Understand who to associate with and who to listen to …….….. Nectarean Mellows

January 28, 2008

"G u r u m u k h p a d m a v a k y a "

So we respect the person but we don't associate with the bad habits that the person is addicted to. In this age of Kali Yuga, especially during today's circumstances, this point has to be very carefully understood otherwise we are subjected to tremendous confusion; because in one hand we talk about the dangers of vaisnava aparadhs and the glories of vaishnavas. Here Srila Prabhupada quoting Visvanatha Cakurvati Thakura is making things very clear that even if one is a vaisnava, if he is not of good character his company should be avoided, achintya bheda abheda tattva is present in so many ways within our lives as vaishnavas; if a person believes that Visnu is the Supreme Personality of Godhead is a vaishnava; therefore they must be respected as Vaisnavas but at the same time if they are preaching blaspheme against your faith; (then) by associating with them your life will be destroyed. But if you blaspheme them your life also will be destroyed. So we must keep respectful distances from such persons. Sometimes some vaisnavas are too much attached to sense gratification; sometimes vaisnavas like to talk prajalpa, sometimes vaisnavas like to criticise other vaishnavas, if you associate with them, it will disturb your spiritual progress, it may even destroy your spiritual progress, but at the same time they are vaishnavas; if you blaspheme them, if you disrespect them; that will also be harmful to your spiritual life. This is what you have got yourself into this dilemma; we cannot avoid it. It is the material world. The only pure satsang of vaisnavas is in Goloka Vrindavana but in this material world, there are all kinds of devotees with all kind of motivation; they should be respected but we have to understand who to associate with and who to listen to. Sometimes vaisnavas maybe actually detached from sense gratification, they maybe more austere than you and their sadhana maybe better than yours and they may be very learned in the philosophy of the scriptures but if they are teaching against guru parampara; by associating with them you are creating a great aparadhs to your guru, your param guru and to your whole parampara and they will withdraw their mercy; or if they speaking aspects of devotional service that are contrary to how you are receiving it from your line of disciplic succession; unless if you are very, very advance to accommodate it and not have your faith disturbed; then by that association you are actually offending your own guru line and you will loose faith and you will become confused or you will become unchaste, unfaithful.

Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakura was very much disliked by many of the babajis of Vrindavana and the lines that have come down from them. Why? Because he wouldn't associate with them, he considered many of them as taking things very cheaply, speaking very, very lofty topics. Bhakti Vinod Thakura, Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakura they wrote many essays about the various apa-sampradaya where they have different conceptions, different presentations although they be chanting one lakh names a day, they may be living in a little hut, they may be extraordinarily learned, in presenting very lofty conclusions from the books of Rupa Ragunatha Goswami, but yet their certain conceptions and certain activities that make their association extremely harmful for our spiritual lives, but if you offend them it is vaisnava aparadhs because they are devotees, they are taking the holy name. So we should only associate with those devotees who encourage and invigorate our faith and we should offer respect to those who potentially can threaten our faith and if we do not understand this principle very, very seriously then we are heading for spiritual confusion without a doubt.

H H Radhanath Swami Maharaj

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-- ChantHare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare II Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare II --is the sublime method for reviving our Krsna consciousness. As living spiritual souls we are all originally Krsna conscious entities, but due to our asociation with matter since time immemorial, our consciousness is now poluted by material atmosphere. In this polluted concept of life, we are all trying to exploit the resources of material nature, but actually we are becoming more and more entangled in our complexities. This illusion is called Maya, or hard struggle for existence over the stringent laws of material nature. This illusory struggle against the material nature can at once be stopped by revival of our Krsna consciousness.

And Be Happy