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ANNOUNCER: The following is a
class on the Bhagavad-gītā As It
Is, 6th chapter, text number 25
through 29, given by His Divine
Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
Prabhupāda, recorded in
February of 1969 in Los Angeles.

DEVOTEE: “Gradually, step by
step, with full conviction, one
should become situated in trance
by means of intelligence, and
thus the mind should be fixed on
the Self alone and should think
of nothing else.”

PRABHUPĀDA: Yes. The self, the
mind should be fixed in self. We
are self and Kṛṣṇa is also self. So,
just like if you fix up your eyes on
the sun, then you can see the sun
and yourself also. Sometimes in
dense darkness we cannot see
ourself also. That you have
experienced. So I cannot see my
body in dense darkness.
Although body is with me, I am
the body or I am whatever I am, I
cannot see myself. That you have
got experience. So if you are in
the sunshine, sunlight, then you
see the sun as well as yourself. Is
it not? Therefore to see the self
means first of all see the
Supreme Self. The Supreme Self
is Kṛṣṇa. In the Vedas it is said,
Kaṭhopaniṣad, nityo nityānāṁ
cetanaś cetanānām. The Supreme
Self is the chief eternal of all
eternals. He is the chief living
being of all living beings. So this
Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement
means to fix up in self. To, the
same example. If you fix up your
mind in Kṛṣṇa, then you can fix
up your mind in everything. The
same example again, if you take
care of your stomach, then you
take care of all the bodily limbs.
If your stomach is supplied nice
nutritious food, the stomach is
cleared of all disturbances then
you keep good health. So if you
pour water in the root of the tree,
then you take care of all the
branches, leaves, flowers, twigs,
everything, automatically.

So if you take care of Kṛṣṇa then
you do the best service to all
others. Automatically. These
boys, they are going with kīrtana
party. Because they are Kṛṣṇa
conscious, it is not that they are
sitting idly in this temple. They
are going outside, preaching this
philosophy so that others may
take advantage of it. So a Kṛṣṇa
conscious person cannot sit idly.
He thinks that such a nice
philosophy of life, why it should
not be distributed. That is his
mission. A yogi may be satisfied
with his own elevation. He is
sitting in a secluded place,
practicing yoga, elevating himself
to transcendental life. That is his
personal concern. But a devotee
is not satisfied simply elevating
himself, his personal. We offer
our respect to the Vaiṣṇavas:

vāñchā-kalpatarubhyaś ca kṛpā-
sindhubhya eva ca patitānāṁ
pāvanebhyo vaiṣṇavebhyo namo
namaḥ

Vaiṣṇava is he, devotee is he who
is very compassionate to these
conditioned souls. Kṛpā-
sindhubhya eva ca. Kṛpā means
mercy, and sindhu means ocean.
A devotee is ocean of mercy. He
wants to distribute the mercy.

Just like Lord Jesus Christ, he was
God conscious, Kṛṣṇa conscious
but he was not satisfied in
himself. If he would have
continued his God consciousness
alone, he would not have met
crucification. But, no. He wanted
to take care of others also, the
others should be God conscious.
Others should be Kṛṣṇa
conscious. He was forbidden by
the king not to do that. So at the
risk of his life he did it. That is the
nature of devotee. Therefore the
preacher devotee is the most
dearest devotee of Lord. That is
stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. They
are going outside, they are
preaching, they are meeting
opposing elements. Sometimes
they are defeated, sometimes
disappointed, sometimes able to
convince, there are different
kinds of people. So, not that
every devotee is very well
equipped. There are three classes
of devotees also. But that
endeavor, that “I shall go and
preach Kṛṣṇa consciousness,” is
the best service to the Lord.
Because they are trying in
opposition to elevate people to
the highest standard of self-
realization.

So one who has seen, one who is
in trance of self-realization, he
cannot sit idly. He must come
out. He, just like Rāmānujācārya.
He declared the mantra publicly.
His spiritual master said that this
mantra, just like that Maharishi
came in your country. He wanted
to give some private mantra. If
that mantra has any power, why
it should be private? If at all the
mantra has any, why not it
should be publicly declared so
that everyone can take
advantage of that mantra? That is
real. It is cheating, you see? So
here is no cheating process. We
say that this mahā-mantra can
save you, we are distributing
publicly, no. Free, without any
charge. But people are so fools,
they are not prepared to take
this. They’ll hanker after that
mantra, after Maharishi. Pay
thirty-five dollars and take some
private mantra, you see? So
people want to be cheated. And
here, Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, these
people are preaching without
any charge, declaring in the
street, park, everywhere, “Come
on, take it.” “Oh, this is not
good.” This is māyā, this is called
illusion. This is spell of māyā. And
if you charge something, if you
bluff, if you cheat, oh, people will
follow.

