“One should learn how to associate with the devotees of the Lord by gathering with them to chant the glories of the Lord. This process is most purifying. As devotees thus develop their loving friendship, they feel mutual happiness and satisfaction. And by thus encouraging one another they are able to give up material sense gratification, which is the cause of all suffering.” SB 11.3.30 verse
This website is dedicated to sharing Srila Prabhupada’s instructions on how to improve the quality of our association.
“The root cause of devotional service to Lord Krsna is association with advanced devotees (sadhu sanga). Even when one’s dormant love for Krsna awakens, association with devotees (sadhu sanga) is still most essential.” CC Madhya 22.83
You may be familiar with Rupa Goswami‘s explanation of the development of pure devotional service. It starts with a little attraction or faith (sraddha) which brings us to the temple or sanga gatherings. Then we need to engage in sadhu sanga, association with advanced devotees. By such association we should develop strong faith, and commitment to the process of bhakti yoga. Through continual sadhu sanga, we should gradually make advancement in spiritual consciousness, rise above the miseries of material existence, and become increasingly peaceful and happy.
For many people, everything develops as it should. But some of us can remain unhappy, even depressed, and feel as if we are stuck in a spiritual rut? For some of us, association with other devotees may be sullied with petty differences and some of us may feel very discouraged and alienated by such experiences. Why do these difficulties occur?
Srila Prabhupada tells us it is because we are not properly trained in the culture of sadhu sanga. He says, “unless and until one is trained in the culture of good association, one cannot become good.” (SB 3.3.6 purport)
On this website we examine some of the many instructions that Srila Prabhupada gives on the subject of sadhu sanga. We suggest those instructions embody different principles of good sadhu sanga. You can find 16 principles in the menu bar above. We support each principle with numerous quotes from Srila Prabhupada. We suggest that if you are feeling spiritually stuck that you start with having a read of these principles. If they make sense to you, then you may be interested to look at the 18 Useful Tips we share from our own personal experience of daily applying the Principles.
We encourage everyone to begin regularly discussing at least Bhagavad-Gita As It Is with their family or friends. If you can’t find a discussion partner, then we have a Discuss With Me menu which we hope will help you. Below this home page there is a blog where I will share instructions from Srila Prabhupada which I hope will inspire you to take your sadhu sanga more seriously.
Offering our humble obeisance at the lotus feet of Sri Sri Nita Gauranga, His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada, and to all sincere devotees of the Lord, we beg that you will kindly bless our small effort to serve. Please forgive us if you find some fault in our endeavor.
OM TAT SAT
Principles of good Sadhu Sanga
Useful Tips
Blog
Endorsements
HG Suresvara das (ACBSP)
“Oh happy Day!” Every time I teach my founder-acharya seminars, at the end of the journey, my students invariably ask the same questions: “What do we do now? How can we keep increasing our appreciation for Srila Prabhupada?” And invariably I’ve been giving the same answers: “Start a Lilamrita reading group. Or a Gita As It Is study group. Or whichever book by or about Srila Prabhupada inspires you.” Not bad answers, but there’s so much more, as Cin...
“Oh happy Day!”
Every time I teach my founder-acharya seminars, at the end of the journey, my students invariably ask the same questions: “What do we do now? How can we keep increasing our appreciation for Srila Prabhupada?” And invariably I’ve been giving the same answers: “Start a Lilamrita reading group. Or a Gita As It Is study group. Or whichever book by or about Srila Prabhupada inspires you.”
Not bad answers, but there’s so much more, as Cintamani Dhama and Krishna Dharma Prabhus remind us in Improving our Sadhu Sanga. Like experienced sailors, their Principles help us navigate the fathomless waters of Srila Prabhupada’s teachings. Individually and collectively, how many times have I tried to study and discuss His Divine Grace’s writings, only to founder on the shoals of indifference, contention, false pride, paradox, and doubt. Having been there themselves, our sailors teach us the protocols to avoid those shoals, and how to recover when we hit them.
Nowhere is their experience more in evidence than in the Tips section, which instructs us how to apply the principles of discussion in exquisite detail. If Emerson “owed a magnificent day to the Bhagavad-gita,” we all owe Cintamani and Krishna Dharma years of gratitude for their wise and compassionate site. Accepting Srila Prabhupada as the captain of our ISKCON ship is one thing, keeping the ship on course by learning and teaching how to harmoniously apply his Vaiduryan instructions is quite another. Well done, Prabhus! Oh Hare Krishna!
HG Suresvara das (ACBSP)
HG Praghosa das Adhikari (SDG) GBC
I write this during a time of great disruption in the world due to the coronavirus pandemic. As a result it struck me, even more that it usually might, as to how crucial it is that we flood the planet with Krishna consciousness. We know only too well that there is danger at every step in this world, therefore it might be a pandemic today, a war tomorrow or something even more catastrophic the day after. Thus Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Maharaja informed us that there will never be anything more import...
