View source for How can you focus your mind on God before you know what He is?

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[[Category:Questions asked to Srila Prabhupada]]
[[Category:Questions asked to SP... 1973]]
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<div id="Conversations_and_Morning_Walks" class="section" sec_index="5" parent="compilation" text="Conversations and Morning Walks"><h2>Conversations and Morning Walks</h2>
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<div id="1973_Conversations_and_Morning_Walks" class="sub_section" sec_index="6" parent="Conversations_and_Morning_Walks" text="1973 Conversations and Morning Walks"><h3>1973 Conversations and Morning Walks</h3>
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<div id="RoomConversationWithThreeCollegeStudentsJuly111973London_0" class="quote" parent="1973_Conversations_and_Morning_Walks" book="Con" index="38" link="Room Conversation With Three College Students -- July 11, 1973, London" link_text="Room Conversation With Three College Students -- July 11, 1973, London">
<div class="heading">Yes. So then what is God?
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<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Room Conversation With Three College Students -- July 11, 1973, London|Room Conversation With Three College Students -- July 11, 1973, London]]: </span><div class="text"><p style="display: inline;">Prabhupāda: First of all... First of all thing is the, what is the aim of practicing yoga? So to achieve that end, that purpose, you have to control the mind because mind is very flickering, going here, there, there, there. So first of all you must know what is the purpose of practicing yoga, why you should practice yoga. So in order to achieve that goal, you have to concentrate your mind, and therefore you have to control the mind going here and there. That is control. Mind business is acceptance and rejecting. This is mind's business. Immediately I accept, "It is very good;" again, next moment, "No, no it is not good. Reject it." This is called flickering mind. So by yoga practice you have to make your mind in such a way that whatever you decide, that is correct, not the state of rejecting and accepting. So first of all, you have to know why you are practicing yoga. As you asked the question, "Why control of mind?" Then the next question will be "Why you are practicing? What is your aim?" You are going to practice yoga. Why? What is the aim?</p>
<p>Student (1): Is it to realize God?</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: That's nice. Therefore you must have to concentrate upon God; therefore you have to control your mind. You have to withdraw your mind from any other engagement, only concentrate on God. Then the... What is God?</p>
<p>Student (1): That's what I'm trying to find out.</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: No, if you want to concentrate, find out God... Do you mean to say simply by practicing, you'll find out? You must know what is God. Then suppose you are purchasing some ticket. You do not where to go. You do not know. You say, "I'll have to find out where to go." What is this? Then why you are purchasing ticket?</p>
<p>Student (1): Yeah. How can you focus your mind on God before you know what He is?</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: Yes. So then what is God?</p>
<p>Student (1): That's what I came to ask you.</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: Then?</p>
<p>Revatīnandana: He wants to know. (laughter)</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: And that is Kṛṣṇa. So if you concentrate your mind on Kṛṣṇa, that is yoga. That is first-class yoga. That is stated. You... List the last...</p>
:yogīnām api sarveśāṁ
:mad-gatenāntarātmanā
:śraddhāvān bhajate yo māṁ
:sa me yuktatamo mataḥ
:([[Vanisource:BG 6.47|BG 6.47]])
<p>He is first-class yogi who is always concentrating his mind on Kṛṣṇa.</p>
<p>Student (1): Why Kṛṣṇa?</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: Yes. Only on Kṛṣṇa. That is... Yogīnām api sarveśām ([[Vanisource:BG 6.47|BG 6.47]]). You read the translation.</p>
<p>Pradyumna: "And of all yogis, he who always abides in Me with great faith, worshiping Me in transcendental loving service, is most intimately united with Me in yoga and is the highest of all."</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: That's it. This is the highest yoga. So to concentrate your mind on Kṛṣṇa, that is highest perfection of yoga.</p>
<p>Student (1): Yeah, but I want to know why Kṛṣṇa in particular.</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: Then if there is question of "Why?" then you do not come to us. You can ask somebody else. Because Kṛṣṇa is accepted the Supreme Personality of Godhead by all the yogis, all the saintly persons, therefore... There is no question of "Why?" Kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam ([[Vanisource:SB 1.3.28|SB 1.3.28]]). That is the decision of the Vedic literature. All the ācāryas. We have to follow, mahājano yena gataḥ, big personalities. Now in India, the big personalities in the modern age, Śaṅkarācārya, Rāmānujācārya, Madhvācārya, Viṣṇu Svāmī, Caitanya, all of them accept kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam. Formerly, five thousand years ago, Vyāsadeva, before that, Nārada—everyone accepts Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. So there is no question about Kṛṣṇa's being the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Why? Why? Because these people accept, the śāstra says, the Vedas says, therefore He is the Supreme Personality.</p>
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