Good Association (Conversations and Letters)

Expressions researched:
"good association"

1968 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation -- March 25, 1968, San Francisco:

Prabhupāda: "...you, under the direction of Lord Śiva. I worshiped Lord Śiva very successfully, and I prayed from him some sources of my happiness. So he has directed me to see you, that you have got that thing. So please give me that." So Sanātana Gosvāmī said "Well, what can I give you? Oh, all right. Can you find out some stone in that garbage?" There were heaps of garbage, and the man searched out and found out a stone. "Sir, do you mean to say this stone?" "Yes." "So what is this?" "This is touchstone. You take it and touch it to iron. It will become gold." "Oh, you are very ... You're so... Now I shall become the richest man in the world. I shall take heaps of iron and touch with this stone, and it becomes gold." So he, with great joy, he went out and he tried that actually, touching the stone, iron is becoming gold. But he thought that, "Lord Śiva directed that Sanātana Gosvāmī has the greatest benediction, I do not think this stone is greatest benediction because it was placed with garbage." So he came back and appealed to Sanātana Gosvāmī that "Lord Śiva told me you have got something most valuable. I don't think this stone is most valuable. Otherwise, why would you keep it in the garbage? You must have something more valuable. So you must give me that because that because Lord Śiva directed me to receive from you." Then Sanātana Gosvāmī told him, "Would you like to take that?" "Yes, sir. I have come for that purpose." So he asked him, "First of all, throw away the stone in the Yamunā River." So he threw away the stone. "Sit down and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa."

Devotees: Oh! (Laughter.)

Prabhupāda: "Forget everything. Sit down with me and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa."

Gargamuni: He did it?

Prabhupāda: Yes. Because he associated with sādhu, Lord Śiva, Sanātana Gosvāmī. So everything was purified, changed. By association, good association, everything is possible. Therefore you have to make this association of Kṛṣṇa consciousness so perfect that anyone who comes in contact with that association, he becomes purified automatically. The association is so important. Anyone who will come in contact with the association, he'll be purified. Just like by association one becomes contaminated, similarly, by counter-association, one becomes free from contamination.

1969 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation -- April 27, 1969, Boston:

Arjuna was asking Kṛṣṇa that "How I can believe that you told this philosophy of Bhagavad-gītā to Vivasvān?" He said that "In... I, first of all, I told to Vivasvān." So in reply to that question, Kṛṣṇa said that "Both you and I had many, many births before, but you have forgotten; I remember." That is the difference between the Supreme Lord and ourself. He does not forget. He remembers everything, past, present, future, all, but we forget. That is the difference between God and living entity. We are subjected to forgetfulness. So we forget; again, if it is reminded, we remind. That is our nature. So at the present moment we are forgetful of our eternal relationship with Kṛṣṇa. And then, by good association, by constant chanting, hearing, remembering, we again revoke our old consciousness. That is called Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

1973 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- April 26, 1973, Los Angeles:

Devotee: How does one practice to keep the mind from being restless?

Prabhupāda: To have good association.

Devotee: Pardon me.

Prabhupāda: If you keep yourself with the rascals, then you'll think like rascals. And if you keep yourself with sane men, then you'll think like sane men. Association. That is required. That is the only way.

Room Conversation With David Wynne -- July 9, 1973, London:

Prabhupāda: Therefore, our Society is association. If we keep good association, then we don't touch the darkness. What is that association? There is a song, sat-saṅga cari goinu asate vilāsa teka name lagi loma karma bandha phāṅsa.(?) Sat-saṅga. Sat-saṅga means association with the devotees. That is called sat-saṅga.

Room Conversation -- September 2, 1973, London:

Devotees: Rich birth, to be born in a rich family.

Prabhupāda: No, no, no. But there is facility. Because people are harassed for getting food and shelter. Everyone is working so hard where to get nice food, where to get nice shelter. Rich man means he has already got. So if he's sane, if he's good, has got good association, direction, then he can think, that "I have no anxiety for my food, shelter and other necessities of life. So how I shall utilize my time?" And if he gets good guru, then he can utilize very nicely, chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is a chance. He hasn't got to work.

1975 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation with the Mayor of Evanston -- July 4, 1975, Chicago:

Prabhupāda: So in this material world there are three qualities: goodness, passion, and ignorance. So as we associate, we develop a type of body. So these crimes means they do not get good association. Naturally they are developing. And now these boys, they are also Americans and Europeans. They are getting good association, and they are becoming free from all bad habits. We generally take bad character on the basis of illicit sex, meat-eating, intoxication and gambling.

Room Conversation with writer, Sandy Nixon -- July 13, 1975, Philadelphia:

Prabhupāda: The Kṛṣṇa consciousness is dormant in everyone's heart. So when he comes in contact with devotees, that is awakened. Just like to be attracted by a young girl or young boy, it is there in the child. That small child, it is there. And when he will be young, then it will be awakened. It is not that artificial something. So in association it is awakened. The potency is there already, but in good association, by hearing about Kṛṣṇa one is awakened to the status of Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

1976 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- June 17, 1976, Toronto:

agadīśa: 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.

Morning Walk -- June 21, 1976, Toronto:

ndian man (2): Śrīla Prabhupāda, there's one thing in the human nature, that he always thinks that he's the chief and around the world everything is running around him, and most probably he always can show off that "I am the leader of everything." Why is it so? In every person.

