CHAPTER 6, TEXT 16: 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.
How fascinating that an ancient scripture that is meant for realization of the divine - a seemingly ethereal and otherworldly endeavor - is giving advice straight out of the family doctor's list of guidelines.
Don't eat too much.
Don't eat too little.
Don't sleep too much.
Don't sleep too little.
Moderation, moderation, moderation.
So practical. So simple. Deep down, we all know that these guidelines are essential for a healthy body, even a healthy mind.
But a healthy soul?
Krishna says that "there is no possibility of one's becoming a yogi" if one does not learn these practical steps of moderation.
Eating and sleeping are primary functions of what it means to even be alive, no matter what species. But human beings have elevated eating and sleeping to be some of the most pleasurable experiences of existence.
No other animal cooks its food. Other animals eat their food raw (no oven! no stovetop!) and as is (no salt! no spices!). Human beings love to eat, and often, we eat too much. Prabhupad writes, "Too much eating means eating more than is required to keep the body and soul together." Other than the family doctor advising a patient to eat in moderation to keep body and soul together for health reasons, why is overeating considered unfavorable for becoming a yogi?
Because eating beyond one's need is really about enjoying for oneself. Satisfying myself. I'M the center.
But becoming a yogi is about putting God in the center.
Learning to love is about putting others in the center.
Now, to enjoy food and enjoy life is a need - the soul is naturally pleasure-seeking, ananda mayo bhyasat (Vedanta Sutra). Deprivation will only backfire - I'm sure we've all had the equivalent experience of going on a diet or juice cleanse or whatever and then bingeing on potato chips when it's over. This pendulum swing of indulgence-deprivation actually just keeps the focus on US, we're still in the center. Whether I'm enjoying or suffering, the focus is still on me, and that defeats the goal of yoga and the goal of love.
Indeed, even when one eats to keep body and soul together, still we can keep Krishna in the center of this activity by offering all the food we eat to Him first.
Here Krishna, You enjoy first. You're the center.
Once You're satisfied, THEN I'll enjoy.
Learning to eat just enough and learning to let God enjoy first is the key to keeping a healthy soul.
Full purport for Chapter 6, Text 16 by Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupad here: https://vedabase.io/en/library/bg/6/16/
How fascinating that an ancient scripture that is meant for realization of the divine - a seemingly ethereal and otherworldly endeavor - is giving advice straight out of the family doctor's list of guidelines.
Don't eat too much.
Don't eat too little.
Don't sleep too much.
Don't sleep too little.
Moderation, moderation, moderation.
So practical. So simple. Deep down, we all know that these guidelines are essential for a healthy body, even a healthy mind.
But a healthy soul?
Krishna says that "there is no possibility of one's becoming a yogi" if one does not learn these practical steps of moderation.
Eating and sleeping are primary functions of what it means to even be alive, no matter what species. But human beings have elevated eating and sleeping to be some of the most pleasurable experiences of existence.
No other animal cooks its food. Other animals eat their food raw (no oven! no stovetop!) and as is (no salt! no spices!). Human beings love to eat, and often, we eat too much. Prabhupad writes, "Too much eating means eating more than is required to keep the body and soul together." Other than the family doctor advising a patient to eat in moderation to keep body and soul together for health reasons, why is overeating considered unfavorable for becoming a yogi?
Because eating beyond one's need is really about enjoying for oneself. Satisfying myself. I'M the center.
But becoming a yogi is about putting God in the center.
Learning to love is about putting others in the center.
Now, to enjoy food and enjoy life is a need - the soul is naturally pleasure-seeking, ananda mayo bhyasat (Vedanta Sutra). Deprivation will only backfire - I'm sure we've all had the equivalent experience of going on a diet or juice cleanse or whatever and then bingeing on potato chips when it's over. This pendulum swing of indulgence-deprivation actually just keeps the focus on US, we're still in the center. Whether I'm enjoying or suffering, the focus is still on me, and that defeats the goal of yoga and the goal of love.
Indeed, even when one eats to keep body and soul together, still we can keep Krishna in the center of this activity by offering all the food we eat to Him first.
Here Krishna, You enjoy first. You're the center.
Once You're satisfied, THEN I'll enjoy.
Learning to eat just enough and learning to let God enjoy first is the key to keeping a healthy soul.
Full purport for Chapter 6, Text 16 by Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupad here: https://vedabase.io/en/library/bg/6/16/
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