By Praghosa Dasa
Sport is often referred to as the religion of the 21st century. As we are all living in the 21st century and as we are all endeavouring to follow a religious life, the question could be asked – does sport have any place in the life of a devotee? For the non devotees it certainly plays a part in most of their lives (particularly when you consider that there are nearly as many forms of sport as there are species of life :) and some take it so seriously that merely referring to it as a religion hardly reveals the full picture. One well known sports manager/coach once responded when asked the question:
“Do you consider football a matter of life and death”
“No” he said “It is far more important than that!”
For sure death is closely associated with sport and not only due to accidents. Fans attending football matches (at least in Europe) often find themselves in brawls that regularly end with the loss of life, but it can get even more bizzare. Some years ago one football player scored an ‘own’ goal in a world cup game and on returning home some weeks later was shot dead by angry fans who decided that he had let his country down and was no better than a traitor who deserved to be executed. What is interesting about this story is that the killer/s couldn’t even employ the ‘crime of passion’ as a defence, as weeks had passed between the ‘crime’ and their act of ‘passion’.
Yes the passion, hope, expectation and clasping at straws that is glaringly evident among followers of sport is there for everyone to see. Indeed that passion etc., which is displayed by sports fanatics is on a par with some of the extreme radical behaviour that we see manifest in those who give their lives in the cause of political aims. Being under the grip of such passion is certainly an unfortunate place to be;
In the conditioned stage, one’s conceptions of life are sometimes polluted by passion and ignorance, which are exhibited by attachment, hostility, greed, lamentation, illusion, fear, madness, false prestige, insults, fault-finding, deception, envy, intolerance, passion, bewilderment, hunger and sleep. All of these are enemies.
SB 7.15.43-44
So far there seems little basis for devotees to be within a million miles of a sporting event, what to speak of taking part, let’s explore a little more the relationship between sport and devotees.
Most sports involve the use of a ball whether it be a big, small, hard, soft, oval or round one. In general the references to balls in Srila Prabhupada’s books are again not so encouraging for those devotees who fancy themselves as budding Maradona’s or John McEnroe’s.
“Demons arrange many kinds of performances to see the glaring beauty of a beautiful woman. Here it is stated that they saw the girl playing with a ball. Sometimes the demoniac arrange for so-called sports, like tennis, with the opposite sex. The purpose of such sporting is to see the bodily construction of the beautiful girl and enjoy a subtle sex mentality”
SB 3.20.35
For any devotees enthusiastic about sport there is little comfort in the above statement except perhaps the use of the word ‘sometimes’. On a personal note such thoughts as explicitly mentioned in the above reference were not to the forefront of my mind as an 8 year old when I trained twice a week in the cold and rain in the forlorn hope that one day I would follow in the footsteps of football players like George Best or Pele. And while I do not know the origins of women’s tennis, I readily accept Srila Prabhupada’s analysis above. On a subtle level even training in the wind and rain likely included the desire for puja, pratistha and labha on my part. I can often remember dreaming “It might be a mucky field tonight in the lashing rain but one day it maybe the green carpet of Wembley on a sunny afternoon in May in front of 100,000 fans” We can also conclude with confidence that the same motive is behind the rest of the game of tennis where men only play men.
A little later in the same section of the Bhagavatam we find this interesting quote which gives a hint of encouragement to those devotees who include sport in their keep fit routine:
The Gandharva Visvavasu, while flying in the sky, could see Devahuti playing ball on the roof of the palace. Ball playing was also current, but aristocratic girls would not play in a public place. Ball playing and other such pleasures were not meant for ordinary women and girls; only princesses like Devahuti could indulge in such sports. It is described here that she was seen from the flying airplane. This indicates that the palace was very high, otherwise how could one see her from an airplane? The vision was so distinct that the Gandharva Visvavasu was bewildered by her beauty and by hearing the sound of her ankle bangles, and being captivated by the sound and beauty, he fell down.
