Avoid Bad Association

[Guest guest]

Sri Sri Guru Gaurangau Jayatah

 

Avoid Bad Association

by His Divine Grace Shrila Bhakti Sundar Govinda

Dev-Goswami Maharaj

 

October 11, 1999, South Africa

 

 

Jai Shri Shri Guru Gauranga Gandharva Govinda Sundar.

We are the practitioners of Krishna consciousness. We

must be serious about our practicing life, it is very

essential. Some question may come, " What shall we

avoid and what shall we accept and welcome? This

question is everywhere in the Scriptures we will see.

Shrimad Bhagavat said, " Tato ... " Here is given a

clue: first avoid bad association.

 

How harmful bad association is we cannot believe.

Always try to take good association. Mahaprabhu said

it, Krishna dasa Kaviraj Goswami told: " Sadhu sangha,

sadhu sangha ... " Lobha matra sadhu sangha means if

for a little bit of time if we get good association,

we must be benefited for a long, long time. Sadhu, if

mercifull to me, he must give his spiritual wealth to

me. That spiritual wealth is: always you try to engage

yourself in service to the Lord. He himself is doing

that and inspiring others. He himself is not searching

who wants, he is busily engaged in his service life.

We will try to search where we shall get that sadhu

sangha.

 

A real sadhu is very difficult to get. A real sadhu is

engaging twenty-four hours for the service to Krishna,

for service to the Lord. Through that he is getting

satisfaction in his spiritual life. When the Lord is

happy then he (the sadhu) is getting double happiness.

That type of sadhu to get his association in this

world is very difficult no doubt, but there is no

other alternative.

 

We are unqualified and we cannot choose properly, but

what is essential is stated in Shrimat Bhagavatam.

First: " dushanga ... " Dushanga means anti-God

feelings, those who have. I am very happy to see the

American dollar, on that is written: " In God We

Trust. " Everyone knows India is a very religious

country but we do not have that type of comment on our

currency note. Simple, very simple is their practicing

life as a Christian, but what they are doing a little

bit, that value also not so little. Every door they

are knocking through their dollar and telling: " You

see my currency and be theistic. At least you try to

believe that above is existing One who created all the

universes. He is the creator of all creations. First

remember Him. " This type of currency note when I have

seen I was very surprised. I am thinking why everyone

is not following this method.

 

Actually we want to make every person, every entity a

temple of God. God is existing with us, but we cannot

feel it. We heard atma (soul) and Paramatma

(Supersoul). The Paramatma is existing along with the

atma. It is stated in the Upanishads, one is doing the

work of eating the fruit and the other is looking at

that. The Paramatma is looking and the someone eating

is the atma. This type of comment is in the Upanishad.

But immediate what we want: atheistic association must

be avoided and theistic association must be welcomed

in our life.

 

This matter of sadhu sangha, in Shrimad Bhagavat in a

different story and in a different way it is stated to

us. Mother Devahuti and Bhagavan Kapiladev Their story

we know. Bhagavan Kapiladev advised His mother. His

mother said, " Oh my Son you are God I know it, but You

tell what is good for me. Which way I shall stand in

my position and I shall serve You. I do not know the

process and which way I shall be benefited. " And

Kapiladev said, " Mother it is true, [for societies'

purpose] a woman has no right to do all the Vedic

[ritualistic] processes, but that is not necessary.

Mother you can try to get a pure sadhu's sangha. " This

sloka I can remember: " Satang... "

 

With the association of the sadhu, sadhu always will

glorify the Lord's name, fame etc. And when it is come

in our heart it will bloom like a nice lotus flower,

and will give the essence to us. When they will tell,

it must will enter into our heart and through that we

will get devotion, more faith and devotion; and

attachment to the Lord and service to the Lord.

Kapiladev said to His mother, " Mother, it is not

necessary to do many things, but only follow this

advice: real sadhu sanga you try to get.

" Shanta... " Sadhu will not always praise us. Sadhu's

nature is to praise. If I am surrendered to the sadhu

he will try to do good for me and what is bad for me

he will forcefully try to remove from my mind the bad

things, if I surrender. Otherwise he will not give

attention. His time has value. He is serving Krishna.

When it will come to him as a service to give others

something good, those feelings will come and he must

give us advise. Then, this is very essential for the

practitioners: first avoid bad association, asadhu

sangha; and take good association. Good association

must give you super benefit in your spiritual life.

Hari Krishna.

October 11, 1999

South Africa