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Imbibe

Srimad-Bhagavatam

SB Canto 1

Infection of the qualities of the pure devotee means to imbibe the taste of pure devotion always in the transcendental activities of the Personality of Godhead. This transcendental taste at once makes all material things distasteful.
SB 1.5.25, Purport:

Pure devotion is as much infectious, in a good sense, as infectious diseases. A pure devotee is cleared from all kinds of sins. The Personality of Godhead is the purest entity, and unless one is equally pure from the infection of material qualities, one cannot become a pure devotee of the Lord. The bhakti-vedāntas as above mentioned were pure devotees, and the boy became infected with their qualities of purity by their association and by eating once the remnants of the foodstuff taken by them. Such remnants may be taken even without permission of the pure devotees. There are sometimes pseudodevotees, and one should be very much cautious about them. There are many things which hinder one from entering devotional service. But by the association of pure devotees all these obstacles are removed. The neophyte devotee becomes practically enriched with the transcendental qualities of the pure devotee, which means attraction for the Personality of Godhead's name, fame, quality, pastimes, etc. Infection of the qualities of the pure devotee means to imbibe the taste of pure devotion always in the transcendental activities of the Personality of Godhead. This transcendental taste at once makes all material things distasteful. Therefore a pure devotee is not at all attracted by material activities. After the elimination of all sins or obstacles on the path of devotional service, one can become attracted, one can have steadiness, one can have perfect taste, one can have transcendental emotions, and at last one can be situated on the plane of loving service of the Lord. All these stages develop by the association of pure devotees, and that is the purport of this stanza.

Other Books by Srila Prabhupada

Krsna, The Supreme Personality of Godhead

He was kind to me, and I imbibed from him the ideas later on solidified by my spiritual master, the eternal father.
Krsna Book Dedication:

To My Father, Gour Mohan De (1849-1930)

A pure devotee of Kṛṣṇa, who raised me as a Kṛṣṇa concious child from the beginning of my life. In my boyhood ages he instructed me how to play the mṛdanga. He gave me Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa Vigraha to worship, and he gave me Jagannātha-Ratha to duly observe the festival as my childhood play. He was kind to me, and I imbibed from him the ideas later on solidified by my spiritual master, the eternal father.

Message of Godhead

The brāhmaṇas are the highest social order, and they imbibe the modes of goodness and are engaged in the activities of equality, restraint, and forgiveness.
Message of Godhead 2:

The qualifications of the various orders of the caste system are enumerated in Bhagavad-gītā, and here we shall touch on them briefly. The brāhmaṇas are the highest social order, and they imbibe the modes of goodness and are engaged in the activities of equality, restraint, and forgiveness. The kṣatriyas are the second-highest social order, and they imbibe the qualities of creative passion and are engaged in the activities of public leadership as executive heads of different political and social bodies. The vaiśyas are the third social order. They imbibe mixed qualities, namely creative passion as well as the darkness of ignorance, and generally they are engaged as farmers and merchants. The śūdras are the lowest social order, inasmuch as they imbibe the modes of darkness, or ignorance, and generally take up the service of the other three social orders. As a class, the śūdras are servitors of the whole mundane social body. In the present age of darkness, which is known as the Kali-yuga, the age of quarrel, hypocrisy, and ignorance, virtually everyone is born a śūdra.

Lectures

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Kṛṣṇa consciousness is the necessity. It is not a religious formula or some spiritual recreation. No. It is the most important thing that we should imbibe in our life.
Lecture on BG 8.15-20 -- New York, November 17, 1966:

The people have been entrapped by this material glimmer, by skyscraper and big factories and political activities, these..., entrapped, although he cannot live. He knows that "However skyscraper I may make, I'll not be allowed to live here. I'll have to leave it, and I do not know where I am going." Therefore the solution is that we should not spoil our energy for having a skyscraper. We should employ our energy to elevate ourselves to Kṛṣṇa consciousness so that we can, after leaving this material body, we can enter into that spiritual planet. That is the process. So Kṛṣṇa consciousness is the necessity. It is not a religious formula or some spiritual recreation. No. It is the most important thing that we should imbibe in our life. Mām upetya. Mām upetya tu kaunteya punar janma na vidyate. He's stressing again and again.

A person who is imbibed with asuric tendency... Asuric tendency means to refute the Supreme Personality of Godhead. All the asuras... Just like Rāvaṇa. Rāvaṇa is described as rākṣasa, asura.
Lecture on BG 9.3 -- Toronto, June 20, 1976:

A person who is imbibed with asuric tendency... Asuric tendency means to refute the Supreme Personality of Godhead. All the asuras... Just like Rāvaṇa. Rāvaṇa is described as rākṣasa, asura. What was his fault? His fault was that he did not care for Rāma. "What is this Rāma? Kidnap his wife, bring him(her), I shall enjoy." This is rākṣasa. So he could not enjoy Sītā, but the result was, with his whole family, state, and himself, everything, he was ruined. This is asura. So those who are āsuraṁ bhāvam āśritāḥ, followers of Rāvaṇa, Hiraṇyakaśipu, Kaṁsa, they do not surrender to Kṛṣṇa.

