Nimai Pandit dasa
1. Srila Prabhupada says
keep society together if you want to show you love me.
“The test of our actual dedication and sincerity to serve the Spiritual Master will be in this mutual cooperative spirit to push on this Movement and not make factions and deviate. “
(Letter to Babhru, 9 Dec 1973.)
“You are all my limbs
of my body. Unless you cooperate, my life will be useless.
The senses and life are correlative. Without life the senses cannot act and
without sense, life is inactive.”
(Letter to: Brahmananda -- Montreal 17
July, 1968)
“Now all my disciples must work combinedly and with cooperation to spread this Sankirtana Movement. If
you cannot work togetherthen my work is stopped up.
Our Society is like one big family and our relationships should be based on
love and trust. We must give up the fighting spirit and use our intelligence to
push ahead.”
Letter to: Upendra -- Los Angeles 6
August, 1970
“You can take good advantage of the
association of devotees and be guided progressively by your elder Godbrothers and sisters in the matter of executing your
Krsna consciousness without difficulty.”
Letter to: Devi -- Gorakhpur 15
February, 1971
“It would not be possible for me to
preach all over the world except for
your cooperation, you and your Godbrothers and sisters who are maintaining centers all
over the world.”
Letter to: Sukadeva 1 -- Los Angeles 9
January, 1974
2. A Society of Devotees to
advance in Krishna Consciousness
“The purport is that one cannot live
outside the society of devotees;
one must live in the association of devotees,
where there is constant chanting and hearing of the glories of the Lord. The
Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is started for this purpose, so that hundreds of
ISKCON centers may give people a chance to hear and chant, to accept the
spiritual master and to disassociate themselves from persons who are materially
interested, for in this way one can make solid advancement in going back home,
back to Godhead.” (SB 4.22.23 : P)
“Such qualities develop only in the association of devotees.
Without the association of devotees,
one cannot advance in Kṛṣṇa
consciousness. Therefore, we have established the International Society for Krishna Consciousness.”
(SB 4.12.37 : P)
“We
have to seek the association of such devotees.
For this reason we have begun the International Society
for Krishna Consciousness. There are many mercantile, scientific and other
associations in human society to develop a
particular type of education or consciousness, but there is no association which helps one to get free from all
material association. If anyone has reached the
stage where he must become free from this material contamination, then he has to seek the association of devotees,
wherein Kṛṣṇa consciousness is exclusively
cultured. One can thereby become freed from all material association. “ 3.25.24 : P
“One
should especially seek the society of brāhmaṇas who are elevated to the position of Vaiṣṇavas.
Thus discussion of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, which describes
the character and pastimes of devotees and the
Lord, is very quickly effective.
The International Society
for Krishna Consciousness has been organized for this purpose. In every
center of this Society—not only in the morning,
evening or noon, but practically twenty-four hours a day—there is continuous
devotional service going on. Anyone who comes in contact with the Society automatically becomes a devotee. We have actual
experience that many karmīs and others come to the Society and find a very pleasing and peaceful atmosphere
in the temples of ISKCON. In this verse the word dvijanmanām
means “of the twice-born.” Anyone can join the International Society for Krishna Consciousness and be initiated to
become twice-born. As recommended by Sanātana Gosvāmī, by the process of
initiation and authorized training, any man can become twice-born”.
SB
4.12.48 : P
“Jana-saṅga refers to associating with persons not interested in Kṛṣṇa
consciousness. One should strictly avoid
such association.ŚrīlaNarottamadāsaṬhākura has
therefore advised us to live only in
the association of Kṛṣṇa conscious devotees (bhakta-sane vāsa).
One should always engage in the service of the Lord in the association of the Lord’s devotees.
Association with those engaged in a similar line
of business is very conducive to advancement in that business. Consequently
materialistic persons form various associations and clubs to enhance their
endeavors. For example, in the business world we
find such institutions as the stock exchange and chamber of commerce.
