We have seen many big, big sannyāsī, they give up this world as brahma satyaṁ jagan mithyā, false. But after some times, when they cannot actually realize Brahman, they again come to this jagat for humanitarian work, for welfare activities. If jagat is mithyā, then why do they come again to this welfare activities? So jagat, not mithyā, but it is temporary. We do not say mithyā. Vaiṣṇava philosophers, they do not accept jagat as mithyā. Why? If it is emanation from the Absolute Truth, it must be true. It is not mithyā, but we accept it as temporary. We do not accept as permanent.
The permanent jagat is the spiritual world. Paras tasmāt tu bhāvaḥ anyaḥ (BG 8.20). There is another, spiritual world; that is sanātana, that is permanent. This world is not permanent. So even though it is not permanent, it can be utilized for the service of the Lord. Nirbandhe kṛṣṇa-sambandhe yukta-vairāgyam ucyate. That is our philosophy. We don't take the jagat as mithyā; we take it as fact, because it is emanation from the supreme fact. So just like gold earring is also gold—that is not iron—similarly, the, this material world is made of the external energy of Kṛṣṇa.
Therefore we do not find anything here wrong. We try to dovetail everything in the service of Kṛṣṇa, because it is Kṛṣṇa's. Just like one's property must be enjoyed by the proprietor. Kṛṣṇa says that bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ sarva-loka-maheśvaram (BG 5.29). He's the proprietor of this world, therefore everything dovetailed in His service for His satisfaction, that is devotional service. That is the professional stage of serving Kṛṣṇa. So we don't take the world as mithyā.
Therefore those who are impersonalists, they think that they have become liberated. Actually, they are not liberated. The Bhāgavata says, vimukta-māninaḥ. Ye 'nye 'ravindākṣa . . . ye 'nye 'ravindākṣa vimukta-māninaḥ. They are thinking like that. Actually, their intelligence is not yet completely purified. Aviśuddha-buddhayaḥ. Āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ (SB 10.2.32). So even Brahmā-sukha, the happiness derived from realization of Brahman, is not perfect. That is also stated in the Bhagavad-gītā:
- brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā
- na śocati na kāṅkṣati
- samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu
- mad-bhaktiṁ labhate parām
- (BG 18.54)
That brahma-bhūtaḥ stage is a preliminary qualification to enter into devotional service. But if one does not enter into devotional service, anādṛta-yuṣmad-aṅghrayaḥ (SB 10.2.32), neglects the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, then patanty adhaḥ. These are the statements, authoritative statements.