Sacha bole tomare lata… jagat
harai dhana kali-yuga dukha
lalge haspai (?). This is a Hindi
verse by one devotee that this
Kali-yuga is so abominable that if
you speak truth, then people will
come with some rod to beat you.
But if you cheat them, bluff them.
they’ll be bewildered (?), they’ll
like it. If I say I’m God, people will
say, “Oh, here is Swamiji, God.”
They won’t inquire, that “How
you have become God? What is
the symptom of God? Have you
got all the symptoms?” Nobody
inquires. So these things happen.
Unless one is not fixed up in the
self, unless one does not
understand what is real self,
unless one does not understand
what is Superself. So, yoga means
to understand this self-realizing
process. That is yoga. Go on.

DEVOTEE: Verse twenty-six:
“From whatever and wherever
the mind wanders due to its
flickering and unsteady nature,
one must certainly withdraw it
and bring it back under the
control of the Self.”

PRABHUPĀDA: This is the
process. This is yoga system.
Suppose you are trying to
concentrate your mind on Kṛṣṇa,
and your mind is diverted, going
somewhere, in some cinema
house. So you should withdraw,
“Not there, please, here.” This is
practice of yoga. Not to allow the
mind to go away from Kṛṣṇa. If
you can practice this simply.
Don’t allow the mind to go away
from Kṛṣṇa and because we
cannot fix up our mind sitting in
one place in Kṛṣṇa, that requires
very high training. To sit down in
a place and always fix up in Kṛṣṇa
the mind, that is not very easy
job. One who is not practiced to
it, if he simply imitates, then he
will be confused. We have to
engage ourself always in Kṛṣṇa
consciousness. Everything we do
must be dovetailed in Kṛṣṇa. Our
usual activities should be molded
that it has to do everything for
Kṛṣṇa. Then your mind will be
fixed up in Kṛṣṇa. Artificially when
you are not advanced if you try
to fix up your mind in Kṛṣṇa, that
yoga practice as it is
recommended here, that you
have to sit down in this way,
straight, you have to concentrate
your eyesight on the tip of the
nose in a secluded sacred place.
But where are these chances? At
the present moment, where is
the chance of all these facilities?

Therefore this is the only
method. That you chant loudly
and hear. Hare Kṛṣṇa. If your
mind is in other things it will be
forced to concentrate on the
sound vibration “Kṛṣṇa.” You
haven’t got to withdraw your
mind from other, automatically it
will be withdrawn because the
sound is there. (sound of car
going by) Just like the motor car
sound is going on. Automatically
your attention is diverted there.
Similarly if we chant Hare Kṛṣṇa,
so automatically my mind will be
fixed up. Otherwise I’m
accustomed to fix up my mind in
so many things. So yoga practice
means to withdraw the mind and
again fix up in Kṛṣṇa. So this
vibration of chanting
automatically helps us in that
yoga practice. Go on.

DEVOTEE: “Purport: The nature of
the mind is flickering and
unsteady. But a self-realized yogi
has to control the mind; the mind
should not control him.”

PRABHUPĀDA: Yes. That is the
yoga success. At the present
moment the mind is controlling
me, go-dāsa. Mind is dictating
me that, “Please, why not see
that beautiful nice girl,” and I go
and… “Why not drink that nice
liquor?” “Yes.” “Why not smoke
this nice cigarette?” “Yes.” “Why
not go to the restaurant, nice.”
“Why not do this.” So many
things is dictating, and we are
following. So this present stage is
I am controlled by the mind. The
material life means one is
controlled by the mind or by the
senses. Mind is the center of all
senses. So to be controlled by
the mind means to be controlled
by the senses. Senses are
subordinate assistants to the
master mind. Master mind
dictates, “Go and see that.” My
eyes sees. Therefore my eyes, the
sense eye is under the direction
of the mind. My legs go.
Therefore my sense organ the leg
is under the direction of the
mind. So to become under the
direction of the mind means to
become under the direction of
the senses. So if you can control
the mind then you’ll not be
under the control of the senses.

