How does association lead to spiritual advancement?
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How exactly does association lead to our spiritual advancement how does it lead to dealing with problems and growing in our spiritual life, spiritual growth essentially means growth of spiritual desire now Krishna is already there in our heart Sarvasya Chaham Hrithi Sannivishto in 15.15 he says that, he is already there in our heart so what is lacking is not Krishna’s presence it is our desire for Krishna that is lacking so the more our desire for Krishna strengthens the more our connection with him will become steadier and the more we will experience spiritual happiness the more we will be situated in spiritual love and that so, spiritual growth essentially means growth in our spiritual desires in our desire for Krishna Sangat Sanjayate Kamaha in the second chapter 62nd verse Krishna says that Sangat, in association Kamaha desire develops the kind of people we associate with their desires come to us suppose somebody comes from India to America India is cricket crazy but America, many people don’t even know what is cricket say America is baseball crazy and somebody comes from India to America and six months before that person didn’t even know what is baseball and say the student comes to university and the whole university campus is filled with baseball fans then what happens the same person, the same student now becomes baseball crazy so what happens Sangat Sanjayate Kamaha our desire is developing association so this again brings to another point that association is not just physical proximity it is association is emotional affinity that when we associate with devotees, what does that mean that the devotees desires become our desires Srila Prabhupada when he came to America he had deep love for Krishna and he wanted others to also love Krishna and that desire from his heart went to the hearts of others so when we associate with devotees whose spiritual desires are very strong then that association injects spiritual desires within us and yes, if devotees are chanting enthusiastically devotees are studying scripture deeply I should also study like this, I should also chant like this devotees are doing lot of services we start feeling yes, I should also do some service for Krishna so in association if we make association also into a ritual yes, every week I should go to some satsang or I should just go to a temple, yes that is good that is better than not going at all but if we keep the purpose in mind because even in association there are different devotees with different degrees of spiritual seriousness so we have to see which association kindles our spiritual desires the most and if we select that association then that association will strengthen our spiritual desire and that will propel us in our spiritual advancement so in the in the Chaitanya Charita Amrit it is said that our bhakti is like a beech, it is like a seed which grows into a lata a creeper and that growth happens when it is watered regularly that watering is hearing and chanting in the association of devotees so if we associate with devotees and we by hearing and chanting with them our spiritual desires get kindled, then that causes the growth of our bhakti creeper and that’s how we move onwards towards Krishna does this answer your question? thank you any other question? how do thoughts