SB 3.22.17
I do not know what kind of sport Devahuti was playing but it was certainly with a ball. However this sporting activity of Devahuti was not considered bogus, rather it suggests it was an acceptable activity for those in aristocratic circles as long as it was undertaken in private. The reason for the privacy becomes evident when we learn that Visvavasu fell down once he witnessed this sporting of Devahuti. So from this example it could be deduced that sport in and of itself is okay as a means of exercise and regulated recreation, as long as it is not responsible for negative effects on one’s own spiritual life as well as the spiritual life of others. This instruction would also appear to have more implications for women than men. It is hard to imagine even the most demigod-like of men having the effect on women that Devahuti had on Visvavasu.
Notwithstanding that, the privacy issue also makes sense for men when you take into account the current obsession with sport in general society. If all sport was engaged in privately (or at least not professionally in massive arenas), there would no longer be the problems associated with thousands upon thousands of fanatical supporters demanding the success of their team, and baying for the blood of those who stand in the way of their teams victory. In addition, the commercial pressures to succeed that lead to drug abuse and other associated problems, would cease to exist. There seems little doubt that if you take both the public and competitive aspect out of sport, you would also take much, if not all of the passion out of it as well. Without removing such passion one could argue that there is little difference between a bunch of men playing with a ball and 2 women playing with a ball while being ogled by eager men.
This theme of women playing ball and thus bewildering men is further developed in the Srimad Bhagavatam. The story of Lord Siva being bewildered by the beautiful form of Mohini murti comes to mind. In this pastime the ball plays a very prominent role as it the object used by Mohini murti to enhance her beauty, thus attracting Lord Siva more and more.
Srila Prabhupada mentions in one converstation:
“Lord Siva became so mad after Mohini-murti. So what to speak of us insignificant creatures. So lusty desire is there. That is material world. Unless one is fully Krsna conscious, this lusty desire cannot be checked. It is not possible”
May 11th 1975 Morning Walk Perth
Mohini-murti is of course an incarnation of Krsna and the point is made that Lord Siva could only be bewildered by Krsna. On the other hand as conditioned souls we are so vulnerable to sensual bewilderment at each and every turn. Hence we cannot take lightly the connection between sport or ball playing and illicit sex that Srila Prabhupada highlights.
Going back to the original question – does sport have any place in the life of a devotee? We can fairly confidently conclude that sport of the professional, competitive and passionate variety does not, and clearly falls into the category of what Srila Prabhupada termed ‘unnecessary sports’. Yet if we remove those elements, the argument could be made that engaging in sports like tennis, basketball or squash etc., might be okay for devotees. Perhaps not young full time temple devotees who have the opportunity to spend hours either dancing in kirtan or harinam but rather for the middle aged devotee variety who are more or less chained to their desks at work. One quote that might interest those under the grip of the middle-age spread relates to Lord Balarama who used the equivalent of a bat and ball in his victory over Dvivida;
“When no more trees were available, Dvivida took help from the hills and threw large pieces of stone, like rainfall, upon the body of Balarama. Lord Balarama, in a great sporting mood, began to smash those big pieces of stone into mere pebbles.” Even today there are many sports wherein people enjoy striking a ball or similar object with a stick or bat. This sporting propensity exists originally in the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who playfully (lilaya) pulverized the deadly boulders hurled at Him by the powerful Dvivida.
SB 10.67.23
Still if we want to play it (excuse the pun) safer again then we could limit our sporting activities to only those involving water. Water sports are referred to time and time again both in Krsna and Caitanya lila.
But if we want to be 100% sure we are doing the right thing we could engage exclusively in the sport of philosophical debate, presenting the Krsna conscious siddhanta;
“As in the modern day there are many champions in sports, so in bygone days there were many learned scholars in India who were champions in learning. One such person was Kesava Kasmiri, who came from the state of Kashmir. He travelled all over India and at last came to Navadvipa to challenge the learned scholars there. Unfortunately he could not conquer the learned scholars in Navadvipa, for he was defeated by the boy scholar Caitanya Mahaprabhu”
CC Adi 16.25 purport
As devotees we would not only be on safe ground but we would unlimitedly please Srila Prabhupada if we were to challenge and defeat the atheistic presentations of some modern day scientists and academics;
Prabhupada: What is the problem? But still, these rascals will say that he is right. You see? He cannot even analyze properly, and still he is obstinate; he is right. This rascaldom is going on. And if we say “rascal,” they are angry. Murkhayopadeso hi prakopaya na santi…: “To a rascal, if you give the right instruction, they will be simply angry.” That’s all. Not pacification, they will be angry. Payah-panam bhujanganam kevalam visa-vardhanam: “Just like the serpent, rascal. If you give him milk, he’ll drink it and increase his poison.” That’s it. The result will be he will increase his poison. Better to keep them starvation. Therefore everyone, as soon as one sees the serpent, immediately kills. No consideration. “Here is a serpent. Kill him.” Similarly, immediately we see the scientists, kill. (laughter) That is the only process. So-called scientists. So do you agree, Harikesa, for kicking on the face of these rascals or not?
