Bad association (Lectures)

Expressions researched:
"bad association" |"no good association" |"without good association"

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Lecture on BG 2.11 -- London, August 17, 1973:

This material world is temporary. And sat means spiritual. So sat-saṅga means spiritual association. Sat-saṅgān mukta-duḥ-saṅgaḥ. The more you associate with sat, with devotees, then you become, more you become liberated. Sat-saṅgān mukta-duḥ-saṅgaḥ. Duḥ-saṅga. We are in the material world, we are simply in association, bad association, duḥ-saṅga. So if we want to get rid of this bad association, we must associate with the devotees. Sat-sangat mukta duhsanga.

Lecture on BG 2.11 (with Spanish translator) -- Mexico, February 11, 1975:

In the beginning of life nobody smokes or nobody becomes intoxicated. It is learned by bad association. Similarly, it can be given up by good association. They are called anarthas. Anartha means unwanted bad habits. So when we are children, innocent, we have no bad habits, but as we grow and associate with bad company, we also acquire all these bad habits. So to give up all these bad habits means we have to associate with sādhus or devotees, saintly persons.

Lecture on BG 4.10 -- Bombay, March 30, 1974:

These boys, these girls, gradually they came. First of all they were hearing, Then they came forward, "Please make me your disciple." That means "Under your direction my bhajana-kriyā will go." This is called bhajana-kriyā, under the direction of the spiritual master. Then anartha-nivṛttiḥ syāt. Anartha means things which are not wanted. We are accustomed to so many things, rascal things, which is not at all wanted. But we have been accustomed. By bad association.

Lecture on BG 4.10 -- Bombay, March 30, 1974:

Nobody learns smoking from the birth. By bad association one learns how to smoke. Similarly drinking, similarly meat-eating. Because from the birth we require milk, not meat-eating. But then after all we understand that "Beef is very nice. There must be a beef shop." And... This is going on. You see? These are anarthas, not required. You require simple food: rice, wheat, little milk, vegetable, and little sugar. That's all. You don't require all these nonsense. But you have been habituated.

Lecture on BG 4.11-12 -- New York, July 28, 1966:

We should take the opportunity in this birth. Just like Kṛṣṇa prescribes here that simply by knowing the transcendental nature of Kṛṣṇa and His transcendental activities, one can get liberated. Why don't you do that? Why should you wait for another birth, either in the rich man's family or in the pure family of a brāhmaṇa? Because it is not exactly sure that because a person is born in the family of a pure brāhmaṇa, he is elevating spiritually. No. Sometimes we see that he is degrading because he is misusing or by bad association or the parents is not training.

Lecture on BG 6.41 -- Detroit, July 17, 1971:

But if one is intelligent, if he has got good association, then he understands the verdict of Bhagavad-gītā, śucīnāṁ śrīmatāṁ gehe, yoga bhraṣṭa sañjāyate. (BG 6.41) If he thinks that "I have got this opportunity of opulence. I have nothing to bother about my living and eating. I am born rich man. Why I am given so much chance? Because last, my, I executed Kṛṣṇa consciousness, yoga; I could not finish. Therefore Kṛṣṇa has given me this chance that I'll not have to bother about my eating, sleeping. I save my time and engage myself in Kṛṣṇa consciousness." Unfortunately, due to bad association, they think, "I have..., we have go so much money, father's money, for nothing, without any labor. So either let me become a great sense enjoyer or a hippy." That's all. It is due to bad association. Therefore it is our duty to go door to door and inform them the message of Kṛṣṇa, without any discrimination, so that they'll come to Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Nairobi, October 27, 1975:

If you mix with, intermingle with sādhu, then you will be purified, and things which are not required at all—artificially you have learned by bad association—that will be... Anartha-nivṛttiḥ syāt. Nobody learns to smoke from the very birth. He has to eat something. He drinks milk, the child. He doesn't say, "Give me a cigarette," but you have learned it by bad association. This is called anartha. You have learned it, drinking tea, coffee, not from the beginning of your life but by bad association. Then this is anartha. So if you engage yourself in devotional service, then these things will disappear automatically. You'll find in our temple, we are cooking so many nice preparations. Perhaps you have tasted some of them. But we are not preparing tea or coffee or meat—nothing. These are anarthas.