Similarly, we have established the
International Society for Krishna Consciousness to
give people an opportunity to associate with those who have not forgotten
Kṛṣṇa. This spiritual association offered by
our ISKCON movement is increasing day by day. Many people from different parts
of the world are joining this Society to awaken their dormant Kṛṣṇa
consciousness. “
The Nectar of Instruction :Mantra 2 :
PURPORT :
“In the previous verse, ŚrīlaRūpa
Gosvāmī advised that one should renounce worldly association
and keep company with the devotees (saṅga-tyāgātsatovṛtteḥ). The International Society for Krishna Consciousness has been established
to facilitate these six kinds of loving exchanges between devotees….The life of the Kṛṣṇa conscious society is nourished by these six types of loving
exchange among the members; therefore people must be given the chance to
associate with the devotees of ISKCON because simply by reciprocating in the six
ways mentioned above an ordinary man can fully revive his dormant Kṛṣṇa
consciousness.”
NoI4 : PURPORT
3. Three kinds of association-
senior, equal, junior. All are required for healthy development and to protect
against anarthas.
"The
gardener must defend the creeper by fencing it all around so that the powerful
elephant of offenses may not enter.
While the bhakti-latā creeper is growing, the devotee
must protect it by fencing it all around. The
neophyte devotee must be protected by being surrounded by pure devotees. In
this way he will not give the maddened elephant a chance to uproot his bhakti-latā
creeper. When one associates with nondevotees, the maddened elephant is set
loose. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu has said: asat-saṅga-tyāga,-eivaiṣṇava-ācāra.
The first business of a Vaiṣṇava is to give up the company of nondevotees. A so-called mature devotee, however, commits
a great offense by giving up the company of pure devotees. The living
entity is a social animal, and if one gives up the society of pure devotees, he must associate with nondevotees (asat-saṅga).
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.
(Cc. Madhya 19.157p)
In ones region one
generally has association of junior devotees-as a local Siksha guru. But what
about Association of like-minded equal devotees, what about association with seniors?
“Every
man should act like this: when he meets a person more qualified than himself,
he should be very pleased; when he meets someone less qualified than himself,
he should be compassionate toward him; and when he meets someone equal to
himself, he should make friendship with him. In this way one is never affected
by the threefold miseries of this material world.
PURPORT
Generally when we find
someone more qualified than ourselves, we become envious of him; when we find
someone less qualified, we deride him; and when we find someone equal we become
very proud of our activities. These are the causes of all material
tribulations. The great sage Nārada therefore advised that a devotee should
act perfectly. Instead of being envious of a more qualified man, one should be
jolly to receive him. Instead of being oppressive to a less qualified man, one
should be compassionate toward him just to raise him to the proper standard.
And when one meets an equal, instead of being proud of one’s own activities
before him, one should treat him as a friend. One should also have compassion
for the people in general, who are suffering due to forgetfulness of Kṛṣṇa.
These important functions will make one happy within this material world.
(SB
4.8.34)
4. Srila Prabhupada says we
should discuss the philosophy from different points of vision.
When one is
associating with devotees only from one region or background the viewpoints are
similar. Around the world devotees have been developing different viewpoints. We
need those associations to develop better spiritual perspective and maturity.
5. New persons can see a
list of centers around the world and can go to authorized centers where they
are; through the internet or from the back of the books.
6. Junior devotees would
feel more secure that they are joining or a part of a worldwide society of
devotees, as is described by Srila Prabhupada in his books, and not 1-2
devotees struggling alone that they meet at the local center.
7. Book Distributors and
preachers will feel more enthusiastic to preach when they know they can direct
the interested people to these authorized centers, around the region or even
the world.
8. Regular Regional and
international festivals will bring much needed boost of enthusiasm, cooperation
and happiness.
9. Regularly elected
leaders as GBCs, will feel responsible to travel and take care to guide
individual leaders and devotees, in their spiritual lives and also in the local
preaching so that there could be a common improvement in the standard all
around the movement.
10. GBCs can also take up
many other regional/global duties that are either not being done, or not being
done properly, without an organized society to lead.
11. Coordination and
cooperation among devotees and leaders could create synergy to advance each
one’s cause.
“Whatever imperfections
and discrepancies may exist, if you all
agree to my directions and cooperate in the right spirit then everything will
turn out, but it will require everyone
involved to be responsible
and cooperate in executing and following the instructions of the Spiritual
Master.”
(Letter to: Gurukrpa ,Yasodanandana 25
December, 1973)
“If
you all leaders cannot work together, then how can you expect the others to cooperate with you? Differences
may be there, but still you have to cooperate
together, otherwise where is the question of my being relieved of so many
problems and decisions?”
(Letter to Ramesvara,15
September, 1975)
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