Expressions researched:
"bad association"
|"no good association"
|"without good association"
David Wynne: Why do we all choose the dark? Why are we all in the dark, most of us?
Prabhupāda: Dark means without Kṛṣṇa consciousness—darkness.
Devotee (1): He asked why do we usually choose the darkness.
David Wynne: And most people.
Prabhupāda: Due to bad association.
David Wynne: To...?
Prabhupāda: Bad association.
David Wynne: Ah.
Prabhupāda: Therefore, our Society is association. If we keep good association, then we don't touch the darkness.
Jaya Hari: One of the main reasons for having this reception was to help sell the books, also.
Prabhupāda: No, I no... You cannot forget your duty. If, if there is some extra duty, that does not mean you shall forget your own duty. So now they are selling books. You also join. Yes. And you have no tilaka. You are just like ordinary boy. Why?
Jaya Hari: I don't have time to...
Prabhupāda: No, no. This is not good. This is not good. You must be as our representative, with tilaka, as we are dressed. Yes. Don't be deviated. You have got a good opportunity. Don't be deviated by bad association. Yes. You are a good boy. So you must revive to your original position. All right.
Prabhupāda: Just like a disease. Somebody cures very quickly, somebody cures, takes some time, according to the, what is called, acuteness of the disease. Somebody dies, somebody falls down. It is a treatment. Just like some of our students in Hawaii, due to bad association, they've fallen down. But whatever sincere service one has given, that will never be lost. That's a fact. It will again revive. For the time being, as it is said by Arjuna, kala-karma-tamoruddham. (?) Just like the sky is clear. It may be covered immediately by some cloud. And again the cloud is removed, the sky is clear. So this māyā is just like cloud. It comes where the temperature is very high, the cloud does not come. All depends on the circumstances.
Prabhupāda: Oh, you don't remember your name? I...
Bhagavān: We began to call him Bhakti dāsa yesterday. (laughter)
Prabhupāda: Oh, thank you very much. Very good. (laughs) make him a Vaiṣṇava, very nice boy. Very good-looking boy. Don't let him deviate. This is the age to be careful so that he may not deviate. What is the age? Twelve years?
Devotee: Eleven.
Prabhupāda: Eleven. That's all. This is the age. Twelve to fifteen years, the boys become, by bad association, they become rotten. This hellish world is like that. They go to school and become demons.
Prabhupāda: The devotees are called sādhu. Therefore we are opening centers, why? To give chance people to make association with the devotees. Sādhu-saṅga. And then sādhu-saṅga, after sādhu-saṅga one who has properly made sādhu-saṅga, the next stage is bhajana-kriyā: how they are executing devotional service. Then anartha-nivṛttiḥ syāt. Then this anartha. Anartha means unwanted things. Just like illicit sex, meat-eating, intoxication, these are unwanted things. It is not necessary. People have learned them by bad association. When one has got his wife, why he should indulge in illicit sex? This is sinful. When we have got so many things to eat, why shall I go to kill an animal, eat it? So these are anartha. Anartha means "without any meaning." So these things become vanquished. If one is actually engaged in devotional service, the first symptom will be that he is not interested in things which are unwanted, artificial. These are the stages.
Devotee (1): Śrīla Prabhupāda, one boy in Sydney, he has been a devotee for a few years, three or four years, but now he has fallen away because of lusty association, I suppose, or bad association. So is this unwilling or willing, because he has become attracted to women again?
Prabhupāda: That is one of the defects, our society, that women are there, and one falls victim of these women. And it is not possible to keep the society strictly for men. That is also not possible. But actually no woman should live in the temple.
Prabhupāda: Now if you say, "Why the soul should become so foolish?" So that is misuse of independence. Intelligent father has got intelligent son, but sometimes he becomes a fool. So what is the reason? He is the part and parcel of the father. He should have become exactly like the father. But he does not become like the father. I have seen. In Allahabad was a big lawyer, barrister, Mr. Bannerjee. His eldest son was also barrister and his youngest son, on account of bad association, he became a ekala wala. Ekala means... In India there is a carriage drawn by one horse. So he liked to be an ekala. That means he fell in love, a low class of woman, and by her association, he became an ekala. There are many instances. The Ajamila upakhyana. He was a brāhmaṇa and then he fell down very low. So this misuse of independence is always there.
Prabhupāda: Cānakya Paṇḍita also advised: kalau durajana samsagyam bhaja sādhu samārgama(?). This is..., he was a politician, and still he said, kalau durajana samsagyam bhaja sādhu samārgama, and smara nityam anityada kuru punyam avoratram. This is his advise, that give up this bad association of atheist class of man. Sadhu means devotee. Durajana means nondevotee. So kalau durajana samsagyam bhaja sādhu samārgama. Caitanya Mahāprabhu also says like that. When He was asked by one gṛhastha bhakta, "What is the duty of a Vaiṣṇava?" Caitanya Mahāprabhu immediately said, asat-saṅga tyāgī ei vaiṣṇava acāra. A Vaiṣṇava means he must give up the association of nondevotees. Then the question will be, "Who is nondevotee?" Asat-strī-saṅgī kṛṣṇa bhakta... One who is too much attached to material enjoyment. Strī-saṅgī is the basic point, and one who is not a devotee of Kṛṣṇa, he is asat-saṅga. Asat-saṅga-tyāgī..., there are two lines. And the moralist, Cānakya Paṇḍita, he also said, kalau durajana samsagyam bhaja sādhu samārgama. You give up something, you must take something. Otherwise you will not be able to stay.
