# Sādhu-saṅga *On the importance of associating with devotees* --- ### Opens the Door to Liberation > Mahat-sevāṁ dvāram āhur vimuktes. Mahat-sevā. When you engage yourself in the service of mahat... Mahat means those who are surrendered to Kṛṣṇa. As soon as you surrender, you become a mahat. And one who serves the mahat, for him, dvāram āhur vimuktes. Then his path of liberation becomes open. — [[spoken/1970/701225sb.sur|Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 6.1.44, Surat, 1970]] --- ### Bad Association Leads to Darkness > Tamo-dvāraṁ yoṣitāṁ saṅgi-saṅgam. If you associate with persons... those who are too much addicted to sense gratification, then you're tamo-dvāraṁ. You must know that you are making progress to the darkness. Mahat-sevāṁ dvāram āhur vimuktes. — [[spoken/1970/701225sb.sur|Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 6.1.44, Surat, 1970]] --- ### Who Is a Sādhu > This sādhu means kṛṣṇa-bhakta. Without becoming kṛṣṇa-bhakta, according to Bhagavad-gītā, nobody can become a sādhu. That is also explained in the Bhagavad-gītā. Sādhur eva sa mantavyaḥ. Who? Bhajate mām ananya-bhāk. One who's purely devotee of the Lord. He's sādhu. — [[spoken/1973/730113bg.bom|Bhagavad-gītā 7.1, Bombay, 1973]] --- ### Not by Dress > Not that sādhu, simply like me, change the dress or having a long beard or... No. The sādhu means one who's purely devotee of the Lord. He's sādhu. Bhajate mām ananya-bhāk. Without any deviation. One who has taken Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Lord, as the only worshipable, he's sādhu. — [[spoken/1973/730113bg.bom|Bhagavad-gītā 7.1, Bombay, 1973]] --- ### To Increase Faith > If you have got little faith, to increase the faith, just yourself associate with the devotees. Ādau śraddhā tataḥ sādhu-saṅgaḥ. Just like if you want to increase the volume of business, you have to associate with businessmen of the same line. So if you want to increase your faith in Kṛṣṇa, then you have to associate with kṛṣṇa-bhaktas. Associate. — [[spoken/1973/730113bg.bom|Bhagavad-gītā 7.1, Bombay, 1973]] --- ### Māyā Is Dissipated > This can be avoided if you attend. Just like all these boys, they were also like that, but attending these lectures, lectures, lectures, one day they "Sir, I shall become..." Like that. That is the way. Therefore sat-saṅga is required. In the beginning it appears very difficult, but if you associate with devotees, this māyā, this false idea, will be... Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam. — [[spoken/1970/701225sb.sur|Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 6.1.44, Surat, 1970]] --- ### Sat-saṅga and Asat-saṅga > Sat-saṅga means to associate with devotees. That's all. There are sat-saṅga and asat-saṅga. If you associate with devotees, then your path of liberation is clear. And if you associate with materialists, then your path of darkness is open. That's all. There are two paths. — [[spoken/1970/701225sb.sur|Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 6.1.44, Surat, 1970]] --- ### Must Hear > Satāṁ prasaṅgān mama vīrya-saṁvido bhavanti hṛt-karṇa-rasāyanāḥ kathāḥ. You have to hear from the right source. — [[spoken/1970/701225sb.sur|Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 6.1.44, Surat, 1970]] --- ### Sādhu Must Be Tolerant > Sādhu means titikṣava. One who has taken Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Lord, Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Person, he has to tolerate so many things—so many criticism, so many tribulations. Just like Prahlāda Mahārāja. Prahlāda Mahārāja had to undergo so much tribulation from the hands of his father because he became a sādhu, kṛṣṇa-bhakta. — [[spoken/1973/730113bg.bom|Bhagavad-gītā 7.1, Bombay, 1973]] --- ### Change Through Association > Bhāgavata-dharma means, even one is in the most lower stage of association, he can be raised to the highest stage. That is called bhāgavata-dharma. Just like, practical example, these European, American boys. They have changed their habit. How it is possible? Because they have taken to bhāgavata-dharma. That is the only cause. — [[spoken/1976/760619sb.tor|Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 7.6.3, Toronto, 1976]] --- *10 quotes from Śrīla Prabhupāda on sādhu-saṅga* [[wiki/quotes|Back to Quotes]]