In the association of pure devotees

In the Srimad Bhagvatam and Chaitanya Caritamrta, the Lord explains the various aspects of association of devotees in many slokas. One such sloka occurs in Srimad Bhagavatam 3.25.25,


sataam prasangaan mama virya samvido
bhavanti hrd karna rasaayanaah kathaah
tad joshanaad aashu apavarga vartmani
shraddhaa ratir bhaktir anukramishyati

"In the association of pure devotees, discussion of the pastimes and activities of the Supreme Personality of Godhead is very pleasing and satisfying to the ear and the heart. By cultivating such knowledge one gradually becomes advanced on the path of liberation, and thereafter he is freed, and his attraction becomes fixed. Then real devotion and devotional service begin."

We can test the quality of devotee association by how much attraction we have developed for hearing more and more krishna katha and how much we develop our compassion towards other living entities and want to help them. But rather on the practical field, there is always some dissensions and misunderstandings even among the devotees. Since the maturity is absent in us, we do not rise above the temporary misunderstandings to serve the higher purpose of cooperatively serving the mission of the Supreme Lord and our Spiritual master.

In SB 11.2.47 such an immature devotee is explained as follows:

arcaayaam eva haraye / pujaam yah shraddhayehate
na tad-bhakteshu caanyeshu / sa bhaktah praakrtah smrtah

“A devotee who faithfully engages in the worship of the Deity in the temple but does not behave properly toward other devotees or people in general is called a praakrta-bhakta, a materialistic devotee, and is considered to be in the lowest position.”

So many of us do chanting all these years, read Bhagavatam and Bhagavat-gita many times, conducted so many programs, but still the tendency to pick up quarrel and misunderstanding with others does not go away. Our Guru Maharaj says that this is because almost all the time we are caught up in the modes of material nature. To serve him and please him, we need to rise above these modes and cooperatively serve him to the best of our ability.

The association of devotees is characterized by friendship and love. The Vaishnavas are the representatives of Radha and Krishna in this world. There are six kinds of affectionate exchange that are shared with devotees, called priti-lakshanam, the signs of love. The devotee is a harbor, a storehouse of love. The quality of our sadhana is recognized by the greater presence of natural affection between each other.

In Chaitanya Caritamra , the discussion between Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and Ramananda Rai is very important to ponder over to understand the importance of devotee association.

Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu asked Ramananda Raya, “What is the most painful kind of suffering?”
Ramananda Raya responded, “I know of nothing more unbearable than separation from the devotees of Krishna.”

Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu asked, “What is the most auspicious and beneficial activity for the living entity?”
Ramananda Raya replied, “There is nothing more auspicious than association with the devotees of Krishna.”

Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu has said, if individual spirit souls can have the knowledge that they are interrelated with loving relation, this forest of fire of clashing of interests will stop.

Thus it is possible to transform the material world and its elements into spiritual ones by proper consciousness. For this reason it is said that the Vaishnava's body is not material because his senses are being used in the optimal fashion for the development of his pure consciousness.