Prabhupāda: One may try to leave Him, but He is not going to leave you. Once come, "No sir, you cannot go out." Just like our Ajāmila. He was devotee in the beginning, and later on, by bad association of prostitute, he fell, but Kṛṣṇa took him at the end. Svalpam apy asya dharmasya trāyate mahato bhayāt. Kṛṣṇa gave him chance to give him a son. He kept the son's name Nārāyaṇa. So on account of affection of the son, he was chanting, "Nārāyaṇa, Nārāyaṇa, Nārāyaṇa." Just Kṛṣṇa is so kind that (laughs) "All right, this rascal is going out of My hand. All right, give him a child, Nārāyaṇa. He will chant, 'Nārāyaṇa, Nārāyaṇa, Nārāyaṇa,' and that will be his credit." Ajñāta-sukṛti. Janma-koṭi-sukṛtair na labhyate. Sukṛti, pious activities, of many millions of birth is not equal to love of Godhead. Janma-koṭi-sukṛtair na labhyate. Tatra laulyam ekalaṁ mūlyaṁ krīyatāṁ yadi kuto 'pi labhyate. Kṛṣṇa-bhakti-rasa-bhāvitā-matiḥ krīyatāṁ yadi kuto 'pi labhyate: "Purchase Kṛṣṇa consciousness anywhere it is available." What is the price? Tatra laulyam ekalaṁ mūlyam: "Only greediness, hankering. That is the price." "Oh, that I have got." "No, no. Janma-koṭi-sukṛtair na labhyate. You cannot obtain this price even after millions of births' pious activities." All right.
Jagadīśa: I remember, Śrīla Prabhupāda, when I was young I was brought up in the Catholic church, and I learned to fear God, and be afraid of God. But then as I went to high school, due to...
Prabhupāda: .... association, everything is bad(?). So degraded condition, there is no good association. Therefore I say that we require a first-class man section. A first-class.... All third class, fourth class. Even the so-called priests, they are also fourth-class, fifth-class men. Indulging in homosex.
Satsvarūpa: This priest who joined us, who's now your man, he said that although he was a priest, he smoked three packs of cigarettes a day and drank all kind of wine. He began to drink wine, he said, because in their mass, in their ceremony, the priest drinks wine. And then then he became addicted.
Prabhupāda: These rascals are priests. And they'll protect religion.
Prabhupāda: Just like to eat anything and everything. It is different association. You go to the restaurant, you eat the intestine of pig. I've seen it. Is that anything eatable? But you have learned it on account of association. Karaṇaṁ guṇa-saṅgos 'sya. And if he remains with the Kṛṣṇa conscious, he eats kachorīs, samosā, prepared by Kīrtanānanda Mahārāja. (laughter) It is due to association. By bad association he'll have to eat up to the stool.
Prabhupāda: Kṛṣṇa is also Brahman, I am also Brahman. But He's Supreme Brahman, I am minute Brahman. So my business is to serve Kṛṣṇa. That is teachings of Lord Caitanya, jīvera 'svarūpa' haya (sic:) nitya kṛṣṇa-dāsa (CC Madhya 20.108). So if he engages himself in his original spiritual business, to act as the servant of Kṛṣṇa, then all reformation is done. So that advantage is given in this age: kīrtanād eva kṛṣṇasya mukta-saṅgaḥ param... (SB 12.3.51). Reformatory process is meant for purifying him so he becomes mukta-saṅgaḥ. Mukta-saṅgaḥ means liberated from all this bad association of material existence. And he becomes eligible to go back to home, back to Godhead. So this is the special advantage. The question is "Whether they should be revived?" They should be revived to the lowest necessity, but all of them cannot be revived in this age. But people should be induced to take to chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa maha-mantra. Then all reformation will automatically become manifest and he will come to spiritual platform, brahma-bhūtaḥ, the realization of Brahman. Then prasannātmā, he'll be happy. There is no lamentation, there is no undesirable hankering. Na śocati na kāṅkṣati. He sees everyone on the spiritual platform. Samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu. In this way he comes to the platform of devotional service, and then his life becomes successful.
Prabhupāda: Yes. Society and economic condition, everything should be so arranged that this human child should be gradually pushed for perfection of life, go back home, back to Godhead. This is civilization. And modern civilization is "Don't care for what is going to happen. So long you live, eat, drink, be merry, enjoy," that's all. Sense gratification. This is called nāstika-vāda. Very dangerous. And that is going on all over the world. How a gentleman can live in that society?
