What Does It Mean to Associate With Him?

While we are performing bhajan do we understand what is the meaning of actual sādhu-sanga, the association of devotees? I have seen there were so many sevāks who came to serve Gurudev. How many of them actually imbibed the heart, the nature of Gurudev? So many sevāks were very dear to Gurudev, they stayed close to Gurudev, but many of them went back to material life. Why did that happen? Have they really associated with Gurudev? Is it possible if they had associated really with Gurudev that they go back to the material world? 

 
We think that living in the vicinity of Gurudev I will attract his mercy—no. There is a story called Punar mūṣiko bhava—it means again becoming the mouse. It is very popular in Bengal. There was a sage and there was a mouse in his hermitage. One day a cat was chasing that mouse. Then the mouse took shelter of the sage. Then the mouse requested the sage to bless him to become a cat. Then once a dog was chasing that cat and then it again took shelter of the sage. Then as per his prayer, the sage blessed him to become a dog. Once a lion was chasing that dog, then again he took shelter of the sage and with his blessings became a lion. What is the nature of a lion? The lion went to catch the sage and then the sage said, you again become a mouse— punar mūṣiko bhava.

In the same way, we left the world and took shelter of Gurudev to serve him. If we had really served him then we would not have gone back to material life. If Gurudev is pleased by someone then there is no way material life can touch him again, māyā cannot touch him. Somebody is living very far from Gurudev, is he not associating with Gurudev? Those foreigners for whom it is always not possible to come to India to associate with Gurudev, are they not associating with Gurudev? One who has imbibed Gurudev's teachings, his heart, his character, those who are following him— they are actually associating with Gurudev and not necessarily just living in his vicinity. So the meaning of the association of devotees is to imbibe the nature of a sādhu. 

 
Gurudev used to say there are bed bugs in the bed of a sādhu. They are also associating with the sādhu when he is sleeping, but what do the bed bugs do? Are the bed bugs there for the sādhu's service or are they there to exploit the sādhu? They are actually drinking the blood of the sādhu. So are they really associating with the sādhu? The lice are associating with the sādhu staying in his head (the topmost part of the sādhu)  and drinking his blood. 

So have we come to the sādhu for our material benefit, because of selfish desires, then that is not sādhu-sanga. So by the result, you can know. Sādhu sange kṛṣṇa nāma: Kṛṣṇanāma is to be performed in the association of devotees which is to be done by imbibing their qualities and following their teachings. 

 
I have seen it in my own life. I have lived for some thirty-eight years in this maṭh. How many came and went. So many came to the maṭh and so many of them went back to material life, which means they have not even once been associated with sādhu. Therefore Kṛṣṇanāma is to be taken in the association of devotees and not in the association of non-devotees. 

So who is a non-devotee? He is the one who is against our devotional life. And those are the six enemies within our heart: lust, anger, greed, attachment, pride, and envy. If we associate with those who are non-devotees, who can control these six enemies in our hearts? The bonafide Guru or the real saint can vanquish these six enemies. By associating with the pure devotee our heart is cleansed and then we will be able to chant the pure name. 

 
In the dialogue between Bhagavān Kapiladeva and mother Devahūti, Mother Devahūti is enquiring, "Why I am in bondage and how will I fix my mind unto the feet of the Supreme Lord?" So Lord Kapiladeva replied, "In the association of devotees you can achieve that." The mind is the cause of bondage and the mind is the cause of liberation. If you are remembering the Supreme Lord in your heart then you are liberated. But if we are meditating, contemplating on material sense objects then we are in bondage. Therefore it is very necessary to associate with devotees. 

Many people say you can attain everything by performing harināma, but chanting harināma cannot be done without the association of devotees; I cannot do it by myself. If I just do harināma, when I remember Gurudev I feel I am able to do a little bit of harināma but if I do not remember him then I cannot. So independently we cannot chant Holy Names. 

Today is the preliminary function and tomorrow is the appearance of Gurudev. He is more munificent on his appearance day. So what shall we pray to Gurudev on that day? Speak the truth, what is the motivation and purpose with which you have come here? Gurudev will give you whatever desire you have deep from within. If someone actually wants to perform bhajan and become freed from material desires, Gurudev will definitely give that. Therefore we pray to Lord Rāmachandra tomorrow that life after life may we have the same Gurudev who has shown us the path. If Lord Rāmachandra blesses, then we will get such a guru life after life. And what shall we pray to Gurudev? Oh Gurudev, please bless me with the service to your lotus feet life after life, and let me never desire anything apart from your lotus feet. 

—Śrīla Bhakti Kuśala Padmanābha Mahārāj

Source: Śrīla Gurudev's 93rd Vyasapuja Celebrations, Kolkata streamed live on 4th Apr 2017 (Hindi to English translation)