Morning Walk Mauritius October 26th 1975
Happy sporting :)
Yes, in Bombay (14 Apr 1976) Prabhupada said, “If our gurukula children come here they can have very good sporting.”
I agree with you Praghosa, we should indeed develop the sport of defeating those against Krishna, particularly the rascal scientists. Regarding tactics, one of my favorite Chanakhya-isms is, “where you cannot overcome your enemy by force, you can use trickery.” In my way of thinking, we need to become clever and think out-of-the-box. We tend to have lazy intelligence, and not be lazy-intelligent.
Go go go! Frankly, although I’ve never been a fan of spectator sports, I think the sports analogy goes a long distance in religion and spiritual life.
Are there any current examples of such debates? I mean since Prabhupada’s samadhi.
I find that debate is discouraged and regarded as ‘challenging’ and offensive.
Dear Prabhu,
Hare Krishna! Please accept my humble obeisances, all glories to Srila Prabhupada.
I would like to humbly add that Srila Prabhupada also mentioned swimming and wrestling as Vaishnava sports, the reason for my addition being that these are actually my favorite physical activities. Swimming can also be done competetively (if one has that propensity), but I prefer to simply do laps, or just spend a day swimming with friends and family. Wrestling – aside from folkstyle which most people would know (that’s what they do in American highschools and in the Olympics), there’s also submission wrestling where instead of “pinning” an opponent, you get them to “tap” or surrender, Judo, Brazilian Jui-Juitsu, Russian Sambo, Chinese Shooto, etc.
One could also show how any sort of the martial art schools is a form of wrestling (read the description of the fights between Krishna, Balarama, Canura and Mustika), but I especially recommend the wrestling or grappling arts because they emphasis more “alive” training, or basically sparring with someone who is actually trying to beat you. I see a close corrolary between this alive training and the admonition in bhakti-yoga to avoid being armchair speculators or simply sentimentalists. Swimming and wrestling are also nice in the fact that – like spirituality – many people can help you and train you, but these are activities that will succeed or fail only on your will to train.
In any case, I simply wanted to mention the sports out there that don’t require a ball.
Regarding following sports: I used to follow cricket and baseball. I would root for a particular team in each of these 2 sports. More often than not, that team will do badly and I would feel sad. Same thing for a particular sports star I would follow. I realize that this was distracting my mind and affecting my spirtual efforts and I completely stopped that.
Do we need to play any sport for health reasons?: absolutely not. A 20 minutes walk, some Yoga and Pranayam and some small hand weights are enough to keep a person healthy.
It is recorded that Srila Prabhupad saw some people running on a beach and he pitied them. He said that they are hastening their death. He said everybody is born with a certain number of breaths. That number varies from person to person and is based on individual’s previous lives ‘ karma. By running and breathing quickly, people were bringing on their death earlier.
Medical scientists have discovered that excessively rigorous physical activity like running long distances releases free radicals in the body and that causes cancers.
IMHO, I do not need any sport – either watching or participating.
The ‘sport’ of watching sports is vicarious. The emotions that participating/watching stimulate are aggressive angry competition. That’s why there are so many violent incidents at these events. Some more injurious sports like boxing could hardly be considered the pasttime of a vaisnava. Moreover, in America it’s revered like a religion and is big big business bringing in millions of dollars in revenue.
Let’s not conflate the issue of physical fitness with these games.
