6 Hours Sleep

[Govindaram 1]

Hare Krishna

 

His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada said that 6 hours sleep is sufficient,

So if aspiring/already bhaktas sleep more, then is there some

problem with their sadhana?

 

Is sleeping more considered deviating from Srila Prabhupada instructions?

 

I tend to need more sleep and if I have 6 hours sleep, I feel I get really cranky and easily angry at people, like to hear from Bhaktas/Matas...

 

[I_love_krishna_ 0]

Krishna said who sleeps more or less / who eats more or does not eat at all does not come out of the suffering but falls into more delusion.

 

It is our dharma to take care of this body, whether it be good, bad, old, young.

 

It is better to sleep 8 hours but adults can do well with out the extra two hours of sleep.

 

Sleep is needed for our brain to coordinate and function properly...So, for devotees I don't think sleep will be a problem because if the body coordinates properly then it can be directed toward krishna /images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

I think we need the sleep and it depends on our body. In my view, Srila prabhupada probably said it to put emphasis on the fact that we need balance in our health/spiritual and physical.

 

"I feel I get really cranky and easily angry at people, like to hear from Bhaktas/Matas..."

 

May be krishna knows it and is making you sleep more, you shouldn't go against something that is natural and needed in life. I think krishna is making you sleep.

 

But you should get out of your bed right when you wake up... that decreases laziness and makes us more assertive...

 

Oh yea you may like the prayer "Krishna please control my pons so it won't make me cranky" /images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

 

[Govindaram 1]

Hare Krishna

 

I_L_K:

"But you should get out of your bed right when you wake up... that decreases laziness and makes us more assertive"

 

You must be a mind reader, the snooze button on my alarm clock has had it's day /images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

Thx for that quote from the Gita..I think I am eating too much hence sleeping too much so..

 

Regulation is needed with me, or maybe I'm getting old! /images/graemlins/smirk.gif

 

[livingentity 0]

with Prabhupada's purports...

 

TEXT 16

 

naty-asnatas ’tu yogo ’sti

na caikantam anasnatah

na cati-svapna-silasya

jagrato naiva carjuna

 

TRANSLATION

 

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.

 

PURPORT

 

Regulation of diet and sleep is recommended herein for the yogis. Too much eating means eating more than is required to keep the body and soul together. There is no need for men to eat animals, because there is an ample supply of grains, vegetables, fruits and milk. Such simple foodstuff is 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 indulge in animal food, drinking, smoking and eating food which is not first offered to Krishna will suffer sinful reactions because of eating only polluted things. Bhunjate te tv agham papa ye pacanty atma-karanat. Anyone who eats for 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 cannot execute perfect yoga. It is best that one eat only the remnants of foodstuff 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 perfection in yoga practice. Nor can one who artificially abstains from eating, manufacturing his own personal process of fasting, practice yoga. The Krishna conscious person observes fasting as it is recommended in the scriptures. He does not fast 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 consequently sleep more than is required. One should not sleep more than six hours daily. One who sleeps more than six hours out of 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 cannot perform yoga.

 

TEXT 17

 

yuktahara-viharasya

yukta-cestasya karmasu

yukta-svapnavabodhasya

yogo bhavati duhkha-ha

 

TRANSLATION

 

He who is regulated in his habits of eating, sleeping, recreation and work can mitigate all material pains by practicing the yoga system.

 

PURPORT

 

Extravagance in the matter of eating, sleeping, defending and mating—which are 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 the 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 not meant for human consumption, or not in the category of goodness. As far as sleeping is concerned, a Krishna conscious person is always alert in the discharge of his duties in Krishna consciousness, and therefore any unnecessary time spent sleeping is considered a great loss. Avyartha-kalatvam: [Cc.Madhya 23.18-19] a Krishna conscious person cannot 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. Thakura Haridasa 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. 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.

 

 

[livingentity 0]

I just naturally do not sleep more than four to six hours a night. Not sure why - that is just the way it is with me and has been forever.

[Priitaa 0]

Acutally there are several ideas Prabhupada gave on this 6 hour concept, and something in the back of my mind, a memory of something about -- a little more if necessary is all right. Sorry, no quote.

 

I remember seeing zombie-like devotees (and I was one ha) who would only sleep 6 hours but needed more, whereas some were fully rested after slightly less. Mostly, you have to find how many hours your body requires for sufficient rest, and then do that, because if you are half asleep during saddhana or the rest of the day, your not giving it your all and could even wind up in a car accident, etc!

 

But the trick here is to be honest within, and not try to go along with our mind when it tells you more is required but it actually wants to sleep in for sense grad. /images/graemlins/smile.gif Not hard to figure out tho, as its simply about honesty.

[livingentity 0]

Exactly, everyone has different needs. I used to think something was wrong with me because I could not sleep longer and tried to sleep 8 hours but I would wake up after so many hours no matter what.

[theist 1]

I seem to remember "sleep 10 hrs. if you need it. But you must rise for brahma-murta."

[Guest guest]

Early to rise...helps a living entity chant without sleepy eyes! /images/graemlins/smile.gif

[livingentity 0]

somehow I got logged out!!

