People are much interested in philosophical speculation without any practical life. In the modern world it is said, yaśo 'rthe dharma-yajanam. This is the symptom of this age. Yaśaḥ arthe. I want to associate with some organization, spiritual, just for the sake of name: "Oh, I am attached to that such big organization." But, so far my life is concerned, it is as it is. As it is.
I have seen that . . . I don't wish to name that particular . . . in some yoga institute, I have seen the members, they come, they hear, and they are hearing and coming for the last ten years. But unfortunately, they have not learned even the preliminary instruction of yoga. Yoga . . . yoga . . . the whole process of yoga means indriya-saṁyama, controlling the senses. Controlling the senses. But I have seen: they have no control over senses.
This whole yoga process means controlling the senses, nothing more. The haṭha-yoga means by different practice of āsana—posture or sitting posture or breathing posture—all these means concentrating myself, focusing my attention to the Supersoul. And because our mind is disturbed, because our mind is distributed in so many engagements, therefore the yogic process is a mechanical process by which we can, I mean to say, drag the mind from outside engagement to inner side, and focus the same for perceiving or for realizing the Supersoul.
So in the preliminary stage that one is required to control the senses. Uncontrolled sense will drag me to the material plane. Adānta-gobhir viśatāṁ tamisraṁ punaḥ punaś carvita-carvaṇānām. There is a very nice verse in Bhāgavatam:
- matir na kṛṣṇe parataḥ svato vā
- mitho 'bhipadyeta gṛha-vratānām, gṛha-vratānām
- adānta-gobhir viśatāṁ tamisraṁ
- punaḥ punaś carvita-carvaṇānām
- (SB 7.5.30)
The purpose is that those who are uncontrolled of their senses and those whose mind is fixed up only for this material enjoyment, they cannot enter into the sphere of spiritual life. Matir na kṛṣṇe. This Kṛṣṇa philosophy, Kṛṣṇa consciousness . . . matiḥ means attention. So attention to Kṛṣṇa consciousness . . . Matir na kṛṣṇe parataḥ svato vā. Even by hearing instruction from learned, I mean to say, transcendentalists or by self-study . . . parataḥ. Parataḥ means taking lessons or taking instruction from others.