Lecture on BG 13.5 -- Bombay, September 28, 1973:

I have no qualification of a brāhmaṇa, but still, I say, "I'm brāhmaṇa." But they are called dvija-bandhu, dvija-bandhu. You cannot say. Brahma jānāti iti brāhmaṇaḥ. If you have got full knowledge of Brahman, then you are a brāhmaṇa. Jñānaṁ vijñānam āstikyaṁ brahma karma svabhāva-jam (BG 18.42). And Nārada Muni says that these qualifications can be acquired by others also. As a son of a brāhmaṇa can, by bad association, disqualify himself, similarly, a son of a non-brāhmaṇa, he can qualify himself. It is education. It is not that it is monopoly by a certain section, no. That is not the Vedic injunction.

Lecture on BG 16.5 -- Calcutta, February 23, 1972:

Anyone can be raised. Just like Caitanya Mahāprabhu accepted Jagāi and Mādhāi. They fell down. They're born..., they are born in brāhmaṇa family, nice family, but due to bad association they became drunkard, they became woman-hunters, meat-eating, gambling, so many, all these good qualities. At the present moment, in the human society, without these they are not civilized. They must have a club. What is this club? I have seen in Germany. Just like we have got, after few steps, a (Sanskrit?), similarly, in Hamburg I have seen, a few steps after there is a small club.

Lecture on BG 16.10 -- Hawaii, February 6, 1975:

In the beginning of life, the children, beginning from five years old up to twenty-five years, they are trained up as brahmacārī. Why? Just to control the kāmaṁ duṣpūram. Kāmaṁ duṣpūram. Those who are not in bad association from childhood, if they practice celibacy, they are not disturbed. They are not disturbed. That is called brahmacārī life. Why? To train the child of a human being. Because this human life is meant for stopping the cycle of birth and death. That is the mission.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Lecture on SB 1.1.3 -- London, August 20, 1971:

Nobody will die without meat-eating. Nobody will die without intoxication. Nobody will die without playing gambling. These are learned by association only. By bad association we learn how to drink, how to smoke. Similarly, by good association we can give up drinking and smoking. So this is called anartha. Anartha means which there is no gain, simply loss. Practically we can see. So a man who has learned to smoke, he's spending one pound or like that daily for smoking. At least we save that money. We don't smoke. So anartha. There is no necessity, still we have learned.

Lecture on SB 1.2.8 -- New Vrindaban, September 6, 1972:

So these are anarthas, unwanted things. By bad association we are habituated to this nonsense practice, but if you become a devotee and render service to Kṛṣṇa under the direction of your spiritual master, these things will automatically vanquish. Anartha-nivṛttiḥ syāt tato niṣṭhā, then your faith becomes firm. Tato niṣṭhā tato ruci athāsaktis. Asakti, it is spontaneous attraction. So religious principle means you have to execute the preliminary formulas, but the ultimate end will be you'll have spontaneous attraction for hearing about God or Kṛṣṇa. That is wanted.

Lecture on SB 1.2.8 -- Bombay, December 26, 1972:

Just for example, nobody learns smoking from the birth, but when he's habituated, then they are as chain smoker, one cigarette after another, one cigarette after..., you see. This is simply by bad association. Therefore Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura said that tā'ra madhye jihvā ati lobhamoy sudurmati. Because we have indulged this tongue to increase his greediness, therefore we see so much advertisement of liquor and cigarettes and so many, or teas and coffee. Simply it is practice. So as you have practice, by practice you have increased so-called demands of your body, you can decrease it also.

Lecture on SB 1.2.9-10 -- Delhi, November 14, 1973:

Twenty-four-hours program is there. That is called bhajana-kriyā. Ādau śraddhā tataḥ sādhu-saṅgo 'tha bhajana-kriyā tato 'nartha-nivṛttiḥ syāt (Cc. Madhya 23.14-15). Anartha means useless habits. Just like one smokes. It is useless habit. By bad association one becomes a smoker, one becomes a drunkard, one becomes a meat-eater, one becomes a gambler. These are anarthas. So everyone in this age, everyone is associated with these anarthas. But if he takes to kṛṣṇa-bhajana, bhajana-kriyā, then anartha-nivṛttiḥ syāt. Practically you can see.

Lecture on SB 1.2.12 -- Vrndavana, October 23, 1972:

Just like these things, as we prohibit—illicit sex, intoxication, meat-eating and gambling—these are anarthas. They are not required actually. But people are habituated to these things on account of bad association. So if you associate with a really sādhu, if you execute really devotional service, these anarthas will be vanquished. That is the symptom. No more illicit sex. No more intoxication. No more gambling. No more meat-eating, fish-eating, egg-eating. No. That is called anartha.

