Hear To Know - The Science of Receiving The Divine

Questions By The Sages
"There are many varieties of scriptures, and in all of them, there are many prescribed duties, which can be learned only after many years of study in their various divisions. Therefore, O sage, please select the essence of all these scriptures and explain it for the good of all living beings, that by such instructions their hearts may be fully satisfied."

*Srimad Bhagavatam Canto 1, Chapter 1, Text 11

Translation and purport by AC Bhaktivedanta Swami

Prabhupada

Srila AC Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada (1896-1977) lived a life of extraordinary standards. After raising 5 children he retired to the holy village in Vrindavan India - a sacred place for hundreds of millions in India, being the historical location of Lord Krishna's early pastimes. His residence for years was in the Sri Sri Radha-Damodar temple, for a contemplative life of study and to prepare for a world-changing mission. His mission had assigned to him decades earlier by his own guru and renowned spiritual master.
His Divine Grace Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Goswami Thakur (1874-1937)

At their first meeting in 1922 Srila Saraswati Thakur requested his fledgling student to spread the precepts and mission of Lord Krishna's most recent incarnation
(Sri Chantanya Mahaprabhu 1486-1534), as passed down through the Brahma-Madhava-Gaudiya Sampradaya (a lineage) of spiritual masters and holy scriptures. The essence of the knowledge of the sacred texts is to first understand the nature of the self and that of Godhead, and the eternal loving relationship that exists between them. Then how to acting that knowledge to rewaken one's innated spiritual perfection in this life and the next = knowledge hardly even known in India, and that had yet to be widely translated into English.
Written in Sanskrit around 5,000 years ago these Vedic texts such as Bhagavad Gita, Bhagavat Purana, Sri Ishopanoshad, Brahma Samhita, Vedanta Sutra and others, contain original Sanskrit codes and mantras, unchanged and respected as divine instruction for humankind, for thousands of years.
Taking up the mantle of mission of Sri Krishna, Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and his own spiritual master's Gaudiya Sampradaya, AC Bhaktivedanta arrived in New York practically penniless in 1965 after a difficult sea voyage from his native India, and the holy land of Vrindavan, where Sri Krishna had appeared 5,000 years previously.
Over the next 12 years, AC Bhaktivedanta Swami accomplished the remarkable, to put it mildly. He not only set the foundation for the universal wisdom of the Vedic science of God and Self realization to be heard and understood by the common man and woman on six continents, he provided a structure, practice and standard, far more effective for those willing to hear spiritual of spiritual reality, than anything offered by governments or organizations, including the United Nations model.
Through Mantra Meditation, study, practice, grace, and a devotional spirit to learn how to love God and self, the highest truths of individual spirit, Universal spirit, and the relationship of eternal love between each soul and Godhead/Source/Creator, is clearly presented. With free will, individual soverignty, and sincerity, if one humbly seeks to learn and practice loving devotion to Universal Godhead/Creator, this practice, also called Bhakti Yoga, will reveal the following:
How To Reconnect to Godhead And One's True Self
The Practice of Bhakti Yoga as Karma free activity resulting in eternally increasing experience full knowledge of self and Source, manifesting as Transcendental Loving Service To God, constantly playing out in one's purified and transcendental heart.
A non-sectarian guide to Universal knowledge and empowerment on the eternal spiritual platform.

For thousands of years before the printing press, knowledge was passed down by oral tradition, in concert with hand-copied texts in various mediums. Not everyone could read, and knowledge many times, was held in the hands of the few. Oral tradition has always been a powerful supplement to the written word - if not sometimes superseding the written word - and passed down from one generation to another. This is true in the lineage of various spiritual traditions as well - where masters trained students, who would become masters to continue the line of knowledge onward.
In this age of seeming unlimited informational access, one may question how to distinguish the essential from the unnecessary; the pertinent from the impertinent?
We may wonder if absolute truth exists independent from the relative valuations of self-styled authorities and self-aggrandizing propagandists, theorists and speculators.
One approach, is to individually listen to various sources of knowledge with and open heart and mind - then see what resonates most deeply in one's inner-most heart, mind intellect, and spirit. The proof is in the pudding.
Sacred sound vibration and information will resonate on one's heartstrings, intellect and spirit, if true and valid. This is due to being emanated from one's Creator/Source already dwelling within one's heart, speaking directly to one's own spiritual heart and awareness. Such transcendent messages, received either written or spoken spiritual form, have a higher vibrational frequency and direct impact on one's internal reality, through divine resonance. Both Godhead and individual souls, consist of divine energy - but in different measures; one infinite, and one infintesimal.
We hear and perceive not only through our ears and minds when hearing/reading, but also through the analytical features of one's heart and spirit/soul, Such personal analysis internally, needs no external measurements of a subjective nature as science prefers. Ironically, even so-called scientific objective results, are interpreted very subjectively as to their ultimate meaning.
Hearing About Transcendent Spirit From Realized Souls And God Directly, Is The Primary Process for God and Self Realization In The Present Age. Hearing about the love-filled relationship between Godhead/Source and each conscious living being, is the gateway to the inner-dimension of spiritual reality everyone is part of, but has forgotten. Regaining one's spiritual identity, function, and connection to one's supremely conscious Source, is a journey of an individual's conscious awakening and divine revelation. It is revelation streaming from Source within, and also from Source agents without, in synchronicity.

