Asat-sanga tyaga is the Main Quality of a Vaishnava

Satsang with Mooji Vaishnavevyo namon maha. Shri Krishna Chaitanya prabunitananda. Shri Advaita gadadhara. Shri Vasadhi Gauravakta Vrindam. Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna. Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare. Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare Satsangasya. Hare Krishna. I am very, very happy to be with all of you this evening. Of course, today was a very difficult and eventful day, spent in the traffic of Bangalore. But still, whatever little Krishna consciousness is still left after this journey, I'll try to share it with you. Madhu Mati Puskarini asked me to speak on the topic of Asat, Sangha, Tyaga, which according to Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu is the main quality of a Vaishnava. What distinguishes Vaishnava from an ordinary person is that we are very careful and choosy as far as our association is concerned. knowing very well how association can become very, very helpful and how the same association can become the great impediment on our path of devotional service. You know, I see Druva wearing a mask. he doesn't want to be infected by coronavirus or any other viruses but much more so is also true about the mental infection because when we closely associate with other people then their desires which are much much more dangerous and easily penetrating into our system, infect our mind. We are living life after life in this material world, and every time we are being born, We always think that, you know, this time everything will be fine. This time my life will be very happy. And then, you know, when we are young, we think like this. When we are old, we think differently. But the point is that our hope for happiness never dies. Even if somebody is very old, he still hopes to become happy. And Krishna very generously gives another chance. Do it, try it again. Here you are, you are free. If you are still in this illusion that you will become happy, then you will make it. that everything will be perfect. You know, you will live in a perfect place, where there is no traffic jam, and there is a lot of job opportunities, and they are well paid, and there is no nasty neighbors, and your children are obedient, And parents are loving. You know, everyone lives in this dream, in this illusion. Of course, sometimes parts of this dream may come true. Sometimes we may have good neighbors, that's okay. But the point is that we will never be satisfied. But the hope is still there. The hope is living. hope against hope that somehow or other my life will be perfect. And the problem with this material existence is that even if our life is perfect, we still will not be happy. All these people who, you know, achieve the upper ladders of the society, they're not happy at all. They're very dissatisfied. You know, those people who still have something to achieve, they have hope that when they achieve what they want to achieve they become happy. Those people who already achieved everything they lose hope. They lose hope that they will become happy because of something but they don't lose hope that they will become happy. Somehow or other. So this hope keeps us here and this hope is actually the cause this hope is the attachment to this material world, which is temporary. When Chaitanya Mahabrabhu says, asatsanga tyaga, he means that we should give up the hope to become happy in the atmosphere of uncertainty. You know, in the material world, because of its nature, because of its deeply rooted nature, everything is uncertain, everything can happen any moment, the death can come any moment of time, everything can be finished within, you know, within no time. So this principle of uncertainty, you know, when the scientists, they study physics, quantum mechanics, they came to discover this principle of uncertainty. Nothing is certain on the very elementary, fundamental level of nature. But because everything is uncertain on this level, on every other higher levels, it's even more uncertain. There's nothing certain. There's only one certain thing, is that we will die. As sure as death, as they say. There's nothing else which is certain. So, and this principle of uncertainty we have to understand very clearly that life is very uncertain and that will loosen our attachment to temporary things. Asatsangati Yaga is the attachment to anything temporary. is this compulsory desire to enjoy temporary things, to enjoy some sort of dream which we have in our head. Everyone of us has some grand dream in our head. And we want to enjoy this dream and that's the main problem which is there. And Chaitanya Mahaprabhu speaks this verse in a very important section of Sri Chaitanya Charita Amrita, where he from one point, from one side, speaks about the importance of sadhu sangha, satsanga. Satam prasanga mamavirya sam vidho Tadjošana masvapavargam vartmani Shradaratir bhaktir Anukramishyati What is it? Satam prasanga mamavirya sam vidho Bhavanti hrita karna rasaya nakadha Tadjošana masvapavargam vartmani So he quotes this verse, he quotes the other verse from the 10th kent of Shima Th Bhagavatam Bhavapavarga Bhavato Yadha Bhavich and all these verses from Srimad Bhagavatam about the same thing. This is the pillar of actually Vedic culture. The pillar, the foundation of Vedic culture is the emphasis on the need of satsanga. you know you may do whatever else you like but you have to do satsanga