Lecture on SB 1.2.18 -- Vrndavana, October 29, 1972:

We don't pay very much medical bill. That's a fact. So actually Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is so nice that if one takes to it, immediately he reduces so many rascal anarthas which is not required. Does a man die without smoking? It is anartha, un..., unnecessary. They are habituated by bad association. Saṅgāt sañjāyate kāmaḥ kāmāt krodho 'bhijāyate. By bad association, they learn how to smoke, how to gamble, how to eat... Just like, in India, so-called gentlemen, they go to hotel to taste meat, cow's flesh, how it is tasting. I know, personally, some friends.

Lecture on SB 1.3.26 -- Los Angeles, October 1, 1972:

This Jagāi-Mādhāi. They were born in nice brāhmaṇa family, but due to bad association, they became drunkard, prostitute hunters, gambler, and meat-eater. So they were simply creating disturbance. So these people will create disturbance. The whole world is disturbed. Why? Because it is full of these sinful men: drunkards, woman hunters, gamblers, and intoxicants. The whole world. And they are expecting peace. Nonsense. Where is peace? First of all educate them to become sinless. Then you talk of peace. There cannot be peace.

Lecture on SB 1.5.24 -- Vrndavana, August 5, 1975:

One should be very grave and refrain from unnecessary engagement. These things are possible when we detach ourself from the so-called material engagements. That is illicit sex, meat-eating, and intoxication, and gambling. These are unnecessary things. There is no need of these things, but we are accustomed. We have become accustomed to, on account of bad association. So we should refrain from all these things. This is called dānte.

Lecture on SB 1.8.39 -- Mayapura, October 19, 1974:

Jagāi-Mādhāi in those days were taken as very, very sinful, although they were born of brāhmaṇa family. But by bad association, they became thieves, rogues, guṇḍā and drunkards, meat-eaters, woman-hunters. These are all good qualification now, very good qualification. If one is woman-hunter and drunkard and meat-eater, oh, his social position is very nice, up-to-date. Up-to-date. This is modern civilization. But formerly, especially a gentleman-gentleman means born of high caste: brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya—if they would be woman-hunter, drunkards, meat-eaters, immediately they'll be rejected from the position. Immediately. That was Hindu society.

Lecture on SB 1.8.47 -- Mayapura, October 27, 1974:

There is another story—it may be fact—that a boy was raised by his aunt very liberally. Then, gradually, the boy became, in bad association, a thief. And the aunt was encouraging, "Oh, it is a very good business. You are bringing so many things without any labor." So... Or out of affection he (she) did not chastise the boy when he was stealing. Then he, at the end, became a murderer. So he committed a murder. Then when he was to be hanged, so the government men inquired, "What is your last wish?" "Now, I want to speak with my aunt through the ear." Then he was allowed. And the aunt was generally crying that "My nephew is going to be hanged." She was... So he caught up her ear with the teeth and cut it. So he said, "My dear aunt, if you would have chastised me in the beginning, then today, this position, that you are crying and I am going to be hanged, this would not have happened. But you did not do that. Therefore you are uselessly crying now, and this is your punishment: I cut off your ear with the teeth." A very good instruction.

Lecture on SB 1.10.13 -- Mayapura, June 26, 1973:

If we associate with these Māyāvādī, atheist class, karmī, jñānī, yogi, then we'll infect their quality. So if we infect the Māyāvādī quality, karmī quality, jñānī quality, yogi quality... I see some of the students, still they practice some yoga āsana. That quality is not yet... He's not yet free. But this is nonsense. This is nonsense. We should, by promise, we should not associate with any of their qualities. That is...

asat-saṅga-tyāga-ei vaiṣṇava-ācāra

strī-saṅgī-eka asādhu kṛṣṇābhakta āra

(CC Madhya 22.87)

Asat. Asat means bad element, bad association. So asat-saṅga. We have to give up asat.

Lecture on SB Excerpt -- New York, March 7, 1975:

Rich family means there is no question of economic problem. He is full, born with silver spoon. So without any worrying for his livelihood—he has already everything—he can simply chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. But there is no guidance. He thinks "I have got this money for nothing. Let me enjoy for sense gratification." That is the difficulty. He is in bad association. Otherwise he has got the best opportunity. Just like you. You are Americans. You have no scarcity. You have got this opportunity. So you chant this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement very seriously, and your life will be successful. Because you have no problem.