So one who is under the control
of the senses, he is go-dāsa. Go
means senses and dāsa means
servant. And one who is master
of the senses, he’s gosvāmī.
Svāmī means master and go
means senses. You have seen the
gosvāmī title. Gosvāmī title
means one who is the master of
the sense. One who is not the
servant of the sense, so long one
is servant of the senses, he
cannot be called a gosvāmī or
svāmī. Svāmī or gosvāmī, the
same thing, means one who is
the master of the senses. So
unless one is not master of the
senses, his accepting this title of
svāmī and gosvāmī is cheating.
One must be master of the
senses. That is defined by Rūpa
Gosvāmī. Gosvāmī, Rūpa
Gosvāmī. They were ministers.
When they were ministers they
were not gosvāmī. But when they
became disciples of Lord
Caitanya, Sanātana Gosvāmī and
Rūpa Gosvāmī, and was trained
by Him, they became gosvāmī.

So gosvāmī is not a hereditary
title. It is a qualification. Under
the direction of spiritual master.
One who attains perfection in
controlling the senses, he is
called svāmī or gosvāmī. So one
has to become svāmī, gosvāmī.
Then he can become spiritual
master. Without being svāmī or
master of the senses, to become
a spiritual master is bogus. That
is also defined by Rūpa Gosvāmī.
He says

vāco vegaṁ manasaḥ krodha-
vegaṁ jihvā-vegam
udaropastha-vegam etān vegān
yo viṣaheta dhīraḥ sarvām
apīmāṁ pṛthivīṁ sa śiṣyāt

He says there are six impetus,
pushing, vegam. Pushing. Vegam,
you can understand, just like you
are called by nature, you have to
go to the toilet room. You cannot
check. You have to answer. That
is called vegam, pushing. So
there are six vegam, pushing.
What is that? Vāco vegam.
Vegam, pushing of talking.
Unnecessarily talking. That is
called pushing of the talks.
Krodha-vegam. There is
sometimes pushing of the anger.
If I am very much angry I cannot
check myself. I do something
which I ought not to do.
Sometimes in anger kills his own
men. This is called vegam,
pushing. So pushing of the
talking, pushing of the anger.
Similarly pushing of the mind.
Mind dictates, “You must go at
once there.” Immediately.
Pushing of the talking, pushing
of the mind, pushing of the
anger. Then jihvā-vegam. Jihvā-
vegam means tongue. I want to
taste such nice things. Some
sweetballs or something else
which I like very much. So one
has to control this. One has to
control his talking unnecessarily.
One has to control his mind,
dictation of mind. The yoga
practice only on the mind. But
our Kṛṣṇa conscious practice …
except mind there are so many
other things.

Just like anger, tongue. then
jihvā-vegam. Then udara-vegam.
From tongue come little down.
Udara means belly. The belly is
already filled up, still I want to fill
it more. That is called vegam,
pushing of the belly. And when
there is so much pushing of the
tongue and pushing of the belly,
the next underneath the genital,
there is force of the genital. Then
I require some sex. If I eat more,
if I use my tongue unnecessarily,
if I allow my mind to do anything
and everything, then I cannot
check my genital also. There will
be sex urge which I cannot check.
In this way there are so many
pushing. Rūpa Gosvāmī says one
who has control over all this
pushing machine, he can become
spiritual master. Not that spiritual
master is manufactured. One has
to learn this. How to check the
pushing of these things. Etān
vegān yo viṣaheta dhīraḥ. One
who can control over these
pushing and remain dhīraḥ,
steady, pṛthivīṁ sa śiṣyāt: He can
make disciples all over the world.
Open. Yes.

So everything depends on
training. That is yoga system.
Yoga means the whole yoga
system means training. Our
senses, our mind, our, this, that
so many things. Then we are
fixed up in the self. Do you think
that simply by fifteen minutes
meditation we realize. And do all
nonsense all the day? No. It
requires training. You are going
to solve the problems of life and
you want to do it very cheap? No,
then you’ll be cheated. You have
to pay for it. If you want the
nicest thing then you have to pay
for it. But by the grace of Lord
Caitanya, the payment has been
made very easy. Chant Hare
Kṛṣṇa. Everything becomes very
easy. All this controlling system,
perfection of yoga system,
becomes very easy. That is the
mercy of Lord Caitanya. Ih ā haite
sarva-siddhi haibe tomāra. Lord
Caitanya has blessed that if you
follow this principle, chanting,
then you’ll get all the perfection
of self-realization. That is a fact.

So for this age, when people are
so much fallen, no other process
will be successful. This process is
the only process. It is very easy
and sublime and effective and
practical, and one can realize
oneself. Pratyakṣāvagamaṁ
dharmyam. In the Bhagavad-gītā
it is said that you can practically
experience. In other system, you
do not practically experience how
far you are making progress. But
this system, if you follow, for a
few days, you realize, “Yes, I am
making progress.” Just like if you
eat, you understand that your
hunger is satisfied. Similarly
actually if you follow this
principle of Kṛṣṇa consciousness
movement, you’ll see yourself
that you are advancing in the
matter of self-realization. Go on.