and if you do satsanga then gradually gradually all the nonsense which you are accustomed to do will vanish will not force you to do some some stupid things all your habits will be gradually improved and everything else will be done and if you don't do satsanga even if you're very pious, very clean and very pure at heart, inevitably you will be contaminated. Because that's how it works. This is the nature of this material world. So Chaitanya Mahaprabhu from one side says, it's very important to have satsanga. Because even slight moment of saintly association can give you faith. you know that's the that's the beauty of satsangha satsangha gives you enthusiasm satsangha because faith and enthusiasm is the same thing what is faith what is the definition of faith how the faith manifests you become enthusiastic everyone knows we all went through this period of conversion when we all of a sudden became devotees by some unimaginable streak of good fortune. And in the beginning everyone is very enthusiastic because everyone has very strong face. And then later on he becomes, he or she becomes a senior devotee and senior devotee means Yes, yes, I know everything. Oftentimes, senior devotee means cynical devotee. But those who have face, Bhaktivinoda Thakur says, what is the measurement? How you can measure the face? What is the criteria, external criteria by which you can measure the face? The criteria is very simple, enthusiasm. if you are enthusiastic it means, enthusiasm means utzaha, utzaha means you are ready to tolerate anything else utzaha means that you have the stamina to go through difficulties and you are not losing your enthusiasm you are not losing your mood that's what utzaha means we have energy to do something and we are doing something We are chanting the holy names, we are following the regulative principles. So Chaitanya Mahabrabhu says, if you have satsanga, you will have faith. And even if you have difficulties, initial difficulties, you will overcome these difficulties, no problem. You know, who didn't have difficulties? Everyone has difficulties, Everyone has some impediments inside. But by the force of satsanga, by the energy of satsanga, you will be able to overcome all the difficulties which are there. And on the other side, at the same time Chaitanya Mahabrabhu speaks, he says that a satsanga is something which is totally, completely detrimental. You know, if you want to know one rule and one prohibition, these two rules. One rule is to associate with devotees, associate with those people who are trying to meditate on sat. Like this first verse of Srimad Bhagavatam, Satyam Param Dhimahi, Satyam Param Dhimahi. Let us, Srila Vyasadeva says, let us meditate on the Supreme Absolute Truth. And the opposite is also true if we don't meditate on the Supreme Absolute Truth, if our mind is polluted. It's very interesting because Chaitanya Mahaprabhu explains It's why people, you know, from one point of view, it seems like it's so easy to meditate on Krishna. God is there, we know God is there, you know, why not think about him? Chaitanya Mahabrabhu says, Dush Taman. If the mind is polluted, then you cannot think about Krishna. It's very difficult to think about Krishna because the mind is polluted. the polluted mind wants to think, has the tendency to think about polluted things. Because like attracts the like. If your mind is polluted, it will be attracted to polluted things. And if your mind is clean, it will be attracted to Krishna, who is all attractive. You know, Krishna is all attractive, but there is one person who is definitely not attracted to him, and that's somehow rather me. So, why we are not attracted to Krishna? That's the reason, that's the only reason, dush tamana, polluted, contaminated mind. And what is the mechanism of pollution of the mind? Asat sangha. When we are associating with something which is a sub, when we are associating with somebody or something which is attached to temporary things of this world, when we are... Because this association actually nourishes our material attachments. You know, why? The material attachments are there. Please raise your hand who has material attachments. Okay, 100%, no problem. So everyone has. The only question is whether we nourish these attachments or we're trying to starve them. If we nourish them, then they will grow, grow, grow, grow, as much as the fire grows when we pour ghee in the fire. And ultimately these material attachments will kill us. That's true, the material attachments, they are very cruel, they kill us. because, you know, I hope it doesn't refer to anyone, but, you know, those people, I've seen many people, very nice people who started doing some, you know, some addictive things, started drinking alcohol or started taking some drugs or whatever. Today on the way here, Ravi Kirti told me that there are more and more people who are from this background, who take alcohol and destroy their health, you know, they start doing this, and they cannot stop. Because that's the way attachment works. Every time you feed the attachment, the attachment becomes stronger. And you will have to repeat it again and again and again until you are killed by this attachment. You are feeding it, and the attachment is killing you. This is how cruel it is. So when we are associating with Assad, those people who cultivate attachment, who see nothing wrong in attachments, there is nothing wrong in having attachments, but