Lord Sri Krishna Instructs His Friend Arjuna

5,000 years ago, at the precipice of an epic conflict pending at a battlefield in Kurukshetra, India Sri Krishna offered sage advise to Arjuna, who was deeply perplexed as to his best course of action. Arjuna was a princely warrior, faced with with a daunting decision as to his proper duty as both a family man and military commander. He had to decide to participate or not, in a war where family members and mentors on both sides, would surely be killed.
Arjuna sought advice from his dear friend Sri Krishna, regarding his immediate duty in life, being faced with an existential crisis.

Lord Sri Krishna, at Arjuna's request, revealed the transcendent knowledge by which anyone in any crisis, and at any time, can take shelter of.
Sri Krishna also revealed Himself to Arjuna as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and the best friend of not only Arjuna, but of everyone.

Sri Krishna did so, by empowering with Arjuna the spiritual vision required to see Universal Form of Godhead, and thereafter the audience of His divinely energetic, non-material personal feature - also divinely expanded into the hearts of all living beings .

Sri Krishna then spoke the Bhagavad Gita, and said in Chapter 4 Verse 34:
"Just try to learn the truth by approaching a spiritual master. Inquire from him submissively and render service unto him. The self-realized soul can impart knowledge unto you because he has seen the truth."
Over the last 5,000 years, there are many who have claimed to be spiritual masters, some genuine, many not. Those rare, genuine spirital masters are known by their symptoms of knowledge, detachment from worldly attachment and ego, and a simple joy and ecstasy of being in touch with Godhead / Source. Arjuna also wanted to know how to discern a genuine spiritual master, for the benefit of later seekers. Arjuna himself was receiving knowledge directly from Sri Krishna who is considered the original spiritual master, the spiritual embodiment of absolute truth, and the loving guide and friend residing in everyone's heart.
God/Source/Creator has no material name or form, but transcendent descriptions of Source/God's non-material qualities and attributes, include the All-powerful, All-Knowing, Ever-present, God-Almighty as the Supreme All-loving being. The name Krishna, refers to Godhead as the Supreme All-Attractive Personality of Godhead,

Arjuna said: What are the symptoms of one whose consciousness is thus merged in Transcendence? How does he speak, and what is his language? How does he sit, and how does he walk?

The Blessed Lord said: "O Pārtha, when a man gives up all varieties of sense desire which arise from mental concoction, and when his mind finds satisfaction in the self alone, then he is said to be in pure transcendental consciousness."
Krishna then explains more:
"One who is thus transcendentally situated at once realizes the Supreme Brahman. He never laments nor desires to have anything; he is equally disposed to every living entity. In that state he attains pure devotional service unto Me."

In other words, when a person's consciousness is purely connected to the source of all spiritual love and happiness, one will automatically be free from lower material desires and subsequent karmic bondage. Such renunciation is natural - nor forced or artificial, due to experiencing a non-ending satisfaction of a spiritual connection to Godhead, which is everyone's constitutional position. This perfection of yoga and religion, happens once freed from materialistic conceptions of life, primarily bodily conceptions, plus the grace of God.

Later in the Gita Krishna explains: "One who is thus transcendentally situated at once realizes the Supreme Brahman. He never laments nor desires to have anything; he is equally disposed to every living entity. In that state he attains pure devotional service unto Me."
At present, we also are serving constantly, but not Godhead directly. Our service focuses on family, friends, work, community, and country. Such service is highly conditional for a reward or payoff of some kind. It is a business exchange mostly, for money or social recognition, with very limited results. Material service is rarely unconditional or permanently satisfying.
In the following 14 verses from the Gita, Krishna explains more about the science of matter and spirit, as He is the controller of both, and the satifying nature of devotional service.

One who can control his senses by practicing the regulated principles of freedom can obtain the complete mercy of the Lord and thus become free from all attachment and aversion.

One who is not in transcendental consciousness can have neither a controlled mind nor steady intelligence, without which there is no possibility of peace. And how can there be any happiness without peace?

After many births and deaths, he who is actually in knowledge surrenders unto Me, knowing Me to be the cause of all causes and all that is. Such a great soul is very rare.

One who knows the transcendental nature of My appearance and activities does not, upon leaving the body, take his birth again in this material world, but attains My eternal abode, O Arjuna.

Never was there a time when I did not exist, nor you, nor all these kings; nor in the future shall any of us cease to be.

As the embodied soul continually passes, in this body, from boyhood to youth to old age, the soul similarly passes into another body at death. The self-realized soul is not bewildered by such a change.

For the soul there is never birth nor death. Nor, having once been, does he ever cease to be. He is unborn, eternal, ever-existing, undying and primeval. He is not slain when the body is slain.

This knowledge is the king of education, the most secret of all secrets. It is the purest knowledge, and because it gives direct perception of the self by realization, it is the perfection of religion. It is everlasting, and it is joyfully performed.

The Supreme Lord is situated in everyone's heart, O Arjuna, and is directing the wanderings of all living entities, who are seated as on a machine, made of the material energy.

O scion of Bharata, surrender unto Him utterly. By His grace you will attain transcendental peace and the supreme and eternal abode.

Because you are My very dear friend, I am speaking to you the most confidential part of knowledge. Hear this from Me, for it is for your benefit.

From the highest planet in the material world down to the lowest, all are places of misery wherein repeated birth and death take place. But one who attains to My abode, O son of Kuntī, never takes birth again.

One who knows the transcendental nature of My appearance and activities does not, upon leaving the body, take his birth again in this material world, but attains My eternal abode, O Arjuna.

Always think of Me and become My devotee. Worship Me and offer your homage unto Me. Thus you will come to Me without fail. I promise you this because you are My very dear friend.

Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me. I shall deliver you from all sinful reaction. Do not fear.