How can you accept a person as guru who has imbibed with rākṣasa. So then what is their position? Very sinful, rascal, ass.
Lecture on BG 9.3 -- Toronto, June 20, 1976:

So our simple method is to see whether somebody is speaking about Kṛṣṇa or what Kṛṣṇa has said. If he does not do so, then immediately accept him āsuraṁ bhāvam āśritāḥ, a rākṣasa. How you can accept him as guru? A rākṣasa? That is your mistake. How can you accept a person as guru who has imbibed with rākṣasa. So then what is their position? Duṣkṛtinaḥ. Very sinful. Mūḍhaḥ, rascal, ass. Narādhamaḥ, lowest of the mankind. "No, he's so educated." Māyayāpahṛta-jñānaḥ. His so-called education has no value because māyā has taken away the essence of... Because education means... Veda means knowledge. So the Vedas are there for education. So vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyaḥ (BG 15.15). Ultimately Vedānta, Vedānta means the ultimate knowledge. The end of knowledge. The end of knowledge is to know Kṛṣṇa.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Especially this movement is easier for the Indians because by birth they are imbibed with the Kṛṣṇa consciousness idea.
Lecture on SB 7.5.1, Pandal Lecture -- Bombay, January 12, 1973:

So we have got four branches now in India, out of 102 branches all over the world. But especially this movement is easier for the Indians because by birth they are imbibed with the Kṛṣṇa consciousness idea. Caitanya Mahāprabhu said,

bhārata-bhūmite manuṣya-janma haila yāra
janma sārthaka kari' kara paropakāra
(CC Adi 9.41)

So Indians are meant for welfare activities for the whole world. And how they will do? Not by begging: "Give me rice, give me milk powder, give me money, give me this." No. If you spread this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement all over the world, then you will be respectful. People will like it. They are very hungry for this Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So I am struggling alone. I require many Indians to join and spread this movement all over the world.

Conversations and Morning Walks

1975 Conversations and Morning Walks

He is concentrated. Just like our bhakti. Bhakti means we know, "Here is God: kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam.
Morning Walk -- December 24, 1975, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: They have already, nobody (indistinct) truth.

Dr. Patel: Yes. Brahma-vid brahma eva bhavati, he is just like.... All the knowledge of God is imbibed within.

Prabhupāda: Yes, he is concentrated. Just like our bhakti. Bhakti means we know, "Here is God: kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam (SB 1.3.28)." So there is no question of experimenting. Now we are known, we are concentrating how to satisfy. There is no question of experimentation.

Correspondence

1947 to 1965 Correspondence

In the opinion of Srimad-Bhagavatam, one who is imbibed with the devotion of Godhead is also endowed with all the good qualities of the gods.
Letter to Sardar Patel -- Calcutta 28 February, 1949:

In the midst of his multifarious duties, Gandhiji never missed to attend to his randhun kirtana meeting. This is one of the soundest method for the culture of devotion to God. In the opinion of Srimad-Bhagavatam, one who is imbibed with the devotion of Godhead is also endowed with all the good qualities of the gods. But one who is not a devotee of Godhead, has not any value for his good qualities because he utilizes his so called good qualities for ulterior purposes. As such the easy way to raise the moral standard of people in general, is to make this sankirtana movement more popular all over the world by philosophical discourses based on reasoning and moral and ethical codes. The Vaisnava acaryas especially Lord Caitanya and his six Gosvami disciples give us ample opportunity and scope for this work. Lord Caitanya first inaugurated the sankirtana or randhun movement and the later Gosvamis supported it by scholarly philosophical synthesis. The six sandarbhas by Srila Jiva Goswami are marvelous in this respect.

If they simply make melodious kirtana of Rama or Krishna or both combined and they are offered the prasadam of Sri Jagannatha surely they shall imbibe the spiritual tendency inherent in every human.
Letter to Juggannath Babu -- Calcutta 14 March, 1949:

You have encouraged your mill employees by establishing a recreation club and the amiable feelings of your employees with the benevolent proprietors as has been exhibited in yesterdays function, may be supplemented by infusing them with spiritual inspiration by the simple method as done by Lord Caitanya. In the last portion of His transcendental pastimes, Lord Caitanya lived in Puri-dhama and worshiped the Lord Jagannatha. By Some way or other your mill area has been named as the Jagannatha Puri and I suggest that an actual temple of Sri Jagannathaji may be erected by the guru-mandala for the benefit of these mill workers. If they simply make melodious kirtana of Rama or Krishna or both combined and they are offered the prasadam of Sri Jagannatha surely they shall imbibe the spiritual tendency inherent in every human

1970 Correspondence

When I first went to your country in New York, I found everyone imbibed with the idea that God is dead. Now gradually people are understanding that God is not only not dead, but He is factually present with us at every moment.
Letter to Madhukantha -- Bombay 16 November, 1970:

I am very glad to learn that the different libraries are accepting our books and surely they will find them absolutely beneficial. This line of thought, namely Krsna Consciousness or God-consciousness, is completely new in the Western world or throughout the whole world. People in general have got somewhat a vague idea of God consciousness. When I first went to your country in New York, I found everyone imbibed with the idea that God is dead. Now gradually people are understanding that God is not only not dead, but He is factually present with us at every moment. If we have the necessary qualification, to see God eye-to-eye is quite possible.

Page Title:Imbibe
Compiler:Visnu Murti, Serene
Created:16 of Nov, 2010
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=1, CC=0, OB=2, Lec=4, Con=1, Let=3
No. of Quotes:11