My dear friend Praghosa,
I’m certainly going to have to stop playing ball with you! From now on, I am going to be deadly serious which is probably the only way I can be serious – dead. Recently, my flight was delayed out of Chicago, and I somehow got snookered into a conversation with a diehard, windy city, Bears (football) fan. He just couldn’t stop talking about their overtime 49 yard field goal that brought the attending 100,000 frostbitten fans to their feet. As he droned on about the glories of his hometown team, I wondered if he was at all aware of the fact that I was totally disinterested in everything that he was saying. Mercifully, my encounter with him was interrupted by the logistics of hotel registration, and I left him as he directed his enthusiasm to another unsuspecting traveler who perhaps did have more of an interest in the “game.” I related the story to my sister a couple days later. She also could care less about team sport rivalries and franchises, but she opened my eyes to something out of my reach during that brief encounter. “Here is another human being trying to connect with you, albeit on his terms and turf, and all you can do is think about how uninterested you are in what he is saying. You know, sports teach a lot about life – the quest for excellence, the need for selfless teamwork, the value of fair play, the qualities of being a ‘good loser’ and a ‘gracious winner,’ and many other of life’s lessons that can be experienced even by the spectator. Perhaps you missed an opportunity to connect with that man on his field. He was reaching out to you, and you judged him on the basis of his interest in a sport. He may have been particularly vulnerable that night; he may have had a tough day. The least you could have done is to relate to his world for a moment or two. Maybe you would find something valuable there, too.” I was stunned by her remarks. How many times have I missed the chance to share a bit of my life because I stifled myself through condescension and spiritual superiority. OK, I am privy to that great secret that Krsna is God, but that knowledge alone doesn’t make me holier than thou. In fact, I am doing an inadequate job of disseminating Prabhupada’s mercy even though, and especially because I have a bit of it. I am a kripana, a miser. I should have looked that man in the eyes, listened to his words, and internally prayed to Krsna to say something that would touch him spiritually. There is no excuse for me to have mentally put him down for his obsession with material sports. If he had a football and thrown it to me, I should play catch with him for a while – a frivolous activity but not when the purpose is to be on the same playing field so we can share life’s experiences together. I’ve bandied that term frivolous sports for many years. It’s a great excuse not to get into the game. However, I’ve seen many “good” devotees stay in shape playing racketball, tennis, golf (at least they are walking outside), etc. They are still chanting their rounds, going to mongol arotik, performing devotional service. I don’t see that their spiritual lives have been damaged. In fact, the sanga of being with other devotees has enhanced their devotional mood as far as I’ve seen. Krsna consciousness is the most powerful force in the world, but it still has a tough competitor when it comes to our conditioning to enjoy playing/watching soccer, football, hockey, tennis, baseball, or that worldwide favorite, basketball. Yes, as we advance, our interest wanes in such “nonsense” activities. Meanwhile, did I tell you about how Koby hit a three pointer in the last second of the finals in the NBA playoff’s?
Soon the GBC meeting will be in session. I am looking forward to a play-by-play account. It’s the best game in town. YS, Nrsimhananda das
I like to pick physical exercise which doesn’t interfere with your chanting. Walking and chanting japa works really well. Swimming works ok, if chanting is done internally, but becomes tedious after a while. Trying to chant, while at the same time, using weights or equipment, in a gym, is very distracting, and agitating. I can’t imagine how anyone could play tennis and chant? The best and most congruous form of exercise I have found though, whose cadence seems to combine perfectly with silent chanting of the Holy Name, is Ashtanga yoga, specifically the Sun Salute (inhaling and exhaling the Name silently on your breath).
It always amazes me how much energy people spend around the world on their fascination with organized sports. I no longer regularly follow any professional sport (I did until I was about 13), but I usually watch some of the Olympics on television, or very rarely a boxing match or part of a soccer game.
This tendency to take pleasure in following sports and rooting for the home team must be a reflection of the transcendental pleasure devotees take in discussing Krishna’s “sporting” activities, such as killing many demons, or playfully dealing with His devotees.
I hope for the day when the cable news broadcasts contain a segment on the “sports” of Krishna. Maybe they could interview various members of the Yadu dynasty, who could give a play-by-play account of how Krishna acted on the battlefield that day.
Great sports “reporters” like, Sanjaya, Sukadeva Goswami and Maitreya Muni would not have to use any fancy equipment to give detailed accounts of events distant in space or time. They could describe exactly and in perfect detail how the fight between Lord Varaha and Hiranyaksha went, or the battle of Kurukshetra, or even Krishna’s humorous dealings in stealing the garments of the gopis.
