****************Sarva-dvarani samyamya
**********************Mano hrdi nirudhya ca
*************Murdhny adhayatamanah pranam
***********************Asthito youga-dharanam
“The yougic situation is that of detachment from all sensusal engagements. Closing all the doors of the sense and fixing the mind on the heart and the life air at the top of the head, one establishes himself in yoga.”
One translation of the word yoga is “plus”-that is, just the opposite of minus. At the present moment, due to our materially contaminated consciousness we are minus God. When we add God to our lives, when we connect with Him, life is perfected. This process has to be finished at the time of death; therefore as long as we are alive, we have to practice approaching that point of perfection so that at the time of death when we give up this material body, we can realize the supreme.
*****Prayana-kale manasacalena*************
Bhaktya yukto yoga-balena caiva
Bhruvor madhye pranam avesya samyak
***Sa tam param purusam upaiti divyam**************
“One who, at the time of death, fixes his life air between the eyebrows and in full devotion engages himself in remembering the supreme Lord will certainly attain to the Supreme Personality of Godhead” The words prayana-kale mean “at the time of death.” Life is kind of a preparation for the final examination, which is death. If we pass that examination, we are transferred to the spiritual world. According to a very common Bengali proverb, “Whatever you do for perfection will be tested at the time of your death.”
This process by which the yogi closes the doors of the senses is technically called pratyahara, meaning “just the opposite.” Presently, our sense are engaged in seeing worldly beauty. “Just the opposite” means retracting the senses from that beauty ad seeing the beauty inside. Hearing is concentrated on the omkara sound that is within. Similarly, all the other sense are withdrawn from external activity. The mind is then concentrated on the visnu-murti within the heart(manah hrdi irudhya). The word nirudhya means “confining” the mind within the heart. When the yogi has thus withdrawn his senses and concentrated his mind, he transfer the life air to the top of the head and decides where he should go. There are innumerable planets, and beyond these planets is the spiritual world. The yogis obtain information of these planets from the Vedic literatures, just as, before coming to the United States, I obtained information about this country from books. Since all the higher planets in the spiritual world are described it the Vedic literatures, the yogi knows everything and can transfer himself to any planet he likes. How does not need a material spaceship.
Scientists have been trying fro many years to reach other planets with spaceships, but this is not the process. Maybe by this means one or two men can reach a planet, but that is not the means one or two men can reach a planet , but that is not the general process. It is not possible for everyone. Generally, if one wants to transfer himself to a higher planet , he practices this jnana-yoga system. Not the bhakti-yoga system. The system of bhakti-yoga is not used for attaining any material planet.
The devotees of krsna are not interested in any planet within this material universe, because they know that on all planets the four basic miseries exist-birth, old age, disease, and death. In the higher planets, one’s life span may be much greater than on this earth, but death is ultimately there. Therefore those who are in krsna consciousness are not interested in material life but spiritual life. Which means relief for these fourfold miseries. Those who are intelligent do not try to elevate themselves to any planet within this material world. To attain a higher planet, one has to prepare a particular type of body to enable one to live there. We cannot attain these planets by artificial , materialistic means, because a suitable body is necessary to live there. We can stay within water only a short while, but the fish does not have a body suitable for living on the land. Similarly, to enter a higher planet, one has to prepare a suitable body.
In the higher planets, six of our months are equal to one of their days, and the inhabitants of these planets live ten thousand years. This is all described in the Vedic literatures. Although the life span on these planets is very long, there is ultimately death. After ten thousand years, twenty thousand years, or million of years-it doesn’t matter-death is ultimately there.
In the very beginning of “Bhagavad-gita”, however, we learnt that we are not subject to death.
****** Na jayate mriyate va kadacin **************** Nayam bhutva bhavita na bhuyah*******************
****Ajo nitya sasvato yam purano****************************
*********Na hanyate hanyamane sarire*************
“For the soul there is never birth nor death. Nor, having once been, does he ever cease to be. He is unborn, eternal , ever-existing undying , and primeval. He is not slain when the body is slain.” Krsna thus instructs us that we are spirit soul and eternal; therefore why should we subject ourselves to birth and death? One who utilizes his intelligences can understand this. One who is situated in krsna consciousness is not interested in promotion to any planet where death exists; rather, being promoted to the spiritual sky, he receives a body just like God’s. Isvarah paramah krsna sac-cid-ananda-vigrahah. God’s body is sac-cid-ananda—eternal, full of knowledge and full of pleasure. Therefore krsna I s called the reservoir of all pleasure. If , upon leaving this body, we transfer ourselves to krsna planet or any other spiritual planet—we attain a similar body full of sac—cid—ananda.
/////////////////To be cont………. for next day//////////
From the path of perfection
HIS DIVINE GRACE
A.C. BHAKTIVEDANTA SWAMI PRABHUPADA
