The Māyāvāda philosophy, they say that, "We are God. Everyone is God." But we say that, "Yes, everyone is God, but not that God, the Supreme God." Everyone is American, but not that American like President Nixon.
This commonsense knowledge the Māyāvādī hasn't got. But they are puffed up, "Oh, I am the same. I am . . ." So 'ham: "I am the same." How you are the same? If you are the same, why you are fallen in this condition?
They will say, "It is māyā. It is illusion." No. Why you are in illusion? If you are great—"God is great"—if you are that great, then why you are captured by illusion? Then illusion is great, not God is great.
This commonsense philosophy they do not understand. Therefore my Guru Mahārāja used to say: "Poor fund of knowledge." Whenever he used to designate these Māyāvādī philosophers, he would say: "Poor fund of knowledge."
So this is the opportunity to . . . you are part and parcel of God. Don't try to become artificially like God. That is not possible. That will be simply waste of energy. This is māyā. Everyone under the spell of māyā, they are working very hard. Why?
Everyone is trying to become God, "I shall be the great man of this country" or "My country shall be the greatest country in the world." That means God is great, and everyone is trying to be great like that. That is competition. So you are trying, I am trying, he is trying, everyone is trying. Therefore there is competition, there is trouble, there is anxiety. This is called māyā.
But our Bhāgavata philosophy says that, "Don't try artificially in that way. Better remain what you are. Better remain . . ." Just like the same example—if you want to be the greatest man in your country, just like President Nixon, so you have to work very hard.
And that is also for temporary. It will be finished within five years. Then you are ordinary man again. So better remain in your own capacity, and try to become Kṛṣṇa conscious, or God conscious. Caitanya Mahāprabhu recommends this process, that you don't try artificially to become God the great. It is not possible. Simply waste of time.
Caitanya Mahāprabhu says that jñāne prayāsam udapāsya namanta eva (SB 10.14.3). It is not the statement of Caitanya Mahāprabhu; it is the statement of Bhāgavata, but He quoted this. His disciple, Rāmānanda Rāya, quoted this while discussing what is the objective of human life.
So He recommends this objective. What is that? Jñāne prayāsam udapāsya namanta eva. Don't try to be puffed up artificially by your speculative knowledge that you are the same God. Don't try for it.