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Association of pure devotees (Letters)

Expressions researched:
"associate ourselves with pure devotees" |"associating as much as possible with pure devotees" |"associating with a pure devotee" |"association of a pure devotee" |"association of pure devotee" |"association of pure devotees" |"association of the pure devotee" |"association with pure devotees" |"association with pure persons or devotees" |"association with the pure devotee" |"keep association" |"not being associated with pure devotees"

Correspondence

1968 Correspondence

Our principle should be that we should work for the mission with great enthusiasm, with certainty for its success, and patiently follow the regulative principles, and associate ourselves with pure devotees, and work being completely in Krishna Consciousness, that will make us happy and successful.
Letter to Brahmananda -- Los Angeles 20 February, 1968:

Regarding Krishna's being very kind upon us, should be on the principle as Arjuna followed: the principle is, that Krishna was Arjuna's most intimate friend. He could have brought victory to Arjuna, without any endeavor by Arjuna; neither was that principle advised by Krishna, neither Arjuna followed it. As a military man, Arjuna fought to his best, but the victory was brought him by Krishna. Similarly, we should try our best to our best capacity, and victory will come from Krishna. We should never sit idly and ask Krishna to do everything. That is the teachings of the Bhagavad-gita. It is clearly said in the Gita: "Yuddhasya ca mam anusmara (BG 8.7)." So ordinarily, we have to try our best to our best capacity to achieve something, and by Krishna's Grace, all of a sudden we shall see everything is there. This sort of help from Krishna is transcendental happiness. Our principle should be therefore, that we should work for the mission with great enthusiasm, with certainty for its success, and patiently follow the regulative principles, and associate ourselves with pure devotees, and work being completely in Krishna Consciousness, that will make us happy and successful.

Actually that tendency to love God is in everyone, but on account of not being associated with pure devotees, our love is placed on something non-God.
Letter to Kirtanananda -- Montreal 14 July, 1968:

This chanting of Hare Krishna and our sincere desire to serve Krishna will make everything clear, even if there is some impediments, because from Srimad-Bhagavatam we understand that a system of religiousity is to be understood as the most perfect if by following such system, we enrich our tendency to love God. Actually that tendency is in everyone, but on account of not being associated with pure devotees, our love is placed on something non-God. The whole process of Krishna Consciousness is to replace our love to Krishna. So any process that helps us to increase our love of Krishna, that is the best system of religiousity. Such system cannot be checked by any material impediments, and such development of love of Krishna is without any cause. Chanting of Hare Krishna is not meant for achieving any other better thing than Krishna. But when we chant Hare Krishna without any offense, we relish Krishna, the Reservoir of all pleasure.

It is better to remain alone than to mix with materialistic persons. But this is not applicable when we have the opportunity to get the association of pure devotees.
Letter to Sivananda -- Los Angeles 11 November, 1968:

Regarding your question, about living alone, living alone is a general tendency for a person who wants to get disassociated with the materialistic persons. That is also recommended by the Goswamis in their instructions. It is better to remain alone than to mix with materialistic persons. But this is not applicable when we have the opportunity to get the association of pure devotees. Our program is negative and positive simultaneously. We want to negate the materialistic side and make positive the spiritual side, it is not one sided. If you have no positive standing, negating only will not make you successful. Therefore it is better to remain positively within the society of pure devotees. That is also recommended by the Goswamis. That one should be occupied in activities in the modes of goodness and associate with spiritualistic persons, that will make one's advancement very quick.

1969 Correspondence

To avoid the material activities means to follow the four regulative principles and to engage ourselves constantly in Krishna Consciousness activities and to have the association of pure devotees.
Letter to Uttamasloka -- New Vrindaban 7 June, 1969:

Please accept my blessings. I am very glad to receive your letter (undated), and I have noted the contents that you had left the temple but now you have returned again. This is most encouraging, because it means that Krishna is very kind upon you. Although you left Him, He did not allow you to go away. It is His special favor upon you. As individuals there may be disagreement sometimes, but that is quite natural. Even in ordinary family affairs there is sometimes disagreement, but that does not mean immediately the disagreeing members shall leave the family. Similarly our Krishna Consciousness Movement means we are all gathering together in families of Krishna. Actually we are eternal family members of the Lord, but due to our misuse of independence we have now forgotten our eternal relationship with Krishna, exactly like a man who is mad forgets his family relationship and loiters in the street. But when he is again in his normal mental condition, he remembers his family members and goes back to them. Similarly this Krishna Consciousness Movement is a treatment for reviving the memory that we all belong to Krishna's family. So we are trying to establish a replica of Krishna's family in this material world wherein there is no material activities. To avoid the material activities means to follow the four regulative principles and to engage ourselves constantly in Krishna Consciousness activities and to have the association of pure devotees. We should not give indulgence to our senses more than what is required just to keep body and soul together. We should not engage ourselves in very difficult tasks, and we should not talk anything more than what is necessary for spreading Krishna Consciousness. We should follow the regulative principles, regard being had to situation, circumstances and objectives. We should not be greedy and we should not mix with persons not interested in Krishna. In this way, we can make steady progress and maintain our membership in Krishna's family. Thus, at the end of this life we will enter actually into the spiritual world. So your main business should be to spread Sankirtana, becoming tolerant as the tree and becoming humbler than the grass. If you have anytime any difficulty, please try to settle up in the above way, but do not leave the company of devotees. That will not help you, even though there may seem to be some difficulties.