something is very much wrong, is thinking that having attachments, there's nothing wrong in having attachments. Attachments we have, but, and there is nothing wrong in having attachments if we understand that attachment is not a good thing. But if we understand on the contrary that attachment is something good, then this is wrong. If we really think that cultivating attachments, reinforcing attachments, strengthening our attachments, we will become happy. That's bad. You know, I remember this is one of the most dangerous episodes in my life. I was preaching to a group of completely new people who were somewhat esoterically inclined in Israel. There was some retreat arranged. And I was explaining to them the basic philosophy, how it works, how the attachment and desires in the heart, you know, ultimately not good. And at one point of my lecture, the lady who was sitting just in front of me, she exploded. she started spitting and you know saying some bad things she was basically so offended she said what's wrong with desires what's wrong with desires she was so hurt by this statement so most of the people they don't see anything wrong with them they think this is the way to become happy whereas it's a contrary if you understand that you know yes I have attachment and sooner or later I will get rid of it, that's fine attachment will die themselves, you don't need to do anything drastic, you know some people they do some very drastic things you know the first devotees in the Soviet Union They were very fanatical. And they thought that the main attachment which they have is the attachment to the hot water by which they take bus. Because Russia is a very cold country. You need to have hot water. So I remember I came to one devotee house and I went to the bus room and there was a big sign on a hot water tap, Maya. Don't use it. So, what I want to say is that you don't need to, you know, violently fight with your attachments. they will die themselves in the due course of time if we have good association. If we have good association, if the satsangha is there, then the attachment will... there is no hope for them to survive, they will not undergo natural selection, they will not survive. But if we are feeding attachments by always associating with this part of the reality. Attachment is a part of reality. Asat is a part of reality. Actually it's very peculiar because reality means sad. When we say reality, reality means something real, something real means sad. So how can Asad be the part of reality? By definition, Asad is not a part of reality. But we're living in a very strange reality. We're living in a reality where Asad is also part of reality, unfortunately. You know, and if we are obsessed by associating with Asad, our attachment to Asad will become stronger and stronger and stronger. On the way here, Ravi Girdi Prabhu was enlightening me about one great saintly person who was not born, but appeared, manifested himself in Bangalore city, but had to flee from Bangalore because of the problems with police who didn't recognize his divine origin. It's some Jagat Guru Nityananda Baba, what was it? So, he is a very beautiful example of Asad. He showed me his pictures, you know, sitting in a gold throne, looks exactly like Ravana. If I ever imagined how Ravan would look like, probably this is how it looked like, very robust and enthusiastic. But the point is that there is no need to be too much absorbed in this part of reality. So many bad things are happening. if you go to internet, you know, I think everyone has to have some sort of slogan on the screen of his, of her computer, Asatsanga Tyaga Ivaishnavachar, you know, because every time we enter internet, it's Asatsanga. We start dealing with something, which is negative by its nature. You know, whatever is asad, it's negative. This negativity, you know, Krishna is positive, spiritual life is positive, satya, the something which is eternal is positive, it's full of bliss, it's full of beauty. But asad by nature is very ugly, it's very negative. Whatever is temporary is very negative. You know when somebody dies, well if it's, of course if it's a devotee it's a glorious death, but you know it's the negative part of it, ugly part of the whole thing becomes obvious. You know temporary is bad. Temporary is ugly and whenever we encounter all this These ugly things, temporary things, ugly emotions, ugly plots, and even too much, all these wars and everything else, it doesn't really help our Krishna consciousness because it pollutes the mind. Again, when the mind is clean, the mind naturally goes to Krishna. Because he is naturally attracted by its very nature, Krishna consciousness becomes very easy. Why Krishna consciousness becomes so difficult? Because the mind is polluted. And The more it's polluted, the more it's difficult. So, if we're intelligent, we should be very careful about these two principles. Try to maximize our association with those people who strengthen our faith. You know, satsanga does not mean just, you know, we come to a devotee home and eat nice, you know, nice feast, nice prasadam. Satsanga is not about... It's also satsanga because, you know, it's remnants of Krishna's food. You know, prasadam idli is satsanga of some sort. No doubt about it. But satsanga in real sense is something which strengthens our conviction, our desire to come to Krishna, to become closer to Krishna. That's what satsanga is. Whenever the contact