Travelers would stop strangers in airports to talk about these sporting pastimes, and mothers would chat with each other about them while watching their kids at the playgrounds. In this way, everyone would always be discussing the activities of the infallable Lord.
It reminds me of Srila Prabhupada’s purport to SB 1.2.5 (munayah sadhu prstho ‘yam . . .), where he talks about how questions and answers are going on everywhere, in the press briefings, universities, courts, marketplaces, and even among the birds and other animals. If this questioning and answering can be directed to Krishna, then everyone will be fully satisfied and blissful.
Hare Krsna,
The upside of sport according to social thinkers and some philosophers is that it takes the place of warfare.
The downside is that it truly divides people along supporter lines, instilling a deep identification with the team or country represented, fulfilling kali’s mission to hovel them away from the real goal of life.
Ys, Kesava Krsna dasa.
Hare Krsna, prabhus. Kindly add this to the comments in the stream dealing with Hare Krsna and popular culture; .
Further to contacting Lee Scratch Perry; the following received this morning;
—- Original Message —-
From: Billy Nord
To: tom garden
Sent: Wednesday, January 17, 2007 3:04:47 PM
Subject: Re: Lee Scratch Perry Krsna books
Happy New Year, Tamoharadasa! The holidays were quite fun-filled, we hope yours were too.
We have received the books, thanks again for sending them our way. We placed the titles you’d set aside for us in our office library, easily accessible by all employees. As for Lee, we’ll be sending his to his Swiss home in the next week or so. I’m certain he’ll be grateful.
Thank you for sharing the knowledge!
-Billy
Billy Nord
In-House Publicist
Narnack Records
381 Broadway
4th Floor, Suite 3
NY, NY 10013
212.871.6661 office
212.871.6668 fax
www.narnackrecords.com
I personally have accepted it as an ok activity in my life to regularly exercise. Cardio and lifting weights helps me a lot as I have a big body and get fat easy. I don’t like to spend a lot of time exercising so I prefer weights/cardio.
By exercising 30-60 minutes lifting weights or running 2-3 times a week I can get in shape and at least try to be healthy. That’s only 1-3 hours of exercise a week. But if I exercise that much I end up needing less sleep, and find it easier to control my appetite.
In the long run it seems I will have to spend less time on activities relating to maintaining my body if I add the 2-3 hours a week of exercise.
The same type of reasoning can be applied to brushing your teeth. I brush my teeth like a fanatic and use “karmi mouth wash” to avoid having to spend tons of money (and money is time IMO) on dentist bills. I went to a dentist in Germany (to save money since I was there) to have my wisdom teeth removed a couple years ago. I hadn’t been to the dentist in 8 years and he said there was not a single problem with my teeth except that in some years I might need my top wisdom teeth removed too.
As far as sports go I think sports can be an ok activity depending on how it’s done. Pragosh Prabhu pointed out many of the flaws in modern sports and many of the beautiful pastimes of the Lords sports and his Devotees sports so I won’t go into detail on that, but I have a couple instances of football games I would say were at least in the mode of goodness if nothing else.
One example is at Gurukuli reunions (specifically LA comes to mind) there is often football games. I usually witness at least one gurukuli who may be a bit too much in the competitive mood, but I like to join the games. It’s just so nice interacting with the other prabhu’s like that.
One gurukuli brought some large Jagganatha deities in the morning and they had been doing bhajans all day. There was a lot of prassadam distribution arranged and served by some surrenderd souls. Some of the younger boys played soccer. I got to play a game of football with some gurukulis I knew from a long time ago in front of Jagganath in a large park, hearing bhajans. I felt like it was a nice bonding experience with the devotees.
We have had several football games arranged with prasadam in Orange County/LA areas and I find it can actually be a wonderful way for me to get to know another devotee.
I think devotees in general should be encouraged to be more active physically through yoga and/or exercise/sports and diet etc.
YS: Yudhisthira Das
Regular exercise is an essential component of good health. Temple devotees, especially book distributors get plenty I suppose. It’s just those on the outside with desk jobs that need to ‘work out’ enough to stay healthy. (As opposed to grooming the body for sexual attractiveness).
