So Brahman, Paramātmā and Bhagavān, they are the same one truth, but it is difference of realization. Just like you see one big mountain from a distant place, you'll see just like something, hazy cloud. If you go still further, you'll find something greenish. But if you go actually to the mountain, you'll find so many varieties. So many varieties. There are houses, there are trees, there are men, there are animals. Similarly, to the spiritual world. First of all, this material world becomes . . . just like Lord Buddha, he did not say anything further than making this material world as void, śūnyavāda. That is a fact. If you are . . . in the previous verse it has been stated, vīta-rāga-bhaya-krodhāḥ (BG 2.56). If you are attached to these material varieties, then you cannot enter into the spiritual varieties, or in the spiritual world. Kṛṣṇa is so kind. If you have got a pinch of desire to enjoy this material world, then you'll have to remain here as . . . either as Lord Brahmā or as a small ant, according to your karma. But when you completely become free from material attachment, then the spiritual world is . . . so when the Buddha philosophy says śūnyavāda, nirvāṇa, nirvāṇa, it means the same thing, vīta-rāga: you have to become detached. You have to make this material enjoyment zero.
The bhakti also says, bhakti formula, anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyam (Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu 1.1.11): "You have to make your heart cleansed of all material desire." Then spiritual life will begin.
- yeṣāṁ anta-gataṁ pāpaṁ
- janānāṁ puṇya-karmaṇām
- te dvandva-moha-nirmuktā
- bhajante māṁ dṛḍha-vratāḥ
- (BG 7.28)
This is the process. So artificially, the Buddha philosophy or Śaṅkara philosophy, they, artificially if you want to make it nirvāṇa, zero, that is not possible. Avyaktāsakta-cetasām . . . te . . . kleśo 'dhikataras teṣām avyaktāsakta-cetasām (BG 12.5). Avyakta means zero, impersonal. If you become attached to simply making zero, or impersonal, that is not possible. Because we are accustomed. We are . . . as living beings, we want varieties. Variety is the mother of enjoyment. We cannot remain in the zero position. You have got experience. Just like when you fly on the plane, after some hours, four, five hours, you become disgusted. You want to come down. Everyone has got this experience. Because the sky is zero, we cannot remain there more than four or five hours or six hours. We must come down. In the sea also. We have got all these experience. If you remain on the ocean for three, four days . . . because it runs on. When I first went to America, I went by ship. So thirty-five days. So after four, five days, it was disgusting. As soon as we saw one island, then we became relieved. (laughter) You see?
So the śūnyavāda philosophy will not give you happiness. After śūnya, after making this śūnya . . . suppose you are passing through the sky, śūnya, if you get another, if you go the moon planet or other planet, then you become happy. Then you become happy. But if you don't get any planet, then you have to come back again on this planet.