with non-devotees

One has to make progress in spiritual life by not associating with persons who are simply interested in making money and sense gratification. Not only such persons, but one who associates with such persons should be avoided. One should mold his life in such a way that he cannot live in peace without drinking the nectar of the glorification of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Hari. One can be thus elevated by losing taste for sense enjoyment. (More...)

This is a typical example of materialistic persons. At night they waste their time by sleeping more than six hours or by wasting time in sex indulgence. This is their occupation at night, and in the morning they go to their office or business place just to earn money. As soon as there is some money, they become busy in purchasing things for their children and others. Such persons are never interested in understanding the values of life-what is God, what is the individual soul, what is its relationship with God, etc. Things are degraded to such an extent that those who are supposed to be religious are also at the present moment only interested in sense gratification. The number of materialistic persons in this age of Kali has increased more than in any other age; therefore persons who are interested in going back home, back to Godhead, should not only engage in the service of realized souls but should give up the company of materialistic persons whose only aim is to earn money and employ it in sense gratification. They should also not accept the objectives of materialistic persons, namely money and sense gratification. Therefore it is stated: bhakti-parasyanubhavam viraktir anyatha syat. To advance in devotional service one should be uninterested in the materialistic way of life. That which is the subject matter of satisfaction for the devotees is of no interest to the nondevotees. (More...)

Those who strongly desire to cross the ocean of nescience must not associate with the modes of ignorance because hedonistic activities are the greatest obstructions to realization of religious principles, economic development, regulated sense gratification and, at last, liberation. (More...)

To remain unattached to the modes of material nature, one should avoid associating with those who are asat, materialistic. There are two kinds of materialists. One is attached to women and sense gratification, and the other is simply a nondevotee. On the positive side is association with mahatmas, and on the negative side is the avoidance of nondevotees and women-hunters. (More...)

In this chapter Bharata Maharaja's attainment of the body of a brahmana is described. In this body he remained like one dull, deaf and dumb, so much so that when he was brought before the goddess Kali to be killed as a sacrifice, he never protested but remained silent. After having given up the body of a deer, he took birth in the womb of the youngest wife of a brahmana. In this life he could also remember the activities of his past life, and in order to avoid the influence of society, he remained like a deaf and dumb person. He was very careful not to fall down again. He did not mix with anyone who was not a devotee. This process should be adopted by every devotee. As advised by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu: asat-saṅga-tyaga,-ei vaisnava-acara. One should strictly avoid the company of nondevotees, even though they may be family members. When Bharata Maharaja was in the body of a brahmana, the people in the neighborhood thought of him as a crazy, dull fellow, but within he was always chanting and remembering Vasudeva, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Although his father wanted to give him an education and purify him as a brahmana by offering him the sacred thread, he remained in such a way that his father and mother could understand that he was crazy and not interested in the reformatory method. Nonetheless, he remained fully Krsna conscious, even without undergoing such official ceremonies. Due to his silence, some people who were no better than animals began to tease him in many ways, but he tolerated this. After the death of his father and mother, his stepmother and stepbrothers began to treat him very poorly. They would give him the most condemned food, but still he did not mind; he remained completely absorbed in Krsna consciousness. He was ordered by his stepbrothers and mother to guard a paddy field one night, and at that time the leader of a dacoit party took him away and tried to kill him by offering him as a sacrifice before Bhadra Kali. When the dacoits brought Bharata Maharaja before the goddess Kali and raised a chopper to kill him, the goddess Kali became immediately alarmed due to the mistreatment of a devotee. She came out of the deity and, taking the chopper in her own hands, killed all the dacoits there. Thus a pure devotee of the Supreme Personality of Godhead can remain silent despite the mistreatment of nondevotees. Rogues and dacoits who misbehave toward a devotee are punished at last by the arrangement of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. (More...)

"A Vaisnava should always avoid the association of ordinary people. Common people are very much materially attached, especially to women. Vaisnavas should also avoid the company of those who are not devotees of Lord Krsna. (More...)

The Lord then informed Sanatan Goswami about the behavior of a devotee. The sum and substance of such behavior enunciated by the Lord is that one should always be aloof from unholy association. That is the sum and substance of the behavior of a devotee. And what is unholy association? It is association with one who is too attached to women, and one who is not a devotee of Lord Krishna. These are unholy persons. The purport is that, as one is advised to associate with holy devotees of the Lord, so one has to be careful to avoid the association of unholy non-devotees of the Lord. Those who are pure devotees of Krishna are very careful to keep aloof from these two kinds of unholy non-devotees. (More...)