DEVOTEE: “One who controls the
mind, therefore the senses as
well, is called gosvāmī or svāmī.
One who is controlled by the
mind is called go-dāsa or the
servant of the senses. A gosvāmī
knows the standard of sense
happiness. In transcendental
sense happiness, the senses are
engaged in the service of
Hṛṣīkeśa or the supreme owner
of the senses—Kṛṣṇa. Serving
Kṛṣṇa with purified senses is
called Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That
is the way of bringing the senses
under full control. What is more,
that is the highest perfection of
yoga practice.” Verse 27: “The
yogi whose mind is fixed on Me
verily attains the highest
pleasure. By virtue of his identity
with Brahman, he is liberated, his
mind is peaceful, his passions are
quieted, and he is freed from
sin.” Twenty-eight: “Steady in the
Self, being freed from all material
contamination, the yogi achieves
the highest perfectional stage of
happiness in touch with the
Supreme Consciousness.”

PRABHUPĀDA: So here is the
perfect. “The yogi whose mind is
fixed on Me.” Me means Kṛṣṇa.
Kṛṣṇa is speaking. If I am
speaking, “Give me a glass of
water.” It does not mean that the
water should be supplied to
somebody else. Similarly, the
Bhagavad-gītā is being spoken
by Lord Kṛṣṇa and He says “Me.”
“Me” means Kṛṣṇa. This is clear
understanding. But there are
many commentators, they
deviate from Kṛṣṇa. I do not
know why. That is their nefarious
motive. No. “Me” means Kṛṣṇa.
So Kṛṣṇa consciousness person is
always in yoga trance. Go on.

DEVOTEE: Verse twenty-nine: “A
true yogi observes me in all
beings and also sees every being
in Me. Indeed the self-realized
man sees Me everywhere.”

PRABHUPĀDA: Yes. Now, “A true
yogi observes Me in all beings.”
How he can see? They interpret
that all beings are Kṛṣṇa. So
therefore there is no use of
worshiping Kṛṣṇa separately.
They take therefore to the
humanitarian activities. They say
this is better. Why Kṛṣṇa shall be
worshiped. Kṛṣṇa says that one
should see in every being Kṛṣṇa.
So let us serve (?) but they do not
know the techniques. That
requires training under bona fide
spiritual master. This, “A true yogi
observes Me in all beings.” A true
yogi, devotee. Just like these
devotees are going to preach
Kṛṣṇa consciousness outside.
Why? They see Kṛṣṇa in all
beings. How? Because they see
that all beings are part and
parcel of Kṛṣṇa. They are under
forgetfulness of Kṛṣṇa. So let us
awake them to Kṛṣṇa
consciousness. A devotee sees
others whose not in Kṛṣṇa
consciousness. Just like
sometimes some missionary
activities are there to give
education to the uneducated
community. Why? Because they
see they are human beings. They
should be educated. They should
know the value of life. That is
their sympathy. Here also the
same thing. That everyone
should know that he’s part and
parcel of Kṛṣṇa. Forgetting this
consciousness he suffers. That is
to see Kṛṣṇa in everything. Not
that everything has become
Kṛṣṇa. Don’t see like that, then
you’ll be mistaken. Every being is,
just like if I see somebody, that
this boy is the son of such and
such gentleman. That means I
see such and such gentleman in
this boy. Is it clear? If I see every
living being is son of God or
Kṛṣṇa, then that means I see God
in every beings. Is there any
difficulty to understand?

VIṢṆUJANA: Is this an association
or this a vision?