Hari-śauri: They can't. Gradually people...
Prabhupāda: Therefore my Guru Mahārāja used to say, "This is not a place for a gentleman." Formerly, therefore, they used to go away from the society, go in the forest, to give up this bad association. Live alone.
Hari-śauri: Practically speaking, that's what we've done. By your establishing these temples, it's given us someplace to go where we can get out of Kali-yuga.
Prabhupāda: Therefore our temples should be very carefully managed. It may not become again another pandemonium.
Prabhupāda: Let them chant whatever. We shall chant like this, Pañca-tattva-śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya prabhu nityānanda śrī-advaita gadādhara śrīvāsādi-gaura-bhakta-vṛnda. I've explained that. Five features of Lord Caitanya.
Akṣayānanda: He chants that mantra on his beads.
Prabhupāda: Who?
Akṣayānanda: That boy Richard in Rādhā-kuṇḍa.
Prabhupāda: Rascal. That is his bad association. Therefore I say don't follow these so-called Rādhā-kuṇḍa bābājīs. Nara-kuṇḍa bābājī. And they smoke biḍi. I have seen. Richard is still there?
Akṣayānanda: Yes. He's in very bad health.
Prabhupāda: But he has got money. Spending money there?
Prabhupāda: He may be very fortunate that he's dreaming. "All right, keep aside. Do your duty. You are very fortunate, but don't bother now. First of all be strong and follow." Otherwise ei chure pākā. Ei chure pākā. Ei chure (?) you know? Stunted jackfruit. Jackfruit becomes so big, but one fruit, it is so small and... Taya eka channi sa. (?) And it has become ripened. So it has no taste, neither it can be used for cooking-useless. Ei chure pākā. A small fruit ripen, it is useless either for this person or for that. So they are called in Bengali, ei chure pākā. Do your duty. Guru-mukha-padma-vākya, cittete koriyā..., āra nā koriho **. That is bhajana. And as soon as he deviates-yasyāprasādān na gatiḥ kuto 'pi. He is finished. That has happened to Nitāi. Ei chure pākā. So what these people will do? It is the effect of bad association. That's all.
Prabhupāda: Anartha upaśamaṁ sākṣāt. Nobody dies without illicit sex or intoxication. Anartha, unnecessarily they are habituated. There is no need, but by bad association you have practiced this, habituated, cannot be given up. LSD. Government spends so much, millions of dollars, that "These hippies may give up." Not successful. See practically. And as soon as they come to our camp, they give up. Is it not?
Jayapatākā: Yes, Śrīla Prabhupāda.
Prabhupāda: Anartha upaśamaṁ sākṣāt. In every step anartha. This material life means anartha. There is no need, but anādi karama phale. Due to our karma we are put into this unfavorable condition, and it is very difficult to come out of it.
You may know it that I am eternally your guide, but if you don't accept me as your guide what can I do? Unfortunately, if my disciples do not take my guidance, what can I do? By bad association it so happens, so I remain silent. I see the pricks of maya. When you went to Europe last time, I was hopeful that you would organize in Sweden. You have got the capacity to do that, you are one of my old disciples and you have proven your abilities to organize things very nicely.
You are always welcome. All of your doubts will be cleared up either personally face-to-face or by correspondence with me. I am gong to Los Angeles, you can come to live with me and all your doubts will erased. In the beginning there were no doubts, but by bad association you have now got doubts.
Bali Mardan says that taking milk is also the same as eating meat, therefore you can eat meat. Therefore does it mean that because what I eat all turns to stool, then I should eat stool? If everything I eat turns to stool, does it mean I should eat stool? Is this sound logic? He was a sincere boy, but he has fallen down by bad association. Still I can rectify both of them, provided they agree.
Yes you are correct, when one associates with one who is in illusion or mislead naturally he will also become influenced by that illusion. So you must pray to Krsna to protect you from such bad association. Do not forget our most important business which is to develop pure Krsna Consciousness by following our strict regulations and Vaisnava standards, and always be engaged in service.
The so-called education that they are teaching in the schools and universities today is simply useless knowledge which is all based on atheistic and speculative theories. The teachers themselves are following no real authorities in wisdom neither do they set any good examples for their students. By going to school today there is always the danger through bad association of becoming entangled in so many unwanted things such as illicit sex, intoxication etc. Therefore definitely the best thing for you is to live in our temple in London.
So I declined to bring them in the Western countries and by the grace of Krsna I was able to train the local men. And thus gradually, things became successful. The Western people, they are Aryans and ksatriyas in their origin, but due to bad association with the aborigines, they have taken all bad habits and become degenerated. Now we have to revive this Aryan civilization and rectify things. If we do it nicely, then all the Western people will be happy and they will glorify Lord Caitanya.
| Page Title: | Bad association (Conversations and Letters) |
| Compiler: | MadhuGopaldas, Serene |
| Created: | 26 of Dec, 2010 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=0, Con=16, Let=6 |
| No. of Quotes: | 22 |