Prabhupada: Oh, that's all right. That's all right. Never mind. Caitanya Mahaprabhu said, asat-saṅga-tyaga, ei vaisnava-acara [Cc Madhya 22.87]. Asat-saṅga-tyaga, ei vaisnava-acara. He, in one line, He said that "First of all, Vaisnava, his business is to avoid the company of asat." Asat means those who are materialistic interested. Asatah. Asato ma sad gama. This is very important thing. We have established this Krsna consciousness society-means that to avoid the asat-saṅga, to avoid the... Of course, we are preaching Krsna consciousness amongst the people who are interested in material subject matter. But we are not associating with them. We are associating with Krsna, because we don't talk anything except Krsna. We are not interested with their business. Everyone is interested with his own business. Similarly, we are interested with our own business, Krsna consciousness business. Even if we go to a materialistic person, we canvass, "Kindly become our member. Kindly read this book. Purchase this book." So we are not going to take their activities. We are trying to bring them in our activities. (More...)

So asat-saṅga-tyaga, vaisnava-acara. The Vaisnava, he should be always careful not to intermingle, means not to take up their ideas and thoughts. No. That is vaisnava-acara. Asat-saṅga-tyaga, ei vaisnava. And why they should be avoided? Asat eka stri-saṅgi, krsna-abhakta. Who is asat? Asat means those who are very much attached to sense gratification. Sense... The culmination of sense gratification is sex life. So those who are too much attached to sex life, stri-saṅgi, and krsna-abhakta, and not devotee of Krsna, they are asat. So those who are actually serious to make advance in spiritual life, they should avoid the asat. (More...)

There are so many Mayavadis and avaisnava, they practically do not accept Krsna even the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and they dare to speak on Bhagavad-gita. Just see the fun. He does not accept Bhagavad-gita as it is, and he wants to comment and give his tika. So you'll never derive any benefit. Therefore here it is said, satam prasaṅgat. You should hear Bhagavad-gita and Srimad-Bhagavatam from the devotees, not from a third-class man. No. Third class means those who are materialistic. So therefore Caitanya Mahaprabhu has warned that mayavadi-bhasya sunile haya sarva-nasa. If you happen to hear from a Mayavadi, impersonalist, who does not accept Krsna as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, or does not know what is Krsna, if such person reads Bhagavad-gita and Srimad-Bhagavatam, you will never derive any benefit. You can go on hearing them for hundreds of years; still, you will never understand what is Krsna. That is forbidden. Sanatana Gosvami has forbidden, that avaisnava-mukhodgirnam putam hari-kathamrtam. Hari-katha, talks, discussion on Hari, or Krsna, that is amrta. Amrta means nectarine. If one hears, then he gets his amrta. Amrtatvam. (More...)

So samsayatma vinasyati. So it is our business to be very, very careful from understanding spiritual life or devotional life from nondevotee class of men. Nondevotee means one who does not accept Krsna the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He is nondevotee. Krsna abhakta ara. Caitanya Mahaprabhu was asked by His one devotee, grhastha devotee, that "What is the primary function of a devotee?" So Caitanya Mahaprabhu said in two lines: asat-saṅga-tyaga, ei vaisnava-acara [Cc Madhya 22.87]. Asat. Asat means those who are nondevotees. They are asat. They are asat. Why asat? Because they will remain in this material world. Therefore they are asat. And those who will go to the spiritual..., those who will be promoted to the spiritual world, back to home, back to Godhead, they are sat, om tat sat, because they are being promoted to the eternal kingdom. That is sat. This is the distinction between asat and sat. Those who will perpetually remain within this material world, they are called asat. The karmis, jnanis and yogis... Yogis, they... Just like... What is that big yogis? That rsi, great rsi? (More...)