Lecture on SB 1.15.30 -- Los Angeles, December 8, 1973:

In the Bible or in any other religious scripture it is said that stealing is not good. So he has heard it, and he has seen it that a man who has stolen, he is going to jail. So these two things are experienced: hearing and seeing. In spite of all his experience, why does he steal? Because he has no good association. He knows that stealing is bad; otherwise why he steals at night? Nobody can see. He knows he is doing some bad thing. But why he cannot give up that bad thing? Because he's not associating with good person. That is it.

Lecture on SB 3.25.25 -- Bombay, November 25, 1974:

If one takes to devotional service, tyaktvā sva-dharmam, giving up his routine duty... Sva-dharma means the brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra. They have got the all..., or brahmacārī, gṛhastha, vānaprastha. They have got their particular duties. But nobody is following any duty. They are creating their own duty. So anyway, somehow or other, if one takes to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, tyaktvā sva-dharmaṁ caraṇāmbujaṁ hareḥ, and practices for some time regularly, then again, due to bad association or by something, he falls down, so śāstra says that "What is the loss? There is no loss. On the other hand, if a person is executing his occupational duties very nicely, but he does not know what is Kṛṣṇa conscious, then what is the gain? There is no gain." No gain.

Lecture on SB 3.25.32 -- Bombay, December 2, 1974:

This is the experience of Bilvamaṅgala Ṭhākura. He was a South Indian brāhmaṇa, very rich brāhmaṇa. But by bad association or something like that, he became a very staunch prostitute hunter. So he engaged all his income, money, everything, after one prostitute. Her name was Cintāmaṇi. So it is a very nice story.

Lecture on SB 5.5.1-2 -- Stockholm, September 7, 1973:

Two doors. You have to make selection. Whether this door for becoming liberated from this entanglement of repetition of birth and death and go back to home, back to Godhead, this is one door. Another door, for sense gratification. Adānta-gobhir viśatāṁ tamisram (SB 7.5.30). The more we indulge in sense gratification, then more, more, more... Just like a drunkard. From the very beginning he's not a big drunkard. He takes little, then big, big bottles, big, big bottles. It is simply... Smoking, when the child learns from bad association to smoke, then he become a chain smoker, one after another, one after another, one after another.

Lecture on SB 5.5.2 -- Boston, April 28, 1969:

We have got our mouth, we have got our stomach. We require to eat. So we do not stop your eating, but we regulate your eating that if you eat like this, kṛṣṇa-prasādam, then your life becomes full of austerity. If you have sex life in regulated married life, fixed-up husband and wife, then it is austerity. If you don't... Smoking or intoxicating, we never learned it from our childhood, from our birth. From childhood, we require milk to drink and live. But we have learned by bad association or good association. Similarly, we can give up also these habits by bad association or good association.

Lecture on SB 5.5.2 -- London, September 17, 1969:

What was the Jagāi-Mādhāi's fault that he's considered pāpī-tāpī? They were addicted to these four principles: illicit sex, meat-eating, intoxication, and gambling. They were addicted to these principles. They were born in high brāhmaṇa family, but by bad association they became drunkard number one, womanhunters, meat-eaters and gamblers and guṇḍās, like anything. But Caitanya Mahāprabhu delivered them. Caitanya Mahāprabhu's process was that He used to send daily His devotees to go and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and preach Hare Kṛṣṇa just like we are trying to do here. We are sending our devotees.

Lecture on SB 6.1.7 -- Honolulu, June 15, 1975, Sunday Feast Lecture:

If you make atonement for your sinful activities by some process—just like we are prescribing this process, chant Hare Kṛṣṇa—surely your sinful reaction is nullified. But don't commit it again. That is Caitanya Mahāprabhu. He delivered Jagāi-Mādhāi. They were very sinful. Sinful means they were born in a respectable brāhmaṇa family, but by bad association they became drunkard, woman-hunter, cheater, and plunderer, like that. That is sinful. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu delivered them. Then how delivered them? Caitanya Mahāprabhu made them promise that "You will not do any more all these things." They said, "Yes, we promise. We shall not do." "Then you are delivered." Similarly, by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, all the sinful activities are excused, but you don't commit it again.

Lecture on SB 6.1.19 -- Los Angeles, January 15, 1970:

Dvijaḥ means he was born in the family of a brāhmaṇa. And he was sanctified also. From the life history of this man we understand that in his early age, when he was up to his youthful life, sixteen or seventeen or up to twenty years, he was very well behaved boy. He was under the care of his father and mother, and how by bad association he became a debauch, that is stated here. It is stated that, kānyakubje dvijaḥ kaścid āsīt dāsī-patir ajāmilaḥ. Ajāmilaḥ, his name was Ajāmila, and he was a brāhmaṇa. But he contacted some woman which is called dāsī, or prostitute, and he remained with her. Dāsī-patiḥ.