PRABHUPĀDA: No, this is a fact.
(laughter) It is not an association
or vision, this is a fact. When you
see a cat, when you see a dog,
you see Kṛṣṇa in him. Why? You
know that here is cat, living
being. He, by his deeds, past
deed he has got this body cat,
forgetfulness. So let me help this
cat, give it some Kṛṣṇa prasāda
so that in some day he will come
to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. This is to
see in him Kṛṣṇa. Not that, “Oh,
here is Kṛṣṇa, let me embrace this
cat.” This is nonsense. Here is a
tiger, “Oh, here is Kṛṣṇa, come on
Please eat me.” This is rascaldom.
You should take sympathy with
every living being, that he is part
and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. Vāñchā-
kalpatarubhyaś ca kṛpā-
sindhubhya eva ca. Not that we
shall embrace him, “Come on
Kṛṣṇa.” So “the true yogi
observes Me in all beings.” This is
the seeing. Why we are
welcoming these children?
Because he is part and parcel of
Kṛṣṇa. You are giving them
chance to, as much as possible,
to take part in the kīrtana, to
taste the prasāda. That child who
comes, imitates like this, oh,
don’t think that it is gowing in
vain. Something done in Kṛṣṇa
consciousness, knowing or not
knowing it will have it’s effect.
These children who are bowing
down or trying to vibrate “Kṛṣṇa”
or clap. These things are being
accumulated in bank account of
Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Just like if
the child touches this fire, it will
act. It will not excuse the child,
that, “Oh, he is child, he does not
know.” The fire will act. Similarly
if Kṛṣṇa is the supreme spirit, a
child who may take part in it,
Kṛṣṇa will act. You may know it
do not know it. It doesn’t matter.
Because Kṛṣṇa is there. So it is so
nice. Therefore every living being
should be given chance. These
boys are inviting outsider, “Come
on,” this love feast. What is the
idea? The idea, let them come,
take little prasāda and it will act
someday in Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
It will act. So that is their
propaganda. They are seeing
everyone. Kṛṣṇa, they are seeing
Kṛṣṇa in everyone, in that way.
Not that everyone is Kṛṣṇa. Don’t
make this mistake. Kṛṣṇa is all-
pervading. Why in this human
being, He is there in the atom
also. Aṇḍāntara-stha-paramāṇu-
cayāntara-stham. You’ll find in
the Brahma-saṁhitā. Paramāṇu
means atom. So he’s there within
atom also. Why not every living
being? You should have that
knowledge. So “the true yogi
observes Me in all beings. And
also sees every being in Me.”
How “in Me”? Because everything
what you see that is Kṛṣṇa. You
are sitting on this floor so you are
sitting on Kṛṣṇa. You are sitting on
this carpet, you are sitting on
Kṛṣṇa. You should know it. How
this carpet is Kṛṣṇa? Because
carpet is made of Kṛṣṇa’s energy.

There are different kinds of—
parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate.
The Supreme Lord has various
energies. Out of those various
energies, three divisions are
primary. Material energy, spiritual
energy and marginal energy. We
living entities we are marginal
energy. The whole material world
is material energy. And there is
spiritual energy. The spiritual
world. And we are marginal. So
we are sitting either in the
material energy, marginal means
this way or that way. You can
become spiritual or you become
material. No third alternative.
Either you become materialistic
or become spiritualistic. So, so
long we are in the material world,
you are sitting on the material
energy, therefore you are sitting
in Kṛṣṇa. Because energy is not
separated from Kṛṣṇa. Just like
this light, this flame, there is heat
and there is illumination. The two
energies. The heat is not
separated from the fire and the
illumination is not separated
from the fire. Therefore in one
sense the heat is also fire, the
illumination is also fire. Similarly
this material energy is also Kṛṣṇa.
So we are thinking that we are
sitting on this floor but actually
we are sitting in Kṛṣṇa. This is
philosophy.

So, “and also sees every being in
Me. Indeed, the self-realized man
sees Me everywhere.” That is
seeing everywhere. To see every
being, everything in relationship
with Kṛṣṇa, that means you see
Kṛṣṇa everywhere. As it is taught
in the Bhagavad-gītā, raso ’ham
apsu kaunteya: “I am the taste of
water.” Why water is drunk by all
living entities. The birds, the
beasts, the man, human being,
everyone drinks water. Therefore
water is needed so much. And
Kṛṣṇa has stocked water so much.
You see? Water is needed so
much. For agriculture, for
washing, for drinking. So if one
does not get a glass of water in
due time he dies. That experience
one has got in the war field. How
much valuable is water they can
understand. In fighting when
they become thirsty and there is
no water they die. So, why water
is so valuable because there is
nice taste. You are so much
thirsty, drink one sip of water,
ohh. Krishna says, that taste I am.
That life (?) is the taste of water, I
am, Krishna. So if you have
learned this philosophy,
whenever you drink water you
see Kṛṣṇa. And when do you not
drink water? This is Kṛṣṇa
consciousness. Raso ’ham apsu
kaunteya prabhāsmi śaśi-
sūryayoḥ. “I am the light of the
sun and the moon.” So either in
the night or in daytime, you have
to see either sunlight or
moonlight. So how can you
forget Kṛṣṇa? Either you drink
water, or see the sunlight, or see
the moonlight, or hear some
sound. (?) There are so many
things we have read it in the
fourth chaper. How Krishna is all
pervading. So one has to see
Kṛṣṇa in that way. Then you’ll get
perfection of yoga. Here it is
stated: “A true yogi observes Me
in all beings and also sees every
being in Me, indeed the self-
realized man sees me
everywhere.”