A spirit soul who falls down from the Brahmajyoti to the Kingdom of Maya may have a chance of associating with a pure devotee, and then he may be elevated to the spiritual planets of Vaikuntha or to Goloka Vrindaban.
Letter to Rupanuga -- Los Angeles 24 July, 1969:

In the Bhagavad-gita it is clearly said by the Lord that the only way of not coming back to the material world is to be promoted to the spiritual planets. For the impersonalists there is no such assurance of not falling down in the whole Vedic literature. The conclusion is that without developing the spiritual body and without being situated on one of the spiritual planets, the so-called liberation is also illusion, or it is not complete. A spirit soul who falls down from the Brahmajyoti to the Kingdom of Maya may have a chance of associating with a pure devotee, and then he may be elevated to the spiritual planets of Vaikuntha or to Goloka Vrindaban. From the Brahmajyoti there is no direct promotion to the spiritual planets, and it is clearly stated in the Bhagavatam that such souls fall down: patanty adha.

Our dormant love for Krishna is covered up by the material contamination, but it is quickly aroused when the association of a pure devotee is there.
Letter to Govardhana -- Boston 25 December, 1969:

Govardhana is the name of the hill which Krishna lifted up to protect the inhabitants of Vrindaban from the heavy rainfalls which were being sent down by Indra. This Govardhana Hill is still there in Vrindaban, and it is worshiped by the devotees of Krishna just as Krishna Himself is worshiped. You have a very nice opportunity to quickly advance in spiritual perfection because you have the good association of the devotees in Hawaii. This association with devotees of Krishna is recommended by Lord Caitanya Himself as the most important factor for developing Krishna Consciousness. This is because our dormant love for Krishna is covered up by the material contamination, but it is quickly aroused when the association of a pure devotee is there. The example is given that when an iron rod is put into a blazing fire, the rod soon takes on the qualities of the fire; namely light and heat. But if the same rod is put amidst some ice, then it will remain simply dark and cold. In the same way, a devotee should associate with fellow devotees, and in relationship to others the devotee should try to elevate them also onto the spiritual platform.

1970 Correspondence

You are thinking that there are many problems in your life; I assure you that if you follow the regulative principles of chanting 16 rounds, observing strictly the prohibitive injunctions, keep association with pure devotees, plus taking care of the Deities in the Temple, surely all your problems will be solved without any difficulty.
Letter to Kulasekhara -- Los Angeles 11 January, 1970:

In our devotional service, there are nine different processes for executing devotional service, they are as follows: 1. Hearing, 2. Chanting, 3. Meditating, 4. Offering prayers, 5. Rendering service, 6. Making friendship, 7. Temple worship, 8. Serving the Lotus Feet, 9. Surrendering everything to the Lord. So, out of these nine, sravanam or hearing is very important. This hearing is important in ordinary life also. In the civil action of human society this hearing is a very important factor. Early in the morning, just rising from bed, they want to hear the newspaper, especially in the western countries. But the most unfortunate situation is that the karmis will agree to hear a bunch of newspaper which is ten times more in volume than Bhagavad-gita, but if they are requested to read Bhagavad-gita, they will not agree. So our propaganda is to transfer the taste of the general people from reading rubbish nonsense to reading of Bhagavad-gita, which solves the problems of life. As you are sincere devotee, you should always keep in mind these differences of hearing and try to understand how much important it is to hear about Krishna Consciousness. You are thinking that there are many problems in your life; I assure you that if you follow the regulative principles of chanting 16 rounds, observing strictly the prohibitive injunctions, keep association with pure devotees, plus taking care of the Deities in the Temple, surely all your problems will be solved without any difficulty. Please try it for at least one month and see the result.

By association with undesirable companions we have learned so many bad habits and similarly by association with pure persons or devotees we can become purified of our acquired bad habits.
Letter to Sacisuta -- Los Angeles 14 February, 1970:

The association of devotees is the most important element in learning Krishna Consciousness way of life. By association with undesirable companions we have learned so many bad habits and similarly by association with pure persons or devotees we can become purified of our acquired bad habits. So constant association and working cooperatively with devotees is the prime and easy method to relearn our original good habit of Krsna Consciousness.

1973 Correspondence

By the influence of the modes of passion and ignorance the soul becomes weak and by the influence of the mode of goodness he becomes strong. But by the association with the pure devotee he becomes strongest.
Letter to Caturbhuja -- Los Angeles 9 May, 1973:

Your third question is: does the soul ever become weak or strong on account of its association and contact with material nature? It is not the spirit soul that becomes weak or strong but it is his determination to become Krsna Conscious that me become weak or strong. By the influence of the modes of passion and ignorance he becomes weak and by the influence of the mode of goodness he becomes strong. But by the association with the pure devotee he becomes strongest.

1975 Correspondence

By following this path and associating as much as possible with pure devotees, you will go back to your original state—pure spirit soul, eternal servant of Krishna.
Letter to Tony, Linda, Yajna Sarasvati -- Honolulu 26 May, 1975:

I am very glad that you are trying to live Krishna Conscious lifestyle. If you simply try to follow very carefully the prescribed method that has been chalked out for us in the vedas, refrain from eating meat, having illicit sex life, taking intoxications, and gambling, and try to chant 16 rounds on you beads daily, read our books regularly and discuss them, rise early, and eat only Krishna prasadam. By following this path and associating as much as possible with pure devotees, you will go back to your original state—pure spirit soul, eternal servant of Krishna. Please visit our temple there in New Zealand and take advice from them how to advance in Krishna Consciousness.

Page Title:Association of pure devotees (Letters)
Compiler:Labangalatika, Visnu Murti
Created:09 of Mar, 2010
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=0, Con=0, Let=10
No. of Quotes:10