Lord
Caitanya and the Panca Tattva Performing Hare Krishna Sankirtan (chanting)
“There
is no possibility of one’s becoming a yogi, O Arjuna, if one eats too much, or
eats too little, sleeps too much or does not sleep enough.” (Bhagavad-gita 6.16)
If
we want to become Krishna conscious we have to live a regulated life. We can
not eat too much or too little or sleep too much or too little. Too much eating
means eating more than is required to keep the body and soul together.
There
is no need for humans to eat animals because there is a good supply of grains,
vegetables, fruits and milk available. Such simple foods are considered to be
in the mode of goodness according to the Bhagavad-gita. Animal food is
for those in the mode of ignorance therefore those who eat animal food and
engage in other sinful activities like drinking alcohol and smoking will suffer
sinful reactions because of eating only polluted things.
Anyone
who eats for his own sense pleasure, or cooks for himself, not offering his
food to Krishna, eats only sin. One who eats sin and eats more than is allotted
to him can not practice perfect yoga. One should only eat the remnants
of food offered to Krishna. A person in Krishna consciousness does not eat
anything which is not first offered to Krishna. Therefore only the Krishna
conscious person can attain perfect yoga practice.
It
is also impossible for a person who artificially abstains from eating,
manufacturing his own personal practice of fasting, practice yoga.
The
Krishna conscious person observes fasting as it is recommended in the scriptures.
He does not fast more or eat more than is required and he is thus competent to
perform yoga practice. One who eats more than required will dream very
much while sleeping, and he must therefore sleep more than required. One should
not sleep more than six hours daily. One who sleeps more than six hours out of
the twenty-four is certainly influenced by the mode of ignorance. A person in
the mode of ignorance is lazy and prone to sleep a great deal. Such a person
can not perform yoga.
“He
who is temperate in his habits of eating, sleeping, working and recreation can
eliminate all material pains by practicing the yoga system.” (Bhagavad-gita 6.17)
Extravagance
in the matter of eating, sleeping, defending and mating–which are all 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 prasadam, sanctified food. Lord Krishna is offered, according to Bhagavad-gita
(9.26), vegetables, flowers, fruits, grains, milk, etc. In this way a person in
Krishna consciousness becomes automatically trained not to accept food which is
not meant for human consumption, or which is not in the category of goodness.
As
far as sleeping is concerned, a Krishna conscious person is always alert in his
discharge of duties in Krishna consciousness, and therefore any unnecessary
time spent sleeping is considered a great loss. A Krishna conscious person can
not 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 Srila Rupa Gosvami, who was always engaged in the service of Krishna
and who could not sleep more than two hours a day, and sometimes not even that.
Haridas Thakur would not even accept prasadam nor even sleep for a
moment without finishing his daily routine of chanting with his beads three
hundred thousand names of Krishna.
As far as work is concerned, a Krishna conscious
person does not do anything which is not connected with Krishna’s interest, and
thus his work is always regulated and is untainted by sense gratification.
Since there is no question of sense gratification there is no material leisure
for a person in Krishna consciousness. And because he is regulated in all his
work, speech, sleep, wakefulness and all other bodily activities, there is no
material misery for him.
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