Heart to Heart Transmission

Revealed Truth

Chapter 2: Heart-to-Heart Transmission

Question: We hear that all truth is present in the scriptures, specifically Śrīmad Bhāgavatam, but how do we know when we are supposed to take the expressions in the scriptures literally or figuratively? How do we understand what the scriptures are really trying to say? Śrīla Govinda Mahārāj: How will we understand anything about the scriptures? We must first enter into a school. When we are Chapter 2: Heart to Heart Transmission

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Revealed Truth

admitted into a school we are given appropriate lessons for our level by our teacher. When I am studying in a school I pass through class one to class two, then to class three, and so on. In each class what I am taught is not exactly the same. Each higher class does not present everything in the same way as the previous classes do. But whatever I learn in each class is appropriate and beneficial for me at my level.

The Vedas, Vedānta, Upaniṣads, Śrīmad Bhāgavatam, and other scripture are an ocean, and they contain so many verses which have many different meanings. Ultimately, they are all guiding us towards the same goal—Kṛṣṇabhakti—but we are not always able to understand that. Sometimes it is very difficult to see that actually.Many different practising processes are explained in the various scriptures: karma-yoga, jñāna-yoga, aṣṭāṅgayoga, bhakti-yoga, and others. If we want to understand the real advice of all the scriptures, if we want to understand where the scriptures’ Chapter 2: Heart to Heart Transmission

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Revealed Truth

knowledge is trying to take our consciousness, then it is first necessary to faithfully study the scriptural lessons that are appropriate for us in a school, under the guidance of a proper teacher. That is the best process.

We must be very conscious about reading the scriptures. The scriptures are not the easiest thing to understand. Śrīmad Bhagavadgītā explains how a student should approach a teacher to learn spiritual knowledge: tad viddhi praṇipātena paripraśnena sevayā upadekṣyanti te jñānaṁ jñāninas tattvadarśinaḥ (Śrīmad Bhagavad-gītā: 4.34)

Here it is explained that a student must be a little qualified to approach a teacher. Śrīmad Bhagavad-gītā says, “First be surrendered, then enquire and serve. Your Guru will want to hear your questions and bestow his mercy upon you if you are really surrendered to him, you are Chapter 2: Heart to Heart Transmission

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Revealed Truth

humble, and you have real hankering.” First approach Gurudev through surrender; then serve him.Surrender alone is not sufficient. Surrendered service to Gurudev is the main thing that will give the sincere seeker the proper result in his search for transcendental knowledge. Someone may acquire general knowledge in other ways, but without praṇipāt, surrender; paripraśna, sincere enquiry; and sevā, service, transcendental knowledge will not reveal itself in the heart.

When a student is a little qualified in this way and finds a Guru who is a qualified teacher, the student must surrender to him, ask him questions, and serve him. Everything will be revealed in the heart of the qualified sincere seeker by the qualified Guru when the disciple is enriched with these three qualities of surrender, enquiry and service—enriched with a mood of devotion. When that mood is present, everything will be set right: the Guru’s heart will be melted by that student’s sincere Chapter 2: Heart to Heart Transmission

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approach, and the Guru will be ready to teach the student. By this process the student will understand, through the melted heart of his Guru, the essence of all the scriptures— everything that is to be found within the Vedas, Vedānta, Upaniṣads, Śrīmad Bhāgavatam, and the other scriptures.This is how we should try to learn the scriptures. [excerpts from Chapter 2: Heart to Heart Transactions from the book Revealed Truth]

Chapter 2: Heart to Heart Transmission

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