Sometimes it’s good to get “out of Dodge”, and give your body and mind a break, or a new perspective on things. Especially if a major crisis or huge project is going on, one in which the mind has been overly taxed, or something overwhelming which can’t be solved or resolved easily, then taking a break helps to clear your mind. Often, in such times, solutions become clear, and new ways of looking at things come to mind.
The most important thing for us to remember, as Vaishnava devotees of the Lord, is our goal – to meet the Supersoul in the heart, and take instructions from Him. This can only be accomplished by continuous effort in transcendental activities of hearing and chanting, over a long period of time, and purification. The danger of extracurricular activities, which are not authorized Krishna Conscious acts, is that less and less time is spent with transcendence, thus delaying our progress.
All of us have to remember that we are examples for all of society to follow. The outside world is always looking for advanced devotees to lead the way. We don’t want people to get any idea that our own process might not be the perfect solution for all of life’s problems and needs. We can’t preach one philosophy and set of ideas, but live another.
Honestly, chanting and dancing is a fabulous aerobic workout.
Any transcendental process of spiritual realization automatically helps one to keep the body fit, for it is the spirit soul that keeps the body always fresh.
SB 4.4.25
Folio search: exercis*
There is no need of adopting the speculative method or exercising the body to attain mystic yoga perfection. One should simply understand that the distress and happiness of this body are predestined; there is no need to try to avoid the distress of this bodily existence or to attempt to achieve happiness by different types of exercises. The best course is to surrender unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead with body, mind and words and always be engaged in His service
KB 14: Prayers Offered by Lord Brahma to Lord Krsna
One can approach the Supreme Person only by devotional service—not by challenge, not by philosophical speculation, and not by exercising in this yoga or that yoga. No. It is clearly stated that one can approach Krsna only by surrender and devotional service. It is not stated that one can reach Him by philosophical speculation or mental concoction or some physical exercise. One can reach Krsna only by practicing devotion, without deviating to fruitive activities, philosophical speculation, or physical exercise. Only by unalloyed devotional service, without any admixture, can we reach the spiritual world.
JSD 2: Entering the Spiritual World
….people are paying money to attend some classes in gymnastic exercises and deep-breathing, and they’re happy if they think they can lengthen their lifetimes by a few years or enjoy better sex life. But we must understand that this is not the actual yoga system. In this age that meditational system cannot be properly executed. Instead, all of the perfections of that system can be realized through bhakti-yoga, the sublime process of Krsna consciousness, specifically mantra-yoga, the glorification of Sri Krsna through the chanting of Hare Krsna.
PoY 1: Yoga as Rejected by Arjuna
You haven’t got to exercise your body.
Bhagavad-gita 7.1 — San Francisco, March 17, 1968
But our philosophy (is) that we are not this body. Then where is the question of exercising the body and spiritual realization? If I am not this body, then how I can realize myself simply by some gymnastic process?
Bhagavad-gita 2.13 — Los Angeles, April 11, 1973
….one who is convinced that “I am not this body,” then where is the necessity of exercising the body?
Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.15.41 — Los Angeles, December 19, 1973
Simply chant Hare Krsna and dance. That’s all. You haven’t got to be very highly educated in the university. You haven’t got to exercise in so many yogic process, sitting posture, or hard press your nose, or you keep your head down. Nothing. No labor. Simply come here, chant Hare Krsna and take Krsna prasadam. This very simple method will revive your Krsna consciousness.
Srimad-Bhagavatam 7.9.9 — Montreal, July 4, 1968
And if you dance, then all of the bodily exercise is Krsna-ized, and all of the attempts of the yoga processes are attained by this simple process.
Ratha-yatra Lecture — San Francisco, July 27, 1969
You haven’t got to make any exercise, keeping your head down or this or that. No. Simple method: chanting this Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.
Sunday Feast Lecture — Los Angeles, January 19, 1969
Devotee: There’s no value in keeping the body fit through exercise?
Prabhupada: Yes, you can become very healthy. But does it mean that health is the perfection of life? Do you mean to say healthy life will not die, will not change his body? So health is required, but health is not the ultimate goal of life. Ultimate goal of life is here.
