Language of the Heart - LOVE

When we speak in a sweet voice eloquently, that will appeal to the ears of others. When we speak logically and rationally, we impress the intelligence of the hearers, but when we speak genuine heartfelt words, they will impress and inspire the hearts of people.

Therefore, a spiritual teacher must employ one’s heart along with the mouth and intelligence while delivering spiritual knowledge. A heart filled with devotion to the Lord can inspire devotion in others’ hearts, through the medium of teaching.

Genuine devotion to the Divine is the foremost quality of a spiritual speaker. For one who personally relishes the pure teachings of wisdom texts, sharing them is a source of spiritual joy. The upsurge of appreciation for the Lord’s names, forms, qualities and pastimes within one’s heart makes one naturally and spontaneously want to glorify Him. This expression of love is called spiritual teaching. Hearing such heartfelt words fills the hearts of the audience with satisfaction, a desire to know more about God, and ultimately an inspiration to enter spiritual life. Here are a few examples that substantiate this point.

“?ukadeva Gosvāmī, the one who spoke the ?rīmad Bhāgavatam to Sūta Gosvāmī, is yet another wonderful example of such love for the Lord. Right at the onset of the Bhāgavatam (1.1.3), we find –

nigama-kalpa-taror galita? phala?

?uka-mukhād am?ta-drava-sa?yutam

pibata bhāgavata? rasam ā-laya?

muhur aho rasikā bhuvi bhāvukā?

“?rīmad-Bhāgavatam is the ripened fruit of the desire tree of Vedic scriptures. Being emanated from the lips of ?rī ?ukadeva Gosvāmī, this fruit has become much tastier nectarean juice. Therefore, please drink and relish this juice repeatedly, O thoughtful devotees.”

Just as the flavor of a ripened fruit increases when bitten by a parrot, the wonderful Bhāgavatam pastimes become more relishable to the hearers when narrated by ?ukadeva Gosvāmī. The sweetness of the pastimes of the Lord is enhanced when mixed with the love of His devotees who narrate them with devotion. Thus, the degree of love for God that the speaker holds, will be the degree of love for God that the hearers will be overwhelmed by. Here is a sweet example of this phenomena straight from V?ndāvana, the eternal spiritual abode of Lord K???a.”

“The motherly gopīs of V?ndāvana very much relished the stealing pastimes of little K???a. In fact, they prepared fresh butter and the choicest of milk products in anticipation of K???a coming and stealing them. Desiring never to forget K???a’s sweet acts, they kept discussing about it amongst themselves constantly. They would even go to Mother Ya?odā and speak of K???a’s thievery, in the form of complaints. Thus, they seemed to rebuke K???a externally, while hiding their love internally.

The real reason for their complaints is to give Ya?odā the pleasure of hearing K???a’s stealing pastimes. They thought she would be bereft of the joy of witnessing those sweet acts, for K???a wouldn’t need to steal in His own house. Hearing all their complaints, Mother Ya?odā indeed experienced a pleasure greater than the gopīs did by witnessing K???a’s pastimes firsthand.

This is the special feature of K???a’s enchanting līlās: When narrated by His pure devotees like the gopīs or ?ukadeva Gosvāmī. They taste even more nectarean, being mixed with their love.

“Therefore, in order to speak effectively, one must develop love for the Lord, which in turn makes one’s teaching more impactful. Thus, an ideal teacher is one who relishes the subject matter and expresses it with love. That will inspire devotion in the hearts of the hearers. Ultimately the purpose of scriptural discussions is to individually and collectively develop our devotion for God.”

Excerpt From

The Art of Studying & Teaching Scriptures

Gauranga Darshan Das