Lecture on SB 6.1.22 -- Honolulu, May 22, 1976:

And as soon as one takes all this profession, it means his business will be to give trouble to the all living entities. Yatayām āsa dehinaḥ. Dehinaḥ means one who has accepted this material body. So he will not hesitate to kill anyone because he is practiced to give pains and misery to other living entities, and what to speak of killing animals under the plea, "The animal has no soul"? This rascaldom will go on. So the civilization is how to make human being elevated to the standard of becoming a brāhmaṇa, dvija. And if one dvija falls down by bad association, especially by prostitution, then he comes to this. This is the Ajāmila's life.

Lecture on SB 6.1.24 -- Honolulu, May 24, 1976:

So this Ajāmila, on account of bad association with prostitute, he lost his character and he became thief, cheater, somehow or other being punished. So in this way, while he was maintaining his children and family, then the time of death came. That will not wait, that "I have not finished my duty, family duty. Please wait few years more." "Oh, that is not possible." So kālo... Atyagāt. Kālo atyagāt mahān rājan aṣṭāśīti āyuṣaḥ samāḥ. He became very old, eighty-eight years old, aṣṭaśīti. Aṣṭa means eight, aśīti means eighty-eight.

Lecture on SB 6.1.28-29 -- Philadelphia, July 13, 1975:

Kṛṣṇa is situated in everyone's heart. Mattaḥ smṛtir jñānam apohanaṁ ca (BG 15.15). Kṛṣṇa says, "From Me everything, remembrance and forgetfulness, come." Those who want to forget Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa helps him to forget: "All right, you forget." He does not give. He does not dictate from the within. And one who is foolishly in bad association, unfortunately forgets Kṛṣṇa, then Kṛṣṇa gives him chance. Offenders are very nuisance. Kṛṣṇa... Too much offender, purposefully, guru—Vaiṣṇava, his position is very difficult. But by chance if one forgets Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa does not forget him.

Lecture on SB 6.1.32 -- Surat, December 16, 1970:

Just like somebody smoking, and we are advising, "Don't smoke." The smoker may feel some inconvenience. But if he voluntarily suffers that inconvenience, that is called tapasya. Actually he will not die, but because he is practiced to so many nonsense habits, he feels difficulty to give it up. From the birth he is not a drunkard, from birth he is not a smoker, but by bad association, so-called civilized association, he becomes a drunkard, he becomes a smoker, he becomes a woman hunter, he becomes a gambler—sinful life. So to advance in spiritual life one has to give up all these sinful activities; otherwise it is not possible.

Lecture on SB 6.1.34-39 -- Surat, December 19, 1970:

You know this is sinful activity, but you are thinking on the strength of chanting that "Even if I commit this offense, sinful activities, it will be counteracted by my chanting." That is offense. That offense was not there in the case of Ajāmila. He was young man. He was being trained up by his father in the Nārāyaṇa philosophy, Nārāyaṇa life. But due to bad association he became a victim to all kinds of sinful activities, and that was not offense. You can fall down by, I mean to say, unaware the association. But if you are offenseless, then you'll be saved. But if you purposely think that "Because I am chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, it can counteract my sinful activities," that is the greatest offense, knowingly. Ajāmila did not know. He was a boy. He fell a victim to bad association, but he was not offender. He did not do it purposefully. Therefore he was saved. Yes.

Lecture on SB 6.1.56-57 -- Bombay, August 14, 1975:

These things are spoken about Ajāmila. These are ajāmila-upākhyāna, the history of Ajāmila. Ajāmila, although he was a very well trained brāhmaṇa boy at the beginning of his life, but later on, on account of bad association he became the most sinful man in the world. But at the end of his life he chanted the holy name of Nārāyaṇa, not meaning Nārāyaṇa the Supreme Personality of Godhead, but his youngest son's name was Nārāyaṇa. He called the holy name of Nārāyaṇa, calling his son. He did not know that he is chanting the holy name of Nārāyaṇa, and still, he got salvation. That is the purport of this history, that the holy name of God, Nārāyaṇa, Kṛṣṇa, Rāma... There are many names of the Lord.

