Devotee association is the only way to Kṛṣṇa

Devotee association is the only way to Kṛṣṇa

1. April 28 1969 —The Power of Liberation comes by the association of devotees

Mahat-sevāṁ dvāram. If you accept this way of life, then your spiritual life will be open. Mahat-sevāṁ dvāram āhur vimukteḥ [SB 5.5.2].

Vimukteḥ means… Vimukti. Mukti means liberation, and, adding the word, vi… Vi means specifically liberation. …So mahat-sevāṁ dvāram, if you associate with great souls… Our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is to produce some great souls. If people get opportunity to associate with great souls, then automatically his path of liberation will be open. Mahat-sevāṁ dvāram āhur vimukteḥ [SB 5.5.2].

And tamo-dvāraṁ yoṣitāṁ saṅgi-saṅgam. And if you associate with persons who are simply interested in sense gratification, then you must know that your door for going into the darkest region of ignorance is open. Two doors: one door to the path of liberation, and one door to the path of darkest region of ignorance.

2.Dec 7 1973 LA- Perfection is serving Krsna with devotees, not alone

But think of Kṛṣṇa, is it very difficult task? Very simple, very easy, even a child can do it. Here is Kṛṣṇa. You can think of. So you go on thinking, thinking, thinking, thinking, you will be attached. You will be attached. You will be attached. Ādau śraddhā tataḥ sādhu-saṅgaḥ [Cc. Madhya 23.14-15].
And thinking of Kṛṣṇa in association of the devotees. Not alone, then you will go to hell. Alone will not do. Association is so strong that anyone who is coming to our association, we…, not that we are everyone teaching, but by association, he wants to become devotee. By association, automatically. So the association is so powerful. Therefore Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura says, he is praying, “My dear Lord, this is my ambition, birth after birth.” What is that? “That to be engaged in the service of the ācārya guru, and in the association of devotees. This is perfection.” Janame janame haya ei: “This is my desire. I don’t want to stop my birth, but simply I want that I may take birth—it doesn’t matter—but bhakta-sane vāsa, let me live with the devotees.” That is the…Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura says,he says that “If I forget You and take by birth as Lord Brahmā, I don’t want it. I don’t want it.” What is the use of taking a birth like Brahmā? “But I shall like to take my birth as even a small insignificant insect, where a devotee is there.” This is the ambition of devotee. . So Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura says that “I will not prefer a birth like Brahmā if I forget You. But I will prefer to become an insect if I remain with Your devotee.” Because if one remains with a devotee, he will not forget Kṛṣṇa. That is the advantage

3.So what happens if we chant -without devotee association?

Madhya 19.157 By contacting nondevotees and engaging in nondevotional activities, a so-called mature devotee will fall victim to the mad elephant offense. Whatever growth has taken place is quickly uprooted by such an offense. One should therefore be very careful to defend the creeper by fencing it in-that is, by following the regulative principles and associating with pure devotees…. However, unless one follows the spiritual master’s instructions and the regulative principles governing chanting and hearing the holy name of the Lord, one cannot become a pure devotee. By one’s mental concoctions, one falls down By associating with nondevotees, one breaks the regulative principles and is thereby lost.

4.Worship this hearing process

Srila Prabhupada: So as soon as you approach the Deity or the name, you should know fully well that Krsna is present. Krsna is… Therefore we should worship the Deity with great attention, as much as Krsna is present. And similarly, we should worship the holy name with great attention. We should not be inattentive.

Suppose Krsna personally comes, personally He is here. Suppose personally, as you think of personally, personally comes. If you do not become respectful, is that all right? No. You should be very much respectful. Even a respectable person, ordinary person, a big man or a rich man or a king comes, we become so much respectful. And what about Krsna when He’s present as arcā-mūrti or as the holy name? These are the realization point of view: Krsna, His name, His form, His quality, His pastimes. When you hear about Kṛṣṇa, that is also Kṛṣṇa. Actually, when you are reading Krsna book, Krsna is fighting with demons, that is also His pastime. So Kṛṣṇa is present. So you should be very attentive and worship this hearing. Unless we come to this point, there is lack of realization what is Krsna. Gorakhpur Feb 16 1971

5. With devotee association hearing about Krsna very pleasing and satisfying

SB 3.25.25 — In the association of pure devotees, discussion of the pastimes and activities of the Supreme Personality of Godhead is very pleasing and satisfying to the ear and the heart. By cultivating such knowledge one gradually becomes advanced on the path of liberation, and thereafter he is freed, and his attraction becomes fixed. Then real devotion and devotional service begin.

PURPORT- The process of advancing in Kṛṣṇa consciousness and devotional service is described here. The first point is that one must seek the association of persons who are Kṛṣṇa conscious and who engage in devotional service. Without such association one cannot make advancement. Simply by theoretical knowledge or study one cannot make any appreciable advancement. One must give up the association of materialistic persons and seek the association of devotees because without the association of devotees one cannot understand the activities of the Lord.