 

Early to rise...helps a living entity chant without sleepy eyes!

 

 

[theist 1]

Yeah, my life is so screwded up. I hate going to sleep and even when I am forced to I fall asleep to coast to coast on the radio. Usually around 1 AM.

 

But once asleep I hate to get up.

 

But then I also hate missing the early morning hours.

 

It's a mess. Sleep sucks.

 

[livingentity 0]

even when I get sleepy - I resist it. I always think of the things I should be doing or should have done and didn't do. I feel like I am wasting precious time with sleep. I don't have a hard time getting up for the same reason - fear of wasting anymore time than I already do.

[Priitaa 0]

hahaha Oddly enough, when living in the ashrama and it was encouraged (or forced lol) to get less sleep, I tried to slept in until 4 AM and refused to get up a minute sooner, as I wanted more sleep. (And got yelled at alot for this, but I didn't care, I was tired!) Whereas now I get chronic insomnia, and part of the reason may be, as you have posted, I worry I am wasting time in sleep, or think about something I need to do, etc. ha But just see how much more powerful choice is.

 

Tho its important to get 'enough,' as I recently heard how insufficient sleep can lead to serious heart trouble.

[livingentity 0]

yes, I read that also and it concerned me as heart problems run in my family. So I tried to start getting more hours of sleep but I still wake up after no more than six no matter what I do.

[Priitaa 0]

 

I seem to remember "sleep 10 hrs. if you need it. But you must rise for brahma-murta."

 

 

Yes! I had forgotten that one! LOL

 

[theist 1]

So here it is said, “There is no possibility of one’s becoming a yogi O Arjuna, if one eats too much or eats too little.” Very nice program. Don’t eat too little. You eat whatever you require. But don’t eat more. Similarly don’t sleep more. If you can keep your health perfect, but try to reduce it. Suppose you are sleeping ten hours. But if I keep myself fit by sleeping five hours, why should I sleep ten hours? So this is the process. Don’t do anything artificially. So far the body is concerned, we have got four demands. Eating, sleeping, mating and defending. The defect is that modern civilization that they are thinking that this eating process, sleeping process if we can increase, that is very nice. If we can sleep the whole day and night on Saturday and Sunday, oh it is great profit, enjoyment. That is the civilization. They think it is an opportunity to sleep, thirty hours a day. You see? No. Don’t do that. Reduce it. Try to reduce it but not artificially.

[livingentity 0]

 

Try to reduce it but not artificially.

 

 

This part of the instruction seems to have been either forgotten or ignored.

 

Nice quote to remember.

[theist 1]

Often by temple leaders who would enforce the imaginary six hour rule on everyone else and then take a nice nap in the afternoon themselves.

[livingentity 0]

Funny...I do not normally listen to radio at all but I listened to this the other night. What is really funny is for some reason while I was listening - I started wondering how many devotees were also listening!! Not sure why that thought came into my head!

[Govindaram 1]

"nice nap in the afternoon themselves."

 

hey Theistji we all have our 'perks of the job'

[Guest guest]

I have to be honest about this point. I do not mean to be nasty, but bhakthi interferes sleep. I have observed this alot.

 

When I am in one of my high moods of bhakthi, I cannot sleep even if I want to. I just keep chanting in my mind and finally at 2:00 Am or something , I fall asleep.

 

I have seen this every time I try to chant in my mind at night. So, I stopped it. No more chanting hare krishna in bed for me!.

 

I do agree that sleep sucks.

 

I_L_K

[theist 1]

I_L_K If you keep chanting you may find that at some point your body has fallen asleep but your consciousness has remained lucid. I am never focused enough to learn to do this myself but it sounds like you may be close.

 

A variation is that just as Krsna consciousness is now entering into this dream state that we consider wakefullness in this dimension, it will also enter into your other dreams at night. Krsna conscious lucid dreaming.

 

Just like we chant with this dream body made of earth and water etc. we can also learn to chant with our dream forms until that blessed day when we have attained our real eternal form. Until then we engage whatever form we are identifying with,subtle or gross, in Harinama

[Priitaa 0]

Yes Thiest, tho I suspect from posts I have read he is new, which is a compliment. Just .... remember what it was like 20 years ago or so, everything was so exciting and enlivening! In the beginning Krishna wraps a blanket of protection around you to make you strong. Then over time He takes it off and ya have to be able to do more on your own. Its maintainence 20 plus years later, or the ability to do so, that needs to be taken into consideration too.

[Guest guest]

remember what it was like 20 years ago or so, everything was so exciting and enlivening!

_________

 

you mean it becomes dull and boring later on? - thats not very encouraging.

 

 

I_L_K

[theist 1]

this show goes all over the map. Cool stuff like alien technology, encounters, OBE's etc. Not always good, too much speculation, but on the whole its the best of its kind on the air.

 

Inspires strange dreams sometimes as I get caught in that hynogogic state between waking and sleeping while the brain is still receiving input about aliens or hollow earth theory.

 

I hope I don't die during one of those weird dreams. Who knows where I would end up. /images/graemlins/smile.gif