I write this during a time of great disruption in the world due to the coronavirus pandemic. As a result it struck me, even more that it usually might, as to how crucial it is that we flood the planet with Krishna consciousness. We know only too well that there is danger at every step in this world, therefore it might be a pandemic today, a war tomorrow or something even more catastrophic the day after. Thus Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Maharaja informed us that there will never be anything more important in this world than the dissemination of Krishna consciousness.
In order to effectively disseminate Krishna consciousness it greatly helps if one is Krishna conscious themselves and sites like ‘Improving our Sadhu Sanga – the Key to Happiness is Good Association’, is a superb initiative to achieve that very glorious goal of becoming more Krishna conscious.
These kinds of efforts are a wonderful endorsement of the commitment of the devotees who conceive, plan and establish such a resource. It is also a clear testament to their own Krishna conscious well being, be so desirous to assist others in their devotional lives.
HG Praghosa das Adhikari (SDG) GBC
HH Bir Krishna das Goswami (ACBSP)
Dear Krishna Dharma and Cintamani, Hare Krishna. All glories to Srila Prabhupada. I just went over your website and read the principles and tips. To say the least I am very impressed. If one applies these points in one’s personal life as well as in one’s duties as a medium for Srila Prabhupada, one will surely please Srila Prabhupada by becoming Krishna conscious and by bringing many souls to Srila Prabhupada’s lotus feet. I plan on utilizing the information you have presented, and will encourag...
Dear Krishna Dharma and Cintamani,
Hare Krishna. All glories to Srila Prabhupada.
I just went over your website and read the principles and tips.
To say the least I am very impressed. If one applies these points in one’s personal life as well as in one’s duties as a medium for Srila Prabhupada, one will surely please Srila Prabhupada by becoming Krishna conscious and by bringing many souls to Srila Prabhupada’s lotus feet.
I plan on utilizing the information you have presented, and will encourage others to do so.
Thank you very much.
Yours in Srila Prabhupada’s service
HH Bir Krishna das Goswami (ACBSP)
HG Visakha Dasi (ACBSP)
Thank you for creating this valuable website. What you’re presenting is important for all devotees and aspiring devotees of Krishna. Hearing about, chanting about, remembering, and thinking about Krishna and His instructions is the foundation of Krishna consciousness. Your many efforts to help us do these basic practices systematically through the regular study of Srila Prabhupada’s books is much appreciated. Your servant
Thank you for creating this valuable website. What you’re presenting is important for all devotees and aspiring devotees of Krishna. Hearing about, chanting about, remembering, and thinking about Krishna and His instructions is the foundation of Krishna consciousness. Your many efforts to help us do these basic practices systematically through the regular study of Srila Prabhupada’s books is much appreciated.
Your servant
HG Visakha Dasi (ACBSP)
HH Jayadvaita Swami (ACBSP)
Sadhu sanga! Sadhu sanga! And if we don’t attain perfection within a moment, then we should patiently stay the course — and improve. Thank you to Cintamani Dhama Dasi for sharing the methods that have worked for her. Hare Krishna.
HH Sacinandana Swami (ACBSP)
Good sadhu-sanga pleases Krishna Krishna is personally pleased when devotees associate with each other. He says to the Pracetas: “I am very much pleased by the friendly relationships among you. All of you are engaged in one occupation—devotional service. I am so pleased with your mutual friendship that I wish you all good fortune. Now you may ask a benediction of Me.” (Srimad Bhagavatam 4.30.8) This website gives very practical inspirations how to make the exchange in devotee associa...
Good sadhu-sanga pleases Krishna
Krishna is personally pleased when devotees associate with each other. He says to the Pracetas:
“I am very much pleased by the friendly relationships among you. All of you are engaged in one occupation—devotional service. I am so pleased with your mutual friendship that I wish you all good fortune. Now you may ask a benediction of Me.” (Srimad Bhagavatam 4.30.8)
This website gives very practical inspirations how to make the exchange in devotee association most rewarding. We often hear that the root cause of Krishna-bhakti is association with devotees. Krishna Dharma and Cintamani-dhama give inspirations from their rich experience how we can make this association all it can be. By reading, discussing and applying Srila Prabhupada’s books, Krishna surely manifests in the heart.
Wishing you all the best
HH Sacinandana Swami (ACBSP)
HH Bhakti Charu Swami (ACBSP)
This website is obviously a wonderful means to dive deep into the ocean of wisdom that Srila Prabhupada gave us. I am sure that innumerable devotees will immensely benefit from this wonderful arrangement that you made.