with devotee, not any contact with devotee means satsanga. Because there are so many contacts, sometimes we contact with devotee and we become completely frustrated. They're devotees, they have Kantimala, they have, you know, Tilaka, and they even play Mridanga. It doesn't help so much. If the association does not give us the extra push in our conviction, in our desire to come closer to Krishna, to come closer to eternal life which is full of bliss and knowledge. If we become frustrated or very disillusioned and bitter from associating with devotees, it's asatsanga. You can nominally, formally associate with devotees, and it will be asatsanga, which you have to give up. But the association with those devotees who really enthused you, who really give you inspiration and give you the desire, strengthen your desire to become better, to become purer at heart, to become more loving and more generous, more grateful. When we have this association which strengthens these qualities, qualities which reflect satan, The good qualities, positive qualities within our heart, they reflect the qualities of Krishna. They are just a reflection of sat, of something real. And the bad qualities are the reflection of a sat. So whatever is strengthening our good qualities is sat, and it's satsanga. Whatever is weakening them, making them more feeble, it's asatsanga. So, this is two simple rules. I should, if I'm intelligent, and this is my choice. This is what is most important, you know. We are free to choose. We have free will. Sometimes people, especially scientists, they say people don't have free will. No free will. We are just bio-robots. You know, I am a bio-robot and everything is already predestined and this bio-robot anyway will die, no problem. So, no, we are not bio-robots. We are bio-robots to a certain extent, but we do have free will. But this free will is very limited and ultimately the free will, the ultimate manifestation of free will, which association we choose. Everything else may not be free. You know, our thoughts which are there is a result of some previous association. But what is the main application of free will? It's determination with whom I will associate, and with whom I will not associate, no matter what. If I have to associate with such a person, no problem, I will become very cool inside and I will not open my heart to him. because again, association only takes place when we open the heart. When the heart is closed, you know, we should not... It's not association, it's just formality. So, that's the free will, and if I want to exercise free will, and to be a human being means to exercise free will, then here is the field where I can... use the kshatra where I can exercise my free will. I am determined to have close association only with those people who make me better, who help me to become closer to Krishna. And I will not associate with those people who will not do this, who are actually impediments. Or those people who think or whatever ideas which make me further away from Krishna. because the most dangerous asat sangha is actually too intimate association with bad ideas Chaitanya Mahabrabhu says that you should not associate with stri sanghi those who are too much attached to you know debauchees who are too much attached to you know association with women but that's not It's dangerous, but it's not as dangerous as the association with bad ideas, polluted ideas, polluted conceptions, which look very nice, you know, from the outlook, but ultimately say there is no God. Because when you say there is no God, it means Asad. It means you don't believe in Asad. There is no Asad and therefore everything which is left in our life is Asad. So we are very lucky because Chaitanya Mahabrabhu came in 1486, in the year 1486. So what is, how many years back? Who is good at mathematics? Five years. Huh? Five years. Okay, so whatever, 500 plus years. Yeah. So, he showed in his example what it means and he sometimes was very, very harsh. And his harshness, it is a repeated theme of Chaitanya Charitamrita. Krishna Daskarri Raji Goswami says that sometimes Chaitanya Maprabhu was like a rose petal. He was so soft and so kind and so loving and so beautiful. And all of sudden he would become very harsh. He would turn 180 degrees. And Srila Prabhupada explained this. He said that this is the characteristic of a saintly person. Saintliness doesn't mean that you always have this plastic smile. This is not saintliness, this is just imitation. This is just vidambana, this is just something not very good. It's just desire to please everyone. Like, you know, there is this one sadhu, again local sadhu, who is called guru of joy. Of course, we are all guru of joy, we are trying to teach how to become joyful. But, you know, the real sadhu, he is not always smiling. Sometimes he becomes very harsh. Again, because of these two things. Whenever he sees the manifestation of sat, he becomes very pleased, easily pleased, and very softened. And whenever he sees the manifestation of a sat, he cuts. Because this is what is supposed to be done with the attachments. Attachments have to be cut. Otherwise they will only become stronger and stronger and stronger. So we are celebrating his appearance very soon. In one week, his appearance, Gorpurnima, will come. And to celebrate in reality his appearances, is to understand what He wants us to do, what He really wants us to do, how He wants us to behave, how He wants us