Lecture on SB 6.1.66 -- Vrndavana, September 2, 1975:

If you associate with good association, then you become good. And if you associate with bad association, then you become bad. Therefore we are establishing Kṛṣṇa conscious society. A Kṛṣṇa conscious man cannot be bad. Therefore, if people are given chance to associate with this society, automatically he'll become good. Otherwise there is no need of opening so many centers all over the world. But the idea is that to give the chance of good association.

Lecture on SB 6.1.67 -- Vrndavana, September 3, 1975:

Ajāmila, by his association with the prostitute, he degraded. Therefore it is the duty of the guardians, of the government, of the father, to protect the civilization from degradation. But nobody cares for that. Therefore, at the present moment, everything is chaotic. They are degraded. Prostitution is allowed freely, bad association, and they are encouraging by opening liquor shop, brothel, restaurant, meat-eating. So how you can expect a very nice civilization? That is not possible. We are suffering the consequence of our own degraded life. So how we can protect ourself from degradation? The śāstra is there. Śāstra, the scriptures, are there.

Lecture on SB 6.1.68 -- Vrndavana, September 4, 1975:

So without obeying the instruction of the śāstra, he has fallen down. Although he was born in the brāhmaṇa family and educated nicely, but on account of bad association he fell down from the standard of human ideal life. Therefore he is punishable. Not only he, every one of us. The human fom of life is specially meant for going back to home, back to Godhead. The animal life... By progressive evolution, they come to the human form of life, and when one is, the living entity is on the platform of human form of life, he has got his responsibility.

Lecture on SB 6.2.11 -- Allahabad, January 16, 1971:

Ajāmila in his previous life, although he became fallen in later age, but he was a brahmacārī. He was being trained by his father and he knew the pastimes, the form, the name of Nārāyaṇa. But by bad association for the time being, he forgot. But as soon as he chanted the name of Nārāyaṇa he remembered all these. Therefore he was saved. Try to understand this. One should know the offenseless chanting means remembering the form. Therefore Māyāvādī, those who are impersonalists, they cannot think of the form of the Lord, neither of the pastimes. They do not believe in the pastimes of the Lord.

Lecture on SB 6.2.11 -- Allahabad, January 16, 1971:

Devotee (2): (indistinct) ...was not prescribed... So how was it possible to chant the name at the time of death?

Prabhupāda: No, when he was a boy he was doing everything. You have not heard? So svalpam apy asya dharmasya trāyate mahato bhayāt. Because he practiced sometimes before falling down, so by chanting this Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra he immediately remembered that real Nārāyaṇa immediately, His pastimes, His form, everything, and therefore he became liberated. He had practiced. But for the time being his practice was stopped on account of bad association. But as soon as chanted... That is the advantage of a devotee. If you practice devotional service even for some time and if you fall down, then it will also help sometime. Nārada therefore says, tyaktvā sva-dharmaṁ caraṇāmbujaṁ harer bhajann apakvo 'tha patet tato yadi (SB 1.5.17). He says that a person who takes to devotional service, giving up all his prescribed duties.

Lecture on SB 6.2.12-14 -- Allahabad, January 17, 1971, at Kumbha-mela:

So the chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, Caitanya Mahāprabhu has said, sadā, kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ, not that two hours or one hours, but one should practice. And that is the recommendation as it was followed by Haridāsa Ṭhākura. But because we cannot do that, therefore we have to engage always in the service of Kṛṣṇa. That will make me remembering Kṛṣṇa. Real fact is how to remember Kṛṣṇa. So this remembering of Kṛṣṇa by Ajāmila was not accidental. He chanted. He served Nārāyaṇa in his previous life when he was young man, but by bad association he fell down. But the effect was there at the time of his death, so much effective that the Viṣṇudūta recommends that "Because he has chanted at the time of his death the holy name of Lord, he is now free from all sinful reaction."

Lecture on SB 7.6.8 -- New Vrindaban, June 24, 1976:

Just like Ajāmila. He, at the end of his life, remembered Nārāyaṇa. So this is success. But this can be possible if we practice from the very beginning. Ajāmila, first of all, he was a brahmacārī, brāhmaṇa, very well behaved brāhmaṇa, learned everything, but due to bad association he fell down. But Kṛṣṇa gave him the opportunity, Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, na me bhakta praṇaśyati. If once one has sincerely become the pure devotee of Kṛṣṇa, that will never go in vain. So Kṛṣṇa saw this Ajāmila in his childhood and boyhood and youthhood a devotee, so He gave him the chance.