Room Conversation — May 10, 1969, Columbus, Ohio
Prof. Pater Porsch: May I please ask, are there is also room for physical yoga exercises while chanting of the God’s names?
Prabhupada: Yes, but we are exercising by dancing.
Room Conversation with Professor Durckheim — June 19, 1974, Germany
This bodily exercise is meant for person who is in the bodily concept of life. One who understands that “I am not this body; I am part and parcel of Krsna. My duty is to serve Krsna,” that is first-class yogi.
Room Conversation with Indian Guests — March 13, 1975, Tehran
Prabhupada: Dance and chant. This is best exercise.
Room Conversation — December 27, 1976, Bombay
Dr. Wolfe: Do not some physical means come into the keeping the body strong, healthy, so that devotion is possible at all? Because to produce sick people, of course, is not in the Lord’s spirit either, I think.
Prabhupada: No. Our aim is not to create sick people. That is not our aim.
Dr. Wolfe: Swimming, walking, is still important I think.
Prabhupada: No, we do not say. Neither.
Dr. Wolfe: I miss it in the Movement. I think it should not be made a sport, but it should be made, perhaps, a physical must under control.
Prabhupada: No, if you eat more, then you require more exercise to digest unnecessary loading, but if you eat simply, just to keep our body and soul together, you don’t require exercise.
Dr. Wolfe: Well…
Prabhupada: Little movement is going on, we are walking. But not this severe type of exercise as surfers and fighting with the sea waves for four hours, five hours, ten hours. (devotees laugh)
Garden Conversation — June 10, 1976, Los Angeles
Prabhupada: Dance and chant. This is best exercise. We allow them to dance very… Yes. High jump. Actually that is exercise and, at the same time ecstasy. If they dance and chant Hare Krsna, it is automatically a very big exercise and spiritual advancement. Yes. Yes. There is no doubt about it. If he chants and dances, immediately he become ecstatic.
Room Conversation — December 27, 1976, Bombay
In our Kirtana there is no need of so called meditation and gymnastic of bodily exercise.
Letter to: Mukunda, Janaki — New York 21 May, 1967
Regarding other yoga exercises, if you take Krishna prasadam you shall keep your body automatically fit for working, so there is no need of extra exercises which are required by persons who may eat more than what is required.
Letter to: Kanupriya — Los Angeles 15 January, 1969
Your servant, Mithila das.
I see a number of overweight devotees, which regardless of one’s spiritual status is unhealthy. Not being the body is no reason to allow it to go to pots.
We know that Srila Prabhupada did take vigorous morning walks for his health. He had important work to do with his body and had to keep it fit. He set that example.
“Health is required, but health is not the ultimate goal of life.” That about sums it up.
Obviously, Srila Prabhupada did not recommend mystic yoga as the proper path of self-realization in this age. Everyone knows that.
However, if devotees can do some asanas to keep fit, and can attract people who are interested in such things to go deeper into Krishna’s teachings, that sounds fine, as long as they realize that chanting Hare Krishna is the prescribed method for attaining the goal of life, Krishna prema.
Watching sports on TV or in a stadium is sense gratification. It is not the best use of our time (but a householder may be compelled to do it to satisfy in-laws or other family members, for example). No one really thinks they are serving Krishna by watching organized sporting events. Do they?
If other devotees engage in some sense gratification, that is up to them. They also have many good qualities we can admire, and it is not our job to worry about everyone else’s sense gratification.
We need to be respectful to all and expect none in return. (We can practice *that* exercise with good results.) :-)
If devotees engage in some exercise to keep fit, that is good. We should try to keep our bodies fit somehow.
One doctor told me once (an American, Jewish doctor, I think his name was Dr. Silver or Silverman), that we all have a certain amount of breaths to breathe before we die (I couldn’t believe he was saying this–he was just a regular western doctor, but he must have read some of Prabhupada’s books or something.)
He went on to say, though, that if you do regular cardio exercise, even though you breathe heavy for 20 minutes or a half hour a few times a week, you actually wind up breathing slower and deeper the rest of the day, and thus can prolong your life and health. (I have no idea whether he was right–he made mistakes in the rest of my treatment).