So our aim of life should be how to associate, how to keep association with devotee. Then everything will be possible. And as soon as we give up the association and we associate with maya, then our life is finished. Always remember this. Caitanya Mahaprabhu was enquired by a devotee that "What is the business of a devotee? How he will make progress without any difficulty?" So Caitanya Mahaprabhu said in two lines that asat-saṅga-tyaga, ei vaisnava-acara [Cc Madhya 22.87]: "A Vaisnava should always avoid asat, materialistic person, always avoid the association." Asat-saṅga-tyaga. But matter is asat, not permanent. So those who are attached to the material world, they are called asat. Satam prasaṅgat: one should associate with sat, means those who are in spiritual advancement. They are called sat. And those who are interested in material advancement, they are called asat. So Caitanya Mahaprabhu advised, "Don't associate with persons who are trying to be advanced in material way." Asat-saṅga-tyaga, ei vaisnava-acara. And how we can understand this person is materialist? That is stated next line: asat eka stri-saṅgi. Those who are too much attached in sex, they are asat, materially, and Krsna, those who are not devotee of Krsna. That's all. If you can find out these two persons, then you understand who is asat and who is sat. And sat-just the opposite. Sat means he is no more interested in material enjoyment. That is sat. And those who are interested in material enjoyment, they are asat. (More...)

A devotee should avoid the company of persons who are not spiritually advanced.

A devotee should always try to hear about spiritual matters and should always utilize his time in chanting the holy name of the Lord. His behavior should always be straightforward and simple, and although he is not envious but friendly to everyone, he should avoid the company of persons who are not spiritually advanced. (More...)

It is especially mentioned here, nama-saṅkirtanac ca: one should chant the holy names of the Lord, Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare, either individually or with others. Lord Caitanya has given special stress to chanting of these holy names of the Lord as the basic principle of spiritual advancement. Another word used here is arjavena, meaning "without diplomacy." A devotee should not make plans out of self-interest. Of course preachers sometimes have to make some plan to execute the mission of the Lord under proper guidance, but regarding personal self-interest, a devotee should always be without diplomacy, and he should avoid the company of persons who are not advancing in spiritual life. Another word is arya. Aryans are persons who are advancing in knowledge of Krsna consciousness as well as in material prosperity. The difference between the Aryan and non-Aryan, the sura and asura, is in their standards of spiritual advancement. Association with persons who are not spiritually advanced is forbidden. Lord Caitanya advised, asat-saṅga-tyaga. One should avoid persons who are attached to the temporary. Asat is one who is too materially attached, who is not a devotee of the Lord and who is too attached to women or enjoyable material things. Such a person, according to Vaisnava philosophy, is a persona non grata. (More...)

Those who are after material enjoyment and those who are against the supremacy of the Lord are called avaisnava, and their company should be strictly avoided.

Lord Caitanya was once asked by one of His householder devotees what the general behavior of a Vaisnava should be. In this connection, Lord Caitanya replied that a Vaisnava should always give up the company of nondevotees. Then He explained that there are two kinds of nondevotees: one class is against the supremacy of Krsna, and another class is too materialistic. In other words, those who are after material enjoyment and those who are against the supremacy of the Lord are called avaisnava, and their company should be strictly avoided. (More...)

In the Katyayana-samhita it is stated that even if one is forced to live within a cage of iron or in the midst of a blazing fire, he should accept this position rather than live with nondevotees who are through and through against the supremacy of the Lord. Similarly, in Visnu-rahasya, there is a statement to the effect that one should prefer to embrace a snake, a tiger or an alligator rather than associate with persons who are worshipers of various demigods and who are impelled by material desire. (More...)

In the scriptures it is instructed that one may worship a certain demigod if he is desirous of achieving some material gain. For example, one is advised to worship the sun god if he is desirous of getting rid of a diseased condition. For a beautiful wife, one can worship Uma, the wife of Lord Siva, and for advanced education one may worship Sarasvati. Similarly, there is a list in the Srimad-Bhagavatam for worshipers of all demigods, according to different material desires. But all of these worshipers, although they appear to be very good devotees of the demigods, are still considered to be nondevotees. They cannot be accepted as devotees. (More...)

The mayavadis (impersonalists) say that one can worship any form of the Lord and that it doesn't matter because one reaches the same destination anyway. But it is clearly stated in the Bhagavad-gita that those who are worshipers of the demigods will ultimately reach only the planets of those demigods, while those who are devotees of the Lord Himself will be promoted to the Lord's abode, the kingdom of God. So actually these persons who are worshipers of demigods have been condemned in the Gita. It is described that due to their lusty desires they have lost their intelligence, and therefore they have taken to worshiping the different demigods. So in the Visnu-rahasya these demigod worshipers are forcefully condemned by the statement that it is better to live with the most dangerous animals than to associate with these persons. (More...)