to live. Then He will be very pleased and He will give very precious gifts which He brought to give. But if we don't understand this, and therefore it is said, says that, Gaurachar, Gaurvichar. You have to understand how Chaitanya Mahaprabhu was living his life, how he behaved himself, and Gaurvichar, how he was thinking, how he was looking at this world. You know, we have to externally, we have to try to behave in the same way as Chaitanya Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. And Srila Prabhupada, of course, explained this to us in a more vivid way, by his own example. But that's not everything. Much more important is to adopt the way of thinking which Chaitanya Mahaprabhu had, Gaurvichara. And then only we will be able to please Gauranga. Then only when we chant, Gauranga, Gauranga, Gauranga, you know, Gauranga will hear us shouting his name. Gauranga, Gauranga, Gauranga! Anyway, so this is just few disjointed thoughts on this subject matter. I could talk more. Bhaktivinoda Takur wrote beautiful and very lengthy essay about Asat Sangha Tyaga in Bhakti Loka, where he explains many different types of Asat and the techniques, what kind of mask you should have to be protected from this Asat Sangha. But in general, if I understand this principle, and if we have determination within the heart, Krishna will reciprocate with our determination. He will help us, he will bring us into the association of devotees, and he will minimize somehow rather the association of those people who are not really helpful in our spiritual endeavors. And so that's my little talk inspired by Ravi Kirti's explanation of glory of Bangalore city, which somehow rather gives such people to the world. Thank you very much Hare Krishna. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. answer yes both things should be there because enthusiasm is is a result of good association and the lack of enthusiasm is the result of bad association. So if we from one you know side we are trying to ignite the fire, this is the example which Srila Prabhupada said, by one hand you're trying to ignite the fire and this other hand you're pouring the water onto the onto the wood, you know, it will be a very long time before you will be able to ignite the fire within the wood. So, you know, the heart should become sufficiently dry or free from bad association before the spark of Krishna consciousness will be able to really create the enthusiasm. What is enthusiasm? Enthusiasm is the energy. And energy has this nature of fire. Fire is the energy. So why enthusiasm is not there? Because our heart is dampened by this water of bad associations. So both are very important. It's not one or another. Both should be there simultaneously. I mean, we have to be, we should not be too paranoid about this, because because we are living in this world, we cannot really enough. We tried for two years to wear masks. It didn't last long. The moment it was not compulsory, everyone took it off, and only a few Chinese people still wear this, and there are some exceptions too. But what I mean to say is that we shouldn't be too paranoid. We have to live normal life, sometimes we have to pick up this information, that information. What is most important is that we should not be too much open-hearted to the association which may not be very beneficial to our community. So we all know that there are degrees of closeness when we associate. If we just pick up some information from some mommies who are very enthusiastic about raising their children, that's fine, no problem. But to be too intimate means to adopt the same value system. When we associate with somebody, our value system is like, how do you call it in physics, there are two vessels which are connected, you know, if in one vessel, you know, they become equal. So when we closely associate, the same thing happens, the same process happens between our hearts. You know, if we were higher before and somebody was lower, then he will become a little higher and we will become a little lower. So it will become more or less equal. But if there is no connection, close connection, then it's not a problem. Then we can maintain the integrity within our heart and, you know, associate. So, too much paranoia is not good because it's artificial. You know, we have to remain human, it means that, you know, we have to do what we have to do. We shouldn't become too much afraid of, oh, no, no, no, I will be contaminated. No, it feels artificial. We should remain normal, but at the same time very careful. OK? Last one. OK. How should we get to everyone who's receiving the devotees if it doesn't give you... The proper enthusiasm of faith. ...seems to be a sense of faith. So in figure, do I identify this or do you think this? You know, it's very easy to identify when we see what happens with our heart. You know, we associate with devotees and we become lighthearted, we become very enthused, enthused, we become happy, we feel energy, and then we associate with some other devotee and we become upset and sad and morose and we always think about him or whatever, instead of thinking about Krishna. You know, when there is a good association, again it's natural to think about Krishna, It's natural to become happy about Krishna. But when we meet with somebody and the result, the effect of this is that, you know, we are distracted from the main occupation which is there, then what's the point? Okay, thank you very much.