Anyway, I am no authority. I overeat and hardly exercise. I know it isn’t good for me. Dr. Silver would not approve, and neither, I think, would Srila Prabhupada. I definitely need to eat less and eat better. I need to dance more, take more walks, do some vigorous physical work. It might not hurt me to go to a gym once and awhile, either, but I have no taste for it.
I doubt at this age I am going to take up tennis or jogging or golf (I used to like to ride bikes, though). I have no disrespect for those who do such things and as a result stay healthy.
Regarding comment #17:
“Watching sports on TV or in a stadium is sense gratification. It is not the best use of our time (but a householder may be compelled to do it to satisfy in-laws or other family members, for example).”
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I know devotees happily married, devotee spouse does not watch TV, but the other spouse does. So watching TV is not necessary to satisfy family members or in-laws. My in-laws watch frivolous sport on TV, but I do not. Neither me nor they should be upset with each other. It is just that we have different likings.
“if you do regular cardio exercise, even though you breathe heavy for 20 minutes or a half hour a few times a week, you actually wind up breathing slower and deeper the rest of the day, and thus can prolong your life and health. ”
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Recently Doctors are saying that walking at a moderate space for 20 or maximum 30 minutes is enough for cardio health. They also say you can break that into 10-minutes sessions of walking during the day.
I read from a Cardio-specialist that if you do cardo exercise more than 30 minutes there is no added advantage. Some study was conducted and concluded that exeessive exercise actually shortens life.
My experience with Praanayam(breathing exercises in Yoga) is very good. That helps overall health including cardio as well as weight control.
To be too fat is not very good for spiritually advanced life. Rather, one should reduce because if one becomes fat it is an impediment to progress in spiritual understanding.
SB 3.33.14
Becoming fat is not a very good qualification in spiritual life because a person who is engaged in spiritual life must reduce the comforts of the body — namely eating, sleeping and mating — to a minimum.
SB 4.23.20
We can definitely see that to advance in Krsna consciousness one must control his bodily weight. If one becomes too fat, it is to be assumed that he is not advancing spiritually.
SB 4.28.35-36
….in spiritual advancement becoming fat is not at all satisfactory.
SB 7.13.16-17
Generally those engaged in spiritual advancement take food only once, either in the afternoon or in the evening. If one takes food only once, naturally he does not become fat.
SB 7.13.18
If you eat grains and vegetables and light foodstuffs, you’ll never get fatty. You see? You’ll never get fatty. Reduce eating as much as possible. Don’t eat at night. Practice yoga like this.
Bhagavad-gita 6.13-15 — Los Angeles, February 16, 1969
Admittedly, there is the age factor. Young people can eat to excess and not show an ounce, whereas the middle aged can eat a few too many mouthfuls and it turns to fat immediately.
The ultimate sport is to wrest the big ball (planet earth) away from the control of the opposite team (the asuras). Anyone who is enlivened by sports is invited to experience the ultimate enlivenment of fully absorbing themselves 24 hours a day in the ultimate sport, the sankirtan yajna.
The results of ordinary sports are inconsequential. Whether one team wins or the other team wins, life still goes on basically in the same way. But who wins the in the sport known as sankirtana yajna, will effect the entire course of world history.
So let us now, all ISKCON devotees throughout the world, put all of our energy into the ultimate sport, the sankirtan yajna, instead of wasting our time with this ball or that ball. By putting 100% of our energy into this ultimate sport we will be able to eventually wrest control of the planet earth away from the atheists into the hands of the theists and thus bring back to planet earth the happy days of Bhagavat Dharma.
Instead of wasting our time with this ball and Let’s put all of energy into the ultimate ball game, getting the big ball (planet earth) out of the control of the asuras into the hands of the suras. This ultimate sport is unlimitedly exciting. All other sports pale into insignifcance when one develops a taste for this sport.
In this connection at an initiation lecture in Los Angeles on 19 December 1968 Srila Prabhupada was describing as follows the fourth regulative principle:
“And no gambling or unnecessary sporting. People are wasting time. So many sportings they have invented-sporting balls, this ball, that ball. You see? Human life is very short. We do not know when we shall die. Before that, we must prepare ourself for the next life. ”
According to our initiations vows we should not be indulging in this ball and that ball.