Lecture on SB 7.9.8 -- Mayapur, February 15, 1976:

There are many instances. And Jagāi-Mādhāi, they were born of very good brāhmaṇa family, rich family, but with bad association they became drunkard, woman-hunter, meat-eater. Now these things have become common thing. Avaidha-strī-saṅga, illicit connection with woman, and meat-eating and drinking, it has become a daily fashion. But formerly, at least five hundred years ago, these things were accepted as most abominable. So just like here, our Jagāi-Mādhāi. Jagāi-Mādhāi, they were zamindars and born of brāhmaṇa family, but because by bad association they became drunkard, gamblers and woman-hunters, they were condemned. They were taken as pāpī, sinful.

Lecture on SB 7.9.28 -- Mayapur, March 6, 1976:

Just like you can break the fangs of the... There are expert snake charmer. Because this poison is required for some medicinal purpose, so they take it out. Then it is useless. But they again grow. The body is so made of the snake, even if you take once the fangs, again it grows. That is stated here, that how it is possible? Kāmābhikāmam anu yaḥ prapatan prasaṅgāt. Once it may be broken, but if you have bad association, then again it will grow. Kāmābhikāmam. One kāma, one lusty desire, produces another lusty desire. In this way, one after another, this is going on. That is the cause of our repeated birth and death.

Nectar of Devotion Lectures

The Nectar of Devotion -- Calcutta, January 25, 1973:

Even a child, we have seen, when there is saṅkīrtana, they also clap their hands. They also try to dance. This is natural. So this has to be little organized. That is called practice. Otherwise the things are there, dormant. Sometimes by bad association that dormant propensities are cut down. They forget. The present situation is like that. The so-called material advancement has curbed down the dormant propensities for loving God, or Kṛṣṇa. Therefore Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura says that jaḍa-vidyā saba māyāra vaibhava. Jaḍa-vidyā saba māyāra vaibhava, tomāra bhajane bādhā. The more artificially we make advancement of material civilization, the more we become away from devotional service. Practically we can see.

Festival Lectures

His Divine Grace Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Prabhupada's Appearance Day, Evening -- Gorakhpur, February 15, 1971:

I was playing with my boyfriends, Ratha-yātrā, Ḍola, like that. My father encouraged. So I was trained up in this line, but in my youthful age, when I was college student, gradually, by their bad association or something, gradually, I lost my activities. But when this friend, Mr. Mullik, took me to Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Gosvāmī Mahārāja, he immediately asked me that, "You are educated young boys. Why don't you take up Lord Caitanya's message and preach in the Western world?" In the very first sight, he told me. At that time, I argued with him that "We are dependent nation, and who is going to hear about our message?" So he defeated my argument.

Arrival Addresses and Talks

Arrival Address -- Paris, August 11, 1975:

Even small children, they also take part, chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and dance with the elderly father and mother. So there is very good potency if we simply chant this Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. The potency is, the first benefit is, that our dirty heart becomes cleansed. We have accumulated many dirty things within the heart on account of bad association. The first dirty thing is to accept this body as self. This conception, bodily concept of life, is existing amongst the animals. It is existing amongst the animals that "I am this body." So actually, I am not this body, I am spirit soul. I am embodied within this body, material body. This is the fact.

Initiation Lectures

Initiation Lecture -- London, August 22, 1971:

You accept before the spiritual master that "I shall do it," and if you do not do it, that's not good. You must do it. So sato vṛtteḥ sādhu-saṅge, and the association of devotees. Asādhu-sange, those who are not devotees, if you mix with them, then whatever you learned, you'll forget. Their influence is so bad. Because we are not very strong; therefore there is every possibility that whatever we learn in bad association we may forget. Sato vṛtteḥ sādhu-saṅge ṣaḍbhiḥ. Ṣaḍbhiḥ, by following these six principles, bhaktiḥ prasidhyati, your devotional life will be developed, you'll be enlightened.

Initiation Talk Excerpt -- Vrndavana, April 4, 1976:

Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura said that "Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu (is) so merciful that He delivered all kinds of sinful men," pāpī tāpī, "all types of suffering from material disease." And what is the medicine? Pāpī tāpī yata chilo, harināme uddhārilo. And evidence? Tāra sākṣī jagāi and mādhāi. You see Jagāi-Mādhāi. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu exhibited one example, to deliver Jagāi-Mādhāi. Jagāi-Mādhāi means they were born in a very aristocratic brāhmaṇa family but by bad association they became illicit sex, woman-hunter, drunkards and meat-eaters and gamblers. But Caitanya Mahāprabhu, through the mercy of Nityānanda Prabhu, delivered them. And the only promise was that "You promise no more this sinful life. Then I accept you." So if we give up our sinful activity, immediately Caitanya Mahāprabhu takes you. There is no condition, because in this age everyone is addicted to sinful life, but he simply promises that "Henceforward I shall not act anything sinfully," these four principles. Then you go back to home, back to Godhead.

