Yoga – In Gita Verse 6.17 He who is regulated in his habits of eating, sleeping, recreation and work can mitigate all material pains by practicing the yoga system.
Krishna says by practicing Yoga you can regulate all the habits and that will reduce all your suffering. He is speaking about the scientific approach for growing into consciousness. Yoga is a scientific approach towards yourself, towards your subjectivity.
Yoga is a simple science. It is neither theistic, nor atheistic. Patanjali really is superb, a miracle of a man. He never talks about God. And even if he mentions God once, then too he says it is just one of the methods to reach the ultimate; there is no God. To believe in God is just a technique, because through your believing in God prayer becomes possible; through your believing in God surrender becomes possible. The significance is of surrender and prayer, not of God.
Patanjali is really unbelievable! He said God – the belief of God, the concept of God – is also one of the methods, in many methods, to reach the truth. Ishvara pranidhana: to believe in God is just a path. But it is not a necessity; you can choose something else. Buddha reaches that ultimate reality without believing in God. He chooses a different path where God is not needed.
You have come to my house and you have passed through a certain street. That street was not the goal; it was just instrumental. You could have reached the same house through some other street; others have reached through other streets. On your street there may be green trees, big trees; on other streets there are not. So God is just one path. Remember the distinction: God is not the goal, God is just one of the paths.
Patanjali never denies; he never assumes. He is absolutely scientific. It is difficult for Christians to think how Buddha could attain the ultimate truth because he never believed in God. It is difficult for Hindus to believe how Mahavira could attain liberation; he never believed in God.
Patanjali is absolutely scientific. He says we are not related with means; there are a thousand and one means. The goal is the truth. Some have achieved it through God, so it is okay – believe in God and achieve the goal, because when the goal is achieved you will throw away your belief. So belief is just instrumental. If you don’t believe, it is okay; don’t believe, travel the path of belief-lessness, and reach the goal.
He is neither theist nor atheist. He is not creating a religion, he is simply showing you all the paths that are possible and all the laws that work in your transformation. God is one of those paths; it is not a must. If you are godless, there is no need to be non-religious. Patanjali says you can also reach – be godless; don’t bother about God. These are the laws and these are the experiments; this is the meditation – pass through it.
He does not insist on any concept. It was very difficult. That’s why the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali are rare, unique. Such a book has never happened before and there is no possibility again, because whatsoever can be written about Yoga he has written; he has left nothing. No one can add anything to it. Never in the future will there be any possibility to create another work like Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras. He has finished the job completely, and he could do this so totally because he is not partial. If he were partial, then he could not do it so totally.
Why Krishna is explaining through Yoga as Patanjali is not partial. He is less concerned with you, more concerned with the past designs of the path. He will not use a lie; he will not use a device; he will not compromise with you. No scientist can compromise.
Patanjali will not compromise with you. Whatsoever is the fact, he will talk about the fact. He will not descend a single step to meet you; he is absolutely uncompromising. Science has to be. Science cannot compromise; otherwise it will become a religion itself.
Yoga has simple science to regulate the habits of eating, sleeping, recreation and work can mitigate all material pains.
Tags: Yoga