Prabhupāda: That is the disease, material disease. That is material disease. Everyone wants to become Kṛṣṇa. Nobody wants to serve Kṛṣṇa. That is material. Kartāham iti manyate. Ahaṅkāra-vimūḍhātmā. Rascal bewildered by false egotism, he's thinking "I am everything." That is material life. And when by cultivation of knowledge, good association, you come to the conclusion that "I am not everything, Kṛṣṇa is everything; I am His servant," then perfection. Otherwise he's in the māyā-cakra.

Arrival Comments in Car to Temple -- July 9, 1976, New York:

Prabhupāda: Yes, he'll do, he's good worker, if you can train him, he's a good worker. He can do very nice. He has fallen in māyā, just take care of him, what can be done? He's good worker, very good worker. He can do intelligent service.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Very intelligent, very high-class, nice devotee.

Prabhupāda: He knows accounting. There was no guide, he became alone...

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: That's exactly what he said.

Prabhupāda: ...and became spoiled.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He said there was just too much for himself alone.

Prabhupāda: Yes, that is the difficulty. As soon as there is lack of good association, one falls a victim.

Evening Darsana -- July 13, 1976, New York:

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: He's asking a question, Śrīla Prabhupāda: isn't it important to mold the activities of ourselves and also the children in coming to this movement; to mold them that so that we can become Kṛṣṇa conscious?

Prabhupāda: Yes, that is (why) our gurukula is there. How these children are becoming Kṛṣṇa conscious, (indistinct), how they are learning Kṛṣṇa consciousness. We are doing the same thing, offering obeisances to the Deities, taking prasādam, chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. In the same way as his father is doing. So automatically he's being trained up in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Good association, that is required. Satāṁ prasaṅgān mama vīrya-saṁvidaḥ. We are keeping this house for association of devotees so that automatically they become Kṛṣṇa conscious by association.

Room Conversation About Gurukula -- November 5, 1976, Vrndavana:

Bhagatji: How to mend from lies?

Prabhupāda: That is by your good association. What lies he tells? Don't believe him at all. That's all. Take him that he speaks only lies. Then don't believe. Whatever he says, you force him to do. Take him that he speaks only lies. Why should you consult him? He's a liar. But see that he's working, that's all.

1968 Correspondence

Letter to Christopher -- Montreal 13 July, 1968:

You say that you do not really know enough about what they are following, because you have not assimilated the philosophy. But if you take the philosophy seriously, certainly you will be able to convince others. I am glad to learn that you are returning to Santa Fe, and I hope you will have good association there and you will be profitted by some sincere workers in Santa Fe.

Letter to Kirtanananda -- Seattle 22 September, 1968:

I am very glad to learn that all the members there are doing very nicely, and living happily. I hope that New Vrindaban will give shelter to so many unhappy men of this country and they will be happy by working there, and living there in good association of devotees.

1969 Correspondence

Letter to Joel Chalson -- Los Angeles 22 July, 1969:

From your previous letter as well as this letter it appears that you are the right person to grasp the philosophy of Krishna Consciousness, and you have got good association of the devotees in New York. Also you are giving nice service so you have got very good opportunity. Please read our literatures carefully, and try to give service to Krishna as far as possible. Whenever you are in doubt you can ask me, and I am at your service.

Letter to Govardhana -- Boston 25 December, 1969:

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.

1970 Correspondence

Letter to Madhusudana -- Los Angeles 30 January, 1970:

So you have got good facility, you are a sincere boy, you have got a good Krishna Consciousness wife, good association of devotees and good scope for spreading this movement in Washington. Always be engaged in Krishna activities and be happy. That is my desire.

Letter to Satyabhama -- Los Angeles 14 March, 1970:

I am so glad to know that the boys are being taught 4 to 5 hours daily by the combined teaching of yourself and Devakinandana. Of course their spiritual progress is natural because of the good association of devotees and their good fortune to be in the service of the Deities. I am so much encouraged to learn how they are becoming purified and elevated in Krishna Consciousness, and are just like spiritual gopas.

Letter to Dinadayadri, Nara-narayana -- Los Angeles 19 March, 1970:

Just one good soul fully developed and firmly convinced in preaching Krishna Consciousness can reclaim so many fallen souls for going back to home, back to Godhead. And the best way to prepare such Krishna Conscious souls is to train them up from their birth to follow the principles of Krishna Consciousness. This is possible by good association of devotee parents, so you must keep always fit in spiritual strength by following the regulative principles faithfully and chanting the sixteen rounds of beads daily without fail, then Krishna will give you more intelligence how to engage yourselves more and more in His service, and your lives will be sublime.

1974 Correspondence

Letter to Rsabhadeva -- Bombay 16 December, 1974:

So now Krsna has provided the $20,000.00 needed for the down payment for your building. That man who has given us the money, he is a very good man and he should be encouraged in every way to become more and more connected with our movement. Give him good association with Vaisnavas and nice Krsna prasadam and he will develop love for Krsna.

Letter to Trivikrama -- Bombay 27 December, 1974:

When I first came to the United States I was seemingly alone for one year. But I never felt alone. I always felt the presence of my Guru Maharaja. Myself, I was cooking, I was printing books, I was selling books, everything seemingly alone. But I did not lose my determination. Actually you should know this, you are never alone. So local men are coming daily. By good association, good preaching, nice prasadam etc., they can all become devotees. This is Lord Caitanya's mission to go to every town and village and create Vaisnava spirit in the local men.