We do not want to become Kṛṣṇa. We are trying to become Kṛṣṇa's servant. That is the difference between Māyāvāda philosophy and Vaiṣṇava philosophy. Caitanya Mahāprabhu teaches us how to become the servant of the servant of the servant of the servant of Kṛṣṇa. Gopī-bhartuḥ pada-kamalayor dāsa-dāsa-dāsānudāsaḥ (CC Madhya 13.80). The one, a person who is the lowest of the servant of Kṛṣṇa, he's first-class Vaiṣṇava. He's first-class Vaiṣṇava.
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu therefore teaches us:
- tṛṇād api sunīcena
- taror api sahiṣṇunā
- amāninā mānadena
- kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ
- (CC Adi 17.31)
This is the Vaiṣṇava philosophy. We are trying to be servant. We don't identify with anything material. As soon as we identify with anything material, we become under the clutches of māyā. Kṛṣṇa-bhuliyā. Because, as soon as I forget my relationship with Kṛṣṇa . . . I am eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa. Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, jīvera svarūpa haya nitya-kṛṣṇa-dāsa (CC Madhya 20.108-109). That is the eternal identification of the living entity: to remain servant of Kṛṣṇa. As soon as we forget this, that is māyā. As soon as I think that, "I am Kṛṣṇa," that is māyā.
That māyā means this māyā, illusion, can be rejected by advancement of knowledge. That is jñānī. Jñānī means this is real knowledge, to understand his real position. This is not knowledge that, "I am equal to God," "I am God." This is not knowledge. I am god, but I am sample of God. But the Supreme God is Kṛṣṇa. Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ (Bs. 5.1).
Arjuna accepted Kṛṣṇa like that: paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12). Paraṁ brahma. We may become Brahman . . . we are Brahman. There is no question of becoming. Ahaṁ brahmāsmi. This is not very difficult to understand. Because I am spirit soul, so I am Brahman. That's all right. But I am not Paraṁ Brahman. That is ignorance. I am not Paraṁ Brahman.
If one . . . anyone thinks that he is Paraṁ Brahman, then it must be understood that he's under the clutches of māyā. That is the last snare of māyā. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says that when one actually becomes knowledgeable, cognizant, he surrenders. Bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate (BG 7.19). That is real knowledge.
So advancement of knowledge means to understand his real position and act accordingly. That is knowledge. That is perfection of knowledge. Simply to understand that, "I am Brahman" is not perfection. You have to still go further. Simply to understand that, "I am Brahman. I have now realized myself as Brahman," that is not perfection of knowledge. Brahmā-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā (BG 18.54). One who becomes realized soul, self-realized, he becomes immediately perfectly joyful.
Because our all lamentation is due to our material identification. Śocati kāṅkṣati. We are simply lamenting for our loss, and we are simply hankering for some gain. This is material activities. Everyone is struggling to gain something which he does not possess, and he's lamenting for something which he has lost.