General Lectures

Lecture -- Seattle, October 9, 1968:

It was learned by association, you can forget it by association. No child used to eat meat from the very birth. It was milk. So this is all artificial, the so-called conventions of human society. Natural life does not allow all these things. So by good or bad association you have acquired so many artificial, I mean to say, habits. So simply by association you can forget also. Then you come to the pure life. And God is pure. Just like without being heated, you cannot stand in a place which is very heated. The temperature must be the same. This is known to everyone. So God is pure. You cannot approach God being impure. So the whole process of Kṛṣṇa consciousness is purificatory process.

Lecture -- Seattle, October 9, 1968:

The other day I was citing the example, naturally, our natural affection. Father's affection is there, mother's affection is there, child's affection is there. So father, mother never forgets the affection, but child forgets by bad association. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa does not forget us, but we have forgotten. So this process is to revive our natural position to love Kṛṣṇa. Now we are unnatural, in unnatural condition, forgetting Kṛṣṇa. So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement means to bring back everyone to his original consciousness, affection, love between the child and the father. And that is the best service to the society.

Lecture -- Los Angeles, November 13, 1968:

Jagāi-Mādhāi, they were two brothers, debauch number one. You see. They were all kinds of sinful affairs. They were drunkards, they were woman hunters, meat-eaters, so many things. And, of course, they were born in a very high brāhmaṇa family, but bad association, they became like that. Similarly, at the present age, this human society, although they are coming from the Aryan family, very nice family, but due to association the only environment is there's woman and intoxication, meat-eating, and gambling. That's all. So Jagāi-Mādhāi is the specimen sample of this population, and Lord Caitanya delivered them simply by this Hare Kṛṣṇa. So this chanting process, Hare Kṛṣṇa, will actually deliver all these fallen souls without any failure. It is not bogus propaganda.

Lecture with Translator -- Sanand, December 27, 1975:

Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura sings, "The same Personality of Godhead who appeared as the son of Mahārāja Nanda," nanda-suta haila yei, śacī-suta haila sei, "He has now appeared as the son of mother Śacī." And balarāma haila nitāi: "And the same Balarāma has appeared as Nityānanda prabhu." Now, what is Their business? That is described: pāpī tāpī yata chilo, hari-nāme uddhārilo. So pāpī tāpī yata chilo, harinām..., ta'ra sākṣī jagāi and mādhāi. Then he is giving evidence how the pāpī and tāpīs are delivered. "Here is the example of Jagāi-Mādhāi." This Jagāi-Mādhāi, they took birth in a good brāhmaṇa family but by bad association they became drunkard, thief, woman-hunter, and so on, so on. But they were also delivered by Caitanya Mahāprabhu to become first-class Vaiṣṇava.

Philosophy Discussions

Philosophy Discussion on Hegel:

Prabhupāda: The conscience, the so-called conscience is created. You go on killing, your conscience will be killing conscience, "It is all right." The thief becomes accustomed to steal, the conscience will say, "Yes, I must steal. It is my right." So you can create your conscience in that way. By association, by misguiding, they also create their conscience. Just like the Christian religion says, "Thou shalt not kill," but they are killing, creating a conscience, "Yes, killing is all right." In the religion it is forbidden, "Thou shalt not kill," but they are creating another conscience, "It is right." The conscience is created by association. By good association, conscience is the good conscience and by bad association, a bad conscience is created. So there is no such standard as conscience. Conscience means discriminating power.

Philosophy Discussion on Sigmund Freud:

Prabhupāda: Tarzan. Yes. He was brought up by monkeys. He was brought on... He has got the monkey habits. Children, if you keep them in good association, then they will come out very good. They will have psychological development in good way. And if you keep them in bad association, they will come out bad. Just like in Boston the priest regretted that these our American boys, they were so much after God, but they could not lead(?) them. Actually you American boys, before coming to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, there was no God consciousness; there was hippie consciousness. And now this has changed, due to association. So you are all grown-up, but even small children, if you keep them in good association, they come out nice. Demigods they come out. And if you put them in the demon association, they come out demons. So they are blank slate. As you write, it is written. That is real psychology. You can mold children as you like. They have got the capacity to... Therefore children are sent to a school for taking education, not old men.