[Prev][Next][Index]
Caste System and Varnasrama Dharma - varna.txt [4/5]
in this world or the next; isita-manipulating the subpotencies of maya;
vasita-being unimpeded by the three modes of nature; kamavasayita
-obtaining anything from anywhere, to the highest possible limit.) - which
the yogi acquires during his discipline, are by-products of his yoga
practice. In samadhi the yogi regards all these mystic perfections as
insignificant. Many yogis, after mastering a few of these mystic perfections,
pretend to have mastered them all, and becuase of a restless mind they
deviate from the goal of permanent samadhi. On the other hand, for the
karma-yogi, the devotee of the Lord, there is no such possibility: his heart
and concentration remain fixed on his goal because he always works for
the pleasure of Lord Krsna. He is always in samadhi, the yogi's ultimate
destination. In the Lord's devotional service, the devotee experiences ever
fresh emotions, and as his perfections become more mature, the
transcendental bliss he relishes is inexplicable and inconceivable to
mundane mercenaries.
What to speak of karma-yoga, even in the lesser discipline of eightfold
yoga, whatever progress the yogi makes on the path toward the goal of
samadhi does not go in vain, although he may not reach the ultimate goal
in one lifetime. In his next life he will continue his progress. By contrast,
when the fruitive worker dies, whatever wealth and education he has
acquired, along with the endeavor that went in to acquiring them, all
become null and void. As for the pure karma-yogi, or devotee, his
devotional activities are all beyond the level of mind and body. They are
related to the soul and the Supreme Soul, and hence his activities become
the wealth of his pure, eternal soul. Just as the soul is never destroyed
with the disintegration of the body, so this wealth of devotional service is
never devalued. Thus the Bhagavad-gita says that the karma-yogi always
works for the benefit and elevation of his soul, and that this endeavor and
its results remain permanent spiritual assets in this life and the next.
These spiritual assets are never liquidated. As Lord Krsna says in the
Bhagavad-gita (6.40),
Son of Prtha, a transcendentalist engaged in auspicious
activities does not meet with destruction, either in this
world or in the spiritual world; one who does good, My
friend, is never overcome by evil.
Human beings are divided into two categories: the law-abiders and the
law-breakers. Those who care only about satisfying their senses and so
not submit to disciplince and law are like animals, completely
uncontrolled. Whether such an uncontrolled person is cultured or
uncultured, educated or uneducated, weak or strong, his actions are
always bestial. They can never benefit anyone.
The law-abiding human beings are further divided into three groups: the
karmis, or fruitive workers; the jnanis, or knowledge-seekers; and the
bhaktas, or devotees. The karmis are divided into two sections: the
sakama-karmis, or fruitive workers who want to enjoy the results of their
labor, and the niskama-karmis, who renounce the fruits of action. The
sakama-karmis are greedy after insignificant, transient happiness. They
make progress in their mundane activities and enjoy the heavenly planets
in the life hereafter, but all that enjoyment is temporary. Therefore the
soul's real benefit evades them.
To attain true, eternal happiness, which comes only after the dissipation
of material bondage, is the real benefit for the soul. Thus any path that
does not lead the soul to strive for this supreme goal - eternal
transcendental bliss - is considered useless. When eternal bliss is the goal
of ritualistic activities (karma-kanda), then they are transformed into
karma-yoga. Through the practice of karma-yoga, the heart is purified of
material contamination and one gains knowledge of the Absolute.
Thereafter one becomes situated in meditaion on the Absolute, and finally
one attains bhakti, pure devotional service. In the process of
karma-kanda, it is recommended that one renounces physical pleasures
for a time; so a karmi may sometimes be called any ascetic. Yet however
much penance a karmi may perform, ultimately this penance is another
form of sensual enjoyment, since that is its ultimate goal. The demons also
perform penance to increase their powers, but it is all simply to enjoy
their senses. Once the living entity can transcend the stage of hankering
after sensual pleasures, he comes easily to the stage of karma-yoga, which
is in all respects good. Only such a person can benefit society.
The spiritual progress the karma-yogi makes in this lifetime remains
intact, and he continues in this next life from that point. In the
Bhagavad-gita (6.43), Lord Krsna comments, "On taking such a birth, he
revives the divine consciousness of his precious life, and he again tries to
make further progress in order to achieve complete success, O son of
Kuru." In his next life the unsuccessful yogi may be born in the family of a
pious brahmana or wealthy merchant. When we talk of failure in yoga, we
refer to karma-yogis, dhyan-yogis, and jnana-yogis. Among the followers
of these paths, the karma-yogi is closest to becoming a pure devotee,
since he has dedicated his activities to the Supreme Lord's service.
Gradually, acting in this manner, he becomes a bhakti-yogi. Such a yogi is
in the highest order, and he is fit to instruct all other yogis.
In the Bhagavad-gita (6.47) Lord Krsna says,
And of all yogis, the one with great faith who always abides
in Me, thinks of Me within himself, and renders transcendental
loving service to Me - he is the most intimately united with Me
in yoga and is the highest of all. That is My opinion.
The fruitive workers cannot be counted among the yogis. The actual yogis
are the karma-yogis, the janana-yogis, the astanga-yogis, and the
bhakti-yogis. Factually they are the same, although named differently. The
yogic process is like a ladder one ascends gradually toward the final goal
of the Absolute Truth. Niskama-karma, or renunciation of the fruits of
one's labor is the first step on this ladder. When knowledge and austerity
are added to it, it becomes jnana-yoga, the second step in the ladder. And
when meditation on the Supreme is added to jnana-yoga, the third step is
reached, namely astanga-yoga. Finally, when loving devotional service to
the Supreme Lord is practiced along with astanga-yoga,, it is transformed
into bhakti-yoga. This entire successive process is yoga. For an exact and
clear delineation of the subject of yoga, all four steps need to be explained
separately. Those who desire the best for humanity take to the path of
yoga. The process for progressing in yoga requires, first, determination
and strict execution of discipline at each stage. When a person is firmly
situated at one stage, he then has to relinquish attachment and adherence
to the practices of that stage in order to elevate himself to the next higher
stage. Those who cannot reach the top for some reason and get stuck at
any one of the four stages acquire the designation of that particualar
stage. Thus there are karma-yogis, jnana-yogis, astanga-yogis, and
bhakti-yogis. Lord Krsna instructs Arjuna that one who renders loving
devotional service to Him, the Supreme Lord, is the highest among all
yogis, and that Arjuna should thus strive to become such a bhakti-yogi.
The successive, step-by-step spiritual path is not the same as
