Talk:Bad Company (Kusaṇga)

By Vishal Agarwal

Satsaṅga is a very important practice of Vaidhī Bhakti. Conversely, keeping company with the ignoble and evil people can hinder, or even roll back one’s spiritual progress.

Forsake the contact with wicked people, resort to the assembly of the good; do meritorious acts day and night and remember the instability of everything. Garuḍa Purāṇa 1.108.26 Even in a prison one should associate only with the learned, the humble, the virtuous, and the truthful. Outside, he should never associate with the wicked. Garuḍa Purāṇa 1.113.3

Forsake the company of evil people in every way, because their company generates within us desires, anger, delusion, forgetfulness (of our purpose), destruction of intellect – in fact, destruction of everything valuable. These evil tendencies (like anger, etc.) initially appear as small waves, but soon overwhelm us as a deep ocean. So the question is – who can save himself from drowning in this Māyā? The answer is – only he who frees himself from all attachments, who keeps company with holy men, and who gives up possessiveness (about people, objects, glory, fame, etc.). Nārada Bhakti Sūtra-s 43–46

Satsaṅga or company of holy men and like-minded devotees to listen to religious discourses, or participate in kīrtana, chanting, etc. is a very important practice of Bhakti. Unlike Jñānayoga and Dhyānayoga, solitude is not very important to practice Bhakti. However, the Bhakta must be careful at least in the initial stages to associate only with saintly and devoted individuals, and not with people who are more interested in pointless socializing and gossiping. Association with the latter defeats the very purpose of Satsaṅga.

Whenever there is bad company, it is very tempting for a bhakta to get distracted, and indulge in pointless and malicious talk about others. It takes considerable discipline to stick to spiritual discussion in a group, and having a respected person as a facilitator helps. Rṣi Nārada warns us to avoid discussions relating to matters that can distract us from the path of Bhakti Yoga—

One should not pay attention to stories about women, wealth, non-believers, or enemies. Nārada Bhakti Sūtra 63

Often, the impact of a bad company is not overt but subtle, subliminal. A modern teacher explains with an example, underscoring why it is important to avoid bad company at all times.

“Unconscious suggestions are much more powerful than conscious suggestions. Suppose I have a good friend and someone comes and speaks against my friend again and again. My conscious mind does not accept what he is saying because I know my friend. After he is gone, my unconscious mind, which has accepted what he said, tells me that maybe it is true. My conscious mind has not accepted anything at all, but unconsciously I have accepted it. That is why the questioning comes. It is possible that my friend must have done that. Why did he not tell me? I did not know the nature of my friend. I am so sad.”