by enjoying its taste; the killer does himsa by actually tying and killing the animal. Thus, there are three forms of killing: he who brings flesh or sends for it, he who cuts off the limbs of an animal, and he who purchases, sells or cooks flesh and eats it -all of these are to be considered meat-eaters.
Mahabharata, Anu. 115.40. FS, pg 90

He who desires to augment his own flesh by eating the flesh of other creatures lives in misery in whatever species he may take his birth.
Mahabharata, Anu. 115.47. FS, pg. 90

One should never do that to another which one regards as injurious to one's own self. This, in brief, is the rule of dharma. Yielding to desire and acting differently, one becomes guilty of adharma.
Mahabharata 18.113.8.

Those high-souled persons who desire beauty, faultlessness of limbs, long life, understanding, mental and physical strength and memory should abstain from acts of injury.
Mahabharata 18.115.8.

Ahimsa is the highest dharma. Ahimsa is the best tapas. Ahimsa is the greatest gift. Ahimsa is the highest self-control. Ahimsa is the highest sacrifice. Ahimsa is the highest power. Ahimsa is the highest friend. Ahimsa is the highest truth. Ahimsa is the highest teaching.
Mahabharata 18.116.37-41.

He who sees that the Lord of all is ever the same in all that is-immortal in the field of mortality-he sees the truth. And when a man sees that the God in himself is the same God in all that is, he hurts not himself by hurting others. Then he goes, indeed, to the highest path.
Bhagavad Gita 13. 27-28. BgM, pg. 101

Nonviolence, truth, freedom from anger, renunciation, serenity, aversion to fault-finding, sympathy for all beings, peace from greedy cravings, gentleness, modesty, steadiness, energy, forgiveness, fortitude, purity, a good will, freedom from pride-these belong to a man who is born for heaven.
Bhagavad Gita 16.2-3. BGM, pg. 109

Tirumantiram and other Scriptures
Many are the lovely flowers of worship offered to the Guru, but none lovelier than non-killing. Respect for life is the highest worship, the bright lamp, the sweet garland and unwavering devotion.
Tirumantiram 197

SPIRITUAL MERIT and sin are our own making. The killer of other lives is an outcast. Match your words with your conduct. Steal not, kill not, indulge not in self-praise, condemn not others to their face.
Lingayat Vachanas

AHIMSA IS NOT CAUSING pain to any living being at any time through the actions of one's mind, speech or body. Sandilya UpanishadWhen mindstuff is firmly based in waves of ahimsa, all living beings cease their enmity in the presence of such a person.
Yoga Sutras 2.35. YP, pg. 205

Those who are ignorant of real dharma and, though wicked and haughty, account themselves virtuous, kill animals without any feeling of remorse or fear of punishment. Further, in their next lives, such sinful persons will be eaten by the same creatures they have killed in this world.
Shrimad Bhagavatam 11.5.4. FS, pg, 90

The Tirukural, Preeminent Ethical Scripture
Perhaps nowhere is the principle of nonmeat-eating so fully and eloquently expressed as in the Tirukural, written in the Tamil language by a simple weaver saint in a village near Madras over 2,000 years ago. Considered the world's greatest ethical scripture, it is sworn on in South Indian courts of law.It is the principle of the pure in heart never to injure others, even when they themselves have been hatefully injured. What is virtuous conduct? It is never destroying life, for killing leads to every other sin.
312; 321, TW

Harming others, even enemies who harmed you unprovoked, assures incessant sorrow. The supreme principle is this: never knowingly harm any one at any time in any way.
313; 317, TW

What is the good way? It is the path that reflects on how it may avoid killing any living creature. Refrain from taking precious life from any living being, even to save your own life.
324; 327, TW

How can he practice true compassion Who eats the flesh of an animal to fatten his own flesh?
TK 251, TW

Riches cannot be found in the hands of the thriftless. Nor can compassion be found in the hearts of those who eat meat.
TK 252, TW

Goodness is never one with the minds of these two: one who wields a weapon and one who feasts on a creature's flesh.
TK 253, TW

If you ask, "What is kindness and what is unkind?" it is not killing and killing. Thus, eating flesh is never virtuous.
TK 254, TW

Life is perpetuated by not eating meat.The clenched jaws of hell hold those who do.
TK 255, TW

If the world did not purchase and consume meat, there would be none to slaughter and offer meat for sale.
TK 256, TW

When a man realizes that meat is the butchered flesh of another creature, he must abstain from eating it.
TK 257, TW

Perceptive souls who have abandoned passion will not feed on flesh abandoned by life.
TK 258, TW

Greater than a thousand ghee offerings consumed in sacrificial fires is to not sacrifice and consume any living creature.
TK 259, TW

All that lives will press palms together in prayerful adoration of those who refuse to slaughter and savor meat.
TK 260, TW