Steadiness in Happiness and Distress
Krishna's devotee possesses the wonderful quality of steadiness because he is in a steady state of mind by always taking complete shelter of his most beloved Lord Sri Krishna. For the devotee it is does not matter what may be happening out there in the material energy because He sees and tastes how Lord Sri Krishna is showering His causeless mercy upon him in all times places, and circumstances. What could be sweeter than this?
If we see now in ISKCON there are so many people/devotees and everyone has their nature and I may not want to serve or associate with each and everyone and this is my special case which I want to put forth. There is also a kind of fanaticism of My Guru / Your Guru. Also my zone and your zone, so many things and this does not make me comfortable to associate with each and everyone.
If we look at the great saints even in our parampara, we see that they had very closed limited association. Even we take His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada how much association did he had during his grihasta life? Of course maybe later he had? Same applied to the predecessors? They did not have a whole sale association that we see today in ISKCON? It's bewildering and confusing when everyone speaks about association and association.
I feel at time fearful maybe I didn't associate with his devotee properly or I did not speak to this devotee properly. This is troubling me too much. Yes, I have my dealings with my Guru Maharaja and some other devotees too. But I am a very introvert person. I am trying to do my sadhana properly. Hope you got my point? Kindly throw some light.
Your servant from Vrindavan
"One who approaches the Supreme Lord to render devotional service, but who is proud of his personality, envious of others or vengeful, is in the mode of anger. He thinks that he is the best devotee. Devotional service executed in this way is not pure; it is mixed and is of the lowest grade, tamasah. Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura advises that a Vaisnava who is not of good character should be avoided. A Vaisnava is one who has taken the Supreme Personality of Godhead as the ultimate goal of life, but if one is not pure and still has motives, then he is not a Vaisnava of the first order of good character. One may offer his respects to such a Vaisnava because he has accepted the Supreme Lord as the ultimate goal of life, but one should not keep company with a Vaisnava who is in the mode of ignorance."
Those devotees who are sincerely trying to become free from their anarthas, the material contamination in their hearts, should be associated with. But those devotees are not sincerely trying to purify themselves should be respected from a distance only. We should not mix intimately with sucn materialistic devotees.
Narottama Das Thakur sings that he always hankers for the association of Ramacandra Chakravarti. This is sweet mood of association amongst devotees who are fixed in Krishna consciousness or sincerely trying to become fixed in Krishna consciousness. This is the standard of association that we should try to have.
By writing to me and opening your heart you are associating with devotees. So you should simply find those devotees with whom you can associate and open your heart in ways that will help you to achieve the perfection of pure love of God.
Sankarshan Das Adhikari
Video for the Day
Krishna Sunrise in the Heart
Answers According to Vedic Knowledge
Question: How to Associate with Devotees?
Hare Krishna! We generally hear about the importance of association of devotees. In fact in your yesterday's thought for the day this is what you have quoted Lord saying “Those who are My direct devotees are actually not My devotees, but those who are the devotees of My servant are factually My devotees." I feel confused on this aspect. Does this mean spiritual master, acharyas or everyone?If we see now in ISKCON there are so many people/devotees and everyone has their nature and I may not want to serve or associate with each and everyone and this is my special case which I want to put forth. There is also a kind of fanaticism of My Guru / Your Guru. Also my zone and your zone, so many things and this does not make me comfortable to associate with each and everyone.
If we look at the great saints even in our parampara, we see that they had very closed limited association. Even we take His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada how much association did he had during his grihasta life? Of course maybe later he had? Same applied to the predecessors? They did not have a whole sale association that we see today in ISKCON? It's bewildering and confusing when everyone speaks about association and association.
I feel at time fearful maybe I didn't associate with his devotee properly or I did not speak to this devotee properly. This is troubling me too much. Yes, I have my dealings with my Guru Maharaja and some other devotees too. But I am a very introvert person. I am trying to do my sadhana properly. Hope you got my point? Kindly throw some light.
Your servant from Vrindavan
Answer: According to Their Level of Awakening
We associate with devotees according to their level of spiritual awakening. For example we read in the purport to Srimad Bhagavatam 3.29.8 as follows:"One who approaches the Supreme Lord to render devotional service, but who is proud of his personality, envious of others or vengeful, is in the mode of anger. He thinks that he is the best devotee. Devotional service executed in this way is not pure; it is mixed and is of the lowest grade, tamasah. Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura advises that a Vaisnava who is not of good character should be avoided. A Vaisnava is one who has taken the Supreme Personality of Godhead as the ultimate goal of life, but if one is not pure and still has motives, then he is not a Vaisnava of the first order of good character. One may offer his respects to such a Vaisnava because he has accepted the Supreme Lord as the ultimate goal of life, but one should not keep company with a Vaisnava who is in the mode of ignorance."
Those devotees who are sincerely trying to become free from their anarthas, the material contamination in their hearts, should be associated with. But those devotees are not sincerely trying to purify themselves should be respected from a distance only. We should not mix intimately with sucn materialistic devotees.
Narottama Das Thakur sings that he always hankers for the association of Ramacandra Chakravarti. This is sweet mood of association amongst devotees who are fixed in Krishna consciousness or sincerely trying to become fixed in Krishna consciousness. This is the standard of association that we should try to have.
By writing to me and opening your heart you are associating with devotees. So you should simply find those devotees with whom you can associate and open your heart in ways that will help you to achieve the perfection of pure love of God.
Sankarshan Das Adhikari
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