The art of being regulated in spiritual practice
In the Bhagavad-gītā, Kṛṣṇa introduces us to a broader lifestyle principle for the practice of yoga, which is also extremely beneficial for the practice of devotional service.
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In the Bhagavad-gītā, Kṛṣṇa introduces us to a broader lifestyle principle for the practice of yoga, which is also extremely beneficial for the practice of devotional service:
“There is no possibility of one’s becoming a yogī, O Arjuna, if one eats too much or eats too little, sleeps too much or does not sleep enough. He who is regulated in his habits of eating, sleeping, recreation and work can mitigate all material pains by practicing the yoga system.”
A yogī has to be regulated in his habits, because he tries to maintain a very delicate stage of concentration that requires the mind to be placid, just as the waters of a lake when there is no vibration. In real yoga practice, the goal is to situate oneself in the mode of goodness, and from there practice meditation on the Supreme Lord with the goal of transcending. Regulated life is a prerequisite for this.
The path of bhakti-yoga is much more forgiving, but the same principle of balance is necessary, with enough sleep, enough eating, etc., but nothing in excess. This is an essential point, because most of the difficulties we face in spiritual practice come from either the excess or the lack of something. Sometimes we chant the whole day, and sometimes we don’t chant at all. In the name of prasāda, we eat too much, and of the wrong foods, which makes it hard to control the senses. We often sleep too little, or too much, and so on. As Kṛṣṇa explains, one of the greatest secrets to keeping the mind under control is to learn the art of doing everything in moderation. This is a characteristic of the mode of goodness, which serves as a foundation of our spiritual practice. As He explains, yogo bhavati duḥkha-hā: through this process, we can mitigate all material miseries.
In his purport to text 6.16, Prabhupāda calls our attention to the importance of eating only Kṛṣṇa prasāda, and within moderation. This is an aspect of spiritual practice we often overlook. There is nothing special about being a vegetarian. Sheep are vegetarian; this does not mean they are self-realized. When we offer our food to Kṛṣṇa with devotion, following all the proper regulations, our eating becomes regulated, because we will automatically avoid all types of ingredients that are harmful to our practice. Eating only what is offered to Kṛṣṇa solves the problem of eating prohibited ingredients (which are unofferable), as well as food cooked by non-devotees, such as food from restaurants, bakeries, etc., which are also unofferable. Suddenly, we start eating only at home or in temples, and the frequency is also controlled.
As Prabhupada explains in his purport to text 6.17:
“Extravagance in the matter of eating, sleeping, defending and mating – which are demands of the body – can block advancement in the practice of yoga. As far as eating is concerned, it can be regulated only when one is practiced to take and accept prasādam, sanctified food. Lord Kṛṣṇa is offered, according to the Bhagavad-gītā (9.26), vegetables, flowers, fruits, grains, milk, etc. In this way, a person in Kṛṣṇa consciousness becomes automatically trained not to accept food not meant for human consumption, or not in the category of goodness.”
Eating only prasāda is a very important step in our practice, because eating is not only a biological act. It affects our consciousness. Prasāda purifies the consciousness and stabilizes the mind, while non-offered food, especially food cooked by materialistic people, contaminates the mind and entangles us further into the karmic system at every morsel.
The problem with prasāda is that there is still the possibility of overrating, a topic that is discussed in the first verse of the Iśopaniṣad: vāco vegaṁ manasaḥ krodha-vegaṁ, jihvā-vegam udaropastha-vegam, etān vegān yo viṣaheta dhīraḥ, sarvām apīmāṁ pṛthivīṁ sa śiṣyāt .
Eating too much makes one propense to sense enjoyment, sleep, excessive talking, anger, and so on. It creates a cascade of reactions that makes our spiritual progress much harder. Trying to control our senses in this situation is like trying to fight a war against a powerful enemy when half of our army was already destroyed in a disastrous first attack. Eating is necessary to maintain our life, but it should not be used as an escape valve for all the hankerings and frustrations of the mind.
Similarly, the other four factors can be regulated when we seriously follow the process of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Sleeping is regulated because the devotee understands the value of time, especially the importance of waking up early for performing his spiritual practice. Work is regulated because he works only according to what is necessary and favorable to his service to Kṛṣṇa, avoiding the passionate rush common in materialists. Recreation is also regulated, because an advanced devotee does not seek separate gratification. We can see that advanced practice of Kṛṣṇa consciousness fulfills the purpose of the yoga practice more completely than the mechanical repression of the aṣṭāṅga system.
We can divide our spiritual journey into four phases. The first is the preliminary stage, when we hear, chant, associate with devotees, etc., without serious commitment. The second stage starts when we accept discipline, accepting a spiritual master, and learning to follow the regulated spiritual process. This gradually leads to the third stage, when we learn to control our senses, starting by regulating our eating. Regulated eating leads to regulated sleeping, because we sleep more deeply and thus need less sleep. This allows us to wake up earlier, which makes us fixed in spiritual practice. This leads to the stage of advanced practice, where our mind becomes peaceful, and we can advance faster.
Without disciplining our eating and other habits, we will continue to struggle in the lower levels. When we attain moderation, our advancement becomes much more swift. This moderation is thus the result of graduating from the primary levels and is the door to the advanced levels of spiritual practice.
There is also another side that is emphasized by Prabhupāda later in the same purport:
“Avyartha-kālatvam: a Kṛṣṇa conscious person cannot bear to pass a minute of his life without being engaged in the service of the Lord. Therefore, his sleeping is kept to a minimum. His ideal in this respect is Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī, who was always engaged in the service of Kṛṣṇa and who could not sleep more than two hours a day, and sometimes not even that. Ṭhākura Haridāsa would not even accept prasādam nor even sleep for a moment without finishing his daily routine of chanting with his beads three hundred thousand names.”
What is enough varies according to one’s level of advancement. What is “enough” for a pure devotee is usually unbalanced for a neophyte. For example, six hours of sleep is generally considered enough if one is not eating excessively. However, we have examples of ācāryas sleeping less than two hours and eating absurdly little. That was enough for them, in their level of realization, but a neophyte trying to imitate could end in disaster. This shows that this point needs to be considered individually, considering all these factors. Austerity also works best when it is voluntary. A certain level of austerity is always necessary as part of a disciplinary process, but too much austerity imposed too early can be disastrous.
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